Page 12 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy
We stare, dumbfounded, for a few seconds. I’m sure Lisbeth is concerned, because Kai just showed us he’s not a witch. Anika breaks the silence by clapping her hands. “Well, we won’t get any answers on an empty stomach. I think we should partake.” Anika smiles and begins to pick up dim sum with her chopsticks. “After all, our new solo-mage-friend Kai is treating us!”
Cautiously, we dig in. The food is flavorful, with bursts of chicken, pork, and seafood. It’s just as good as it was in Hong Kong. “Thank you for all this,” I say quietly.
“It is my pleasure to share with you.” My cheeks warm at his words. Maybe it’s all the free food, but in this moment, my affection for this stranger grows. Kai is very much a mystery, but despite that, I think we could become friends.
A few minutes of eating later, Taina asks, “So, is this what you eat at home? Oh wait, you don’t remember your home, sorry.”
“It is fine,” Kai says. He stares at the tea in his hand. “This food…it reminds me of a time long ago. When I was small, my family used to feed this to me.”
“So you remember them?” Lisbeth asks.
Kai slowly nods. “Barely. I know for sure I was twenty-seven years old before I woke up to meet all of you. But back when I was a teenager, my…parents stopped talking to me.”
We all freeze, feeling the immensity of this moment. After a beat, he continues, “They did not approve of my lifestyle.”
My mouth goes dry. Is this hot dude implying what I think he’s implying? “They did not like that I wanted to settle down, romantically, with a man, and not a woman.”
Cauldrons.He’s gay, too!My heart skips a beat, and my dick wants to throw a parade.Settle down, little Seb.
After a few more moments of silence, Kai gazes at all of us. “Is that a problem? Do you want me to leave?”
“Nonsense!” Lisbeth leans forward to grab more siomai, and just like that, we all go back to eating. “Boysen House accepts all genders and orientations. There has been quite a bit of progress for the LGBTQ community since 1925, especially here in America.”
“Not enough,” Ashley mutters.
“LG what?” Kai asks.
“I’ll tell you later,” I whisper. And I certainly will. Kai shares a smile with me as the others continue to discuss their favorite dim sum. We may have only just met, but on some instinctual level, I know this look of fondness is only for me.
So, he’s probably gay, definitely friendly, and likely staying here for now…so what? I’ll just be his guide to this new era in history. He still needs to gain his bearings and get his memories back, so he has no time for flirting. We’ll be platonic buddies. Soon, he’ll probably leave us to go do whatever lion-shifter mages do. Getting involved with him would be a magicaldisaster. I’ll simply ignore his tight body, cute smile, and his generous attitude. He’s the new witch-or-wizard on the block, and there’s certainly nothing romantic growing between us.
CHAPTER 5- SEB
AFTER THE EARLYsupper courtesy of Kai, everyone in Boysen House goes their separate ways, like normal. Ashley and Taina head to their rooms while Anika tends to the front garden. Lisbeth declares she’s going to pore through her tomes to find out more about Kai while I help the man to read more on the internet. Meanwhile, I gather as much as I can for a memory potion.
It’s nightfall by the time my brew is almost done. I’m at the stovetop, carefully stirring the contents of the cast-iron pot. Slow boils can be frustrating, but I didn’t become a potions witch because I have no patience.
As I stir counterclockwise according to the potions reference book, I steal glances at Kai. He’s sitting in the kitchen scrolling through a Chinese website, presumably reading a hundred years’ worth of history. Every time he pushes back his long hair, my pulse rises, and I avert my gaze. My attraction to him must be purely physical, and I need to tamp that down. For all I know, when he gets back his memories, he could be a warlock, a murderer, or something equally nefarious.
It’s not like I have good taste in men. Kevin is proof that I’m into red flags like the Chinese navy.
But so far, Kai is different. He’s polite and courteous. Even in his lion form, he seemed to honor me.And he was so big and strong…
“Is it complete?”
I yelp when Kai’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts. He’s standing next to me, staring with his gentle, dark eyes. It takes me a moment to regrip the metal ladle and continue stirring.
“I am sorry if I frightened you.”
“It’s cool,” I reply. “But no, we’re not done. I’m still waiting for the onyx durian to defrost.” I point my elbow at the fruit in a bowl on the sink. “It might be another hour.”
Kai frowns. “But do you not need to go to sleep?”
“I don’t mind.” My body minds, however, since I have to work early in the morning.
Kai frowns. “Fresh onyx durian, you say?” he asks.
I nod, and he puts out his hand, palm up. Green energy swirls, and after I blink twice, a fruit appears in his grasp.
