Page 5 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy
“Seb, if what you’re saying is true, he’s a beast from a cursed object. We should stay away from it. Aren’t you like…scared?”
I shake my head. “No.” I stand up, suddenly resolved. “Will you help me?”
“What?”
I take my best friend’s hand and say, “Help me cast a spell to, like…capture him. A…revelation spell! Something that canundo the curse, undo the chaos.” I squeeze her hand with both of mine. “Please, Ty.”
She frowns and seems to mull it over in her mind. “Well, you’ve never asked for a specific group spell before.” She nods. “All right. If Lisbeth and the others are down, let’s do this.”
I smile, and my soul feels lighter. I’m one step closer to finding the truth about my jade lion totem.
The following night, the five of us are drawing with chalk on the grass at the edge of the woods. We have electric lanterns surrounding the perimeter so we can see what we’re doing. It’s fortunate that no one hikes around these woods and that our mortal neighbors can’t see this part of our backyard. I hope Ashley’s illusion spells are working, in case anyone passes by or gets nosy. We can’t let regular folks see what we’re doing here.
And what we’re doing is huge. In the three plus years I’ve been in the Boysen House coven, we haven’t done a group spell of this scope. Usually, we’re just fixing pipes or walls, summoning delicious meals, or making minor adjustments to our taxes. But this is my first ever spell that I’m requesting, and it’s a huge one. The stakes are high since we saw how ferocious this beast was. One wrong move and he could maim us with his sharp claws.
“I still think this is a bad idea,” Anika says as she draws a complicated rune in the ground. The massive circle with a ten-foot radius is almost complete, with each of us writing on the perimeter.
“You didn’t see the creature,” I argue. “It’s…huge. And dripping with wild magic.”
“All the more reason we should just let it go,” Anika retorts.
“It’s not a bad idea,” Lisbeth says. She stares at her book as she slowly marches around the circle. As the historical witch, she owns the tomes and knows them in and out. If anyone in Virginia can direct this spell to make it a success, it’s Lisbeth. “But it is dangerous. Make that triangle smaller, honey.” She points at Taina, who frowns and wipes away the chalk below her.
“Well, that’s why my amazing coven is here to help out.” I finish my rune and stand up. “Right?”
The others stand up and share looks of concern. “Why can’t we just stay safe and let that thing go?” Anika asks. She wipes her hands on a handkerchief and adds, “Life isn’t one big holiday for us magical folk. Why summon a literal monster?”
“Because if non-magical people spot it, they might come sniffing around here.” Lisbeth shuts her book with a clap. “And there goes the end of Boysen House.”
“We really shouldn’t allow a magical creature to romp around, for the good of mortals and mages,” Ashley adds. I smile at her, but she looks at me with concern. “But if that thing tries to hurt you, we’ll have no choice but to put it down.”
Taina approaches me. “I know that it was in your totem and you think it’s a person, but if things go sideways, we won’t compromise your safety, Seb.”
I nod and play with my fingers. They’re right, but I know what I saw, and what I felt. Someone is in there, and this is my one chance to find out who. “I get it. Thanks.”
Lisbeth waves her book around. “The runes are ready!” she sings in her shrill tone. “Places, everyone!”
Minutes later, the lanterns are off, and only the light of the stars shines down on me. For reasons I still don’t know, my instinct is telling me that the monster is drawn to me. So, here I stand, in the middle of the spell circle, hoping a ferocious, mystical shadow beast wants to come capture me. The other witches are hidden in darkness, several yards away, in different directions. Hopefully, my roommates are ready to back me up with group magic.If shit goes down, things might get violent…
This might be the most ill-thought-out plan of all time, but I never claimed to be a smart witch boy.
Clad in my faux-leather coat, I raise my hands at my sides. I need to recall that this monster is a threat, and as the witch who inadvertently brought it here, I need to neutralize it. Deep down, I know he’s a cursed mage; he has to be. I want to save him, not harm him.Cauldrons, I hope the others don’t have to put him down. Or better yet, I hope they safely neutralize him if he tries to make lion chow out of me.
My arms get tired after a couple of minutes, so I put them down. This is ridiculous. He’s not going to just crawl back to me. My belief that the monster would show up is waning when I hear a slight tremor from the woods. My pulse picks up when I make out movement in the trees. Even though my eyes have adjusted to the darkness, it’s hard to tell what’s out there in the deep woods of Virginia. When I hear another tremor, I let out a small gasp.
It’s here, I can feel it. My plan is working, for better or for worse, and that lion monster is getting closer. I look to my left and right as panic rises in my throat. My coven is here to back me up, but what if they can’t? What if I just fed myself to a shadow beast?
A faint glow appears before me, and I stop breathing. The silhouette of a slowly approaching man-beast—seven-feet tall, on two legs, arm muscles bulging—comes into focus. His clawedhands give off the faint emerald light of arcana. He is most certainly a beast with spellcasting properties.
And he’s gradually walking toward me. Each step makes my heart skip a beat, like an executioner sealing my fate. Still, my fear is now drowned out by my innate desire to see him up close. In addition to clawed feet, he has a dark lion’s mane and pointy cat ears. When he’s almost at the chalk circle, I can make out green streaks in his mane, along with that bestial face. Those dark green eyes bore into my soul last night.
He steps forward slowly, like he’s afraid to spook me, as if I’m going to run away at any moment. I know I should, but I need answers. I want to sense his magic, or maybe even talk to him. Why was a magical beast guy stuck inside my jade totem?
He’s well into the circle, mere feet from me, and I try to quell my fear. At the same time, my hands itch to touch him. Before I can say more, the chanting around me begins.
Burning ice and summer storm. Rid the shackles, reveal your form.
Burning ice and summer storm. Rid the shackles, reveal your form.
