Bo the Qilin (special preview)

The night my son, Sebastian, was born, I swear I saw the color of the moon change. No one believed me, but as I got into the cab taking me to the hospital, it turned brilliant pink. I knew what I saw back then, and I still know. I don’t think I’m creative enough to make something like that up. For a while, I thought it was some sort of sign. I even thought it could be some kind of warning, so I was cautious when I first took Sebastian home.

After a couple of weeks had passed, I decided that maybe I had seen something, perhaps a trick of the light, but it wasn’t some omen. That was until Bo came into our lives. It was just a normal day, I was trying to get some things done around the house while Sebastian slept. I was used to people dropping by at this point, so when there was a knock on the door I didn’t think twice.

Answering it there was a tall, oddly dressed Chinese man standing there. He was smiling, and had extremely long pitch black hair that looked more like a sheet of silk than hair. He wore this elaborate robe covered in gold embroidery and he had this huge red gemstone pinned to the front of his collar. He wore those tiny round sunglasses too, so I could barely see his eyes.

“Good afternoon,Ms. Valynsia,” he said in a strangely soothing voice. “My name is Bo, and I have come to see the baby.”

“Are you out of your mind?” I asked him earnestly.

His brows raised. “I beg your pardon.”

“You do see what you look like right? I mean...my auntie dresses weird, but I know her. I’m not letting some strange man into my home to see my baby. Thank you for trying, bye.” I closed the door on him. But it wasn’t the last I had seen of Bo.

Bo came back the next day, asking to see Sebastain again. But as I was going to close the door in his face he pleaded with me.

“He’s a very special baby! I’m here to help him!”

I glared at him through the crack in the door. “What are you talking about?”

Bo sighed. “Your son is extremely special. His birth has been foretold for generations as the most powerful sorcerer this world will ever see.”

I scowled. “Is this Harry Potter?”

“No. I am serious. My kind have been watching over the great magic users and sages since the world was new. It is my responsibility to see to your son’s well being and teach him magic so he may use it wisely.”

“Your kind?” I asked.

“I am a qilin.” Bo laid his palms flat on his chest. “To put it in the simplest of terms, I am like a unicorn.”

This was a bit hard to swallow. “Then why do you look like a guy if you’re a unicorn? Where’s your horn?”

Bo huffed and had a rather disappointed look on his face. “This is a form I have to take in order to walk amongst humans. My real form is sealed until your son performs his first spell under my tutelage. I know this must be strange and even hard to believe. But this is extremely important.”

“I’m too broke to be buying nonsense. So either come back with some sort of proof, or stop trying to be weird around kids.” I was about to close the door when suddenly his hand is above mine. The ring on his finger shimmers brightly, leaving a trail of pink light behind it. The gemstone reminded me of the pink moon I saw the night Sebastian was born.

“Please, I only want to help, ms. Valynsia” Bo pleaded gently.

His expression was soft and gentle, dare I say he even looked beautiful, which made me soft. “The last time I let some strange man into my house I ended up pregnant.”

Bo’s brows pursed. “The child’s father is not around?”

“No. He vanished not long after I found out about the baby. So I am mother and father for as long as I have to be.”

“How odd, usually the father is supposed to-” Bo stopped and lifted his chin. “All the more reason I should be here. You won’t be alone, ms. Valynsia.”

It took some more convincing, as well as my own research online. Qilin are supposed to mean prosperity and good luck, and much like Bo said, they appear during the arrival of great rulers and sages. Bo visited each day for a while. Eventually I let him in to see Sebastian, and it wasn’t until then I realized there was real magic involved. Sebstian started floating, looking like some sort of Peter Pan baby. He instantly took to Bo too, in fact, after that first meeting, it was hard to seperate the two. Sebastian would cry and scream when Bo was not around. It started creating havoc in the house, as his cries made things fly off shelves, walls move, and even changed the layout of his nursery.

At wits end, I let Bo in.