by G. R. Lyons
Vic frowned. “Time is different?”
Yeah. It's totally weird. It's like time feels normal while also feeling faster and slower, and all at once. It's really hard to describe.
“Try,” Vic asked, sitting back in his chair. Gods knew he could use the distraction.
Well…say there's a problem you're trying to solve or a thought you're trying to reason out. It might take us both the same perceived amount of time—let's say several minutes—but while the actual time it takes you might be several minutes, it might happen for me within what you would consider seconds.
Vic's eyebrows went up.
Or I can sort of just…fade out for several hours, just kinda float along without any thought or intention, but not feel bored. Like all that passage of time isn't tedious like it was when I was alive. So hours pass, but they only feel like seconds. The pen moved as though Cam chuckled. Some of the other ghosts could probably explain it better. Vorena, especially. She's the oldest ghost I know.
Vic blinked. “So you do see other ghosts.”
Yeah, a few. After I realized Summer could see me, I started tagging along with her sometimes while you were busy at work, just to have someone to talk to. Her family is close with this other big family that has a lot of Tanasians in it, so there were a ton of ghosts hanging around. Mostly their ancestors, but some others, too.
Vic straightened in his chair. “Do you think there's any chance they would know how to keep a ghost away?”
Huh. Maybe? It's not something I've ever wondered about. Cam added a smiley face with its tongue sticking out.
Vic snorted a laugh. “Brat.”
But I could ask. Or Summer might know. Might be faster to call her.
“Really?”
Yeah. You know that whole thing about ghosts being tied to certain energies, so we can visit the living who we were close to in life? Cam paused, and Vic nodded. Same thing applies between ghosts. We have to build up a bond before we can regularly sense one another strongly enough to track one down.
“Ah,” Vic said, though he still wasn't sure he entirely understood. Probably wouldn't understand until he was dead himself and could experience the phenomenon directly, something he really didn't want to consider at the moment. Pushing the thought aside, he grabbed his mobile and dialed a number.
Why are you calling Athan? Cam wrote.
“Because Summer still hasn't gotten the hang of using a phone,” Vic quickly explained while the line rang.
Cam's notepad and pen tilted back and shook, giving Vic the impression of a huge belly laugh. The thought brought a smile to his face.
“Hello?” Athan answered.
“Athan, hi, it's Vic.”
“Vic!” Athan's usual monotone took on the slightest hint of pleasant surprise. Difficult to tell when it came to the Falsiners, but Vic hoped he was reading it right. “How are you? Haven't seen you in a while.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I've got a pretty involved case going on right now. How are you? How's the family?”
In the background, a baby cried, and Athan breathed a laugh. “Never dull,” the man answered, a hint of fondness in his voice.
“I'm sure,” Vic laughed.
“So what can I do for you?”
“I was hoping your wife could help us with a ghost question.”
Athan's voice took on a hint of alarm. “Is something wrong with Cam?”
“No, no, Cam's fine–”
“Ax and fawn. Thank gods. Summer would have been upset otherwise.”
“No, we're all good there,” Vic said, not wanting to delve into his and Cam's personal demons. Summer didn't need to be subjected to all that. “It's another ghost, actually. This case I have right now, the kid I rescued…His abuser died, which is how we found the kid in the first place–”
Athan hissed. “And now his ghost is present,” he said, instantly catching on.
“Yeah. We need to know if there's any way to keep him out of the house or…something. I'm not sure. It's just…he's scaring the boy.”
“I can imagine.” Athan paused, then covered the receiver while he presumably spoke to someone on his end, hints of garbled voices coming through until Athan returned. “Summer says she doesn't think so, but she can ask around. And that you might try asking Ryley.”
Vic blinked. “Ryley?”
“Maybe he can use a spell or something.”
“Oh.” Vic nodded slowly. “Good point.”
Now why didn't we think of that? Cam wrote.
Vic chuckled silently, then said, “Yeah, thanks, Athan.”
“No problem.” The baby screamed again. “I should be going.”
“Yeah, of course. Hey, let me know if you guys ever have a night free. I'd love to have you over for dinner,” Vic offered, thinking it would be nice both to see his friends and give Colby a chance to meet another Tanasian, although Athan himself might prove too intimidating for the boy. He'd have to ease him into the idea.
Athan sighed. “I will ask Father to look after my boy as soon as he can,” the man said, sounding grateful for the invitation.
Vic laughed. “Talk to you soon.”
“Thanks, Vic.”
Athan rang off, and Vic dialed Ryley's number.
The line clicked open, followed by a thump and a curse before Ryley said, “Vic? Are you alright? What do you need?”
“Slow down, Ry, everything's fine.”
Ryley blew out a breath. “Sorry. I've just been worried about you guys all day. How's Cam doing? Does he know yet?”
“Yeah, I told him,” Vic said, eyeing Cam's notepad. “We're dealing with it.” Eventually, Vic thought.
“Good. Alright, good. I'm glad.” He blew out another heavy breath. “So what's up?”
“Shit, I shouldn't be bothering you with this while you're at work–”
“Hey, babe, it's fine. Besides…I'm going cross-eyed trying to make sense of this inheritance contract that just got dropped on my desk. You're saving my sanity with this interruption. Seriously.”
Vic chuckled. “Alright. In that case…you wouldn't happen to know of a spell that can banish a ghost, would you?”
Ryley barked a laugh. “Cam getting on your nerves?”
Hey! Cam wrote, though he was clearly laughing since the pen stuttered as it moved.
Vic started to laugh, then quickly sobered. “No, actually…It's Ahriman.”
“What?” Ryley gasped.
“Yeah.”
“Shit. Fucking bastard. He's a ghost now? Fuck, of course he is. And he's following the kid, isn't he?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Poor little guy,” Ryley murmured. Vic heard him blow out a heavy breath before he went on: “To answer your question, there's nothing that I know of, personally, but I could do some research. Ask around.”
Vic sighed. “Thanks, Ry. I know it's probably a long shot, but if I can't keep this guy out of the house…”
“Colby's never gonna get better. Yeah. Shit. Alright. Let me see what I can do.”
“Thanks, Ry,” he said again.
“No problem, babe,” Ryley said, and rang off.
Do you think he'll find something? Cam asked.
Vic sighed. “I have no idea.”
The pen wavered, then wrote, Alright, scarier thought…
“What's that?”
Do you think he's here now, listening? Do you think he knows we're trying to get rid of him?
“Shit,” Vic swore. He set his phone aside, scanning his seemingly-empty office with narrowed eyes. “Ahriman, if you're here…I won't let you touch him,” Vic growled. “Do you hear me? You're never touching that boy again.”
Of course, unless Ryley, Summer, or one of Cam's ghost friends found something, Vic's words were nothing more than an empty threat.
Chapter 15
A PIERCING cry woke Vic in the middle of the night. He sucked in a breath and sat up, fumbling to find the switch to turn on the bedside lamp. Ahriman's ghost had
been plaguing them for a few weeks now, showing up at odd intervals and sending poor Colby into fits, that panicked cry becoming a regular sound in the house. This was the first time it had happened during the night, though.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Vic tossed back the blankets and started to get out of bed, only to stop at the sight of Colby scrambling down the hallway, heading straight for Vic's room.
The boy was wearing all his layers, as usual, as well as clutching the comforter from his bed, the thing haphazardly wrapped around him so that he kept tripping on a corner of it as he tried to navigate in the dark, constantly looking over his shoulder as he went.
“Colby?”
Colby reached Vic's room, dropped the comforter on the floor, tripped over it, and dove onto Vic's bed, clambering toward the pillows and then burrowing down under the sheets at Vic's side. Vic held utterly still, staring at the tiny, shivering lump in the middle of his bed.
“Colby?” Vic's heart broke for what felt like the hundredth time that week alone. The poor, sweet boy. And, so far, there was nothing they could do about it. Summer and the other ghosts had struck out in terms of finding a way to keep a ghost out of the house, and Ryley was still looking, but not having much luck. The only thing the mage had been able to find so far was a spell that would banish all ghosts from a particular location.
But that would mean banishing Cam as well, and that was one thing Vic was absolutely not willing to do.
Vic slowly reached out and rested a hand on the blankets, right over where he thought Colby's shoulder might be. “Hey, kiddo. I'm so sorry.”
Colby whimpered in response, the sound loud enough to pierce the layers that covered him.
Vic sighed and lay back down, lifting the edge of the blankets just enough to peek under them. “Colby?”
Colby let out a whine, then shuffled over until he was curled up tight at Vic's side. Vic pulled him in close, rubbing his back and tucking the blankets around Colby as securely as he could.
“I'm sorry, champ,” Vic murmured. “I didn't think you'd ever see him in the dark.”
“I g-got up to u-use the washroom,” Colby whispered, his voice shaking, “and h-he was there just as I turned the light back off.”
Shit. “Did he touch you?”
Colby gave a tight shake of his head. “I don't think he can. Not like Cam.”
Vic nodded slowly. Cam had said as much a few days ago. Ahriman was still a new ghost, so while he'd managed to make himself visible, he had yet to learn how to make himself tangible. With any luck, they could escape that altogether, but Vic wasn't holding his breath. If the ghost ever did manage to touch Colby, things would get so much worse for the boy.
Vic tightened his arms, then felt an invisible touch on his wrist just as he saw the bed dip on Colby's other side.
“Cam?”
Cam gave his wrist a squeeze, then lay his arm alongside Vic's where it wrapped around Colby.
Vic gave him a grateful smile, then looked down at Colby and murmured, “We've got you, kiddo. Cam's here, too. We won't let him get you.”
Colby peeked out just long enough to look over his shoulder, then glanced at Vic before hiding his face again.
Poor thing. Vic tugged the boy's hood up, his fingers lingering just a little too long on Colby's forehead before Vic reached back to switch off the lamp, casting the room into darkness before he settled back down with a sigh.
“We've got you, kiddo,” he said again. “You're safe.”
* * *
VIC GROANED when his alarm went off in the morning. He'd barely slept all night, waking in fits and starts to make sure Colby was actually feeling safe enough to get some sleep.
Then again, if he were really being honest with himself, that was hardly the only reason.
He switched off the alarm, then slowly lay back down, holding his breath while he waited to see if he'd woken Colby. Peeking under the blanket, he found the boy still fast asleep. Thank gods. Vic let out a sigh and pulled Colby close, deciding he'd skip the gym just this once. He knew the guilt would be hitting him any moment, but he couldn't resist another few minutes of having Colby sleeping beside him.
Even if it took everything he had to ignore the fact that his cock was rock-hard and so painfully close to what it wanted.
Vic took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, then did it again, counting the breaths and then mentally reciting the names of his rescues. It didn't take long before all thoughts of arousal were gone. He probably could have just thought of all the cruel things Ahriman had done to Colby, but that would require thinking of Colby, thinking of how warm and soft and small the boy felt there in his bed.
Fuck. He went through the list again, just in case.
Something invisible brushed over his arm and pushed Colby harder up against him before drawing back again, Cam's notepad floating up off the nightstand and coming into view. Cam must still be there, helping shield Colby from the Bad Man.
You look like shit.
Vic snorted a laugh. “Thanks a lot, brat.”
Did you sleep at all?
“Not really.”
Hmmm. I kinda had a feeling.
“Why's that?”
Cam started out with the winking smiley face this time, then wrote, I got the impression you were rather enjoying yourself.
Vic froze. “What?”
Vic, come on. Seriously? You should see the way you look at him.
Vic's hand automatically went to his pocket as his heart started to race, only to remember that he was in bed and that Cam's bracelet was on the dresser, across the room. “Cam…”
Hey, look. It's not like you're ever gonna act on it, right? At least, not until he's ready–
“Cam–”
Actually, I think it's kinda cute.
“He'll never be ready,” Vic hissed. “And there's nothing to act on.”
The pen danced for a moment, and Vic got the impression of amusement in its motion as it wrote, If you say so.
Vic narrowed his eyes at the words. “You're the last person who should be making light of this,” Vic growled, then held his breath for a moment before letting it out heavily. “Shit. Cam, I'm so sorry–”
I know. It's alright. But, seriously, Vic–
“Cam–”
No, just listen, the pen wrote insistently, and Vic shut his mouth. I'm not upset. It doesn't bother me, though it's obvious you think it should. Cam paused for a moment, then continued: But just think about it. You might be just what he needs. And he might be just what you need. Someday, as he trusts you more, this might be something really beautiful.
Vic shook his head. There was no way he'd ever be able to have what he wanted. He was stupid for even wanting it in the first place. Colby could never be his.
“Can we just focus on keeping him safe?” Vic asked. From myself, included.
The pen lifted and dropped, giving the impression of a sigh. Yeah, fine. Cam paused, then added, You know, this would be a really great time to have a dog.
Vic breathed a laugh and rolled his eyes. “One thing at a time, kiddo. Besides, with Ahriman in the house now, I can hardly leave him alone long enough to go out and find one.”
You could take him with you.
“Did you see how long it took to get him just to leave the bedroom?”
You could ask him. He might be up for it, especially if it meant not being home alone when the Bad Man might show up.
“Hmmm.” Vic gave a slow nod. Cam had a point. Still, he couldn't imagine Colby being ready to leave the house yet, even if it was to go pick out a puppy. Vic yawned. “We can talk about it later.” He settled back down and tried to close his eyes.
A few minutes of silence passed, until he heard the scratching of Cam's pen again.
You know, this is officially the second gayest thing I've ever done.
Vic frowned. “What's that?”
Spending the night in bed with two guys. Wait, does that also count as incest since you're my
brother?
Vic groaned. “Cam.” The bed shook, and Vic imagined Cam laughing. “Brat,” he muttered, then frowned again as he read back over Cam's words. “If this was the second, what was the f–” The answer hit him before he could even finish asking the question. “Cam!” Vic hissed. He popped up onto his elbow, his eyes wide as he stared at the pen. “That is not funny!”
It's kinda funny.
“Not. Funny,” Vic bit off, the old guilt and terror surging back up out of memory.
I'm sorry. You're right. But I have to laugh about it. Sometimes, that's the only way I can deal with it.
Vic's heart sank. “I'm so sorry, kiddo.”
I know you are. I'm sorry, too.
Vic found Cam's arm and gave it a squeeze, then he yawned again.
The bed shook with silent laughter. Go back to sleep, you dork.
Vic knew he really ought to get up, but more sleep sounded way too tempting. He lay back down and felt Cam reach over him to put the notepad back on the nightstand, only to snatch it up again.
You've got a text from Ryley on your phone.
Vic grabbed his mobile and checked. Sure enough, the lock screen showed all the usual notifications for texts and emails that had come in throughout the night, all of which he'd ignored, then spotted the one from Ryley. He opened it up, and smiled.
“He thinks he found a spell.”
Right on!
Vic nodded agreement, then set his phone aside. With that hopeful prospect, he could definitely spare another hour for sleep, so he settled back down and let himself drift off.
Exhaustion took hold, so when he finally woke again, he had just enough time to eat and get dressed before the guys would be there for band practice. Vic eased out of bed, got dressed, and slipped out of the room. He left his bedroom door open, like always, and headed for the kitchen. Vic gulped down a cup of coffee, and considered going to wake the boy so he could eat, then decided against it. Poor Colby needed his sleep. Vic could make him something later, after he woke.
He was just finishing the dishes from his own late breakfast and wiping down the counters when the doorbell rang. Vic hurried to answer it, and stepped aside to let everyone in. Hugs and handshakes were shared all around as Ryley, Asher, Zac, and Adrian filed inside and gathered in the living room.
