by Tara Lain
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.
Chapter Ten
SAMMY’S EYES opened. His chest burned. Shit! He pulled back the covers. The angel charm glowed. He touched it. Like fire or maybe acid. Burning. Lucien. Go to Lucien. What in hells am I thinking? Fight it. Go back to sleep.
Had to go. Go. Right. Like Ryder had to go home. He had to go to Lucien. Had to.
Aloysius pressed against his shoulder, purring. Sammy smiled. Not this time, fur ball. He reached up, grasped Aloysius around the middle, and slipped out of the bed as quietly as he could. He opened the bathroom door and tossed Al in. “Stay, Aloysius. Stay here.” He closed the door. Not a sound.
He tiptoed to the couch where he’d left his jeans and shirt, pulled them on, grabbed a jacket and tennies, and crept out the front door. In the hall, he put on his shoes and jacket. What was he doing?
Going to Lucien.
Why?
Because he had no choice.
RYDER OPENED his eyes. Everything’s different. He felt like he’d been beaten with a baseball bat. Dark. Cold sheets. Sammy’s smell, and something else. Like burning flesh. He listened. No breathing. Sammy’s gone! Was he in the bathroom? Where was Al?
Silence.
Why hadn’t he wakened? Where was Sam?
He threw off the sheets and jumped out of bed.
The room lit up like a Christmas tree.
His knees collapsed, and he fell to the mattress.
Shit! He was gasping like he’d run a race. He sighed. He had. A race to who he was. He stared at his arm and hand where they lay against the white sheets. Glowing vines twining like he was lit from the inside. Couldn’t he have had one more day?
He pushed himself to sitting, scooted to the edge of the bed, and put his feet on the floor. Had to be careful. Get his legs under him. Speaking of legs. He stared down at his calves. They were at least an inch longer than they had been when he went to bed. It made sense. His father was tall.
He stood, wobbled, and sat back down. One more try. Up. He balanced. Okay. Now for walking. He took a step, balanced again, then one more. Finally he got to the end of the bed, where he could see in the ratty mirror on the back of the bathroom door.
Hell. He wasn’t going to blend in with the humans anymore.
In human terms he must be six feet five. He was bigger all over, even his cock. His brown hair had turned fully silver overnight, but not like human hair did when they got old. This was tinsel. His body glowed with a thousand candlepower. When he was full-grown, he’d be taller still, and the candlepower would increase another tenfold. But shit, I’m ostentatious enough.
The vines. They’d curled up his neck and decorated his ears. His pointed ears. Oh, Sammy, I’m certainly Alvish now.
Sammy. Had he wakened, seen Ryder, and fled? That made sense. He’d know for sure now that Ryder had lied to him—or at least committed serious sins of omission—for years. Would Sammy forgive him?
Ryder sat down again. Maybe it’s better if Sammy doesn’t forgive me. It could make the break cleaner. Tears leaked down his face. How can I do this? How can I leave Sammy? But this is the day. He couldn’t go to another class or buy a cup of coffee in the coffee shop. He didn’t look human anymore.
They’d already know at home. They’d be waiting for his signal that he was ready, that his body was prepared to travel. Could he leave and not see Sammy?
He grabbed a handful of silver hair and pulled. This isn’t fair. He wanted to beat his fists against the wall until the building crumbled. Instead he took a deep breath. Time to grow up. That was a child’s thought, and he was no longer a child.
But even as a full adolescent, he had to pee, so he had better get this body to work.
He stood again and took a few steps. At least his people were like colts. Their bodies adjusted quickly. He hobbled the short distance to the bathroom and opened the door.
Aloysius sat on the toilet seat, one furry leg over the other, crossed blue eyes staring at Ryder. “Merwaowr.”
Shit! Sammy’s alone!
HIS BODY was walking. Sammy felt like he’d been hijacked and shoved in the trunk of a car, except the vehicle was his body. Locked in. He had no idea where he was going. He had no illusion that what he was doing was right. He knew that at the end of the journey, he’d see Lucien. But he didn’t want to see Lucien. He wanted to be in bed with Ryder and Aloysius.
Hells. He’d locked the world’s most powerful familiar in the bathroom. How did I do that? Lucien. Did that mean Lucien was more powerful than Aloysius? No. It meant Lucien was more powerful than Sammy, and as long as Al was familiarizing with Sammy, the cat was weak.
Sammy wanted to throw his head back and yell Shit, but Lucien was controlling his head, so he’d just think it. Shit! This whole thing was the ultimate indictment of Sammy’s total lack of power. He should have been human. Maybe Ryder’s parents would have accepted him if he’d been human. Water trickled down his cheek. At least Lucien, the bastard, couldn’t control his tears.
It might have been interesting to be so helpless, if he weren’t scared witless.
His body came to some brownstone steps and walked up. So this was where the SOB hung out. When Sammy got to the top step, the door opened, and Lucien stood there, looking angelic.
“Ah, Sammy. What is the human expression? Resistance is futile.” The bastard leaned forward and kissed Sammy on the cheek. Sammy tried to spit at him but only managed to drool from the corner of his mouth. Lucien smiled and wiped it with a handkerchief. “Come join the happy crew. But don’t worry, darling. You are far more dear to me than any of the others. They will come and go, but you are forever.”
Sammy’s brain shrieked inside its prison.
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His body walked through the vestibule of the town house and into an elegant living room with ornate antique furniture. Maybelle, Bilden, Estera, and four other young witches he didn’t know well were seated on the brocade love seats. Maybelle was talking at great length about something having to do with kitchen schedules, and the others looked bored. Bored and hypnotized. They looked up eagerly at Lucien.
“My friends, you all know Sammy. His mind is still a bit, shall we say, naughty, so I am controlling him until he is more compliant.”
I’ll be compliant when all the hells freeze over, asshole. Frustrating he couldn’t say it.
Lucien waved at the group. “You all carry on while I put Sammy to work.”
Work? What the hell? His body walked beside Lucien down a hall and into what looked like an office, although the desk could have been a writing table.
“Sit here, Sammy.” Sammy sat in the chair behind the ornate desk. Lucien scooted a pile of papers in front of Sammy and pushed the phone closer. “I want you to call as many of the members of the Witch Master’s community as you can reach and have them gather at Killian’s mother’s house this afternoon at two o’clock. That should give everyone enough time. Tell them it’s an emergency, but you can’t give them any details yet. You understand, yes? Nod if you do.”
Sammy nodded instead of punching Lucien in the nose like he wanted to.
“I will be allowing you to speak, but you will only be able to say certain words. Be careful, Samlyn. I am watching.” He smiled, flashing the perfect white teeth and deep dimples in the pink cheeks. “Now why don’t you give me a nice kiss?”
Noooooo. No. No. Lucien’s lips got closer, and Sammy gathered saliva in his mouth. No. He imagined sucking in his breath. Lucien’s mouth descended, and Sammy spat. It didn’t go far, but it didn’t have to. Right on Lucien’s perfect turned-up nose.
Lucien’s ice eyes widened. Ha. Didn’t think this wimpy witch could do it, did you, asshole?
Lucien stared at Sammy and wiped his nose with the same handkerchief. The ice transferred to Sammy’s spine. “Do your job, and later we’ll see who has control of your tight ass.”