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

“Yes, my brother,” Sebastian replied with some agitation and I instinctually stayed quiet. “Lord Regent, we need to perform last rites. You know this. We’re almost out of time.”


Lord Regent. It was Caspian’s Fergus.


“If you hadn’t failed me on Saturday, his last rites would already be complete and you wouldn’t be risking your brother being swallowed by the void.”


“You have him now.” Sebastian flung an arm in my direction, his sleeve riding up, and for the first time I got a glimpse of the tattoo on his forearm.


Intertwining snakes. Just like the dead man in the alley.


“Give me my brother’s body. Let me take him home.”


“Of course.” Fergus walked to the door and called out instructions to someone in the hall. “I keep my word.”


“And the other man? The tagalong?” Sebastian asked.


“He’ll go back with you. I don’t need the complication.”


Sebastian hesitated, and for the first time looked in my direction, undisguised guilt on his face.


Chapter 27