Page 56 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy
“Then what are we waiting for?” Lisbeth asks.
Luther frowns, and with a flick of his wrist, a flash of yellow magic floats around his hand. In moments, a scroll appears, and he opens it.
“If your friend has blood magic control over the Jade Lion, there may be one thing strong enough to cut off this enchantment,” Luther explains.
“What?” I ask, rubbing my hands together. I’ll do anything to free Kai. I can’t let him be controlled for a moment longer.
“The Jade Lion himself.”
“What?” I ask.
Luther sighs and opens the scroll. “This spell is like a backdoor to a manipulation hex, but only works on fated mates.”
“Fated mates?” I ask. I gaze at the scroll and try to discern what the symbols mean.
“That’s you and Kai.” Luther quirks an eyebrow. “I assume you two have…?”
My throat goes dry.Is he asking what I think he’s asking?
“Yes, they did it. They boned. They’re mates. Whatever!” Taina motions her hands in a circle. “Can we just skip to the part where we stop this hostile magical takeover!”
Luther nods while my cheeks heat up. “The key to the spell is having the fated mate override the control with true love.”
My breath hitches, and I gaze at Kai. He’s in agony, a puppet on Ashley’s evil string. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
“That’s the problem.” We all turn to Luther. “Seb, it’s going to require your life force. Your blood.”
Taina gasps and covers her mouth. “My vision,” she whispers.
Is this how I die? Some gambit spell to save the man I’ve fallen in love with? I turn back and watch as Ashley picks up more shards of geo arcanum. Then, I look at Luther.
“I’ll do it. To save Kai. Plus, I don’t want to live in a world where our greatest magical resource is gone,” I say.
“Oh, Seb.” Taina cries and hugs me.
While I pat her back, Luther asks, “Are you sure?” He conjures a small dagger into his hand.
“Seb, honey, please, think this over,” Lisbeth says, sounding distressed.
I pull Taina from me, then hand Luther my palm. “There’s nothing to think about. The world needs wizards, the Jade Lion, and the geo arcanum. Ashley needs to be stopped. I’m the only one who can reach Kai and save him.”
“There has to be another way,” Taina says, tears streaming down her cheeks. Anika holds her while Lisbeth gives a doleful frown.
“I have no other options,” Luther says. “And the High Council won’t be ready until?”
“Just do it,” I say, my voice breaking. “As long as you protect my coven when all this is done.” Luther nods, and I take a deep breath. I give one last look at my coven, my housemates, my family. “I love you, ladies.” I step forward to Luther. “But I love Kai, too.”
Luther gives me a sad nod, then slowly slices down my palm.
CHAPTER 23- KAI
I HAVE RETREATEDinto my subconscious. There is no fighting Ashley and her violent crusade. My body slashes and slashes at the magical rock wall. And my mind is trapped in a red void. In my psyche, I am curled up in a ball, on the red ground deep within my soul.
I wish Seb were here. Ashley is going to alter my fate, use me to kill people. The wizards may execute me for being part of this hostile plot. But I don’t care about what they do to me, I only want to see the man I love, my fated mate, one last time. When last we spoke, we fought, but now I just want to hold him.
“Kai…Kai…”
I can almost hear him in my psyche. I curl in on myself more in the red void of my soul.
