“You do not need to hide your other form,” the lion—I mean, Kai—says in a deep voice.
A thousand questions run through my mind, and everyone stares at me. After a tense moment, I ask, “You’re…a witch?”
“Not quite. I am a mage, neither witch nor wizard. The Jade Lion.” He shifts back down into handsome-Asian-dude form and exchanges a look with Seb, who smiles fondly at him. “And I believe I am your ancestor.”
My head goes dizzy; that just led to more questions.
“Son, have a seat,” Papa says.
“I just…oof,” I keel over with pain. “I…need a glamour.”
“Gordy, honey, let your true self out,” Mama says. Her calm voice compels me to listen to her, and holding in my turtle is painful as hell.
So, I turn around, sit up straight, and allow my turtle out. As I morph, I readjust my shorts so my tail sticks out above the waistband. Once I’m finished, I stand up straight at my six-foot-three frame, ready to witness the horrified looks of these new witch dudes.
But when I turn around, they gaze at me with neutral expressions. “Feeling better?” Seb asks.
I look around, scratch my arm in discomfort, then shrug. Just because they’re cool with my turtle doesn’t mean I enjoy the attention. “I’m…fine.” I sit down, and we all continue drinking tea.
“There is much to discuss,” Kai says.
“You said something about being an ancestor?”
“Yes. I believe I am your long-lost grand uncle from many years ago,” Kai says.
I sip tea and glance at folks. “And we believe them?”
“Don’t be rude, Gordy,” Mama says. She points at them and says, “I divined them when they got here.”
“And all the texts concur,” Papa says.
“We even did a mind spell on them,” Mama adds. “To make sure they’re exactly who they say they are.”
“I see.” After taking another sip, I gaze at Kai. “You look super young.”
Seb chuckles and touches the taller man’s arm. “He’s…older than he looks.” The way they look at each other screams love. A swirl of emotions congeals in my gut, a combination of surprise, jealousy, satisfaction, and arousal. What I wouldn’t give to have someone look at me like that…
But I’m a turtle man all the time, except for rare moments. Who would want a reptilian freak like me?
“So, what is this, a family reunion?”
They chuckle. “More than that, honey,” Mama says. “These boys have a proposition for you.”
“After all, you are of my blood,” Kai says. “You and I…share a great destiny.” He snaps his fingers, and sparks of green energy fly through the air. In moments, the space above the table lights up with a brilliant illusion, like a hologram from a sci-fi movie.
My life is currently a sci-fi movie. This dude, Kai, explains that he was frozen in a statue for a hundred years. He’s from China and explains that others in his bloodline are destined to be the most powerful spellcasters of all time. With a wave of his hand, the magical lightshow presentation reveals four animals: a dragon, a bird, a lion, and…
“A turtle,” I murmur.
“Yes.” Kai gives me a serious look. “I am the Jade Lion, and you are the Ruby Turtle.”
“It’s all here in this tome we found.” Seb takes out an old, leatherbound book from his coat. “You and your family are theFour Guardians, meant to rise higher than any others. You’re going to save the world.”
“Save the world?” My voice is barely above a whisper as I watch the animal images above. Kai is intimidating in this lion form, and his magical prowess leaves me in awe. Historically, I’m not that adept at spellcasting. Is it even possible that I could be one of the Four Guardians?
The next seven days are a whirlwind of packing up my life. Seb and Kai seem very chill and have all sorts of powers within them. These two dudes and my folks all believe that with some time spent with them, I can hone my abilities. It’s all so new, but my instinct tells me I can trust them. At the very least, they mean me no harm. So, I’ve decided to move in with the happy couple in their new home in Virginia. Together, we can work on my powers and possibly join this Union of Mages they speak so highly of. There isn’t much for me here in North Carolina anyway; I have no full-time job or friends here. And I’m packing up my video games, paltry earnings, oversized clothes, and cell phone.
It’ll be cool to be with Kai, my only blood relative. But what about my actual family?
