Their leap of faith could unleash magic ... or plunge them into darkness. Henry Thorn has worked at Larkin's since graduating high school. He likes it -- especially when he can use his secret skill of hiding inside shadows so his boss can't find them. Without that talent, he would never had survived growing up different. When a hire enters the store, Henry's other latent talent kicks in. He can smell an emotional response even before he lays eyes on the redhead. Jamey Currey came out, and his conservative parents promptly kicked him out. He, too, is different -- he senses Henry's attraction the moment they met. The first time they kiss, torrential rains fall from skies split by lightning. Their kiss also awakens the Watchers, diabolical hunters who will stop at nothing -- even extermination -- to keep magic suppressed. With the help of a friendly coven of friendly witches, the boys embark on a quest to discover an ancient key to restoring magic to the world, and to understand mysteries of their own hearts. The question is, will this quest cost them their lives?

The Werewolf and His Boy

Ella sat up in the big bed in the upstairs bedroom of the Watchers’ House. She had been certain the third warning had taken care of the problem. It had been a very long time since anyone had to go past a third warning, even the previous pairs, like these two. She had refrained from waking the others and had even thought about constructing another persona, or just trying to be Ella Lewis again. It would be hard to rebuild that life, but not impossible. She still hadn’t shed all the memories.


Wind chimes, the right notes in the right order: the music of the alarm. The third warning had notbeen enough. She sniffed: the same two as before.


Time for the prescribed hunt, the kill. Anyone so careless and so foolish to risk disclosure by revealing themselves to the mundanes and violating the old laws would pay the price. Like the warnings, the hunt and the kill followed certain ancient protocols and rules and rituals.


Chapter 21