Page 25 of Hexes and Hiccups
“Do you know Fern Harper?” Tessa asked.
“I don’t think so,” he replied. “Unless when I was a kid. But I can’t recognize the name.”
Daisy nodded. He wouldn’t have known about the situation surrounding Fern’s daughter, Evelyn, either. It happened a long time ago, and it was hardly news that was still spread around. “How about Riven?”
“The dragon?” Malric shrugged. “Probably know him just as much as everyone else. I’ve crossed paths with him once or twice, but I always thought it was smarter to keep my distance with a dragon, right?”
Tessa laughed. “Much smarter. Who taught you that? Your parents?”
“Well…” His words trailed off. Malric pressed his lips together, a sadness overtaking his face. While Willowbrook was used to seeing anger on their reckless and powerful warlock, it was much rarer to see a hint of despair on his young face. “They did, a long time ago.”
Daisy leaned forward again, no longer thinking about the investigation. “Is something the matter, Malric?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
She reached across the table to grab ahold of his calloused hand. “If you need to talk, you’ve got two pairs of ears right here.”
Malric glanced between them again, still looking rather frazzled about the situation he has found himself in. He looked down at his hand beneath Daisy’s, his eyes growing wider behind his shaggy strands of unkempt hair.
“My parents kicked me out,” he whispered.
Daisy’s eyes went wide. “What?”
“A few months ago,” he continued. “They just…” He lifted his head, trying to be rid of the sadness on his face. “I’ve only got a few more months left at trade school, and I’ll be able to get a job and start making money for myself. Only a few more months.”
“Where have you been staying?” Tessa asked.
Malric hesitated. “Here and there, you know.”
Daisy’s heart felt as though it was being torn in two. He was barely out of high school, trying to make his way in life, only to be forced out of the only home he knew. To know that his parents were the ones behind it was even worse, andDaisy racked her brain for something she could possibly do. She glanced at Tessa to see that the empath had the same expression on her forlorn face. They were burdened, suddenly, with something other than the investigation at hand. Daisy leaned closer to him.
“What happened, Malric?”
“I’ve been a burden all my life,” he finally said, pulling his hand away from hers. “When I was a kid, there wasn’t any chance they could get rid of me. They had to deal with all the problems I caused. But once I was old enough, they were pretty set on what to do next.” He gave them a half smile. “I’m sure they’re happier now.”
Beneath the table, Daisy’s hands clenched into tight fists. So much, it seemed, made her angry quite fast recently. But there were so many unfair and terrible things happening to genuinely good people, and it riled her up in a way she had never experienced before. While she couldn’t fix the situation with the rumors and the Book of Gossip right away, Daisy might be able to change Malric’s fate, if he was willing.
“Malric,” Daisy started, doing her best to keep her voice leveled, “if there was someone who could give you a place to stay in exchange for helping out around the house, like chores or repairs, would you be interested in something like that?”
His brow snapped up, a newfound light filling his eyes. He reached and pushed his hair out of the way, revealing his face for the first time in while. The corner of his lip tugged upwards, though he didn’t smile outrightly.
“I-I would want that,” he whispered. “Are you serious?”
Daisy held up her hands cautiously. “Don’t get your hopes up right away, alright? But I can see what I can do. Does that help?”
“Does that help?” Malric repeated, his head already nodding. “Like you wouldn’t believe. I-I’m not the person everyone stillthinks I am, Daisy. I’m not. If that’s something I can have, I’d do anything to keep it.”
Tessa smiled, bumping her shoulder into Daisy’s. “I think we can figure something out.”
“You’ll have to be the perfect tenant,” Daisy said in a teasing voice, though she was being pretty serious.
Malric nodded rapidly. “I can be. I swear!”
“Let us do some talking, Malric, and we’ll figure it out.”
The boy was beaming from ear to ear by the time they started to leave The Cozy Cup. Daisy had a new sense of hope filling her chest as they went back to Fields’ Herbals,her faith in Willowbrook slowly being restored. If there was one good thing to come out of the rumors and gossip filling the town, it could be a new home for Malric, and a helping hand for Anne. While the two of them might not be a match made in heaven, something told Daisy that it might be the best thing for them both, something that could bring it all around.
Daisy breathed in deeply and ignored the unease that threatened to swallow her once more.
