RYDER LAY on the lumpy couch and looked at his watch. Sammy was late getting home, and after the day they’d had, it made Ryder nervous. This was a day when their schedules didn’t coordinate, so they hadn’t met after class. But God, he worried so much when Sammy was out of his sight. Shit was hitting fans. There was no way around it, and somehow Sammy was involved. The latest blow—taking out Killian Barth—could not be a coincidence. Two more minutes and he was going after—
His cell rang. Sammy! He clicked on without looking. “Sams?”
“No. This is not Sams.”
Shit. “Hello, sir.”
“You haven’t reported in.”
“I know. I’ve been trying to figure out the nature of the threat. I was going to call.” Sometime.
“There is no need. We have someone else in line to take your place. Make arrangements to return home immediately.”
Ryder’s heart hammered. “Sir, a new person is not going to understand the situation and will not be accepted. I have to stay, at least until we know what’s happening.”
“You are too well accepted, in my opinion. And far too involved. You are not the only observer there, as you know. I receive reports on the extent of your… attachment.”
Ryder sighed. “Yes, sir, I’m sure you do.”
“I am far along in negotiations for your partnering.”
Ryder’s hammering heart stopped. “No.”
“You knew this was coming, Ryder.”
“No.”
“Do not defy me, young. Your ceremony will represent a significant alliance.”
Ryder shook his head. This could not be. No. He hung up. He stared at the phone in his shaking hand. Good God. He’d just hung up on his father.
RYDER, YOU see, I’m a witch. You know how I painted that picture? Well, it’s because I’m a witch. Ryder, have you ever seen movies about witches? They may not be just fantasy. Sammy walked slowly toward the apartment with Al asleep around his neck. No combination of words worked in his mind.
Hells, I’m such a crummy witch that maybe I don’t have to admit anything. We could move away. Maybe go south and run Ryder’s family business, and I’d never have to say I’m a witch. He stopped walking. Wow. That actually made sense.
He shook his head. No. He had to tell Ryder who and what he was. Then, if Ryder could see them being together, they could make plans. The thought of losing Ryder made him want to vomit. Except witches never did.
Slowly Sammy walked up the steps of the apartment. Outside his door, he inhaled deeply. “Okay, Al, here we go.” He opened the door and walked in. Ryder was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. “What’s wrong?” He pushed the door closed, crossed to the couch, and sat, wrapping Ryder in his arms. Al jumped down and started rubbing against Ryder.
Ryder looked up and smiled, but it was strained. “Family troubles. Just your regular.”
“This seems worse.” Icicles floated in Sammy’s blood.
Ryder sighed so deeply it sounded like his chest would crack. “Yes, they want me to come home. Now.”
Everything in Sammy froze. “No. I thought—”
“They want me to get married.”
It wasn’t so hard to kill witches after all. “Oh.”
Ryder clenched his fist. “I’m not going to do it, Sammy. I’m not marrying someone else. I won’t.”
Heart beating again. “Yes, we can go away. Just the two of us. Leave it all behind. But wait.” He inhaled and let out his breath slowly. “I need to tell you something about me. It’s going to be hard to believe, but I need you to know before we plan anything.”
Ryder was smiling at him with such huge sadness. Gods, it felt like despair. “That you’re a witch?”
Sammy rocked back on the couch. “Holy shit! You know? Wait. How the hells could you know? Who told you?”
“I’ve known for a long time. I knew you and Jimmy and Chen were witches before you did.”
“What?” Sammy knew his eyes were bugging out of his head.
“My family knows about witches. I’d always heard about them, and when I came here and met you guys, I knew you must be witches. I could barely believe that you didn’t know.”
“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“I knew you didn’t share your secrets with humans. I waited to see if you would ever tell me.”
“And I finally did.”
“Yes.”
A glimmer of hope. “So you must not object to witches, right? You don’t care that I’m a witch? I mean, you can, uh, care about me anyway?”
Ryder grabbed him and held him in a death grip. “Care about you? God, dummy, I love you. I’ve loved you so long, it’s like you’re a part of my blood and skin.”
“Oh, Ryder.” Tears trickled out of the corners of Sammy’s eyes. It felt like he’d lived every day of his life until now just to hear those words. “Do we need to go now? Can we wait to graduate, or shall we pack up and go?”
Ryder’s head moved against Sammy’s neck.
“What?”
“I can’t stay for long.”
“What? What the hell? You just said you love me.”
He sat back, and his eyes were red. “I’ll never marry someone else, but I have to go back soon.”
“No. No. We’ll find a place where no one knows us.”
“I can’t explain fully, but there are traditions and rituals in my culture that have to be followed. They aren’t optional. They’re built into us. I have to go home.”
Can’t breathe. He’d been given everything in one word—love. Now it was all being taken away. “Then I’ll come with you. We can run the family business together.”
Ryder shook his head slowly, and every shake was like a death knell. “They wouldn’t let you.”
“Because I’m a witch.”
“Yes.”
Sammy frowned. “So you know about witches because your family hates them?”
“Doesn’t mix with them at all. Never has.”
“But there are so many witch/human couples.”
“Not my family.”
“I don’t get it. Not at all. Not at all.” Shit. Sammy started to cry.
Ryder gathered him into his arms. “If I could think of a single way around it, I’d take it. I haven’t given up, but I have to tell you, there’s not much hope.”
Sammy cried harder. “Not fair.” He sobbed. “I only just got to have you. Now you get taken away. Thought we had until at least June.” He gave up words for tears.
Ryder rocked him and cried just as hard.
SMOKE. SOOTY, twisting, winding through his entrails. Sick. Witches didn’t vomit. Sammy’s eyes flew open. Awake. I’m awake. What?
Eyes stared at him. Glowing. Calling. Sammy looked down. He was naked in front of his easel in the morning light, painting a picture. A picture of Lucien. The angelic face gazed at him, dark and twisted like the smoke in his dream. The eyes glowed.
Go to Lucien. Go now.
The angel charm blazed as brightly as a star and burned as badly.
Shit. No way. “Ryder!”
“Merwaorwr.” Aloysius shrieked and landed on Sammy’s shoulder, slashed out a paw, and ripped a stripe through the middle of the painting. Black dust oozed from the cut.
Strong hands gripped Sammy’s shoulder. “Sams, what’s happening?”
Sammy turned and hurled himself into Ryder’s arms. Al lithely stepped from Sammy’s shoulder to Ryder’s. “I don’t want to go. Don’t let me go.”
“Go where, sweetheart?”
Sammy nodded his head toward the painting. “To him. I think he’s calling me or something.” He clutched tighter. “The worst thing is, some part of me wants to go.”
“No way.” Ryder picked Sammy up easily and carried him back to the bed. “Al, do your thing.”
The cat jumped onto the bed, wrapped himself around Sammy’s head, and went to work with his scratchy tongue.
Sammy smiled. “I don’t know why that feels so good.”
Ryder lay down beside Sammy and scratched Aloysius’s head. “Because you’re a magic cat, aren’t you, fella?”
Sammy looked at the gorgeous man next to him. “You know that too?”
“I figured it out after he started hanging around with Dr. Barth all the time.”
Sammy sighed and gazed at Ryder. Did he really get more gorgeous every day, or did Sammy just love him more all the time? Was it his imagination, or did those vine tattoos actually glimmer? Last night rushed back. Ryder’s leaving. They’d cried themselves to sleep.
Whoa. A cramp clutched Sammy’s stomach, and Lucien’s eyes filled his mind. “Shit. He’s doing some witchy stuff.” Another cramp and Sammy rolled in a ball. “Damn. Owww.”
Ryder pulled Sammy up from the bed and kissed him hard. Oh yeah, that’s good. When he pulled back, Sammy gasped. “More. That’s so good. Just what I need.”
“I know what you need.” Ooh, was that growly voice his Ryder?
Ryder grabbed the lube from the dresser. “He put his darkness in you. I’m going to drive it out.”
He squirted lube in his hand and began pressing the sticky juice into Sammy’s hole. Sweet gods. Great. “Yes. I want that, please.”
Ryder plopped a little lube in Sammy’s hand. “Keep working. This is going to be a hard ride.”
Hells, that sounded good.
Ryder slicked his cock, which stood at proud attention, ready for service. Sammy shoved a little more lube in his hole, but watching Ryder was so sexy, he couldn’t concentrate.
Ryder scooted forward on his knees, cock in hand. “We don’t have to pretend you can get a disease, or that I can get one from you, so bareback. Besides, I want to come in you.”
Sammy’s cock hurt, it was so hard. “Oh yes.”
Ryder positioned his big mushroom head right at Sammy’s pucker. “Ready?”
“Forever.”
Ryder inhaled and pushed, exhaling as he leaned into his deep thrust. His decorated cock pressed in like the proverbial hot knife through butter, sending sizzling zings of electricity into Sammy’s balls. When Ryder’s lips got down as far as Sammy’s ear, he whispered, “You’re mine. He can’t have you. You belong to me.”
That dark little piece of Sammy’s mind murmured Not for long, but Sammy pushed it away and reveled in the hot, stretching pleasure of the intruder.
Ryder pulled out and slammed back in. “You’re mine.” Again. “Mine.”
Ryder propped his arms on either side of Sammy’s head and pistoned his hips like a jackhammer. Ecstasy. Every deep push connected to Sammy’s gland—and his heart. I want this forever. His body under Ryder, their hearts joined. Their souls united. Why couldn’t that be? Why? Gods, please. Yes. Yes. A flash of white light blazed through Sammy’s head like a bolt. He sucked in a breath. “Ahh.” Juice shot out of his cock onto Ryder’s belly. Jet after jet as Sammy’s body shook.
“I’m yours, Sammy. Forever.” Ryder threw his head back. “Oh yes.” He froze, and then started a metronome of pulses with his hips as searing heat blazed into Sammy’s ass, flowed into his balls, spread through his belly, then blasted a trail up his spine and out the top of his head in a shower of energy.
His body vibrated with a cool, white light. He vaguely felt Ryder roll to the side and get up. A warm washcloth spread across his belly. Nice, so nice. A blanket covered him, and Ryder scooted up behind, wrapping Sammy in his strong arms. Purring tickled his ears.
Filled with light. Filled with Ryder. He slept.
THE PAINTING was gone. Sammy’s portrait of the horrible, beautiful Lucien had disintegrated into black dust. Sammy swept it up and carried it out to the trash. He barely saw the bright morning sun.
Call Blaine. Top priority. If Blaine agreed, Sammy would try to bring together the young witches for an update. They had to be freaking with the rumors.
Back in the apartment, Ryder was tucking in his shirt. He walked over and wrapped his arms around Sammy. “You okay? I don’t mind missing class. I’m happy to stay with you.”
Sammy shook his head. “I’m going to try to get the young witches together. It would be better if you weren’t there. I don’t think you want to explain to them why you know we exist.” Hells, Sammy didn’t know if he could explain it.
Ryder kissed his nose. “I’m scared Lucien will start his antics again.”
Sammy blew out his breath. “Hopefully I swept him out with the ashes.”
“That would be great.” He didn’t look convinced. “Call me instantly if anything weird happens, okay?”
“You mean anything else weird?”
“Yeah. See you after class.”
Sammy closed the door after Ryder and dialed Blaine’s phone number. He flopped on the couch as it rang.
“Hello.” Blaine sounded exhausted and defeated.
“Hi, Blaine. I’m so sorry to bother you.”
“No bother, Sammy.” His voice was so soft, Sammy had to strain to hear it.
“I was thinking of getting the young witches together and giving them a report so they don’t have to live on rumors. I’m worried that someone could take advantage of their ignorance.”
It was a measure of Blaine’s depression that he didn’t even ask who. “That’s a solid idea. Sadly I can’t give you good news. Killian’s being fed and hydrated intravenously. He keeps breathing but doesn’t open his eyes or respond in any way.”
Tears pressed against Sammy’s eyeballs. “I’m so sorry. So very sorry.”
“Me too.”
“Thank you, Blaine. Tell him we all love him.”
“That’s nice. I will. Bye.”
He hung up. How could Sammy convey this to the witches without making them give up hope?
He started dialing the witches’ phone tree.
Three hours later, after some quick straightening of the apartment and a call to Chen asking him to bring coffee and refreshments, Sammy welcomed the first of the young witches into his place. Twelve of them made it, which, considering school schedules and the short notice, was good. But Maybelle and Bilden weren’t among them.
Chen sat next to Sammy on the floor, letting the others take the seats available in the tiny apartment. He leaned over to Sammy. “I called Estera, but she’s not there. Gods, what’s happened to her?”
Sammy shook his head. “I’m afraid I know. I wish I knew what to do.”
Mitzi Elmer got down to business. “Sammy, do you know what the hells is going on?”
“A little, Mitz. That’s why I called everybody. I thought we should know facts instead of rumors. But the facts aren’t happy.”
Everyone talked at once. Sammy held up his hand. “Here’s what I know. The Witch Master has fallen into a coma. He’s alive and breathing but not responding. They’re feeding and hydrating him intravenously.”
Mitzi and another one of the girls started to cry.
Sammy nodded. “Yes, it’s terrible. The doctor doesn’t know what happened.” Okay, let’s see the reaction. “I’m told he had an appointment with Lucien Eshel in the morning, and when Lucien went into the office, Killian was lying on the floor, unconscious.”
Mitzi looked up. “Lucien found him?”
“Yes.”
She frowned but said nothing. Okay, she didn’t seem smitten with the angel face.
Sammy took a deep breath. “The doctor’s trying to find causes. I’m sure he will. We all know he’s a great doctor. I guess I just wanted us all to be steady and not start listening to hearsay or anything until we all know what’s going to happen. Jimmy and Lavender will be back soon.” He fervently hoped, but the e-mail situation didn’t look promising. “They’ll take over whatever the Witch Master needs of them. And….” He grasped at straws. “I’ll help them in any way I can. And some of our parents are good leaders too. So there will be plenty of witches to look after the community.”
Mitzi actually smiled. “That’s good, Sammy. It’s great to know that there are people looking after things.”
Paulie Peabody frowned. “But the Witch Master is the most powerful witch in ten generations. Who can fill his shoes?”
Chen cleared his throat. “Hopefully no one will have to. But we know Killian has said that Jimmy and Lavender are both extremely powerful. If power is required, they should have what’s needed.”
Good job, Chen.
“Merwaor.”
Aloysius leaped off Sammy’s shoulder into the middle of the room, big balls bouncing.
Sammy laughed. “I think you just got your answer, Paulie. Whoever Aloysius chooses to back is likely to win any contest of power.”
Cherry Alden cocked her head and said in her tiny voice, “But Sammy, isn’t Aloysius backing you?”
Everyone laughed. Even Sammy.
SAMMY STOOD outside the art building in the crisp evening air. Summer was giving up. Winter would be here soon.
“Sams.”
He looked up and waved at Ryder as he walked toward him from his last class of the day. His hair looked silver, not brown. The sunlight was weak, but still Ryder’s hair shone like it had been polished. Sammy remembered when he first saw Ryder at the beginning of the semester, after his big transformation. After Sammy had painted him. Was Ryder still changing? It sure seemed like it. Humans didn’t usually change like that, did they? Hells, Sammy was half-human, and he never had. Even witches didn’t transform practically overnight.
Ryder grinned. “Hi, sweetheart.” He leaned in and gave Sammy a peck. How cool that after all the time pretending to be straight, Ryder didn’t mind some PDA. Actually Ryder was cool in every way—except the leaving part.
They locked hands and started walking toward home. Home. Sammy’s place. Home for how long? Sammy squeezed Ryder’s hand. “How was class?”
“Good. China’s a pretty fascinating place altogether. You?”
“Good.”
“How was the meeting?”
“It went well. The group seemed willing to hang in there until Jimmy and Lavender get home and the leadership vacuum is filled. But Maybelle, Bilden, and Estera were missing and not accounted for.”
“Meaning?”
“They weren’t in class or away or anything we knew about. A couple of others might be missing too.”
“You think they’re with Lucien?”
“Yes.” Sammy took a deep breath. “Do you?”
Ryder frowned, and his silvery eyebrows pulled down over his crystal green eyes. “I’m pretty certain of it.”
“But why, is the question.”
Ryder looked over at Sammy. Yep, he was changing. Those tattoos. Sammy didn’t remember ever seeing them on his neck. A muscle in Ryder’s jaw flexed. “Don’t you think Dr. Barth collapsing is an odd coincidence just when all these guys are getting hooked on Lucien?”
“But how could it be related? Lucien might be a powerful witch, but hells, Killian is the Witch Master. How could Lucien have put him in a coma?”
“I don’t know. Wish I did.” Ryder pulled Sammy over under a tree, away from the passing students. “But wouldn’t it be possible for a really powerful witch to bespell Killian when he wasn’t expecting it?”
“I guess it’s possible. Killian’s trusting. He never thought of himself as powerful until he had to step up to the plate and save witchery. So maybe he trusted Lucien.”
They started walking again. “What about that candy crap Lucien got Dr. Barth to eat?”
“Everyone ate it, both humans and witches.”
“Maybe it was only poison to Killian?”
“It’d take some big power to be that selective. Not many witches have that much juice anymore.”
“What if Lucien is one of them?”
Sammy’s eyes got wide. “Maybe Lucien wants to start his own coven. That’s why he’s collecting followers.”
“Maybe.”
“Gods, that would be scary. He tries to hide it, but he doesn’t like humans much. Without Killian to guide them, a coven led by Lucien might not want to blend in with humans. They might want to make their differences known.”
“And that could start a literal witch hunt, I’d guess.”
“Yes, and we may be more powerful, but humans outnumber us a gazillion to one. Guess who’d win that fight?”
“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.”
They got home, made some dinner, and settled on the couch to watch TV. Sammy laid his head in Ryder’s lap. He tried to focus on the show where people bought new houses, but no luck. “Ryder, have you talked to your folks?”
“Nope.”
“When do you have to leave?”
Ryder sighed and looked down at Sammy. Gently he caressed Sammy’s cheek. “Soon. But I won’t marry someone else, Sams. I don’t care if they lock me up or even kill me—”
Sammy’s eyes widened. “Kill you?”
Ryder smiled slightly. “Not likely.”
Sammy sat up. “Why can’t we just go away?”
“I have to go home.”
“You keep saying that—”
Ryder grabbed Sammy and pulled him across his lap. He lowered his head, capturing Sammy’s half-open mouth and pressing his sweet vanilla tongue inside. Oh hells, quit arguing and enjoy what you have. Sammy wrapped his arms around Ryder and pulled him down until they stretched out on the couch of lumps with Ryder on top.
Oh good, good. Ryder’s big cock lump pushed hard against Sammy’s answering bulge. Their tongues twined, which sent thrills straight to Sammy’s balls and sent his hips into bucking fits.
Ryder pulled away. “Want to fuck you now.”
Sammy reached between them and unfastened the button on his jeans. Ryder sat back, unzipped Sammy’s fly, and pulled the pants and underwear down in one move. He jumped up to standing, shucked his sneakers, pulled down his own jeans, and flashed that beautiful cock. Man, beautiful was the word. The thing looked like it had been decorated in silver scrollwork, way more obviously than it had a few days ago. Sammy wanted to ask so badly, but fuck first and ask questions later. He rolled up so his butt was flashing and his legs were over his head.
Ryder leaned over and licked Sammy’s pucker.
“Holy shit. Where did you learn to do that, novice boy?”
“I’m a good improviser.” Ryder spread Sammy’s cheeks even farther and tucked his tongue into the hole a fraction of an inch.
“Oh, oh.” Keee-rap, that felt good.
Ryder leaned back and wet his finger in his mouth, then pushed it into Sammy’s hole. Just an inch at first, then another inch and out, then wham, all the way in and right over the gland.
Sammy gasped and pressed his hips up onto the questing finger. “Wow, so good.”
Ryder pulled out the finger and reintroduced his tongue. He circled round Sammy’s rim, soft and wet, then pushed it in. So different from the finger. So nice. Like a sweet pleasure versus a shrieking passion.
But the finger came back. Lightning bolts up the spine. Back to the tongue. Ripples of joy. Back and forth until Sammy lost track. His mind fogged and his body shook. Beyond wanting. Just one huge, exquisite nerve ending shimmering in the heat.
Sammy kind of knew when Ryder pushed in his cock, but it was another layer of perfect bliss. Ryder kissed his lips softly. Sammy tried to kiss back, but he was too busy breathing.
Trailing kisses over Sammy’s face and neck, Ryder pumped into his ass, each thrust pushing joy juice into Sammy’s balls… and heart.
“I love you, Sams. I always have. I want you to have a wonderful life. A life filled with happiness and family and art. I’ll never be far from you. Always watching, wishing you joy and love.”
Ryder’s tears dripped onto Sammy’s cheek and mixed with the ones running down his own face. How could a heart be so full and break at the same time? When Sammy came, cum jetted onto their chests and held them together, where their hearts beat as one.
LUCIEN RAMMED his cock harder and harder into the girl witch’s anus. What was her name again? Who cared, really? He just needed one or two more hits of life force and he’d have the vitality he needed. That damned cat and the other creature held on to Sammy like tractor beams. Not anymore. He rammed the young witch hard.
“Ow. Stop. That hurts.”
“The hurting is good. You love it, don’t you? You love me fucking your ass.”
“Yes, Lucien.”
“Good. A little more. More. Good. Yes.” Damn, it took longer each time to get him off. But soon he’d have Sammy. Yes. Think of that.
Wham. Finally cum shot out of him, and the girl shrieked as the hot lava soaked into her butt, but Lucien made her come anyway with nimble fingers. Better that way. More energy for him.
He pulled out and gave her a smack on the butt. “That’s all for now, my dear. I have work to do.”
Her glazed eyes stared at him. Good, she was under. “Yes, Lucien. Thank you.” She crawled off the bed, picked up her panties from the floor where he’d dropped them, and walked out of the room in the skirt and blouse he’d left on her. Too much trouble to wait for them to undress.
He stood and walked to the en suite sink. A quick wash and he pulled on his trousers, tucked in his shirt, and checked his hair in the mirror. Good as new. Better. Because now he should be able to break that boy free from the feline.
Lucien walked to the window and grasped the angel charm around his neck. “Time to come, little angel. Come now. Don’t delay. You’re mine. Come now. Come now.”
The door burst open. “Lucien?”
He sighed. “Maybelle, can’t you see I am busy?”
She sashayed across the room and grasped his arm. “Lucien.” He hated her whine. He had to focus or this wouldn’t work. Maybelle leaned against him. “You’re calling him, aren’t you? You don’t need him. There are enough of us. We can do whatever you need done. Why do you want him?”
“He is very popular, Maybelle. People like and respect him. They will do as he asks.”
She pressed her breasts against his arm. “Hey, I’m a leader among the young witches. I can get the group together.”
He shook her off. “No, we need Sammy.”
“All right. I suppose.” She turned and went back out of the room to the group gathered in Lucien’s living room. Soon he wouldn’t need them. But for now he had to feed. They gave him their power, meager as it was.
Focus. He gathered all his energy and pressed it against his third eye. Deep breaths pushed fire up his spine. That damned cat and the human worked against him, but they couldn’t stand against his power. Not anymore. The juice of seven young witches bolstered his magic exponentially. Nothing could prevail against him. Nothing conscious, anyway. He laughed. “Come now, little angel. Come now.” He smiled. He hadn’t mentioned to Maybelle that he also wanted to fuck Sammy. That would be the fun part.