Page 14 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy
This instinct to help him might just be basic empathy, but deep down, I want to make sure nothing bad ever happens to Kai.
I listen to him breathe for another minute before I break the silence. “I’m sorry that the memory potion didn’t work. I feel like a failure of a witch.”
“You, Sebastian, are no failure,” he says quietly. I can’t see his face, but I know he’s looking at me.
“Either way, I’m sure your true memories will return eventually.”
“Hm.”
He still sounds distraught, so I decide to say one last thing to help him. “Kai…Jade Lion or not, you be whoever you need to be. No pressure. You’re safe in Boysen House. I know we just met, but with me, you have a friend. And tomorrow will be a better day.”
I listen to him breathe quietly in the dark for a few moments more. “Thank you, Sebastian. I would like to think I can be your friend, too.”
That puts a smile on my face. “Goodnight, Kai.”
“Goodnight.”
CHAPTER 6- KAI
DEEP IN MYmemory, an attractive male figure lounges in bed with me and caresses my chest. “I can’t believe I get to lie with the Jade Lion,” he purrs. “I can feel your power flowing through me. So sexy…”
Much later, a room of cloaked figures bows to me. “All hail, Zhou Kai, our Jade Lion.”
And even later, my pulse pounds as I’m forced to the ground. My wrists are bound by tethers of light. The sorcery compels me to shift into my lion form. Their sinister voices chant, “We bind you into stone…”
I jolt awake, sitting upright. I claw at the sheets while my heart beats rapidly. Before a growl of distress can escape my mouth, I turn to my right and notice a sleeping figure in the dark. Now I recall—I am in Sebastian Suarez’s room. And I do not wish to wake him.
Looking down at my hands, I notice how big they are. Now I understand; I am in my lion form. I take two long breaths, then relax as my inner beast calms down. The lion goes back inside me, and I feel my spine shorten. The fur and mane disappear, and I’m back to human form.
As quietly as I can, I stand up and make my way out of the room. The clock in the living room of Boysen House is the same as in my era, so I’m able to discern the time. It will be about another half hour before the others awaken. Taina, Anika, Ashley, and Lisbeth.
The coven leader was so delighted to have me, the Jade Lion, in her presence. She assumes that I will join her group of witches. Like before, I feel the aching responsibility of being the most powerful spellcaster of my generation. Only now, I’m in a new generation.
I wipe my face and walk from the living room to the kitchen. To be fair to Lisbeth, I truly have nothing better to do than to stay here. My choice to stay has nothing to do with that incredibly handsome witch boy I’m currently sharing a room with, a most intimate setting. My memories are still fragmented, but I do recall men desiring me only because of my power as a mage.But Seb seems to like me for who I am…
I sit down at the kitchen table and open up Lisbeth’s tome. Boysen House has resources, and they may be my best opportunity to get my memories back. At the very least, they can orient me to the twenty-first century.
Opening up to the page from last night, I study the rudimentary sketch of the Jade Lion. That being looks just like my bestial form, with a dark mane and green streaks. And the writing does confirm that I am, in fact, the strongest mage?neither wizard nor witch?to exist.
And with that strength, I became a target.
In my memory,the cloaked figures raise their glowing hands. Tethers bind me, and the magic circle on the ground illuminates. At least two dozen runes float upward, emblems forged of fire and ice, all while my own magic is suppressed. My lion form roars as I slowly shrink. I’m being suffocated, body and soul, and my muscles turn to stone
The last thing I recall is one of the men removing his hood and asking, “What if he gets free?”
Another of the men scoffs and replies, “Unlikely. Only when his fated mate reaches spiritual maturity can this curse be undone. And we will make sure he is never found by anothersoul. There is no room in this world for his beliefs of acceptance and…”
The words trail off as I slip into a deep slumber.
“You’re awake.” Seb’s soft voice pulls me out of my frightening memory. “Is everything alright, Kai?”
I sniff and wipe my eyes. I shut the book and look away, not wanting him to see my tears. The pain feels so real, but it’s still unclear what occurred. What were those last words I heard?My beliefs of what…?
I nod. “Yes.”
“Hey, do you want me to stay home again today?”
I turn to see Seb standing within arm’s length, a comforting presence. I can tell he wants to reach out, to comfort me in a physical way. He’s sweet.
