A Totally Bound Publication
Farren’s Wizard
ISBN # 978-1-78430-002-9
©Copyright Amber Kell 2014
Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright March 2014
Edited by Stacey Birkel
Totally Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination
and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or
places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form,
whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of
the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound
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proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs
and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator
of the artwork.
Published in 2014 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road,
Lincoln, LN6 3QN
Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This
story has a heat rating of Totally Simmering and a Sexometer of 1.
A Wizard’s Touch
FARREN’S WIZARD
Amber Kell
Book three in the A Wizard’s Touch series
When the world is on the line, will love be enough to save them all?
Farren Azar came to college to get his degree. However, he knew he couldn’t let anyone
know about his djinn blood. The djinn had been exiled to a different plane, and if his heritage
was discovered, he could be banished too. When a djinn and a fire god become involved in
his life, he has to figure how to handle two powerful entities without losing himself.
Dan Stewartson knew Farren was the one. A glance between them had him hooked. When
strange fires begin popping up around campus and fingers are pointed at Farren, Dan
refuses to believe his lover could be responsible. Will he be able to save Farren’s reputation,
or will secrets come between them and wreck their budding romance?
Dedication
For my fans who help keep my stories of magic alive.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following
wordmark mentioned in this work of fiction:
Yoda: George Lucas
FARREN’S WIZARD
6
Chapter One
“Touch me!” Farren Azar growled at his lover.
Dan Stewartson flipped back his brown hair where it had fallen across his brow. His
blue eyes glowed with lust and appreciation. “Now, babe, there’s no hurry. We have plenty
of time.”
“Trust me—you are running out of time. If you don’t do something soon, I will take
over.”
Dan nipped at his neck. Pleasure poured through Farren. His toes curled and his breath
stuttered. His body struggled between the pain of too much sensation and the greedy urge to
get more. Oh fuck! He’d never had anyone explore his erogenous zones until he’d met Dan.
His lover damn well owned the map to them.
Dan slid his face across Farren’s neck, and the rough hairs on his cheek sent shivers
rippling across Farren’s skin.
“Oh, fuck.”
“Soon,” Dan promised. “Very soon. Hang in there, a little more.”
“Now!” Heat flushed through Farren’s body. He clenched his fists and pushed the fire
back, deep inside where it couldn’t escape.
I can’t lose control!
He took long, slow breaths and mentally shoved his magic in a box and locked it with
triple industrial locks. If he burned Dan, he’d never forgive himself. It had been too long
since he’d purged his magic. He should’ve cleared out his system before going to bed with
Dan, but he couldn’t resist Dan’s smile or anything else about him.
Dan grabbed Farren’s wrists and pinned them over his head. Farren sighed with relief.
Dan’s brief show of dominance couldn’t have come at a better time. With his wrists pinned,
Farren couldn’t burn Dan with his fingers.
“You like it when I take control?” Dan asked.
“Sometimes.” Especially when Farren was seconds from losing the tight leash he had on
his magic.
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Dan kissed Farren, nipping his bottom lip when he finished. “One day I’m going to tie
you up and have my wicked way with you.”
Farren’s heart skipped a beat at that promise—more because the words indicated they
would be doing this again than because he cared to be tied up. “We’ll see. Maybe I’ll tie you
up instead.”
The image in his head of Dan spread out and bound in place for Farren’s pleasure
almost had him coming from the thought alone.
He groaned.
“I might just let you.” Dan bit Farren’s right nipple.
“You are a toothy guy aren’t you?” Farren teased.
“Maybe I’ve been hanging around wolves for too long.” Dan’s sexy mouth tilted up at
the corner.
Farren figured Dan had probably been having too much sex with werekin. He quickly
blanked that thought before jealousy spiked his magic. This was going to be the first time
they went all the way and Farren didn’t want to ruin it by setting the bed on fire. “I’d prefer
if you keep them out of your bedroom.”
If he were dressed and not lying beneath Dan with their erections rubbing together, he
might have been able to pull off nonchalance. By the change in Dan’s expression, he knew
he’d failed.
“I’m not seeing anyone but you,” Dan promised. He kissed Farren, a silent vow that he
eagerly accepted.
“Good,” he said once Dan had finished kissing him stupid. “Me either.”
“Excellent.” Dan released Farren’s hands to grab his hips. He slithered down to lap at
Farren’s cock.
Farren groaned. “Inside me, now!”
He’d never been happier that his roommate tended to spend the night elsewhere. Truth
be told, Maddox was a complete slut. In the three months since they’d roomed together,
Farren could count on one hand how many times Maddox had actually slept in his bed.
The perfect roommate—or he would be if he weren’t so intent on getting into Dan’s
pants. Although Dan hadn’t said anything, Farren wasn’t an idiot. He saw how Maddox
FARREN’S WIZARD
8
watched Dan. From the glares Dan sent Maddox, Farren had no doubt his roommate had hit
on his man and that Dan had shot him down.
“You want to face me or roll over?” Dan asked.
Nerves jangling, Farren thought over his choices. He didn’t know how his magic would
respond to Dan penetrating him. “I’ll roll over.” Farren worried that his eyes might change
colour or his hands turn too hot. He’d had enough experience in the past to know he didn’t
always look human when he came. Farren planned to hide his true nature from Dan until at
least their five-year anniversary.
Farren bent his knees, tilting his ass up.
“Oh man, that’s a beautiful sight.” Dan groaned. He slapped Farren’s butt, the sound
loud in the quiet room.
“Ow.” Farren turned his head to glare at Dan. “Stop that.”
Dan grinned then reached around and pumped Farren’s erection. “Doesn’t look like
you minded that much.”
“My cock doesn’t know what’s good for it. Don’t take its advice.”
Dan laughed. He grabbed the lube off the table. Farren sighed when Dan’s finger circled
his hole. He scooted closer to Dan’s touch only to have his ass slapped again. “Will you stop
that?”
“No.” Dan’s mild tone had Farren laughing.
“Feeling dommy today, are we?”
“Maybe.”
Each of Farren’s shoulder blades received a soft kiss. A bite to the back of his neck
pulled a moan from his throat. “Damn, that feels good.”
“I’ve got something to make you feel even better.” Dan slid his erection between
Farren’s ass cheeks, pressing the hard rod along his crease.
“In!” Farren demanded. He gritted his teeth as he fought to keep the magic inside.
He desperately needed Dan to wrap up their lovemaking before he lost it. Dan slid a
finger inside Farren, but only one. Farren groaned.
“More.”
“Don’t make me spank you again,” Dan warned.
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“Bossy.” He would’ve complained more, but Dan took that moment to slide in another
finger.
Farren arched his back and pushed into Dan’s touch. He concentrated on keeping his
magic inside and not exploding into flame.
Dan took a few more minutes to prep Farren. Just as Farren was about to snap, Dan
speared Farren’s hole with his cock, pressing inside and spreading Farren perfectly.
“Yesss,” Farren hissed at the burn and stretch.
“Relax, babe. Am I hurting you?”
“No.” Farren couldn’t gather enough syllables or gain enough breath to form longer
words.
Kisses showered his shoulders and back. Dan’s hot breath bathed Farren’s neck and
sweat dripped across his skin. In slow, controlled motions, Dan slid in and out, lingering
unnecessarily, in Farren’s opinion.
“Harder!” Farren needed to feel Dan for days. If he didn’t survive his magical purging,
he wanted this to be his last memory.
“You’ll take what I give you.”
“Remember, paybacks are a bitch,” Farren warned.
Dan patted Farren’s hip. “That’s what I’m counting on.”
Farren almost came from the image in his head, of him screwing Dan. “Oh, fuck.”
Dan’s body shook with laughter. “Like that image, do you?”
“Yes.”
“Next time.” Dan wrapped his hand around Farren’s cock, sliding his touch up and
down Farren’s skin in a tantalising tease. “I want to feel this inside me.”
Farren groaned.
“That’s it.” Dan tightened his hold and rubbed harder, giving Farren the friction he
craved. Farren’s orgasm seemed to snap whatever leash Dan had over his control. Growling,
Dan pumped his hips, driving into Farren with a new ferocity that almost triggered another
orgasm.
“Yes!” Farren might not be able to come again, but he still enjoyed the sensation of Dan
sliding inside.
FARREN’S WIZARD
10
Dan grunted, the noise deep and guttural, then collapsed against Farren. “You melted
my bones.”
For a second Farren’s heart almost stopped until he realised Dan was speaking
figuratively. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Now get off me—you’re heavy.”
Dan laughed. He slid off the bed and stumbled to the small, attached bath.
Farren rolled away from the wet spot. He mumbled a short spell, smiling when the
mess quickly vanished off both the bed and his skin.
“Nice,” Dan approved. “I love that spell.”
“Mmhmm, come here.” It would be wiser to send Dan on his way, but Farren couldn’t
just toss his lover out of bed.
Dan immediately climbed back on the bed and snuggled close. “You are always so
warm.”
You have no idea.
* * * *
Farren sealed the door to the practice stadium with a complicated spell designed to not
only keep people out, but also make them forget why they were even there. He hadn’t kept
his abilities hidden this long by exposing his magic through a moment of carelessness.
It had taken several weeks to find this spot. He hadn’t wanted to use it until necessary.
Now he’d passed necessary and was moving on to desperate. Constantly casting protection
spells to deter other wizards would bring attention he would much rather avoid. He didn’t
wish to attract a master wizard who might notice Farren’s magical signature.
Unfortunately, the last few days had proven he needed to purge his body of energy
soon if he hoped to survive the week. He’d almost set Dan on fire. Luckily, Dan hadn’t
appeared to notice.
Farren remembered the exact moment magic had overcome his mother and began to
burn her up from the inside out. Her screams still haunted his dreams and jerked him awake
at night. If he didn’t bleed off some of his excess energy soon, he would meet the same fate.
Farren dropped his book bag by the entrance. His hands shook from nerves and
magical overdose. The loud thud of the heavy sack hitting the concrete floor echoed across
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the high walls, but Farren ignored the sound as he turned to examine the room. A fine layer
of dust and ash coated the arena like a thick layer of frosting. Obviously, no one had used
this room for years.
His palms burned and began to smoke. The sight distracted him briefly from the chills
reverberating across his body. Sweat beaded on his shoulders and slithered like a thin river
down his spine. Damn, he had hoped to have more time for preparation. As it was, he had to
quickly purge the energy from his system before it destroyed him. He also had to call his
avatar for the first time and make sure it was a creature he could pass off as unremarkable.
Illegal magic coursed through his body. Farren couldn’t risk the exposure of his djinn
heritage. The djinn had been banished for a reason. If anyone suspected djinn offspring still
existed on this plane, the magical community would be thrown into upheaval. Djinns had
been banned because of their volatile nature and tendency to create havoc for the fun of
watching things burn. Powerful entities, djinn could also control the elements, depending on
their type. Most of them were made of smokeless fire. Djinns didn’t have a physical body
unless they possessed a human. Farren’s line had been created when his grandfather, a djinn,
had possessed a human male. He’d never known his grandfather, but from what he learned,
the djinn wasn’t a nice guy. His mother had been glad of her father’s banishment.
Farren still missed her. She’d died when he was only ten.
The lack of airflow caused sweat to pour off Farren before he’d walked halfway across
the room. Eager to keep some of his clothing intact, Farren stripped off his shirt since the
fabric wasn’t fireproof. He cursed when he spotted a hole in his sleeve.
“Should’ve brought more clothes.” He knew better, he did, but the scorching magic
crackling around inside him had scrambled his thoughts. Farren hadn’t been able to
concentrate clearly for the past four days.
If he were smart, he’d leave Dan alone. When he’d first come to the school, he’d vowed
to keep his distance from the other students, but one look at Dan and he’d been hooked. The
chemistry between them was unlike anything he’d ever had before. From stories his mother
had told him as a child, the djinn claimed their lovers by branding them with fire. When
they’d made love, Farren had had to hold back from leaving his mark on his beautiful
wizard. Wisdom tended to take a holiday when he had Dan in his bed.
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12
He would’ve much rather spent the night wrapped around Dan than dealing with his
own overabundance of energy, but the idea that he could accidentally hurt his lover had had
him rushing to the stadium to purge his system. If anything happened to Dan due to Farren’s
negligence, he would never forgive himself. He hoped Dan hadn’t been hurt or angry when
he’d cancelled their next date.
Pushing thoughts of Dan out of his mind, Farren walked to the middle of the arena.
Some brilliant wizard had formed a permanent circle in coloured stone, large enough to
summon just about anything. Focusing inward, Farren concentrated a trickle of power
towards the control panel on the wall. The hum of the containment wards activating calmed
some of his nervous energy. He selected the highest level so there could be no chance of fire
escaping. He didn’t want his magic sliding through the wards and creating a firestorm, or for
whatever avatar he summoned to burn down the entire campus. With the power of a djinn
pulsing through him, Farren didn’t know what to expect. He knew deep down that his
avatar would be fire based. A wizard’s companion beast always reflected their magic or
needs.
The stadium had the weighted feel of a structure soaked in magic. Layer after layer of
protective spells shielded the building, capable of holding back even Farren’s power. This
particular stadium had recently been abandoned because it lacked the luxurious amenities of
the newer building across the street. The new stadiums had shiny, weak wards, flimsy and
easily burnt through with strong fire—especially a djinn flame.
Farren shook his head at their stupidity.
Newer wasn’t always better, but maybe this current crop of wizards didn’t need the
stronger wards. In the classes he’d taken so far, there had been an obvious lack of power
behind even the simplest spells. Farren struggled to hide his magical ability. His plan was to
graduate without calling undue attention to himself. To graduate and not get arrested for his
djinn heritage were his main goals.
Farren took a slow, deep breath, trying to find his centre while lowering his body
temperature to healthier levels. If he concentrated hard enough, he could reduce his internal
heat by a few degrees, but it never lasted long. There was a reason why djinn, especially fire
ones, had been chased out of this dimension—ninety per cent of them were insane. Fire
eventually burned away djinn minds no matter how many forms they took. Many fire djinn
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descendants hid by pretending to be lesser fire wizards. Since their magic was generally
diluted they could get away with their deception.
Farren’s family didn’t support his educational goals. They were certain he would
expose them all with his foolish wish for an advanced education. After years of his father’s
neglect and his cousin’s abuse, Farren didn’t care what they thought anymore. He’d gone to
college not only to get a degree, but also to finally be free of his family.
Farren had to call his avatar in his Magical Theory class tomorrow. By purging his
magic beforehand, Farren hoped to entice a weaker creature to his side. Unlike other mages
who aspired to call the strongest beast possible, Farren needed one just strong enough for
him to pass his class. Too powerful or unusual of an avatar, and questions would be raised
about Farren’s origins. He’d spent too much time falsifying his data to let the truth come out
now. It didn’t help that his instructor, Professor Firestorm, was a fire wizard. He would
know the level of power a proper fire mage should have. Farren was so far past that
boundary, he couldn’t even spot it if he tried.
Avatars responded to the type of magic and level of magical energy a wizard had. By
draining most of his magic before he tried to summon his avatar, he hoped to reduce the size
and power of the creature that responded to his call. Tomorrow when he presented his
avatar, Farren hoped to show them a cat or a bunny. Even an owl would be fine—cliché but
fine.
Farren took off his shoes and socks and chucked them towards his bag. If he’d been
thinking properly, he would have removed them when he’d first entered the room. He’d
ruined more than one pair of shoes in the past by melting the rubber soles.
Taking another deep breath, Farren settled cross-legged on the floor then closed his
eyes. He blocked everything from his mind and focused entirely on the air moving in and out
of his lungs. With practiced ease, Farren quickly fell into a relaxed state.
In slow trickles, Farren released his energy. The floor beneath his ass began to warm,
but Farren ignored the heat. Oddly enough, although fire could destroy him if bottled up
inside, it never burnt his skin. The air crackled around him as if he’d set the oxygen in the air
aflame. Heat blasted around him until the temperature rose high enough he probably
could’ve baked a loaf of bread on the stone floor.
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14
After several minutes of releasing his magic into the air, Farren could finally take a deep
breath without wanting to scream. The pressure pushing against his body and crushing his
bones eased up. For the first time in days, the pain had vanished.
“Thank the gods and goddesses,” Farren whispered. His muscles relaxed without the
hard magical tension twisting him up inside. Tears of relief dripped down his cheeks.
Standing, he stumbled over to his backpack. He pulled out his water bottle and took
several long drinks before carrying it back with him to the edge of the circle. Now he needed
to be outside the coloured stones so the circle could contain whatever appeared when he did
his summoning. If the creature was dangerous, Farren had to be able to stop it from
destroying the college.
“I can do this,” Farren announced to the room as if silent listeners doubted his skill.
He set his water bottle on the floor beside him then planted his feet wide to steady his
stance. Closing his eyes, Farren began transmitting psychic calls to any creature that might
agree to be his magical companion.
Farren didn’t even want an avatar. The thought of subduing an animal of any kind,
then trapping it within the bonds of his magic, repulsed him. It reminded him too much of
his childhood. His relatives had sought to contain him instead of teach him, hoping to put a
leash on his magic to use for their own needs later. Farren hated the thought of doing the
same thing to a magical being, but he needed an avatar to pass the class.
To counter his guilt, Farren invited his avatar where others demanded, coaxed where
another might order.
“Come to me, if you please,” Farren entreated. He had to find an avatar. He would beg
if necessary. Pride had never brought him anything but heartache and whippings.
Farren continued calling until his throat became raw and he had to take another sip of
water. Only a wave of heat washing over him like a monster tide alerted him that he had
company. Farren closed his eyes to protect them from the wave of flame.
“Oh no,” Farren whispered once he opened his eyes.
Floating in the middle of the circle was a full-blooded djinn. Farren had seen
illustrations of them in storybooks before, but had never encountered one in real life.
Confronting the powerful being had Farren trembling with fear. Djinns could be good or
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evil—unfortunately, there were few in the good column. Most djinn fell in the criminally
insane category.
“Greetings, child of my child.” The deep voice vibrated Farren’s bones. He gritted his
teeth against the unpleasant sensation.
Fear sank its greedy talons into his flesh as he examined his visitor. Created of
smokeless fire, the djinn poured off enough heat to warm the entire stadium. His eyes
glowed a bright yellow like a possessed cat, and his humanoid shape was formed entirely of
orange-red flame.
“Greetings,” Farren managed to croak out through his desert-dry throat. “I think
perhaps there’s been a mistake. I was trying to call an avatar.”
A weak avatar, and definitely not a djinn.
Maybe he should’ve used a focus stone after all. He’d left his rock on his desk in his
dorm room because he had worried it would bring him a strong avatar.
“There is no mistake.” The djinn’s voice echoed through Farren’s head like a
megaphone. “You are one of my children.”
Farren bowed. “I do not contest that, but once again, I wasn’t trying to call you.” He
tried to keep his voice respectful. Farren had no idea if boundary circles even worked on the
djinn. Maybe it could drift over the line without Farren’s interference.
The djinn’s laughter rang through the room. “Djinns don’t need avatars, not when we
can become anything. Why would you trust another creature with your magic? I see I have
much to teach you, djinn. Luckily, I have nothing but time.”
Farren didn’t like where this conversation was going. How did one banish a djinn? He
tried again. Maybe an explanation would make the djinn more agreeable. “I need an avatar
for my class.”
The djinn sneered. “The mortals here have nothing to teach one of my blood. You aren’t
like the others. You are more. Much more.” He narrowed his amber eyes. “You called me
from the djinn plane. It took twenty wizards to send me, but only you to call me back.
Unfortunately, your magic is enough to bring me through planes but not to stay. You’ll need
an artefact to attain both.”
Farren hoped he hid his relief well. The only artefact he knew of was on his aunt’s wrist
and he planned to leave it there. The last thing he needed was for this powerful creature to be
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16
walking this plane. From the djinn’s aura, Farren had no doubt his relative had earned his
banishment. He knew the creature considered himself superior to Farren. The best way to get
out of this was not to challenge the djinn. Farren didn’t need to magically battle the djinn to
find out who was stronger—he already knew he’d lose that fight. “I am sorry for my
weakness.”
The djinn shrugged. “You can’t be responsible for your weak blood. That doesn’t mean
you can’t be of use to me. Of my offspring’s children, you are the only one strong enough to
bring me this far. When you grow into your magic, you will be able to pull me entirely onto
this plane to stay. For this deed I will make you my lieutenant, a position I don’t grant
lightly.”
Farren dropped to his knees and bowed his head. This was worse than he’d thought.
He carefully kept his expression thankful as he quavered inside. “I am honoured you think
so highly of my meagre skill. Thank you for this opportunity.”
Not sure of the djinn’s abilities, Farren carefully cleared his mind.
He dared to glance up through his lashes. The djinn gave him an approving smile.
“You are properly humble before my magnificence, child. I rarely like anyone in your
particular branch. The rest of your group is a bunch of blowhards with pitiful abilities.”
Farren couldn’t argue with that perception. “I am pleased you find me worthy.”
The djinn’s heat rolled over Farren like a desert wind filled with shards of the summer
sun. “I suppose in order for you to fit in with these pathetic mortals you will need this avatar
you seek. I will grant you two items to help you on your proper path.”
Farren didn’t dare breathe. If he said the wrong thing, he doubted even the protective
circle would save him from death. As affable as the djinn acted, Farren had seen the brutal
calculation in the creature’s eyes. The djinn was like the rest of Farren’s relatives, only
interested in using him. Once Farren had served his purpose, he had no doubt the djinn
would cast aside his burnt-out hull of a body.
“Thank you.”
“You may call me Grandfather.”
Farren figured that honorific would work as well as anything since he didn’t know the
djinn’s name.
The name!
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A remembered scrap of knowledge floated into Farren’s head. If he found the djinn’s
name, he could control the creature. For djinns, their name held the secret to their power.
Farren had enough human in him that he couldn’t be controlled by his name, but the old
laws of magic influenced the being before him. If Farren learned the djinn’s true name,
Farren might get out of this situation alive.
“My first gift is your own lamp. Despite what you might’ve heard, a lamp isn’t the
home of a djinn. It has no power over us. Instead, lamps are made of a rare magical substance
that absorbs and protects our magic. It will help you deal with the magical overload that
drives many of us insane. Djinns without lamps are often consumed by their own power.”
That explained a lot.
“Were a lot of lamps lost?”
The djinn nodded. “They were destroyed by the wizards. They wanted to control us
and bind us to their will. They believed if they held our lamps, they could force us to do their
bidding. When we refused, the power ate us up inside. I was one of the few who escaped that
fate. There aren’t many of us left, but we have grown in strength. With your help we can take
back your plane.”
“I haven’t heard any good stories about the djinn,” Farren answered carefully. If he
agreed to whatever the djinn said to make it go away, he knew the creature would pick up
his lie.
The djinn sneered. “Why would you? You live among our enemies. If they told you
about our good deeds, they would have to admit they made an error in banishing us all.”
“That’s true.” Farren didn’t want to get involved in a philosophical argument with a
being who could crush him despite their family bond. He didn’t get along with the rest of his
family and he didn’t trust that they would do what was best for mankind. If his cousin had
been in this situation, she would’ve jumped at helping the djinn whether he was insane or
not. Betina was a power-hungry bitch.
A flame appeared in the middle of the djinn’s hand. It grew brighter and brighter until
Farren had to look away. The clank of metal drew his attention. Opening his eyes, Farren
spotted a small brass lamp at the edge of the circle. He knew better than grab at it. If he
reached over the line, he’d break the protection and free the djinn. A quick glance showed
he’d been right. The djinn watched Farren with a gleeful expression. Despite what the djinn
FARREN’S WIZARD
18
said, Farren didn’t trust the creature. Even a short time free could give the djinn the
opportunity to cause a great deal of chaos.
“Thank you.” Farren bowed but didn’t reach for the lamp. He might be young, but he
wasn’t stupid.
“Smart boy,” the djinn approved. He waved his hand and the lamp shrank until a tiny
three-dimensional lamp dangled from a key ring. “To make it easier to carry around.”
“Thank you.” Farren didn’t know what the djinn was up to, but he couldn’t deny the
lamp would be handy.
“You are most welcome. Now, to be a proper djinn you will need the mark.”
Farren knew the djinn used their marks to transform into a new being. Full-blooded
djinn could become any animal they wished. He had thought the djinn wouldn’t be able to
cross the line. He should’ve known better. The djinn threw a fireball at him. Farren couldn’t
escape. He screamed as flames burned across his body, searing into his skin.
The world spun, whipping between heat and pain. Farren’s eyes rolled into the back of
his head and he fell to the floor. Unable to bear the agony, Farren let the darkness take him
away.
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Chapter Two
This is a mistake!
Dan Stewartson approached Farren’s dorm room with sluggish, dragging steps, each
foot placement becoming slower than the last. A shove from behind had him spinning
around to face his brothers. “Stop it!”
“Well, if I’d known you were going to be such a pussy about it, I wouldn’t have
suggested we go visit him,” Dean taunted. “Maybe Farren’s not answering his phone
because he doesn’t want to see you anymore.”
Dan smacked his brother in the back of the head. “Don’t even suggest that. I’m worried
about him. I don’t want him to think that I’m a stalker, but he’s been acting very stressed
lately. I was hoping he could take a break and come have pizza with me or something. You
two didn’t have to come along.”
“We didn’t want to miss you being shot down,” Devin offered, standing safely out of
Dan’s reach on the other side of Dean. “I mean, it’s not often you work this hard to get a
date.”
Dan shook his head at his brothers’ teasing. They might give him a hard time, but he
knew they had his back. He rubbed his sweaty hands on his pants. Farren had left a
voicemail cancelling their date with an excuse of too much homework. Dan planned to find
out what was going on. He knew his lover had a secretive nature, completely different from
the more open personalities of Dan and his brothers, but he wouldn’t let Farren burrow
himself away in his homework.
Farren had never confused Dan with his brothers, not even in the beginning. When they
talked, Dan always felt as if he’d been born a single instead of one of three. Farren didn’t
understand how precious that made him to Dan. Sometimes it was difficult being a triplet.
People saw three identical faces and thought they were the same inside, as if they were
stamped out from identical moulds. Nothing could be further from the truth. They were very
different people. Dan was the oldest and calmest, Devin was always ready for a party and
Dean had always been the most serious even before his girlfriend Lisa had been killed.
FARREN’S WIZARD
20
Dan knocked on the door then took a deep breath to calm the tiny dragons swooping
around his stomach. It opened immediately but not by the person Dan had hoped to see.
“Hello, Maddox.”
Even on a good day, Farren’s roommate irritated him. Despite Maddox’s attractive face
and muscular body, he was a conniving asshole. Dan knew Maddox was trying to drive a
wedge between him and Farren, but he wouldn’t let the idiot’s tactics work.
I won’t give up Farren for anyone.
Maddox eyed Dan up and down as if he were a choice piece of meat before he
transferred his gaze to Dan’s brothers with the same prurient interest. “Are you here to see
your boy? He’s not in. I’m not sure where he is. He didn’t tell me where he was going before
he headed out. I guess he had a hot date.”
Dan clenched his fists tight to his sides to hold back the urge to punch Maddox. No
doubt Maddox would play the victim to the hilt and get Dan thrown out of school for
assault, or at least prevented from entering Farren’s dorm, just to make things difficult.
“Could you tell him I stopped by?” Dan hated to ask, but he wanted Farren to know he
was still interested, despite Farren cancelling another date.
Farren wasn’t answering his phone, which worried Dan a bit. He’d left several
messages, but still nothing. The feeling of something being wrong kept Dan twitchy and
uneasy. He wanted to find Farren—now!
“Sure, I’ll be sure to tell him. Anything else you need?” Maddox’s sultry tone indicated
what he’d like Dan to ask for.
“No, thanks.” Dan didn’t trust Maddox, not since he’d made a move on Dan during a
party—soon after Dan had shown interest in Farren. He hadn’t told Farren about Maddox’s
attempted kiss because he didn’t want to cause problems between the roommates. That
didn’t mean he’d forgiven him.
“If you’re sure. You could always come in and wait.” Lust gleamed in Maddox’s eyes as
he swept another creepy glance down Dan, no doubt imagining him naked.
“I appreciate the offer, but we have to get going. Bye.” Dan turned around and headed
back down the hallway. He didn’t wait for Maddox to say anything else. He didn’t want to
talk to Farren’s roommate unless he absolutely had to.
Amber Kell
21
He could hear his brothers following. The soft squeaking of their sneakers was a
comforting counterpoint to the ache in Dan’s chest. Where could Farren be?
“Didn’t Farren say he was staying in tonight?” Devin asked.
Dan wished for a second he were a shifter like some of their wolf friends. He’d have
loved to growl out his frustration, maybe have a good howl.
“Just because he isn’t here doesn’t mean he’s not studying!” Dan snapped. He didn’t
care if his brother had a point or not—he refused to think the worst of Farren. Maybe that
made him naïve.
Devin nodded. “That’s true, but, bro, it’s the third date he’s broken. And you’ve only
gone out on two.”
“I know but that doesn’t make him automatically guilty.” Dan wouldn’t convict Farren
of lying before he talked to Farren again. “When I see him, I’ll just mention that I came by
and see what he says.”
Dean frowned. “I just don’t get what’s so special about this guy? You never would’ve
taken this behaviour from anyone else. Anyone else you would’ve kicked to the kerb.”
His brother made a good point. Dan never would have accepted being brushed off by a
guy before. He did have his pride, just not apparently where Farren was concerned.
“I think he’s the one, Dean. I think he could be my mate.” He sighed from the relief of
finally saying what he had suspected. Withholding secrets from Dean and Devin had
weighed heavily on him. After their parents’ death in a car accident, they were all he had.
Dean raised an eyebrow at Dan’s vehemence. “Are you sure? Maybe you just want it so
bad you’re willing to take anyone. We don’t really mate like the werekin, you know.”
Dan swallowed back the harsh retort hovering on his tongue. Maybe he had been
hanging around the wolf shifters too much. For as long as he could remember, Dan had
dreamed of finding someone who would love just him—a man who would think of Dan as a
single instead of part of three. As much as he adored his brothers, he needed to be an
individual as well as a triplet. After a moment of consideration, he shook his head. “No. He’s
the one.”
Devin shook his head. “Don’t rush into anything permanent, bro. You’re still young.
Take him to bed a few more times and make sure he can keep you satisfied before you settle
down.”
FARREN’S WIZARD
22
Dan laughed. Leave it to Devin to pick out sex as the determining factor of a
relationship.
“You don’t have to share the details,” Dean rushed to say. His brother supported Dan
and Devin’s sexuality, but he didn’t want to hear what they did in their sex life any more
than they wanted to hear about Dean’s time in bed with women. It was an unspoken rule,
but it worked for them.
“Yes he does,” Devin argued. “I want every little detail, and make sure to give all the
specifics for how Farren looks naked.”
Dan stopped in his tracks. He turned around to glare at his brother. “I’m not giving you
the details of my sex life, especially involving Farren. Some things are private.”
In the past he’d often swapped dating stories with Devin, but he didn’t want to share
anything about Farren, not even with his brothers. Farren was his and he wasn’t sharing
anything.
“We just think you should spend more time thinking it over before you start picking
out china and cohabitating,” Dean said. Dan could see the worry in his brother’s eyes, but he
refused to back down.
Dan ran his fingers through his hair. “I know you think I’m too young to settle down.
But when it’s right, it’s right.”
How could he explain to his brothers how much Farren meant to him? After only a few
dates he had no idea how Farren felt about him, but he knew the sweet fire mage held Dan’s
heart. He only hoped it wouldn’t get stomped on.
“If this guy means so much to you, we’ll be nice, but if we find out he’s cheating, I’m
going to beat the shit out of him.” Dean had always been the protective one.
Dan patted his brother on the shoulder. “Fair enough.”
He didn’t want to be on the outs with his brothers, but even if Farren had another guy
on the side, Dan knew he couldn’t let his brothers touch Farren. The idea of the younger
wizard being hurt turned Dan’s stomach. At the same time, his brothers were his support
system and if he alienated them, he’d never forgive himself. “I don’t think he’s cheating on
me. He’s a great guy. I think he just has a lot on his mind. He seemed pretty stressed about
his classes.”
Damn. I hope he’s not cheating on me.
Amber Kell
23
Dan rolled the concept in his head, but his heart argued against it. His brothers thought
he was an idiot for trusting Farren when the fire mage didn’t seem to want to share his
secrets, but the heart wanted what the heart wanted, and Dan’s beating organ yearned for his
handsome mage.
“Your great guy keeps cancelling on you,” Devin reminded him.
“I know he backed out on our date. You don’t have to keep reminding me. I’m going to
talk to him about it.” Hopefully he could coax Farren into telling him what was wrong. Dan
could tell by Farren’s avoidance of certain issues regarding his magic that Farren had some
problems he wasn’t ready to share. Although Dan respected Farren’s privacy, he couldn’t
help but be hurt that Farren didn’t trust him.
“And if he cancels again?” Dean asked.
Dan swallowed the lump in this throat. “Then I’ll deal with it.”
It took a lot of effort to even say the words much less imagine following through with
them. Dan suspected that if it proved necessary, breaking up with Farren would be one of the
most painful things he’d ever done.
Dean gave him a one-armed hug. “At least he’s not dead. You still have hope.”
Dan nodded. Lisa’s death last year had scarred his brother. He hoped Dean would start
dating again, but so far he hadn’t shown interest in any of the women on campus. Devin and
Dan had decided to give Dean more time before they started the hard sell to get him dating
again. Lisa had been a great girl, but Dean hadn’t been dating her long. Hopefully, he’d
recover from her death before much more time passed.
A loud noise yanked the brothers from their conversation. Three fire trucks barrelled
down the street in a row of screaming sirens and flashing red and white lights. The
emergency vehicles screeched to a halt on the other side of the quad.
“Damn, which building is that?” Devin asked.
Dan turned to look where Devin had pointed. Smoke poured into the sky like a funnel
cloud. The stench of smoke and ash saturated the air. Luckily it didn’t appear to be near their
dorm, so they wouldn’t lose another room.
“I hope no one was injured.” Dean bit his lip as he examined the area. “I think it’s one
of the old spell stadiums.”
“I thought they weren’t being used anymore.” Dan watched the flames shoot higher.
FARREN’S WIZARD
24
“Aren’t they warded against accidents?” Devin asked.
Dan shrugged. “Maybe the protections got old. I don’t know when they were built.”
The entire campus was supposed to be warded against accidental magical destruction,
but once in a while the protection spells failed. This looked to be one of those times.
“Should we go check it out?” Devin asked.
Dan shook his head. “No. We’ll only get in the way. It’s not like any of us are trained to
handle fire.”
The triplets were building a nice magical base to their talents but so far, two years into
their training, they hadn’t had any standout magic. Together they could pull more power
than any single wizard except their friend Jaynell, but separately they were more in the
medium range of abilities. Not spectacular, but not weak either. Dan suspected when they
graduated they would end up teaching or doing larger spells as a trio. Only time would tell.
Their romantic partners could also affect their magic. Dan secretly suspected that was why
he had a fire salamander as his avatar. Despite what his brothers said, Dan knew Farren was
meant to be his.
“Let’s go get pizza,” Devin said after a moment of watching the fire personnel unfurl
hoses. “I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving,” Dan scolded. Of course the same could be said about any of
them. They were still growing into their bodies, and that, coupled with performing magic,
caused them to burn through thousands of calories a day—one of the reasons there were so
many restaurants around campus. Hungry, growing wizards made excellent customers.
They turned towards the pizza parlour, intent on filling their bellies and recharging before
they had to buckle down and study for their next day’s classes.
Movement by the bushes had Dan stopping. They weren’t the only people on campus
by any means, but most of the students were heading towards the fire. This person was
rushing away from it. Suspicion filled Dan. He gasped when he recognised the person
scurrying by.
“Farren?”
Farren froze mid-step. Dan heard a sigh escape his boyfriend before Farren changed
course and headed for Dan. The closer Farren came, the more anxious the knot in Dan’s
Amber Kell
25
stomach grew. Farren had a burn hole in the front of his shirt and he smelt of smoke, as if
he’d been steeped in flame like a tea bag in hot water.
“What happened to you?” Dan asked. “Are you all right?”
He bit back the questions hovering on his tongue. Accusing Farren of starting a fire
wouldn’t earn him any good-boyfriend points.
Farren nodded. “Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “I’m fine. Sorry I couldn’t make our date
tonight.”
Regret flared in Farren’s sherry-coloured eyes. Farren’s eyes fascinated Dan. They were
almost reddish brown, but when he concentrated on his magic, his pupils glowed gold as
though the fire he brought forth came from deep inside Farren. Luckily, that just wasn’t
possible or Dan would be worried for Farren’s health. Surely holding a flame inside would
kill a magic user?
“Did you have anything to do with that fire?” Dean asked, nodding towards the mass
of fire truck lights, smoke and people.
Unfortunately, his brothers had no problem accusing Dan’s love interest of improper
behaviour.
Farren didn’t appear irritated by the question. He answered with no sign of discomfort.
“No. I was in a different wing. I didn’t even know there was a fire until I came outside. It
came awfully close, though.”
“Why were you there? I didn’t think they had any rooms open.” Devin didn’t even try
to couch the question into something less accusatory.
Farren shrugged. “They have a few. I thought that wing had been closed, though.” He
nodded towards the fire.
Once again, Dan could sense no deception in Farren. He curled his fingers, resisting the
urge to touch the exposed skin.
Dean picked up the questioning. “What happened to your shirt?”
Farren looked down at the hole and poked his finger through it. “My hands were too
hot when I put it back on. Penalty of being a fire wizard.”
“Stop interrogating him.” Dan glared at his brothers. As interested as he was in Farren’s
answers, Farren didn’t deserve to be picked apart. “Why don’t you two go get us a table? I’ll
be right there.”
FARREN’S WIZARD
26
His brothers didn’t move.
Farren’s eyes met Dan’s as if he were trying to determine Dan’s thoughts. “You can go
with your brothers. I’m fine. I’m sorry I had to cancel, but I’m a little stressed about
tomorrow.”
“Why? What’s going on?” Dan knew Farren had a class he was worried about, but he
didn’t know if Farren had anything in particular that concerned him.
“I have to call my avatar for class. I don’t think it will go very well.”
Dan shrugged. “Not everyone can do it the first time. It might take a little practice.”
“Really?” The complete relief in Farren’s expression told Dan that Farren had really
been stressing about it.
“Sure, it took Devin three tries,” Dean offered.
Devin nodded at Dean’s statement. “It’s true.”
“What do you three have as avatars?” Farren asked.
Dan pointed to each of them in turn. “I have a fire salamander, Dean has a gila monster
and Devin has a gecko.”
“Huh, interesting.”
Dean shrugged. “We are triplets.”
They’d been mildly surprised they didn’t have identical avatars, but Jaynell kept telling
them they were different inside. Sometimes even Dan had problems remembering that.
Devin patted Dan on the back. “We’ll go get a table and put our order in. Nice seeing
you again, Farren. You’re welcome to join us if you want.”
Dean nodded his agreement.
Dan let out a sigh of relief when his brothers left with a friendly wave.
“They hate me,” Farren said.
A startled laugh burst out of Dan. “How did you get that from a pizza invitation?”
Farren shrugged. “It’s a vibe I get. They’re very protective of you and they think I’m an
ass for cancelling our date.”
Dan couldn’t exactly argue with that logic. “They’re worried you’re cheating on me.”
“I would never do that!”
Amber Kell
27
Farren’s appalled tone lightened the weight on Dan. Anyone who sounded that
offended at the thought couldn’t do the deed, or at least that’s what he told himself. He’d be
willing to overlook just about anything as long as he didn’t lose his lover.
Dan stepped forward until he crowded Farren’s personal space. “Then why don’t you
stop cancelling our dates and we can spend more time together?”
Taking a chance, he brushed his lips across Farren’s.
A soft moan greeted him. Farren pressed closer to Dan, annihilating the tiny space
remaining between them. Their tongues tangled for dominance, but neither of them cared to
be in charge as they easily passed the lead from one to another. When oxygen became scarce,
they broke for air.
Farren licked his lips and Dan’s cock perked up to take notice. He needed that mouth
on him. “I want you to suck me.” Dan blushed as the words spilled from his lips without a
filter.
“I want that too.” A glazed look crossed Farren’s face as if he was imagining the act.
Farren shook his head after a moment as if snapping out of a daze. “We can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re standing in the middle of campus.” Farren stepped back and out of
Dan’s reach.
Dan held back a snarl at the motion. He didn’t like any space between them, but that
didn’t mean he had to act like an ass. He’d never been this possessive before. He glanced
around and saw more people were walking around than before. The fire must be under
control if the students were dispersing.
“Hmm, good point. I happen to know my dorm room is empty since my brothers are
getting pizza…” He let the sentence drop at the end. Farren had to make the final agreement.
He might want Farren until his hands shook from lust, but he wouldn’t pressure him into
doing anything.
“Do you think they’ll mind?”
Relief swept Dan, stealing his breath for a moment. “I’ll send them a quick text to warn
them to take their time eating.” Dan pulled his phone out of his bag and frantically tapped
out a message. He had to backspace a lot because his fingers were shaking with excitement. It
FARREN’S WIZARD
28
wouldn’t be the first time one of them had used their room as a spot for romance, but it had
never felt as important.
“Let’s go.” Farren entwined the fingers of his left hand with Dan’s right. Holding
hands, they crossed campus.
Dan could eat later. Right now he had more important things to do.
Amber Kell
29
Chapter Three
Farren’s heart rate doubled. He gripped the handle of his backpack tight to hide the
trembling of his fingers. Excitement and nerves were making him antsy. He couldn’t decide
if he should run or jump Dan’s bones. He was leaning towards pouncing.
When he’d woken up in the stadium, he’d been disoriented. But he’d told the truth. The
fire in the other part of the building had nothing to do with him. His containment had held.
And although his shoulder ached and his entire body throbbed with exhaustion, Farren
wasn’t going to turn down the chance to have sex with Dan. He had wet dreams over
touching Dan’s skin.
Maybe if he were lucky, a small dragon like Betina’s would appear when he called his
avatar. Despite what the djinn had said, Farren did need an avatar. If he accessed his magic
and transformed into a beast, they would know for sure Farren had abnormal blood inside
him. Hopefully he had enough wizard blood to convince something to come be his avatar.
At this point there was little he could do to stop whatever creature planned to come.
The good news from the triplets that they hadn’t been able to call their avatar right away
eased some of his stress. Maybe he could put it off until the end of the quarter and smuggle
in a relatively harmless beast to claim. It wasn’t as if the teacher would know whether Farren
had called it or not.
Dan laughed at the message on his phone. “Dean says we have an hour before they are
returning and bringing pizza, and he doesn’t want to see any naked man parts.”
Farren smiled at the obvious love Dan had for his siblings. He only had one member of
his family close to his own age, and his cousin Betina was a psychopath. The day he’d left
he’d never been so happy to shed that connection, but now wasn’t the time to brood about
the past—it was the time for hot sex and possibly building a relationship with Dan. Maybe if
he got to know the wizard well enough, Farren would be able to determine if he could be
trusted with Farren’s secret.
“You have a fire salamander as your avatar?”
FARREN’S WIZARD
30
“Yep. I named him Kimo. He’s really cute. He’s larger than a regular salamander and he
can poison with his touch.”
“Does that mean you have a fire affinity?” Most wizards had a tendency towards some
speciality.
Dan shook his head. “I don’t think so. Neither my brothers nor I seem to have any
particular special skill. We have a good general magic, but that’s it.”
“Huh.” Farren had never heard of that before. “Maybe you just haven’t come into your
power. What about the rest of your family?”
“We don’t know. We were artificially inseminated from an anonymous sperm donor.
Our father had a low sperm count and our mother isn’t magical at all. All of our ability
comes from our mystery sperm donor. Our parents died in a car accident two years ago so
we’ll never know anything more.”
“Sorry to hear about that.”
Dan shrugged. “We were never particularly close. They were more cerebral than
loving.”
Maybe that was why the triplets were so bonded. If Farren had had siblings, he
certainly would’ve been closer to them than to his unfeeling father. A stray thought had him
asking, “Is it weird?”
“Is what weird?”
“Not knowing your family history. I don’t think I’d like not knowing where my magic
came from.”
He would’ve already died from magical overdose if he hadn’t known why he became
so hot after prolonged lack of magic use. Without knowing about his mother’s death, Farren
might’ve died from not knowing the source of his power overload.
Dan shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. We aren’t strong enough for our magic to cause any
real problems.”
Farren rubbed Dan’s back. “I think you underestimate yourself.”
Dan shook his head. “I’m not. I’ll never be the powerhouse that Jay is, or even Kevin
with his healing abilities. Me and my brothers are stronger together. We’ll get by.”
Amber Kell
31
Farren didn’t know Jay or Kevin, but he did know the triplets. He had no doubt they
would do more than just get by. He didn’t know of any other set of triplets in the magical
world.
“Maybe you each just need to meet your match.” Many wizards increased in ability
when they met their other half, something about having compatible magic.
Dan grinned. “I’m hoping so.”
They’d arrived at the dorm building before Farren could say anything else. He followed
Dan up two flights of stairs and waited for him to unlock the door. Dan yanked open the
door, pulled Farren inside then slammed the door behind them. Farren moaned into the kiss
when Dan pinned him against the wall. Heat curled around Farren’s body in a slow,
luxurious path, sliding down his spine and hardening his shaft.
“Damn, you make me hot,” Dan whispered against Farren’s mouth.
Farren jerked back. Worried, he pressed a hand to Dan’s forehead. “Are you okay?”
Dan laughed. “I don’t mean that literally.”
“Oh.” Farren blushed. “Sorry, I-I’m a fire wizard. I didn’t know if I was hurting you.”
The lies spilling out of his mouth would come back to haunt him some day. How could
he hide the truth from a man he wanted to start a relationship with? Farren brushed aside his
conscience. Later he’d worry about the fibs. If this thing with Dan became long-term then
confession time could begin.
“No, babe, you weren’t hurting me. I know you wouldn’t hurt me.” Dan cupped
Farren’s cheek in a gesture so tender it almost melted him.
“I hope not.” There were many levels of harming someone. Farren didn’t want to hurt
Dan in any way.
“I know it.” Dan lifted Farren’s satchel over his head and set it beside the door.
Farren wished he had the same confidence. Still, he couldn’t deny he wanted the
gorgeous wizard. He leant forward and captured Dan’s mouth with his own. Rubbing
against Dan, he relished the bump of their hard lengths together. He ached for Dan with a
pain in his heart and a twisting in his soul.
“Come to my room.”
The Stewartson suite took over the corner of the building. Dan had told him when they
met that because of the trauma the triplets had experienced at the school, they were able to
FARREN’S WIZARD
32
pick their own rooms. Their dorm was more like a two bedroom apartment with two twin
beds in each bedroom and a small common area in the middle. Dan had a room by himself
since Kevin no longer lived there.
They stumbled to Dan’s room, unsuccessfully trying to take off their shoes while they
walked.
Dan pointed at Farren. “You take off your clothes and I’ll take off mine. If I remove
your clothing it will be over before we start.”
Farren grinned. The thought of Dan wanting him so badly that he would come before
they got started boosted his ego to stratospheric heights. “I can do that.” Farren yanked off
his shoes, pants and shirt with record speed. He then waited impatiently for Dan to follow
his example.
Instead the gorgeous wizard just stared.
“Damn, you’re beautiful.” Dan’s hushed tone had Farren rolling his eyes.
“I’d like to say the same, but you are still dressed.”
“Mmm, yeah.” Dan stepped forward and dropped to his knees. “I have a better idea.”
Dan wrapped his hand around Farren’s erection and gave it an appreciative lick.
“Oh, fuck.” Farren clenched his fists, uncertain if he should touch Dan or not.
“Go ahead, grip my hair. I like men who take control when I’m on my knees.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Farren confessed. He’d never had a guy give him a blow job
while he was standing before.
“I’ll be fine. Now yank my hair and fuck my mouth and I’ll consider you the best
boyfriend ever.”
Farren laughed and his anxiety flew away beneath Dan’s determined cheer.
Without warning, Dan swallowed Farren down again. Farren instinctively grabbed
Dan’s hair and held on as he pushed in, spreading Dan’s kissable lips around his cock.
Glorious suction pulled Farren farther into the hot cavern of Dan’s mouth.
“Oh fuck,” he whispered. He didn’t have a way to resist Dan’s touch. In that moment
he was torn between hating anyone who’d ever had sex with Dan before and wanting to
thank them for Dan’s expertise.
“I’m going to come,” he warned.
Dan pulled off. “No. Not yet. I’m not inside you.”
Amber Kell
33
Farren froze. “I…”
Dan stood. “On the bed.”
Farren settled awkwardly on the narrow twin bed. There wouldn’t be a lot of room to
manoeuvre, but it wasn’t as if his bed had been any roomier. This would be the first time
they made love in Dan’s dorm room since Maddox normally wasn’t at Farren’s and Dan
didn’t want to deal with his brothers’ teasing.
“I believe you wanted me to suck you a few minutes ago,” Farren reminded Dan. He
loved the taste of his lover on his tongue. Once Dan climbed onto the bed beside him, Farren
slid down Dan’s body, placing kisses and licks as he went. He nipped Dan’s hip then lapped
at his ball sac, humming contentedly. Dan’s taste exploded across Farren’s mouth.
Yum.
Copying Dan’s previous behaviour, he licked at the sticky pre-cum dripping out of the
tip then he wrapped his lips around the warm spongy head and tentatively sucked. Farren
didn’t have a lot of experience giving blow jobs, but he was an eager student.
“Yesss!” Dan hissed.
Farren closed his eyes to concentrate on the texture and flavour of his lover. He could
taste Dan all day, but from the grip Dan took on his hair he doubted Dan could handle that.
He wrapped his hand around the base of Dan’s erection and bobbed his head down
farther, letting the tip of Dan’s cock slide down his throat. He stopped when he began to
choke and backed off a bit. He focused on sucking harder and squeezing lightly at the base.
He licked under the head. Dan’s sudden inhale had him repeating the motion.
“Easy, babe. I’m going to come.”
Farren hummed. He’d read about doing that in a romance book once.
“Oh, fuck!” Dan shouted, then poured his seed down Farren’s throat.
Farren swallowed repeatedly, trying to keep up with the fluid spurting out. Some
dribbled down his chin, but he was pleased with his overall skill.
“You did well,” Dan agreed as if he could read Farren’s mind.
Farren licked his lips, relishing his lover’s flavour. “Thanks.”
“Now come up here and kiss me.” Dan grabbed Farren’s shoulders and dragged him
back up until they were mouth to mouth, Farren lying on top.
FARREN’S WIZARD
34
After a long session of tangling tongues, Farren collapsed against his lover. “That was
great, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Dan snuggled him close.
As Farren’s eyes began to droop, Dan spoke again. “What’s this?”
“What’s what?”
Dan pressed a point on Farren’s shoulder. “This mark. When did you have time to get a
tattoo?”
Farren placed his fingers where Dan was touching. The djinn’s words about a mark
rang through his head. Farren sat up. “It’s nothing. A family thing.”
“What does it mean?” Dan cupped Farren’s cheek forcing him to look at him.
“I don’t really want to talk about it.” A chill slid through his body. What if the djinn
had done something to Farren? Could he be possessed now that he had a djinn mark? He’d
have to do some research to discover what the hell was up. “Hey, could you take a picture of
it for me so I can see how it’s healing?”
“Um, sure.” Dan grabbed his phone off the side table. He quickly snapped a picture
then handed it back. “Here you go. I’ll message you a copy. Does it look how you were
hoping?”
Farren’s heart skipped a beat. He bit his lip as he examined the picture. A series of
words were swirled into a circle. The language wasn’t one Farren could read. He doubted
anyone on this plane knew the language.
Fuck!
“Yeah, it’s perfect. Thanks!” He hoped he didn’t sound sick as his stomach sloshed
about queasily.
“What does it say?”
Farren shrugged. “I don’t know. My grandfather designed it.”
“Oh, well, it looks cool.”
“Thanks.”
“I’d better get going.” Now that Dan pointed it out, the mark in his shoulder hurt like
someone had buried a glowing red pitchfork beneath his skin. He hated to have sex and run,
but he needed to see if he could find out more about his mark.
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35
“Are you sure? My brothers will be bringing pizza soon. You probably haven’t had
time to eat.” Dan slid a hand down Farren’s chest in an unfairly manipulative move that had
Farren ready to drool.
“I don’t think it’s pizza you’re in the mood for.”
Dan grinned. He stood and slid on his pants and shirt. “I’ll walk you back. I don’t want
you to feel pressured, even to stay. I respect your need to be ready for class even if I wish you
wouldn’t leave.”
“Thanks.” Farren wished that were the total issue. If the truth came out and Dan ended
up hating him, he wanted all their memories to be good.
He waited while Dan put his shoes on. Farren had slid into his while Dan dressed.
Farren opened the door to find Dean and Devin outside, both carrying large pizza
boxes. Wow, the hour had passed quickly. “Hey guys, I was just leaving.”
Dan wrapped an arm around Farren. “I’m going to walk him to his dorm. I’ll be right
back.”
Farren resisted rolling his eyes. He could easily take down anyone who gave him any
problems. He didn’t need his big, bad boyfriend to see him to the other side of campus. “I
can make it on my own, you know.”
Devin snorted. “Let him walk you. Otherwise we’ll hear about it for the next twenty
minutes.”
Dean nodded his agreement.
“Well, if it will help you guys out.” Farren pretended to think about it.
Dan pinched his ass.
“Ouch.” Farren rubbed his abused body part and scooted past the brothers. “See you
later, guys.”
Dan’s reassuring warmth beside him had Farren taking his time to stroll across campus.
“I wonder what caused the fire?” Dan asked.
Farren shrugged, gasping as pain shot through his shoulder like broken glass. “It
could’ve been anything. These buildings are older and sometimes their protections break
down if they aren’t renewed yearly.”
“How do you know that?”
FARREN’S WIZARD
36
“I read a book on the school’s early architecture. All of the really good spells have to be
renewed yearly, but with the headmaster arrested, they might not have been taking care of
the renewals.” Farren had done his research before deciding to attend this college.
“Huh. If you’re right, someone is going to get their ass chewed out over that. The school
board won’t take this negligence lightly, especially if anyone was injured.” Dan frowned at
the smoking building in the distance. “It doesn’t look like it spread any farther. They’re
probably just clearing out the debris now.”
If the djinn had spoken the truth, Farren wouldn’t need to purge his magic anymore. He
should be able to funnel his extra power into the lamp. Luckily, the shrunken lamp shouldn’t
attract the attention of Farren’s nosy roommate. It swung on Farren’s belt loop as he walked.
He liked to keep it near. Each time he touched it, the lamp took away the sharp edges of his
magic.
“We should check both of our dorms and see when they were last renewed,” Dan said.
Farren knew from his research that each dormitory had a renewal stamp on the main
entrance to list its certification each time the maintenance crew refreshed the protection spell.
Until now Farren hadn’t given it more than a cursory look. “If it’s missing, we should report
it to Headmaster Candine, and have her take care of it.”
“Too bad she’s temporary. She wants to retire and live in the mountains or something,”
Dan said.
“Yeah.”
Thoughts spun around in Farren’s head. Had the djinn started the fire to destroy
Farren’s practice spot and force him to use the lamp? He didn’t like being suspicious, but he
couldn’t help it. Even with the same magical blood burning through his veins, Farren didn’t
trust djinns.
Farren planted a quick kiss on Dan’s mouth. He couldn’t resist. Whenever he stood
more than a few feet away he had to touch. Taste. Devour. If he were a wolf, he’d declare
Dan his mate and never let him go again. Unfortunately wizards didn’t get that automatic
mating card. They might find their soul mates, but they only stayed bonded through hard
work.
Dan cupped the back of Farren’s head and held him still while he devoured Farren’s
mouth as if Farren were the last sip of water in the summer desert.
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37
A whistle from a passerby had them breaking apart, panting.
“Let’s get you to your dorm.”
Farren didn’t know if he could handle Dan near his bed without pouncing. He needed
to put some distance between them. “I think I can make it the rest of the way on my own.”
“I have no doubt you can, but like I said, since Dean’s girlfriend was killed last year I
worry about people I care about wandering around alone at night.”
Farren quickly suppressed his hope at Dan’s words. As much as he liked Dan, he didn’t
want to drag Dan into his drama.
“I really like you too.” Farren cast Dan a sideways look through his lashes. “I was
bummed I couldn’t make our date.”
Not the least was because he would rather spend time with Dan than with a psychotic
djinn trying to convince Farren that he was innocent of all crimes. Farren somehow doubted
his grandfather was as innocent as he claimed.
“Me too. I don’t want you to think I’m stalkerish, but I am still interested.”
Farren let out a big sigh. “Good. I really wanted to go out with you tonight, but I had to
practise.”
“Understandable. I told Maddox to tell you I stopped by, but I’d be surprised if he
does.”
“I’d be surprised too. Maddox has a real hard-on for you.” Farren shifted the strap of
his book bag and gasped.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just my new tattoo.”
“It shouldn’t still hurt. It looked fully healed. Kevin taught me some healing spells.
Want me to try one?”
“No.” Farren’s rushed answer had Dan raising his brow. “Thank you, but no. I’ll be
fine. It’s just probably a bruise.”
Farren wished he had some influence magic. Unfortunately, djinns were more
straightforward creatures—slash and burn, not coaxing and persuading. He didn’t know
what would happen if Dan tried a healing spell on his djinn mark. The collision between
magics probably wouldn’t be a good thing.
“What were you really doing tonight? You look like you were caught in a fire.”
FARREN’S WIZARD
38
Farren paled. “I didn’t do anything!” He winced as his voice reached a high screech.
Way to make Dan believe him.
“Oh, babe, what happened?” Dan stopped walking and used their linked hands to pull
Farren into his arms.
Farren settled his head on Dan’s shoulder, taking the brief bit of solace he could from
his lover’s touch. Once everything came out, he doubted Dan would allow him so close
again.
“Nothing. It couldn’t have been me. I was in a containment field.” Farren refused to
claim responsibility for the fire. He’d contained the djinn’s flame. The little niggle in the back
of his head wondered how the djinn had been able to mark him, but he shoved that thought
out of his head.
“Okay. Okay, babe. I’m sorry I doubted you.”
Sighing, Farren allowed Dan to cuddle him close.
Dan rubbed his back then jerked his hands away. “Ouch!”
Farren stepped out of Dan’s embrace at Dan’s shout. “What happened?”
Dan held up his red hand. “Your back is hot.”
“Are you burned?” Farren grabbed Dan’s wrist to examine the skin. Taking a bit of the
coolness from the air around them, he filtered it into Dan’s hand until the redness eased.
“Better?”
Dan pressed the skin with his finger. “Yeah, thanks. I thought I was supposed to be the
one helping you.”
Farren smiled. “You did. I just want to go to my dorm and lie down. Let’s go.”
He could tell from Dan’s expression that he wanted to ask more questions, but his
exhaustion must’ve shown on his face because Dan wrapped a careful arm around him and
led him towards his building. Farren’s stomach knotted with anxiety. He needed Dan, but
how long could he hide the truth from his lover?
Farren’s heart stuttered in his chest, a wild and untamed beast trying to break free of his
body. They finished their walk in silence. Neither of them must’ve known what to say.
Farren couldn’t force words through his lips. If he held back a lie by not uttering the truth,
was that honesty or a slippery slope to deception and the dark side of becoming a djinn? He
could almost feel the fiery walls of his genetic cage surrounding him.
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39
Chapter Four
Farren woke gasping for breath. Fiery pain shot through his shoulder as if someone had
stabbed a hot poker into his body and swirled it around, stirring his insides. The mark.
Somehow the djinn had done something to him. Farren closed his eyes trying to get a sense
of the mark on his back. He drew in and released long, slow breaths, searching his memory
for all the tips he’d learnt regarding searching for curses. Uncertainty over what the djinn
had done to him was like a fearful beast, squatting on his chest and crushing the life out of
him.
“Fuck!” His back bowed and he clenched his fists, trying to keep the pain inside and not
scream. Alerting the entire student body to his predicament wouldn’t be the wisest thing to
do. He bit his lip. The metallic flavour of his blood filled his mouth. Damn, now he’d have to
explain the scab to Dan when they next got together.
Sweat poured off Farren in trickles as if the agony were squeezing the moisture out of
his body.
“Relax, mortal.”
The words thrummed in his head, echoing through his brain and slithering through his
thoughts like a blazing trail. The djinn’s voice consumed Farren until all his senses were
focused on that one voice and the rest of the world had vanished beneath a blanket of
meaningless snow.
“What did you do to me?” Farren asked. He cast an uneasy glance around his room but
relaxed when the djinn didn’t pop out from beneath his bed or burst out of the wall.
“You need to learn to harness your powers. The stronger you are, the easier it will be to lead.”
“What did you do to me?” Farren refused to continue this chat without getting an
answer to his question. He had to find out what the djinn had done, to discover if he needed
to go to one of those body modifier people and have a brand placed over his djinn mark. It
would hurt like a motherfucker, but he wouldn’t be mind-controlled by an evil djinn either.
“I’ve merely made it easier for us to talk. The mark gives you most of the power of a full djinn.
Transformation, fire control and psychic communication across planes. As you aren’t truly as
FARREN’S WIZARD
40
powerful as me, I couldn’t give you the ability to possess another, but you should be able to do well
with what you were given.”
Relief pushed away some of Farren’s distress. He had no wish to take over anyone’s
body. To find out the djinn couldn’t give that to him certainly didn’t ruin his day.
“I will help you reach your full potential. In turn, you will help me take over your world.”
“What do I get out of it?” Farren desperately hoped the djinn couldn’t read his mind.
He dressed frantically while he waited for a reply.
“Power, my boy. You get all the power you could ever want. Go to your classes or whatever
thing you do to occupy your day. I’ll be in touch. Maybe you should spend more time with your
boyfriend. He seems like a nice enough fellow.”
The djinn’s presence vanished. Farren fell on the bed, gasping.
He knows about Dan.
Before now the djinn had worried him, but not until he’d mentioned Dan had Farren
become truly concerned. Farren had to find a way to block the powerful creature from his
mind while also trying to discover the full meaning of the mark on his back. Farren didn’t
only have djinn blood—his father had been a talented magic user in his own right. Maybe he
could find a spell to reverse the mark or something. He needed to go to the library.
Farren glanced at the clock on the wall. He had ten minutes to make it to class. Farren
quickly stripped off his clothes, grabbed a refresh spell ball, activated the spell then dressed
in new clothing within five minutes. Grabbing his pack, he ran out the door and quickly
flipped the lock behind him.
He briefly wondered where Maddox had gone off to but brushed away his curiosity in
his rush to get to class. Like usual, he was the last to arrive. Besides Farren, there were nine
other students. Professor Firestorm frowned at him but didn’t speak. A few sly grins from his
fellow classmates didn’t reassure Farren that his day would get any better. He’d never
meshed well with the other students. Maybe they could sense he wasn’t like them.
Leon, a water wizard, stood at the front of the class clutching his focus stone in his
hand. His lean face turned paler as he concentrated. If the guy wasn’t such a dick, Farren
would’ve been concerned over the amount of effort it seemed to be taking Leon, not to
mention the strain.
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41
Professor Firestorm nodded to Farren but quickly turned back to the water wizard. “Go
ahead, Leon, try calling your avatar again,” the professor encouraged.
How many times had Leon tried before? Farren settled into his seat to watch. Maybe
Leon would take the whole frigging class and Farren could bypass this horrible process and
do it later—much later. Like after he figured out how to call up a bunny or some other fluffy
creature.
Pleased he hadn’t got an ass chewing for his tardiness, Farren tried to keep quiet. His
shoulder tingled and burned as if the djinn were trying to influence him in some way. He
absently rubbed at the mark, hoping the sensation would fade away. If not, it would be a
long time before he was comfortable in his own skin.
Leon closed his eyes, clenched his fists and muttered some sort of watery prayer.
Holding back laughter had never been more difficult.
After repeating his mantra offer for several minutes, a loud pop filled the room. A
small, drippy water dragon floated in midair. It gave a soft snort of a greeting.
Farren smiled at the cute creature. He hoped he would get something that innocuous as
his avatar.
The class applauded.
“Congratulations, Leon,” Professor Firestorm said.
“Pitiful,” the djinn’s voice echoed in his head. Farren squeezed his eyes shut. The djinn
talking in his head was like having a constant imaginary friend that never went away.
“You’re next, Farren.”
Of course he was. Firestorm disliked him for no reason that Farren could determine.
Maybe he shouldn’t have made faces when Firestorm had announced they were going to
practise calling their own avatar.
“Yes, Professor.” Farren didn’t try to back out of it. Firestorm wouldn’t hesitate to flunk
a student who didn’t attempt a calling.
Farren didn’t even pretend enthusiasm as he walked in front of the class. Leon’s little
dragon had already evaporated. Farren didn’t know if the water wizard had dismissed his
avatar or if he wasn’t strong enough to hold it. Either way, he’d succeeded where Farren
would probably not.
FARREN’S WIZARD
42
Leon smirked as Farren approached, but didn’t say anything. He probably didn’t want
to lose his spot as class favourite. For some reason, Firestorm liked the cocky wizard. Farren
gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to say something scathing.
Farren tried to remember everything Professor Firestorm had taught them. He had to at
least give the impression of trying to call an avatar. A failed attempt was still an attempt.
Firestorm wouldn’t know how much effort Farren put into the project. He could fake a
constipated concentration face as well as the next student—well, at least as good as Leon.
“Where’s your stone?” Firestorm asked in a hard voice.
Farren reluctantly pulled his ruby from his pocket. “Right here.”
The wizarding equipment manager had assigned him the stone. The pretty gnome had
taken one look at Farren and handed him a ruby the size of a baby fist—if the fist belonged to
a troll baby. Farren had to be careful where he left it since he’d have to eventually return the
rock. It belonged to the college. When he moved out on his own, hopefully he could figure
out how to call one without a focus stone, or at least a much smaller one.
Here, fluffy bunny! Farren silently called. With his luck it would be a flaming bunny with
saber teeth.
Professor Firestorm cleared his throat. “We’re ready whenever you are, Farren.”
“Thank you.” He ignored Firestorm’s tone of disapproval. He couldn’t explain why
he’d been running late. He doubted Firestorm would accept oversleeping after hot sex with
his boyfriend and talking to a djinn as good excuses.
Unlike Leon, Farren kept his eyes open. He wanted to see anything that might
approach. A life of caution hadn’t changed with school enrolment. He’d never trusted
anyone before. He didn’t plan to start now—not while surrounded by other magic users.
Farren had no doubt he could take them individually, but as a group they might be able to
overpower him unless he was willing to burn down the university. He would save that for
plan B.
Clenching his fists, Farren tried to clear his mind. What could he call that wouldn’t alert
them to his genetic status? He’d heard another guy had called a phoenix. That sounded good.
Surely he’d be able to call a small firebird to be his familiar without arousing any suspicion?
“Don’t overthink it, Farren,” Firestorm said. “Call what you feel.”
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43
Farren didn’t laugh. He knew the professor was trying to help. Firestorm didn’t know
that Farren could pull djinn from opposite planes.
He clutched the ruby until the sharp edges cut his palms. Blood pooled in his fist, small
sticky drips sliding through his fingers, but Farren ignored it as he thought over what he
wanted to call.
Imagining a tiny phoenix roughly the size of Leon’s dragon, Farren sent out his call.
“Please heed me,” he pleaded silently. “I just need you for a few classes then you’ll be free. I
wouldn’t bind someone to me forever.”
Farren had no interest in enslaving a beast to his beck and call no matter how much it
would improve his magic. Although most wizards treated their avatars well, he’d seen a few
that treated them like slaves, making them fetch and carry like beasts of burden instead of
like the magic amplifiers they were.
He kept up his calling, alternating words now and then. A drop of blood splashed on
the floor, a spot of crimson on the white tile. Before Farren could call for a bandage to wrap
his hand, the air pressure dropped and the tiny hairs on the back of his neck jumped on edge
like soldiers at attention.
“Oh fuck.”
Heat warped the tiles beneath his feet while the smell of crackling glaze and charred
furniture filled Farren’s nose until he couldn’t smell anything but scorched materials.
In the middle of the classroom, an enormous flaming snake uncoiled its turquoise
scales, shimmering like the ocean on a clear, sunny day. Farren barely caught a glimpse of
the serpent before his knees hit the floor and he bowed low. “Greetings, Xiuhcoatl.”
He’d once seen representations of the fire deity’s spirit form in a book among his
mother’s things. The image of the snake had stuck with him because it had been the most
fearsome creature he’d ever seen.
“Greetings, Farren, child of my favourite. May you live long and your scales always
shine bright.” The snakes words, drenched with power, poured across Farren like a weighty
blanket until he almost collapsed beneath the burden of each magical syllable.
Taking shallow breaths to keep back his panic, Farren remained kneeling on the floor.
He’d never met a god, but he’d read of more encounters with them that didn’t go well than
FARREN’S WIZARD
44
ones that did. The burning pain on Farren’s shoulder even retreated with the presence of the
fire god. Maybe one was cancelling out the other.
“How may I serve you, god of fire?” Farren asked when it became apparent the snake
wasn’t going to speak further without any input from Farren.
“You called for a helper, I have decided to answer. You will be important, child of fire.
Your mother did me a favour many years ago. Before she died, she asked for a boon—for me
to watch over her only child and come to you if you have need. I have come to keep my
promise.”
“Um, thank you.” Farren kept his head down. Looking directly at a god couldn’t be a
good thing. The dry slide of scales brushing against the ground and the crackling fire
surrounding the snake overwhelmed Farren’s senses.
“You are humble despite your powerful magic. You will be an excellent guardian.”
“A guardian of what?”
“My child.” The snake god leaned over the circle and opened his mouth. A small blue
snake dropped on the floor beside Farren. “Watch over her and she will remain loyal to you
for the rest of your days. If you can conquer your fears, you will live a long life, fire child, but
there are many who wish to see you destroyed. It is important that you learn to embrace
your heritage, not hide it.”
“And if I don’t?” Farren dared to ask.
“You already know the answer to that question—you and everyone you love will die.”
Xiuhcoatl slithered closer. Before Farren could wonder what the snake was up to, he
flickered his tongue against Farren’s cheek. Fire seared along his skin. He bit the inside of his
cheek to hold back the scream, ignoring the blood filling his mouth. Showing weakness
wasn’t an option when dealing with gods or djinn.
“I have marked you as my warrior. You are safe from djinn possession. The one
stalking you can no longer take you completely over. If he finds a way inside your body, you
will still have control of your mind. One day that will be an important edge to your battle.”
“Um, thank you.” Farren didn’t know what to say about that, but he did know to
always thank someone for a gift.
Farren had a great many more questions, but before he could ask them, the snake god
vanished, leaving Farren kneeling on the melted classroom floor with a turquoise snake
Amber Kell
45
slithering inches from his nose. He admired the shiny turquoise scales on the reptile then a
wave of heat washed over him and he realised the fire god hadn’t finished with him.
“Farren!” Firestorm shouted.
Farren opened his mouth to talk, but he couldn’t get any word out past the pain
scorching the words from his chest. Before he could figure out the problem or try to stop the
pain, the world went black.
* * * *
“Farren… Farren, baby, open those pretty eyes,” a soft voice pleaded.
He knew that voice. He did. The name evaded him like a tricky fog, without form or
substance, but he recognised it as someone he cared about.
Farren struggled to open his eyes. The speaker’s distraught tone pulled at him from the
haze of his mind.
“Come on, baby, wake up,” the voice entreated.
A scent, spicy like a good chili pepper, tickled his nose. Blinking, he tried to focus his
eyes. A handsome face looked down at him, and recognition snapped him fully into reality.
“Dan,” he whispered, smiling at the beautiful man. “Hey there, why so glum?”
Dan blinked as if to hold back tears, but that couldn’t be right. Why would Dan be
crying? Dan was a happy guy who almost always had a grin on his face.
Farren held out his hand, relieved when Dan accepted it.
“No one knew what happened. You called up a fire god for your avatar, were granted a
rare fire snake then you passed out screaming in class. I heard from the student rumour mill
that they sent you here.” Dan’s voice broke at the end, telling Farren how concerned he’d
really been.
“I’m sorry I worried you. How long have I been out?” He searched his mind for any
information over what could’ve happened, but nothing was coming up. What had caused
him to black out? “Where’s the snake?”
Dan pointed.
“Huh.” Farren hadn’t registered the weight on his stomach as anything. The snake
weighed less than Farren would expect. Maybe being the offspring of a god meant it didn’t
FARREN’S WIZARD
46
have the same mass as a regular snake. It had curled up in a small circle in the middle of
Farren’s stomach and looked to be asleep.
“You’ve been asleep for twenty-four hours. They couldn’t get any of your family to
come visit and check on you. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not surprised about my family. Only death would bring them down to see me, and
only because it would look bad for them if they didn’t.”
Farren’s family was all about appearances. They wouldn’t want the cops to investigate
why they didn’t go and claim one of their own.
Dan stroked Farren’s forehead. Farren tried not to moan at the contact as the cool slide
of Dan’s touch against his face made him harder than steel girders. After several summers
working construction to get tuition money, Farren knew exactly the stiffness of those metal
beams.
“Do you remember what happened?”
Farren shook his head then winced. Pain shot through his temples and stabbed into his
skull like tiny gnome knives. “No. After the fire spirit left, all I remember is pain. Is there
something wrong with me?”
His back hurt like someone had branded him, but it was a sensation he’d come to be
familiar with over the past few days. Although, now that he thought about it, the pain was
on the opposite shoulder.
Faint whispers of memories floated through his head of another voice speaking to him.
Of something else trying to communicate. What if he was possessed after all? Could that
happen? Had the djinn crossed planes to take over Farren’s body?
Dan spoke, breaking into Farren’s internal dialogue. “No one will tell me anything. I’m
not family and we’ve barely been dating. Let me call the medic for you.”
“Okay.” The quicker he figured out what was wrong, the faster he could get out of here.
Medical wards had never been Farren’s favourite things. If they ran a DNA test on him, he
could be in real trouble. He’d find out what information they had on him then respond
accordingly.
He really should break things off with Dan before they went any further. If anyone
found out about Farren, they would assume Dan had known and had held back the
information, making him culpable of fraternizing with a person of illegal parentage.
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47
Yes—he needed to break up with him.
His resolve lasted up to the point where Dan returned with the medic and Farren
tumbled in love again with a pair of deep blue eyes. For some reason, neither of Dan’s
brothers did it for him. Only Dan. The connection between them arced like a live wire. Farren
couldn’t give Dan up, even if he risked exposure. He might be an idiot, but he was an idiot in
love.
“I was beginning to worry you were going to sleep all day,” the medic said. The man’s
narrow face reminded Farren of a bird of prey. The curved nose didn’t help either. He
wondered if the guy was some kind of bird shifter but abandoned that line of thinking—if he
were a shifter, the medic wouldn’t be able to do healing magic. “I’m Dr Evian Thistle. I was
the one who examined you when you came in. Well, as much as I could.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your snake there didn’t like anyone messing with you. I did a cursory examination. If
you hadn’t woken up soon, we were going to try and find a way to trap your protective
companion.” The medic pointed at the snake. The serpent lifted its head and flicked its
tongue at the medic.
“Is there anything seriously wrong with me or can I leave?” Farren didn’t like medic
halls. Laying someplace where people could poke and prod him at any moment wasn’t his
idea of a good time.
The physician shrugged. “Nothing we can determine. You had magical overload as far
as I can tell. As you appear alert and unharmed, there’s no real reason to keep you.” Dr
Thistle seemed rather disappointed in his statement. Farren had no doubt the medic wished
to keep Farren there to run more intrusive tests, but he had no intention of being there for
another round of examinations. Farren was one DNA test away from elimination.
Dan scowled. “What if this happens again? What do you mean magical overload?
“If he keeps away from conversing with gods, he should be just fine,” the medic said
wryly.
“I’m sure the doctor knows what he’s doing.” Farren smiled at Dr Thistle, hoping to
recruit the man to his side.
If Dan ruined his escape, Farren would punch him. No exceptions.
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48
Dr Thistle wrote hurriedly on a prescription pad. “If you start feeling faint again, get
some of these thorn wood oil drops. They will give a sugar shock to your system. If the
problem persists, come back here and see me. I think maybe this is just a case of exhaustion.
A lot of kids get that this close to midterms. I think you’ll be fine.”
Farren snatched the paper out of the doctor’s hands. “Thank you very much.”
No way would he be returning to become someone’s lab rat.
Farren sat up, picked up the snake and swung his legs over the side of the bed before
placing the reptile beside him. The serpent lunged at him. Before Farren could do anything
but yelp, he had himself a blue, scaly bracelet. The snake wrapped three times around
Farren’s wrist. The mass of the snake was less than it had been on the bed. Hmm, he’d have
to investigate that fact later. Right now, he needed out of there.
Dan reached out a hand and pulled Farren to his feet.
“Thanks.” Farren gave Dan’s hand a squeeze.
They were only a few feet away from the hospital entrance when Dan dug in his heels
and refused to take another step.
Farren snarled. “What?” He hadn’t told the doctor, but his head pounded like it had
grown a pulse of its own and was beating out a brutal, tribal rhythm.
“Don’t take that attitude with me. I’m only trying to help.” Dan folded his arms across
his chest.
“Well, thank you for helping. Now I’m going back to my room and sleeping for a few
more days. You want to come with me or not?”
He wished he could cuddle with Dan and enjoy being pampered for once in his life, but
he could tell by the stubborn tilt of Dan’s chin that his happy dream wouldn’t be coming
true.
“Firestorm was pretty upset over Xiuhcoatl trashing his classroom. He’s also a bit
shocked a student with supposedly low power could call down a god.”
“Um…I didn’t focus on Xiuhcoatl. I just asked for an avatar to come. I think it is my fire
nature that attracted the snake. The fire god only came because of my mother. He said she
did him a favour once. Didn’t anyone tell him that?”
“How do you know?” Dan asked. “The Xiuhcoatl didn’t say anything.”
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Farren had no idea Xiuhcoatl had spoken directly into his mind. Apparently his brain
was a playland for those more powerful than him.
“He talked to me mind to mind. I really thought everyone could hear what he said. It’s
because of my fire wizard nature.” The lies kept piling up, one after another. Farren could
feel Dan pulling away from him even though his lover stood right there.
“Uh-huh. Strange how none of the other fire wizards have been able to pull off the same
trick.” Dan’s expression said he wasn’t buying the story Farren was trying to sell.
“I can’t be responsible for other wizards’ incompetence.”
Dan’s laugh, short and abrupt, made Farren grin. He placed a spontaneous kiss on
Dan’s cheek.
“Thanks for coming for me.”
He didn’t want to think about waking up in the medic ward alone and unaware of what
had transpired. Dan’s presence had made the entire situation tolerable.
“Always.” Dan took Farren’s hand, entwining their fingers, and they headed towards
his dorm.
They didn’t speak again until they were a few steps from Farren’s dorm. He leaned
heavily on Dan as they walked. “Sorry, I’m really tired all of a sudden.”
“I’m not surprised, with everything going on. I’ll tuck you in bed and leave you alone
until tomorrow.”
Farren chuckled. “I wish you could come sleep with me, but I don’t have the energy for
anything.”
“That’s all right. I like to think we’re together for more than just sex. You can rest for the
rest of the day. Tomorrow we can have dinner together or something.” Dan tightened his
hold on Farren as if worried he was the only thing keeping Farren from toppling over. He
might be right.
They made it up the stairs and into Farren’s small dorm room with little trouble.
Maddox’s bed had the smooth look of a bed never slept in. Farren briefly wondered if he
should be concerned. How long before he should pretend concern for his obnoxious
roommate?
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Farren decided to worry about Maddox another day. If Maddox didn’t show up in the
next few days, he’d start asking around. Surely someone had seen him recently. Farren flung
himself onto his bed and groaned over how good it felt.
Strong hands quickly divested Farren of his shoes and socks. “You can remove the rest
of your clothes when you’re ready. If I start taking things off, I won’t leave.”
“True.” Farren wasn’t in any condition to coax Dan into a lovemaking session.
“Are you going to be all right? I feel weird leaving you all alone when you just got out
of the medic ward.” Dan hovered by his side, fluttering like a bird afraid to land.
“Come rest with me. I don’t want to be alone.” He probably should’ve manned up and
made some sort of excuse, but he was feeling raw and out of sorts. He needed Dan’s
comforting presence. If that made him weak, then so be it.
Dan’s radiant smile convinced him he hadn’t made a mistake.
“I’d be happy to stay.”
Farren watched as Dan made a quick call to his brothers then stripped down and
climbed into bed beside him. It was a tight fit, but Farren didn’t care. He wrapped an arm
around Dan and pulled him halfway on top of him.
“Better,” Farren whispered. His world settled now that he held the most important
person in his arms. Tired but at peace, Farren slid into slumber.
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Chapter Five
After a wonderful night in Dan’s arms, Farren spent the next two days alone in his
room trying to find information on djinn marks—so far, no luck. Maddox stopped by a
couple of times to switch out books and change clothes, relieving Farren from trying to find
him. From what Farren could detect from his rushed speech, his roommate had a hot new
girl to hang out with. Farren made all the right comments at the proper times then watched
Maddox leave. His roommate had only spared a quick glance at Farren’s snake curled up on
the table, but hadn’t commented. Surprising, since rumours were undoubtedly flying around
campus like a brush fire, and Maddox wasn’t known for his discretion.
Restless, Farren stuffed a notebook into his satchel and headed for the library. He
needed to see if he could dig up a book about djinn. The little information he could find on
the internet didn’t tell him anything he didn’t already know. Since the incident with the fire
god, Farren hadn’t heard from the djinn. Maybe Xiuhcoatl had truly blocked the djinn from
Farren’s mind.
To his relief, Farren didn’t encounter anyone he knew on the way to the library. As
much as he’d missed Dan over the past few days, he needed to be alone to do his research.
No one else could find out what he was looking into. The library stacks towered over Farren,
creating shadowy corridors where anything could hide. Farren shook his head to dispel his
fanciful imagination. No one was lurking among the musty books on the off chance he
wandered by. He really had to focus.
Farren found what he was looking for beneath a stack of dusty tomes. Only by accident
did he spot the title—the magical sheen pouring off the spine helped a bit too. Farren reached
for the slim volume. Marks of Djinns and Other Magical Beings couldn’t have been more than
two hundred pages long, but it was the first bit of luck Farren had had during his search. He
bit his lip and contemplated whether checking out the book would alert the powers that be.
Maybe he’d just take a quick peek to see if it was worth taking the chance.
Finding a small desk shoved beneath a light, Farren sat down and cracked open the
book. It made a sound associated with breaking in a new spine. Huh. Farren checked the
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52
copyright date. Apparently the volume had been languishing the past fifty years without
anyone peeking to see what was inside. Strange, he would’ve thought at least the librarian
would have rifled through the book.
Farren flipped the pages, his fingers tingling with excitement. Wait. Tingling? For the
first time, he used his other magic to focus on the book. Everything else went to shades of
grey, but the book flared bright orange, glowing with magic. No wonder his fingers tingled.
They should’ve burned from that amount of power pouring off the document. Maybe if it
burnt everyone else that could explain why the book remained pristine. No one else with
djinn blood had probably wandered into the library before.
That thought chilled some of his thrill of discovery. He licked his suddenly dry lips as
he slowly turned to the first chapter. Columns of symbols covered the page, but none of them
made any sense. The snake slid around his arm, adjusting to a different position so its head
lay on top of Farren’s wrist. It peered up at him with emerald green eyes.
After flipping through a few chapters, the text began to make a bit of sense. The book
was written in Old Persian, a dialect Farren only had a brief knowledge of from family
diaries. He’d need to take the book back with him to decipher the text. Sighing, he closed it
back up, grabbed his bag and turned to leave. A bright blonde head caught his attention. His
heart hammered in his chest before he realised he must’ve been mistaken. Betina didn’t go
here, his cousin was still miles away at home. After he convinced his suddenly wobbly knees
of his mistake, he headed over to the circulation desk.
“Student card?” the librarian requested. Her grey hair was pulled tight in a bun, giving
her brows a surprised lift. From the scowl on her face, Farren suspected she was harbouring
a monster headache.
He mutely handed over his card.
She glanced at the book in surprise. “It looks like this book has never been outside our
library before. Congratulations, young man, you are the first.”
Farren gave her a weak smile. “Research project.”
She tapped his ID against the scanner then handed it over. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
He didn’t take another solid breath until he stepped outside the library doors. That had
gone better than he’d dared to hope.
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53
Maddox was there when Farren returned to his room. The snake slithered off Farren’s
wrist and onto the small blanket he’d set on his desk to give the snake a cosy home.
“What’s up with the snake? You know there’s a no pet policy.”
Farren scowled at Maddox. “It’s not a pet. It’s an avatar, and I figure it will vanish to
wherever fire snakes go when I don’t call it.”
Maddox scratched his head. “Well, usually, but that one doesn’t look like it’s eager to
go anywhere.”
Farren refused to agree that Maddox made a good point.
* * * *
Dan entered his dorm room. Exhaustion beat at him. As much as he enjoyed his time
with Farren, he’d had to work hard to catch up with all the homework he’d neglected.
“Hey, Dan, how’s your boy?” Dean asked from his spot on the couch. Dean was
sprawled sideways reading the latest ghost story. A thriller based on a murder at the school
fifty years ago. Dan had skimmed the book, but it had given him the creeps so he’d passed it
on to his brother.
“I guess he’s good. I haven’t seen him the past few days. We’ve both been busy. Did I
tell you he got a tattoo?” Thoughts of Farren fractured his brain. Smooth, warm skin, soft
touches and the aching need to be next to his lover at all times swamped Dan like a wave of
lust and longing.
Dean tore his attention away from the pages. “Is it hot?”
“I have a picture of it.” Dan grabbed his phone and pulled up the photo he’d taken. “I
think it means something special to him but he didn’t want to talk about it. He said it has to
do with his grandfather.”
There were a lot of things Farren never wished to discuss, especially about his family.
Dan wondered if they’d shunned him when he’d come out as gay. For now he respected
Farren’s wishes, but he hoped with time his lover would come to trust him enough to share
his secrets.
Dean tossed the novel to the side and eagerly grabbed the phone.
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“Hey, where’s Devin?” Dan knew his brothers’ schedule and Devin had free time right
now.
“He’s studying with his lab partner.”
The way Dean said ‘studying’ made Dan think not much book learning was going on.
Dean tilted the phone right then left. “Huh, odd. Did he say what language it’s in?”
“No, he didn’t say much about it at all.” Like most things with Farren. He wasn’t very
forthcoming.
Dean started pushing buttons on Dan’s phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Sending it to Jay, he’ll be able to decipher it or know someone who can.”
Finding information out behind Farren’s back zinged him with sharp arrows of guilt. “I
don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
“It absolutely is. What if your lover is demon possessed, but you didn’t check because
you didn’t want to hurt his feelings? No, Dan, we need to find out what it means. It doesn’t
look normal to me.”
Dan wished he could argue, but he couldn’t. He’d found Farren’s behaviour strange,
even for him. If it had turned out Farren had needed help and Dan hadn’t known better, he’d
never forgive himself. “Okay, but only because I don’t want him hurt.”
“I’m glad you agree because I already messaged him.”
“Jay’s pretty busy right now, he might not have time to get back to us,” Dan argued.
Dean made a scoffing sound in the back of his throat. “You know it will only take him a
second or two. He knows fucking everything.”
“True.” Dan sat down opposite his brother.
“How much of Farren have you seen? Does he have tattoos anywhere else?” Dean
waggled his eyebrows at Dan.
“I thought you didn’t want the image of your brother having gay sex embedded in your
brain,” Dan teased.
“I see you’re avoiding the question.”
“I examined him pretty closely, I’m going to say he only has the one.” Heat flushed
through him as he remembered the long night he kissed and licked each and every inch of
Farren’s body.
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“Stop it!” Dean threw a pillow at him.
“What?” Dan batted the cushion away.
“Stop thinking of your guy naked, it freaks me out.” The empathy between brothers
had them sometimes reading each other’s minds.
Dan rolled his eyes. “Well don’t ask if I’ve examined him then. I’d think of a girl naked,
but it would freak me out.”
Dean snorted. “You’re coming to the party this weekend, right? The wolves always
throw a good bash.”
Dan allowed the abrupt change of subject without comment. “Yeah, I haven’t been to
the pack house in forever. I’m hoping I can get Farren to join me.”
They settled down for the night, chatting about their classes, their future and if Devin
would ever notice the red-headed boy in his History of Spell Casting who stared at him like
he hung the moon. It was a good night. Maybe tomorrow would be nice and calm. Dan could
use a quiet day.
Sirens screamed past the window. Dan snapped out of a confusing dream where fire
serpents swirled around Farren’s body and the school went up in flames. Shaking his head to
try to clear it, Dan rushed to the window in the common room only to find Devin and Dean
had beaten him there. They all watched as the firefighters pulled up to the dorm across the
way.
Oh fuck. I know that dorm.
“Farren!” He turned to rush out the door.
“No!” Devin grabbed Dan’s arm. “You can’t just run in there and save him.”
“Well, I’m not going to just stand here and watch him burn.” Dan yanked away from
his brother’s hold and raced to his bedroom. Luckily he only slept in his underwear, so he
didn’t need to strip down before dressing. Hopping on one foot than the next, he jerked on a
pair of denim pants, the closest T-shirt then shoved his feet into a battered pair of loafers.
Finding socks would’ve taken too long.
Ignoring his brothers’ shouts, Dan raced out the door and down the stairs. The only
thought in his head was to get to Farren. He hoped with his entire being that Farren had used
his fire magic to control the flames and keep himself safe.
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The fire trucks were pulling up outside the dorm when Dan arrived. Flames shot from
the roof and students were pouring out like a flood of rats fleeing a sinking ship. Dan
frantically searched the students running from group to group, but so far none of them had
seen Farren.
“Yeah, I saw him. He held back the flames and got us out of there,” a girl in yellow
ducky pyjamas said. She bit her lip and stared anxiously at the flames. “I hope he’s okay.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Dan managed to force the words out of his suddenly dry throat.
If Farren could control the flames he’d be safe. Unless the floor collapsed beneath him or the
roof caved in.
“He’ll be fine.” Dean gripped Dan’s shoulders and shook him. “He’ll get out of there
safely. He wants to come back to you.”
The sight of Maddox walking out of the building snapped Dan’s last thread of control.
Knocking away his brother’s hands, Dan ran up to Maddox and grabbed his arm.
“Where’s Farren?”
Maddox’s face was streaked with soot and a wild look filled his eyes. “He’s still inside.
He told me to leave. He told me to leave.” Maddox began sobbing.
One of the firefighters, a big brawny guy with a red helmet, stepped forward. “Let’s get
him to the truck so I can check him for smoke inhalation.
Dan shoved Maddox towards the firefighter. “Fucker left Farren inside,” he growled.
“Hey, if a fire wizard told me to get out, I’d get the fuck out of there too,” Devin said.
“Just be patient, Dan. It’ll be fine.”
Each of his arms was gripped tightly by his brothers. Dean and Devin knew him too
well. They knew he wanted to run in there and save his lover. If he had a smidgen of fire
control, he would’ve gone into the burning building. As it was he had to resist the urge now.
“There!” Dean pointed to an arch in the flames.
A soot covered figure walked calmly out of the building. The fire arced and spat over
him, but not one flicker of flame came near. Fire swirled around Farren as if it wanted to play
with him instead of burning down the campus. Farren turned, waved his hand and the
flames went out like a giant had blown out a birthday candle. Confused and worried, Dan
ran to Farren’s side.
“Are you okay?”
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Farren nodded, his face pale. “Yeah, I had plenty of time to get out.”
“What you did with that fire was just amazing,” Dan gushed.
“Thanks.”
“Why didn’t you put it out before?” Dean asked.
“I can’t put out flames if I’m in the middle of it all. I have to see the entire scope of the
fire before I can do anything.” Farren swayed a bit on his feet.
Dan wrapped an arm around him. “I’ve got you.”
“Thanks, it’s been a bitch of a day.” He waved to Dan’s brothers. “Dean, Devin, how are
you doing?”
“We were trying to stop Dan from running into a burning building,” Devin growled.
Farren turned wide eyes to Dan. “You weren’t planning on rushing in there to save me,
were you? You told me you had limited fire ability.”
When put like that it sounded more foolish than heroic. “I wanted to make sure you
were all right.” Dan argued as everyone watched him like he was an idiot.
Farren threw himself at Dan who happily caught him. “I’ve never had anyone worry
about me before.”
The fire wizard’s whispered confession stabbed Dan in the heart. He couldn’t imagine a
world where no one cared about his safety. He usually had to find a way to get his brothers
to back off.
“I’ll always come for you,” Dan vowed. A wind whipped up around them, a spooky
emphasis of Dan’s words as if the gods were spying on them and wanted to have their say.
Farren kissed Dan on the cheek. “Thanks.”
The four of them watched the firemen enter the building to check for people. Some of
the senior wizards rushed forward to assess the damage. At least that’s what Dan thought
they were doing. He couldn’t hear them from where he stood.
“I wonder what started the fire,” Dan mused. “I checked your building’s spell refresh
when I went downstairs last time. It had been renewed a month ago.”
“Huh. That doesn’t make any sense.” Farren frowned. “It shouldn’t have caught fire.”
“No it shouldn’t have.” If the spells were up to code the entire building should’ve been
safe from fire. “Only a powerful, magically-induced fire could’ve bulldozed through the
protection, and none of the students have that skill.
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“Something is destroying the wards,” Farren said, barely loud enough for Dan to hear
him.
“Like what? The only thing strong enough to break a fire protection curse is a djinn,
and they don’t exist anymore,” Dean said.
“Come on, babe, you can spend the night at our dorm.” Dan wrapped an arm around
Farren and pulled him close. It was starting up again. The sensation in his bones whispering
that bad magic was in the air. Of the three of them, Dan was the most sensitive to psychic
vibrations. He didn’t know what was coming, but instinct had him wanting to protect his
lover from any harm. The magic had an ominous, shivery feel that made Dan want to hide
Farren in a truckload of protective spells. He didn’t worry for himself, but he was beginning
to obsess over Farren’s health.
The man wrapped in his arms brought all of Dan’s protective instincts out.
“I don’t want to impose,” Farren objected.
“No, it’s fine,” Dean and Devin rushed to reassure Farren.
Dan smiled. His brothers were the best.
“I should call Maddox and make sure he has some place to stay.” Farren rubbed his
arm.
“He’s over with the firefighters, he’s safe. They’ll make sure he’s not homeless,” Devin
said.
Farren must’ve been more tired than Dan had suspected because he didn’t argue.
Farren nodded his agreement. Dan noticed the snake on Farren’s arm glowed a deep blue.
Had the little reptile protected Farren from harm?
Farren let Dan take him to the other dorm and into their room with little fuss. The
thought of sleeping wrapped around Farren appealed to him. If Farren stayed with them
longer he’d shove the two beds together for more room. Tonight Farren was too exhausted
from the fire and whatever else had happened. His face was gaunt from strain.
“You can stay here for a few days until they find you a new dorm. Even if your room
wasn’t destroyed, the smell of soot will be strong enough they’ll have to put some spell
bombs in there and it’ll take a bit for them to dissipate.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate you guys letting me stay here.”
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“No problem,” Devin said. “I only ask that if you jump my brother’s bones you do it
where I can’t see or hear it, or I might be scarred for life.”
Farren laughed. “I’ll be careful to jump him where you can’t see.”
“If you want to take a shower, there are clean towels in the cupboard.” Gnome servants
popped in and out, supplying them with clean linen and dropping off breakfast. Jay had a
deal with the gnomes to service the triplet’s room since he had more gnomes than he had
jobs to keep them busy.
“Thanks. I’d like that. I can still smell the smoke in my clothes.” Farren’s nose
scrunched up delightfully. Dan resisted kissing it. Farren was freaking adorable, but Dan
didn’t want to put up with his brother’s teasing. If they embarrassed Farren too much he
might not want to stay.
Dan dug into his dresser and handed over a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. “Here, these
will be a little big, but they won’t stink. Put your clothes in the hamper. The gnomes will
clean them.”
“Cool, gnome service!” Farren grinned. The first smile Dan remembered seeing on
Farren’s face in a while.
What could be troubling his lover? Farren had begun frowning more after the first fire.
Dan stretched his memory to remember the last time he’d seen Farren happy. Not since
they’d last spent the night together.
“Go get your shower.” Dan nudged Farren to the bathroom and closed the door behind
him. He went to the common area to join his brothers. He flopped down in his favourite
chair. Dean and Devin sat on the couch.
“There’s something going on with him,” Devin said.
Dan nodded. “Yeah, I don’t know what, but that’s the second fire recently where Farren
was close to it when it started.”
“And he’s a fire mage,” Devin prompted.
Dean shook his head. “I don’t get the impression that he’s responsible. He appeared
right out of the flames but looked as surprised as we were that it was on fire.”
“Keep an eye on him, Dan,” Devin said, his eyes on the closed bathroom door. “I have a
feeling this isn’t the end of it. Maybe he has magic he isn’t aware of. Not all mages are in
control of their abilities.”
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Dan silently agreed, but anything he said might be construed as agreement of Farren’s
guilt. He wouldn’t condemn Farren without further proof. “We’ll see.”
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Chapter Six
Farren couldn’t get clean. The water poured down on him, but the smell of smoke and
burning building didn’t fade. He’d used his power to subdue the fire outside the dorm
rooms. He hoped no one had seen his work. If this kept up he’d be exposed quicker than if he
shouted his djinn roots in the middle of the quad.
He’d spent several minutes making sure everyone got out of there safely. Too many
random fires had occurred in buildings that should’ve been protected. Farren knew
accusations would start to fly soon and who better to blame than a fire mage who had a bit
more magic than anyone had expected.
Dan.
Tears dripped down Farren’s face. He wished the dark-haired mage were in the shower
with him. He ached to be held at that moment. He might not deserve it, but Farren wanted
comfort. The fire snake slid from Farren’s wrist then curled around his body. The itch from
the scales across his skin was driving him mad.
“Could you please stop moving?”
A steamy fog filled the shower stall. His skin burned as the snake slid off Farren’s chest
and swirled around his ankles. The fire serpent blazed around the drain, steam wafted up
from where the water touched the flaming snake.
“What are you doing? Are you going to vanish like most avatars?”
Farren jolted when the snake’s voice slipped into his mind.
“I must remain with you. It is the only way I can guard you all the time. You are precious to my
father. As one of the few remaining djinn, the great Xiuhcoatl has declared you one of his children. I
am not just your avatar, but your spirit protector.”
Farren sighed. The honour of being beloved by a god was going to get him kicked out
of school and lonely, once Dan dumped him for being a snake-wearing freak.
He turned off the water. “Maybe you can stay off me at night. I don’t think I can sleep
with you sliding across me.”
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Not to mention he didn’t want Dan to rub his hand against the serpent and accidentally
set it in motion. Anything besides Dan was one too many creatures in his bed.
The serpent slithered up the side of the tub, apparently able to stick to anything. “I have
bonded with you, we are now one. I will always look out for you, Farren, leader of the djinn.”
Farren shivered at the title. Goose bumps travelled up his spine.
“I’m not a leader.” Farren struggled to find the words to convince the reptile. “I can’t
even control my family. Besides, there aren’t many of us left. You said that yourself.
Wouldn’t I have to have someone to lead?”
The snake hissed. It took a moment for Farren to realise the creature was laughing.
“There will be more. They are scattered. Both fire mages and djinn will be drawn to you. You will lead
them all to a new understanding. You will be their mentor and their policeman. Without you, the
species will die out from self-destruction and your kind will truly be no more.”
“Why does your father care?”
“Because djinn are one of the few that can understand the power of the flame. Only those who
create and manipulate fire can truly appreciate a fire god.”
It made a kind of frightening sense. Farren could understand why Xiuhcoatl would
want to support Farren if it would encourage a larger worshipping base. Gods grew their
power with the quantity of their acolytes. If all the fire people died out, the fire snake god
would vanish too.
“What can I do?” Farren grabbed a towel from the cabinet under the sink and briskly
dried off.
“There is nothing to do now. You will have to make some choices that will determine the path of
the djinn and all other fire makers. I will help where I can, but you must be the one who leads. I am
only an advisor not a leader.”
Great now he had a scaly Yoda to run his life.
“I don’t think I’m the right person for this job,” Farren confessed.
“You are no less nor more than you need to be.” The serpent slid out of the bathtub and
slithered around Farren’s arm. “I will eventually become a tattoo and you will carry me on your
skin.”
Farren didn’t know how he felt about that idea, but he’d take all the help he could get.
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The snake didn’t comment. Farren couldn’t say he was surprised. The avatar seemed to
thrive on half answers and portentous statements. “I will have to come up with a name for
you.”
Sighing over the complication of his life, Farren quickly dressed. Exhausted didn’t
begin to explain how drained his body felt.
He dumped his clothes in the hamper by the door then left the bathroom. He needed
rest.
“Feel better?” Dan asked.
“I just want to sleep.” Exhaustion turned his feet to lead blocks, his heels thumped on
the ground like a marching beat. He slid into bed and immediately into the bliss of sleep. He
only faintly wished Dan could join him, but by then it was too late to ask as darkness took
over.
It started innocently enough. Fluffy clouds, green grass and trees as far as the eye could
see. It only took Farren a few minutes to realise everything was a bit too perfect. The grass
had an emerald tinge never seen in nature, the clouds were so white they were almost the
colour of bleached snow and the trees were large and oddly shaped like they were created
out of clay by a giant’s hands.
“Where am I?” Farren wondered. He scanned the area but saw no one else around.
“Nice to see you again, boy.”
The familiar deep voice had Farren spinning around. A broad-shouldered man with
long black hair stood beside him. He wore jeans and a T-shirt with a picture of a lamp on the
front.
“Sir.” Farren nodded. Power rolled off the djinn like a thick perfume clouding the air
with his magic. He might not be willing to take over the world for the djinn, but he didn’t
think it wise to antagonize the powerful being. It appeared human in his dream. Farren
wondered if he was projecting.
“You have disappointed me, Farren.” The djinn floated a foot above the ground, his
bare feet tucked beneath him.
“Sorry, I’m just not cut out for world domination.”
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The djinn nodded. “You will change your mind once we take over. For now I will let
you go free. I have found another willing to do my bidding. This one is weaker willed and is
a good minion but doesn’t have your intelligence for a proper rule.”
“Um, that’s good then.” Inside, Farren was panicking. Crap! He’d been vain to think he
was the only one with strong djinn blood left in the entire fucking world. He was rare, not
the last.
The djinn smiled, a predatory grin. “Don’t worry, my boy. There will be room for you at
the top. Once we take over, your moral dilemma will be over. I understand you don’t want to
participate in the subjugation of the others. I’ll even let you keep your little wizard mate if
you want. I can always find a use for more wizards. You will be my right hand man and
together we will bring the djinn back to your plane and into power.”
“Um, thanks for thinking of me.” Inside Farren panicked. How could he stop the djinn
if he didn’t know where they were striking? Crap! He should’ve agreed, then at least he
would know their actions.
The djinn laughed, a great booming sound that vibrated Farren’s chest and the air
around him. The djinn’s jewel-green eyes shone with amusement. “Your powers are
growing, child. I am impressed with your friend there. Few have won the favour of the fire
god, and never a djinn. We are usually rivals for the same powers.”
Farren looked down. His fire serpent swirled around the outside of Farren’s sweats.
“Soon you will be able to transform into many creatures and become a true being of
fire. Maybe in time you will even become a true djinn and overcome your human
weaknesses.”
“I don’t think I have enough magic for that, but thanks.” Farren didn’t trust this
creature beside him, he could feel malice pouring off the djinn, but the idea of denying him
wouldn’t end well. He’d better keep being polite and avoid any confrontation as long as
possible. Farren knew he’d have to give in soon and talk to his lover about the danger.
“Don’t worry, Farren, I will never abandon my children.” That’s what Farren was afraid
of. This powerful being didn’t really care about Farren’s well-being as much as how he could
use Farren’s abilities to manipulate him into pulling the djinn back onto the earthly plane.
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The djinn’s voice echoed through Farren’s body like a tiny electric vibration. Farren
rubbed his chest, trying to soothe away the sensation. The fire serpent curled around Farren’s
upper body as if trying to protect him.
“I appreciate that.” Not. “But I’m sure you have others who can help you much more
than me.”
Please let there be someone! Anyone.
“None of them are as powerful as you. If you deny me, I will destroy the man you love.
If you agree to help, then he can stay by your side. See, I’m not a monster. I’m letting you
keep your free will. My current minion can only help so much, she isn’t strong enough to
finish the job. That’s why I need you. Your blood and magic along with her charm will be
enough to help me across.”
Peachy.
A chill winnowed through Farren’s body, icing it over with fear for himself and panic
for Dan. “Tell me what I need to do.”
If nothing else he could learn and grow his own powers. He had to find the djinn’s
minion and destroy her while keeping the fire beings in the other realm. At one time he
would’ve said it unfair to banish the entire breed, but the more he learned from his relative,
the more he began to think the wizards had made a good call. The djinn were too dangerous
to run free among mankind. They had to be contained.
Without warning, the scene fractured, shattering like a window when a ball was tossed
through it. Not that he’d ever been caught doing that.
“Farren!”
Farren blinked until Dan’s worried face came into focus. “What?”
His mind struggled with the abrupt return of consciousness.
“You were mumbling in your sleep and I couldn’t wake you up.”
“I-I was having a bad dream.” After all, having a scary djinn visit him in his dreams
and tell him to build his powers and prepare for world domination wasn’t his idea of a
happy story. Soon he’d have to share the truth with his lover. He’d need as many alliances as
he could for the upcoming battle. This wasn’t just between him and one djinn anymore. This
was between the djinn and every person on the planet.
Dan sat on the edge of the bed. Farren scooted to give him more room.
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Light streamed through the window. “What time is it?”
“Ten.”
Farren tried to care about missing class, but it was difficult to be concerned about
failing a single subject while millions of lives hung in the balance. He searched his mind but
he couldn’t think of anyone he could talk to. Who would believe him? Whatever he said, he’d
have to prove his djinn background, which would only end with him being thrown into a
containment room and possibly being banished to the other plane.
For the first time he wondered if the minion the djinn referred to was the one creating
the fires. What better way to get Farren to step forward than to make him look guilty for the
fires? Farren bit his lip as he tried to consider what to do next. He couldn’t give in to the
djinn, but he couldn’t risk Dan either.
He settled for a warning. “I want you to be really careful.”
Dan frowned. “Why? What’s going on?”
Farren’s voice stalled in his throat, the words choking him. He tried again. “Just pay
attention when you’re walking around campus. There are some weird things going on.”
There, that was suitably vague.
“You mean weirder than my boyfriend having an obscure tattoo and an avatar granted
by a fire god?” Dan’s eyes glittered with amusement.
“Yeah, stranger than that.” He’d hoped to have more time to come up with a believable
lie. Dan wasn’t stupid. He was letting Farren have his secrets now, but how long could he
possibly expect that to last?
“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on.” Dan stroked Farren’s arm in a
reassuring gesture.
“Where are your brothers?” Farren desperately grasped for a change of subject.
“They’re in class.”
Farren grabbed Dan, yanked him down then rolled until Dan lay beneath him.
“Whatever will we do with this time alone?”
Dan grinned. “I guess that’s up to you. You’ve had a rough night.”
He couldn’t argue. The past few days had been more than Dan even knew about. Farren
needed comfort, to know he was still alive and worth touching. Dan wouldn’t want anything
to do with Farren once he found out his secret. From the way things were going, Farren
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didn’t know how much longer it would stay that way. He was quickly losing ground and the
djinn were coming.
Dan smelt good. Farren pressed his nose to Dan’s neck, inhaling the scent of the man
he’d come to really like and could easily grow to love. He would fight to keep his lover. The
djinn already knew about Dan. Pushing Dan aside now wouldn’t do him any good, instead it
would leave Dan vulnerable without knowing his enemy.
“Shh, you’re thinking so loud I can almost hear it.” Dan nuzzled closer.
Farren laughed. Even in dark times his Dan could bring him joy. Farren tightened his
grip on Dan. “I’ll keep you safe.”
Dan grinned. “I think you’ve got that backwards.”
Farren kissed him. “No. I don’t think I do.”
He bit down on Dan’s neck, not breaking skin, but leaving a mark. Dan convulsed
beneath him. Farren licked the spot he’d bit. It would bruise. Good. He needed to leave a
possessive sign on Dan—to claim him.
Dan’s phone buzzed. He ignored it.
“Aren’t you going to check? It could be important.”
“Nothing is more important than lying here with you.” Dan cupped Farren’s cheek.
“Anything else can wait.”
Farren dived into the kiss, unable to resist his mate.
He pulled his shirt off and tossed it to the floor. “Leave,” he ordered the snake.
The fire serpent slithered off Farren.
“You snake is kind of freaky.” Dan scooted closer to the headboard.
“She’s just protective.”
“You can tell me, Farren, what are you?” Dan’s piercing gaze searched Farren as if he
could see the truth by peering at his soul.
Bile tried to come up Farren’s throat. He swallowed it back down then climbed off the
bed. The moment was lost. He jerkily yanked on his clothes, determinedly not looking at
Dan. “I-I’m going to class.”
“Are you going to the party tonight?”
Farren focused on his shoes. The fire serpent slithered back around his ankles and
wiggled up his leg. Farren actively ignored it. “What party?”
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“At the Wolf house. Jay and Kevin invited us. I’d like to bring you.”
“Maybe.” He didn’t think he could concentrate on his plans for the evening, not with
the shadows of the djinn dream clouding his head.
“I’d like you to come if you can.”
Farren shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I-I’ll call you.”
His heart ached and he knew the truth would end the one good relationship he’d ever
had.
“Hey, I’m sorry. That didn’t come out how I meant it.” Dan rubbed Farren’s back.
Farren stood, forcing himself to move away from Dan’s touch. Farren grabbed his
backpack by the door. “I think it came out just how you thought it. I’m going to go and check
if there’s anything left of my room. I’ll see you around.”
He was proud he’d been able to get those words out with his heart breaking.
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Chapter Seven
Dan threw his shoe against the door. “Damn it!” He’d just fucked up his relationship.
What kind of stupid question was that? You don’t just come out and ask your boyfriend what he
is.
Dan grabbed his hair and yanked, relishing the pain. “I need to fix this.”
He’d go talk to Jay and Kevin. Both of them were in relationships and had good heads
on their shoulders. Of course it was probably easier with wolves. A werekin decided you
were their mate and that was pretty much it.
Determined to fix his relationship issues, Dan went to take a shower. Maybe the hot
water would wash away the fact he was an absolute idiot.
* * * *
The pack house was buzzing with people running around when Dan arrived. The
werekin were going all out for this party. They were celebrating the alpha’s one year
anniversary of mating, along with his brother’s since they’d both found their mates around
the same time. Apparently werekin took their anniversaries seriously. Dan hoped he
wouldn’t mark this as the first date of when he’d broken up with the greatest guy he’d ever
met.
He hurried up the steps, grateful when the first person he spotted was Jaynell.
“Jay!”
“Hey, Dan!”
Jay’s eyes glowed with his suppressed power, but Dan was long used to his friend’s
crackling energy.
Dan quickly hugged the powerful wizard. He must’ve clung tighter than he’d planned
because after a moment Jay held him apart. “What’s wrong?”
Something dripped down his cheeks. When had he started crying? “I’m s-sorry. I didn’t
mean to ruin your day.”
Here he came to a party and he was dripping all over one of the guests of honour.
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Jay squeezed Dan’s shoulders. “What’s up?”
“I don’t know?” Dan recounted the entire situation with Farren in a torrent of words
and tears.
“So your fire mage was near both of the fires when they started?”
Dan bit his lip. “I don’t think that matters. He didn’t set them.” Farren had seemed just
as confused as the rest of them over how the fires had started.
“I think it matters a lot. Do you have a picture of him?”
“Yeah.” Dan pulled out his phone.
Jay leaned over his shoulder while Dan thumbed through his photos.
“Wait, go back!”
“What?” Dan returned to the picture of Farren’s back. “That’s just his new tattoo. He
wanted to see how it looked.”
“I just bet he did,” Jay muttered. He snatched the phone from Farren. “This is the same
one your brother sent me the other day. I was going to talk to him about it. Your sweet,
innocent lover is a djinn. I’m betting he knows more about those fires than he’s letting on.
And I heard a rumour he has a fire serpent?”
Dan pressed a hand to his stomach. His insides were swirling dizzyingly. “Yeah.”
“Interesting. The fire god and the djinn are not allies. If Farren is as innocent as you
think, he’s in a lot of trouble.”
Jay’s concerned frown only ramped up Dan’s worry. “Why do you say that?”
“Because that’s a djinn mark, and serpents are signs of the favour of Xiuhcoatl. He must
be really powerful to have garnered both of their attention.”
Dan hadn’t thought Farren that powerful, but maybe he had hid it along with
everything else. If Dan were part of a persecuted race, he didn’t know if he’d go around
announcing it either. Maybe that’s why Farren had taken his question so badly. Dan
desperately wanted to give Farren the benefit of the doubt. “What am I going to do?”
“Is he coming to the party?” Jay tucked a piece of hair behind his ear, the movement
easy and graceful.
“I don’t know. I hurt his feelings earlier. He might try to avoid me. I don’t think he’s
responsible. I really don’t.”
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Dan had to believe in Farren’s innocence. If he didn’t trust the man he loved then he
had nothing. He’d be just as lost as Dean was since his girlfriend died.
“Get him over here and I’ll check him. I’ll be able to tell if he’s under another’s control.
If he’s still independent, I’ll do what I can to help.”
Dan let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding. Without Jay’s help he knew
he’d never get to the bottom of things.
“What will you do if he is being influenced by a djinn?” His voice trembled at the end,
but he got the words out. Every muscle in his body tightened as he waited for Jay’s verdict.
Dan couldn’t fight Jay and he wasn’t foolish enough to think he could. That didn’t mean he
wouldn’t do whatever he could to persuade his friend to not kill his lover.
Jay was quiet for a moment as if thinking over his answer carefully. “I’d have to hand
Farren over to the council. They might be able to free him. I can’t do it myself. I’m not strong
enough to battle a djinn or a fire god alone.”
Dan had thought Jay powerful enough to battle anything. It was sort of humbling to
learn there were some things even Jay couldn’t destroy.
Dan hugged Jay again. His friend’s support meant more to him than he could say.
“Thanks, Jay.” Even as he said the words, he hoped his friend wouldn’t have to pull in
the big guns. If Jay called the council they would come running. They still hoped to have Jay
join them in a few years.
“Let’s just hope he comes willingly. I really need to assess him,” Jay mused.
“Yeah, let’s hope.”
Dan dialled Farren’s phone.
He didn’t answer.
Maybe he really had gone to class.
Farren glance at the readout on his phone. Damn, he really needed to call Dan back. His
stomach did backflips as he wondered what to say. What if Dan was calling to apologise?
Farren sighed and shoved his phone back in his pocket. He’d call him later.
Right now he had a mark to decipher and some research to do. Was it possible to fight
fire with fire? Or would Farren end up burning the school down?
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The book he’d checked out on djinn marks had only revealed what Farren had
expected, a djinn lord had claimed him. If the djinn ever became free, he could take over
Farren’s body. No wonder the djinn had wanted Farren to take the lead. How much easier to
stay in charge if you possessed a person already there in a place of power. Farren shuddered
at the thought of his body not being his own.
Farren quickly dropped the book into the return slot. He’d had enough bad news.
Maybe he could read about his avatar and learn more. Anything to take his mind off the
shambles of his love life would be great. Eventually he’d have to talk to Dan. Not now when
the worry over the world was damn near crushing him, but soon.
A quick search on the library computer led him to the third floor to a section on fire
gods. Following the cataloguing system, he turned the corner. A person rose from the desk
where they were seated. Farren’s heart stopped.
“Hello, cousin.”
“Betina.” Farren marvelled a bit at the evenness of his voice.
Memories of torture, both physical and psychological, from her pretty, painted fingers
flashed through his head like cut scenes from a horror movie. The time she’d left him out in
the snow, telling him a real fire mage could stay warm. Maybe they could, but he’d been
three and hadn’t come into his magic yet. The time she’d ‘accidentally’ sliced his wrist open
playing with a knife. Ten stitches later, the family had cuddled Betina for her tears and
ignored Farren’s injury, telling him to man up. Incident after incident while growing up had
taught Farren the truth. Beneath the wide blue eyes and perky blonde curls lived the soul of a
sociopath.
Her familiar friendly grin almost sent him into posttraumatic shock. The tight squeeze
of his avatar around his chest like a supportive hug snapped him out of his daze.
“What are you doing here?” There, he’d managed an entire sentence. Go him!
Betina sauntered closer until they were only one column of library books apart. “We
have someone in common and he wants me to recruit you to our cause.”
Her tone indicated she’d rather suck down sewage. Farren didn’t have to strain his
mind to realise who she was talking about.
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“The djinn sent you.” Farren tightened his magical protective shields. He couldn’t give
her as much as a speck of an opening or she’d have him. Luckily Farren’s magic had come in
stronger than her own or he knew he’d still be at home bent to her will. Instead he’d escaped.
“Yes.” She toyed with one curl in what she probably thought was a fetching manner.
It creeped Farren the hell out.
“Forget it.” Farren’s mouth went dry and a slight tremor rolled through his body, but
he wouldn’t back down.
A cruel smile twisted her mouth. “I think you forget what I can do to you.”
Farren laughed. The sound lacked all amusement. “I’m not a scared little kid for you to
torture anymore, Betina. If you try anything, I will retaliate.”
Betina made an odd choking noise. It took him a moment to realise she was laughing.
“You? There’s nothing you can do. You might have more magic but you’re weak where it
counts. You don’t have the balls to stop me.”
“Stop you from what?” Whatever the djinn’s master plan turned out to be, Farren had
to prevent it.
Betina sniffed. “The master wants you to come into the fold. I told him I could do it.”
“You lied to gain his favour. Nothing new. I’m sure you can lie your way out of it.”
Farren had never seen fear in Betina’s eyes before. “He doesn’t take no for an answer.”
Betina rolled up her sleeve to expose a handprint burned into her flesh.
“You got too close to him.” Farren narrowed his eyes. “You called him without a
protective field.”
“Protection is for pussies,” Betina scoffed.
“Or smart people. If you’d had a protective field, he wouldn’t have been able to hurt
you,” Farren pointed out.
“You always thought you were better than me. That’s why I enjoyed hurting you.”
“A two year old doesn’t have an opinion about who’s better than anyone. You hurt me
because you’re a psychopath. Now you have an equally crazy master. Enjoy.” Farren turned
to walk away, his heart pounding so loudly in his chest he was surprised the librarians
weren’t shushing him.
“If you walk away, I’ll burn down the campus,” Betina said, her tone casual as if they
were discussing the weather.
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Farren spun back around. “It was you!”
He’d known the fires were suspicious, but he’d been blaming himself for it.
“Yep.” Her smug grin had fire crackling along Farren’s fingers.
Only the fact she was immune to fire kept him from trying anything. Besides, what
could he do in a building full of paper products that wouldn’t endanger lives?
“Why?”
“To get your attention, idiot. Unfortunately, you don’t have any sense at all. You could
be top dog. Instead you play along at being a student. You’re better than all of them.”
Anyone else and Farren would’ve thought she was giving a pep talk, but years of
injuries that only healed because of Farren’s magic had his suspicions raised. The only use
Betina had for Farren was to further her own agenda.
“What do you want?”
“Your cooperation. If you don’t get in my way, I won’t kill your lover.”
There was no concern in her eyes. Farren knew she could easily kill someone and sleep
as well as a child hugging its teddy bear. Not all killers gave off angry vibes, some of them
had sweet smiles and empty eyes.
“The djinn is just using you, you know. He calls you his minion.” Farren didn’t know
why he taunted her, but the idea that she could harm Dan had him wanting to hurt her back.
With Betina the quickest way to the core was to insult her ego.
Betina scowled. “He underestimates me. I’ll get everything I need then take over. After
all, I’m going to be the head of the fire people, not that foolish djinn. That’s why I took
Mama’s bracelet after all. Too bad she wouldn’t just hand it over.”
Shock held Farren still for a moment. “What are you talking about?”
Betina smiled the slow Cheshire cat smile he’d always hated. When it came to the
family, she’d always had the inside track. Good behaviour was not rewarded. “I thought that
would get your attention.”
“What did you do to your mother?” Aunt Jane had always been too busy to pay
attention to Farren but whenever she bothered to notice what was going on, she’d hold
Betina responsible. That had always been good for a few days reprieve before his cousin
started terrorizing him again. Flashbacks still hit him in the middle of the night. Sometimes
he still woke up screaming.
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“I persuaded her to give me her bracelet. She was resistant at first, but I made her see
things my way,” Betina said. She flicked back her hair with her silver-tipped nails. “Don’t
look at me that way. I didn’t kill her, yet.”
Farren clenched his fingers into fists. Only with a great deal of self-control did he unfurl
them. This wasn’t the time or the place to battle his cousin. She didn’t care how many people
she injured. The fact she’d casually mentioned killing her own mother told Farren she’d
finally cracked that last restraint on her sanity.
“You’re making a mistake.” Farren didn’t try to sugarcoat it even as he knew she
wouldn’t pay attention to what he said.
A wide smile crossed her face, giving her the look of an evil doll. Her curly blonde hair
only helped with the illusion.
“Well, I’m sure you can think of something to stop me.” Betina’s glee only enforced
Farren’s fear. “And you aren’t like Mom. I mean after what happened to her, I’m sure you
must be worried.”
Farren sighed. Betina would string out the suspense like chewing gum, only delaying
the inevitable mess. “What happened to her?”
“Doctors say she lost control of her gift. What, no one called you?”
A flush of anger rushed through Farren. For a second he lost a smidgen of his hard-won
control. The fire serpent slithered down his body then headed towards Betina with slinky
grace.
“Wh-what’s that!” Fear crossed Betina’s face. “G-get it away from me.”
“It’s just a snake.” Farren smiled. He’d forgotten about her fear of reptiles. Betina had
been bitten as a kid and had never recovered from the trauma. Whenever she spotted one she
set them on fire. Fire serpents couldn’t be handled like that. A sliver of optimism had Farren
stepping forward. “You might want to reconsider your plans, Betina. My avatar will hunt
you down if you don’t leave me alone.”
“I-it can’t hurt me.”
Farren should’ve been the bigger person. He scrambled to find his moral high ground.
Huh, apparently his morals had hit a flood plain.
“You’re probably safe. I mean he’s only made from divine fire. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
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He truly didn’t think the snake could hurt Betina. One of the benefits of being a fire
djinn descendent was they were all fireproof. However, there were different types of fire, and
a super-heated god flame might have different qualities.
Betina stepped back and away from the avatar. “I’ll get even with you for this, Farren.
When I’m running the world you’ll wish you’d been nicer.”
Before Farren could retaliate, Betina fled.
Farren sighed then leaned against the closest bookcase. The musty smell of old volumes
and the crackle of arcane knowledge soothed him. His snake slid back to him and up Farren’s
leg to settle once more around his wrist.
“I’m going to have to name you eventually.”
Farren had held out the hope that Xiuhcoatl would change his mind and come back for
his offspring. The longer the snake stayed with him and bonded, the less likely that hope
appeared to be realistic.
“My life just keeps getting weirder and weirder.”
Giving up on his research for the day, Farren headed outside. He pulled out his phone
and dialled a number he’d thought he’d never call again.
“Hi, Dad, it’s Farren.”
He’d vowed never to call home, but he had to find out what was going on. How had
Betina come in direct contact with the djinn?
“Farren, what did you call for?” His father’s voice wasn’t welcoming, but he didn’t
hang up either.
“I just had a visit from Betina.”
The silence over the line hung heavy between them.
“Really?” His father’s voice shook.
“Yes, did you know she was in town?”
“I had heard she might travel that way.” His dad’s voice had gone cautious.
Great! Thanks for the warning! Farren kept the words inside. It wouldn’t do any good to
vent. His father would have to care for them to have any affect.
“Is it true Aunt Jane is in the hospital?” Betina wasn’t above lying.
The long pause wasn’t encouraging.
“Yes, they don’t know if she’s going to make it.”
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“Why didn’t anyone call me?”
“Why would we?”
Farren opened his mouth to object. Instead he disconnected the call. The pain of being
unwanted hadn’t faded with time. His mother had died when Farren was a young child.
Farren barely remembered her. The rest of his family had stepped around him as if he didn’t
exist. All except Betina. She’d gone out of her way to torment him.
Despite the consequences, Farren needed help. His first impulse was to tell Dan, but he
didn’t want his lover involved. What if Betina got hold of Dan? He couldn’t chance it. Maybe
he could talk to the council. However, the chances of powerful wizards listening to Farren
were minimal.
Frustrated and exhausted, Farren headed back to the triplets’ dorm. He needed sleep.
He hadn’t fully recovered. He thought briefly of going to the wolf pack party, but he didn’t
have the energy. He just wanted sleep.
Exhausted, Farren stripped down to his boxer shorts climbed into bed. Maybe things
would look better in the morning. Or maybe worse. Probably worse with his current run of
luck. At least his pillow smelt of Dan.
The sound of the door slamming snapped Farren out of his slumber. Before he could
summon his fire, he recognised the intruders. Dan stood on the threshold with his brothers.
Dan scooted onto the bed beside Farren. “Babe, we need to talk.”
“Why? What’s going on?” Farren’s voice shook. He had a bad feeling about this.
“No.” Dan took Farren’s hands in his own. “Jay told me about the mark on your
shoulder.”
“What about it?” Farren’s muscles tensed, trembled. The axe would fall on him soon,
severing his first serious relationship.
“Dude, you’re a djinn!” Devin shouted. “What the fuck! I thought all you guys were
dead or exiled.”
Farren rubbed his palms along the blanket. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No, honey.” Dan’s gentle touch melted Farren faster than djinn fire to wax. “But I want
you to come see my friend Jay.”
“Why?”
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Dan carded his fingers through Farren’s hair, a soothing pet. “Am I right in thinking the
fires have something to do with you?”
“I didn’t start them,” Farren protested.
“But you know about them,” Dean said. “Don’t you.”
Farren wished he could deny it, but he wouldn’t lie to Dan. “Maybe it would be better if
I go?”
“No, you need to come share what you know.” Dan squeezed Farren’s arm. “Please, for
me.”
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Chapter Eight
For a long heart-aching minute, Dan thought Farren would deny him. Farren’s sad
expression twisted Dan up inside.
“Okay, for you.” Farren kissed Dan’s forehead. “Let me get dressed.”
Dan stood and motioned his brothers away. He followed them out of the bedroom.
“Let’s give him a minute.”
“Hey, we’ll get this straightened out.” Dean squeezed Dan’s shoulder. “Farren’s a good
guy and we’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“Maybe in time for me to go back to the party and pick up a sexy wolf.” Devin grinned.
Dan had left the party when Farren didn’t pick up his calls. He’d been relieved to find
his lover sleeping. Without his brothers here, he probably would’ve crawled between the
covers with Farren and called it a day.
“Stay focused, Dan. Don’t let a pair of puppy eyes sway you from your course. We need
to find out what’s going on,” Dean said.
Dan sighed. “Yeah, I know. I just don’t want to ruin this. I really like him, Dean. I think
he’s the one for me.”
Devin groaned. “Why does everyone want to settle down? You’re young, Dan. You
have years before you need to find your forever guy. It’s not like college is your last chance.
You don’t exactly have one foot in the senior home.”
“I know.” Dan ran his fingers through his hair. “But I don’t want to dump him and ruin
the rest of my life either. He’s the one Dean. I know you don’t understand it, but he’s it for
me.”
Palming his eyes, Dan brushed away his tears. Without Farren, there’d be a gaping hole
where his heart used to be.
“Hey, what are you two doing?” Farren wrapped a protective arm around Dan then
kissed Dan’s cheek. “You upset him.”
Heat poured off Farren. Dan kissed him hard, hoping to distract his lover from
incinerating his siblings. “Come with me, babe. We’ll go see Jay.”
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Dan couldn’t lose sight of their goal. He had to get Farren to Jay.
Farren pressed his forehead to Dan’s. “I really like you, Dan, but I’m bad news. I have a
lot of baggage following me around.”
He could almost hear the words Farren wished to say. He quickly intercepted. “Forget
it. I’m not letting you dump me. Let’s go.”
Grabbing Farren’s arm, he dragged his lover out of the building. The pack’s limo waited
by the kerb.
“You were that sure of me?” Farren asked.
Dean laughed. “Dan thought that much of his persuasive skills.”
Dan scowled at his brother. If this wasn’t the first time he’d seen his brother smile in
months he would’ve smacked him in the back of the head. “I was hopeful.”
He hustled Farren into the limo before Farren could come up with a reason to avoid
him.
“I don’t know if you should hold out much hope,” Farren said. “I’m kind of a mess.
You might come to wish I’d left you.”
Dan snuggled closer to Farren until they sat thigh to thigh. He couldn’t imagine
anything so bad he’d dump Farren. He scooted away as a horrible thought insinuated itself
into his head. “You aren’t cheating on me, are you?”
Farren’s mouth dropped open. It took him one heart-stopping moment before he
replied. “Why do you keep going there? I wouldn’t cheat on you.”
“Oh, good.” Dan relaxed back against the seat, ignoring his brothers’ mocking
expressions. He’d kick them later. It was too closed inside the limo to get power behind his
kick.
Dan kept his attention on Farren. He had the strangest sensation if he turned away, his
lover would vanish. Maybe he’d read too many fairy tales about genies.
“Can you disappear in a puff of smoke?” Devin asked.
Dan snorted. He shouldn’t have been surprised, he and his brothers had grown up on
the same stories.
“No.” Farren narrowed his eyes at Devin.
Farren didn’t elaborate on what he could do, instead he turned his attention out the
window, his jaw tight. Dan ached to wrap himself around Farren but he doubted Farren
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wanted cuddles from him. Hopefully he hadn’t ruined the best thing that had ever happened
to him by magical prejudice.
Too quickly they pulled up in front of the pack house. The building wasn’t as brilliantly
lit as when they’d left. The party was winding down. Even as they climbed the pack steps,
more people were stumbling out the door.
He glanced over to see Devin pouting. He’d have to find a way to make it up to his
brother. Devin had been looking forward to the pack party for months.
Jay met them in the entryway. A lurid teeth print marked the smooth skin of his neck.
Thomas stood beside him. The wolf shifter didn’t like strangers around his mate, especially
magic users. Dan suspected Thomas would always worry that the bond wasn’t as strong on
his mate’s side since Jay wasn’t a wolf.
“Farren, this is our friend Jaynell and his mate Thomas. Jay this is my boyfriend
Farren.” Dan hoped Farren still considered them dating. It would kill him if it turned out
Farren decided to dump him after all.
Jay stepped forward to shake hands.
Thomas growled.
“Stop that. I need to get a feel for his magic.” Jay flashed a glare at his mate before
taking the remaining steps to shake Farren’s hand.
When the two men touched, Dan had a brief impression of two titans of power clashing
up against each other. Jay shivered before he released Dan’s hand. Thomas stepped forward,
growling protectively. Dan rushed over to Farren’s side. He didn’t try to stare down the wolf
shifter, he wasn’t an idiot, but he placed himself between Thomas and Dan.
“Are we done with our pissing match?” Farren arched a dark brow as he took in the
aggression pouring off Thomas.
Jay laughed. “I think I’m going to like you. You have the most amazing aura.”
Dan bit his lip to stop from asking. Although he could see auras when Jay held his
hand, he’d yet to master the skill.
“Um, thanks, I guess.”
“It’s a compliment.” Dan nudged Farren.
The wizard’s keen eyes took in Farren. “I didn’t know there were any fire djinn
remaining. No offence.”
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Farren flushed. “My family is one of the few with fire djinn blood. Most of us don’t
have much magic.”
“But you’re very powerful.” Jay’s eyes glowed. Dan knew Jay was examining Farren
with his other sight. Jay could see more than most wizards. “In fact I’ve never seen such
strong fire magic before.”
Farren shifted restlessly beside Dan. Dan squeezed Farren’s shoulder, trying to keep
him calm. The temperature of the room rose the longer the conversation continued. The fire
snake bracelet wiggled as if responding to the increase in magic.
“Hey, Farren, don’t boil us okay?” Devin’s forehead was beaded with sweat.
Dan silently agreed, but he’d bake in his jeans before he commented. The temperature
dropped several degrees. A collective sigh went around the room.
“Thanks,” Dan whispered.
Farren granted him a small smile, but Dan considered it a victory. At least Farren hadn’t
completely shut him out yet. Dan didn’t know how he’d cope if Farren truly dumped him.
He needed Farren. The spark in his eyes, the small half-smile he offered when he wasn’t
ready to commit to a laugh, all of Farren’s little quirks twisted Dan’s heart until he knew it
would never beat properly again without Farren by his side.
“Let’s go up to the library and discuss what’s been going on.” Jay motioned towards the
stairs.
Farren’s muscles bunched beneath Dan’s hand. “Easy, love, we’re just going to talk.”
Fear coated his throat. What if Jay found Farren unmanageable? He didn’t know if he
could watch Jay capture his lover.
“I won’t be held.” Farren’s challenging gaze had Jay looking away.
“Understood. I just want to talk,” Jay assured him.
Farren nodded and followed Jay’s path up the stairs. For the first time, Dan saw the raw
power beneath his shy boyfriend. Farren had been hiding his strength, no doubt banking it to
keep from drawing the attention of the staff.
“Does it hurt?” Dan blurted out the question. not even certain why he’d asked.
“Does what hurt?” Farren paused on the third step to face Dan.
“Holding back all that power?”
“Yes.” Farren’s mouth tightened to a straight line. “Sometimes it’s excruciating.”
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Without another word he continued up the steps.
Dan’s heart spun wildly in his chest. Could magic kill someone from the inside? A flash
of something dangling from Farren’s belt loop caught his attention.
He waited until they were all in the library before he asked the question hovering on his
lips. “What’s that?”
Farren followed his pointed finger and lifted the item. “My lamp. The djinn gave it to
me to store my excess power.”
“The djinn gave it to you?”
Farren nodded.
“I didn’t know they could carry things through planes. Where did you meet him?”
Before Farren spoke, Jay motioned to the furniture. “Everyone, please sit. This might take a
while.”
Thomas settled on the arm of Jay’s chair and Dan sat beside Farren on the couch. He
guessed they both were feeling protective of their mates.
Mate.
Dan knew wizards didn’t mate like shifters, but nothing else could explain the
obsessive, driving need he had to keep Farren close and out of trouble.
Farren licked his lips nervously. Dan’s mind flashed back to all the other delightful
things Farren did with that tongue.
“Focus,” Thomas growled.
Dan pulled his eyes away from Farren’s face. He shrugged at the wolf shifter. He
wouldn’t apologise for finding his man attractive any more than Thomas had for almost
kidnapping Jay from the pizza parlour at their first meeting.
At first Farren used his words sparingly as if there was a shortage of vowels and
consonants and he had to pull the most use out of each sound. Once he got started, the story
spilled out like something from a paranormal soap opera.
By the time he finished with the story of his snake chasing off his cousin, Jay had
moved to the edge of his seat, his eyes wide. “That’s incredible. You are an inter-dimensional
wizard. That’s even rarer than djinn.”
“What?” Farren’s forehead furrowed adorably. Dan resisted the urge to plant a kiss in
the middle of his wrinkled nose.
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“A wizard who can pull beings from one dimension to another. You are lucky the djinn
is focused on your blood instead of your wizarding abilities.”
“But if Betina contacted the djinn, doesn’t that mean she’s one too?” Dan asked.
Jay shook his head. “Once Farren called him, it would have been easier for the djinn to
talk to others.”
Farren made a strangled sound. “Does that mean I’ve opened a gate for the djinn to
come through?”
The horror in Farren’s voice had Dan rubbing his lover’s back trying to inject some
soothing. Farren sounded on the edge of panic. Dan could feel Farren’s heart pounding from
the beat on his back.
Jay shook his head. “Not necessarily. I think you opened more of a tear. Probably only
his children can pull him through temporarily. If you’d opened it fully, I’m sure we’d be
hearing about a lot more fires around town. That doesn’t mean it can’t be widened. We need
to go to the site where you first called the djinn. I can see if there are further holes in the veil
between planes.”
“Okay, yeah.” Farren’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down in his throat. “I can show
you.”
“Are you going to call the council?” Dean asked.
Jay shook his head. “Not if I can help it. They are pretty cut and dried when it comes to
djinn. If they even suspect Farren is one of them, they might try to send him to the other
plane.
“No!” Dan gripped Farren’s arm as if he could keep his boyfriend there by his hold
alone.
Farren patted Dan’s hand before jutting his chin out as if preparing for a blow. “If that’s
what is needed to keep the world safe, I am willing.”
“Let’s not throw you on the sacrificial pyre just yet.” Jay’s bone-dry voice had Dan
biting his lip to hold back a laugh.
This wasn’t the time for laughter. There were serious issues at hand. Maybe a hysterical
giggle or two were reasonable, but Dan pushed them back. He had to be strong for Farren.
“I’m so fucked.” Farren planted his face in his hands.
“Not yet, but if we get through this, I’m sure Dan can oblige you,” Devin said.
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Farren groaned.
“Come on, love. Let’s go to the practice stadium. We need to trap the djinn.”
“Farren, if you don’t mind, could you let me see your avatar before we go?”
Farren lifted his head. “Why?”
“I need to assess how much of your power is your snake and how much is yours.”
“Oh, okay.” Farren closed his eyes. Only a few heartbeats passed before the bracelet
shimmered then uncoiled from his wrist. After a brief hesitation it slid down his leg, flicking
its tongue out to scent the room’s occupants.
“Come on out, little guy!” Jay coaxed.
“Um…he’s not that little,” Farren said.
Dan watched the small snake slither halfway across the floor. “He’s not exactly a giant
either.”
“He fluctuates according to the level of danger,” Farren explained.
“Fascinating, I’ve never heard of an avatar that did that before,” Jay said.
“Have you heard of one being assigned by a god?” Dan asked.
“No, I have to admit that’s new too,” Jay said. Not once did he let his gaze wander from
the serpent.
The fire snake stopped midway between Farren and Jay. It rose up until only the last
few inches of its tail touched the ground. Before the group’s surprised gaze, the snake
gradually increased in size. Dan blinked and missed the next growth spurt. The snake went
from tiny to a behemoth. Hissing, in small snake form had been adorable. In scary, horror-
movie size, Dan worried it might attack.
“Shh, it’s all right,” Farren reassured the reptile. “No one wants to hurt you.”
Dan didn’t call Farren out on his lie, right now he’d be happy to leave without fangs
piecing his skin. The pressure of magic increased in the room. Farren swiped a thumb across
his keychain, immediately decreasing some of the crackling energy swirling about.
“That was you?” Dan asked.
Farren shrugged. “I told you I have an overabundance sometimes.”
Dan couldn’t argue Farren had warned them. However, telling and experiencing
weren’t the same. He’d never known anyone with so much magic that they actually had to
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purge their system. Jay’s magic rivalled everyone Dan knew, but Farren existed on a
different level. Dan had to make sure that no matter what, no one could banish his lover.
The serpent bobbed its head as it examined Jay.
Jay’s eyes lit with an eerie glow as he watched the serpent back. The weird light in his
eyes only lasted a minute, but when it vanished, Jay collapsed against the back of his chair as
if he’d run a marathon.
“You are beloved by the fire god, Xiuhcoatl. He thinks you are the salvation of those
who carry the essence of fire. The snake only has totem magic, meaning he can protect you
but can’t do any true magic of his own. All the power we feel is yours.”
“Great.” Farren narrowed his eyes at Jay. “What does that mean?”
Jay smiled. “It means together we have enough power between us all to stop a djinn
from taking over the world.”
A weight floated off Dan’s chest. He hadn’t realised how much he’d been holding his
breath in anticipation of Jay’s conclusion. Even if Jay had decided they needed to turn Farren
in to the council, Dan knew he would’ve fought for him.
“What’s our plan?” There had to be one, Jay always had a plan.
“We trap Betina then call the djinn and give him our demands.” Jay’s calm tone
deceived Dan for a moment.
“Have you lost your mind? What kind of demands can we make of a djinn?” Dan
asked.
Thomas slid a caressing hand over Jay’s head as if he supported his mate’s idiotic idea.
“Between Farren and I, we can convince him to either keep his ass in his realm or we’ll
make his life extremely uncomfortable.” Jay patted Thomas’ leg.
“How do we plan on doing that?” Farren entwined his fingers with Dan’s and set them
on his knee.
“I did some research on djinn,” Jay said, a thoughtful expression on his lean face. “You
need to find his name.”
“I thought of that. The library doesn’t have any information on the djinn, not that I
could find.” Frustration crossed Farren’s face. “My family only referred to him as Father or
Grandfather, never by name.”
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Dan fought the urge to cuddle Farren closer. He wished he could help his mate.
Tightening his grip, he tried to convey his support through touch. He wished they were
alone so he could reassure Farren that he wouldn’t abandon his lover.
“Easy, Dan, he’ll be fine.” Dean’s voice slid through Dan’s head. His brother trying to
lend his calm to Dan’s panicked inner jabbering.
Dan nodded indicating he’d heard. He wished sometimes he could talk back to Dean
mind-to-mind, but he could already share his brothers’ emotions, being in their heads all the
time would be too overwhelming.
“You won’t find what you need in the library,” Jay said. Dan noticed Jay’s tone had
shifted into what Dan privately called ‘Jay’s teaching mode’. “You need to check your family
bible or wherever your relatives keep history of your family. Whoever tracks your family
genealogy will have the name listed somewhere. I’m betting your cousin called the djinn
using his proper name but didn’t have the power to control him. A name is a powerful thing
but not the only item needed to overcome a mystical entity.”
Farren cleared his throat. “My Aunt Jane is the matriarch. If anyone has the
information, it will be her.”
“Is that the aunt in the hospital?” Dan asked, not knowing how many aunts Farren
might have. In the short time they’d been dating, Farren hadn’t been exactly forthcoming
with family information.
“Yeah. I’ll have to go home.”
If the sudden loss of feeling in his left hand was any indication, Dan didn’t anticipate it
being a happy visit.
“Your cousin doesn’t sound like the type to want to share her magic with anyone. Why
do you think she recruited the djinn?” Jay asked, his gaze fixed on the fire serpent. The
creature had tired of staring at Jay and coiled up like a cat by Farren’s left foot. Dan couldn’t
resist scooting his own feet closer. The snake poured off heat like a fireplace.
“You are right, Jay, but I think Betina has a higher goal in mind.”
“And that would be what?” Jay narrowed his eyes as if waiting to hear the worst.
“My magic. I’ve always been stronger than her. She wants to drain me dry and take my
power. She’s crazy.” Farren announced it like he was talking about the weather. The sky was
blue, the grass was green and his psychotic cousin was trying to take over the world.
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“Find out the name of the djinn and you can wrest whatever concessions she has from
him. He can’t serve two masters, but he will help the strongest. Djinn are opportunists.” Jay
gave Farren an apologetic smile.
“It’s not like I haven’t heard that before. My childhood was filled with the history of the
once bright and powerful djinn.” Farren’s mouth twisted into a wry grimace. “I didn’t
believe most of them until now.”
Dan rubbed Farren’s arm. “Would they think anything about you bringing a boyfriend
home?”
He subtly probed for whether Farren was out or not with the finesse of a drunken
elephant marching through a China store. Did they even have China stores anymore?
Farren slid their joined hands across his cheek as if reassuring himself through their
combined touch. “They don’t care enough about me to be bothered over whether I’m gay or
not.”
The hurt in Farren’s voice cut Dan to the core. He couldn’t imagine such indifference.
Abuse could take many forms, neglect was just as painful as many other kinds. His magic
flared unexpectedly, his protective instincts swirling around with the driving urge to beat the
shit out of Farren’s father.
“I won’t let you go alone. What if Betina is just waiting for that move?” Dan didn’t
know how far in advance Betina had planned, but he wouldn’t let his man walk into a trap.
“You aren’t going without us,” Dean spoke up.
Dan opened his mouth to argue. After all, he didn’t need his brothers to watch his back
all the time, but the pain in Dean’s eyes had him snapping it shut again. His girlfriend’s
death had made Dean a little clingy. Dan could tell Dean worried that once he left, Dan
might never come back.
Farren dropped Dan’s hand to squeeze his shoulder. “That’s fine. I’ll be happy to have
you all come.”
If he hadn’t already loved him, Dan would have tumbled helplessly, head-over-heels at
that very moment.
“What’s your cousin’s avatar?” Thomas asked, unexpectedly joining the conversation.
“A small fire dragon. She usually keeps it in her purse, and he looks miserable.”
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“A dragon small enough to fit inside a purse, how delightful. I wonder what that would
be like?” Thomas gave his mate a pointed glare.
Jay rolled his eyes. “Do you think she’ll continue her rampage if you’re out of town, or
does she need an audience?”
There was a pause as Farren considered his answer. “I think she’ll want me to witness
her actions. I’m the only one who understands what she’s doing. But she’d have to know I
was gone for her behaviour to change.”
“Leave that to me,” Jay offered. “I’ll make sure she gets the message.”
Dan resisted the urge to ask how. Sometimes what you didn’t know was more
important to avoid arrest.
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Chapter Nine
Farren stood on the sidewalk in the exact middle of the school. The triplets were lined
up before him in a semicircle. “Have you guys used ley lines to travel before?”
They nodded in eerie synchronicity. Creepy.
He caught Dan’s smirk before his boyfriend hid it.
“You’re just screwing with me aren’t you?”
Devin laughed. “Pretty much.”
Tension unfurled from Farren’s gut, similar to watching his snake uncoiling. He’d been
strung up tight ever since he’d realised he’d have to go home to find out the truth. Leaving
had been the best thing he’d ever done. Going back was almost physically painful. He hoped
he’d survive it a second time. Dan’s fingers slid along his, soothing and calming. A melting
sensation of pure serenity poured across him like warm butter.
“What are you doing?” It had to be Dan. Farren had never experienced this level of
peace before.
“Magical medication. I took the three hundred level course. It’s to help unwind after a
day of spell casting.”
“Mmm.” Farren would have to investigate that course. Maybe major in it.
“If you’re done wrapping your boyfriend up in your essence, can we get going? The
campus isn’t going to fireproof itself.” Dean tapped his foot.
Farren burst into laughter. It wasn’t funny, not really but the lack of stress from Dan’s
technique and the relief in knowing he didn’t have to do this alone had taken its toll. Now he
had someone on his side. The entire time he’d been growing up, he’d have given anything
for even one person to speak up against Betina and take Farren’s point of view into
consideration. Even once.
He nodded to Dean. “Let’s go.”
The ley line Farren accessed was an ancient one, and no doubt one of the reasons the
school was positioned where it was. He closed his eyes to block outside noises but kept his
hold on Dan. If anything went wrong, he didn’t want to lose Dan along the way. No matter
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what the triplets said, he had a feeling their experience of travelling by ley lines was minimal.
Farren had mastered it at ten to escape his cousin Betina. Unfortunately, with nowhere else to
go, he had always returned in the end.
Resolutely pushing aside the bad memories, Farren concentrated on his home. The line
of power that went from the university to Farren’s hometown was only a mile or so away
from his father’s house and even closer to the hospital. He hoped they could get in and out
before his relatives came clamouring about. They only cared about him when they needed
help, and Farren didn’t think there was one among them who deserved assistance of any
kind.
Opening his mind, Farren embraced the energy, his body turning into a being of pure
light as he jumped.
The earth met his feet again with a jarring surge as gravity realigned.
Dan gasped beside him.
“You okay?” Farren smiled.
Dan’s hair stuck up on all sides like a supercharged carpet had zapped him. His eyes
were wider than Farren had ever seen before.
“Um. Yeah. I’m fine.”
Before Farren could tease him further, Dean and Devin appeared. Now there were three
men who resembled pissed off cats with their hair standing on end. Farren self-consciously
ran a hand over his to make sure it had settled.
“How come you look like that and we look like troll dolls?” Devin asked, outrage
colouring his voice. If annoyance could have a colour, Devin would’ve been a bright red.
“I’ve travelled by ley line a lot. I’m guessing you three haven’t.”
“We did to get to the school…once,” Dean confessed.
Farren squeezed Dan’s hand. “Next time tell me if you haven’t had much experience in
something. I know some tricks to help you along.”
Devin snorted. “I bet you say that to all the cute boys.”
Farren paused for a moment. “You know, you’re right. Didn’t I say that to you, Dan?”
Dan tapped his chin as he pretended to think about it. “No, you said lube, more lube. I
remember it quite clearly.”
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Laughter cleared the air. After a moment, Farren pointed down the street. “The hospital
is this way.” He repositioned the pack on his shoulders for comfort. “Let’s go talk to my
aunt.”
Farren’s nerves stretched taut as he thought over what to say to his aunt. The hospital
loomed above them. “Hey, maybe I should talk to her alone.”
“No.” Dan’s tone didn’t allow for any wiggle room. “We don’t know who is inside or if
she’s innocent. She could be in on it with her daughter for all we know. It’s not like she
protected you as a child.”
He wished he could argue with Dan’s logic, but the words wouldn’t come. After a
childhood of hell, Farren knew he couldn’t put his faith in any of his relatives. He nodded,
not trusting his voice. Dan’s support meant more to him than his lover would ever know.
Trusting Dan and his brothers was a big step.
They easily made their way to the third floor of the hospital after discovering his aunt’s
whereabouts from a friendly nurse.
“She wanted in your pants bad, dude,” Devin teased.
“Well she can’t have them, they’re mine.” Dan’s tone ended his brother’s teasing right
there.
A peek at Dan’s face almost had Farren trying to swallow his tongue. His easygoing
lover had a fierce expression in his eyes like a warrior ready to battle for his kingdom.
“Hey, we’ll get through this.” Farren patted Dan’s arm.
At least he’d make sure Dan survived. If anyone was going to make it through this
thing, it was Dan and his brothers. He didn’t care about Devin and Dean as much, but he
knew Dan would be lost without the other two. Farren would sacrifice everything before he
let the djinn or his cousin harm a hair on the triplets’ heads.
His boots rang hollowly against the blue speckled hospital tiles and the smell of
antiseptic singed his nose as he approached his aunt’s room. He pressed a hand to his
suddenly queasy stomach and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with false courage.
Dan gripped Farren’s shoulder. “Come on, babe, you can do this.”
Farren nodded. Yeah he could do this. He had to. If he didn’t get the information he
needed, they were all dead.
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Forcing his feet to propel him forward, Farren entered the room. He bit his lip to hold
back a gasp at the sight of his aunt. His powerful Aunt Jane who’d featured in the few bright
notes of his childhood lay on the hospital bed like a corpse. Her normally pink complexion
had turned chalk white and wrinkles Farren had never noticed before draped her face.
Where had his energetic aunt gone?
He approached the bed and saw there were tubes in her arms, but her mouth wasn’t
covered, leading him to think she was breathing just fine on her own. Farren silently cursed
his lack of medical magic. His healing skills were minimal, almost non-existent.
“She looks drained.” Farren couldn’t put it any other way. It was as if someone had
sucked out all her energy through a straw and only the tired shell remained.
“I can hear you, boy.” Even her voice had a brittle quality, like dry straw, each word
breaking at the end.
“Sorry, Aunt Jane, I needed to come talk to you.”
Her eyes snapped open and for a moment they flashed black with only a thin ring of
gold around the edge. “What has she done?”
“She’s trying to open a portal and allow a djinn through. She thinks she can overpower
him and make him her slave.”
“She can’t.” Aunt Jane closed her eyes as if that ended the issue.
“I know, she’s not strong enough.”
She shook her head slowly as if even that motion took all her remaining energy. “She’s
only a fire mage. She isn’t djinn.”
“What?”
A long, slow sigh emitted from his aunt. “She doesn’t know she’s adopted. I wasn’t able
to have children, so when a fire mage couple died in a crash, I took her in.”
Farren furrowed his brow. “Wouldn’t the djinn have known the difference?”
A hard, rasping cough shook his aunt’s frame. “Yes, it is using her as a pawn.”
“Wait, how did she call the djinn in the first place?” Dan asked.
Farren squeezed his mate’s arm, glad Dan had stepped forward. His mind was still
reeling over the fact his cousin wasn’t his blood. It shouldn’t have mattered, but the amount
of relief he experienced at not sharing Betina’s DNA was almost overwhelming.
Aunt Jane flushed, bringing a bit of colour back in her cheeks. “She stole my bracelet.”
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“I know. She told me. I’m not sure what it does.”
“The silver lamp charm allows a person to speak with a djinn.”
Tension relaxed in Farren’s chest. “She can’t pull him through then?”
“No. At least not on her own, but he might be able to get her to construct a portal.”
“Crap.” If a portal was established, more than just the one djinn could return to their
plane. “Aunt Jane, I need to know the djinn’s name.”
She pressed her lips into a flat line as if trying to resist speaking.
“If I’m going to stop Betina, I need that name,” Farren insisted. Time for pussyfooting
around the past was over. Farren’s entire future depended on him getting the djinn’s name.
Farren went for the jugular. “You owe it to me, Aunt Jane. Betina made my life hell.”
Sweat beaded his aunt’s brow. “I know. I should’ve done more to control her. I am
sorry. His name is Jahangir. He is the leader of the djinn and your grandfather.”
“Thank you. Wait, he’s the leader of the djinn?” Great! Not just any random djinn but
the freaking leader. Yep, his life just kept getting better.
“Yes. One of the things we’ve been hiding is you are the remaining descendent of the
djinn Jahangir, the ruler of the djinn. There are no others as powerful as you because djinn
magic skips a generation. Your mother and I shared the fire magic of your grandmother but
we have no other djinn powers. Jahangir has been waiting for you to grow up. You are his
master plan. Betina is only a pawn. I know she made your life difficult, but she’s my only
child. If you can save her, please try. If you can’t”—a tear dripped down her cheek—“I’ll
understand.”
Farren patted his aunt’s hand. “I will do what is necessary to save our world.”
He refused to make empty promises, especially when he didn’t really care if Betina
survived.
“Thank you.” She closed her eyes.
He didn’t know if she was truly asleep, but he had learned all he needed to. Farren
turned and headed out of his aunt’s room and away from the pall of sickness and death. He
couldn’t stand hospitals. His phobia wasn’t rational, but he detested the places. The swish of
uniforms, the squeak of orthopaedic shoes and the constant announcements over the
intercom rubbed against Farren’s nerves. He’d spent too much time in hospitals as a kid.
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After multiple ‘accidents’, they’d started taking care of him at home, but not before he’d
come to despise the look of pity in the nurses’ eyes.
No one would go against his father and question what happened at home, and his
father’s scorn at Farren not being man enough to take on his cousin had only eroded Farren’s
self-esteem. He couldn’t explain to his callous parent that it wasn’t a matter of not being
strong, but if he’d truly unleashed his power, he would’ve killed them all. Some days he
wondered why he hadn’t.
“Hey, are you okay, babe?” Dan’s voice, warm with concern, and a gentle touch to his
elbow pulled Farren out of his dark thoughts.
“Yeah.” He brushed away the wetness from his cheeks, refusing to let the memories
tear him apart like the reality had to his childhood.
“Let’s get back and put our djinn in his place. If we end up having to kill your cousin,
leave that bitch to me.” Dan’s sweet tenor held a sharp edge.
Surprised, Farren examined Dan’s face closely. He’d never seen his lover bloodthirsty
before. “Are you all right?”
Dan shook his head. “Whenever I hear about how they’ve treated you I get furious.
Let’s get out of here before I decide to smother your aunt with a pillow.”
Farren laughed. The angst and anger vanished from his body as if Dan had erased them
from his chest. “I love you.” The words blurted out before he could stop them.
Dan came to a standstill in the middle of the hallway. “Now? This is where you decide
to share that you love me?”
“I guess I could’ve picked a different spot.” Farren could feel his cheeks heating. “I just
had to tell you.”
He let it hang that he didn’t know if they were getting out of there alive. It was pretty
much a given that the odds weren’t necessarily in their favour.
Dan cupped Farren’s cheeks and touched foreheads. “We will get out of this. You are
mine, and I don’t let anything of mine get away.”
“I second that,” Devin said. “I still have scars from Thanksgiving one year when Dan
wanted the last drumstick.”
Dan grinned. “It was a tiny mark, you’re just a big pussy.”
“It took forever to heal,” Devin pouted.
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Dean smacked Devin on the back of the head. “Cope.”
Stifling his laughter, Farren followed the brothers down the street to the ley line. His
thoughts spun in his mind as he considered everything his aunt had told him. Did Betina
know she was adopted? Was that why she was intent on bringing back the djinn, to prove
she was just as strong as Farren?
“I just don’t understand why she’d think bringing the djinn back to this plane is a good
idea.” Farren rubbed the back of his neck as they positioned themselves for transport.
“Insane people don’t need to have sound judgement,” Devin said. “Haven’t you
watched any superhero movies?”
Farren didn’t have a response for that so he focused instead on getting them all back to
campus.
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Chapter Ten
They gathered together at the pack house library. Jay and Thomas were cuddled
together on a couch and the rest of them were strewn about the room.
“How were things while I was gone?” Farren asked.
Dan saw the nerves run across Farren’s face. His lover’s anxiety almost pulsed across
the room with the level of his stress.
“Betina laid low. There weren’t any fires or other unexplained events,” Jay assured
them.
“Good. Now I need to find a way to lure her out so I can take the bracelet back,” Farren
said.
Dan could see stress causing lines to bracket Farren’s mouth. The poor guy hadn’t had
an easy childhood and it didn’t look like his twenties were going much better. Dan rubbed
Farren’s arm. “We’ll take care of her. Once she doesn’t have the bracelet, she won’t have the
power to call the djinn.”
“Make no mistake, she doesn’t need the bracelet to cause problems,” Farren warned.
“We’ll hand her over to the council,” Jay promised. “My word will be enough for them
to jail her until they can get her to confess to her crimes.”
“How will they get her to confess?” Farren asked, then shook his head. “Never mind, I
don’t want to know. I can’t afford to feel bad for her. She’ll take advantage if I give her an
inch.”
The fact Farren could feel any compassion for the bitch who’d made his childhood hell
had Dan toppling even harder in love with him.
“How do we find her?” Dan asked. He slid over until their thighs touched, trying to
convey his support of Farren.
Jay answered him. “If Farren returns to his regular schedule, his cousin will show up.”
Farren raised one dark brow. “How can you be so sure?”
“Like we suspected, while you were gone there weren’t any fires. She’s waiting for you
because she craves you as an audience. As far as I can see, nothing has changed that. I have a
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feeling she’s watching you and knows you’ve returned.” Jay’s confident tone eased Dan’s
fears. If Jay had any doubt, he would’ve told them.
“If you’re sure, I’ll trust you,” Farren said. “I’m going to go and get some rest now. It’s
been a long night.”
“Why don’t you and the Ds spend the night here? We have plenty of room and if you
go to your dorm, Betina might set it on fire just to get your attention,” Thomas proposed.
Farren’s mouth opened, then shut again. “You’re right. That’s exactly what she did
before. I’ll stay, I can’t speak for the others though.”
“I’ll stay.” Dan wouldn’t leave Farren alone with his demons.
Dean and Devin nodded, indicating their agreement.
“I’ll have the gnomes show you to a room,” Jay offered.
“Thank you.” Dan stood and pulled Farren to his feet.
Dan and Farren were shown to one room while Devin and Dean were led to another.
Dan smiled at the big king bed taking up much of the room.
With a happy shout, he kicked off his shoes then threw himself onto the soft surface.
“Oh, so nice.”
“You’re like a little kid,” Farren teased.
Dan patted the spot next to him. “Come play with me and I’ll show you how adult I’m
feeling.”
Farren smiled, the expression temporarily wiping the sadness from his eyes. Keeping
his eyes on Dan, he took off his shoes then climbed up beside him. Instead of immediately
trying to strip Dan naked, Farren snuggled in close, resting his cheek on his chest. Dan
instinctively wrapped an arm around Farren.
“It’ll be all right, babe,” Dan soothed. He rubbed Farren’s back and cuddled him close.
“We’ll defeat her in the end. Together we can crush her little djinn-powered dreams.”
Farren’s body shook with his silent laughter. “I’m glad I met you even if I’m ruining
your life.”
Dan tightened his hold. “You aren’t ruining it, you are making it.”
Soft lips brushed his chin. Dan tilted his head down to capture Farren’s wandering
mouth with his own.
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“I really like you, Dan. I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”
“I’m not. I would’ve missed out on something wonderful.”
Dan held Farren in a tight grip, afraid to lose hold of him even in his sleep.
Dan woke up and found Farren wrapped around him like a cuddly, warm octopus. He
let a sigh of contentment escape him. “Too bad we can’t stay like this.”
Farren’s hair slid across his chest. “Yeah, it would be nice if my cousin wasn’t trying to
drag us all under djinn control and possibly get us killed.”
“Nicely put, love.” Dan sank his fingers into Farren’s dark locks rubbing and soothing.
He wished they could remain like that for the rest of the day.
He glanced over to the clock. “Damn, we don’t have any time. Don’t you have your first
class?” Dan scanned Farren’s body in appreciation. Frowning, he lifted the blanket. “Where’s
the snake?”
Farren’s words were sleepy and his breath pulsed across Dan’s skin. “It comes and
goes.”
Dan sat up. “You don’t have control over it.”
“No. It’s more like a companion than an avatar. She doesn’t really take my advice or
guidance or really anything.”
“What’s its purpose then?” Dan frowned. A prickle of unease tingled along his spine.
“The god Xiuhcoatl asked me to take care of her.”
“It’s a her?”
“I guess, I never really checked, but Xiuhcoatl claimed it was a girl.”
Dan slid a hand up and down Farren’s back. “I’d feel better if she was watching over
you when you ran into Betina.”
“She’ll be there if I need her,” Farren said calmly. He remained relaxed against Dan as if
he didn’t have a care in the world.
Dan groaned. “We need to get up.”
“Ugh.” Farren crawled out of bed and pulled open the dresser. The werekin always
kept spare clothes in each room for visitors.
Farren tossed a pair of sweats and a shirt to Dan. “Here you go, love.”
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A warm sensation melted his bones. He dressed before he forgot the reason to get
ready. Farren’s skin glowed in the sunlight. The play of muscle beneath the bright skin had
Dan entranced. He reached out a hand to touch before he snatched it back. School. He
needed to go to school.
Shaking his head, he quickly dressed before he could get them both expelled from lack
of attendance. Dan had a test in his potion class, but he’d dismiss it if Farren needed him.
“Call me if you see her,” Dan cautioned.
“I will,” Farren promised.
Dan’s last sight of Farren was when the limo dropped them off and he headed to his
class. He was pretty sure he passed his potions test—at least nothing exploded. Leaving class
all he could think of was Farren. Was Farren doing all right in his class? Had Betina found
him?
“Hello there, Dan.”
Dan spun around to see a petite blonde standing behind him.
They’d made a huge miscalculation. They hadn’t thought she was smart enough to get
collateral. Dan concentrated on Dean, trying to get his sense of panic to his brother.
Hopefully Dean’s empathy would kick in and he’d realise Dan was in trouble.
Fire arched across her fingers as she approached.
“I’m guessing you’re Betina.”
“Aww has Farren been talking about me?” Her syrupy sweet voice ground on Dan’s
last nerve. “He always loved me best.”
Dan kept a careful distance. “That’s not what I heard.”
“Smart too.” Betina stalked forward. A small dragon spilled from her purse and hopped
beside her. Its tail drooped as it followed. The contrast between the sad dragon and Farren’s
elegant fire serpent was striking.
“What do you want?”
“You. Little Farren has fallen in love. I just need you for a little bit. I won’t even hurt
you much.”
Dan clenched his fists. He could take her. Maybe. He silently called Kimo, his fire
salamander, to his side. A glow to his left drew his attention. The large amphibian only
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casually resembled its smaller cousin. The avatar version was a foot and a half long from tip
to tail. Yellow lines marked the black body like racing stripes.
“Ooh you brought a pet,” she cooed in her sickly sweet tone.
Dan backed off a little more.
“Don’t go too far, Dan. I’m going to think you don’t like me.”
“I’m comfortable with that.” Dan folded his arms across his chest. His heart might be
beating wildly, but he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing his fear.
A ball of flame landed by his feet, sparking the grass in front of him.
“That was a warning shot. If you come with me, I won’t set you on fire.”
Dan shrugged. “I can stop you.” He almost believed those words.
“You might be able to stop me from burning you, but you can’t stop a djinn from
setting your dorm on fire or any of these other buildings. I doubt you have the magic to do
anything.” She shook her bracelet at him.
Dan flashed a look around at the buildings surrounding him. Each contained hundreds
of students. “Fine, I’ll come with you.”
“Good, you can bring your little pet with you too.”
Kimo hissed.
Dan tried to send more panicked thoughts to Dean, but he must’ve failed because his
brothers didn’t show up to save him.
“Where are we going?”
“My cousin found the perfect place for a calling. We don’t want to make it too hard for
him to find us. Come along.”
She turned and walked away, the little dragon hopping after her. Dan didn’t have any
choice…he followed.
* * * *
Farren had barely made it two steps out of his class before Devin and Dean waylaid
him.
“Dan’s in trouble,” Dean said without a greeting.
“What happened?” Farren froze.
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“We think your cousin has him. I got the impression he’s panicked.”
“That sounds like Betina.” Farren’s serpent shifted across his skin in response to his
nerves. “I’m pretty sure I know where she went too.”
“Your avatar should be able to track Dan. You’ve bonded with him, haven’t you?”
Farren gripped his hair in his hands. “I don’t know. I guess so. I mean we’re not wolves
or anything. He can’t be my mate.”
Devin patted him on the back. “Just because we don’t bond doesn’t mean we can’t fall
in love. Now send out your avatar.”
He’d never tried to get the serpent to do anything before. He wasn’t sure how to do it.
Farren rolled his shoulders, trying to relax his tense muscles. Childhood terrors tried to take
over his mind. He almost didn’t recognise the small whimpering sounds were coming out of
him.
“You can do this, Farren. Don’t let her win. We can’t lose Dan. Focus!” Dean’s voice
brought Farren back to his senses.
“You’re right.” He couldn’t let a lifetime of abuse stop him from protecting Dan.
“Come on, snake, let’s find Dan.”
He really needed to name the creature some time.
“I can smell him.” The serpent slithered off Dan and wiggled across the grass.
The three of them rushed to follow the fast-moving reptile. It scurried off towards the
old practice stadium.
“That’s what I was afraid of, she’s calling the djinn and using Dan for bait,” Farren said.
“Why would she need you?” Dean asked.
“She can call him, but she can’t open the plane and bring him. She needs my blood and
magic.” Farren swallowed the lump of fear in his throat as they entered the building.
The smell of fire and incense coated the air. It felt heavy against his skin. Farren didn’t
even realise how dark it had turned inside until he noticed the fire serpent glowed brightly in
the dim light.
“He’s already here,” Farren said.
The door was open when they got to the stadium. Betina didn’t even try to hide her
tracks. Walking inside, they found what Farren had suspected. The djinn floated in the
middle of the stadium. He smiled when he saw Farren.
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“Child, you made it. I’m so happy to see you,” the djinn said.
Dan lay on the ground beside him. Not moving.
“Dan!”
“I haven’t hurt him. I just need a little of your blood.” The djinn made it sound all so
reasonable.
“Give him to me!” Farren didn’t feel reasonable at all.
“Hello, cousin dear.” Betina walked out of the shadows, grinning her familiar creepy
smile.
Farren clenched his fists. Power rolled across him, livid flames burned along his arms.
The snake slithered around him adding to his fire.
“You’ve gone too far.” Fury overcame his fear of his cousin.
Betina giggled. “Is it because I always hold all the cards?”
Farren pulled even more of his power. He touched the small lamp attached to his belt
loop. For the first time instead of pushing his power away, Farren accessed even more.
The djinn grinned. “You are definitely worthy.”
“Give me my lover and I’ll let you survive on your plane.” Farren didn’t know where
those words were coming from, but he couldn’t stop them from spilling out of his mouth. “If
you fight me, I will destroy you.”
The djinn’s laughter echoed off the walls. Betina giggled along with him.
Farren’s body ached from the burning heat searing through his body. He had to protect
Dan. Too bad Jay wasn’t there to help him.
“There’s nothing you can do to stop me now, Farren.” Betina’s voice had lost some of its
glee the brighter Farren grew.
“Take her.” Farren told the snake.
Dan stirred, but Farren couldn’t step over the line to rescue him. If he broke the circle,
he would free the djinn.
He ignored his cousin’s screams as the fire snake backed her into a corner.
“I hope you kill her,” the djinn said lazily, “she’s annoying.”
“Yes, she is,” Farren snarled.
The djinn’s sharp teeth showed even more prominently. He floated closer to Dan. “At
least she brought me a good body.”
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Farren stalked to the edge of the circle. “Don’t you dare!”
“But how could I resist such a delicious treat,” the djinn purred. “Unless you have a
better offer.”
“No.” Devin and Dean grabbed his arms and dragged him away from the edge of the
circle.
“Don’t even think about it,” Devin growled.
“I’m not going to let him possess Dan!”
“Dan will kill us if we let you in that circle,” Dean said.
“Then there’s only one solution.” Farren locked eyes with the djinn then set his foot on
the line. Forcing fire through the sole of his shoe he scorched a line through the circle.
“Good job, child.” The djinn floated over to Farren. “Now, you have a choice. Sacrifice
yourself or I take your boy there.”
Farren knew there was only one answer. “I’m yours.”
“Good choice, child. I’ll make sure your lover has a good life. I might even keep him.”
Farren needed to end this now. For the first time, Farren knew he could be strong
enough and brave enough. He would do anything for Dan.
The djinn floated closer and before Farren could brace himself, the spirit slammed into
Farren, filling him to overflowing.
Farren screamed. The pain he felt when he had too much magic was nothing compared
to the djinn forcing its way into Farren’s body. Every molecule he had burned from the djinn
power. A cool slide of scales across his skin jerked Farren back to earth. It took him a
moment to realise the avatar hadn’t turned cold, but Farren burned hotter than ever before.
Instead of fighting the sensation, he embraced it.
“Now!” the serpent whispered.
Filled to the brim, Farren transformed into the most powerful shape he could think of.
He channelled Xiuhcoatl. The fire god heard Farren’s plea and came to his aid. Farren’s body
stretched and stretched, his skin changed to scales and transformed from the colour of flesh
to the colour of flame. His red snake scales continued to form until serpent Farren filled up
most of the stadium. With each inch of growth, Farren pulled even more power from his
lamp, from the earth and from his avatar. He wouldn’t be a victim. No one would control
him ever again.
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“No!”
The djinn’s voice echoed in Farren’s head, but Farren ignored it. He would sear it out of
him if he had to burn himself to ashes to do it.
The djinn screamed. Streams of mist poured out of Farren.
“Dean, Devin, help me!” Dan’s voice filtered through Farren’s pain.
“Run, Dan!” Farren yelled telepathically, hoping Dan would hear.
The triplets circled him, surrounding him until he stood in the middle of their triad.
Cool magic swirled across his body, adding to the snake’s power.
Dan grabbed Farren’s lamp and tossed it out of the ring. The mist followed the lamp,
seeking more power. Farren waited for the djinn to be completely in the lamp. The small
keychain dangle transformed into a full size one that would’ve done Aladdin proud.
Farren coiled in a ropey pile while power poured off him like midday heat.
“Hold on, love, you almost had him,” Dan whispered.
Farren didn’t stop pushing the djinn out of him until he felt hollow inside.
“Get him,” he told his serpent.
He peered around Dean’s shoulder to watch the serpent swallow the lamp. A loud bang
reverberated through the air.
The triplets dropped their arms, signalling for Farren to release his magic. His body
shrank and shook until finally he lay shaking on the ground in his human form with all his
energy expended. Magically clothing appeared over his body. He glanced up to see Dan
waving his hands.
“It’s a little trick I learned from Jay,” Dan explained.
“Handy.” Sweat beaded on Farren’s forehead, but he felt better than he had in weeks.
He accepted Dan’s hand and let him pull him up to his feet.
The reptile lay still on the floor, its flame extinguished. Farren stumbled over to the
reptile, but before he could touch a single scale, the snake moved. A small fire curled around
its skin as it slithered back to its favourite spot around Farren’s wrist.
Farren’s heart settled with the contact.
“Farren!” Betina shouted. “You ruined everything!”
He glanced over to his screaming cousin. He’d completely forgotten about her. Without
their grandfather, she didn’t have the name of a djinn to call. Betina couldn’t do anything.
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Instead of going after Farren, she charged at Dan. Farren threw up a hand to stop her. A
large fireball rushed through his palm. It grew as it passed through the air until it engulfed
her entirely.
Screaming, she fell to the ground. Two seconds later nothing remained of her but a pile
of ash.
“I thought she was fireproof,” Devin said.
“Maybe, but not djinn fireproof.” Farren knew he’d come into his proper powers. He
was now a djinn.
His transformation was complete.
He’d worry about the council and the ban on djinns another day. He suspected Jay
would take care of it all if only to protect Dan. He hated having to tell his aunt that Betina
couldn’t be saved, but there wasn’t anything he could’ve done for her. Some people were just
born evil.
“Hey, babe.” Dan’s arm came around him in a comforting touch. “It’ll be all right. I’ve
got you. I’ll always be here for you.”
“I know.” Farren kissed Dan. “I’ll be there for you too.”
“What is your snake doing?” Dan asked.
Farren looked at the serpent. Flakes of turquoise scales were falling off it and sliding
from Farren’s wrist like scaly snowflakes. “I think it’s moulting.”
“Eww. We definitely need to learn more about fire snakes,” Dan said.
Farren laughed. “Yes, definitely. Let’s go back to the dorm. I’m ready to celebrate.”
Dan’s wicked smile accompanied his brothers’ groans and yells of too much
information. “That’s a great idea.”
Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:
Hidden Magic: William’s House
Amber Kell
Excerpt
Chapter One
William Stamson never thought he’d fall in love with a lady.
After being a gay man for the first twenty-five years of his life, he met a tattered painted
lady with three broken windows and a gap-toothed fence, and fell illogically, irrevocably in
love.
“I’ll take the house,” he told the realtor who stood waiting patiently for him to finish
examining the front of the mansion.
“B-but you haven’t seen the inside. The house needs a lot of work,” she sputtered.
“There are several in much better shape if you like this neighbourhood.”
He watched her wrestling between wanting an easy sale and her moral obligation not to
sell a decrepit house to a client. He wondered if her reluctance stemmed from the magic
pulsing through the property like a beating drum, pounding out a complicated rhythm.
Hearing the underlying music wasn’t an ability everyone had. Most days Will wished he
were one of those talentless people. Although he could hear the power thrumming through
the air, his strange immunity kept him from using the magic. He wasn’t surprised no one
could live in the house. The mansion all but seethed with energy, an uncomfortable
experience for magic wielders, while giving non-magical people the eerie sensation of a
haunted house. Electricity crackled in the air, arcs of energy dancing around him. The
house’s magic reached out to him, invisible fingers ruffling his hair, like a human petting a
favoured child.
Closing his eyes, he opened his senses to the entity.
A soft gasp, a pleased hum, then the pounding rhythm smoothed to a quiet whisper. A
hush filled the air like the silence after a tornado or maybe the eye of a storm.
Acceptance.
The sensation sank into his bones, warm and loving like a mother’s hug. Well, maybe
other people’s mothers. His didn’t give actual hugs. Physical contact might wrinkle her
designer clothes.
“Are you sure you want to put in an offer?” The realtor’s anxious voice broke up the
moment, the magic dissolving. Her tone wavered between hope and desperation. For the
first time he noticed the worn cuffs on her green suit and the faded colour of the shirt tucked
underneath.
“Yes,” Will insisted. Despite the building’s odd power, the place made him feel as if he
were home. Besides, writing scary detective stories could only be easier living in a spooky
mansion. He smiled when he thought about his relatives’ future reactions.
Will was the dreamer, the only exception in a family known for controlling powerful
people across the globe. As a result of his carefree approach to life, everyone thought he
needed someone to take care of him. Not a relation on either side of his family had forgotten
to leave him a small inheritance when they died.
In Will’s family ‘a small inheritance’ was a minimum of two million dollars. His Great-
uncle Frederick had been particularly generous, even as he’d addressed Will as his ‘idiot
nephew’. Will had willingly overlooked the condemnation for the cool one hundred million
his uncle had left in his account.
However, as much as Will loved them and appreciated their acceptance of his gay
lifestyle, if he didn’t move out of town soon, he was going to go to jail for fratri-patri-
matricide. Will longed to settle down with the Mr Average of his dreams. None of the
doctors, stockbrokers or lawyers paraded in front of him by his hopeful mother and
calculating father met his needs—after fucking them, they really served no purpose.
He knew his behaviour made him a slut. But hell, he didn’t golf, and after humiliating
his snobbish dates by comparing stock portfolios, there wasn’t anything left to talk about. His
dates all ended with him cutting them loose and ignoring them when they called.
After having gone through most of the successful gay men in Seattle, Will had decided
maybe he should try something different. Besides, the zombies were starting to creep him
out. All cities had at least a few necromancers that could raise the undead, but Seattle was
starting to get more than its share. Will needed to leave before someone got the bright idea to
drain his blood as a form of zombie pest control.
Since Will was a void—a person who could nullify magic—his blood was the essential
ingredient in unbinding spells that raised the undead. A few times lately, the hairs on his
arms had stood on end from the sensation of something with a strong magical presence
watching him. Another reason he’d searched for a new home. He needed to lure whatever
was following him away from his family.
The search for a place to live brought him to this small town east of Seattle. Unable to
find a man, Will planned to settle down with an old painted lady needing a fortune in
upgrades.
Luckily, he had a fortune.
“This house has been on the market for a while.” She quickly consulted her notes as if
they held the secret to Will’s desire to purchase the old mansion.
He gave her his pants-dropping smile, more than a little surprised when his charm
worked and her cheeks turned an interesting shade of pink. “Then they should be happy to
receive an offer. Let’s go back to your office and get the paperwork going.” He could feel
vibes of anticipation coming from the house as if the building had sat waiting for him to
come by and save it from ruin.
Poor house.
“What’s the asking price?”
She mentioned a ridiculous amount, considering the condition of the house, but he
figured the place must have sentimental value to someone, and this one time he didn’t feel
the need to bargain. He wanted the house.
“I’ll take it.”
“There might be some delay. I’m not sure a bank will approve such a large amount for
the place.” She gave the house a dubious look.
“No problem. I’ll pay cash.”
“Oh.” She looked surprisingly flustered. “Then let’s draw up the paperwork.”
* * * *
A week later, Will happily drank hot coffee in his freezing kitchen. Apparently the
heater had died several years ago and no one had had the funds or interest in fixing it. He
wasn’t much of a breakfast person, aside from the occasional cold cereal, but he would
definitely go into town for a hot lunch. He needed to have the stove looked over
professionally before he’d willingly trust the appliance with his favourite teakettle. Small-
town diners were the perfect place to find out the latest gossip and help him discover whose
second cousin twice removed had a son good at fixing stuff.
* * * *
The diner was everything he’d ever seen in the movies.
Old movies.
From the cracked retro fifties booths, to the ageing waitress with frizzy hair and
attitude, the place appeared as if it were something out of a film.
The waitress gave him a slow once-over like she didn’t know what to make of him. He
didn’t know why. He wore a plain pair of jeans and a red polo. He’d even left his
handcrafted Italian leather shoes at home and wore his plain white Nikes.
He was the epitome of ordinary.
“Have a seat anywhere,” the waitress told him. As Will passed her, he caught the faint
scent of cigarettes and chewing gum. He held onto his composure by a thread, hoping she
didn’t snap a bubble at him. She was a walking cliché, and Will barely held in his laughter.
He didn’t want her to think he found her anything but delightful.
Will settled comfortably on a carefully duct-taped vinyl bench seat and accepted the
faded menu. The table was the kind of moulded plastic some inventor on crack must have
thought looked like real wood.
Scanning the list of food, he was almost certain the menu exceeded the abilities of any
one cook. Eight pages long, the extensive volume listed everything from a thick steak to
poached eggs. He couldn’t even imagine the cost of keeping so many ingredients on hand.
“Have you decided, hon?” the waitress asked. She pulled a cheap ballpoint pen out
from behind her ear and a pad of paper from her apron pocket. Pinning him with a
surprisingly clear gaze, she waited for his order as if he were going to reveal the secrets to
the universe in six easy steps.
“I’ll have a burger, medium rare.”
Even an inept cook could make a decent burger.
She nodded, quietly applauding his choice as waiters sometimes did. “Potato salad or
fries?”
“Are they thin or thick?”
“Steak fries.” Her tone implied disapproval of anything less.
Will reflectively nodded along with her like one of those bobble-headed dolls before he
caught himself. “I’ll have those with ranch dressing.”
“Anything to drink? We make a nice milkshake.”
He shook his head. “Too heavy. I’ll have to jog at least ten miles to burn off the burger
calories.”
The waitress looked him over again. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about,
hon.”
“Not if I jog,” Will agreed. Although he had a reputation in his family for laziness, he
took care of his body with weights and running regularly. “I’ll take a diet soda.”
As she scribbled down his order, Will wondered if her mother had had a premonition at
her birth. Why else would you look at your newborn infant and think I’ll name her Hazel?
As the waitress turned away, Will grabbed her wrist.
“Sorry,” he said, letting go at her surprised look. “Could you tell me who’s good at
fixing things around here?” Every town had one. A Mr Fix-it who could drive by your house
and tell you your water heater was set too high and your air conditioner would die next
month.
“What kinds of things?”
Thinking over the condition of his house, Will flashed a self-conscious smile. “Someone
who’s good with plumbing, flooring, painting, drywall, roofing…that sort of thing.”
“Good lord, what house did you buy?”
“The painted lady on Mulberry Street.” Another reason he’d bought the house. Who
could resist living on Mulberry Street? And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street had been
his favourite Dr Seuss book as a child.
“You bought that!” The waitress’s voice scraped like rough sandpaper across his senses.
“Yes,” Will admitted.
“You are either the richest man I ever met, or the dumbest.”
He couldn’t help laughing. “I’m probably a mixture of the two.”
A considering look entered Hazel’s eyes. “Let me put in your order and I’ll be right
back,” she said before hurrying off as quickly as her orthopaedic sneakers could carry her.
Not five minutes later she returned, sliding into the seat across from him.
“I have a nephew who has a knack for fixing things,” Hazel stated in a low, confidential
tone. “He’s been laid off, but he worked for a homebuilder before the housing crash. I know
he’d do a good job for you.” She twisted her fingers together as she spoke. “If you could hire
him to help around your house and let him rent one of your rooms, I’d be mighty grateful.
His landlord just sold the place he was renting, and I live in a one-bedroom apartment.”
Will thought about the situation for a moment. Having another person in the enormous
house would be comforting. “Is he likely to kill me in my sleep and steal my china set?”
Hazel laughed—a low, smoke-roughened sound. “No. He’s a good boy, but he’s big
and some people find him scary.” She frowned for a moment, looking concerned. “That isn’t
a problem for you, is it, mister?”
“Call me Will,” he said with a smile. “I’m sure everything will work out fine.” Will
found the situation touching. With an aunt this sweet, how bad could a guy be? “Tell your
nephew he can come work for me. I’ll give him a few jobs around the house and see how
things work out. What’s his name?” If the guy turned out to be a creep, Will could call a few
of his cousins and have the jerk evicted.
“Cassius, but everyone calls him Cash.”
Of course they do.
“Order up,” the cook called from the pass-through window.
Hazel got to her feet. “Thank you, Will. I’ll tell Cash to come see you. When is a good
time?”
“Whenever,” Will said, shrugging. “As long as it’s after noon.” He didn’t do mornings.
“Thanks. The burger is on me.”
He would’ve objected, but he could see her pride was on the line after she had all but
begged a total stranger to hire her nephew.
“Thank you, Hazel.”
She gave him a nicotine-stained smile, even more charming for the faded dimples and
the sparkle in her eyes.
Moments later she put a burger in front of him, and Will found a new respect for the
little diner. After polishing off the entire thing, including the steak fries, he tossed a twenty
on the table for her tip and waddled to the register.
Hazel looked up from counting the cash drawer. “What did you think?”
“I think your cook is a genius. That was the best damn burger I ever ate,” he said
honestly.
Will wasn’t exaggerating either. The man was magic in the kitchen.
“Good. I’ll send Cash by your house later today.”
“Thanks, Hazel,” Will said, flashing her a smile. With a nod, he left the restaurant.
About the Author
Amber is one of those quiet people they always tell you to watch out for. She lives in
Seattle with her husband, two sons, two cats and one extremely stupid dog.
Email:
Amber loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and
author biography at
Also by Amber Kell
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