Page 4 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy (Haunted Hearts: Season of the Witch #5)

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 clawed hands 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.

My coven gets closer, and their palms, outstretched before them, glow with yellow witchcraft. This incantation was the closest catch-all that Lisbeth could find without knowing the nature of the beast’s condition. Right now, I’m praying it is a curse and I didn’t make myself bait for no reason.

I take a step back, and the shadow monster looks left and right.

The others are slowly approaching, and the magical circle begins to light up.

The runes etched in the grass glow with yellow and white streaks.

The monster seems apprehensive, and it’s at that moment that I see he resembles a large hairy human from the neck down.

My fingers tingle, and I feel the magic thrum through me. Duh. I’m a witch too. So, I lift up my palms and chant along. “Burning ice and summer storm. Rid the shackles, reveal your form,” I say in sync with the others. My palms light up, and I catch the attention of the beast.

Wind whips around us, and our coven chants even louder.

The ladies are standing right outside the circle, and the magic flows around me like a small tornado.

The energy from their hands becomes a beacon of blinding light, lassoing the beast in place.

It lets out a strained roar, and I wince in sympathy.

It may hurt him for a moment, but I know this is the right thing to do.

So, I raise my palms and take a step forward, drawing its attention.

When I let out my magic, the power goes straight into his chest. We chant one last time, a shout above the howling winds, and the energy implodes, signaling the end of the spell.

My body slumps, like I was just holding up something heavy for several minutes, then dropped it.

This happens sometimes with spells, but we’ve never done anything of this scope since Taina and I joined the coven years ago.

I shake out my hands and try to focus on the abrupt return of darkness.

The runes dissipate, and the chalk remnants float away. That means success, right?

Taina rushes to my side while the others run to retrieve the lanterns. “Are you okay, Seb?”

Her words are tuned out when I notice the being in front of me. Where the monster stood is a smaller form. I walk away from my friend and toward it. Once again, my mystical instincts are pulling me closer, but to danger or safety, I’m not sure.

I take six steps forward slowly, my heart pounding hard in my chest. When my eyes adjust, I see…a man, kneeling in the darkness.

I kneel in front of him just as Lisbeth and Anika approach with lanterns.

The air is still, but I can see he’s breathing.

Cautiously, I put my hand out to touch the bare shoulder of the man before me.

He’s warm, and his head jolts up at the contact.

I move back, startled by the sudden appearance of his face before mine.

In the glow of the lanterns, I can see him clearly.

It’s a man, alright. A presumably Chinese man with long, dark hair is grasping my shoulders. He appears older than me, but not by much. His face carries a shocked, distressed look, and I give him a moment to study me.

Oh, and he’s naked. The man kneeling before me is muscular, with strong cheekbones, a toned neck, and clad only in his birthday suit. His skin is smooth, and I resist the urge to stroke his handsome face.

But more importantly, I need to make sure he’s okay. He seems so weary and confused, nothing at all like the monster he once was. Still, his dark brown eyes reach into my soul. “Hey…you’re okay now. We won’t hurt you,” I whisper.

He nods and reaches for my cheek with his right hand.

It didn’t even occur to me that maybe he doesn’t speak English.

Before I can inquire further, he gently touches my face.

I’m frozen, and a chill goes down my spine at the contact.

It feels almost intimate, which is absurd, because I don’t know him.

Two minutes ago, he was a lion monster with claws.

Now, he’s a strong, handsome stranger. And his eyes are rolling back as he faints in my arms.