College Magic Cycle

Alchemy and Songcraft Chapter 9

Introduction

I welcome feedback from readers, in fact I thrive on it. It's really the only payment authors on NIFTY receive for their efforts. If you enjoy the story please take a moment to drop me an email and let me know. Comments from my readers drive my creativity.

This storyline is about the two couples, Jason and Kieran and Erik and Alonzo, the main characters from My Roommate the Alchemist and Wishcraft. Now that we're in phase II of the story, the POV will change between these four characters. The two storylines combine because the lives of the two couples are becoming more intertwined from this point on.

This cycle includes multiple storylines. The stories intertwine. They are listed in the College Magic Cycle folder in the suggested reading order.

Please remember that NIFTY is a free site that provides an invaluable resource for men like us. Please consider donating to help ensure that site remains available for everyone. https://donate.nifty.org/

You can contact me at pseudonominius@gmail.com.

Author's Notes

·        If you want to be informed of new stories, send me an email, and ask to be put on the notification list. I'll send a notification. Everyone will be on the bcc line so your email address will not show to other members.

·        You can also sign up for the google group mailing list. All notifications for new stories are posted there as well as on the notification list, but I also answer questions from readers on that site after removing the reader's contact information.

·        Not a mistake! Please remember that Alonzo, Erik and Kieran have changed size over the course of the story, but reality has been changed to reflect the fact that they have always been their current size.

·        My editor is Robbear (robbear78@gmail.com). He not only edited this story but provided a lot of insight and suggestions that made the story better.

Other Stories

• Small Town Slave Boys
• Jack and the Giant
• Sacred Submissives
• Bellus Cinaedus
• Guardian Angel
• Eros in Arcadia
• Nivean and the Dvergar
• Desert Heat
• Constituent Services
• The Dancing Princes

Alchemy and Songcraft 9
The Weekend Before Family and Friend Weekend

Kieran

Alonzo adjusted the silver necklace I was wearing so that the blue stone with the star in it sat properly on my chest, just below my neck. He turned me so that I could see myself in the mirror. "You look beautiful, and this stone is the same exact color as your eyes. Either Jason is richer than I thought, or he knows how to make sapphires."

I smiled nervously. I was wearing a blue silk shirt with long sleeves and small mother of pearl buttons. It was open at the neck down to the third button. My ankle length pants were black and fit like a second skin. I'd come into Alonzo's room so he could fix my hair because he did a better job than Jason did. He'd braided one layer of hair just above my ears and drawn it back where he secured the braids with one of my silver Celtic knot clasps. The rest of my hair hung in loose curls. It was long enough to reach my shoulder blades in the back.

Alonzo kissed my lips gently and asked, "Are you feeling okay?"

I nodded. "Yes. I want to try going out in public and I want to dance with Jason. I just don't know how long I can stay on the floor."

Alonzo gave me a quick hug before turning his attention to his own straighter, but still wavy, dark brown hair. He assured me, "Jason will take you to a corner table and hold you if it becomes too overwhelming. You have that man wrapped around your finger, sweetie."

"I do not," I insisted. "Jason makes the decisions, not me."

Alonzo laughed. It was a very nice, almost musical laugh. "Honey, Jason makes all the decisions, but he never makes a decision that he doesn't think you want or need."

I couldn't help but smile at his words. It was true. Sometimes Jason pushed me to expand my comfort zone, but he always made sure that he didn't push me too far. I did want to try new things, no matter how hard it was for me. And Jason had mixed up one of his alchemical concoctions to diminish my anxiety. Next time we did this, I was going to beg him to let me try it without the potion, but not tonight. I knew that I'd need it for this evening.

Alonzo was wearing a very nice pair of gray jeans, cut to fit in his cowboy boots. His long sleeve shirt was a shiny lavender that looked like it had stripes, not of a different color but of a slightly different weave. He wore a dark gray vest. It looked like leather, but it had no warm, rich and musky smell to it, which Alonzo had taught me to look for. His cowboy hat was the same slate gray as his vest, while his boots were a deep charcoal.

He'd pulled some of his hair back into a loose tail that kept it out of his face, while allowing most of it to hang loose to his shoulders. When he was done, he wrapped one arm around my waist and put the other on my shoulder and started dancing. With those boots of his, he was one or two inches taller than me.

After a minute or so, he said, "Let's go next door and make our men drool all over themselves."

Alonzo always said things like that. Jason had once told me that Alonzo weaponized his sexuality, but he hadn't said it in a mean way, and Erik had just laughed and said that his boy left wounded guys suffering all over campus.

Next door, our men were ready to go. That wasn't surprising. Alonzo liked to look amazing. I would have just thrown my clothes on and said I was done, but he wouldn't hear of it. He insisted on brushing my hair out again, rebraiding it and fastening it so that it was perfect. Then he put that bronze eyeliner on me like they had at the spa. He even applied lip gloss for me instead of allowing me to do it myself. It felt strange to be pampered this way, but I couldn't argue with the final effect.

Alonzo looked me over and then turned me so I could look into the mirror. "You look absolutely stunning."

The look on his face, and the light rapport we shared whenever we were touching, told me that I was Alonzo's favorite dress up doll. Then he sat next to me and started working on his own make up.

I sighed, "Alonzo, you are making us into a pair of stereotypical girls, taking forever to get ready, while our guys are in the other room cooling their heels."

Alonzo paused in his grooming and gave me a hug. "Honey, we're not girls. We're two fabulous gay bottoms making ourselves look good for our tops. No one expects them to put in all this effort."

I shrugged. "But they look good, anyway."

Alonzo smiled as he put the lip glass away. "Sweetie! Those guys are sex on wheels in a rough and traditionally masculine sort of way. Neither of us can carry off that look, so we get to look like this."

He indicated his whole body with his hands. Then he turned me toward the mirror again and put his head right next to mine. "We are fucking gorgeous, Kieran."

Then he placed a careful kiss on my lips.

We went into the other room and Jason and Erik both jumped to attention. They looked so good that I wished we could just stay here and make out instead of going dancing. Erik was wearing jeans and cowboy boots, like Alonzo, but his shirt was a simple blue and green plaid. Jason on the other hand looked like he was going somewhere fancy. He was dressed in black and red, which were his signature colors. He was in black dress pants, a red silk jacket with a mandarin collar and black pankou knots.

I couldn't help but smile at the fact that I knew so much about fashion. That was Alonzo's doing. He'd been giving me a crash course in what he considered to be gay essentials. That included music, fashion, hairstyles, dancing, and anything else that he was shocked I didn't know.

Erik let out a wolf whistle when we came into the room, while Jason clapped and said, "There are our beautiful boys!"

Jason wrapped me in his arms and held me tight, like he was trying to center me and calm my nerves. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Erik had picked Alonzo up and was swinging him back and forth so that his legs dangled. There wasn't room to swing him in circles while we were all here.

We didn't have long to wait before the rest of our group showed up. Cameron was dressed similar to Erik, but his shirt was dark green, and he'd rolled the sleeves to the midpoint between his wrist and elbows. It looked good with his bright red hair. Micah was wearing dark red pants that fit him tight across the butt but hung loose to mid-calf. He was wearing knee high boots that made him as tall as his boyfriend. His shirt was loose and made of some diaphanous (another word I learned from Alonzo) material that clung to his slim chest, making it clear that he was male, despite his androgyny. He'd cut his hair, or used magic to shorten it, so that it framed his face in the front but was cut to his collar in the back. He was wearing shimmering coral eyeshadow and a deep russet lipstick. In addition to the rose gold necklace he always wore, he had matching earrings that looked like hanging stars. The way the eyeshadow brought out the pink tones in his jewelry, complimented artfully by the dark reddish brown lipstick, was perfection.

We all greeted each other. Cameron shook hands with Jason and Erik, then complemented Alonzo and I on our appearance. Micah gave everyone a hug. Then we went down to Jason's SUV. Club 18 was close enough to campus that we could walk, but Jason wanted the car in case we ran into trouble. The club had only been open for a couple of weeks. It was owned by Daniel Blake and Melanthe Faxon, a married mage couple in their mid-twenties. Jason had gone by earlier this week to check out the security before he and Erik made plans to take us there.

There was a police officer sitting on a chair near the door, but he seemed to be staring off into the distance. If I didn't know better, I would assume he was stoned. The doorman had barely glanced at our IDs before waving us through. Jason was carrying mine, because these pants barely had room enough for me in them, so he put it back in his pocket once we were inside. After walking briefly around the club to get a feel for the place, I guessed about a fifth of the people in the club were carrying wands, so I assumed they were mages. Despite the fact that Erik, Alonzo, and I didn't need wands to work magic, I knew most mages did. The other four fifths were therefore probably mundane.

There was a band playing on stage. I'd seen them performing on campus, so I knew they were a student band. They were pretty good. Alonzo pointed at the stage and said, "That'll be me next month! Dreaming Dragons is playing Friday and Saturday nights in October except for the last weekend."

I gave him a smile but leaned against Jason. There were a lot of people here. Jason turned my face toward him and said, "We're going out onto the dance floor now, before you lose courage."

He pulled me onto the floor and said, "You can just look at me, unless you want to scan the room first to reassure yourself that no one is looking at you."

I shook my head. "I need to keep my barriers up in here, Sir. There are too many people for me to be comfortable scanning the room. I'll just keep my focus on you and pretend they aren't there."

Jason kissed me gently. "You're being very brave tonight."

"I don't feel brave, Sir. I feel weak."

Jason pulled me close and held me while we swayed to the music. He spoke in a low tone so that no one else could hear him. "You are not weak, Kieran. You're stronger than you know, and you get stronger every time you step outside your comfort zone. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, Sir. You're my strength."

We danced to so many songs that I lost track. It didn't matter what people around us were doing. Jason just held me close to him and allowed me to inhale his manly scent while we swayed gently. My nose came up to Jason's collar bone, so I found it easy to concentrate on him. And I enjoyed being in his arms, allowing the music to drive our movements.

I was almost sorry when Jason led me off the dance floor to a table where Micah and Cameron were already seated. Cameron told me he was drinking an Italian soda while Micah had a glass of sparkling juice with two cherries in it. I would have thought it was alcohol except that this club didn't serve any. We were joined almost immediately by Erik and Alonzo.

Erik said, "Okay. Alonzo and I were having a discussion over that police officer outside. What's up with him?"

Cameron put down his drink and responded, "He's under a facinatio encantum. I have Vergil Blake in one of my classes. He's the younger brother of the owner and he told me that the police chief keeps hoping to find alcohol, drugs, or minors trying to get into the club. Daniel got irritated because he doesn't allow anything illegal here and it's just harassment pure and simple. Now he slaps a long lasting spell on whichever cop draws this duty so that he doesn't see anything."

"Why are the police harassing Daniel?" I asked.

Cameron shrugged. "Maybe they can't believe people can have fun without drugs or alcohol, or maybe they think this place is a scheme for adults to hook up with minors for sex, or maybe they're just assholes who want to harass the college students."

Micah said, "It doesn't matter in the long run. They're harassing a mage owned business, and the custodes have set up shop in town. It won't be long before Uncle Mordecai gets his own agents in the police force to put a stop to this kind of thing."

Cameron laughed. "That's some high level conspiracy thinking there, darling."

Micah gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You may think so, but I grew up on stories of how the custodes work with mundane police. They call it liaising with the local authorities, but it all boils down to taking control behind the scenes. Mark my words. I'll be saying I told you so before we graduate."

Jason had Erik take his place so that I was between him and Cameron, then he went to get drinks. He was being permissive tonight. He asked me what kind of soda I wanted. I chose cherry. Erik asked for lemon cream and Alonzo went with him to look at all the selections.

Erik wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close while Jason was gone. I'd gotten over my inhibitions, so I inhaled deeply and took in his masculine scent. Erik squeezed me tight and kissed the top of my head.

"Are you having fun tonight, Kieran?" he asked.

I looked up at his face. I felt as safe in his arms as I did in Jason's. I replied, "I am. It's a little unnerving, but I'm enjoying it."

Erik laughed. "It can't be as unnerving as last time we went dancing."

I shook my head and said, "No. It isn't."

Micah asked, "What happened last time you four went dancing?"

Erik laughed. "I shouldn't have said anything. I don't want to embarrass Kieran."

Micah put his hand on my arm and said, "You can't leave us hanging, Kieran. What happened?"

The funny thing was that I wasn't embarrassed. I had been at the time, but now I felt proud. I looked over at Micah and Cameron and said, "We were at a wedding, and I caught the purple flower from the bouquet."

Micah's face broke out in a smile. "So when are you and Jason getting married?"

I shrugged. "He hasn't told me yet, but as far as we're concerned, we're already married. I'm his luantong and he's my zhangfu."

Cameron's face twisted in confusion. "I don't speak Chinese so what is that?"

I proudly replied, "I'm his boy-wife and he's my husband."

Micah said, "Oh, like eramenus and erastes."

Cameron said, "No. I think it's more than that. It's more like conjuges."

Micah shook his head, "Conjuges_..._"

Jason and Alonzo had come back. Alonzo was carrying the tray with the drinks on it. Jason gave everyone a smile and interrupted, saying, "...conjuges is fine and so are eromenos and erastes, or even maritus and maritellus, but I prefer the Mandarin because it's very clear."

Then he changed places with Erik and pulled me into his lap. He gave me a passionate kiss. "In Latina Moderna, you will always be mi delicate, mi cordelle, mi amor, and mi carissime." He gave me a quick kiss to punctuate each phrase.

Now I was embarrassed, but in a good way. I took a sip of the cherry soda. It was very good. It actually tasted like the fruit, and it had two maraschino cherries in it. Jason let me taste his. It was ginger-matcha. I thought it was good, but I preferred mine. Alonzo had a mocha-caramel cream soda. I tried it too, but it tasted sweeter than mine, even though I suspected it wasn't. But then they were all made by adding syrup to carbonated water.

When we were done, Erik surprised me by taking my hand. "Now it's my turn, Kieran."

I looked over at Jason, but he was taking Alonzo's hand and leading him out toward the dance floor. Erik wrapped his arm around me. The top of my head came up to Jason's chin, but it didn't even reach Erik's shoulder. Now I knew what Alonzo felt like walking next to him. He was a giant.

I felt Alonzo through the bond, sending me warm feelings. Beneath it, I could feel that he was worried I would be jealous. And then some concern about Jason and Erik, but I couldn't get a fix on exactly what... anyway, I couldn't be jealous of Alonzo, not even with the way Jason was touching him. I sent him back a wave of love and trust.

When we got to the dance floor, Erik said, "I am not Jason. I'm a terrible dancer, so don't expect much."

He pulled me tight against him and we began swaying to the music. He stepped on my feet twice, then he just picked me up and held me so that my face was buried in his neck. I knew we probably looked ridiculous, and I was almost sure everyone would be staring, but I took a quick peek and no one was even paying us any attention. They were concentrating on their own partners. I relaxed and allowed myself to be swung around the dance floor like a child in his father's arms. The image got me really excited, and I felt myself get hard, but Erik didn't react to it.

He kissed my neck gently and, when I didn't rebuff him, he kissed my lips. I had a flash of guilt over how good it made me feel, but then I realized that Erik would never kiss me without Jason's approval. I opened my mouth when he kissed me again and he slipped his tongue inside. He tasted good, and not just because of the lemon cream flavor that still lingered in his mouth.

After a few dances, we went back to the table. Jason and Alonzo were still dancing, and I got a little jealous, not because Jason was touching another boy, but because the two of them looked so good out there. They both knew how to dance. Jason would twirl Alonzo around and then let him fall down into his waiting arms before lifting him back to a standing position. Alonzo turned his back toward Jason and shimmied up and down against him, grinding his butt while Jason ran his hands down Alonzo's torso.

I looked at Erik and said, "I need to learn how to dance properly."

Erik kissed my cheek and said, "You and me both."

After Jason and Alonzo rejoined us, I was danced out, and so was Erik. Cameron said that there was an arcane circle in one of the backrooms. It opened easily from this side, but you needed to press a buzzer to get into the club from the inside. He and Micah were going to stay later and translocate back to campus. So we said our goodbyes and drove out to Alchemy House. We'd spent every weekend there since Jason had bought it.

Alonzo

Tonight had been so much fun. Even though I'd been concerned about Kieran being in such a big crowd, it felt great to be out dancing. I knew the band, Sonic Crush. My band, Dreaming Dragons, had a friendly rivalry with them. I knew that we were better performers, but they were more established, since this was their second year at Severan College. Still, they were pretty good. Dancing with Erik always got me excited, even though he didn't really know what he was doing. I loved looking around and seeing the envious faces of both guys and girls while they ogled my man.

As we were walking back to the table I poked Erik in the ribs. "I've seen you eyeing Micah all night."

He swept me up in his arms and said, "You have nothing to fear, mi puto maricon! I'm just noticing how good he and Cameron look together."

I kissed him and ran a hand down his stubbled jaw. "You'd better be. Micah looks fabulous tonight."

Erik rubbed his stubble against my neck and nibbled my ear, sending shivers down my spine. "He does, but he can't hold a candle to you, my sexy little sweet prince."

I punched Erik playfully on the arm. Maybe it wasn't really playful, but he was tough enough that it would barely register. "Don't call me that!"

He laughed and kissed me again. "Sweetie pie. Little dumpling. Love muffin."

I was giggling and kicking my legs. "Take that back, Erik!"

He silenced me with another kiss and then set me down so I could walk, but he kept his arm around me and held me tight against his chest. "Okay, okay. Calm down, chico maricon!"

Erik knew what I liked, and he'd been practicing his Spanish. I much preferred to be called a gay boy or a gay bitch over those cutesy pet names. But he also liked teasing me. He kissed me again, just before we got to the table and said, "You are even sexier when you're angry, mi puto maricon."

We sat for just a couple of minutes and chatted before Jason and I went to get drinks. The club didn't serve alcohol, but it had an espresso bar that also made Italian sodas. I had a couple of guys give me a look that said they'd like to get to know me better, but Jason kept his arm around me like I was his boyfriend. And Jason had a way of marking his territory that kept other men at bay.

I leaned against Jason's chest and inhaled his scent. He smelled so fucking good; my cock sprang to attention. I could tell that he'd lent Erik his cologne because their scents had the same undertone. It was one of those colognes that smelled different on each man, so I'd never confuse them, but my body was loving Jason's aroma... and his touch. His arms felt strong around my shoulders.

After we'd ordered, I looked up at him and said, "I'm surprised that you're letting Kieran have that many empty calories. You usually keep him on a tight leash."

Jason squeezed me tighter and kissed my forehead. "I control Kieran's diet because otherwise he would eat nothing but junk food. Before I moved in, he was living on Doritos and something called Yoohoo."

"I have a hard time seeing that, sir. He always eats so healthy now." That sir just slipped out, like it often did when I was talking to Jason. Something about him demanded respect.

Jason smiled right at me, possibly for the first time, and I felt my heart flutter a little. Damn! I knew what Kieran saw in him now. "That's because he is a good boy."

He squeezed me tight when he said "he". I fluttered my eyelashes at him and said, "I don't mean to be a bad boy, sir."

He whispered in my ear, "Yes you do, Alonzo. You do it because you want to be spanked for bad behavior. If you were my boy, I would spank you every day, maybe twice a day. Would you like that?"

"Yes, sir!" I replied before I even realized I was speaking.

Jason kissed me on the lips and it was like a bolt of electricity ran through my body. He whispered, "I'm going to make sure Erik knows that so he can give you what you want."

Oh shit! What was going on? Why was Jason coming on to me?

We got our drinks (Jason paid of course) and then went back to the table. I was a little surprised when I saw Erik cuddling Kieran on his lap, but then I noticed the look that passed between him and Jason and I realized that this evening was going according to some plan of theirs.

Jason took Kieran into his lap and moved over to sit next to Erik, but he grabbed me around my waist and pulled me onto his lap as well. My mind was so busy trying to figure out what was happening that I didn't even put up a fake protest. I wanted to see where this was going.

We chatted a little while with Micah and Cameron, and then Jason and Erik got up. Erik went over to take Kieran's hand and Jason took hold of mine. He said, "Let's dance, Alonzo."

I glanced over at Kieran who was taking Erik's hand and I tried to send him good vibes through our empathic bond. I felt a wave of love and trust pouring back from him. I hoped Erik and Jason were starting to share a similar connection to the one I shared with Kieran. I was thinking about asking Erik about it later when I looked up into Jason's eyes and I was immediately distracted, "Yes, sir!" I blurted out.

We moved onto the dance floor and Jason pulled me tight against him, my back to his chest, and we started to dance. I felt guilty because I enjoyed it so much. Jason was a much better dancer than Erik. He knew a lot of moves and he didn't even come close to stepping on my feet. Jason touched my body in ways that made me swoon without ever actually touching my dick. He ran his hands down my chest and my sides. He cupped my ass with his hands while we danced. He even ran his fingers up my thighs and then rubbed my belly. He kissed my neck and nibbled my ears and I got so close to shooting off in my pants that it hurt.

I caught the occasional glimpse of Erik and Kieran. I had to chuckle to myself when I saw Kieran's feet dangling while Erik held him in the air. The height difference between six foot five and five foot four was astounding when you saw it. And now I knew what Erik and I looked like together.

We danced a few songs and then went back to the table to say our goodbyes. Micah and Cameron would be staying a while and then translocating back to campus. I really needed to learn that spell.

Erik held me under his arm and Jason took Kieran as we walked out of the club. Jason helped Kieran into the car and fastened him in, but when Erik opened the door I climbed in myself. Erik was used to my independence, so he didn't try to lift me in; he satisfied himself with grabbing my ass. We both liked that compromise. Instead of sitting by the door with the shoulder belt, I scooted over next to Kieran and fastened the lap belt.

I put an arm tentatively around Kieran, not sure what response I was going to get. But I needn't have worried. He wrapped his arms around me as well and I could feel the love. "Did you enjoy dancing with Erik?" I asked.

He blushed and said, "He kissed me, Alonzo, and I liked it."

I kissed his sweet lips and squeezed his shoulders. "Jason kissed me while we were at the café bar."

"What does it mean?" he whispered.

I could feel that he was more curious than fearful, but I sent another good vibe his way just in case. "It means that our men have wicked plans for us tonight, baby. And I think I'm looking forward to it. How about you?"

He whispered, "I'm always a little afraid when I try something new, but I'm looking forward to trying whatever Jason has planned."

I kissed him again, and that turned into a long, sensual make out session. We were still kissing when we pulled into the driveway. Jason and Erik turned around and watched us for a while before Erik said, "It's time to take this action inside, boys."

Erik

Earlier today, Jason and I had a long discussion and, frankly, it had been a little shocking. We'd finished our workout in the weight room, showered and then headed back to the dorm. Neither Kieran nor Alonzo was there because they'd gone to the pool. Jason handed me a cold bottle of water as soon as we entered and gestured toward one of the chairs. It was obvious that he wanted to talk. I sat down and he took the other chair.

"I'm surprised you aren't running right over to the pool to check up on the boys," I said, just to get the conversation started.

Jason sighed. "I'm having a hard time not doing that. It was one of the hardest things I did, walking out of the rec center without going downstairs, but I am trying to loosen the leash a little."

I smiled a little at those words. I knew he was paraphrasing Alonzo who'd laid into Jason for "keeping Kieran on a tight leash". My fiery little lover boy was not afraid to speak his mind. "You do it out of love, Jason," I replied, while secretly agreeing with Alonzo.

It was true that a shadowy group we'd dubbed The Observers was watching Kieran, and we had no idea if they were connected to the attacks on him this year, but Jason was overprotective of his boyfriend. I knew and, on some level, so did Jason.

He shrugged. "Truer words have never been spoken. I love Kieran with my entire heart and soul. I would do anything to keep him safe, but I promised Kieran that I would allow him to go to the pool with Alonzo, and I promised Alonzo that I would trust him to watch over Kieran. I... I have to follow through on my word."

I took another swig of my water. "They'll be fine. Kieran can call out to you if he's in trouble, and Alonzo is a kick ass sorcerer."

Jason smiled. "He's untrained, but he is very powerful, more powerful than I am truth be told."

"Dude, you are one kick ass mage as well," I insisted.

He seemed perplexed for a moment, then he said, "I am. And I know a lot more about magic than Alonzo likely ever will since he's... unfocused." I knew he wanted to say "flighty" and he wouldn't be wrong, but that was one of the things I loved about that boy. He had an artistic temperament, and his mind jumped from thing to thing. He saw the big picture very easily, but he sometimes glossed over details.

Jason continued. "But in terms of sheer power, he has more than I do, maybe more than Sebastian. He just doesn't know how to use it."

I laughed. "I guess I'd better be careful when I have to spank him, then?"

He nodded. "The best submissive is the one who has the power to resist, but submits nonetheless. Kieran is like that as well. When his mental talents are fully developed, he'll be more than capable of defending himself. Kieran submits to me because he wants to submit to me. Alonzo will do the same to you once he figures it out."

Personally, so long as Alonzo continued to allow me the privilege of making love to his tight little body, I didn't care if he submitted or not. Although it felt so good when he did break down and submit. I could easily get used to it if that was what Alonzo wanted.

Suddenly Jason changed the subject. "I need to confess something to you, Erik. Something bad. I... have something that I need to get off my mind, if you would consent to listen?."

With that, he had my complete attention. I leaned forward and nodded. He sighed and then continued. "When I first met Kieran, all I wanted was to claim him completely, so I could use him hard and enjoy his complete submission for one year. That changed when he was attacked. When it first happened, I wanted to punish Kyle for touching my property. But when I held Kieran in my arms, while he cried in his sleep, something inside me broke. I had come to love him. Everything changed. I had been demanding. I had tried to demean him and degrade him so that I could break him down and take complete ownership of him. From that time, my goal changed. I wanted to help him become who was inside so he could be happy. Now I can't imagine my life without him."

"Does he know?" I asked.

He nodded. "I told him one night, and he is such a good person that he forgave me instantly. He didn't care why I did what I did. He just wanted to know that I loved him now."

"Wow! That's a lot to process, Jason. But it sounds like Kieran has forgiven you," I said.

Jason still looked worried. "He did because that's who he is. He has such a kind and generous spirit. But Kieran wasn't the only one I wronged."

He paused and let his head rest on his outstretched fingers. I just gave him the time to collect his thoughts before continuing. I had some idea of what he was going to say based on a few comments he'd made earlier, but it was his tale to tell.

Finally, he continued. "When I first asked you and Alonzo over to our room, I displayed as much dominance as I could. It was my plan to bring both of you under my control. I planned to dominate all three of you."

I'd figured that one out already. I asked, "Did you ever do anything magical or mundane to further that plan? Did you ever do anything to actually dominate either of us?"

He shook his head, his contrition written all over his face. "No. Well, I goaded Alonzo into removing his body hair."

I laughed aloud. "I'm not going to complain about that, and neither will Alonzo. Ultimately you said it was his choice. And he made the decision to do it. No. I'm not going to blame you for any fantasies you may have had, Jason. So long as you never used your powers to dominate us in any way, you didn't do anything."

We spent some time talking about the various things we'd done together; like the pizza party turned sex party where we'd first gotten to know one another, the time we'd had sex on the floor of the hotel room at the resort, the first time we'd had sex together in that giant nine foot by nine foot bed at Alchemy House, and that trip to the movies where we'd fucked our boys side by side in the back row of the theater.

Then the conversation turned to this weekend. And Jason surprised me one more time. "Kieran has many talents as a mind mage. One of those is clairvoyance. Kieran has seen the future and, in it, the four of us are together. If you're willing, I would like to explore that idea a little. You asked me the other day if Kieran and I would ever be willing to have sex with another person or couple."

"And you said maybe, but only if it were me and Alonzo," I replied, suddenly intrigued. Alonzo had mentioned to me how cute he thought Kieran was. He talked about him all the time.

Jason said. "I know that you're attracted to Kieran and, since that last rapport, I know he's attracted to you. And I wouldn't be much of a man if I weren't attracted to Alonzo."

"You could be straight," I joked.

Jason snorted. "No, I couldn't. I tried that once. It wasn't for me."

That got me laughing as well. "Yeah? I didn't even try, but I know it's not for me as well. So let me see if I understand you. You want me to have sex with Kieran, and you want to have sex with Alonzo."

Jason sighed deeply. "I do and I don't. I trust Kieran's vision, however, and it says that we will do it. Don't get me wrong. I get aroused whenever I look at Alonzo, as aroused as you get when you look at Kieran. I'm trying, and finding it a challenge, to be okay with you touching Kieran."

"If you're serious about this, then we should start slow. How about I dance with Kieran and you dance with Alonzo?"

Jason nodded and added, "We'll start there, but if the boys are amenable, I'd like to do some kissing when we get home. We can work up to something more later."

And now we were at Alchemy House... we were home.

Kieran

Jason helped me out of the car and then he wrapped me in his arms. Erik did the same thing for Alonzo. Then we walked into the house, Erik carrying the bags with his telekinesis. His mental power was growing quickly. The Gray twins were in the house when we got there and they'd brought someone with them. I didn't know him, but I could feel the sexual tension between the three of them. So I assumed the twins were sharing a handsome guy again. I didn't want to know the details, but I knew that was their favorite pastime.

Jason exchanged a few words with them and then the four of us went upstairs to the master bedroom. I could feel the tension in the room including a hint of... anxiety... from Jason. I was anxious as well, but I was always anxious when I was doing something new. I'd probably have broken down in the club, despite how much I'd been enjoying myself, if it hadn't been for the potion Jason had given me earlier.

As soon as we got into the room, Alonzo and I stripped down to our thongs. We'd taken to coordinating so we were both in baby blue. Our men liked us in nothing but thongs when we were in the suite or in our room here at Alchemy House. Alonzo and I both liked it too. You could tell from our erections and the wetness of the pouches. Once we were undressed, Alonzo pulled me into a hug and we kissed for a couple of minutes.

I looked at Jason with my aura sight. I could see the knot in his body that was causing his concern. I didn't want to pry into his thoughts without his permission because he was so private and reserved, but I didn't need to do that in order to help him out. He was making our tea, so I was careful not to disturb him when I hugged him from behind. I let our energy bodies merge for a moment and then I unraveled that knot. I could feel Jason's back muscles relax.

Jason finished what he was doing; then he turned around and wrapped me in his arms. "Your hugs are the best, Little Prince."

I just leaned against him and inhaled his scent. To me, he smelled lightly of that rich musky cologne he wore with an overlaying level of citrus and spice. That scent always went straight to my dick. I was already on the edge of cumming and I could feel myself leaking like crazy.

I said, "I love you, Zhangfu, and I trust you completely."

He kissed me, sending a shiver running through my whole body. Then he handed me my pills and my tea. I swallowed the pills without question and then drank my tea. After the men had their pills and tea they sat down side by side on the armless sofa and Alonzo and I sat on their laps, straddling their legs. Jason held me tight and we kissed until his magic tea had its effect.

I ran to the bathroom. Jason added some alchemical substance to mine and Alonzo's teas that had the strange effect of making us hold our poop until we took it, and then it came out quickly, leaving us clean and ready to take our men inside us. That was great because I was kind of poop averse and I hadn't had to worry about it even once. I'd never had sex until I met Jason and his alchemy made it a non-issue.

Alonzo ran inside as soon as I got out and I went to sit back down on Jason, but Erik took hold of my arm and pulled me onto his lap. The next thing I knew he was holding me tight and his lips were crushing mine. I panicked a little until I saw that Jason was smiling at me. He put a hand on my back and asked, "Are you okay, Little Prince?"

I nodded and said, "Yes, sir."

Erik started kissing me again. And this time, I responded. Kissing Erik was so different from kissing Jason. Erik didn't shave. He just kept his beard trimmed so short that it was basically stubble. His cheeks were rough next to my smooth skin. Erik was more tentative than Jason, even though he was unquestionably stronger. I kissed him back using a little force of my own.

"Kiss me harder, sir," I moaned.

Erik smiled and then crushed me against him. I allowed myself to melt into him and inhale his scent. I could smell the same light muskiness that came from Jason's cologne, but the dominant scent reminded me of fresh cut wood and... maybe pine. Like Jason's scent, it went straight to my dick. I wanted to grind against him, but Jason didn't like it when I stimulated my penis to get an orgasm. I was with Erik, but I had to assume the rules were the same.

Alonzo

Was I surprised when I came out of the bathroom and saw Kieran on Erik's lap while my boyfriend kissed him? A little. I wasn't surprised that the two of them were attracted to one another. I'd been in that link where we'd all connected. I was a little surprised that Jason was sitting there next to the two of them and he didn't seem angry. Was I angry? Not really. I loved Kieran and I wanted Erik to love him too.

Jason held out his hand. When I took it, he pulled me onto his lap. I scooted forward so that I was pressing my dick against his. He was as hard as I was. If Jason wanted to do this, I was going to make sure he wasn't just using me as a substitute for Kieran. I didn't play submissive. I wrapped my arms around his neck and planted my lips on his. He was startled for a moment because of my aggression, but he didn't let it hold him back. Still, he took charge like the alpha male he was.

Jason grasped me in his arms and thrust his tongue inside my mouth. His hands slid down to my hips. My skin felt alive at the touch of his strong hands, softer than Erik's, but rougher than mine or Kieran's. I arched my back and purred like a kitten. Jason slid his hands down further, cupping my ass and then pulling on the strap between my cheeks, making it rub against my hole.

Jason planted a kiss on my nipple and then gave it a sharp nip with his teeth. "You're a very sexy boy, Alonzo."

I gasped and moaned. "Your lips make my skin feel alive, sir."

Damn! I'd lost control already. There was just something about Jason that made me want – no, need – to submit. And from the smile on his face, it was obvious that he knew it. He bit my other nipple and moved back up to my throat. He kissed every inch of my neck.

We made out on the sofa for... I don't know how long. It felt like forever, but it was over too soon. Jason held me close to his chest and looked over at Erik who was making Kieran whimper. "Let's move this to the bed now."

Then he stood up, still holding me tight against him, with one hand under my butt. He carried me over to the bed and laid me face down. Erik placed Kieran next to me. We looked at one another. When he smiled at me, I smiled back and held out my hand. He took it in his and squeezed. We'd been like this before, laying side by side on the bed, waiting for our men.

I wasn't sure why they had us face down this time, until Jason pulled the strap of my thong to one side and planted a kiss on each of my cheeks. Then he pulled my hips up just enough to spread my ass open. Then he ran his tongue along my crack. Kieran squeezed my hand and I could tell from the look on his face that he was getting the same treatment from Erik.

I felt guilty acknowledging that Jason was more skilled than Erik when it came to eating my ass, but that guy knew what he was doing. His tongue teased my hole until it started quivering with delight. I moaned. I groaned. And I gasped in ecstasy. I didn't call out, however. I was still afraid of making Kieran jealous if I started giving out sexy encouragements.

I think Jason and Erik must have understood. They were also strangely quiet. Finally, Jason broke the silence. "Kieran, why don't you bring us all together?"

Kieran

If Erik's scruffy face had felt both strange and erotic on my lips, it felt doubly so on my ass. I held onto Alonzo's hand and shared a smile with him. I was so far outside my comfort zone that part of me wanted to curl up in a ball and hide, but Alonzo's presence kept me grounded.

We were strangely silent during this encounter, everyone afraid to say anything that could make the situation weirder. When Jason asked me to `bring us all together', it was a relief. I reached out to Alonzo first because he was the easiest for me to connect with. Our emotions connected first and we both gave a mental sigh of relief, understanding that the other wasn't angry because we were getting attention from his lover. I could feel Alonzo's love and trust, and he could feel mine.

Ever since he and I had entered rapport in our training session, Erik was more accessible to me than Jason, so I pulled him in next. Alonzo and I could feel his love washing over us. That love had a different flavor when it came to me, than it did when it went to Alonzo, but both emotions were strong. It was now easier for me to follow the tantric bond between us to reach Jason. It was easier to draw in the missing piece when you knew exactly what was absent. He didn't have barriers since he wasn't a mage, but his natural tendency to hold himself back made it harder for him to let go and join us. But, once he felt the rightness of taking his place with us, our minds fell into a semi-stable configuration.

I pictured our union as a giant quadrilateral. Each of us was a vertex of the structure. Jason and I were one side, Erik and I another, Alonzo and Erik the third, and Alonzo and Jason the final side. The strongest bonds were between Jason and me, Alonzo and Erik, and Alonzo and me. But Jason and Erik still needed to find that deep connection somehow. In my heart, I knew that this metaphysical structure would be improved once the weaker bonds were strengthened. It was a goal for the future, but our union was stable enough for tonight.

When Erik and Jason went back to eating our asses, we could each feel the sensations rolling over the others. Physically, I could feel Erik's bristled face brushing the smooth skin of my ass while his tongue probed deep inside, but I could also feel Jason's smoother face and more talented tongue as he made Alonzo moan. And I could also feel the sensation of my own ass quivering against Erik's tongue and Alonzo's ass doing the same with Jason. Of course, Erik, Alonzo, and Jason were experiencing the same thing I was, and each of us could feel our own sensations reflected in the minds of the other three.

For some reason I didn't know, all the feelings and sensations were doubled when Jason and I joined together mentally, and they were doubled again when Erik and Alonzo were added to our union. It was almost a sensory overload.

When Alonzo and I had both become loose and relaxed, Jason said, "I'm not quite ready for the next step, Erik."

Through the link, we all knew that he meant he wasn't ready to see Erik fuck me. They could also feel the relief I felt. On some level I wanted it, and on another I knew that it would happen sometime, but I wasn't ready yet to take Erik's massive cock inside me.

Jason and Erik switched places. They placed Alonzo and I next to one another, ensuring we were so close that we would hug and kiss to delight them. Laughing, Erik and Jason took their places behind us, and, just like last time, they lifted one of our legs and pressed their cocks against our holes and slowly entered us. Jason's cock made me gasp when it passed my sphincter muscle, but it was nothing compared to the reflection of Alonzo's discomfort as Erik's huge cock slipped inside him. I almost came from the sensation and Alonzo was also having difficulty holding back.

Then he started singing. It was an old song that I'd heard on the radio, but I couldn't remember when.

Islands in the Stream.

That is what we are.

Nothing in between,

Nothing can go wrong.

Four hearts beat as one,

Our heat now combined,

As we come all together ah ha,

Each lover with the others ah ha.

At first it seemed strange and inappropriate, despite Alonzo's clear and beautiful voice, but then I felt the magic. With my aura sight I could see the energy nodes in our bodies that controlled sex drive connecting and synchronizing. I had no idea he could do that, or even that it was possible. I saw the connection and I was sure that I could remove it with a thought, but I was intrigued by this strange development.

Jason and Erik started fucking us in earnest. Erik knew all Alonzo's special spots in the same way that Jason knew mine. Maybe it was the link that caused Jason and Erik to mirror each other's actions. But they were thrusting with the same rhythm, which meant that Erik was moving a little faster due to his greater length. Alonzo and I were making out and our men were kissing our necks. Jason bit my shoulders gently, while Erik bit Alonzo harder. The sharp sensation of pain excited me as it echoed through our rapport, and Jason bit me a little harder. If our sex drives hadn't been linked, I would have shot my load right then against Alonzo's thigh.

As it was, my pleasure continued to build. Alonzo and I were the two most ready for orgasm. We were hanging on the edge. Erik was almost as close as we were. Jason was still a little behind, but he had a talent for fucking me for a long time before cumming. I felt the echo of Erik pinching Alonzo's nipples, and then I felt the physical sensation of Jason doing the same thing to me.

I needed to cum so bad that it was almost torturous. The pressure was building in my dick and my entire body felt like it was on fire with sexual energy. I could feel that Alonzo was experiencing the same thing and he was writhing in ecstasy, enjoying this connection, his contribution to our link and our shared experience. Erik was also ready to burst, his cock throbbing even more than mine in the tightness of his boy's ass, and mine and Alonzo's were slapping against our bellies from the forceful pounding we were getting. But for Alonzo, this seemed to be a familiar sensation, like he'd felt it before, whereas I was experiencing it for the first time, and from two separate, but intertwined, perspectives. And Jason, I could feel that he was the reason for this prolonged sensation of sexual bliss. He was as close as we all were, but he was holding back through sheer determination, drawing out the experience to heighten it for all of us. His willpower was almost unbelievable. In that moment, I understood how Jason always managed to fuck me to orgasm before cumming himself and my love and respect for him grew even stronger.

When Jason finally let go, we all came together. The sensation was similar for all of us, and we all felt each other's pleasure as well as our own. It was so intense that I almost blacked out, but instead our union reached perfection. At the moment of our mutual climax, all four of us became one. It was just like that first time with Jason when we became a perfected whole. We were outside ourselves, each of us grown beyond our normal limitations. All our barriers were down and we knew one another on a deeply intimate level.

And then the rapport dissolved and we were once again four individuals. I was pleased to note that a loose background connection remained between the four of us, however, and I basked in its afterglow.

Jason pulled me into a tight embrace and kissed me hard. I could taste his own wonderful flavor, plus the faintest hint of something sweet and musky that had to be Alonzo's ass. We made out for a long time, and then Jason and Erik put me and Alonzo back on our sides facing one another. We hugged each other and intertwined our legs. Jason pressed up next to me, his cock nestled against my butt, and Erik did the same with Alonzo.

Immediately, I realized what had been missing and what was weakening the metaphysical quadrangle we'd constructed. Jason and Erik were keeping their distance from each other. They needed to be closer. Our rapport depended on it. I wanted us to find that perfectly stable structure that I knew was possible. I had to find some way to get the two of them closer. Ideally, they should be as close as me and Alonzo. They had feelings for one another. I could see them so easily when we were in rapport, but something was holding them back.

We drifted off to sleep and shared amorphous, vaguely sexual, but undefined, dreams. At some point during the night, something tried to intrude on our dreams, but I brushed it away.

Reggie Delmar

After all that preparation and all that energy, something had just brushed my spell aside, like it was nothing. I'd found Alonzo's imago, and I was just about to draw it into the special dreamscape I'd created when I'd been blocked by something powerful, or someone with much greater affinity for dream magic. I woke up and screamed, "FUCK ME!"

Luckily I'd made my room soundproof, otherwise everyone at Ibis House would be banging on my door to see what was happening. I put out the candles and hoped they were long enough to be reused next time I tried this spell.

I sighed and readjusted the erection in my shorts. I didn't feel like masturbating after coming so close to getting a hold of Alonzo, even if it was just in a dream. Instead, I took out the crystal I used as a focus for conjuration and cast the spell. "Simulacrum Alonsi a mente mea creatum ad me nunc veni."

I repeated the spell while the energy built within the crystal and then the simulacrum took shape. In appearance, it was exactly like Alonzo. When it appeared, it was naked. It gave me that smile that made my knees go weak. With that impish grin, I was able to start thinking of my simulacrum as a he instead of an it.

He ran over and kissed me. He smelled like Alonzo and he tasted how I imagined Alonzo would taste, pure boyish musk redolent of warm spice, cinnamon mixed with chili. "Mm, te amo Reggie. I miss you whenever I'm not with you."

He knelt before me and kissed my cock through my shorts before pulling them down and taking my dick in his mouth. He sucked me to orgasm and then he led me over to the bed and we lay down next to one another. I knew from previous nights that he would coax another load or two out of me.

Even though I knew that it wasn't real, it was as real as I could get right now.

Alonzo

Kieran had told me that Jason was an early riser, and so was I. The two of us were both trying to creep out of bed shortly after dawn. Erik and Kieran were both late sleepers. I looked over at Jason and mouthed, "I want to make breakfast before we go to campus, but I don't want to leave Kieran alone."

Jason thought for a moment. Then he walked over to this side of the bed and whispered in my ear. I touched Erik's shoulder (he had a talent for only waking halfway up) so I quietly repeated Jason's instructions, "Scoot over and cuddle Kieran until breakfast."

Erik gave us a bleary eyed look and then scooted over to take Kieran into his arms. And then he was snoring again, this time against the top of Kieran's head, who gave a little moan and scooted even closer to Erik to bury his face in his hairy chest.

I was about to get dressed when Jason opened my drawer in the dresser and pulled out a pair of lavender running shorts and an aubergine tee shirt. "Wear these around the house this morning."

He didn't ask. He just handed me the clothes and demanded that I put them on. If it had been Erik, I would have given him some sass, but the look in Jason's eyes didn't invite any backtalk and, for some reason, I felt a need to do what he told me. My hand trembled as I took the clothes from his hands.

"Wait a minute," he said.

He rummaged through my drawer and Kieran's until he found two thongs in matching colors, neon pink. He put one on top of the dresser, along with an outfit similar to mine, but in baby and navy blue. He tossed the other thong at me and said, "Now you can get dressed."

While I was dressing, he pulled on a pair of black athletic shorts and a red tee shirt that fit him like a second skin. Of course, his shorts came halfway down to his knees. Then he came over, kissed me again and patted my butt. "Good morning, Alonzo. You're being a good boy this morning."

Suddenly I was embarrassed. "I need to brush my teeth, sir."

He smiled and said, "I wasn't going to say anything because you're being so cute and obedient today."

I bit my bottom lip and tried not to breathe at him, but he took my chin in his hand and kissed me again, thrusting his tongue inside my mouth to show that he didn't really care. Then he asked, "Mint, cinnamon, or orange-spice?"

I wasn't sure what he was asking, but I liked all three flavors. He expected a response so I said, "Cinnamon."

He opened his bag and pulled out a small tin and handed it to me. Inside were a number of small red pastille candies. Jason took one of them and placed it inside my mouth. He said, "Chew it, swish it around your mouth for about a minute, then swallow it."

I bit the pastille and felt cinnamon flavored foam fill my mouth. I followed Jason's instructions and counted to sixty while I swished it around. Then I swallowed. Not only was my breath fresh, but my teeth felt clean.

"That's amazing, sir! Is this why Kieran's breath always tastes like orange spice?"

Jason gave me an enigmatic smile and said, "He likes a couple of different flavors, but this is the one he uses before kissing anyone. It's an alchemical dental treatment that's safe to swallow. It cleans better than brushing and it washes and repairs the teeth."

He closed his hand over mine and said, "This one's yours. You can use as many as you want in a day and just let me know when you're down to half a box or less. I'll make you some more."

Jason surprised me by picking me up and carrying me downstairs like I was Kieran. Then he patted my butt and said, "Breakfast for eight this morning. The Grays are here and we're expecting Delian and Rowan again."

I went into the kitchen and looked around. Jason had asked me for a grocery list and somehow he'd gotten everything I'd asked for. I had fresh roasted Hatch green chilis, fresh garlic, fresh chorizo, white and red onions, fresh tortillas, fresh cut salsa, and a selection of Mexican cheeses. I decided to make scrambled eggs.

The magical world continued to amaze me. We had a new refrigerator that looked like a much larger version of an old-time fridge. The brand name was Conservator and the manufacturer was Numinositas. And someone, probably the Gray twins, who were here all the time, had made sure it was fully stocked. When looking through the supplies, I noticed that the eggs and cheese were cold, while the salsa was room temperature. I checked some of the other items. The bottle of milk was also cold. A carafe of coffee was hot.

Jason came up behind me and said, "Don't be confused. That's not a refrigerator. It's a stasis box. Nothing in it will change temperature or spoil. The bottom door is a frigefactor. It chills things, but you have to take them out when they've reached the desired temperature or they'll keep getting colder until they freeze."

I smiled and shook my head. "I love magic."

He patted my butt and said, "And I love how excited you get when you see it."

Then he left me alone to get started. I took out Seth's olla so I could make real café de olla. Jason had even gotten me some real piloncillo. It looked like a cone of brown sugar, but the taste was completely different, almost like burnt caramel. I added both a cinnamon stick and some cloves because that was the way my tia made it. Then I got all my ingredients together.

I fried the chorizo and then drained the grease because there was no way Jason would eat it otherwise, nor would he allow Kieran to have any. Then I cut the onions and green chilis before I warmed the tortillas and started the eggs.

I was just beginning to cook them when Seth came into the kitchen. He gave me a friendly side hug and said, "Mmm. Something smells good in here."

I gave that look and he added, "I mean the coffee, the chili, and the onions! Of course, you smell good, too."

"Thank you," I replied with a smile.

He went over to the counter where I had already grated some queso asadero. "Do you want me to crumble some cotija or just go ahead and set the table?"

"Cotija first and then set the table if you don't mind," I said.

Kieran

I woke up when I felt Erik's bristly face brushing against my temple as he kissed the top of my head. He was holding me tight and I was a little embarrassed at my morning erection, just because he wasn't Jason. He kissed my eyes and then my lips. "Wake up, pretty boy."

When I opened my eyes he was smiling at me. "I've never had a chance to wake up with you in my arms, sweet thing."

I didn't know what to say, so I said, "I like your beard."

"Do you want me to tell Jason to grow one?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. I like your beard on you, but I think it would feel weird if Jason had one.'

"Had one what?" Jason asked. I hadn't heard him come into the room but he was just closing the door.

Erik said, "Kieran likes my beard."

Then Jason surprised me. He walked over to Erik's side of the bed and kissed him. "So do I."

Then he made our morning tea while I got up to go to the bathroom. When I got back I put on the clothes Jason had set out for me, while Erik was throwing on a pair of shorts and a muscle shirt. I looked in the mirror and noticed that my hair was a rat's nest. Jason handed Erik his and Alonzo's tea and then he sat me down in front of the mirror.

"I'm sorry that I didn't remember to braid your hair last night. I always forget how tangled it gets while you sleep. But I learned a spell just for you."

He pulled out his wand and waved it in an intricate pattern over my head. "Capilli mea voluntate componantur!"

My hair detangled and formed itself into a braid, like Alonzo usually wove, then he fixed it with a silver clasp in the shape of a dragon. He kissed my neck and said, "You're beautiful, and I promise to learn how to do this with my hands so I can take time to do it right."

We drank our tea and then went downstairs where Alonzo had prepared breakfast. Seth was helping to bring the food to the table and I wondered if he had helped to cook. Delian and Rowan were there as well. Jason pulled me onto his lap and fixed a plate for us to share, making sure that none of the food touched because he knew how much I hated that.

There were scrambled eggs with onions and a lot of chilis. There was cheese melted into the eggs and a different cheese crumbled on top. Jason knew that I liked salsa so he spooned some over the eggs. There was also a sausage that looked like loose ground meat and it was really red. I was afraid to try the eggs because of all the chilies in them, but Jason held a forkful to my mouth and I tried it. It was good and a lot less hot than I thought it was going to be.

Alonzo looked at me until I gave him a smile. "It's not too hot!" I said.

Alonzo smiled back and said, "That's because Jason got me some fresh green chilis. Not hot, just delicious chili flavor."

I didn't tell him that it was plenty hot enough, but he liked his food much hotter than I did. Everyone loved the breakfast and they spent a lot of time talking about the Southwest. Alonzo, Seth, and Gwendolyn grew up there; Jason, Delian, and Rowan had all been there. Only Erik and I knew nothing about that part of the country, but Erik joined in by asking a lot of questions and I was happy listening and absorbing all the new information. After breakfast, Delian and Rowan took care of the food and dishes.

Erik grabbed Alonzo, threw him over his shoulder and carried him upstairs. Jason gave me a wink and then he did the same to me. They tossed us on the bed and then pulled our clothes off. Alonzo and I were both laughing and obviously excited because we were both hard as a rock.

Jason said, "We have just enough time to have some after breakfast sex before Alonzo and I have to go to campus. I'll just translocate us and leave you the keys so you can drive if you need to go anywhere."

Then Jason and Erik joined us on the bed. We didn't enter rapport this time, all of us understanding that we didn't need that level of connection every time we made love. Jason held me tight and kissed me. Erik was doing the same to Alonzo. We didn't have a lot of time, so we only had a few minutes to make out before the guys placed us on our backs, our heads on one pillow and another under our asses.

Alonzo and I held hands while Jason and Erik moved down to lick our asses. Jason knew how to eat my ass and I liked it so much that I relaxed and opened for him almost immediately. My anus had gotten so sensitive that it felt as good as it used to back when I played with my cock. My entire asshole tingled and sent waves of pleasure running through me.

Alonzo and I couldn't quite reach to kiss, so we settled for squeezing each other's hands.

Alonzo

Holy crap. Erik always seemed to love eating my ass, but usually he didn't take this much time. There was no way he was going to stop until Jason did, and Jason kept it up for twenty minutes. By that time, Kieran and I were both on the edge of blowing our loads all over our bellies. I had to reinforce this good behavior in my Vikingo grande.

"Ay papi, I love it when you eat my ass so long. If you keep that up, I'm going to cum just from your talented tongue."

That made him dig in more aggressively. Whatever was in Jason's magic butt lotion was having an effect. My entire asshole was as sensitive as the head of my cock. Every touch, every lick sent shivers of pleasure through my body. I even felt a thrill when I pooped these days.

When Erik and Jason finally decided they'd eaten enough ass, they pushed our legs up to our chests and entered us. Erik was about to shove one of those magic lube spheres up my ass, but Jason stopped him and said, "Thanks to the unguent of Li Pei, he will be lubricated enough, so long you eat his culus for long enough."

I took note. Culus must be Latin for culo. It made sense, but I couldn't keep trying to figure it out from my Spanish. I was going to have to take a class. I'd been hoping to fulfill my language requirement with Spanish because it would be easy for me as a native speaker.

I held my breath and hoped Jason wasn't overestimating the effectiveness of his potions. It wasn't until Erik pushed inside me that I was able to breathe. Don't get me wrong, it hurt, but was a good kind of hurt. And once it subsided, there was no real pain, just the usual sense of fullness. This time, when he reached my inner sphincter, I felt a jolt similar to when he entered my asshole but it also faded quickly. And then he was fucking me.

He let go of my knees and my legs splayed out to the sides. When Kieran's did the same, we were able to rub our legs together. Erik fucked me for several minutes, but we were both close to orgasm, and when it came I screamed my pleasure loud enough to be heard downstairs. Erik and I finished first and he immediately took my cock in his mouth to clean it off. Then he licked all the cum from my belly before moving next to me so we could kiss some more.

Kieran

Jason and Erik were a good influence on one another. Since Alonzo and I often slipped into light rapport when we touched, I could feel his pleasure as well as mine. I wasn't sure how much of my pleasure he could feel without deepening the connection. We talked about sex a lot and it had come up once how much longer Jason spent licking my ass than Erik did for him. I could tell that Alonzo was delighted by Erik taking more time to pleasure him. And when I came, Jason took my cock in his mouth and cleaned it off. He didn't suck my dick, but it felt really good. Then he licked all the cum off my body.

Jason kissed me, sharing my cum with me. Then he said, "Every part of your body tastes delicious, Little Prince."

Jason

Leaving Kieran while I went to campus with Alonzo wasn't easy for me. I knew that he was safe with Erik, but I worried about my little prince every minute he was out of my sight. Alonzo was excited because he had another band practice this morning, and I needed to look in the secret library for a copy of Diodorus's Formularium. My parents owned a copy, but I didn't have one of my own. Much of the material had been superseded by more modern texts, but it was still a seminal work. I recalled that the book had a list of mundane substitutions for some of the magical ingredients in common potions, and a list of the necessary changes to the spells required to use them as substitutes.

The biggest roadblock we'd hit so far was the Conclave being stingy with funding, which Sebsastian informed me was typical for them. We were making some things in large quantities, like healing potions and alchemical fire, but without sufficient fiscal support, we'd never reach our target stock. I didn't mind working for small (insultingly small) pay, but I wasn't going to buy the ingredients we needed out of my own pocket and fight for reimbursement.

I'd purchased one of those carpets with an arcane circle on it and put it in the basement. I didn't want the work being conducted here to be easily disturbed so I decided not to put it in the area that had been separated off with a wall and a security door for the alchemical workshop. Instead I'd installed the magical rug in the section that served as a storeroom and pantry. When I cast the spell and took Alonzo with me from the basement of Alchemy House to the sub-basement of Severan House, he became very excited.

"I'll bet I could do that now that I've been through it twice, once with you and once with Seth. He didn't have that rug with the arcane circle on it so I didn't really get a chance to feel what he was doing, but now I think I've got it!" he said.

I hated to ruin his mood, but I led him over to the side of the room where I could sit down and pull him onto my lap. He'd changed his clothes after breakfast and he was once again in his gay cowboys clothes. This time, his shirt was lavender, mint green, and white plaid. His jeans were slate gray and so was his hat. The boy had more clothes than anyone I knew.

I kissed him to stop his rambling and said, "Alonzo, translocation isn't just difficult magic to master. It's also dangerous because of potential side effects. If you want to learn the spell, tell Clarissa and Sebastian. Now, promise me that you won't try to do that spell as a wild mage."

He seemed to deflate a little as his exuberance was replaced with resignation. I hugged him tight and added. "You tell Sebastian and Clarissa all the time that you won't do magic you haven't practiced and you do it anyway. I want you to look me in the eye and promise me as your... as someone who really loves you and doesn't want to see you come to harm that you won't try the spell until Clarissa says you've mastered it."

He sighed. "I promise, sir."

I kissed him again. "Thank you, Alonzo. I can't bear the thought of you reincorporating badly or ending up with your organs on the outside of your body, or only translocating part of your body."

He gave a horrified look. "Really? That can happen?"

Those were extreme examples, but I wanted to scare him badly enough that he wouldn't be tempted to try to work magic too advanced for him. He was very powerful, but wild mages were a danger to themselves unless properly trained. I knew that he'd almost killed himself once before performing some magic that usually required both assistants and hours of work.

I kissed him yet again and rubbed his back. "I have no doubt that you can do this spell once you've gotten some training. You're a very talented mage and you'll learn it quickly once you put in the effort."

He leaned back against me. "Thank you, sir. That means a lot coming from you."

Then we stood up and I gave him another hug. "Now you need to go to your band practice and I need to pour through the magical library here at Severan House. You text me when you're done and I'll take you back home."

I watched him walk away, and he had to have known I was watching him because he somehow managed to make his butt swing in a very enticing way without making it too obvious that he was doing it. I had to admit that Alonzo was like pure sex appeal in jeans that measured 26 inches in the waist and 28 inches in the inseam. I didn't stop watching until he went up the stairs. Then I started my research.

Alonzo

Jason had been very sweet while bursting my bubble about the translocation spell. And I hated to admit how much I loved his gentle cuddling. He treated me like he treated Kieran. If Erik had done that, I would have punched him in his broad chest, but Jason had the power to make me want to be pampered. So long as Erik didn't start doing it to me, everything would be alright, or – yikes – so long as Kieran never saw it.

I danced over to the music building to meet the group, and I got there ten minutes early. We ran through our entire set for next weekend. Mariah and I were sharing lead vocals. She started us out with As It Was by Harry Styles. She just had to change the name "Harry" to "You know" in one line to make it work. Then I did Bailando by Enrique Iglesias, the song I'd used to audition for the band. Then the two of us did Somebody I Used to Know by Gotye. Then Mariah sang lead on You Need to Calm Down by Taylor Swift. And I finished the set with Lizzo's About Damn Time.

The only members of the audience were professor Gantz and Reggie Delmar. They both clapped at the end of the set and the professor told us that we were more than ready for the show, but not to get lazy. Reggie was extremely enthusiastic. He congratulated Billy first, the man he'd befriended by implanting false memories of the two of them into his head. The rest of the group were still confused because they didn't remember Billy and Reggie ever hanging around before. They didn't question it too hard, but they were bemused by the "friendship".

Then Reggie came up to me and threw his arms around my shoulders. "You sing like a freaking angel, Alonzo."

He kissed me but made sure to keep it on the cheek like a friend. "Let me take you to lunch and then I'll walk you back to Clarissa's room for your lesson."

I knew his feelings for me were more than friendship, but the fact was that I liked Reggie. He was my number one fan. I mean Kieran, Erik, and Jason liked my singing, but they weren't musicians. Reggie not only loved my singing but he could also talk about exactly what I'd done right. And he wasn't afraid to give me constructive criticism when I needed it either.

We went to the food court in the Student Union where I had a cheeseburger. I'd almost ordered a chili dog, but the thought of Reggie watching me eat a hot dog made me a little uncomfortable, given his feelings about me. While we were eating, he pulled out a folder and put it on the table.

"What's that?" I asked.

He seemed nervous. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before saying, "They're songs I wrote. I was planning on singing them myself, but I think they'd be better if you sang them. Could you look at them when you have the chance?"

I nodded. "Sure, Reggie. Let me take a look at them, but I may not get a chance to really give them a shot until after Family and Friends weekend."

He smiled at me. "I get that; you have to be ready for the concert at the mall. And that's next weekend! I can wait a couple of weeks."

Reggie was a conundrum. He pretended to just want to be my friend, but it was obvious he wanted more. He was careful not to cross a line that made me want to tell him to get lost. I felt guilty around him because I got aroused by his attentions, even while they made me uncomfortable. And he was really handsome, so handsome that I'd had several wet dreams where we'd had crazy good sex.

I even got turned on when he finished the last third of my cheeseburger, and then again when he wrapped his arm around my shoulder in a way that almost, but didn't quite, cross the line between friendship and intimacy. I didn't even realize that I'd leaned my head against him until he sniffed my hair. By then it would have seemed accusatory if I pulled away.

He walked me to the garret in Baylor Hall where I did most of my mage training. Clarissa had the area set up for meditation and small detailed spell work. Reggie gave me a borderline inappropriate hug before he left, balancing it out with a friendly and chaste kiss to my forehead. "I'll be back in one hour to walk you back to the hidden library."

I shook my head. "I... um... I can make it back to Severan House on my own."

Reggie smiled and said, "I'll be here, an iced mocha with cinnamon syrup, three pumps instead of seven, with whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle ready and waiting for you."

I sighed and gave him a smile. "You know me so well."

"You're a major talent and you deserve to be treated like a diva," he said. Then he winked and left.

I heard Clarissa clearing her throat, so I turned around and grimaced apologetically. She said, "If you're ready, Alonzo, come over and show me the basic hygiene spells you've been practicing."

I blushed and took my place in front of her. I pulled out the old hand-carved wooden flute she'd given me. I'd practiced the spell with various tunes. I'd begun with an adaptation of Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go that focused on cleaning and grooming. It had worked, but it felt clunky, slow, and inefficient. Each time I'd worked those spells, I'd altered the tune a little bit, until it now had just a superficial resemblance to the original song. I had performed the tune to clean a dirty cloth she'd brought to the room, and then another to clean my teeth, another to fix my hair, and another to clean and freshen my body.

She nodded and gave me a smile. "That was very good, Alonzo. Now, I'm not a songmage, so why don't you explain what you did there?"

I explained how I'd changed the song to make it fit the spell better. She nodded and asked, "But I noticed that you changed the tune for each separate task."

I shrugged. "I noticed that each magical effect works better with a different variation of the tune."

She smiled and made a note in her book. "I'm still learning about your talents, Alonzo, so thank you for helping me to understand. What you're saying matches the standard method of spell casting. Most mages alter the words and intonation of the spell to make it their own."

She pulled out a journal with my name on it and flipped through the pages. Then she said, "Next up on your plan are some basic transmutations."

She gave me a stern look and pursed her lips. "I know that you're already altering clothes when you haven't been certified on those spells yet."

I blushed again but didn't try to deny it. I did, however, decide to take it as an opportunity to change the subject. "Speaking of not doing magic until you certify me on it, I'd really like to learn the translocation spell."

She sighed. "I'm sure you do, but that is very dangerous magic."

She could tell I was disappointed. She sighed and said, "We'll train you on translocation if, and only if, you follow the plan I lay out for you."

I nodded and promised on my abuelas grave to do everything she told me to do. She held up her fingers and counted off her points. "You will not even attempt this spell until you've traveled with someone else doing the spell at least five times. And you will journal the experience, describing what you experienced and felt each time. Then, and only then, will you be allowed to try the spell by yourself. I'll have Desmond go with you because he has experience with emergency magi-medical treatment. You will only perform the spell on your own once Desmond says that you can."

I agreed and then let her show me the transmutation spells. She reminded me that there wouldn't be a Saturday meeting next weekend due to Family and Friend Weekend. When the lesson was over, I found Reggie waiting for me with the drink he'd promised. I let him walk me back to Severan House. He didn't follow me downstairs, and I wondered if he was afraid of Jason seeing the two of us together.

Erik

It was a really nice day, one of the last warm days of the year in all likelihood. Next month, the temperatures would rarely rise into the seventies. I really wanted to spend more time with Kieran, since getting closer to him. And I knew that Jason had kept him somewhat sheltered while helping Kieran in his becoming. So I'd suggested I take him to Founder's Square. Jason trusted me to keep him safe so I planned to show him around a little. We were still at Alchemy House and we weren't very far from downtown Severan.

"So, little guy, do you want to go jogging or take a walk?" I asked.

He looked at me with more excitement than he'd shown since Jason had left. "You mean outside the house, here in town? We're not going back to campus to walk around the health trail?"

He was more excited than I expected, but then Jason had only taken him to a few places in town. And he'd always driven him wherever they went, so Kieran hadn't been able to experience the quiet beauty of Severan. Then I realized Alonzo hadn't either. I was going to have to rectify that. Assuming that he wanted to get out, that was. Since he didn't have a car, he didn't have much of a chance to explore. Maybe we could work a regular walk through town on Sundays before heading back to the dorms.

I wrapped an arm around his shoulder and replied, "Yes, I want to take you downtown. I've been reading about Founder's Square on the town webpage and I wanted to check it out. The question is do you want to jog or would you like to just stroll around?"

He was smiling and his eyes lit up. "Can we just walk for a while so I can look around and see what's there?"

"Of course we can," I replied. "Now let's get upstairs and both of us can get dressed."

Jason had left an outfit in case I decided to take Kieran out. And it was really cute; dark blue shorts with a three inch inseam, a pale blue polo shirt, and knee high soccer socks in the same baby blue. The polo shirt barely came down to the top of his shorts so the waistband of his thong was visible in the back when he bent or stretched. I decided not to tell him because I didn't want him to feel embarrassed or shy. It was cute and sexy and this was the outfit Jason had picked for him. Jason had been dressing him more modestly of late and in fact this was the only immodest thing about this outfit.

I wore shorts that allowed me to move easily and a Burakku Kuroba tee shirt. I wore an unzipped gray hoodie over it so I'd have extra pockets to carry my snap batons. Jason had warned me that Kieran would forget his wallet and phone if I didn't watch out for him. And sure enough, I had to remind him to put his cross shoulder bag on.

We left Alchemy House through the front door and I made sure to lock it behind us. I put an arm around Kieran and we started walking. I had my phone in my left hand so I could follow google maps. It wasn't a long walk, but I wanted to be ready just in case. I'd driven the area, but I hadn't walked it, and I didn't want to take a chance on getting lost and looking less competent in front of Kieran. I guess Jason was wearing off on me.

James Bacchus (Hunter X22:18)

We'd been watching that big black SUV pull in and out of that large house on Mulberry Lane for two weeks. Annoyingly we'd never been able to do anything except see them leave the car and go into the house and then leave the house and go into the car. Today, we almost missed them when they walked out the front gate because the car was still there.

Our spies on campus had told us that the six foot five blond man was Erik Rucker. To the best of our knowledge he wasn't a witch. The little redhead was Kieran Morgan. He was our target. According to reports from Joe Peters, he wasn't a witch either, but he was dating the witch Jason Lee and he was friends with the werewolves. What we did know was that he was present when two of our agents were completely mindwiped outside Pastor Mercy's church. He was high on our list of targets to be brought in for interrogation. And the question burning in everyone's mind was whether Kieran had anything to do with the disappearance of eleven hunters at the Northwood Apartments last night.

We phoned ahead to the others in our cell and then followed them at a discrete distance.

Kieran

Walking with Erik wasn't all that different from Jason. He kept his arm around my shoulder, which made me feel safe. After a little hesitation, I slipped my arm around his waist. I was sure everyone who saw us assumed he was my boyfriend, but I didn't care what they thought. I had to ask Jason later what I should call Erik, because he was a little more than just my best friend's boyfriend now.

We walked south on Mulberry Lane until we came to Main Street and then we turned right. Mulberry had been completely residential, but Main had most of the businesses in town that weren't chain stores. We passed a bicycle store and I stopped to look around. The owner was a nice woman, probably in her late thirties or early forties who asked me questions and measured my inseam to find the right bike height. She seemed a little taken aback when I told her to keep my information on file because I had to ask my boyfriend if I could buy it. She looked expectantly at Erik and I explained that he was my best friend's boyfriend.

There were a few other stores I was less interested in, but I did notice the Gemini Naturopathic Healing sign. I knew that was the magical healing clinic run by Micah's brothers David and Jonathon Blume.

Then we came to Founder's Square. I immediately noticed that it was a rectangle instead of a square; As a visual learner, I was always good at geometry. Main street was split into two one way streets that ran along the sides of the "square" to rejoin at the western end. There was a very nice green area about as long as a football field and maybe a third as wide. It was very clean and well-maintained, which probably meant that the residents had a great sense of civic pride. There were a dozen or so wooden picnic tables scattered through the park. People were sitting at most of them, some were enjoying food and drink, others were playing games like chess, backgammon, and checkers. Children kicked balls and tossed frisbees near some of the tables. Since the speed limit was 15 miles per hour around the park, it was quiet and seemed like a safe and pleasant place for families.

I wished I'd brought my sketchbook. I could have sat it this park and drawn the scenery and the people for hours, but Erik would have been bored. Jason would have just found a seat and held me on his lap while he worked on something on his tablet PC or that magic book I'd seen him use a few times. Erik didn't like to sit. He and Alonzo were the same that way.

There was a statue of Julius Severan, the founder of the town, which was surrounded by a rose garden. The flowers were a riot of colors this time of year, from the fiery orange that was my favorite to white, red, pink, and pale yellow. If there were green, blue, and indigo it would have been like a beautiful natural rainbow. The statue was bronze and completely free of verdigris. It showed the founder in late 18th century garb with a rifle in his hand. What I first mistook for a knife in a holster at his belt was clearly a wand upon second glance. The plaque explained how Julius Severan had purchased the entire township from the US government under the old Northwest Ordinance and then had paid the local Cherokee for the land he claimed for his own farm. He remained a good friend to the natives until they were driven out after the second Treaty of Greenville.

Erik said, "This is called Founder's Square, this little green park I mean. Although all these shops are considered to be on Founder's Square. There aren't a lot of picnic tables here. If we want to go on a picnic someday we should go to Gilbert Weiss park, just a little north and west of here. It's a lot bigger and it has ramadas in case of rain."

He was proud of taking the time to learn about the town. I knew some of this information from Sally. She was a sophomore and she talked about her experiences about Severan all the time. But, just like with Jason, I enjoyed letting him think he was teaching me something. It made him feel happy, and because I'm an empath, him being happy made me feel happy.

I was just excited to be seeing it for myself, walking around and soaking in the local flavor. This town was much prettier than my hometown in Indiana. I would never have seen two girls sitting under a tree with their arms around each other back home. And there was no way I would have dared to walk around town snuggled into Jason or Erik's arms.

There was a vintage clothing store, a used bookstore, an antique furniture store, a cheese store, a restaurant called Buckeye Burgers that offered grass-fed beef and venison burgers, two bakeries, including one that had a display of delicious looking pastries, and a restaurant called Millie's Kitchen that smelled so good we had to go inside for a light lunch.

The place was very neat with a number of tables in the middle of the floor and booths along both of the longer walls. The tables and chairs were dark stained wood that was highly polished. The hostess was a young woman who gave us a long look before guiding us back to a booth. Erik put me against the wall and sat next to me on the same bench. It was just like something Jason would do (or Meghan).

The hostess was all smiles now. "Here you go boys. Your server, Laszlo, will be along shortly."

She placed menus in front of us and took our drink orders. I asked Erik if I could have sweet tea. He put an arm around my shoulder and gave me a side hug. "Until Jason tells me otherwise, you can have anything you want when you're out with me."

So I ordered a peach sweet tea and Erik ordered a coke. We examined the menu while waiting for our server. Since Erik was letting me order anything I wanted, I decided on the macaroni and cheese with a side salad. Erik chose a pot roast sandwich with chips.

Our waiter was a very handsome young man. He looked like he might still be in high school. He was a couple inches taller than me, but only a couple. He was seriously flirting with Erik the whole time he took our order. I started to get jealous, and I was surprised that I wasn't really jealous on Alonzo's behalf, but on mine. I didn't like another man (actually, boy) flirting with my... with my Erik.

The place had only a few other patrons when we arrived, but we must have been just before the lunch crowd because it started filling up fast. I noticed that all the servers were handsome young men. I also noticed that the hostess kept staring in our direction.

I leaned against Erik and said, "The hostess is suspicious and curious about us, sir."

He whispered, "Is she dangerous?"

I lowered my barriers and let her emotions wash over me. I caught just a hint of her surface thoughts and then slammed my barriers down. I whispered back to Erik, "She's not planning on harming us, but she knows that we're mages and she wonders why we're here. I think she's a wererat, sir."

Our server came back with our food. Everything looked and smelled delicious. The macaroni and cheese was made with five cheeses I liked: cheddar, Swiss, gouda, Romano and parmesan. And the salad was lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and radish with a mulberry vinaigrette. It was twice as much food as I could eat, so I knew Erik was going to have a side of macaroni and cheese to go with his sandwich. The bread and filling on his sandwich were so thick he could barely open his mouth wide enough to take a bite.

Once I'd calmed down from the previous revelation, I lowered my barriers again so I could test the other guests. None of them seemed to be paying attention to us, so they must not have known we were mages. However, I had the distinct impression that several of them were also wererats. I told Erik, but he told me not to worry about it. "I can protect you, little guy. I won't let anything happen to you."

I did feel safe with Erik, even though I had no idea how he could take on a half dozen wererats or more by himself and I didn't want to question it.

I ate all the cucumber and tomato out of my salad, half the lettuce, and about a third of the macaroni and cheese. Erik devoured his sandwich and the chips (they were homemade), then he finished my macaroni and cheese and ate all the radishes I'd pushed aside.

When the bill came I said, "Can I pay... please? Jason never lets me pay, sir."

Erik put his wallet away and let me take care of the bill. It came to $34.65, so I pulled my credit card out and made sure to include a $7.35 tip to bring the total up to $42. I knew that my account had more than $350,000 in it that I had no idea what to do with, so I was glad to spend it on my friend. Then I realized that I could treat Sally and Alonzo sometimes too. If Jason wouldn't let me pay for anything when we were together, I could at least feel like less of a mooch with my friends.

After that, we walked down to the bakery we'd seen earlier to buy some treats for later. The place was called The Old Time Bakery. Inside there were cases full of delicious looking pastries. There were a few other clients ahead of us, so I had a chance to check them out. Erik walked behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders while we looked.

One older woman gave us a glare and pursed her lips, making it clear that she disapproved of our show of affection, but the handsome young man behind the counter pointed to the rainbow button on his white polo shirt and asked her pointedly, "Is there a problem, ma'am?"

She looked shocked to be called out on her behavior and looked around for a manager, only to see an older man, who was obviously the young man's father, bringing out another tray of maple bars. He too had a rainbow button pinned to his shirt. She shook her head and placed an order for a sliced loaf of sourdough and a half dozen chocolate cupcakes. The young man working the counter boxed and then rang them up for her.

Once she was gone, we stepped up to the vacant space and ordered a dozen bear claws for tonight and another dozen spinach and cheese stuffed croissants for tomorrow's breakfast. Erik insisted on paying since I paid for lunch. The guy behind the counter said, "You must be Jason Lee's boyfriend. Everyone was talking about you last weekend at the thing."

He gave me a wink when he said thing. I wasn't sure exactly what he was talking about, but I just nodded. "I am and you are...?

He shook my hand and said, "Aelius Faxon. I'm a friend of Sebastian and he introduced me to your boyfriend."

I realized he must be talking about that magic ritual Jason had to do Friday night. Erik relaxed a little when he realized Aelius was known to Jason. It made me feel good that he was being so protective of me.

Aelius packed up both orders and then put them in a paper bag with the name of the store on it. He folded down the top and stapled it closed. Erik took the parcel, wrapped one arm around my shoulder and we left the store.

James Bacchus

We'd been watching for a couple hours while Erik and Kieran went antiquing, or whatever two fags do on Saturday afternoon at Founders' Square. Will and Stu had gone ahead to the Founder's Square Beer Garden where they could get a drink and let us know when the two were heading back our way. Mick and I were waiting in the alley next to that new age health clinic. It was a good spot because the new age hucksters were closed at 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays, with the residents in the house across the alley and in both houses across the street gone.

Mick and I waited until we saw them coming, then we stepped back and pulled our ski masks down. Our identities were protected and those two wouldn't dare cast any spells just in case they were seen. It was an easy win scenario for us. I couldn't believe how lucky we were that we didn't get Alonzo and Jason. These two would be easy pickings.

Erik

Spending the early afternoon with Kieran had been great. He was sweet and he let me hold him tight. I loved going out with Alonzo, but he was always moving and dancing around. Kieran stayed snuggled up against me and let me hold him the whole time. He was so excited about the possibility of getting a bicycle. I was going to have to talk to Jason about it because I knew he would say no. He was terrified to let Kieran out of his sight unless he was under the protection of someone he trusted. Maybe I could sell Jason on the idea of us all buying bikes so Kieran could explore town with one of us always able to accompany him.

And he was almost dancing like Alonzo when I let him pay for lunch. And the more I held him and hugged him tight, the more I began to appreciate him for who he was. I'd always thought he was kind of boring compared to Alonzo, but he saw the world in a different way. You had to wait for him to say something about it, but he saw beauty in things like dandelions growing in the cracks of the sidewalk and the unruly flower beds of some of our neighbors.

We were walking back to the house, Alchemy House... our house. I was holding Kieran close to me with one hand and holding on to the bag from the bakery with the other, but I was keeping vigilant. I knew that these observers were after Kieran and I didn't want to give them a chance to surprise us. And suddenly, I felt an itching at the back of my skull and a sense of looming danger.

I handed Kieran the bag and put my hands in my pockets, taking hold of my collapsible batons. "Hold the bag and stay behind me," I ordered.

Fear was written on his face, but then it was replaced with determination and anger. I thought he was cute when he was mad, just like Alonzo. I wanted to take the time to kiss him, but I wasn't going to ignore the sense of danger I felt. I pulled the weapons out of my pockets and prepared for action. We trained with wooden bastons in the studio, but these were made of steel. As soon as I saw the men with the ski masks, I pushed the button and expanded the batons to their full twenty-six inches.

At the same time, I manifested my special combat sense so I could see the halo effect around these guys. I wasn't going to wait for them to start something. They were wearing masks and they were the source of the danger I sensed. In kali, we trained to hit our opponent with the batons as fast and as often as possible.

I leaped at the men. They were big, but I was bigger. They were well trained, but I could see where they were going to strike before they did it. It took me several seconds before I could see the pattern in their movements. The problem was that I was trying to watch two opponents at once and I could feel the strain immediately. Fatigue and a migraine began to take hold of me.

I tried to push past it and concentrated on striking the man on the left. I could see which way he was moving, so I was able to hit him in the head with my full strength, then I did it again while he was stumbling backward. The other man grabbed at me, but only got hold of my hoodie. That threw me off balance.

And it was at that moment that I heard Kieran yell, "NO! LET GO OF ME!"

I turned to see two men holding onto him while he clutched that bag like he was afraid to drop it. One of the guys grabbed his head and let out what looked like a primal scream, but with no sound, before falling down to the ground. While I was distracted my opponent punched me hard in the side. It knocked the breath out of me, but I forced myself to act anyway. I wasn't going to let these guys hurt Kieran and I wasn't going to let Jason down when he'd trusted me.

I slid out of my hoodie and then landed a solid punch to his stomach followed by a savage uppercut that made his head snap backward. While he was recovering his stance, I gave him a double hook to the jaw. I stretched out my hand and both batons flew back into my grip. Behind me, the other man on Kieran screamed, but I couldn't turn around to see what was going on. I had to drop this man first. I struck with both weapons, hitting him repeatedly on the arms and torso. When he stopped and put his hands up, I didn't care. I gave him a solid right cross to the chin. Pain shot up my knuckles, but he went down. It was a solid knockout.

I spun around and Kieran was sitting on the pavement holding the bag on his lap with both hands held to his head. I knelt next to him and put my arm around his shoulder. "Are you okay? Talk to me, baby."

He looked up with unfocused eyes and let out a deep breath. "My head hurts bad, sir."

"I'm not surprised after that fight," I looked around and saw a handsome man in a polo shirt and trousers.

Standing back from him was another man who looked exactly like him, but with longer hair. He was wearing a camel trench coat with bare legs sticking out below it. What I could see of his chest was also bare.

Both of the men had wands out. The guy who was fully dressed held out his hand. "I'm David Blume, and that's my brother Jonathon, standing back there by the door. We heard the commotion and got out here as fast as possible. I'm not much of a dueler, but I was able to put a circlum aversionis up to keep mundane observers from noticing the fight while my brother grabbed some clothes."

I shook his hand and said, "Erik Rucker and this is Kieran Morgan. These guys just attacked us without provocation."

The guy in the trench coat, Jonathon, came over, walking gingerly because he wasn't wearing shoes. He helped Kieran to his feet and said, "I've experienced mind shouts before and yours was pretty spectacular."

Kieran

I didn't know what I'd done. I'd wanted those guys to leave me alone so I'd shouted. The first time it was aloud, but the second time it was just in my head. The first guy had fallen silently, but the second had managed a scream before he fell. When I shouted at them with my mind, their surface thoughts just stopped. I looked at Jonathon and admitted, "I didn't even know what I was doing. Did you call it a mind shout?"

He nodded. "I've seen one before. There was a mind mage studying healing with us at Academia Asclepiana. She demonstrated it to the college on a brave volunteer. Her opponent was just stunned for a few minutes, but those guys are out cold."

David said, "Let's get these four inside the clinic. I'll call the custodes."

He glanced at Erik and added, "You look like you've been through the wringer. I'll get them."

He waved his wand very carefully and very meticulously chanted, "Quattuor corpora mea voluntate sola levem."

The four bodies rose into the air and followed him toward the back of the building. Jonathon started to walk me in, but Erik stumbled over and wrapped his arm around me instead. He didn't push him away, but he made it clear that he wasn't needed. So Jonathon ran ahead to open the doors. We entered the building and walked up a long narrow hallway to what looked like a very comfortable waiting room. Jonathon directed us to a small sofa no bigger than a loveseat. (Were they still called loveseats if they were in a public waiting room?)

Jonathon left the room mumbling something about tea, and David settled our four attackers on the floor in one of the other rooms. Then he started casting spells on them. I wasn't sure what he was doing, but he was concentrating pretty hard. Jonathon came back into the room and pressed hot cups of tea into our hands. "Drink this. It's a restorative and it will prevent the headaches from getting worse. You've overextended yourselves and that has a deleterious effect on the body of a mind mage."

We thanked him and then started sipping the somewhat bitter brew. Jonathon went into the room to help his brother. Erik swigged his tea and then pulled me onto his lap and held me like Jason always did when I was upset. We sat that way for a long time until David and Jonathon came back out.

David said, "All four are alive, although you almost killed one of them with repeated blows to the head, Erik. The two that you knocked out, Kieran, have no physical injuries. You just sent their consciousness into retreat inside their own minds. They would wake up sometime in the next hour or so, but Jonathon here is really good at putting patients into a deep sleep. We won't have to worry about them."

I was beginning to feel better after that horribly bitter tea, and I wanted to go home, but David insisted I wait for the custos. "Uncle Mordecai will be here in a few minutes. He has to finish something up and then he'll translocate to the clinic."

Erik asked, "Mordecai Adler? The father of the guy who was abusing Micah?"

Jonathon sat on the coffee table in front of the couch we were sitting on. "So you know Micah. He's our youngest brother, and, yes, Uncle Mordecai is Remy's father, but he's nothing like his son."

David chimed in. "Remy threw a fit when Micah told him to get lost. It was scary and awesome at the same time. I'm just glad Micah got away from him. When you see him next, please tell him to contact us. We didn't leave things on the best of terms last time he saw us."

We agreed and Jonathon ran upstairs. He'd explained that their apartment was over the clinic and so he'd gone to get dressed. He came back down in a pair of very short silk running shorts and a mesh muscle shirt, both in white. He looked good, but when I saw him next to his brother, David, I couldn't help thinking that Jonathon was a submissive boy like me and Alonzo, while David was a dominant man like Jason and Erik. An image of them together flashed across my mind and I felt guilty. They were brothers!

Then a big, burly man came into the room. He was about Jason's height, but broad through the shoulders, like Kyle. His skin was deep olive and his eyes a dark brown that seemed to stare right inside of you. His hair was very short, shorter than a buzz cut. From what I could see, it was very dark brown or black with some gray at the temples. He was dressed in a charcoal suit with a narrow tie of the same color. Over it, he wore a black duster, open in the front so that it resembled a wizard's robe.

I knew in an instant he must be the cop... the custos... that David had mentioned. He had a very serious demeanor and he moved like he owned the space around him. He greeted David with a handshake and a brief hug, but he pulled Jonathon in for a tight embrace and a decidedly non-familial kiss. He even squeezed Jonathon's ass through those thin shorts he was wearing.

Then he sat down in a chair and asked for our statements. He took out a notebook and set it on the table. We told him everything that had happened and our words appeared on the paper while we were talking. When we were done, he examined the bodies and said, "They're hunters alright. Each of them has the X22:18 tattoo. So I'll be taking them into custody."

He waved his wand in a quick and efficient manner, while chanting, "Forma humana in statunculum transmutem."

One of the men shrank down to a statuette roughly six inches tall. It looked like a large action figure except that it was naked. He repeated the spell three times, changing all four of the men. Then he picked them up and put them in his messenger bag.

He shook hands with Erik and then me. His stare made me uncomfortable, like he was staring into my soul, or at least under my clothes. And he held onto my hand way too long for my comfort.

"You both did good work today. We're going to find all the hunters currently stalking Severan and take them all into custody. Be aware that the Conclave has authorized the use of whatever force is necessary to bring down anyone with a X22:18 tattoo."

Erik acknowledged him with a nod of his head. "Thank you, sir. We're glad you were able to come collect them."

He showed no signs of leaving, so Erik made our excuses and we headed home. Erik had taken the bag from the bakery back. As we were walking up the street, Erik hugged me even tighter than before. "I'm sorry about letting those guys get close to you, and I'm even sorrier that I couldn't stop that fucking cop from perving on you and making you uncomfortable."

I leaned against him and sighed. "It wasn't your fault, and you were wonderful... more than wonderful. You were a hero today."

He stopped and kissed me, a real kiss with tongue and everything. "So were you, little guy; so were you. You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for."

I smiled all the way back to our house. It felt good knowing that I could protect myself if I had to, but I really liked that Erik had saved my butt by taking the other two guys out. I liked having Jason and Erik protect me. It didn't really make me feel weak. It just made me feel safe and well-loved. I wanted to spend more time interacting with the town and the college. I knew it was old-fashioned, and maybe a little cliche, but I really liked it when I had strong macho men around to take the lead and play protector.

I also loved being with Alonzo, hugging him, holding his hand, kissing him. I felt like we were sister wives, like in that TLC show of the same name, only we were brother wives. What was that word Jason had used? Maritellus. Alonzo and I were like co-maritelli.

I had experienced visions while joining in perfect union with Jason, and then again with Jason, Erik, and Alonzo. My future lay with all three of them. We were destined to be together in one way or another, and that thought made me happier than I had ever thought I could be.

College Magic Cycle Characters

Mages

·        Aelius Faxon. A 20-year-old mage who lives in Severan. He's a baker-mage at the Old Time Bakery, owned by his parents. He has sable hair that he wears short and a scruffy beard. He's six feet tall and seems very fit for a baker. He went to Sagacia Academy but not to college. He does take one class per semester, paid for from his own pocket, mainly so he can be considered a student and have access to university facilities like the gym. He's officially a non-degree seeking student through the Severan College Extension program.

·        Alonzo Santiago Ramos. An 18-year-old Latino American boy from El Paso, Texas. A cute bottom and foundling mage. He's powerful, but untrained. He begins the story with a height of 68 inches and a weight of 150 pounds. He has deep olive or very light brown skin, amber eyes, and long black hair. He's a singer and a dancer. He's a little flighty and very flirty. When his powers awakened, he accidentally cast a spell that cursed his roommate Erik. He loves hardcore BDSM porn but is discovering that he doesn't like it in real life. He and Erik are suitemates with Jason and Kieran.

·        Cameron Campbell. Formerly one of the twink trio along with Micah Blum and Oliver Rankin, he is now considered a twunk. He is five ten and weighs 165 pounds. He's lean but muscular and is a member of the Severan College soccer team. He has bright red hair, fair skin and a lot of dark freckles. He is the boyfriend of Micah Blume.

·        Carl Faxon. A 50-year-old mage who lives in Severan. He's a baker-mage and the owner of the Old Time Bakery. He's five foot ten inches tall, broad shouldered with a thick middle. His red hair is turning gray, as is his bushy beard.

·        Clarissa Spencer. RA for the supernatural girls in the dorm. She works for Professor Sybil Thorne, the local representative of the Conclave.

·        Daniel Blake. A 25-year-old mage in town, the eldest son in the Blake family, mages local to Severan. He's the owner of Club 18. He's married to Melanthe Faxon who's his business partner.

·        David Blume. A 23 year-year-old man, the older brother of Micah Blume. He and his twin brother Jonathon are healers trained at the famous Asclepian Academy in Hesperia. He is the dominant lover of his twin brother. They are part of the master-slave subculture among mages. Both brothers are of average height and build with very light brown skin, brown hair, and brown eyes. David wears his hair short.

·        Delian Khalkis. A 21-year-old college junior who lives at Ibis House. He's a Greek American from an old but obscure family. He and Rowan Vidas-Wu are best friends. They share everything, including the girls and boys they date.

·        Erik Rucker. A 19-year-old from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. At the start of the story, he stood 66 inches tall and weighed about 140 pounds. After being cursed by his roommate he grew to be 77 inches tall and weigh 250 pounds. He was overshadowed by the fictional Einar Ironblood until the curse was lifted. He's in love with his roommate Alonzo and worries that Alonzo doesn't love him the same way. He was mundane until the curse awakened a latent talent for mind magery. Unlike Kieran, his talents seem to involve moving things with his mind.

·        Gwendolyn Gray. A junior who is majoring in chemistry. She and her brother are twins, with long brown hair and light gray eyes. Both are tall and slender, but not overly thin. The two of them are the best alchemists at Severan college except for Jason. They came from Santa Fe New Mexico. The Grays are among the 50 families who run mage society.

·        Jason Lee. A 19-year-old (about 6 months older than Kieran) Chinese American college freshman with golden brown skin, brown almond shaped eyes and collar length black hair. He is already an accomplished alchemist. He is a dominant, looking for a submissive boy. He finds what he's looking for in Kieran Morgan. He takes charge of Kieran and begins training him as a submissive. He gives Kieran alchemical elixirs that change his body, and he uses psychology to lead him to embrace his innate submissiveness. He has allowed himself to fall into tantric entanglement with Kieran, bringing them even closer. He believes that Kieran is his complement, the other half of his soul. Jason and Kieran are the suitemates of Alonzo and Erik.

·        Jonathon Blume. A 23 year-year-old man, the older brother of Micah Blume. He and his twin brother David are healers trained at the famous Asclepian Academy in Hesperia. He is the submissive lover of his twin brother. They are part of the master-slave subculture among mages. Both brothers are of average height and build with very light brown skin, brown hair, and brown eyes. Jonathon wears his hair loose to his shoulders and keeps his body smooth and hairless.

·        Kieran Finley Morgan. An 18-year-old boy with pale skin, golden-red hair, and green eyes. At the beginning of the story, he is deeply closeted (he is unaware that said closet had glass doors everyone could see through) and stands at 72 inches and 180 pounds of muscle. He was a high school athlete who was on the diving team, the swim team, and the track team. Jason took charge of him shortly after they moved into the dorm and began training him to let his inner submissive out. Jason gives him alchemical elixirs that are changing him physically. He sometimes struggles with the idea that he's losing himself inside Jason, but he can't go long without his lover's touch. Kieran is somewhat naive. During the story he loses height, mass, and penis size. Jason says that he's not doing it, but Kieran is sure that he is. After being raped by Kyle Mason, he suffers psychological trauma and only his relationship with Jason gives stability to his life. He and Jason are suitemates with Alonzo and Erik. He has an artistic soul. Jason has decided that Kieran will change majors to Art. Kieran is a foundling mind mage with powers of telepathy and clairsentience.

·        Melanthe Blake (nee Faxon). A 27-year-old mage in town, the daughter of Carl and Ginny Faxon, owners of the Old Time Bakery. Her brothers are Aelius and Lucius. She's married to Daniel Blake and she's the co-owner of Club 18. She runs the kitchen and Daniel runs the front end.

·        Micah Blum. An 18-year-old mage boy who rooms with Darren. He used to spend most of his time with his two friends Oliver and Cameron. They were in a polyamorous relationship. Micah is a little afraid of Darren because he's afraid of werewolves. Once he was in an abusive relationship with his older cousin Remuel Adler, but now Micah has chosen Cameron Campbell as his boyfriend.

·        Mordecai Adler. A 50-year-old mage who is a high-ranking member of the custodes and of the American FBI. He's a powerfully built man with dark olive skin tone and black hair that is just beginning to turn gray at the temples.

·        Reggie Delmar. A 20-year-old sophomore music student who is infatuated with Alonzo. They share a music class. He's a mage, but not a songmage. He lives off campus in Ibis House. He has light brown skin and very curly black hair. He looks like he has some African American ancestry.

·        Remy (Remuel) Adler. Micah's 20-year-old cousin, a low-ranking member of the custodes who lives with his father Mordecai and keeps his official records. He was Micah's lover at the Academy and has recently taken Micah as his slave.

·        Rowan Vidas-Wu. A 21-year-old college junior who lives at Ibis House. He was born in Chicago to a Lithuanian American father and a Chinese American mother. Both the Vidas and the Wu families are among the fifty families. He's a friend of Reggie Delmar, but his best friend is Delian Khalkis. The two of them share everything, including boys and girls they date.

·        Sebastian Trent. A 24-year-old graduate student. He's the RA for his floor and he helps Professor Thorne to wrangle the mage and supernatural scholars on campus. His female counterpart is Clarissa Spencer. Sebastian is 70 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. He has light brown hair and brown eyes. He was a little overwhelmed with the fallout from Alonzo's spell and Kieran's rape, so he allowed Domenic the leeway he needed to enslave Kyle. Now there's nothing he can do about it. Sebastian is gay. He has older men on campus who blow him in exchange for favors. He seems to have a lot of influence on campus for a grad student. He is dating Ethan Lowry but feels guilty about the age difference.

·        Seth Gray. A junior who is majoring in classics. He and his sister are twins, with long brown hair and light gray eyes. Both are tall and slender, but not overly thin. The two of them are the best alchemists at Severan college except for Jason. They came from Santa Fe New Mexico. The Grays are among the 50 families who run mage society.

Mundanes (or Unknown)

·        Billy McAndrews. A senior who is the lead guitarist of the band Dreaming Dragons. He is Mariah Tovey's boyfriend. He's 22 years old and a senior.

·        George Marley. The drummer for Dreaming Dragons. He's a 22-year-old junior.

·        Jill Black. The bass guitarist for Dreaming Dragons. She's a 21-year-old junior.

·        Mariah Tovey. The keyboardist for Dreaming Dragons and Billy McAndrew's girlfriend. She's a 22-year-old senior.

·        Peter Gantz. Alonzo's Vocals professor. A heavyset man in his middle years. He likes Alonzo but more in an avuncular way.

·        Sally Minh. A 20-year-old science student, a sophomore, who is in Kieran's art class. She ships Kieran and Jason and draws pictures of them in anime style. She's a friend to Kieran and becomes one of the watchers keeping an eye on him for Jason. She was granted a boon to assume the form of her dream imago, a male named Dexter Lightfoot.

Skinchangers, Werewolves

·        Darren Groves (Alpha). A 21-year-old college junior from Montana. A heavy-set man with shoulder length brown hair, a short beard, and brown eyes. He's powerfully built under his extra pounds. He's of average appearance. He stands 70 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds. He's Drew's right-hand man. In a fit of lust, he groped Kieran in the laundry room. Who knows what would have happened if Drew hadn't broken it up? Despite this, Darren is a good guy. He's become a kind of avuncular figure for Kieran as one of his protectors on campus.

·        Meghan Connelly (Alpha). A female werewolf who is one of Kieran's watchers. She's Darren's best friend and she was one of the original 5 who worked to overthrow the old pack leader, Howard Cromwell.

·        Wilma Jackson (Beta). 28-year-old mechanic in town at the local used auto dealership and repair shop. She gets Ivan Kovacs a job there.

·        Xav (Xavier) Janowski (Alpha). A 24-year-old werewolf who is spirit speaker (priest) for the werewolves. He stands 70 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. He has long blond hair he wears in a French braid and deep sapphire blue eyes. He's Drew's older brother, and his closest advisor in the pack. He is the spiritual leader for the pack and gives spiritual advice to mundane clients who don't know he's a werewolf. He's flamboyant and campy. He is a total power bottom and fucking him can be a spiritual experience as well as a physical one.

·        Zeno Schiller (Alpha). A grad student, brother of Dawn and supporter of Drew Janowski. Drew was sleeping with Zeno before he even met Dawn. He's six feet tall and weighs 175 pounds. He has dark hair and olive skin tone. He has very little body fat and keeps his impressive body shaved. He is a dancer and according to Drew he has the greatest core body strength of anyone he knows. He's a power bottom who runs Wolf House. He's taking a semester off after showing up to school late. He works as a stripper at the Blue Room, a gay bar on the edge of town.

Places

·        Alchemy House. A large house in Severan purchased by Jason's father for use as an alchemy lab to make weapons and potions for the Severan Council. Jason has convinced his father to sell him the house instead of turning it over to the Conclave. The house was owned by a mage and has too many magical enhancements to be sold to mundanes. It has magical protections and wards, but the Lee family is paying for more to be added.

·        Baylor Hall. A dorm building at Severan College which is used to house the mages and lupipelles (werewolves) on campus. The third floor is use by male supernaturals and the fourth by female supernaturals. The muripelles (wererats) refuse to use this dorm and they stay elsewhere on campus. The dorm has a dining hall on the first floor.

·        Butternut Ranch Resort. A luxury resort less than an hour north of Severan via a windy road through the national forest. It's mage friendly and is owned and operated by mages. There's a magic circle to ease translocation spells in the basement, and a lot of magical enhancements that are subtle enough for the mundanes not to notice. The resort sits at the northern end of the numina flux zone.

·        Club 18. An alcohol-free dance club within walking distance of campus. It's owned by mages but is open to anyone 18 and older.

·        Ibis House. A large house in town that is used by the mages as off-campus residence. It's shielded by the velamen arcanum and mundanes tend to ignore it. It's been modified by magic over the decades and has a lot of magical features and defenses. There's a magic circle to make translocation spells easier to use. It's owned and operated by the Ibis Foundation, a mage NGO that maintains Ibis House facilities near mundane universities in many towns.

·        Millie's Café. A little restaurant on Founders Square. It's owned and operated by wererats.

·        Numina Flux Zone (NFZ). This area of southeastern Ohio is a weak spot between the worlds. Magic rituals are easier to perform here, and a higher-than-average number of people born in the region have mage talent, although most of them are never identified or trained. The realms of faerie, umbra, outland, spirit, underworld, astral, dream, and light are easily accessed from this zone. Other realms may or may not be easier to reach from here than from elsewhere. A similar, but smaller zone surrounds the Sagacia Academy and the Ossuarium in the Bayou of Louisiana.

·        Severan College. A fictional private college in fictional Severan Ohio. It was founded by the mage Aurelius Severan, originally to provide mundane college degrees to young mages. To accomplish this goal, mundane professors needed to be hired. Over time, the magical nature of the school became hidden behind a layer of mundane scholars and professors. The college sits near dead center of the numina flux zone that marks a weak spot between the worlds.

·        Severan House. The oldest building on campus, it was originally the home of Aurelius Severan, the mage who founded the college. Severan House contains offices, a museum, and several mage-only facilities, including a magic circle in the basement to make translocation spells more accurate. Students living at Ibis House and mages visiting from other towns and states use this circle to arrive in Severan.