Page 15 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy
“No. We had a plan for me to go out with you, and you need to return to your job.”
“The coffee shop will be okay without me for another day.”
“I highly doubt that,” Lisbeth sings. She strides in, keys clanging as she sifts through the cupboards. “Your vacation has to end eventually, and we need help on the weekday rush.”
“But what about Kai?” Seb asks.
“I can stay at the library, just like we planned,” I say, tapping his arm. Seb’s gorgeous brown eyes pool with concern.
“See? He’s ready!” Lisbeth strides away, singing, “Your ride leaves in fifteen minutes!”
After Seb and I get dressed—I conjure an outfit similar to his—we ride with Ashley in Lisbeth’s automobile. The transportation is certainly cleaner and smoother than horse-drawn carriages. I had heard rumors of self-powered vehicles, but they were rare back in my time. Gazing at the busy city streets, it is apparent that this mortal technology is commonplace in the twenty-first century.
Minutes pass, and the four of us arrive at a small brick building. The sun is rising, but townsfolk are already strolling the sidewalks. There are lush trees with hues of green and orange; Seb had informed me that the scenery is normal for autumn in Virginia.
When we step out of the automobile, I peer at the yellow awning over tall glass walls. “Brew-Ha?” I ask.
“Yup. It’s a play on the Spanish word for witch.” Seb taps my arm. “Lisbeth’s idea.”
“The witchy theme draws in customers. Mortals think magic is the stuff of fairy tales,” Lisbeth murmurs with a smirk. She taps her nose and continues, “And we intend to keep it that way.”
“Have fun at the library!” Ashley says, rushing into the coffeehouse.
“Yes. But hurry back, Seb. You’ve been off for so long,” Lisbeth chides. “Coffee is the true potion that pays the bills. We can’t just magic up some money. Anyway, toodles, you two!” She waves her fingers and disappears.
My mind buzzes with questions as I follow Seb around the corner. I do not wish for him to be away from his occupation for long; Anika and Taina are both at their respective jobs, and Lisbeth claims Seb is a valued employee. Still, he’s choosing to walk with me down the streets of this foreign town, so I’m grateful. When the wind picks up, I pull my brown corduroy coat closer to my chest, then shove my hands into my jeans pockets. The town library isn’t too far from Brew-Ha, and the plan is for me to wait there while they work. “You good?” Seb asks. As always, he looks out for me in this difficult time.
“Lisbeth said you cannot magically produce money.” I gaze at Seb’s curious eyes. “Why not?”
“She said it’s something about the economy. The US Treasury might trace it back to us.” He scratches his eyebrow.“But on occasion we’ve whipped up a few dollars here and there.”
We share a smile. “Why must the general population not know about witches?” I ask.
Seb shrugs. “We might have powers, but the mortals outnumber us. Their weapons would overpower our magic. Have you heard about the witch trials and burning at the stake?”
My memory surfaces, and a chill goes up my spine. I nod, recalling the fear of being mobbed by nonmagical folk. “Now that you say that, I think my old coven and I hid from the world as well.”
“You’re getting your memories back?”
My brow furrows, and I rub my forehead. “Somewhat. They are fragmented and…not pleasant.”
He frowns for a moment with his hands in his pockets before smiling again. “My abuela once said, ‘Bad memories can’t stop you from making new, good memories.’”
A small flutter passes through my heart. In the morning sunlight, Seb is particularly attractive. And his willingness to help me is endearing. I smile and say, “Perhaps I already have.”
He stops when we reach a wide, gray building. “Well, this is the Cosmo Public Library.” Seb hands me a small piece of plastic. “With my card, you can borrow up to three books. They don’t know anything about magic, but there’s a lot you’ve missed out on in the past century. Hopefully you can find something on the history of Hong Kong or something.”
I take the card and smile. “I am here now, in the United States, with you. I would like to learn more about where I am, not where I’ve been.”
Seb nods with a grin. I take in how his dark brown curls frame his handsome face. He puts his hands in his back pockets and bounces on his feet. “I should get going. The coffee isn’tgoing to brew itself. You know the way to walk back to Brew-Ha?”
“Indeed. Thank you, Sebastian.”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “You’re never going to just call me Seb, are you?”
“No.”
He walks away laughing, and I wait three seconds before turning to gaze at him. I don’t know why I was bound, but I can’t help but be grateful that my statue form was discovered by such a friendly, adorable witch boy.
