Magic is something you make.
TIKRON leaned down and drew water from the faucet into his mouth. He swished it around, rinsing the toothpaste, then spit, washing it down the drain. Breath minty fresh, he turned off the tap and grabbed a towel to dry his face and his hands.
The sound of Richard’s scream and Albert’s sharp bark froze the blood in Tikron’s veins. He rushed out the bathroom door to find Richard standing against the wall, hands up in defense, and Albert standing between Richard and the newcomer, barking aggressively, hair on his back raised.
“Sic ’em, Albert. Chomp right down on that big ol’ ass.”
Ry looked over his shoulder with an exasperated expression. “My ass is not big.” He held up a tray full of coffee cups and a box of doughnuts. “Is this any way to treat a guest bearing gifts?”
“Yes. This is exactly the way you treat guests bearing gifts who don’t use the front door. What the hell is wrong with you? You scared the crap out of him,” Tikron said, moving to Richard’s side and slinging his arm around his shoulders. The tension in Richard instantly drained, but he was still shaking slightly.
To Tikron’s delighted surprise, Richard stood a bit taller and pointed his finger at Ry. “You do that again and I… I… I’m not sure what I’ll do, but I can promise you won’t like it.” To Albert, who was still snapping and growling at Ry, Richard said, “It’s okay, Albert.”
Of course, Albert apparently didn’t think it was, because he continued his aggressive stance and insistent yapping. Only when Richard leaned down and swept him up into his arms did Albert quiet down. However, the low menacing growl proved he still wasn’t impressed with Ry’s entrance.
“Oh, you do have a spitfire on your hands,” Ry announced, sounding way too amused. He smiled broadly at Richard. “I like you.”
“Well, I’m not so sure I like you,” Richard grumbled. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“Sorry about that. Can I make it up to you? I have coffee and bran muffins.” Tikron frowned. “Don’t get your panties in a wad. I didn’t forget the apple fritters.”
Tikron walked over and snatched the bag from Ry, then shoved Ry’s stomach. “C’mon. We’ll eat in the kitchen. You are not allowed in this bedroom. Ever.”
“Yes, sir,” Ry said and followed Tikron.
The instant they were out of the room and away from Richard, Tikron spun around. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he hissed.
“Oh right. You’re allowed to blink your ass into my room when I’m entertaining, but I’m not allowed to do the same. That’s some bullshit double standard right there.”
“That is not my room, and I didn’t let Miss Big Tits know I used magic.”
“Yeah, but Richard already knows about it, and she did have some nice tits, didn’t she?” Ry said, waggling his brows.
“I said big, you Neanderthal. Just don’t do it to him again.” He turned and went to the kitchen.
Ry set the coffees down on the counter. “I’ll make you a deal. You don’t pop into my bedroom and I’ll do the same for you.”
“Deal,” Tikron said without hesitation. He opened the box and found a fritter. He took a big bite. It didn’t taste all that great in combination with the lingering mint, so he washed it down with a shot of coffee and took another big bite. Much better.
Ry took a seat at one of the stools and pulled the lid off one of the cups. He blew into it before taking a sip. “He doesn’t look broken this morning.”
“No thanks to you.”
“Hey, in my defense, I didn’t mean to scare him. I just blinked myself to where you were. I didn’t expect you to still be in the bedroom. Does that mean you got lucky?”
“Do you ever think about anything else?”
“Sure, sometimes, but it is my favorite subject,” Ry said unapologetically. He grabbed a chocolate iced doughnut and took a big bite.
“Shhh.” Tikron nodded toward the hall, where Richard had appeared. “We have coffee and muffins for you,” Tikron announced.
“Thanks.” Richard came over to Tikron and accepted the coffee he held out.
“Sorry I scared you.” Ry held out his hand. “Ryxium Driscoll, aka Tikron’s best friend, but you can call me Ry.”
Richard shook the offered hand. “Nice to meet you, and sorry I threatened you.”
“Don’t apologize to this big nut bag,” Tikron informed him. “He shouldn’t have popped into your bedroom, and he’s promised not to do it again. Haven’t you, Ry?”
“Yup, as long as your stud puppy here promises not to do it to me anymore. Did he tell you he interrupted me and my—”
“Shut it,” Tikron warned him.
Ry leaned toward Richard. “Point is, he does it to me all the time. I was just dishing out a little payback.”
Tikron handed Richard a muffin. “Breakfast?”
Richard eyed it, then considered the box of goodies. “Actually, I think I’ll have that one,” he said, pointing to the only other apple fritter in the box.
Tikron frowned. “I didn’t think you ate stuff like that.”
“I also didn’t think you could pop in and out of people’s bedrooms either. It’s a whole new world I’ve woken up in this morning, and dammit, I’m going to enjoy something yummy and completely bad for me.”
“Wouldn’t you rather have the chocolate one?” Tikron suggested. “It’s even worse for you.”
Ry snatched the fritter out of the box and thrust it at Richard. “Enjoy.”
Tikron’s frown deepened, but Ry just stuck his tongue out. “So, Richard.” Ry patted the stool next to his. “Have a seat and let’s get to know each other.”
A spark of worry zinged through Tikron. No one knew Tikron like Ry did—the good and the really bad as well as some of the most embarrassing moments in his life. The worry left just as quickly as it hit him. While Ry did know everything about him, the most important thing was the fast-approaching deadline. Ry would never do anything to jeopardize that.
Richard took the seat next to Ry, looking a little apprehensive, but excitement shone in his hazel eyes. “I have so many questions.”
“I can tell you anything you want to know about Tikron,” Ry offered.
“Hey, you’re only allowed to tell him about my good qualities.”
Ry cocked his head. “You have good qualities?”
“Haha.” Tikron turned to Richard. “Don’t listen to him. He thinks he’s a comedian, but no matter how many times I tell him he’s not funny, he doesn’t listen.”
“I’m hilarious, thank you very much,” Ry protested. “We’ll let Richard be the judge of that. You have no sense of humor.”
“Do you two treat each other like this all the time?” Richard asked.
“Yes,” they said in unison, then laughed.
“You’ve known each other a long time, I take it?”
“For many, many, many, years.”
Richard took off the lid to his coffee and, seeing it was black, took a sip. “And I don’t have to ask if you have the same powers.”
“Which are totally awesome, huh?” Ry asked.
Richard was taking another drink of his coffee, but Tikron didn’t miss the instant smile partially hidden by the cup. He swallowed down the drink and the smile grew. “They are totally awesome,” he agreed. “A little frightening but a lot awesome.”
Ry cut a questioning glance toward Tikron. Tikron knew the look, and considering he’d woken Ry just a few short hours ago worried about Richard’s mental health, it was understandable. Tikron shrugged. Something had changed in Richard during the night. He’d woken without any signs of the earlier distress. In fact, he woke with a smile and cutting jokes. He even chose a fritter—my last fritter—instead of his preferred bran muffin.
Richard, however, wasn’t done shocking Tikron. Tikron gawked at the man when he asked Ry, “Could someone like me, someone not born into the coven, learn magic?”
“Sure,” Ry assured him. “He or she would never be as powerful, nor could they sit on the council, but with the desire and a good teacher, sure you could learn some basic magic.”
“Really?” Richard’s excitement seemed to be growing.
“Yes,” Tikron answered for Ry. “Why do you ask? Is it something you’d want to do?”
Richard shrugged. “Maybe. I think it would be fascinating to learn more about it.”
“There is a lot more to it. It’s not like you can just show up to a meeting and expect to be accepted.” Ry shifted slightly in his chair until he was facing Richard. “As you can imagine, given the nature of our abilities, we don’t go around and publicly invite just anyone. Most humans wouldn’t take it so well to learn warlocks and witches exist. We have to keep things on the down low.”
“I can understand that,” Richard said with a nod.
“Your request to join would have to be considered by the elders. You’d have to meet certain criteria. They only allow a very select few members.”
“What Ry is trying to tell you is until you’re approved, no one is allowed to teach you a single spell. Also, there are only two ways in which to join. One, you have to be born into the coven. The second is to marry into it, and even then it’s not a guarantee.”
Richard picked at his fritter, looking thoughtful for a moment before saying, “Oh.”
“We don’t have to worry about that right now,” Tikron told him. He’d witnessed what happened when too much crazy info penetrated that brain of his. Tikron wasn’t willing to take a chance on driving him to that edge again. “How about we talk about something a little easier. How about you tell us about your family,” Tikron suggested.
“Not much to tell. I’m an only child, and just like me, or like I was a week ago, my parents are mathematicians.”
“That explains a lot,” Ry said lowly. Tikron doubted Richard had heard him since he spoke so quietly, but Tikron had, and he wanted to slap him upside his head. “Be nice,” Tikron mouthed. He then turned back to Richard. “Both Ry and I are only children as well. It’s part of what draws us together, I think. Growing up I always wanted to have a brother, and now I do.”
“Aww, I love you too,” Ry said. He pursed his lips and made kissing sounds.
“I never thought about it growing up,” Richard explained. “I wasn’t really around other kids much except summer camp. Until I was ten or eleven. Then I was so busy with my academic studies that I didn’t have time to think about anything else.”
“So basically your life has been boring since you were born?”
“Ry!” This time Tikron did whoop him upside his head. “That is so frickin’ rude.”
“No, it’s not. It’s true,” Richard said. Tikron gawked at him. “I’m a smart man, Tikron, a very smart man, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out 99 percent of the population would be considered boring compared to your lives.”
“He has a valid point,” Ry agreed.
“You’ve made me question everything I ever thought was real. And I admit at first that was a really scary thing.” Richard looked up at Tikron from over the top of his glasses. “You had a front-row seat to just how much it scared the shit out of me. Which, yeah, is kind of embarrassing. But now that I’ve had a chance to think about things, I realize you’ve given me a gift, a new plane of existence to explore.”
“Like I said, I like this guy,” Ry complimented, then patted Richard on the back. “Hey, if things don’t work out with this big ugly lug, I’m single—”
“Okay, time for the horn dog to get going,” Tikron announced. He waved his hand at Ry. “Shoo, shoo.”
Ry cracked up. “Love you too.” To Richard he said, “I’m just teasing. He’s a great guy and I’m sure you two will live happily ever after. I want to be the best man at your wedding.”
Richard’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink, but that was his only response.
“Bye, Ry.”
Ry winked and, in a theatrical swirl of light, disappeared.
Richard jerked back. “I don’t’ know if I’ll ever get used to that.”
“That’s okay. I’ve known Ry for years and I’m still not used to him. He’s a great guy, honestly. But he does have a strange sense of humor.”
“I thought he was funny.”
“Ugh, please don’t tell him that to his face.”
“Too late,” Ry’s voice echoed around the room.
Tikron sighed dramatically. “I am so going to turn him into a toad.”
“I heard that too.”
Tikron was about to complain, but Richard started to snicker, and when Tikron met his gaze with a questioning expression, Richard cracked up. Not the hysterical laughter like the night before, but a happy, full belly laugh. Tikron couldn’t help but join him.