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

WE BIND YOU into stone, trapped in time.

Your magic will not be part of this world.

We bind you into stone, trapped in time.

We…bind you…

…trapped…

I spring upright out of sleep, gasping for air. The words of the nightmare persist in my ears. Or were they memories? Perhaps there is no difference.

The warm sun on my face makes me squint.

To my left, a window lets in the bright light, and I hear the most peculiar horse-drawn carriages outside.

When I look down, a large quilt is draped over me, and underneath, black fabric is wrapped around my waist. Otherwise, I’m naked in a room I don’t recognize.

In fact, I recognize nothing. I have no idea how I got here. But a savory aroma and the familiar sounds of cooking call me forward to another room. Mustering up courage, I stand up, ready to explore my surroundings. Holding on to the soft black fabric around my waist, I cautiously step forward.

When I turn the corner, I find myself in what appears to be a living room connected to a kitchen.

If this is a prison, I certainly have a significant amount of freedom.

But no, the home seems lived-in, with decorations and furniture in the living area.

When I walk forward, I spot a man standing by the stovetop.

He turns around, and my fingers flex, ready to cast protection magic.

But the young man with a boyish face in front of me looks shocked, and he makes no moves to attack me.

I do not recognize him, but I also have no recollection of the recent past. Did this stranger with the trim waist and strong cheekbones kidnap me?

Between his dark skin, huge eyes, and curly black hair, he is almost definitely not native to Hong Kong. Is that where I am?

“Ngo dei bene do?” I ask. My arms slowly move to a defensive stance, but the man does not seem to want to assault me.

“Uh…uh…hey! You’re finally awake!” He smiles, and it is almost as dazzling as the morning daylight. Focus, Kai. He could be a warlock, or a beast with an illusion spell. I need to ignore his kind smile, charming voice, and that curly hair I want to run my fingers through.

When I don’t reply, he clears his throat and his smile falls.

“I, uh…made breakfast. Or lunch, rather, since it’s almost afternoon.

It’s just croissants and coffee, but I didn’t know when you’d wake up.

I assumed you’d be hungry.” He holds out a peculiar cup with a handle.

“Wait, do you speak English?” He shakes his head and frowns, and I immediately miss his happier face.

He mutters to himself, “Cauldrons, why didn’t I look up a translator spell? ”

I relax my shoulders and grip the fabric around me. “It is okay. I speak English.”

He smiles, and his whole upper body sags in relief.

“Thank the stars,” he murmurs. “Oh, here, let me give you my robe.” He takes off his outfit to reveal more tantalizing dark skin.

He steps forward, and I try not to stare at the way his sleeveless shirt tugs his tight body.

“It was hard to, um, put any clothes on you while you slept. Now that you’re standing upright, we can cover you, so you’re, um… decent.”

He looks away, and I take the cloth offering. In moments, I wrap the soft robe around my body. When I look up, the stranger sits down and places the cups on the table between us. “Have a seat, Mister…”

The stranger wants me to share my name. I should be more apprehensive, but something about him disarms me. Additionally, he gave me the clothes off his back, and most likely housed me overnight. So far, he does not seem to be harmful. Where have I seen his face before…?

I nod and take the seat near him. “I am Zhou Kai.”

“Joe…Kyyye,” he says, looking up and carefully sounding out the syllables. When his precious brown eyes meet mine again, he continues, “So, should I call you Mister Zhou?”

“Kai is fine.” I take the cup offering but hold it, feeling the warmth in my fingers. It could be tea, it could be poison. My instincts tell me to be wary of everyone, but this young man seems to genuinely care. “And who are you?”

“I’m Sebastian. Or Seb.” He beams at me.

“Seb Suarez. Would you like cream or sugar in your coffee?” The stranger bites into the flaky bread, and I continue to study him.

“I make a better brew at the coffee house I work at. Which is where two of my housemates are. I can’t wait for them to meet you. ”

I try to take in all that is occurring around me.

The man sips on his mug, and I’m tempted to partake, but I ought to be more vigilant.

My inner lion is growling, craving for any food.

When he pushes forward a small plate of the pastry, my spirit falters.

I’d rather be poisoned than go hungry another second.

“Thank you,” I murmur. I devour the flaky goodness and gaze at the kitchen. Everything feels so foreign, and I spot machines that I do not recognize. “You never answered my question.”

“Huh?”

“Where am I?” I murmur with a mouth full of food.

“Oh, of course. You’re not in Hong Kong. You’re in our house in the town of Cosmo, Virginia.” My brow furrows. “Um, the United States,” he adds.

I nod. How did I get so far West? “How did you know I was from Hong Kong?” I ask as I take another pastry. It feels like I haven’t eaten in a century.

“It’s where I found you.”

I freeze. The man shakes his head and adds, “Let me backtrack.” He puts down his cup and scratches his eyebrow. “I, uh…bought a souvenir. A little totem from my vacation to Hong Kong. And you emerged from it, bursting out in a surge of wild magic.”

With my food done, I wipe my mouth. “You…know of magic?”

“Yes.” He nods. “I might as well tell you because you’re…you know…”

“I’m what?”

“You’re a being of magic, too. See, I’m a witch.”

“A witch?”

“Yeah.” He stands up and takes the used dishes to the sink. “Witches are hidden, relatively uncommon. We blend in among the mortals but hide the existence of magic. Being a male witch is rare, but we exist, too.” He looks over his shoulder at me. “And I think you’re one of us.”

After a moment of absorbing his information, I reply, “What makes you say that?”

“You had significant amounts of magic dripping from your hands when you came out of my totem.” He dries his hands and steps forward. “Well, your claws.”

“Claws?”

His smile falls. “You were in the form of a…beast when you came out of my little statue.”

“A beast?”

“Yeah. When you emerged from the jade lion.”

All bow to the Jade Lion!

The words burn in my memory, and I wince. What was that? The memory from less than a week ago echoes across my mind. My home is so unlike this place. Was it truly a week ago? Or was I asleep for longer?

“Are you alright?” Seb puts his hand on my shoulder, and it immediately grounds me. The fragmented memories of being surrounded by other mages are pushed far away for now. The confusion and panic subside as I stare at this kind-hearted young man. “Kai, I just lost you there.”

I clear my throat. “I…am right here.”

When I turn away, Seb takes a step back.

In a soft voice, he says, “I got that cursed object from Hong Kong. The pipe-smoking woman claimed she had had it for generations. I had no idea it…contained a magical person.” I brush my hair from my face and look at him.

His kind eyes seem so warm, and he continues, “When…did you become a totem? Who put you there?”

I wipe my face and try to focus on the table. All of this information is making my head spin. I was trapped in a cursed object? “I do not recall.”

“It’s fine.” He claps his hands together. “Maybe the others can help.”

“Others?”

Seb smiles. “My housemates are my coven. My leader, Lisbeth, owns the place. They’ll be back in a few hours, but now that you’re awake, they’d like to meet you.

We can get you the answers you seek. We want to know why exactly you were a shadow beast.” His face softens. “But only if you want to, Kai.”

I nod at him. His courtesy puts my soul at ease, a kindness I have not felt in so long.

“They all helped me do the unbinding spell on you,” Seb says. “Together, maybe we can do more to assist you?”

“Assist me?”

“I assume you want to get home.”

He has returned. All bow to the Jade Lion!

More voices echo across my memories, but it’s all so unclear. The pressure and the fear chill me to my very core. I feel like I’m no longer welcome in Hong Kong, and I don’t know why. “I…am not sure where home is,” I say in a shaky voice.

I take several deep breaths, trying to calm myself.

My heart picks up, and I could collapse at any time.

Seb clears his throat, and the sympathy on his face is undeniable.

“Hey, listen. We have some time before the girls get home. Why don’t I set you up with a shower?

A toothbrush? Ooh, a tour. I can take you where you can get cleaned, maybe find some clothes for you. ”

After several long seconds, I nod. “Bathing sounds helpful. Thank you, Sebastian Suarez.”

His smile is dazzling, but I am too stressed and confused to appreciate it. “Please, it’s Seb.”

Everything I learn of Boysen House is peculiar.

It’s a multiple-story home, presumably the appropriate architecture for being in America.

I sense traces of magical objects in the attic, basement, and one room, but now is not the time to breach anyone’s privacy.

Each of the witches has their own quarters, but Seb has not mentioned any spouses—not that I am in any shape for romance.

Still, the only person I know right now, the man giving me the tour, is certainly tempting.

Focus, Kai. One task at a time. I need to wash up and possibly get clothes.

Seb shows me the first-floor washroom and gives me towels and a toothbrush.

Everything in the room is vibrant, colorful, and so new to me.

I do enjoy this hands-free bathing system.

If this is some sort of infernal prison, so far, it is a comforting one.

As I’m wiping my damp hair with a towel, I sense Seb outside the door. “Hey, Kai?”

I open up and allow him in. This is his home, after all. He seems flustered and stares at the ground as he hands me garments. “I, uh…b-b-brought clothes,” he sputters.

I raise an eyebrow at him as I lean on the sink. Looking down, I recall that I did not cover up after the shower. How rude of me to expose myself to this boy.

“Thank you, Sebastian.” I take the garments, and the lad turns around. Curiously, he does not leave the washroom.

“I got the biggest sweatpants I could find.” His back is tense as he gazes out into the hallway. As I put on the trousers, I take a moment to study his backside. His shoulders are round and mildly muscular. His legs are shapely and toned.

Maybe this is a prison, because this witch boy is temptation in a white t-shirt.

But no, I need to find out my situation before entangling myself with the first man I’ve seen in what could be years.

I put on Seb’s large white shirt and stare at myself in the mirror.

My hair is still soaked, and my tiny facial hairs have grown in.

I can at the very least shave with my claws, like I’ve done many times.

At least, I think I’ve done this many times. My memories are still mostly missing, a patchwork of anxiety and flashes of spellcasting.

“I am clothed now.”

The lad turns around, and I notice a faint blush under his dark skin. “Glad to hear it.”

“So, you told me I was trapped in a totem?” I scrutinize my reflection, wondering how best to shave.

“Yes. You burst out of my jade lion statue.”

“Jade lion,” I murmur. In a moment, I shift my hand into a feline paw and allow my claws to jut out. Leaning into the mirror, I pull at my face and begin to shave the stray hairs above my lip. “That makes sense. Everything inside makes me feel like I am a lion shifter.”

“Woah,” he says breathlessly. Once I’m done, I lean back and glance at my liberator. The young man gazes at me in shock and awe.

I shake my hand and shift it back to human form. “What is wrong?”

“Your…your hand!” he says. I shrug and stare at my palm. “No, I mean, you just changed it.”

I smile. “Yes. I recall that I am a lion shifter.”

“A what?” He shakes his head. “I’m going to need the others here for this.”

Unsure of what he means, I get back to grooming. I glance at the mirror and run my hand through my soaking wet hair. “Do you have a cloth for me to dry my hair?”

Seb’s eyes perk up. “There’s a hairdryer connected to the wall.”

I frown at him. “Hair…dryer?”

Sebastian gives me an incredulous look. “Uh, what year do you last remember being…” He gives a vague gesture up and down at me. “Being yourself?”

I lean on the sink and try to reach into my memory. Tenuous visions of celebrating the Lunar New Year shoot across my mind. “I believe…1925.”

Sebastian gasps, and when I look up, his eyebrows are raised. “Nine…teen…what?” he whispers.

“Why? What year is it now?”

When he replies, my head becomes dizzy. I was…in a statue…for over a century?

“I am sorry, Zhou Kai, but you left us no choice. No one will find you for decades…” Hooded figures raise their glowing palms at me. I am restrained in the arcane circle, unable to fight back.

I gasp and gaze at Sebastian. I’m back in the bright washroom of the Boysen House. “Hey, Kai? You spaced out again.”

I shake my head and lean on the sink. “I…apologize, Sebastian.”

“No, I’m the sorry one. This all must be a shock.

” He gently leads me out of the room, and we walk down the hall.

My bare feet on the wooden floors give me something to focus on.

The warm presence by my side grounds me as well.

Sebastian’s hand on my back somehow both calms and excites me.

“I should be more mindful that you’ve been stuck in a statue for a really freaking long time. ”

He sits me down, and when his hand traces my arm, the dizziness subsides. Is he performing witchcraft on me?

“Just breathe.”

“I am alright, now, Sebastian Suarez.”

He smiles and stands up, and I immediately miss the contact. “Hey, we have some time before the coven gets back. Let me introduce you to the internet so you can catch up on history. You’re new to the twenty-first century, after all. Ooh, I can even show you what a video is!”

The witch boy seems so eager, how can I refuse? I nod and reply, “Very well.” He runs off, and I let out a soft laugh. If living in this new century means spending more time with Seb, perhaps it will not be an entirely awful experience.