Witch’s corpse. Witch’s ticket. Witch’s party. As a counter-boy at a high-end men’s boutique, Charlie Jessup’s life consists of little more than work and sleep. That, and enough flirting to help guarantee his commission on sales will pay his rent. So when a twist of fate, and some behavior unbecoming that of a Ganymede employee, leaves him in possession of a dead man’s pass to a mysterious Club 669, Charlie has no desire to waste it. Every seventeen years, the House of Witches throws a party like no other. It’s invitation-only, and for centuries it has helped ensure peace between the covens. It’s the last place Caspian wants to be, but with the death of Queen Avel, and his own imminent rise to the throne, it’s more important than ever that he attends. The stability of the House depends on it. In four days a new king will be crowned, but when Charlie unintentionally crashes a gathering of the most secretive of all the Great Houses, he sets in motion a series of events that could disrupt the transition of power, and threaten the future of the House of Witches forever.

Club 669

“Carry that man downstairs. And find out the name of his coven.” This was nothing like the Dreamboat I’d imagined—a bookish teacher or struggling student—barking out orders as he was, people moving quickly to do as he asked.


A large man in a dark gray suit hefted Sebastian's body up and over his shoulder, ass in the air, and a woman in a pale satin gown stopped to inquire what needed to be done with the boy. I was the boy. Even as sluggish and foggy-brained as I was, I knew that much.


It was then that I registered that Dreamboat was the only thing keeping me upright.


“I’ll take care of him,” Dreamboat reassured her and she nodded, turning to follow the man in gray. “And Judith, have this hall cleared.”


She did, and soon it was only Dreamboat, me, and two men standing guard at the entrance.


Chapter 10