Page 11 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy
“I’m sorry about all that,” I whisper.
“It is fine.” Kai turns to the others. “I do not blame you all for being careful. I am a stranger in your house.”
“Well, I started this house for magical beings.” Lisbeth leans forward. “We witches got to stick together, after all.”
“Literally, our magic needs to be mixed together,” Taina says.
“Speaking of that,” Lisbeth adds. “Are you a witch? Formally speaking?”
Kai stares down at the coffee table. I can tell his tenuous memories are bothering him, so I tap his back. “Hey, let’s all get to work summoning a meal, okay?” I continue, “Then maybe we can relax and get to know each other in a no-pressure environment.”
“Right.” Lisbeth sits up straight and puts her hands out. Ashley returns, presumably cleaning the house of spell wards. “So, we want our early dinner, correct?”
“I haven’t had Chinese in some time,” Anika says with a smile.
Kai sits up straight. “Allow me.” He twirls his hand in a small circle above the wooden coffee table. Green arcana flows from his fingertips, and the energy in the room shifts. In seconds, wooden dim sum containers and six pairs of chopsticks appear. The smell of fresh Cantonese cuisine fills my nostrils, and my eyebrows jump.
What?
“Uh…what…what just…?” Lisbeth is at a loss for words. We all look at Kai, who seems completely relaxed.
“Oh, I am sorry. I forgot.” He waves his wrist, and in seconds, a steaming teapot with six cups appears on the table. “We need tea to have a meal.”
The room is quiet; I doubt we’re even blinking. My coven must all be thinking what I am. Ashley is the first to break the silence when she asks, “You…conjured by yourself?”
“Yes.” Kai reaches for chopsticks, then glances at me inquisitively. “Is that a problem? I thought it would be polite since you are housing me.”
Lisbeth swiftly opens up one wooden container. She picks up a pink piece of dim sum, and we all stare at it in confusion. “This…is…?”
“It is siomai,” Kai says.
“It’s real,” Lisbeth murmurs. The ladies all pick up various parts of the meal before us to confirm that this is no illusion. Then, they all turn to Kai.
“What?” he asks.
“Are you alright?” I ask. He shrugs in confusion. “But you summoned it by yourself.”
“In broad daylight,” Ashley whispers.
“Is that wrong?”
Anika shakes her head. “Witches don’t have enough power to cast a conjuring spell alone.”
“Unless by the light of the full moon or we use our blood,” I add. “Even then, some spells are too complicated for us.”
“We were going to summon it as a group,” Taina explains.
“But you…” Lisbeth sits back in shock. “You did it by yourself.”
Kai nods. “Is that bad?”
“Did you pull the magic from the sun?” Lisbeth asks.
Kai shakes his head. “I have not been outside, but…” He flexes his fingers, like it’s no big deal.
“Did you study from a wizard or witch teacher?” Ashley asks.
Kai shakes his head and looks down. “I do not remember. All I know is that magic is…almost instinctual. Just like my lion form, it is part of me.”
