Page 41 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy
“Would you, um…” His voice is nearly a whisper. “Did you want…s-s-sex?”
I giggle and lean closer. I peck his lips and say, “Maybe another time. Tonight I just want…”
The words are cut off by a yawn, and I feel him wrap his arms around me. “I want that, too,” Kai says.
Cauldrons, he feels so good, so right, wrapped around me. I want to tell him?needto tell him my coven’s plan. Only, I don’t want to ruin this amazing moment. So I bury myself in his chest, and the beat of his heart lulls me to sleep.
I don’t want Kai to fall in love with me; it will only serve the coven’s agenda. So I need to start pushing him away. When I look up, he kisses me softly, a gentle press of the lips that lights my soul aflame. I sigh, and my eyes close.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll tell him. But not tonight.
CHAPTER 16- KAI
TODAY, THINGS FEELstrange with Seb. I accompany the coven to Brew-Ha and help them open up, content on going to the library after. I keep trying to show Seb displays of affection, but he subtly rebukes them. I was under the impression that the coven was accepting of the homosexual lifestyle? At times, it seems like Lisbeth actively wants Seb and me to be intimately entwined.
I assume we are going to get together. Or are we already a couple? What is the courting ritual of the twenty-first century?
Most importantly, does Seb want it? Feeling him in my arms, having him lull me to sleep with head rubs, and engaging in sexual activity is…perfection.
But things are different today. Perhaps there is something I am missing in modern-day courtship. When I walk out of Brew-Ha, I take in the cool autumn air. I turn around to see Seb studying me through the glass door. He swiftly avoids my gaze and scrutinizes an already clean table.
I laugh softly and walk to the library. Clearly, he has desires for me. I just need to make him see that I want to fulfill those desires. He is my lion’s mate; I can feel it in my bones. Now, much research must be done.
That night, I conjure a tasty dinner of siomai and rice noodles. The conversation is as pleasant as ever, and I truly feel like I belong here at Boysen House. Seb’s smiles seem at times forced, but perhaps he had a difficult shift today. After the meal, heclaims he needs to call his parents in privacy outside. I am willing to give my mate as much space as he needs before I set my plan into motion.
I wait patiently on Seb’s bed, which now feels like our bed, a space we share together. He finishes chatting with his parents, then Lisbeth, and then showers. At long last, we have our alone time.
When Seb walks into the room, I stand up and beam at him. Nervousness and arousal course through my veins, and I play with my fingers. I have never felt this way about courtship before, but I’ve never wanted anyone, body and soul, this way.
“Sebastian!”
“Hey, Kai.” He gives me an uneasy smile, then walks to his dresser. I only stare at his backside for a moment before shaking my head. “What’s up?”
“I have something to show you.”
“Oh?”
“My, um…surprise for you is outside,” I say.
“Really?”
I nod. “Yes, get your coat and meet me at the window.” I slowly climb out of the bedroom window that faces the dark forest.
When Seb joins me, I help him hop out of the room. “Look, Kai, I need to tell you something.”
“First, behold.” I point to my surprise on a patch of grass. “I made this.”
“You…what…woah!” Seb’s eyebrows bounce, and he squints his eyes multiple times. When he looks at me, I nod. “Is that…?”
“Yes. It is a conjured carpet.” The thick fabric tapestry on the ground has intricate purple, gold, and red patterns sewn on it. The carpet is about double the area of Seb’s bed. Appropriate considering what I intend tonight.
“It’s beautiful.” Seb sits on it and rubs the purple and red fabric. “So soft…”
I sit next to him and grin. “That is not all. I read a fairytale book that described this as…a shining, shimmering courtship ritual.”
“A what?”
I clap my hands and magic falls down, like shiny green dust particles from my palms. When the arcana touches the fabric, the carpet begins to rise. Seb startles and holds on to me, but the enchantment works perfectly. In seconds, we’ve ascended into the clouds. We’re almost a kilometer into the sky, where no mortal or wizard can find us.
