Page 52 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy
Taina’s eyebrows furrow. “Um, no.” She looks at Lisbeth, who turns to Anika.
“Go check Ashley’s room, please,” Lisbeth instructs. Anika rolls her eyes but walks away. Lisbeth looks at me and says, “You’re not seriously considering that one of our own—”
“I don’t know what to believe. He sounded so hurt, like someone was pulling his body apart.” I take a deep breath and cover my mouth, fighting the urge to sob. “I’ve never felt that much pain, that agony.”
Taina gives me a sympathetic smile, then touches my shoulder. “Hey, it’ll be alright.”
“If it will get us all to bed, we can try to see the future,” Lisbeth says. “But starting with little Ashley, really? She’s—”
“Not here,” Anika says. She’s striding back to us, holding a book in her hands. “But, um…there are several tomes scattered near her dresser. Books about…” Anika gulps and holds open a book. “Dark blood-based magic.”
The room goes silent, and the four of us exchange distressed looks. After a long pause, Lisbeth says, “This doesn’t…mean that she did anything.”
“Lisbeth,” I mutter, clenching my fists.
“But we should check just in case. Taina, could you—?”
“I’ll get hair from her comb,” Taina says.
“And I’ll fill the scrying bowl in the kitchen,” Anika adds.
I exchange a grateful look with Lisbeth, and we all go our separate ways.
Ten anxiety-filled minutes later, the four of us are dressed, seated at the kitchen table. The proper candles are lit, and the scent of sage fills the air. Taina stares down at the bowl, now with Ashley’s hair in it. It’s no blood, but it will have to do. She has her nose almost to the water, studying what look like ripples of liquid to me. I pray that her future sight doesn’t fail her now.
Anika, Lisbeth, and I silently exchange nervous glances as Taina does her thing. Our presence should help her divine properly. If this doesn’t work, then we’ll have no leads. It’s hard to believe my roommate would dabble in dark magic. Still, Kai most certainly said to stop Ash. Maybe he’s been kidnapped by a different Ash?
“Ah!” Taina shouts, tossing her head back. In moments, I’m by her side. She’s gasping like she just swam a mile. I rub her back gently to let her recover, while Lisbeth and Anika look at her with alarm.
For the third time in weeks, Taina has seen a horrifying vision of the future. I don’t envy clairvoyance as a skill.
“Ty,” I say gently. “You’re okay. Come back to us.”
Taina catches her breath and nods. “Ashley…she’s…” Taina gulps. “She’s using solo magic to…control something huge. With fangs.”
“Kai?” I look at Lisbeth. “Kai’s lion form?”
Taina stares at the bowl in distress. “She keeps saying that she wants the power source…some sort of…physical rock.” She shakes her head and clamps her eyes shut, like it’s painful tospeak. “She’s out to hurt people, I can feel it. So much rage…so much violence. How could Ashley do this?”
“If she’s going to take control of another, that’s dark magic, through and through,” Anika points out. “That’s an unforgivable sin for all mages. But she’s our friend, our Ashley. Would she really hurt people?”
“When is she going to do it?” Lisbeth asks.
Taina looks at all of us and wipes the tears from her eyes. “This…this isn’t a far premonition. It’s happening tonight.”
CHAPTER 21- KAI
THE NIGHT SKYis quiet as we descend to our destination. I land our platform of rock in front of the property I remember. With a flick of my wrist, I break the gate with arcana, scattering metal shards across the yard.
“So, this is the place, huh?” Ashley murmurs. “You could have dropped us off farther.” She beckons me to follow, and my feet trail after her.
Indeed, I could have landed us inside the mansion, but I need to think clearly. She has my body and my powers, but I can still strategize. Perhaps Seb, Luther, or someone will realize what is going on. The broken gate might be a clue, and Ashley must be stopped.
Darkness shrouds the estate before us. I hear nothing, and I pray no one gets in the way of her maniacal tirade. “The gate is in here?” Ashley turns to me with a sinister glint in her eyes. “Answer me, Jade Lion.”
My mouth opens, and I can breathe fully for the first time since we left the forest. I move my jaw around. I can’t use my arms or my magic, but my tongue is mine again. With that realization, I clear my throat. “Why are you doing this?”
“I don’t need to answer you,” she mutters. “And I certainly don’t need to explain myself to those wizard fascists who shunned my ancestors.”
