Serpent's Gate

After graduating from college, Stephen Carlyle figures he’s in for the dullest summer of his life, staying with his eccentric uncle and assisting him in his antiquarian bookstore. Before he can despair over his new role as a bookstore clerk, his uncle announces that they have been hired by a nearby manor house to catalog a rare book collection. Though he isn’t looking forward to the trip, upon arrival Stephen is amazed at how beautiful Fairbourne House is—all except for the front gate, which has been cast in the form of a frightening serpent and is reputed by the gatekeeper to have strange and even deadly powers that protect the family.

Inside the house, he meets the late owner’s two sons. Justin seems friendly and eager to court his friendship, if not more. In stark contrast, the older brother, Roark, is angry and sullen. Soon Stephen finds a strange old book bound inside another volume, rumored to be a powerful spellbook that can unleash deadly havoc both at Fairbourne House and beyond. Torn between two brothers competing for his affections, Stephen must figure out which one to trust before he becomes a sacrifice in the fulfillment of an evil scheme.

Note: this story contains scenes of male/male romance, though there is no explicit language or description.