Page 49 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy
Seb, the man I fell in love with, the only thing that has guided me all these weeks, lied to me. He wanted my powers, or at least, his coven did. And he didn’t tell me.
I was so foolish to trust him.Did he ever care for me?
I roar at the night sky, then leap off another tree. When I land on a neighboring branch, it snaps, and I tumble. I fall down several feet, my shoulder banging on a boulder. My body rolls to the side, and pain sears through me.
But I do not care. My lion skin is stronger than rocks, and I will heal. And the pain is nothing compared to my heartache. How could Seb do this to me? I thought he was my fated mate, the person who would love me for all time. Now he’s just like the coven, the wizards, and everyone else I’ve ever met.
With my back to the dirt, I gaze up at the night sky past a canopy of leaves. I recall walking among the trees for days with Seb. Was it not yesterday that we were trying on clothes and kissing in a dressing room? Did he lie when we made love in the clouds?
I sigh and reach up to grab nothing. I stare at my paw in the dark and flex my claws.Who am I supposed to be?Why was Igiven the mantle of the Jade Lion only to walk alone? When is someone going to care for me, completely?
Then I remember the first day I came to this century. My lion roared when I was freed from my prison. I did not even know Seb, but when I looked into his eyes, I felt…peace. And every time we’ve kissed since then, my affection for him has only grown. No one has calmed me down like him.
When I think of his awful ex-lover putting his hands on him, I still want to tear that blond boy to shreds. My urge to protect him has not dissolved. It has only been two hours since I ran from Boysen House, and I still feel connected to Seb.
The witch boy has my heart. Perhaps I should go back and let him explain his side of the story.
“Hello! Mr. Zhou!” A voice in the distance has me sitting up abruptly. Who is that?
“Mr. Zhou!” The high-pitched voice is literally calling to me. I’m a kilometer away from Boysen House, deep in the woods. But the voice is closer, drowned out by the sounds of crickets and other forest fauna.
“Hello Zhou…Zhou…Mr. Zhou! Please.”
I stand up and brush the muddy leaves off my back. In the distance, I spot a light source. Someone is using one of those handheld lanterns that I read about—a flashlight?—here in the woods. I dash through the darkness toward the sound of my name. Who is that?
I reach the dark silhouette calling to me. “Mr. Zhou. Mr. —ack!” When she shines her flashlight at me, she yelps. The woman startles at my presence and almost stumbles back.
“Ashley.” I shift down so I’m in my human form. Now I am only towering over her several inches instead of feet. “What are you doing out here?” I did not expect her to come looking for me in the woods. It can be dangerous out here in the dark, even for experienced mages.
She catches her breath and shuts off her flashlight. With her light source tucked away in her coat pocket, she gazes at me in the dark. “Mr. Zhou. You’re here.”
I cross my arms. While I am not as physically upset as I was two hours ago, I am still not happy to talk to the coven. It is not easy to forgive someone so quickly when they tried to steal my magic. “Yes,” I say curtly.
“I…need to apologize. On behalf of Seb and everyone. Can we take a walk?”
Her stature is so small, and her voice makes her seem even more diminutive. I oftentimes forget what the others in the coven sound like, since I’ve been so enchanted by Seb.
I nod. “Very well.”
After ten seconds of walking in silence, Ashley claps her hands. “So, uh, listen. Again, I’m…so sorry. For everything.”
I bristle, and we walk over several logs. I notice we’re not getting closer to the house, so I suppose she wants to apologize while walking along the hiking trail.
“The reason we did that was because…we were so afraid of you leaving us for the wizards.”
“So instead, you opted to steal my powers?”
“I admit, it sounds awful. But to be fair, it was more of a…sharing.” A low tree covers our path, and I reluctantly lift up the branch for both of us to walk under.
“How so?”
“You would have gotten your powers back,” Ashley explains. “You’re the Jade Lion. Arcana is generated from deep within you. You have no idea what it’s like to feel so powerless, so impotent. We witches have been persecuted by mortals for centuries, and we’re also shunned by wizards.”
She sighs, and sympathy aches in my chest. Yes, they manipulated me, but I can see how difficult life has been for them. Then again, it is possible I forgive too easily.
But if I forgive, perhaps I can work things out with Seb. He seemed more remorseful than Ashley, and she came all the way out here to apologize. The coven has become a home to me.
We come upon a clearing surrounded by trees on all sides. I estimate a diameter of several yards makes up this circular, flat land. “In any case, I understand if you want to leave Boysen House.” Ashley stops in the middle of the clearing and turns around. She smiles at me, an expression that I suppose means goodbye.
