Page 27 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy
Is that all?That’s so not a big deal, but his self-consciousness is sweet. I step closer and offer a soft smile. “I see it every night.”
“But it is different during the day.” The concern in his voice is heart-wrenching.
“I really don’t mind. Besides, that big Jade Lion saved me from my ex.”
He turns and looks at me, like he’s making an effort to study me. I gulp and continue, “If you need to let your lion roar, then do it. No judgment from me. I’m your friend.”
Kai takes in a deep breath and then closes his eyes. In moments, the energy in the three feet between us shifts. His spine lengthens, and his face reshapes so that his ears are pulled up. His dark hair grows into a black mane around his head with green streaks. His clothes disappear and are replaced with fur over his massive muscles.
I take a step back, and in an instant, the Jade Lion is standing before me. It’s so different seeing him in daylight. But just like all those days ago, his dark eyes connect with mine. On instinct, I slowly lift up my palm, and he does the same with his clawed hand, mirroring me. My skin pulses with a burning magic I’ve never felt. A faint yellow glowing orb gradually floats from my palm to his.I did that?The energy turns into a wisp that wraps around his wrist.
It’s arcana!
I stare dumbfounded at my palm to witness flecks of gold on my skin. When I raise my hands again, I laugh with joy as arcana darts out at Kai. The big beast of a mage takes my energy and plays with it, like strings between his clawed fingers. Then, he easily sends the glow around me. I laugh with delight as lines of magic surround me. It’s a fantastic light show of greens and yellows, taking shape behind and above me.
And it’s all because of the Jade Lion. Kai smiles and makes circles with his lion hands in the air. The magic streaks take shape into rickshaws and horse-drawn carriages floating above me. I touch my face and gaze upward. “Is this…?”
“Yes,” he replies in his gravelly, bestial tone. “This is my home.”
“Hong Kong, 1925,” I murmur. Visions of happy Chinese folk walking up and down the streets surround me. “It’s beautiful.”
“The memories are returning in bits and pieces, every day.”
“Amazing.” I look down to see the lion man already staring at me. “I believe you’ll get them back, Kai. You’ve made amazing progress so far.”
“You are the only reason I have made any progress, Sebastian.” He waves his palms and the illusion turns back to wisps of green arcana dancing around us. “I am…stronger with you.”
My breath hitches. Even in his lion form, he’s handsome and flattering, saying such sweet words to me. It’s all too romantic to take. “I…um, I didn’t do anything.”
“But you did. Look at your hands.”
I raise up my palms to see the glowing streaks again. “That is your arcana,” Kai says. “The wild magic you see around you…” Glancing up, I notice the swirling lights are both emerald and yellow. “It is our magic, Sebastian. Both of ours.”
When I lock eyes with Kai, the whole world stops. He’s amazing, and so special to me. In a short amount of time, he’s grown to be one of my closest confidantes, a true friend. Now, I think I might want more.
The Jade Lion has breathed a new magic in me, a fire I don’t want to put out.
Before I can say more, Kai turns around and growls. The moment is lost, and I step to the side to see what he’s staring at.
The fog that surrounds us…it’s broken. There’s a small rectangular schism in our mystic veil of fog. When a figure walks through, Kai growls again, and all of the arcana is sucked into his hands. He shoots the magic forward like a green basketball of light, but instead of hurting the man before us, the magic is parried and shattered into pieces.
“Woah!” The dark-skinned man in a brown overcoat has his arms crossed in front of him. He shakes out his hands and steps back.
He just deflected the magic.Wait, what?
I shake my head and follow Kai toward our intruder. My friend is about to go feral, and I want to prevent that more than I want to find out who this dude is. No, scratch that, we both need answers.
“Who in the world?” I ask, still in shock.
“Leave, mortal,” Kai says through gritted teeth.
“Hey, woah now.” The man raises his hands up in surrender. “I’m no mortal. And I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You…you…” I point to the area behind him. “You opened up our fog. That’s supposed to be impossible.”
He turns around, and the void of fog sutures itself back up. “It is. To non-magical folk.” When he turns around, the tall man glances nervously between me and Kai. “Again, I am no mortal. And neither are you.”
“Explain yourself, intruder,” Kai says with barely tempered anger.
