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

I sighed and bent down to stroke the cat’s soft fur. “Any chance you’re up to giving me the grand tour?”


When Caspian foundme again, I was outside in a small courtyard enjoying the warm weather.


I didn’t turn around, instead focusing on the crunch under my feet and the smell in the air.


“Did you know I haven’t seen grass in years?” I knelt to scratch at a spot on my left heel where a jagged blade of the stuff had scraped me. “Not since I was a kid. I’ve never understood why absolutely everything needs to be covered in concrete.”


“Where are we exactly?” I pushed up and turned to face him. “It’s got to be seventy-five degrees, even in the shade. At home it’s been snowing for months.”


“And you live here?” I waved to the stone behemoth behind him. “This place?”


Chapter 14