This work is entirely fictional and made up for your enjoyment— especially if you know what you like. Do enjoy!

  Let's begin with a question: What do you do when you find out that your long-lost boyfriend reappears after a year and a half— vanished from the face of the Earth? No amount of scrying magic had been able to find him!

  This happened to Lucas–a second year Norm—who fell in love with a third year ultra.

  Their love was beyond the three fates themselves, but it concluded the day Lucas woke up and found that Brody was gone— disappeared without a trace. Even the most powerful locator spells couldn't pick up the simplest of signals of his warlock.

  With time, Lucas attempted to move on and he tried having other affairs once the grieving period ended but it was never the same so he just gave up on love itself.

  Now after his graduation and a new job at a magical researchers firm for spells and incantations, life was starting to look on the bright side.

  Maybe— just maybe— he thought he would find love again and anew. This time he prayed that it would last and the chemistry would definitely be there.

  So he sent a silent prayer to the Old– the source of all life, magical and non-magical—

  Please let me find love. Long lasting love.

  More like a plea that made him feel rather pathetic and hopeless. But his thoughts were his own, weren't they?

  Just like any other normal weekend, Lucas had gone grocery shopping.

  he came back.

  The weather wasn't the brightest as that autumn gloominess casted icy shadows across the area screaming—

  Ahoy! It's winter!

  Yet again he loved autumn because it matched his own character. Clammy with overcast penumbras for the day.

  It was Beans Day and so he prepared to put on some boiling water and get cooking. He finally got the house fuming with spices, burnt oil and something delicious. He was just about to take a shower and enjoy his meal when someone knocked at the door.

  ‘Who could it be? ‘ He thought. Mildly annoyed, he wasn't expecting anyone at that hour, but he went on to open the door.

  It was the mailman— just the mailman.

  He felt disappointed.

  He thought it was something or someone else. He didn't know what or who, yet—but his edginess said otherwise.

  The mailman was smiling in his usual khaki uniform and that annoying baseball cap holding that familiar package.

  His mom had sent him his second package of beans, which made him smile.

  ‘Perfect timing as usual’ he thought to himself as he knew his mother had sensed that he was almost done with his current batch.

  Lucas’ smile widened.

  He looked up to hand the already signed clipboard back to the mailman and his eyes fell noticed someone behind—

  He froze!

  Almost dropping the package in hand.

  All six-foot-three and towering behind the mailman was Brody. Smiling sheepishly.

  Now, the mailman noticed his stunned look and gave him a confused look before he drew back the slim clipboard and he turned to excuse himself— nearly bumping into Brody on his way out.

  Brody mumbled an apology to the mailman, who mumbled something Lucas didn't hear and he exited the building leaving him and Brody, alone.

  Lucas gulped!

  Silence! The kind that would allow crickets fo buzz— if it was night time, deafened between them.

  Brody broke it first.

  "Hey Luc! Long time" that's all he said waving with his goddamn killer smile, and a tan???

  He'd grown even more buff. Lucas immediately guessed he had time to visit the Bahamas.

  ‘The Bahamas? Seriously?’ he thought to himself rather awkwardly.

  He’d just insinuated that Brody had totally forgotten about him along with those fluttering feelings but seeing him looking so handsome just confirmed otherwise.

  He was still in love with Brody and that was to be a problem.

  His emotions were conflicted.

  ‘ How could I hate him now and how dare he use that nickname like it's been a day and not years?! Who does he think he is? How could he just barge into my life without a postcard to inform me that he was okay!?! Or an apology letter mayhaps?’

  His thoughts were running amok, trying to make sense of what was really happening at that moment.

  He almost felt fait!

  "I can explain and answer all those questions but right now, I need your help!" he said with a sense of urgency he knew very well.

  Ah yes! Brody had stirred trouble again.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Brody was an Ultra, powerful warriors of the magical society who could access ultraviolet tendrils from the ley-lines to cast powerful offense and defense spells. The year he disappeared was his last year in training and he was going to join the military.

  Lucas gasped!

  He had forgotten: Ultras had telepathic tendencies and so did Norms— the normal magical beings who could only use infra-red tendrils— with abilities to block that ability, except the noxen who were equivalent to non magical people.

  It was time to bring up the blocker. He had taken a year without really worrying about using a Tele-blocker when he was home.

  Tele-blocker up.

  With a huge sigh of relief, he was free to go back to keeping his thoughts to himself, thank you very much.

  Brody had no right to enter into his life and invade his horribly open thoughts. It angered him to feel exposed at such a moment.

  Until he realised that Brody had said something he'd missed. Something important.

  He looked back at the man he used to know, trying to find traces of that Brody in those green eyes and slightly pointed nose that rested above thin pink lips, he saw him smile playfully.

  He looked good.

  When Lucas looked harder, he could vaguely see the old Brody and his neatly groomed beard move along the cheeks. He had worn those polo shirts that hugged his huge muscular frame. His almost-hungry eyes trailed down to his thin waist that had a brown leather belt supporting a pair of faded blue jeans. The polo was smartly tucked inside those trousers that hugged those thighs deliciously like a carefully wrapped present on a Christmas eve.

  His body was really inviting and it awakened those memories he once thought were lost.

  Memories best left locked inside where it won't hurt.

  “ My eyes are up here Lu,” a tone concealing a slither of seduction sent mixed emotions of hate and love through Lucas and he forced himself back into those green eyes again.

  Again.

  There was something darker in Brody's eyes despite that playful grin. Those green eyes were devoid of the light, the kind Brody used to have, They were instead blackened with secrets, and he intended to find them out. His curiosity was awakened but before that…

  It clicked!

  The thing he had missed came back like a light bulb with a ping.

  ‘Wait… did he just say he needs my help?’ Lucas recalled and snapped back to reality. He needed to speak up, so he cleared his throat and the first word he spoke was,

  "Kiss me!?!"

  And he gave his forehead a slap immediately after saying it out loud. ‘ Seriously?’

  His body had betrayed him after 18 months of astral meditation along with those bloody herbal teas for clearing one's mind. And don't forget the books and podcasts and…

  He was bubbling with anger he didn't think he had.

  Brody chuckled and again, his soft deep voice gave off this slightly seductive allure making Lucas blush instead of scowl.

  'Bad Lucas… remember the hurt'

  He tried to think but nothing worked.

  What was happening to him?

  Why was his body reacting differently? Which reminded him that he should have taken his friend Lexi's advice to get laid as soon as possible.

  Yeah, like that would've helped.

  One time he tried getting intimate with another man and the moment he got naked—the guy was on top of him—he found himself magically whisked away to his old bedroom at his parent's house.

  It was embarrassing.

  It happened a few more times before he gave up.

  His bodily betrayal was worse than a troll's curse and that would be a problem.

  " If you wanna, " Brody replied with a wink, stepping closer.

  It got worse.

  His traitorous body reacted.

  He closed his eyes and took in a very deep and audible breath in and out, he needed to focus.

  Focus. Focus.

  This was not the time to think about Brody's inviting pink lips that would feel soft and supple and onto his own, Brody's teeth sucking on his lower lip while he hum–

  ‘bad Lucas.' His thoughts were really running wild.

  " What happened?" Lucas asked finally albeit painfully as it took a lot out of him to end his internal struggle.

  Thankfully Brody was patient with him, he'd give him that at least a few moments but before Brody could answer, the room started to rattle like an Earth tremor passing through,

  "Shit! They've tracked me here! You have to help me, Luc. I need sanctuary…please!" he pleaded and Lucas’ eyes met his again.

  He saw that plea was genuine plus he looked cute when he pleaded which again led to him thinking of all the kinky stuff he would do with him.

  ‘ very Bad Lucas'

  I mean he left Lucas a virgin on the cusp of his adulthood, he was waiting for his gift on his eighteenth birthday which didn't come.

  That doesn't mean he didn't have sex but it was the worst and most unenjoyable sex in the whole world.

  If he was not accidentally teleporting back to his parents’ house, he'd feel pain, literal pain.

  The guys he'd had sex with were so good but he knew he had to put an end to the fa?ade.

  He gave up sex and relationships altogether.

  It was for the best!

  ‘'What was the deal with teleporting?’ He was a Norm, a regular caster with only access to the usual infrared tendrils. Only the Whites would teleport.

  Anyway, he stopped wasting his time. He remembered a workmate who had just asked him out three days ago but he had to turn him down. It always ended the same. Lucas hurting great men—good men at that.

  He came to a conclusion that he would never get over Brody.

  His thoughts ran wild once more until the shaking of his apartment forced him to awareness.

  "Fine, but you owe me like many times" Lucas gave in but he needed to collect some personal things first. He turned around facing the other side of his apartment and began.

  "To me with need, emoc omet ginths e dene"

  Lucas spoke the summoning spell with familiarity.

  He felt the infra-red ley-lines reaching out with their invisible tendrils and yanking at the energies of his personal possessions, and gently pulling them to his position.

  It was always a satisfying feeling whenever he felt the tendrils of the ley-lines obeying his command like a conductor in a choir.

  Before all his things could find him, he had a loud grunt,more like a cry of pain.

  Brody! He thought alarmingly.

  He immediately turned and ran to see Brody. He found him unconscious on the floor with a daimon over him.

  Those hideous creatures had a nasty spark that would knock out even the most powerful of Blacks or Whites, which was the highest ranking.

  Their spark was volatile to the human body and having been hit, Brody wasn't moving which made Lucas's Heart clench.

  His own anger elevated.

  This time it wasn't towards Brody but the nasty filth before him.

  He had to act fast before the daimon would let others inside. They'd broken his barrier which was nearly impossible.

  He had gotten the barrier scripts from his master making them very powerful, so whoever Brody had pissed off was immensely powerful.

  The daimon didn't seem to notice Lucas so it hunched down and snarled at Brody's limp body, it's sharp serrated teeth oozing acrid green saliva and the stench filling the air would make ones eyes water if not for the air purifier he'd gotten from a friend months ago.

  Thank you magic-tech.

  He had to act fast or the daimon would yank out Brody's soul and take it back to whoever summoned the abomination.

  The light spell would do the trick— but such holy spells were for only whites. He was not a white to begin with. Even if he used the emergency scroll he'd gotten from his master, it wouldn't be effective but he had no choice.

  ‘ Here goes nothing' he thought anxiously.

  It was an emergency so he got into his purse and pulled out a white line scroll. He felt a surge of power licking his skin when he touched it and a flash of white lines danced before his vision making him dizzy.

  The pull was strong which was weird but now was not the time to entertain his curiosity, so he reached out to the ley lines, and immediately the white lines appeared before him, they sang to him with their beautiful music, awaiting his command and he whispered the words;

  “ Aligned to purge, Sihignn ghlit emoc”

  The tendrils knew what he wanted, they moved with fluidity until they reached within the source and pulled out the brightest of lights and he felt them swim through his blood stream— thin bright whips of bright light appeared from the palm of his hands, as the white lines handed them to him. But at a price.

  He felt his energy being drained.

  Magical energy is used by the ley-lines to travel and get a specific tendril from the source. One could say that they are roads.

  The longer the distance, the more the energy so holy spells are emergency spells because they are the furthest away from the spectrum and so are the black ones. Black lines are even further away and it was why black magicians ended up stealing other people's life forces to substitute for their lack of energy.

  “ Hey ugly?” Lucas yelled at the daimon which snapped its leathery head to him, acknowledging his presence for the first time but it was too late.

  He let loose his spell.

  Bright rays of white light hit the daimon aggressively in the chest which severed the connection to which it was summoned, making it vanish almost immediately back to Tartarus.

  Lucas slumped down.

  He felt so tired he wanted to join Brody in sleep but he had to act fast. This house was tainted with demonic energy so the summoner would be coming anytime soon.

  He dragged along slowly towards Brody's body and with two fingers to Brody's neck, he was checking to see his pulse.

  It was still there but faint.

  Thank the source.

  He had his magical bag with him, he couldn't bother to check if he had everything he'd summoned. The spell had really taken it all and they needed to move.

  The spell had really drained most of his power to teleport more than one person to a safe house and he'd never tried teleporting on command.

  If he could do it accidentally, this was the first time he tried it intentionally.

  ‘ Will it even work?’ he thought to himself

  He had to try and based on the knowledge from his perimeter spell, Brody's pursuers were less than two doors away from them.

  He looked at Brody's unconscious and helpless body, drawing resolve from this, he let his instincts take over and he said the spell before he thought of the consequences.

  'consequences be damned' he swore under his breath.

  " ley lines lined, ragtn tshap faseyt"

  He felt that familiar sensation of energy being drained away from him and he could feel the ley-lines take more of his power—drying up his well—in order to grab the white tendrils and open a door to anywhere but there.

  Suddenly he realised that the magical energy he had wasn't enough.

  it wouldn't be enough to make the jump.

  And then he felt it.

  He knew what would happen next.

  Like a piece of wood forcefully broken from a wooden sculpture, so did a piece of his life force get chipped off—worth the recompensation for the lack of energy— and finally leaving a hollowness just as the ground beneath him and Brody gave way to a swirling of white mist. The last thing he heard was Brody's voice beckoning him to come back to him at a very very far away distance….