Page 27 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy (Haunted Hearts: Season of the Witch #5)

IN THE DARK of night, I’m driving as fast as I can. Fortunately, I recall where the portal across town is. What if we’re too late?

Taina puts her hand on mine as I grip the steering wheel. “Hey,” she says. “We’ll be okay.”

“Will we?” I bite my lip and make a sharp turn. “Did you divine that?”

“Even if everything you’re saying is true,” Lisbeth says. She’s seated in the back next to Anika, who has the decency to look almost as anxious as me. “And I’m not saying it is or isn’t…”

“I had the vision,” Taina says in an annoyed tone.

“And I felt Kai calling for help,” I add.

“But like, I’m sure Ashley has her reasons,” Lisbeth argues. “Those wizards have hoarded the geo arcanum for generations.”

“I don’t care! This gripe you have with wizards doesn’t matter right now.” I accelerate and look at Lisbeth in the rearview mirror. “What matters is saving Kai. She’s weaponizing him to hurt people.”

“Wresting someone’s mind, their autonomy, their body.” Anika shakes her head. “That’s a line that no mage should ever cross.”

Taina points up and adds, “I felt her blood lust. She wants to murder anyone who gets in her way. And Kai could get blamed, or caught in the crossfire.”

I squeeze the steering wheel at that grim thought. “The geo arcanum needs to be protected, regardless of how you feel about wizards. There are too many threats to our dimension,” I say. I frown and nod. “I know you hate wizards, but attacking them using another as a…as a vessel?”

Lisbeth sighs. “I know. She must be stopped. I just didn’t think she was capable of such violence.”

“She’s just like any of us,” Anika remarks. “Except her ancestors tried to make peace with wizards, only to get shunned. And she told me they got burned because of it. Do you not remember her sordid history?”

“Which means she has an axe to grind.” Taina taps my shoulder. “Listen, we’ll get there and stop her. Somehow.”

I nod, but more anxiety thrums through me. Even if we do find her, she’s on a rampage. How are we supposed to stop a vengeful witch when she controls the Jade Lion?

Several minutes later, we rush through the portal to the Union. No one was around the mansion, and the gate was destroyed. Only a being of immense magic could have knocked the metal down, so I knew we were on the right trail.

And now my coven and I are here. The Union is quieter now, and the dark Scotland sky looms through the windows. “What on Earth…?” Anika says. The others look just as overwhelmed at the change in location.

To our left, we’re horrified to see a wizard, bloody and battered, with claw marks in his chest. Kai would never do this of his own free will, but I can’t deny that only a beast man could have left these claw marks.

The four of us quickly patch him up with a healing spell, and he’s left stable, but unconscious.

Not wanting to waste more time, I instruct the girls to follow me, and we make our way to the source rock.

I pass the double doors I remember from my visit. When I walk down the hall, I hear the commotion. When I see what’s going on past the glass, my heart drops.

The geo arcanum is breaking. A massive lion-shifter, the man of my dreams, is yards away, clawing at it.

Behind him, just as we expected, stands a petite, nefarious figure.

They’re shielded by runic magic, and other wizard guards are casting spells, bursts of orange and yellow against the barrier, but to no avail.

“There she is!” Taina says.

“Wait, who are you?” One tall wizard guard approaches us. “You’re not the backup we called.”

“But we are the backup, wizard,” Lisbeth says with contempt.

I raise my hand to get her to stop. Then, I turn back to the guard. “We’re here to help. We know the witch inside there.”

The man looks away at the horrifying occurrence yards away in the center of the large room, then back at us. “And who exactly are you?” He raises his hands, and they glow with energy. “Are you even members of the Union? We’re closed. You shouldn’t be here.”

“We’re part of her coven. She’s weaponizing the Jade Lion,” I say. My heart aches when I glance at Kai, continually pummeling the giant rock. “But we can work to stop them. We can save your source of magic.”

The guard glowers at me, and his palms glow brighter. “Give me one reason I shouldn’t lock you up, witches.” I gasp and raise my hands up in an innocent gesture. Is he going to take us out?

“Because of what he just said.” We turn to see the source of the booming voice. My heart is relieved to see Luther in his trench coat marching down the stairs. Behind him are three older wizards in dark coats. “I believe he gave you the best reason of all.”

The guard gasps and stands up straight. “Agent…High Council.” He bows reverently, and I smile at Luther.

“Thank you,” I say.

“Let’s get to it,” Luther replies. He’s super confident and serious, a man of action, and I get why he’s an elite agent.

He motions for us all to follow him. When we walk down another stairwell, we reach the red, mystical barrier.

Luther motions for the other guards to stop fecklessly slamming the barrier with sorcery, and they stand down.

“You can thank me by telling me what’s going on. ”

“This must be the Boysen House coven I heard so much about.” One of the older wizards approaches me with a warm smile. “Real witches here at the Union.”

“And we’re proud of it,” Lisbeth says with a frown.

“We are the High Council,” the woman says.

` “And why have we all been summoned?” One member of the High Council points to the center of the room. “Who is that destroying our source?”

“Is that the legendary Jade Lion?” another member of the High Council asks.

“It’s not what it looks like!” I say.

Luther taps my shoulder. “Then care to explain? Because we’re in the middle of a crisis here.”

I bite my lip and exchange looks with the rest of my coven. “Kai is being…controlled. Manipulated.”

“By that witch over there?” Luther asks.

I wince and continue, “Yes.”

“I saw it in my vision. Ashley is controlling Kai,” Taina says. When the others look at her, she waves and says, “Hi. Taina Martinez. Divination Witch.”

“I sense blood magic,” the third member of the High Council says. “And the runic barrier is unique.”

“Ashley is a protection witch,” Anika says. “She’s our friend, but we’re committed to stopping her.”

“Because no one deserves to have their coven blown to bits,” Lisbeth says. “Not even you wizards.”

“And Kai is our friend,” I say in a pleading tone.

The High Council use the magical rocks in their hands to attempt to break the barrier, but to no avail.

Ashley, meanwhile, pays no attention to anything but the shards of geo arcanum falling to her feet. Kai continues to punch at the boulder, and my heart breaks seeing him act against his will. When I glance at Ashley again, I start to see red.

That human piece of garbage. If I get my hands on her, I’ll make sure she never casts a spell again by prying her fingers off.

“We will need to build our own magical circle,” the male High Council member says. “That might take time, but it is the only way.”

The three of them disappear, presumably to write their own runes around the building. Now it’s just the four of us. Plus Luther.

“We don’t have time for this.” Luther summons an energy whip and lashes at the barrier, but with no result. “It was worth a shot,” he mutters.

When I reach out and feel the red barrier, it’s like a solid glass wall. Lisbeth stands beside me, scrutinizing the construct. “She’s never done such a powerful barrier before.”

“That’s because she’s channeling Kai’s arcana,” I murmur. The others look at me, and I gulp. “Blood magic, right? To control the Jade Lion.”

“Then, how can we stop a blood magic hex augmented by the Jade Lion?” Taina asks.

“We can’t, not in time.” Lisbeth glances at Luther. “Unless there’s some wizardry trick I don’t know of.”

Luther looks away uncomfortably and frowns.

Hope rises in my chest. “There is a way, isn’t there?” I ask. “Luther, please.”

He sighs and says, “Yes.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Lisbeth asks.

Luther frowns, and with a flick of his wrist, a flash of yellow magic floats around his hand. In moments, a scroll appears, and he opens it.

“If your friend has blood magic control over the Jade Lion, there may be one thing strong enough to cut off this enchantment,” Luther explains.

“What?” I ask, rubbing my hands together. I’ll do anything to free Kai. I can’t let him be controlled for a moment longer.

“The Jade Lion himself.”

“What?” I ask.

Luther sighs and opens the scroll. “This spell is like a backdoor to a manipulation hex, but only works on fated mates.”

“Fated mates?” I ask. I gaze at the scroll and try to discern what the symbols mean.

“That’s you and Kai.” Luther quirks an eyebrow. “I assume you two have…?”

My throat goes dry. Is he asking what I think he’s asking?

“Yes, they did it. They boned. They’re mates. Whatever!” Taina motions her hands in a circle. “Can we just skip to the part where we stop this hostile magical takeover!”

Luther nods while my cheeks heat up. “The key to the spell is having the fated mate override the control with true love.”

My breath hitches, and I gaze at Kai. He’s in agony, a puppet on Ashley’s evil string. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

“That’s the problem.” We all turn to Luther. “Seb, it’s going to require your life force. Your blood.”

Taina gasps and covers her mouth. “My vision,” she whispers.

Is this how I die? Some gambit spell to save the man I’ve fallen in love with? I turn back and watch as Ashley picks up more shards of geo arcanum. Then, I look at Luther.

“I’ll do it. To save Kai. Plus, I don’t want to live in a world where our greatest magical resource is gone,” I say.

“Oh, Seb.” Taina cries and hugs me.

While I pat her back, Luther asks, “Are you sure?” He conjures a small dagger into his hand.

“Seb, honey, please, think this over,” Lisbeth says, sounding distressed.

I pull Taina from me, then hand Luther my palm. “There’s nothing to think about. The world needs wizards, the Jade Lion, and the geo arcanum. Ashley needs to be stopped. I’m the only one who can reach Kai and save him.”

“There has to be another way,” Taina says, tears streaming down her cheeks. Anika holds her while Lisbeth gives a doleful frown.

“I have no other options,” Luther says. “And the High Council won’t be ready until―”

“Just do it,” I say, my voice breaking. “As long as you protect my coven when all this is done.” Luther nods, and I take a deep breath. I give one last look at my coven, my housemates, my family. “I love you, ladies.” I step forward to Luther. “But I love Kai, too.”

Luther gives me a sad nod, then slowly slices down my palm.