Page 8 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy
When I turn away, Seb takes a step back. In a soft voice, he says, “I got that cursed object from Hong Kong. The pipe-smoking woman claimed she had had it for generations. I had no idea it…contained a magical person.” I brush my hair from my face and look at him. His kind eyes seem so warm, and he continues, “When…did you become a totem? Who put you there?”
I wipe my face and try to focus on the table. All of this information is making my head spin.I was trapped in a cursed object?“I do not recall.”
“It’s fine.” He claps his hands together. “Maybe the others can help.”
“Others?”
Seb smiles. “My housemates are my coven. My leader, Lisbeth, owns the place. They’ll be back in a few hours, but now that you’re awake, they’d like to meet you. We can get you the answers you seek. We want to know why exactly you were a shadow beast.” His face softens. “But only if you want to, Kai.”
I nod at him. His courtesy puts my soul at ease, a kindness I have not felt in so long.
“They all helped me do the unbinding spell on you,” Seb says. “Together, maybe we can do more to assist you?”
“Assist me?”
“I assume you want to get home.”
He has returned. All bow to the Jade Lion!
More voices echo across my memories, but it’s all so unclear. The pressure and the fear chill me to my very core. I feel like I’m no longer welcome in Hong Kong, and I don’t know why. “I…am not sure where home is,” I say in a shaky voice.
I take several deep breaths, trying to calm myself. My heart picks up, and I could collapse at any time. Seb clears his throat, and the sympathy on his face is undeniable. “Hey, listen. We have some time before the girls get home. Why don’t I set you up with a shower? A toothbrush? Ooh, a tour. I can take you where you can get cleaned, maybe find some clothes for you.”
After several long seconds, I nod. “Bathing sounds helpful. Thank you, Sebastian Suarez.”
His smile is dazzling, but I am too stressed and confused to appreciate it. “Please, it’s Seb.”
Everything I learn of Boysen House is peculiar. It’s a multiple-story home, presumably the appropriate architecture for being in America. I sense traces of magical objects in the attic, basement, and one room, but now is not the time to breach anyone’s privacy. Each of the witches has their own quarters, butSeb has not mentioned any spouses—not that I am in any shape for romance. Still, the only person I know right now, the man giving me the tour, is certainly tempting.
Focus, Kai.One task at a time. I need to wash up and possibly get clothes. Seb shows me the first-floor washroom and gives me towels and a toothbrush. Everything in the room is vibrant, colorful, and so new to me. I do enjoy this hands-free bathing system. If this is some sort of infernal prison, so far, it is a comforting one.
As I’m wiping my damp hair with a towel, I sense Seb outside the door. “Hey, Kai?”
I open up and allow him in. This is his home, after all. He seems flustered and stares at the ground as he hands me garments. “I, uh…b-b-brought clothes,” he sputters.
I raise an eyebrow at him as I lean on the sink. Looking down, I recall that I did not cover up after the shower. How rude of me to expose myself to this boy.
“Thank you, Sebastian.” I take the garments, and the lad turns around. Curiously, he does not leave the washroom.
“I got the biggest sweatpants I could find.” His back is tense as he gazes out into the hallway. As I put on the trousers, I take a moment to study his backside. His shoulders are round and mildly muscular. His legs are shapely and toned.
Maybe this is a prison, because this witch boy is temptation in a white t-shirt.
But no, I need to find out my situation before entangling myself with the first man I’ve seen in what could be years. I put on Seb’s large white shirt and stare at myself in the mirror. My hair is still soaked, and my tiny facial hairs have grown in. I can at the very least shave with my claws, like I’ve done many times.
At least, I think I’ve done this many times. My memories are still mostly missing, a patchwork of anxiety and flashes of spellcasting.
“I am clothed now.”
The lad turns around, and I notice a faint blush under his dark skin. “Glad to hear it.”
“So, you told me I was trapped in a totem?” I scrutinize my reflection, wondering how best to shave.
“Yes. You burst out of my jade lion statue.”
“Jade lion,” I murmur. In a moment, I shift my hand into a feline paw and allow my claws to jut out. Leaning into the mirror, I pull at my face and begin to shave the stray hairs above my lip. “That makes sense. Everything inside makes me feel like I am a lion shifter.”
“Woah,” he says breathlessly. Once I’m done, I lean back and glance at my liberator. The young man gazes at me in shock and awe.
