Danny's Demons Chapter 28 (Early Preview) (Patreon)

Chapter 28: Practical Application

Our favorite trio continued their magic lessons in a field hidden with warding magic.

Stolas dismissed the barrier seal.

Danny arrived moments later, brushing a twig off his shoulder. Octavia trailed behind, adjusting the strap of her black-stitched satchel and mumbling something about being dragged out of a perfectly good nap.

“Today’s lesson is about illusion,” Stolas began. “A Minor Illusion is one of the most adaptable spells in a caster’s arsenal… when it’s done correctly.”

He turned and extended a clawed hand toward the air beside him. With a smooth motion, a second Octavia shimmered into existence. Her expression was neutral and composed, her eyes blinking with uncanny realism. The illusion stood silently for a moment before vanishing with a flick of Stolas’s wrist.

“To master illusion is to master perception,” he continued. “It requires focus, creative precision, and a clear image of what you want to show. The more intimately you know the subject, the better the result.” His gaze swept between Danny and Octavia. “Let’s begin. Your first subject: yourselves.”

Danny stepped forward and stretched his shoulders. “Okay… This can’t be harder than math homework,” he muttered, closing his eyes. He tried to picture himself—blue eyes, messy black hair, jacket collar always crooked, shoes overdue for retirement.

Tracing a familiar sigil in the air, he whispered the spell. Light shimmered in the grass ahead… and what appeared was a warped, slightly horrifying version of himself. The illusion had a giant bobblehead, a stretched grin drawn like marker scribbles, and limbs far too long to be taken seriously. It wobbled in place like a cartoon on a sugar rush.

Octavia blinked once, then snorted. “What… what is that?”

Danny stared. “Why do I look like a haunted Funko Pop?”

Stolas coughed lightly, clearly suppressing laughter. “Your mental image may be a bit… self-critical. Or perhaps exaggerated.”

Danny groaned and waved the illusion away. “Alright, okay. Let’s try someone I don’t accidentally cartoonify.”

This time, Danny focused on Octavia. He let the spell flow through him, but in the back of his mind, a few stray thoughts seemed to take shape—unintended, half-formed impressions of the way he sometimes saw her, whether he meant to or not. As the illusion shimmered into view, it was far more accurate than his previous attempts—but now it had swung wildly in the other direction. To any observant adult, it was the unmistakable image of a young man projecting a romantic crush.

Illusion-Octavia stood in a soft glow of conjured golden light, her feathers neatly brushed, her usual deadpan replaced by a soft smile. There was just enough tilt in her head to make her look impossibly sweet. The whole image radiated the word “adorable.”

Danny just stared at it, totally silent for a second. Then you could practically see the moment it clicked – his eyes shot wide open. Almost instantly, his ears turned bright red. He coughed, waving his hand a bit too fast like he could just make it disappear. "Okay," he laughed awkwardly, "that one was... uh... just a joke." He tried to brush it off.

"My, my," Stolas drawled from somewhere nearby, his voice practically dripping with amusement and mischief. "Doesn't my Via look simply delightful?"

Danny groaned, slapping a hand over his face.

Octavia stared at the spot where the illusion had just vanished, one brow raised so high it threatened to disappear into her hairline. Her expression hovered somewhere between flat disbelief and sharp curiosity, eyes narrowing ever so slightly as if trying to decide whether to mock Danny mercilessly… or pretend it hadn’t happened.

Then, slowly, she tilted her head toward him, her tone dry enough to parch the air. “A joke, huh?” she repeated, deadpan. “Right. Because nothing says ‘comedy’ like radiant lighting and a sparkly smile.”

Danny refused to meet her eyes, still busy studying the incredibly fascinating patch of grass near his feet.

Octavia crossed her arms, clearly enjoying herself now. “So, should I start posing like that from now on, or is the magical soft lighting a you-only feature?”

She let the silence hang there for a second, definitely enjoying watching him squirm. Finally, she rolled her eyes with a little sigh. "You're such a dork." But you could see the tiniest hint of a smile trying to form at the corner of her mouth.

"Alright," Stolas said, straightening up. "Let's see how well you can copy me."

Danny and Octavia exchanged glances, then turned toward him with identical looks of concentration.

Danny’s illusion came first—a mostly accurate Stolas, robes and feather patterns roughly in place. The stance was close, almost regal, but the details were off. His legs were too long, the eyes too wide, and the chest puffed like a superhero trying to look important.

Danny tilted his head. “Not bad, right? Little... owl-heavy, maybe.”

Octavia’s illusion followed a second later, gliding into form with a quiet grace. Feathers arranged with care, robes that flowed just right, and eyes that captured a depth that felt real. It even tilted its head the way Stolas did when listening.

Stolas’s expression softened. His voice was gentler than usual. “Octavia… that was remarkable.”

She gave a small shrug, though a hint of pride tugged at the corner of her mouth.

“Your illusion has warmth. Familiarity. You’ve known me since you were small. That kind of closeness makes the image clearer.”

He turned to Danny, whose illusion was now waving stiffly—and had accidentally given itself too many fingers.

Danny scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, okay, still working on the... proportions.”

"Getting there," Stolas said with a nod. "You're starting to think less like you're just casting spells and more like... well, like an artist."

“Magic reflects the mind,” Stolas said quietly. “And illusion magic, more than most, reflects how well you see. Not just with your eyes… but with memory. With emotion.”

Danny nodded slowly and sank into the grass, sitting cross-legged. Octavia settled beside him, wings tucked, leaning back on her hands.

“So the better I know someone, the more accurate the illusion?” Danny asked.

“Exactly,” Stolas replied. “Illusion isn’t just about tricking others. It’s about showing something that feels real. Even if it’s only for a moment.”

Danny glanced at his still-waving illusion-Stolas and smirked. “Yeah… I’ve definitely got some work to do.”

As they stood to leave, Octavia bumped her elbow against his. “Next time I’m making you look like a bobblehead.”

Danny grinned. “Too late. Already beat you to it.”

#

It had been several months since Danny finally got the chance to practice magic. The first few weeks had been spent testing out cantrips, pushing past the structure of Stolas’ lessons to experiment on his own. By now, the smaller spells came almost instinctively, flickers of energy at his fingertips like second nature. So far, things were looking good.

It was quiet at the Fentons' place tonight. Danny was sprawled on the couch, legs kicked out, just flipping through channels without really watching anything. Beside him, Octavia (still in her human form) sat cross-legged, kind of absently running her fingers through her dark hair. The TV was the main light source, washing the room in flickering blues and greens.

Danny sighed, clicking the remote even faster. “Man, why is there never anything good on?”

Octavia barely looked up from the bowl of popcorn between them. “Maybe because you’re skipping everything before giving it a chance?”

Danny smirked but kept clicking. “We’re on a quest, Octavia. Searching for only the finest cinematic masterpieces.”

She gave him a deadpan look. “If by ‘masterpieces’ you mean low-budget disaster films, then yeah, sure.”

Danny ignored her and kept flipping. Octavia shifted, propping her chin on her palm. “At this rate, we’re gonna spend all night scrolling.”

“Hey, I can tell when a show’s gonna suck just from the intro.”

Octavia rolled her eyes. “Yeah, and I bet you just skipped something halfway decent five channels ago.”

Danny snorted. “Yeah, right.”

She grabbed more popcorn. “Hey, you made me watch that awful sci-fi horror thing last time. What was it called… Space Beasts vs. Mega-Fang?”

Danny grinned. “A classic! You just don’t appreciate true cinematic genius.”

“Oh yeah, nothing screams ‘genius’ like guys in rubber suits and CGI so bad I wanted to claw my eyes out.”

“You’re being dramatic,” Danny said, still grinning as he finally stopped flicking channels on some cheesy action movie. A terrible-looking explosion filled the screen, followed by a dude doing a ridiculous slow-mo dive away from it. Danny’s smirk widened. “Oh, now this looks promising.”

Octavia groaned. “Absolutely not.”

Danny turned to her, feigning offense. “What? This has ‘cinematic masterpiece’ written all over it.”

Octavia snatched the remote from his hand and started flipping through channels again. “You have the worst taste in movies.”

Danny stretched lazily, letting her take the remote. He flicked his fingers, muttering a quiet incantation. The popcorn bowl on the table wobbled, then lifted an inch into the air, floating slowly toward Octavia.

She raised an eyebrow but waited.

With another flick, the popcorn inside the bowl turned an unnatural shade of neon blue.

Danny smirked. “Try it. I think I got flavor control down.”

Octavia plucked a piece from the bowl, studied it, then popped it into her mouth. After a thoughtful chew, she nodded. “Cotton candy? Nice.”

Danny leaned back, looking smug. “Told you I’m getting better.”

They settled into a comfortable rhythm, throwing casual jabs and half-watching whatever movie ended up staying on. The kind of easy, rare quiet that didn’t come often in Danny’s life.

Octavia nudged him with her foot. “So, are we actually gonna pick something, or are we just gonna sit here arguing all night?”

Danny shot her a lazy grin. “I dunno. I kinda like arguing with you.”

She rolled her eyes but smirked anyway. “You’re the worst.”

“And yet, you’re still here.”

Octavia shook her head, but her expression softened. “Yeah. I guess I am. Never said it wasn’t enjoyable.”

Danny let the moment hang for a beat before casually grabbing the remote back. “Alright, fine, we’ll pick something.” He scrolled through a few more titles before pausing. “Ooooh, how about Ghostbusters?”

Octavia gave him a flat look. “Danny.”

“What?”

“Your parents hunt ghosts for a living.”

“Yeah, but they don’t have proton packs!”

Octavia sighed, grabbing another handful of popcorn. “Fine. But if it sucks, I’m picking next time.”

Danny smirked. “Deal.”

#

At some point, Octavia did this big stretch, arms way up over her head, letting out a little sigh before kinda flopping onto her side. Like it was no big deal, she just rested her head on Danny’s lap, wriggling a bit to get comfy.

Danny blinked down at her, surprised. That was new. But she acted like it was totally normal. And honestly? He didn’t mind.

The movie kept playing, but neither of them was really watching. Danny's mind was elsewhere anyway, his fingers idly tracing the cover of his grimoire lying on the couch next to him. Ever since making that Warlock Pact, he’d been practicing like crazy, itching to try stuff beyond Stolas's lessons. He’d started small—making sparks dance in his palm, using Mage Hand to grab snacks without getting up. But the more he figured out, the more he wanted to see what else he could do.

“Hey,” Danny muttered, keeping his voice down, “I was thinking… maybe I could, like, start using magic at school? Nothing big, you know? Just… little things.”

Octavia didn't say anything for a second. Then she let out this long sigh, shifting just enough to look up at him. “Danny,” she said, and her voice had that warning tone.

“What?” He shrugged, a half-grin playing on his lips. “It’s not like I’m gonna throw fireballs in Algebra. Just tiny stuff—like using Mage Hand to get my books from my locker, or Prestidigitation so my homework doesn’t get soaked when it rains. Totally harmless.”

Octavia exhaled slowly, closing her eyes for a second before giving him that knowing look. “You need to be careful. Magic isn’t just some shortcut. Believe me. I tried.”

Danny scoffed. “Oh, come on. Like anyone’s gonna notice if I make my backpack a little lighter?”

Octavia propped herself up on her elbow. “You think that now, but trust me, it’s easy to get carried away. I know magic, and even I’m only allowed to use it at home under certain conditions. My dad would flip if I just started using it in public.”

Danny tilted his head, thoughtful. “I mean… yeah, I get that. But Stolas keeps telling me magic is a tool. Why not use it to make life easier?”

“Because it’s a tool that can make you lazy,” Octavia said bluntly. “You start relying on it for small things; before you know it, you’re using magic for everything. That’s when it becomes a problem.”

Danny opened his mouth to argue but stopped. He wasn’t planning to get reckless, but she had a point. He sighed, relenting. “Fine, I’ll be careful. I’ll keep it small.”

Octavia studied him for a moment, then shook her head, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “You’re gonna learn the hard way, I can already tell.”

Danny grinned. “Probably.”

She sighed but let it go, resting her head back on his lap. “Just… don’t do anything stupid.”

Danny chuckled. “No promises.”

Octavia rolled her eyes, but there was amusement. “That includes setting the house on fire with a firebolt. Your parents would definitely blame ghosts.”

Danny smirked. “Then technically, it wouldn’t be my fault.”

Octavia shook her head. “You’re such a menace.”

“And you’re a bad influence.”

“Hello? Demon.”

The conversation faded into comfortable quiet. The movie continued, mostly ignored, as Danny’s fingers absentmindedly drifted to her hair, combing through the soft strands without thinking.

Octavia hummed softly, eyes half-lidded but making no comment. The sensation was… nice. Relaxing, even. She let herself sink into the moment, content in the quiet comfort between them.

Neither of them said anything and didn’t have to.