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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, 
places and incidents either are products of the 
author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any 
resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, 
living or dead, is entirely coincidental. 

 

 

Brennus’ Witch 

Copyright © 2005 D.J. Manly 

ISBN: 1-55410-597-8 

Cover art and design by Lyrra Madril 

 

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the 
reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in 
part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or 
other means, now known or hereafter invented, is 
forbidden without the written permission of the 
publisher. 

 

Published by eXtasy Books, a division of Zumaya 
Publications, 2005 

Look for us online at: 

www.zumayapublications.com 

www.extasybooks.com 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: 

 

 

Many of the beliefs, spells and practises described 
in Brennus’ Witch are authentic. However, much 
creative license was taken in this book. Therefore, not 
everything described in this story is to be interpreted 
as being akin to Wicca. 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter One 

 

 

T
he minute she saw him, she knew she had to have 
him. There was just something about him, and it 
wasn’t just the way his wavy, wheat-colored hair 
framed his handsome face, or the incredibly large 
blue eyes that played up his fair skin. Although it 
might have been the way those jeans hugged his slim 
hips or emphasized the delightful curves of his 
ass…at least, that didn’t hurt. No, it was far more 
than that. When he spoke, it was like music. When he 
smiled, the edges of his generous mouth seemed to 
gently curve into it, as if he was aware that that smile 
alone could devastate anyone in its path. 

He was strolling across the raised platform now. 
Lifting a muscular arm, he wrote ‘Brennus Monroe’ in 
plain bold letters across the chalkboard. 

Brennus. That was an unusual name. Apparently 
someone else in the class thought so too, because they 
raised their hand and said, “Sir, I don’t think I’ve ever 
heard the name Brennus before. What kind of a name 
is it?” 

“Ancient Celtic,” he said, acknowledging the 


student with a dip of his head. “Very old.” 

Yummy, Anna thought. In fact, everything about 
him was yummy. As he spoke, she tried to get a sense 
of how old he was. It was hard to tell. He had no 
obvious physical signs of being more than thirty. In 
fact, she would have put him at about twenty-five. 
However, he gave the impression that he was far 
older than that. It was in his eyes, wisdom, self-
confidence, rare in a man so young, but that was what 
was so sexy about him. 

The thought of being in bed with this guy was 
almost enough to make her cream her jeans right here 
in her seat. He was definitely not like the pimply-
faced students she went to school with. A man like 
Brennus Monroe would have you on your back…or 
your knees, with your clothes off before you could 
say, “Oh, baby…please.” He’d make you scream with 
orgasm, and beg for more. 

Brennus Monroe was looking down at the sea of 
faces now in front of him. He looked amused. My 
God, Anna thought, he looks as if he's reading my 
thoughts. She hadn't stopped having sexual fantasies 
about him since the moment he’d stepped into the 
room. 

“Anna,” he said suddenly, causing her to draw up 
in her seat and meet his eyes. 

“Sir,” she said, blushing. My God, he’s singled me 
out. He’s noticed me. Maybe he likes me. How does he 
know my name? Oh, he must have it on a list or 
something. 

“Why are you interested in this class?” 


“Ah…well…I’m a history major, and I think 
spiritual forces have played a large part in the 
evolution of humankind. I’m especially interested in 
the history of the Druids and modern day Wicca.” She 
wanted to tell him that her brother was a Wicca 
priest, and that she herself had recently considered 
becoming a member, but she wasn’t sure how the rest 
of the class would react. There were a lot of 
misconceptions about Wicca. 

“Well, you would be correct in your assessment 
that spiritualism has played a large part in history. 
Most wars have been fought over that very thing,” he 
nodded, then moved back to the board. 

The remainder of the class passed very quickly. By 
the time Brennus had handed out the outline and 
explained the requirements of the course, the two 
hours were gone. “See you next class,” he said, 
watching the students as they filed out of the room. 
Anna however lingered behind, walking out in front 
of him. As he closed the door, she turned and smiled 
at him. “Thank you, Mr. Monroe. It sounds like it’s 
going to be a great course.” 

“Good,” he said, giving her a pleasant smile, 
“happy to have you.” 

Anna watched as he walked off down the corridor 
and disappeared from her sight. 

Anna was sure after attending two more of 
Professor Monroe’s classes that he wanted her. Often, 
he paused when he was speaking to look directly at 
her. Sometimes he stared at her outright, making her 
feel as if she was having hot flashes at the tender age 


of twenty. 

Tonight, Brennus Monroe was talking about the 
ancient Druids. Dressed in a pair of well-worn jeans, 
and a red shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows, 
he looked good enough to eat. “Many academics,” he 
said, “believe that the ancestors of the Celts were the 
Proto-Indo European culture who lived near the Black 
Sea around four thousand BCE. Some migrated to the 
south,” he scribbled something on the board, pausing 
for a moment, allowing his eyes to fall on Anna. He 
cleared his throat. “Sorry, yes…some migrated South-
Westerly,” he went on. “They created the cultures of 
Thrace and Greece…” 

Anna lowered her head, and smiled secretly. He 
had been looking at her in that way again, as if he 
were stunned by her. If only he wasn’t a professor. 
She knew there were ethics governing student-
professor affairs, but…damn. 

She had made up her mind. She would ask Darien 
to help her. She knew if she convinced him that it was 
just the student-teacher thing standing in their way, 
and that Brennus obviously did feel the same way 
about her, he’d give them a little help. 

When the class was over, Anna gave Brennus a big 
smile before she left. She didn’t stay to chat with him 
this time. Several students were hovering around, 
waiting to ask him something. She was anxious to get 
home and speak to her brother. 

 

* * * * 

 


Brennus brought the young man inside the blazing 
circle surrounded by stones. He had put him in a 
semi-trance state so that he would attract no attention 
to this sacred place. The man in the trance was gazing 
at Brennus now, dazed eyes filled with desire. 
Brennus raised his hands high above him. He called 
out: “Arawn, Brigid, and Danu, ancient Celtic deities. 
Please bless this sacrifice.” As he did, the fire in the 
center of the circle fanned higher, threatening to 
engulf both Brennus and the mortal. Brennus 
shivered, closing his eyes. He usually didn’t ask the 
Gods and Goddesses to bless his food before he 
consumed it. Tonight though, he felt a pang of guilt 
for not attending to his spiritual self. After all, if not 
for his faith, he wouldn’t even be here. He’d simply 
be dead. Sometimes he wasn’t sure how grateful he 
should be for that. Centuries, mixed with joy and 
misery, frozen in memories, memories that had 
faded…until now. But why? Why were his thoughts 
returning to his un-avenged death? He needed 
strength, strength from the deities to help him bury 
this pain for good. 

Hands were touching him now. The young man 
moaned against him, laying his head on Brennus’ 
chest. Brennus stroked his satiny brown hair. “It’s all 
right, my friend, the deities approve…and you will 
come back in another life. This is not the end. If you 
have learned enough at this level….you will come 
back to a higher realm.” Brennus moved the young 
man away from him. Smiling, he said, “Take off your 
clothes. We will celebrate before you move on.” 


The young man stared dreamy-eyed at the luscious 
stranger before him, removing his clothes without 
actually physically being aware of it. His cock and 
nipples were as hard as rock, although the blond god 
before him hadn’t so much as touched him. 

The wind blew Brennus’ hair back from his face. 
He slowly undid the buttons of his cotton shirt, then 
unzipped his jeans and took them off. 

The other man fell to his knees with a groan as 
Brennus’ naked body was exposed to him. “You’re 
beautiful,” he whispered, flicking his tongue over the 
head of Brennus’ cock. 

Brennus sucked in air, and closed his eyes. Placing 
his hand on the man’s head, he drew his face against 
his groin. “Put it in your mouth,” he breathed. Feeling 
his cock slipping into the velvet lining of the man’s 
eager mouth, his jaw widened, revealing the razor 
sharp tips of his incisors. As the man continued to 
suck and lick his aching sex, Brennus growled deep in 
his throat, images of thick, flowing blood flashing in 
his head. Suddenly he thrust the man away from him. 
He was now sprawling naked in front of him, his legs 
spread, elbows back in the dirt. “Please,” the wanton 
stranger pleaded. “Fuck me.” 

Reaching down and grabbing the man by the arm, 
he pulled him upright, then hurled him around. 
Pressing his chest against the man’s back, he bent him 
forward and impaled him on his cock. As he thrust, 
he lifted them both off the ground, running his hands 
over the living flesh, moving his lips over his throat. 
The fucking continued, hard and fast as Brennus 


fondled the man’s testicles and cock. 

At the moment of the mortal’s orgasm, Brennus 
sank his teeth into his jugular, his own orgasm 
coming at exactly that moment. He drank until he felt 
the young man’s heartbeat descend into a faint 
tap…tap…tap. Then, almost lovingly, he lowered his 
naked body back down to the ground, wiping the 
blood off his lips with the back of his hand. The wind 
picked up again. 

Flashes of fire ripped across his mind. He heard a 
voice. “My beauty…all you had to do was love me.” 
Screaming. Then another voice. “Murderer…I’ll come 
back…I’ll come back for you…and no matter how long it 
takes, I shall have my revenge.” The voice belonged to 
him. Looking down at the dead body curling around 
his feet, two thick tears of blood ran down his cheeks. 
My sacrifice. “Please,” he called out, looking up at the 
night sky, “I gave you this innocent blood. Now, help 
me find peace.” 

But there would be no peace, Brennus knew. He 
had vowed to come back, and he did. He had also 
vowed to destroy his murderers. He did. All except 
for one, Vortimere. He who was responsible for 
everything. Vortimere had escaped him. Brennus had 
spent years searching for him, only to find that he had 
died days before he would have had him. Now, after 
years of reprieve, the visions of that night of horror 
were returning to him. What he didn’t know was 
why. 

 

* * * * 


 

Anna checked her watch. It was a few minutes after 
nine. She wanted to make it to the meeting tonight. 
She wasn’t a full member yet, but she had been 
attending faithfully. So far, her overprotective brother 
hadn’t allowed her to take part in the ceremony of 
sexual celebration that took place after the meetings. 
She hoped tonight he would make an exception, 
because right now she was feeling incredibly horny. 
She also needed to speak to him about giving her a 
little help with Brennus Monroe. 

 

* * * * 

 

Darien Rhys lay back on the sofa and closed his eyes. 
He was trying to gather positive energy to him. It had 
been a long day. Mr. Simpson had come into the shop 
this afternoon with a long list of supplies he needed. 
He could be so particular. Every herb had to be dried 
to a certain specification. Today he was looking for a 
specific blend of herbs which required mixing. No 
matter how Darien mixed it, it wasn’t quite right. 
Finally after mixing some Angus, bloodroot and 
borage, Simpson decided he wasn’t ready to do what 
ever in hell it was he was planning to do with the 
concoction. Darien finally suggested to Mr. Simpson 
that he do the mixing himself. That put an end to that. 

At least he hadn’t had any born again Christians 
come into today, quoting scriptures about the devil. 
No matter how hard he tried to explain to them that 
he couldn’t worship something he didn’t even believe 


existed; they still came calling, trying to save his soul. 
Somehow there was some pity for him in that 
Simpson was considered to be enough of a toil for one 
day. 

He was ready for the coven to come together 
tonight. He needed to ask the goddesses for strength. 
Paying Anna’s tuition had practically cleaned out his 
bank account, and the Grinning Moon shop wasn’t 
doing much of a business lately. He had hired Anita 
to do readings, which had brought some extra 
customers into the store, mostly the non-Wicca 
crowd…the curious…the adventurous. He knew that 
the upcoming Feast of the Dead would help, bringing 
witches in for supplies. It would all work out. 
Everything was connected, everything was good. 
What he was doing for his sister would come back to 
him three times…and it wasn’t as if she didn’t 
appreciate it. 

When his sister walked in the door, Darien rose off 
the sofa, and gave her a smile. “Hey, kid, how was 
your day?” 

“Fine,” she said. “I need to tell you about my 
professor.” 

Darien grinned. “The hunky one? You told me 
already.” 

She laughed, throwing her bag down on the chair. 
“I have to have him, and you have to help me.” 

Darien raised an eyebrow at his twenty-year-old 
sister. She was certainly all grown up now. “I see. 
We’re talking about the one who is teaching you 
about the Druids? Well, I hope he is not teaching lies 


and…” 

“Darien,” Anna protested, “don’t worry, if he gets 
into a discussion of Julius Caesar and how he 
described the Druids as performing human sacrifices, 
I’ll steer him straight. That’s not the point. I need a 
love spell.” 

“Love spell?” Darien’s eyes widened a little. “You 
know I don’t do those things lightly, Sis. It’s 
imperative that the object of the spell return the 
feelings.” 

“He does,” she said, gleaming. “He’s always 
staring at me in class, Darien.” 

“He’s not married…involved with someone or…?” 

“I don’t think so. Please…” she pleaded. “What can 
it hurt? I know why he doesn’t make a move…it’s the 
ethics thing. If he wasn’t my professor, I’m sure 
he’d…” 

Darien paused for a moment, then, laughed. “If he 
isn’t hot for your bod, it won’t work anyway…so 
what the heck.” 

“Then you’ll do it?” she asked, hugging her 
brother’s arm. 

“Yes, yes...considering that your timing is so good. 
You have to do these things on a day before a full 
moon, and that’s tomorrow night. I’ll do it then.” 

“See, it was meant to be. Thanks,” she gave him a 
peck on the cheek. 

“Are you attending the gathering?” Darien asked 
her. 

Anna nodded. “Yes, but I want to stay for the meal 
and the orgy after.” 


Darien gave her a look of disdain. “Anna, the after 
ceremony is a celebration of our varied sexuality. It is 
not an orgy. Our sexuality is a gift…a…” 

“Look, I know all that,” Anna shook her head. “I 
have sexuality too, you know…and I want to be a part 
of Wicca. I love the philosophy, the acceptance and 
the tolerance. I agree with the principles of sexual 
freedom and female superiority.” 

“I know you believe you’re superior,” Darien 
joked. “I wish you felt superior enough to clean this 
apartment. I did it last week.” 

“Ha, ha, very funny. I’ll get to it,” she waved that 
away. “Listen, I respect everyone and everything, I 
don’t believe in the devil…or heaven. I love the 
earth…hell, I even recycle!” 

Darien began to howl with laughter. “You’ve 
convinced me, and you know everyone loves and 
accepts you. I just want to make sure you’re ready 
for…” 

“If I’m not, I’ll leave. Okay?” 

He inhaled. “All right.” 

Anna grinned. “I’m excited about Halloween at the 
end of next month.” 

“Feast of the Dead,” he corrected. “And it’s 
actually at the beginning of November.” 

“Oh, sorry.” 

“Okay, go get ready,” Darien said, “then we’ll 
leave.” As he waited, he went to look out the window 
of their small four-room apartment. In spite of the fact 
that they didn’t have a lot of money, he could finally 
smile. For most of his life he had felt like an outsider. 


Everything he was, everything he believed, appeared 
to be contrary to everyone else. His parents were 
devout Catholics and when he discovered that he was 
gay, he just knew that they would see it as sinful. 

Wicca gave him the chance to celebrate who he 
was, to lose the chains of evil and sinfulness, to 
respect and accept everyone’s choices. Most people 
didn’t even realize that he was a Wicca Priest. It was a 
philosophy he lived, but he had no interest in 
recruiting anyone. People had to find their own 
spiritual paths. Like with Anna. He had never 
encouraged her to embrace Wicca. She wanted to 
know more about it, and now she seemed to want to 
be part of it. 

After he had come out to his family, they had 
disowned him. He had gone on his own, and his little 
sister had followed. She had never forgiven her 
parents for throwing him out of the house. No matter 
how much he tried to convince her to go and see 
them, she stubbornly refused. So, it was the two of 
them. He paid some of her tuition and she worked 
summers to raise the rest. They were living a very 
different life than when they’d lived at home, never 
lacking for anything…yet he felt richer than ever. 

Anna emerged from the bathroom now, ready to 
leave. They climbed into Darien’s beat-up car and 
headed to the gathering place on top of Mont Royal. 
After they’d parked, Anna handed Darien his long 
black robe, and they walked hand and hand to the 
clearing. Someone had already prepared the circle, 
which was illuminated by candles. In the center was a 


bonfire, and seven members were standing around it, 
waiting for their leader. Darien greeted them with 
kisses, as did Anna. 

There were seven in all, a small coven, which 
Darien preferred. There was Anita and her husband 
Clinton, Clint’s younger brother Doug, and two other 
young men, Pierre and Jamie. Anna often teased 
Darien about having an almost all male coven, which 
was unusual for a female dominated religion like 
Wicca. Most of the men were hot, too. Her brother 
was no slouch in the looks department, neither. 
Darien was twenty-four, with thick chestnut-brown 
hair and hazel eyes like hers. He was almost six feet, 
and slender. Everyone thought him beautiful, and he 
had a sweet, soft voice that drew people to him like 
flies to honey. 

Her brother was calling everyone to attention now. 
“We will do an invocation of the elements,” he said, 
then he began to chant: “Air, Fire, Water, Earth, 
Elements of astral birth, I call you now; attend to me! 
In the circle, rightly cast, safe from curse or blast, I call 
you now, attend to me! From cave and desert, sea and 
hill, by wand, blade and pentacle, I call you now 
attend to me! This is my will, so mote it be…” 

Suddenly a few raindrops began to fall as the chant 
continued. People swayed back and forth, paying 
homage to the ancient Goddesses. Now they were 
facing north, singing, “Hail to the guardians of the 
North, mighty earth who feeds us, our home and 
mother, welcome to the circle.” Next they turned to 
the East, repeating the proper incantation, then the 


South, and finally the West. They began dancing 
around the fire, and singing. Two of the men reached 
out and took Darien’s hands. Gradually they broke 
from the circle and moved into the shadow. 

 

* * * * 

 

Darien felt the gentle pressure of both Pierre’s and 
Clinton’s hands press him against the tree. Clinton 
undid the black robe, took it off of him and folded it, 
laying it aside. Pierre went to work on undoing the 
buttons of Darien’s shirt and removing it. While 
Clinton took down Darien’s pants, Doug, Anita and 
Jamie encouraged Anna to remove her clothing. There 
was no shyness, no sense of guilt or shame, just the 
bliss of mouths and hands moving over her naked 
limbs. 

Darien moaned as Pierre took his erect cock into 
his mouth. He closed his eyes and let his head rest 
against the tree. Clint began to move his thumbs 
slowly over Darien’s nipples, causing them to stiffen. 
Darien glanced over just once to see his sister 
engaged in lovemaking with Anita, Doug, and Jamie. 
Then Clint pinched both his nipples hard, and Darien 
gasped. Reaching out, he took Clint’s erection in his 
hand and began to squeeze it, just as Pierre took his 
own cock into his mouth. 

The moon above them was close to full, and Darien 
could feel the forces of nature gathering around him, 
embracing his soul. When it was over, they put out 
the fire and scattered the ashes. Darien took his 


sister’s hand and they walked quietly back to the car. 
“How was it?” he asked, breaking the silence. 

“Beautiful,” she said softly, “loving and warm. I’ve 
never felt anything like it. It was more spiritual than 
sexual…you know.” 

“Yes,” he smiled. “I know.” 

 

* * * * 

 

After everyone went home and Anna went to bed, 
Darien gathered together the material he needed to 
cast a love spell for his sister. He placed dried flowers 
and patchouli leaves in a wood box, and put it in a 
safe place. The following night, Darien took Anna into 
the spare room and turned down the lights. While his 
sister waited anxiously, Darien anointed a candle 
with rose oil, then lit it. A beautiful scent filled Anna’s 
nostrils. Then he took an amethyst crystal massager 
rubbed with rose oil and told his sister to massage 
herself with it, beginning at the feet. 

Anna was giggling as she began. 

“You have to be serious,” Darien said. “Are you 
ready?” 

“Yes.” 

“Repeat after me… I am infused with the light of 
love.” 

“I am infused with the light of love,” Anna said, 
rubbing the massager now over her legs. 

“I radiate love from my center.” 

“I radiate love from my center,” Anna repeated, 
continuing to massage herself. 


“Magnetized with positive energy…” Darien said. 

“Magnetized with…ah…positive energy.” 

“Like attracts like…my lover is drawn to me like 
magick!” 

“Like attracts like…my lover is drawn to me like 
magick!” 

“Good,” Darien nodded. “Now, take this amethyst 
pyramid in your hands, and repeat… this pyramid is 
infused with light, it radiates light from it’s 
center…magnetized with positive energy…like 
attracts like…my pyramid attracts love like magick!” 

Anna repeated the words, holding the amethyst 
pyramid in her hands. “Now what?” she asked. 

“Place these objects under your bed and let the 
candle burn all the way down. Use the oil, massager 
and incantation often. Carry it with you if you like. If 
it’s meant to be,” Darien shrugged, “it will do the 
trick.” 

“I know it will work, Darien,” Anna said. “You are 
a powerful witch.” She had seen him cast some 
incredible spells, spells that even some of the more 
experienced witches like Anita marveled at. All the 
spells he did were good ones. None of them practiced 
black magic. It wasn’t their way. They believed that 
every spell they cast came back to them threefold; 
therefore evil was visited by evil…good by good. Her 
brother cast healing spells, and once a mother came to 
him about her son, who was dying of cancer. Her 
brother cast a healing spell and three days later, his 
cancer had disappeared. It had scared him to do these 
spells. He usually left the heavy stuff to Anita. 


He seemed to be deep in thought right now, so 
Anna left him, put the box under her bed and tried to 
sleep. She woke up and did the incantation three 
times during the night. Tomorrow night, she would 
see her professor again. 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Two 

 

 

B
rennus watched the sun as it descended into the 
dusky sky from his window. He had learned to 
synchronize his waking with the final disappearance 
of the sun to the second. He loved this moment. He 
could probably endure some of the sun if he tried. He 
certainly didn’t need to drink as much as he once did. 
It was his age. He had been born in six hundred B.C., 
in the geographical space now known as Britain. He 
had been abandoned as a child and taken in by a 
kindly Druid Priest called Guadid. 

Guadid had discovered quickly that there was 
something exceptional about the child he had 
adopted. His intelligence and curiosity far surpassed 
a child of his age. Thus, Brennus’ own training for the 
priesthood began early. To be a Druid priest, 
considered to be the highest of places, required at 
least twenty years of study and memorization. They 
were required to know much about the stars and 
celestial motions, the size of the earth and the 
universe, about the powers of the immortal gods and 
the essential nature of things. Brennus spent his time 


at the college, studying. When he turned twenty, he 
became a teacher. Guadid told him that he was a 
natural. He loved his life. He had never known any 
other. He loved the respect he commanded and how, 
through laws, culture and religion, the Druids were 
able to draw many different tribes together. They 
even had the power to halt battles by encouraging all 
sides to come together to negotiate peace. All was 
well in his mortal life until Vortimere appeared. 

Brennus raised the black blinds, and looked out 
onto the city. From the window, he could see the 
university where he taught. His head was pounding. 
It wasn’t hunger. The blood he had drunk a few days 
ago was enough to sustain him for weeks. It was the 
thoughts that clouded his mind that left his head 
achy. Thoughts of Vortimere. 

Why in the hell was he thinking of him? The man 
was long dead. It was true he had never paid the way 
Brennus intended him to. He had gotten away with 
it…with murdering and torturing him… but he had 
long come to peace with that. 

Hadn’t he? 

No one knew what Vortimere and his followers 
had done to him that night...on the night of the Feast 
of the Dead. The modern world didn’t realize that 
Julius Caesar’s talk of ritualistic sacrifice among the 
Druids was based solely on the activities of one evil 
priest, Vortimere. After the deed was done, since 
Druid priests were allowed to live anywhere, 
Vortimere had moved off and taken his renegade 
unholy sex slaves with him. 


Evil bastard. 

Suddenly Brennus smelled the distinct scent of 
burning flesh. He shivered, trying to shake off the 
headache. He was expected in class in an hour. He 
changed his clothes, put on the security alarm, and 
left. 

 

* * * * 

 

Anna was anxious tonight. She had incanted the 
words for the love spell three more times before 
coming to class. It had to work. She wondered how 
long it would take? Would it work right away? No, 
that was crazy. It was probably a gradual thing. 

When Brennus Monroe walked into the classroom, 
he spotted Anna sitting in her usual seat and he 
halted dead in his tracks. 

I want to kiss her. 

Reaching out suddenly, he placed a hand on the 
edge of his desk, and took a breath. He felt weird, 
light-headed, really. That headache that had started 
back at his condo grew more intense. 

His eyes settled on Anna. She smiled at him. 

I love you, Anna. 

What in hell was going on? He didn’t love her. He 
didn’t even know her. Opening up his briefcase, he 
took out his notes for the evening. Trying to ignore 
this weird sensation that seemed to be crawling all 
over him, he began to speak. “We were talking about 
modern day paganism. Most modern Druids connect 
their origin to the ancient Celtic people. However, 


historical information is scarce so we really don’t 
know for sure. Druidism and other neo-pagan 
religions are currently…” he stopped. 

Anna…I want you. I am crazy in love with you. 

Okay, this was goddamned ridiculous. Someone 
was playing a joke on him…or…had put some kind of 
a spell on him. 

“Are you all right, Professor?” someone asked. 

“Yes,” he replied, taking a breath, looking over at 
Anna. Vortimere. Why in the hell would his name 
come to mind when he was looking at Anna? Why 
did he suddenly feel as if he wanted to devour her? 
He cleared his throat again. “There are some distinct 
differences between the ancient practices of…” Whoa! 
A sudden sensation of floating gripped him. 
Something wasn’t right at all. He needed to talk to 
Anna. “Excuse me, class. I’m sorry. I’m not feeling all 
that well. I think I’m coming down with something. 
Let’s ah…call it night, okay? Same time next week. I 
promise we’ll make it up.” 

No one complained. The students all began to 
shuffle out, happy to be able to go home or out with 
their friends. 

“Anna,” Brennus said, reaching out to touch her 
arm as she walked by him. As he did, his hand felt as 
if it were suddenly on fire. He withdrew it. “Could 
you stay for a few minutes?” He wanted to shake her, 
demand to know what she had done to him, but he 
wouldn’t get anywhere that way. 

She smiled. “Professor?” 

When the others were gone, he said, “Have you 


ever heard of anyone called Vortimere?” 

She wrinkled up her nose. “Weird name. No.” 

I want to hold you in my arms. Brennus laughed out 
loud. He was losing his mind. “Did you mention to 
me that you were a member of Wicca?” 

She hadn’t said anything, but she had thought it. 
How could he have known that? 

Brennus now recalled that she had also thought 
about a spell…but he hadn’t paid much attention at 
the time. He thought she was kidding. Now, he knew 
she had gone through with it…a love spell. 

“Yes. My brother is a priest, actually,” she was 
saying. 

“I see,” he breathed. They cast love spells back in 
six hundred B.C., too. He couldn’t come right out and 
tell her he knew about the spell, but he had to find the 
one who had cast it. Her brother. It had to be him. It 
had to be removed. It was doing strange things to 
him. It still didn’t explain, though, why Vortimere 
came to mind when he looked at Anna. 

“Would you like to have coffee, Anna?” he asked 
suddenly, the headache coming back again. 

She gushed. “Sure…if you’re feeling okay?” 

“A cup of coffee may be just what I need,” he said, 
indicating the door. 

 

* * * * 

 

Anita had just finished a reading in the back room. 
She was standing there now, looking at Darien with 
this strange look on her face. Darien stopped 


arranging the astrological bookmarks and asked her 
what was up. 

“Up?” she smiled softly, “nothing, really. I 
just…are you all right, Darien?” 

“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?” 

Anita arranged her blue floral skirt over her 
voluminous hips and shrugged. “I think I should do 
an incantation for you…something to surround you 
with good vibes.” 

“Why?” When Anita talked like that, you listened. 

“I don’t like what I‘m feeling. It could be nothing,” 
she shook her head. “Forget it for now. If the feelings 
come back, I’ll let you know and we’ll act.” 

“You’re creeping me out,” Darien said. 

She laughed. “Didn’t mean to. Got to get home to 
Clint. See you tomorrow, okay?” 

He kissed her on the cheek. He thought about 
locking up. It was already past nine o’clock. He had 
kept the store open late tonight. Business had been 
quite good. He had sold three cauldrons and a lot of 
candles today. Anita had done four readings. 
Everyone seemed satisfied when they came out of the 
back room, telling him they were going to bring their 
friends by...and no bible thumpers today. He laughed 
to himself, feeling a little guilty for calling them that. 
After all, all faiths were worthy of respect, even if this 
group got on his last nerve sometimes. 

 

* * * * 

 

Anita sank into the blueness of Brennus’ eyes. He had 


incredibly gorgeous eyes. He had incredibly gorgeous 
everything. 

Brennus made small talk with her for a while, 
sipping the coffee without really tasting it. “So,” he 
said, “you live with your brother…eh…Darien?” 

“Yes,” she said, swallowing her sip of coffee. “But 
he’s busy….gone a lot. Ah, he is a Wicca Priest…a 
witch. How he hates it when people call him a 
warlock!” she laughed. 

“Yes, well, that makes sense, considering that the 
term warlock was used for a male witch, derived 
from the Anglo-Saxon, meaning ‘oath breaker’. Even 
the term witch is controversial because it carries so 
much baggage. I think the correct term today is priest 
or priestess.” 

“Oh,” she laughed. “My brother doesn’t seem to 
mind the word witch.” 

“Some don’t. There are many more women than 
men in Wicca. What motivated your brother to join?” 

“He’s gay, maybe that was one factor. Our 
background was Catholic, so…” 

“Ah, not exactly welcoming of sexual diversity,” 
Brennus said. “In Wicca, there is no absolute truth.” 

“Neo-tolerance, personal freedom and personal 
responsibility. Are you a member, Professor?” 

“Brennus, please…and no, not officially, but I do 
subscribe to the doctrine.” Damn this headache. He 
reached over and touched Anna’s hand, in part 
because he felt compelled, and in part because he 
wanted her to lead him to her brother. 

She blushed. “Brennus.” 


Did you have your brother put a spell on me? His 
anger was bubbling to the surface. He looked into her 
eyes. He heard a voice, a voice he hadn’t heard in 
centuries. I love you, Brennus…I love you…forgive me, 
but you had your chance. Noooooooo! He heard the 
scream in his head. He felt his eyes change, his fangs 
extract. He put his head down, and swirled around 
quickly in his chair. 

Anna was alarmed. “Professor. You really aren’t 
feeling well, are you?” 

Brennus excused himself. “I’ll be right back. I’m 
sorry,” he growled. Rising, he walked to the door and 
outside. Ducking into an alley, he tried to rein in his 
emotions. Vortimere. 

What was happening to him? He felt his control 
slipping away. Damn that Darien. He was going to 
reverse this spell! Finally, assured that his eyes had 
returned to their normal color and his fangs had 
safely retreated, Brennus stepped back into the café. 
“Anna,” he said, anxious to have this matter settled, 
“can we go back to your place…for a drink, 
maybe…get to know each a little better?” 

Her eyes were shining. “Of course,” she said. She 
hoped her brother would work late tonight. 

“I’m not being too forward, am I?” 

Hell, no. “I trust you, Professor.” Oh, Darien, I am 
going to give you the nicest gift for your birthday. 

I might just give Darien a nice gift myself, Brennus 
thought, his mouth twisting sardonically. 

 

* * * * 


 

As Darien walked up the path to his apartment, he 
noticed the lights in the living room were on. As he 
came closer, he heard voices from the open window. 
One of them was definitely his sister’s; the other voice 
was male, deep and almost musical. Well, his little 
spell had worked, then. Good. He’d try to make 
himself scarce. He was tired anyway. He’d introduce 
himself quickly, then make a hasty retreat to the 
bedroom. 

Placing the key in the lock, he called out, just in 
case he caught them doing something other than 
talking. “Anna,” he said, “it’s Darien, I’m home.” 

Brennus stood up. 

“Darien, I’d like you to meet Brennus Monroe,” 
Anna said, standing up herself now, and looking from 
one man to the other. 

Darien smiled. Gorgeous hunk of man! No wonder 
Anna wanted him. “Nice to meet you, Brennus,” 
Darien reached out his hand. Brennus took it. 

The moment their fingers touched, Brennus felt it; 
the pain. This time it was so acute, it caused him to 
stiffen. It seared through his head like a train on fire, 
then, ripped through his chest, his gut, and all 
through his legs. Vortimere! There was something 
desperately wrong here, and it was more than just a little 
love spell! 

Darien was on the carpet, the grip on his hand so 
fierce it had driven him to his knees. He couldn’t 
speak. His eyes were rolling up into his head. Anna’s 
yelling in the background was beginning to fade. 


“Brennus…what are you doing? What are you 
doing?” Anna cried out, trying to pull Brennus’ hand 
away from her brother. Brennus held tight, his face 
animated in a grimace of bitterness and rage. 

When Darien’s hand went limp in his, something 
released inside of him. Brennus let Darien’s hand fall 
away from his own. Anna bent down to see to her 
brother. He was moaning, half conscious. “What in 
the hell…?” Anna began, turning to look up again at 
Brennus. But he was gone. 

Darien was sitting up now. He rubbed his crushed 
hand, and blinked. “What happened?” 

“I…I don’t know,” Anna said, standing up and 
reaching out her hand to pull her brother to his feet. 
“You shook hands and he…he seemed to…change… 
he…are you hurt?” 

“My hand hurts, but I don’t think it’s broken…at 
least, I hope not.” 

“Well, let’s go to the clinic and get it checked out,” 
Anna said, still in shock. 

What in hell had happened here? 

 

* * * * 

 

Brennus took to the air. He flew to the top of the 
mountain, feeling replete with sadness and rage. 
Raising his head, he let out a cry like a wounded 
animal. The physical pain he had felt was 
materializing in front of his eyes, haunting his mind, 
possessing his soul. Vortimere had returned, and this 
time, he was his. 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Three 

 

 

W
hile they were waiting to see a doctor, Anita 
appeared. Both Darien and Anna were 
surprised to see her. It was almost one o’clock in the 
morning. Anita glanced at Darien’s hand, now resting 
on a half melted ice pack, and sighed. “Anna,” she 
said, “I need to talk to Darien alone.” 

“It’s okay,” Darien replied, leaning back in his 
chair, “what ever you have to say to me can be said in 
front of my sister. What is it? How did you know we 
were here?” 

“I had a dream. It woke me up,” she replied, taking 
a chair beside Darien. “I dreamt you were here…that 
you were injured. It has to do with a 
mysterious…ah…man.” 

Neither Anna nor Darien said anything for a 
moment. As always, her visions astounded them. “So, 
who is he?” Darien finally asked her. 

She shook her head. “I was about to ask you that. 
All I know is that you were connected in a former life, 
Darien…and not in a good way.” 

Darien sat up, narrowing his eyes. “What does that 


mean?” 

“I don’t know,” she said, giving Anna a 
sympathetic look. “You have a crush on this man?” 

She nodded silently. 

Anita stood up, winding her long black hair into a 
ponytail and securing it with an elastic. “He’s coming 
back. He has unfinished business, Darien. Take steps 
to protect yourself. If you need my help, you know 
where to find me.” She gave both Darien and Anna a 
kiss, and left. 

“Connected in a former life?” Darien said to his 
sister. 

“Do you really believe that stuff?” Anna asked 
him, arranging the sagging ice bag on her brother’s 
hand. 

“I believe that I have lived many lives, usually 
those memories are accessible if we try hard enough 
to remember. This whole thing is scaring me. What do 
you know about that guy anyway?” 

“Not much. He’s my prof…that’s about it,” she 
shrugged. “I feel so bad about this, Darien.” 

Darien gave her a kiss on the cheek. Then his name 
was called, and he went in to see the doctor. 

 

* * * * 

 

Anita knocked on the door of the shop a little after 
eight the next day. Darien was surprised to see her 
that early. He went over and unlocked the door. Anita 
studied the cast on his hand and smiled as she 
entered. “Is it broken, dear?” 


He nodded. “Yeah. A small bone. Shouldn’t take 
long to heal.” 

“Does it hurt?” she asked, pitching in to help him 
fold T-shirts with nature scenes on them. 

“No. It’s okay.” 

“I want to do your tarot cards,” she announced, 
putting down the T-shirts. “We have time before you 
open. It’s only eight-thirty.” 

He sighed. “If you think it’s a good idea.” 

“I do,” she said, taking hold of his arm with one of 
her fleshy hands and steering him towards the back 
room. 

Once they were sitting across from each other, 
Anita began to lay the cards out in the shape of a 
Celtic cross. “I am most interested in the obstacle, the 
influences, and the distant past,” Anita said as she 
studied each card before her.” 

Darien watched the cards. “What in hell does that 
mean?” Darien asked. Tarot was not his specialty. 

“I don’t know yet,” Anita replied, perplexed as she 
drew the next card. “The Lovers,” she breathed out 
loud. “The Lovers beside the Devil. Unusual.” 

“Downright creepy, if you ask me,” Darien shifted 
in his seat. 

“The distant past has drawn closer, somehow it has 
connected to your present,” Anita said, her gaze 
caressing the cards carefully. “You are in danger. You 
will face some…” she paused. “No, this makes no 
sense.” 

“What makes no sense?” Darien leaned forward as 
Anita placed the last card on the table, completing the 


cross. 

“The cards for Death, Judgment and Justice…all in 
a row. The Devil and the Lovers, side by side.” 

“And?” Darien insisted. 

“I can’t figure out how they all come together, 
Darien. It’s not clear. Be careful.” 

“Anita,” Darien said as she scooped up the cards, 
“was it my death you saw?” 

“I don’t know. It seems to be connected to the 
past…your past…old influences somehow still 
present or reactivated.” 

“What about the projected outcome? Don’t these 
cards say something about that?” 

“It’s a blank,” Anita reached over and touched his 
uninjured hand. “Watch yourself around that man.” 

“I doubt I’ll see him again,” Darien said, a strange 
feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

“Don’t be so sure,” Anita said, standing up. “Don’t 
be so sure.” 

Later on, Anna came in to help him out in the store. 
They didn’t talk about the incident the night before. 
When she left at five o’clock, he felt very alone. He 
couldn’t help thinking about Anita’s tarot reading. 

It started to rain hard. The store was deserted, and 
although he doubted anyone was going to venture 
out in this weather to shop, he didn’t want to close up 
right away. He would leave the shop open until nine. 
He lit some candles around in case he should lose 
power; then, picked up a book on the autobiography 
of Gerald Gardner, an archaeologist who did 
extensive research on the history and practice of 


witchcraft, and began to read. 

When the lights went out, Darien’s heart went to 
the bottom of his feet. He gripped the book in his 
hand, reaching over to bring one of the larger candles 
closer to him. Trying to concentrate on Gardner’s 
description of the Mother-Goddess, he could actually 
hear his heart beating in his chest. Then, he glanced 
over at the window and noticed that the lights were 
on across the street. That was bizarre. He stood up, 
Gardner still in his hand, and went over to the 
window. Then suddenly, he heard a voice behind 
him. 

It said simply, “Remove the spell.” 

Darien dropped the book in his hand. He saw no 
reflection in the glass in front of him. He whirled 
around, and there he was. Damn. He should have 
taken Anita up on her offer to do a spell to conjure up 
good karma. 

“It wouldn’t have done any good,” Brennus told 
him, standing quietly in the corner, in front of a row 
of books on the occult. “It only works on humans.” 

“What…what…are you doing here?” Darien 
breathed. “What do you want with me?” 

“Much,” he replied, giving him a sly smile. “But 
first things first. Remove that stupid little spell you 
put on me. I am not enamored with your sister.” He 
ran his gaze over him, suddenly feeling the urge to 
move closer, to touch him. He didn’t move. 

“I…how did you know about the spell?” Darien 
eyed the phone, a few steps away. 

“The phone won’t help you,” Brennus said, 


shaking his head. 

Darien narrowed his eyes. 

“We cast spells like that back then, too,” Brennus 
told him. “They are for humans. This one only 
succeeded in making me feel a little light-headed.” 

“Why do you keep saying that…about humans?” 
Darien demanded. “If you’re trying to freak me out, 
it’s working.” 

Brennus turned his back to him for a moment, 
running his fingers over the spines of the books on 
the shelf. “I have traveled so far to find you. For many 
years, I dreamt this might be possible…that fate 
would lead me back to you. This is why I am still 
here, Vortimere. This is why I was strong enough to 
come back.” 

Darien didn’t know what to say. He had no idea 
what in hell he was talking about to begin with. The 
man was clearly insane. It was too bad 
really…because he was…well… 

“…attractive?” Brennus asked softly, turning now 
to look at him. 

Darien’s jaw fell. “How did you…you read my 
mind? Are you a Priest?” 

“Actually, yes…or I was,” Brennus said softly. 

“You must have been quite powerful. I can’t read 
people’s thoughts…even Anita can’t do that.” 

Brennus took a step towards him. Darien backed 
up against the window. “Nothing can protect you 
now, Vortimere. Nothing can save you…even the 
delicious packaging you’ve come back in.” Suddenly 
his face hardened, “Remove the spell. Now! Then, 


finally I will have my revenge.” 

“Why do you keep calling me Vortimere? My 
name is Darien. I don’t know anyone by that name.” 
His voice sounded high-pitched, frantic, to his ears. 

Brennus was suddenly standing right in front of 
him. He pressed Darien’s body against the window. 
Darien looked at him with terrified eyes. 

“It doesn’t matter what you call yourself…or how 
you hide. You are here now, and you are mine. Now, 
remove the spell.” 

“Okay,” he said, his voice quivering. “Okay, I’ll do 
it now.” 

Brennus took a step backwards. 

Darien began to breathe again. “Okay,” he said 
nervously as he managed to move away from 
Brennus. “I need a burning dish, and your 
pictures…no, I can simply write your names on a 
piece of paper. Here…here’s…the paper,” he said 
nervously, grabbing a page off his counter. He took a 
pen and wrote “Anna,” then, looking sideways at 
Brennus who had again went to take his place in front 
of the bookshelf, “is it B-r-e-n-n-u-s?” 

“Yes,” he said, “and this better work, Witch.” 

“It will work,” Darien said. He cut the paper in two 
now and held it over the dish. “As I cut their tie, let 
the bond between them be broken.” Then he took the 
candle and set both halves of the paper on fire. “As I 
burn the tie,” he said, “let the bond be severed. So 
mote it be.” Then he thanked the deities, and glanced 
over tentatively at Brennus. “It’s done.” 

Almost immediately Brennus felt his confusion 


clear. He studied the mortal in front of him now. “Do 
you remember that night, Vortimere?” 

Darien sighed. “I’m not Vortimere. I don’t 
understand.” He was holding a package of matches in 
his hand, little good that would do him. 

“You were him,” Brennus said. “I’ve waited all 
these centuries to kill you.” 

“Centuries,” Darien gasped. “I…you mean to…” 

“Haven’t you guessed? I’m what these people now 
days refer to as a vampire.” 

“I don’t believe in vampires,” Darien said. “There 
are no such things as vampires.” 

“You may not believe in vampires now, but you 
will,” he said, his eyes changing from an intense blue 
to a fiery orange. 

Darien let out a cry. He heard a low growl coming 
from the man in the corner, then the tingaling of the 
bell on his door as it opened and a woman stood 
there, holding a bible. Darien looked at the woman in 
front of him, then back to the bookcase. Brennus was 
gone. Darien had never been so happy to see a 
Christian in his life. 

 

* * * * 

 

Anita sat at the kitchen table across from Darien and 
Anna. She poured more tea from the teapot, then, 
boldly met Darien’s eyes. “We need a spell to ward 
off bad karma…a protection spell.” 

“But none of this makes any sense, Anita. He said 
he was…a…vampire.” 


“There is such a thing as psychic vampires,” Anita 
acknowledged with a wave of her hand. 

“I’m beginning to think the guy is nuts,” Anna 
said, in despair. 

“You and he are connected somehow,” Anita told 
Darien again. 

Clint walked into the kitchen now. He grabbed a 
mug and poured himself some of the hot brew, then 
took a seat next to his wife. “Maybe you should call 
the police,” he said. 

Darien shook his head. “And tell them what…a 
vampire is after me? He keeps calling me this weird 
name…Vortimere.” 

“A very old name…sounds Druid,” Clint said. 

“He claims to be a priest…and he reads minds,” 
Darien said. 

“Now you’re getting carried away,” Anna accused. 

“Look, let’s do the spell,” Anita announced. “If you 
are connected in the past and this connection was 
somehow evil, as I suspect, the Three Red Leaves 
spell should protect you. Come on, let’s do it now, in 
the daylight.” 

Darien agreed, but for the first time in a long time 
he didn’t believe anything would do any good. Anita 
brought three red leaves out into the kitchen. She laid 
them in a triangle on a flat surface. In the center of the 
leaves, she placed an already lit candle, and put a few 
drops of chrysanthemum oil on each leaf. “Repeat 
after me,” she said. “Red leaves, gift from 
earth…birth to death and death to birth…keep all evil 
far away…day to night and night to day.” After they 


had all said the incantation, Anita took the 
extinguished candle, wrapped the leaves in a white 
cloth and handed it to Darien. “Place it near your bed 
within three feet of your head. It will stop all negative 
thoughts and invaders.” 

Darien nodded, taking the cloth. “Thanks,” he said. 

As they headed back to the shop, Anna began to 
apologize. “I’m sorry for ever starting this. I’ve 
dropped the class.” 

“Ah, Anna,” Darien said, turning the car into the 
parking lot of the Grinning Moon, “you’ll have to 
make it up in summer school.” 

“Never mind,” she said, getting out of the car. 
“Come on, I’ll help you today. Do we have a coven 
meeting tonight?” 

“Yes,” Darien said, giving her a smile that didn’t 
quite reach his eyes, “It will be all right. Anita is a 
powerful spell caster. I’m sure this will keep him 
away. He’s probably nuts, that’s all.” 

Anna nodded, and they walked into the store. 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Four 

 

 

B
rennus was dreaming. The sweat was pouring off 
his body as he felt the flames licking higher. 
Vortimere stood there, his haunted eyes wide, crazed 
with lust for sex and for blood. “If you’d only 
cooperated, my dear Brennus,” he said softly, his eyes 
traveling over his naked body. “This would have 
been completely unnecessary. But I’ve enjoyed 
tonight, my love, enjoyed touching your beautiful 
naked body, hearing you cry out with ecstasy…and 
know that even after you are nothing but ashes, I will 
still think of you. I will enjoy the memory of tonight, 
conjuring it whenever I choose to pleasure myself.” 

Brennus had spit at him, hitting him directly in the 
face. “I will come back for you, Vortimere, no matter 
what it means…I will find you…my hate and my 
vengeance will sustain me! Air, Fire, Water, Earth,” 
he called, looking up at the moon, the burning 
becoming unbearable now, “elements of Astral birth. 
I call you now, attend to me. Bring me back in 
whatever form…make me remember…give me 
eternal life…so that I may repay my enemies. Give me 


the power. Curse on you, Vortimere…curse….” He 
cried out now, looking up at the moon, dark and just 
about to wane. This was the last sight his mortal eyes 
ever saw. 

Bolting upright in his bed now, Brennus wiped the 
sweat from his naked chest. His entire body was 
trembling. “Tonight…my dear Vortimere, finally, I 
take my revenge.” 

 

* * * * 

 

That night as Darien readied himself for the coven 
meeting, Anna sat thinking about Brennus Monroe. 
She couldn’t understand any of it. He was so 
beautiful, so charming and intelligent. He seemed to 
like her, too. Then he broke her brother’s hand, and 
threatened him at the Grinning Moon. It was just too 
much to take in. 

She put all thoughts of that aside as she and Darien 
made their way to the gathering place tonight that 
Anita had chosen on top of the mountain. The moon 
was just a little less than full, and it illuminated the 
place they stood in the clearing. The breeze was cool, 
but yet it was fairly warm outside. 

They consecrated the ground, then Anita began 
calling the elements. After, they began to dance 
around the circle, chanting and thanking the deities. 

 

* * * * 

 

When Darien felt a hand pull him back into the 


shadow of the tree, he laughed. A soft silk scarf was 
being slid over his eyes. He felt a tingling sense of 
excitement. Pierre had done this to him once before. 
“Pierre,” he protested lightly. “Not this again.” 

“But you like it, don’t you?” a deep male voice 
replied. 

Darien stiffened. That didn’t sound like Pierre. As a 
hand pulled him deep into the thicket, the chanting 
grew fainter. The wind whistled around him, and he 
tried to cry out but he couldn’t. His feet were moving 
faster and faster, at an impossible speed. At one point, 
it felt as if they were no longer touching the ground. 
What have you done to me? I can’t talk. 

He heard a soft laugh in reply. “Afraid?” 

The ominous sound of an owl hooted somewhere. 
Leaves crunched under their feet now as the pace 
slowed. 

“You liked it when Pierre did this to you. It really 
turned you on. Aren’t you turned on tonight?” 

Darien shook his head in terror. “What do you 
want with me?” he whispered, as he felt his body 
being pressed up against a tree. 

“Justice,” Brennus replied, his voice deep and 
deadly. He ran his hand over Darien’s chest. 

Darien shivered. He reached up to take the 
blindfold off his eyes, but his hand was caught in an 
iron like grip. “Do you know what it feels like to 
slowly burn to death?” Brennus asked him. 

Darien gasped as he felt strong fingers begin to 
undo his pants. “No, how…how could I?” 

“You were there, you wanted me then,” lips 


moved against his cheek, then down to his throat. 
“Don’t you want me now?” 

Darien swallowed. Fingertips moved over his 
scrotum, lifting his sex out of his pants. “Please,” 
Darien begged. 

“Please what?” the voice returned, teeth nipping at 
the flesh of his throat as he began to roughly fondle 
Darien. 

“Don’t hurt me…don’t kill me. I don’t know what 
it is I’ve done but…I…” 

Brennus held Darien’s sex in his hand. Suddenly, 
he pushed Darien’s legs mercilessly apart with his 
knee, opening the front of his black robe, then 
undoing the buttons on his shirt. For a second, he 
pressed his lips against Darien’s chest, breathing in 
his warm skin. Flicking his tongue across one of his 
nipples, he squeezed his stiffening cock in his hand. 
“You like that, don’t you, Darien…and under 
different circumstances, you’d be very turned on.” 

Darien was already turned on. In spite of his fear, 
in spite of being completely alone out here in the 
woods with this dangerous man, he felt his sex 
respond to Brennus’ touch. 

Brennus leaned down and captured one of his 
nipples between his teeth. Darien moaned a little, 
thrashing, trying to push him away. “Do you 
remember the night you sexually tortured me?” 
Brennus asked him. 

Darien licked his lips. “It wasn’t me…it was this 
other guy…is it that he looks like me or…?” 

Brennus laughed, one hand moving down to 


massage Darien’s balls. “No, Vortimere didn’t look at 
all like you. He’s been rewarded for his cruelty by 
coming back as a beautiful man. It doesn’t seem right, 
does it?” 

“Oh, God…oh, God…” Darien moaned, the things 
this man was doing to him now causing his shaft to 
throb with desire. Brennus’ mouth was trailing down 
his stomach to his cock…his tongue darting out to 
trace the head, then moving down the length of it, 
finally taking it into his mouth. No one had ever 
sucked his cock like that before. Irresistibly, Darien 
placed his hands in his aggressor’s silky hair. 
Moaning, he laid his head back against the tree, 
thoughts of his impending demise taking a backseat 
to the pleasure this man’s mouth was giving him. 

When he came, the orgasm rang through him like 
an explosion; even his teeth rattled. A warm tongue 
was moving up his body now, pausing to lap at his 
nipples, then his throat. A hand moved behind his 
head, and drew his mouth to his. The kiss was deep, 
slow, sensual. Darien felt a sudden sharp pain in his 
mouth, then the movement of Brennus’ tongue 
around and around, licking, teasing. Again, Darien 
moaned, feeling his cock began to twitch, rising. 
Grasping in the dark for the man’s hand, he brought 
it again to his erection. 

 

* * * * 

 

Brennus was lost in the kiss, in the feel of the mortal 
close to him. He drank the blood from his tongue, 


more for the feeling it gave him than for nourishment. 
He wanted to be inside of him almost as much as he 
wanted to punish him for what he’d done. He’d never 
felt this passion for Vortimere. If he had, he wouldn’t 
have died the way he did. 

Darien’s arms went around him. His hands tore 
blindly at Brennus’ jacket, his shirt. The buttons flew 
off into the damp grass. With urgent little cries, 
Darien felt down for Brennus’ pants, grasping his 
hips and propelling him against the tree. Brennus 
didn’t fight him. He let him do what he wanted. 

Darien’s fingers caressed his cock. “Brennus,” he 
whispered, kissing his mouth again, tearing his pants 
down over his hips. 

Brennus pushed Darien to his knees. Darien took 
him into his mouth, sliding his lips over his thick, 
hard penis. Brennus closed his eyes. The horror of his 
own death seemed to slip away for a moment as he 
concentrated on the feeling of his sex inside the 
envelope of Darien’s eager mouth. 

I want him to fuck me, Darien’s mind was screaming. 
God help me, I’m terrified of this man but I never wanted 
to be fucked by anyone like I want to be fucked by him right 
now…right now…come on…come on...please…his cock 
tastes so good. It’s so hard and thick and I want to feel it 
inside me…I want to… 

How could Brennus ignore the ramblings of 
Darien’s wanton needs? Taking him by the shoulders, 
Brennus pulled him up to his feet. Turning him 
around, he shoved him hard against the tree. Darien 
was hyperventilating as Brennus’ hands moved over 


his ass, caressing him, then parting his cheeks, a 
finger beginning to invade his most private space. He 
heard a deep moan come from somewhere deep 
inside of him. The finger delved deeper, lips came to 
land at the back of his neck. 

“This is what you’ve always wanted, isn’t it?” 
Brennus was saying. “Although you did it to me that 
night…many times…I never did it to you. I was never 
inside you…and that you couldn’t stand. But tonight, 
I’m going to give you what you want just 
before…you…” 

 

* * * * 

 

Darien cried out as Brennus’ sex plunged deep inside 
of him, then pulled halfway out, then in again. Then 
he heard the word, “Die!” At that moment, something 
needle-sharp ripped into the flesh of his throat. The 
pumping continued, the pleasure insulating him from 
the pain in his neck as Brennus drank from him. 

Flashes of fire entered Brennus’ brain now, ropes 
and torture, naked bodies and sweat. He pumped 
harder and harder, wanting to think about that no 
more, and continued to drink. 

“Darien,” a voice cried out suddenly, “get away 
from him, Darien!” 

Brennus stopped. He turned around and looked at 
the six mortals who stood watching them. Brennus 
pulled out of Darien, who had slumped against the 
tree, not quite on the same plane as everyone around 
him. He was swimming from pleasure and blood loss. 


Brennus took his time pulling up his pants, then 
wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and gave his 
audience a devilish smile. 

“What have you done to him?” Anna demanded, 
moving forward. Anita put a hand on her arm. “No, 
don’t. Stay here.” 

“Your friend is wise,” Brennus said with a smile. 
“She knows I’m dangerous.” 

“My brother has done nothing to you!” Anna cried 
out, tears in her eyes. “Why do you want to hurt 
him?” 

“This is between your brother and I,” Brennus 
announced. Reaching out and touching Darien’s hair, 
he said, “Until we meet again, Vortimere. Your death 
will not take place tonight. The time is not at hand.” 
Turning to the others, he gave them a slight bow and 
then disappeared. 

There was a collective gasp. “Did you see that?” 
Pierre asked, walking over to see if Darien was all 
right. Anna took off the blindfold and helped put her 
brother’s clothes together. “What happened?” She 
asked, while Anita went to examine the ground 
Brennus had been standing on. 

Darien shook his head. “I don’t know,” he replied. 
“I know I wanted him…and it didn’t make sense…I 
was so afraid and yet I was overcome with lust for 
him. I…I…” 

“Don’t talk now,” Anna said, trying to comfort 
him. 

“It makes perfect sense,” Anita says, “if you were 
in love with him in another life.” 


“I just want to go home now,” Darien said, holding 
onto Pierre for support. 

“He’s coming back for you,” Anita said, giving 
Darien an intense look. 

Darien nodded. “I know that…that’s why we have 
to find out who in hell he is and…who in hell this 
Vortimere guy is.” 

“Not who he is…” Clint spoke up, looking at his 
wife, “but what he is. Nobody just disappears like 
that.” 

“Come on, Clint, he’s not some sort of…” Jamie 
laughed, looking at Darien. 

Darien remained silent until they emerged from 
the woods. When they got back to the car, he told 
Anna to drive. He lay his head back against the seat, 
suddenly feeling weak. His neck began to feel sore. 
Lifting his hand to the tender spot, he rubbed it, then, 
looked at his hand. There was blood. Brennus had been 
drinking his blood. 

 

* * * * 

 

Anna was very upset, and when they arrived at 
home, she burst into tears and told Darien that she 
was scared. “We should contact the police,” she said. 

Darien tried to comfort her. He held her, and told 
her to stop crying. He didn’t tell her about the blood. 
That would have made her even more frantic. 

He also didn’t tell her what he’d been feeling on 
the way home, this connection to Brennus. It was 
definitely sexual…but it was much more than that. 


There was something between them, and no matter 
how terrified the thought of it made him, he had to 
find out what it was. He knew of only one person 
who could help him. Anita. Would she agree to what 
he was going to ask of her? He hoped so, because he 
suspected that his very life depended on it. Who ever 
this Vortimere was, he had done horrible unspeakable 
things, and he had done them to Brennus Monroe. 

That night as he lay down to sleep, the box Anita 
had given him to ward off evil lay near his head. He 
knew nothing could keep Brennus away from him. 
His will was too strong, a will that had been fortified 
over lifetimes. He closed his eyes. “If I should live 
through this night,” he whispered in the dark, “give 
me the strength to face what ever it is in my past life I 
have done, and help me to heal the pain in Brennus’ 
Monroe’s soul.” The words hung in the still air above 
him. His eyes closed. Brennus. Have to have…have to 
have him. His mouth was dry. He saw water, a 
beautiful sea in front of him, very blue. Brennus. You 
can’t treat me this way. “I will not be denied!” 

Darien gasped, bolting upright in his bed. 
Desperately, he grappled for the switch on his bed 
table lamp. He hit it with his cast, and knocked it off. 
It went crashing to the ground. Shivering alone in the 
dark, he looked over at the window to see that it was 
open, the sheer curtains billowing out across the wall. 
Shadows moved across his room. “Anna,” he cried 
out. “Anna, where are you?” 

Suddenly the door flew open and his sister turned 
on the wall switch. Beloved light flooded into his 


room. 

“Darien, what is it? Are you all right?” She eyed 
the broken lamp lying on the floor. “What 
happened?” 

“I had a dream, that’s all,” Darien said, feeling 
foolish. He got out of bed and began to pick up what 
was left of his lamp. “Go back to bed. It was nothing.” 

She nodded, giving him a wary look. “Okay, 
goodnight.” 

“Night,” he said. Leaving the light on, he walked 
over to the window and closed it. He got back into 
bed and snuggled down into the covers. He felt such 
a sense of longing, of emptiness. Closing his eyes, he 
tried to will himself back to sleep. When the dawn 
came, he was still lying awake with his eyes closed. 
Sleep hadn’t come. He got up, took a shower and 
went to work. 

 

* * * * 

 

“Absolutely not!” Anita said, folding her arms across 
her buxom chest. “I’m not a regression therapist. 
What if something went wrong?” 

“But you could put me into a trance?” Darien 
probed, drinking his fourth cup of coffee that 
morning. 

“I could, but I won’t.” 

“Anita, if I don’t understand the past, then…how 
can I fight this…him?” 

Anita looked down at the worn carpet. “He is only 
a man. He…” 


“I don’t believe that anymore, and neither do you,” 
Darien replied stubbornly. 

There was an ominous silence. 

“There is something…” Anita began, meeting his 
eyes. 

“What?” 

“The Ouiji.” 

A shiver ran down Darien’s spine. He laughed 
nervously. “That’s a toy.” 

“No, it’s only a toy in the hands of the novice. In 
the hands of someone with psychic powers, it can be a 
powerful tool.” 

“But…I…wouldn’t even know what to ask it. I 
mean…” He had played with an Ouiji board once as a 
child, he and his best friend Tom. They had found it 
in Tom’s attic. At first it had been fun. Then, it started 
moving all by itself, telling them it was a spirit named 
Equiton who had come to claim their souls. Freaked 
out, they eventually buried it out in the back yard. 
Two days later, Tom’s grandmother died. It was 
weird. 

“You do know what to ask it,” Anita replied, 
looking around suddenly as one of her clients walked 
into the store. “Go right in the back, Mrs. Adams,” 
she told her. “I’ll be right with you.” 

“Hello, Mr. Rhys,” the woman said with a smile, 
before disappearing into the back room. 

“What do you say…you want to give it a try?” Rita 
asked, playing with a long strand of glass beads she 
had around her neck. 

Darien nodded. “All right, tonight after I close up 


here.” 

“I’ll come back at nine,” Rita told him. “We’ll do it 
here.” 

 

* * * * 

 

The voice was as clear as the day. It was speaking to 
him softly, taunting him. He tried to rouse himself 
from his sleep, but it was too early. He hadn’t the 
strength to wake. His limbs were weighed down by 
the sleep…heavy as lead. “Leave me alone,” Brennus 
breathed menacingly, his fangs exposed. 

“You will be mine, Brennus,” the voice replied 
with a sinister laugh. “Finally, I am here again on the 
same plane as you. It was meant to be. You want me. I 
can feel it. This time you want to possess me.” 

“I will kill you,” Brennus growled. 

“You may kill the body…but my soul will go on. 
You will be mine,” the voice whispered. “You want 
me, don’t you, Brennus? Finally after all this time, 
you want to fuck the man who took your life.” 

Trapped in his sleep, like when he was trapped by 
the ropes…his flesh was being licked by flames. 
Again he was being consumed. There was no escape. 
“Noooo,” he cried out desperately, thrashing back 
and forth. “I’ll never want you.” 

“Yet…” the voice said softly, “last night you did 
want me, Brennus, you did. You couldn’t resist 
touching me…you couldn’t resist…” 

A terrible sound came out of Brennus’ throat, and 
with every ounce of strength he had, he forced his 


body upwards off the bed and into the air. Hysterical 
laughter filled the room, and Brennus fell back down 
to his place, the death sleep once again seizing hold of 
him and paralyzing his body. 

 

* * * * 

 

Darien gave the Ouiji board a wary look. “I don’t 
trust those things,” he told Anita. “That thing scared 
the crap out of me when I was a kid.” 

Anita smiled. “No worries. It’s been blessed by the 
mother goddess. No evil will attach itself to this 
board. I’ve called up a particular spirit. Hopefully, he 
will grace us with his presence and wisdom. Now, 
put your finger on the pointer,” she instructed, 
tipping her narrow reading glasses down on his nose. 

The store was closed now. A dim light burnt near 
the cash. The rest of the room was illuminated by 
candlelight. “What kind of a spirit?” Darien asked, 
shifting a little in his seat. They were sitting across 
from one another, the Ouiji board lying on one of the 
tables they had cleared of merchandise. 

“One that can help us,” she said evasively. 

“Who is going to ask the questions?” Darien 
inquired, laying his fingers on one side of the pointer. 

“I’ll begin,” Anita said. “Now concentrate, and 
don’t be afraid.” 

Darien nodded. Easier said than done. 

“Are you there, great spirit?” Anita asked. For a 
few minutes, nothing happened. Anita closed her 
eyes, her mouth moving slightly with no words 


coming out. Darien knew that Anita was a powerful 
medium. That didn’t serve to make him feel less ill at 
ease. 

Suddenly Darien’s heart lurched as the pointer 
began to slide across the board. It went to ‘no’, then 
‘yes’, then moved into the middle. Finally, it settled 
on ‘yes’. 

“Great spirit,” Anita said, “can you tell me if either 
of us has lived before?” 

The pointer began to move away from ‘yes’, then 
back to ‘yes’ again. 

“Do you know who Vortimere is?” she asked. 

Darien sucked in a breath. 

Again, the Ouiji went away from ‘yes’, and back to 
‘yes’. 

Darien let out some air. Something icy crept down 
his spine. 

“Is Vortimere in this room?” 

“No, Anita,” Darien said. 

Anita held up her hand, and shook her head. 

The pointer began to vibrate, so much so that 
Darien’s fingers slipped off of it. Anita lost her grip 
as well. They both sat there watching as it began to 
move of its own volition. Anita quickly grabbed a pen 
and a piece of paper. 

Darien tried to follow the letters. The pointer began 
to spell out the same word over and over….e-v-i-l e-v-
i-l e-v-i-l. Darien moved to stand up. He wanted to 
get away from that thing. 

Anita reached over and grabbed his arm. “Sit 
down,” she said. “It has much to tell us.” 


Finally, the pointer dragged to a standstill in the 
middle of the board. Darien looked around him. He 
shuddered. 

“Put your fingers back on it,” Anita said. 

Tentatively Darien did as she asked. 

“We understand. Do you know Brennus Monroe?” 

The pointer began to move. It stopped at ‘yes’. 

“Is he…” Darien began, swallowing. “Is he 
human?” 

Anita gave Darien a look of disbelief. “Of course 
he’s…” then she paused. The pointer moved over to 
‘no’. 

“That’s it,” Darien said, “I’m finished. I…” 

“Darien, this may be our only chance. I may not be 
able to conjure up this spirit again. I think he wants to 
help us.” 

Darien nodded, biting his lip. 

“Is Vortimere alive?” Anita asked. 

The pointer swung from ‘yes’ to ‘no’. 

“Did Vortimere murder Brennus in another life?” 
Darien asked, his voice quivering. 

The pointer slid to ‘yes’. 

“Oh, my God,” Darien said. “Why does he think 
I’m Vortimere?” 

For a long time, the pointer didn’t move, then, 
slowly, it began to move from one letter to another. 

Both Darien and Anita began to spell together. By 
the time the pointer had again come to a standstill, 
Darien’s face had drained of color. Anita sat back in 
her seat and closed her eyes. The Ouiji had answered, 
B-e-c-a-u-s-e-y-o-u–a-r-e. 


 

 

 

 

Chapter Five 

 

 

B
rennus was now convinced that the man calling 
himself Darien was actually Vortimere. Moreover, 
he had been deceived last night. He had forgotten 
how seductive Vortimere could be…how he had 
made him cry out with need on the night of his 
death…while he was hating him with every fibre of 
his being. His body had betrayed him, but so too 
would Darien’s body betray Vortimere. How fitting. 
It almost made waiting all this time worth it. 

Vortimere’s soul would not survive the death of 
Darien’s body. Brennus would make sure of that. 
Vortimere had forgotten what a powerful Priest he 
had been in his mortal life. The lessons Cuadid had 
taught him were still with him. It was time to make 
use of them. The Feast of the Dead was near. He had 
much to do. He had to find Vortimere and force him 
to reveal himself. Right now he was cowering within 
that mortal shell, but not for long. He had ways of 
making him reveal himself. 

Tonight was a night of great celebration. There was 
a gathering for all the covens in the region, a 
masquerade party. It was by invitation only, but he 
wouldn’t have any problem crashing. Vortimere 


would be there, and so would he. 

 

* * * * 

 

“What if he shows up there tonight?” Anita was 
asking him as Darien handed a customer their 
change, and thanked them. 

“There will be a lot of people there, Anita,” Darien 
said, walking over to lock the door of the shop. “He 
won’t pull anything in front of all those people.” 

Anita looked doubtful. “Are you feeling better 
now?” 

“A little, but I had dreams last night. I dreamt of 
fire and…” He paused. Brennus Monroe had been in 
his dreams. They had been together in some dark 
place. Darien had run his hands over his naked, 
sweat-drenched body…beautiful muscular hills and 
valleys of flesh. Brennus had been cursing him, 
struggling against his ropes. He had ignored his 
pleas…ignored his efforts to free himself. He felt only 
an overwhelming sensation of lust as he delved his 
fingers, his tongue into forbidden crevices. Need 
raged inside him like an inferno, ravishing his soul. 
He couldn’t stop touching him, kissing him. And the 
more Brennus struggled, the needier he became. 
When he felt himself erupt, cum spattering all over 
his stomach and his bed sheets, he awoke, shaken, 
feeling hot and horny as hell. 

“Well?” Anita was waiting for him to elaborate. 

He shook his head. “Not important. Anita,” he 
said, looking at her. “I’m grateful for what you did, 


but it basically told me what Brennus has already told 
me. I am the reincarnated spirit of Vortimere. But if I 
am going to make it right with Brennus, I need to…” 

“You can’t make it right, Darien. He is a…” she 
paused, “not human.” 

“Vampire,” Darien said finally. “Brennus Monroe 
is a vampire. He drank from me.” 

“What?” Anita’s jaw fell. 

“He drank my blood the other night, and if you 
hadn’t of showed up when you did, he would have 
drunk me dry.” 

“Then we need a spell against…” 

“No more spells,” Darien shook his head. “I need 
to regress, go under hypnosis, find out what 
Vortimere…” he sighed, “what I did to Brennus 
Monroe. Only then can I save my life and save him, 
too.” 

“Save him?” Anita gasped. “He doesn’t need 
saving.” 

“Yes. He does,” Darien said. 

“He’s trying to kill you!” 

“Yes, but only because he’s in pain,” Darien said. 
“His pain was strong enough to bring him back…to 
make him cross over. He was a powerful Druid Priest 
once. I know that. He was good, Anita. Please, either 
do the regression, or find someone to do it. When I 
have all the information, then maybe I can…” he was 
shaking. “Anita, he’s going to find a way to kill me 
one way or another. If I know the facts, at least…” 

Anita put a hand on his arm. “I’ll do it. Tomorrow, 
I’ll do it, tomorrow.” 


“Please don’t tell Anna,” Darien pleaded. 

“I won’t,” Anita said. “Don’t worry.” 

 

* * * * 

 

The party was in full swing by the time Darien and 
Anna arrived. They had rented out the reception hall 
of a four diamond hotel downtown. There were many 
people dressed in traditional witch garb, a few 
dressed like the devil. Anna had decided to dress like 
an angel, complete with wings and a halo. Darien 
found this droll. His costume was that of a wood god. 
He wore a halo of leaves around his head and a 
skimpy golden loincloth around his narrow waist. 
Roman type sandals and gold body paint completed 
the picture. 

Anna seemed nervous, and she clung to him as 
they wandered around the room checking out the 
other guests. A disc jockey dressed in a pointed, star 
covered hat played tunes from the seventies. “Why 
don’t you dance?” Darien asked, eyeing the 
refreshment table. He had missed supper tonight. 

“What if something should happen?” Anna asked. 
“You’re keeping things from me. I don’t like it. I 
know you and Anita are up to something.” 

Darien swept his eyes over the masked faces. No 
one who even resembled Brennus in height or build 
was spotted. “He’s not here, and he isn’t coming. Will 
you stop worrying? Go dance with that guy dressed 
like a pumpkin over there,” he said. 

Just then Pierre came up to them. He was dressed 


in a black cape. “Guess what I am?” he asked, lifting 
his silver eye mask. 

“Very funny. A vampire?” Darien remarked. 

He giggled, running his gaze over Darien. “You 
look hot. Who are you trying to seduce?” 

“No…no one,” he said angrily. “Why would you 
say that?” 

“No reason. Come dance, sexy boy,” he winked, 
tweaking Anna’s cheek, who giggled. 

Darien rolled his eyes as he followed Pierre onto 
the dance floor. Pierre took Darien into his arms and 
uttered a deep sigh. He let his hands wander over his 
back and then down to his buttocks. When he slipped 
his fingers under the material, Darien protested. 
“Hey, this is a respectable party. Hands above the 
waist,” he teased. 

“Ummm, I want to be a naughty boy,” Pierre said. 
“You’re driving me to distraction in that getup.” 

“Well, I…”Darien began, then felt a hand on his 
arm. 

“May I cut in?” Looking around, he saw a tall man 
standing in front of him wearing a black cloak lined in 
red, much richer than the one Pierre had on. His fair 
hair was tied back, and he wore a black satin mask 
over his eyes. 

No one answered. No one spoke. Pierre stood there 
helplessly as Brennus took Darien into his arms. The 
dance was slow, the saxophone slow and seductive. 
Brennus’ hands pulled him in tight against the 
hardness of his form. “Brennus,” Darien breathed, 
hardly believing that they were dancing together on 


the floor. 

“Yes,” he smiled down at him, his hands caressing 
the naked skin of his back. “Happy to see me?” 

“Well, actually…you did try to kill me…so I would 
have to say, no.” 

He laughed softly, “Murder and lust is a common 
playground for you, Vortimere. You should feel right 
at home.” 

Darien looked up into his eyes. They were the most 
beautiful indigo blue, but right now even though he 
was laughing, they were as cold as ice. “We need to 
talk.” 

“About?” 

“The past…this Vortimere and…” Darien began as 
Brennus whirled him around at a dizzying pace. 

Brennus lowered his mouth to Darien’s throat. 
Darien’s head went back, he closed his eyes. “I’m 
going to regress…” he began, but then the words got 
lost somewhere. He was no longer dancing, he was 
floating, his head back. He felt soft lips trail down his 
chest. He moaned softly. “Yes, Brennus…Brennus.” 

He was dreaming…dreaming on a soft bed. He 
raised his hands above his head, his legs spreading 
out as he moved them over the silky material of the 
sheets. He felt the loincloth being stripped away. His 
sex, formerly weighed down, now sprang to life, stiff 
and erect. He tried to reach down to touch himself but 
his hands were caught above his head. He couldn’t 
open his eyes. He licked his lips. 

Two hands slipped under him and massaged his 
buttocks. He felt the presence of a body kneeling 


between his legs. As the hands massaged his ass, a 
face brushed over his groin. His knees were being 
pushed up, his thighs widened again to an almost 
impossible width. A tongue began to move against 
his anus, its quick movements designed to tease and 
render him defenseless. Simultaneously, a hand 
mercilessly tortured his cock, rubbing and squeezing 
it roughly. 

He moaned. “Brennus,” he breathed as a hand now 
slid up over his stomach, moved across his nipples, 
across his mouth. Darien took several of Brennus’ 
fingers between his lips, sucking on them gently as he 
felt a finger move up inside of him. The hand now 
caressed the skin of his thigh, a mouth taking his 
hungry organ, causing his hips to jut forward as an 
expert tongue moved around the circumference of it. 
While his cock was being sucked, one hand moved 
from his anus to massage his balls, the other moving 
back up over his chest where his nipples were being 
pinched. 

Darien cried out. “Brennus!” You are my only love. I 
will go to any lengths to have you. I won’t let anyone else 
touch you ever again. I’ll kill them…and I’ll kill you! 

Darien came, pumping his hips heavenward, 
orgasm causing his entire body to shudder with 
pleasure. He wanted to touch him. He didn’t have the 
strength to sit up, so he moved his face to the side. 
His eyes snapped open. There he was. The cloak had 
been discarded on the floor. He stood there in black 
pants and a white ruffled shirt. He was still wearing 
the satin mask. Darien reached out a hand to him. 


“No,” Brennus said. “This is madness. You would 
kill me again.” 

“Kill you?” Darien said, attempting to sit up now, 
but he couldn’t. His hands were tied with rope. Rather 
than let another man touch you, yes. I would kill you 
again, my love. The voice startled him. He met 
Brennus’ eyes. “I didn’t say that. I didn’t…” 

“Yes, Vortimere, you did,” Brennus told him. 

“Isis, what’s happening to me? Tell me what 
happened that night…who is Vortimere? Why am I 
hearing his voice inside my head?” Tears were 
threatening now. He was terrified. 

“You were him, in a past life. Usually the past is 
accessible, but only if we want it to be. You know 
that. You are a priest.” 

Darien nodded. 

“Vortimere is forcing his way back. His spirit is in 
you. He wants me.” 

Darien ran keen eyes over him. He couldn’t blame 
the guy for that. “Please, Brennus, untie me. Maybe 
together we can punish Vortimere for what he did to 
you…but I don’t know what that was. I have images 
of fire and…sex…lots of sex. You were bound and he 
was…I was…” Darien struggled again against the 
ties. 

Brennus said nothing. He walked over, and quietly 
undid the ties. 

Darien nodded at him in gratitude. “Killing me 
won’t solve anything, Brennus,” Darien told him, 
sitting up on the bed. 

“I know that,” Brennus said. “I must destroy your 


soul as well.” 

Fear seized Darien. “Think about what you are 
saying. Think about your teachings…our teachings, 
Brennus.” 

Brennus sat on the windowsill over in the corner of 
the room, listening quietly. 

“Love and respect for life in all its form is one of 
our main beliefs,” Darien pleaded. 

“But there is one clear difference between the 
Ancient code and your modern day witchcraft, 
Darien,” Brennus replied softly. “We had the Celtic 
virtues of honor, loyalty, justice and courage. The 
virtue of honor clearly states that one is required to 
adhere to their oaths and do the right thing, even if it 
will ultimately hurt others or oneself in the process.” 
He took a step forward. “I made an oath in front of 
the goddess of the moon. In return, I was brought 
back in my original form so that I could fulfill that 
promise.” 

The words brought a chill to Darien. “So, you will 
kill me here tonight and take my soul?” 

He shook his head, taking off the soft black mask. 
“Not tonight. On the night of the Feast of the Dead… 
that is the night I died. That is the only time I can 
perform the ritual that will condemn your soul to 
eternal darkness.” 

“And tonight was what?” Darien asked, reaching 
down and retrieving his golden loincloth. “What 
purpose did it serve?” 

He shrugged broad shoulders. Darien met his eyes. 
For a moment, they looked at each other, then, Darien 


understood. “The passion was to bring out his voice, 
wasn’t it? You knew he’d speak through me if you 
gave him what he wanted.” 

“That’s right.” 

Darien’s hands trembled as he fastened the 
material around his waist. “Tell me something,” he 
paused and looked at him, “on the night of your 
death, was there a part of you that was enjoying…?” 

“Enough,” he said, his voice angry. His eyes began 
to cloud over, changing to red. His chest heaved in 
anger. 

“I don’t know what made me say such a thing,” 
Darien shook his head, just a little frightened of the 
change in him. It’s just that I want you so much at this 
moment that it defies logic. I’m jealous that you might have 
enjoyed another man…even if that other man was me. 

“Really?” Brennus smiled slyly. 

“Really what?” Darien breathed, eyeing the door. 

“You want me to fuck you, Darien?” Brennus 
caressed him with his eyes, letting his gaze wander 
over the smooth, well-muscled chest and the obvious 
erection poking out of his loincloth. 

Darien flushed. “No, I…just…” 

Brennus undid the buttons of his white shirt and 
took it off. Darien was held spellbound as his 
bronzed, muscular chest came into view. Next, he 
leaned down and undid the laces of the black shoes 
he wore. He kicked them aside. When he reached for 
the button on the top of his pants, Darien’s entire 
body convulsed with throbbing desire…a desire that 
seemed to be without limits. As Brennus peeled the 


pants down over his hips, taking the underwear with 
them, Darien fell on his knees, much like a slave 
would who was awaiting the pleasure of his master. 

Brennus moved his gaze over Darien, tearing the 
cord away that held his blond hair in place. He 
crossed the floor, eliminating the space between them. 
His cock was hard, ready. He lifted Darien’s chin and 
looked deep into his brown eyes. Darien placed his 
hands on Brennus’ hips, pressing his lips against the 
base of his cock. 

Brennus pulled him up to his feet. He took him 
into his arms and smothered his mouth with his. 
Darien’s lips were irresistible. He sank his teeth into 
his tongue and let the warm, smooth liquid cascade 
down his throat as he ran his hands over his ass. Then 
with a deep groan, he turned him around in his arms 
and pushed him face down on the bed on his knees. 
Grasping his hips, he sliced into him, plunging his 
thick, massive organ into the depths of him. Reaching 
around for his cock, he rocked his hips back and forth 
inside of him, hearing Darien’s cries as he began to 
jerk him off with his hand. Arching his back, his head 
flung back, Brennus continued to pump into him 
harder and harder, deeper and deeper until his own 
body thundered with release. 

Darien lay flat on the bed on his stomach. His chest 
was heaving as he tried to get his breath. He wasn’t 
dead, although if he had believed in the possibility of 
a heaven, this would have been it. He ran his tongue 
over his lips, tasting a drop of blood. “Brennus,” he 
whispered with a moan. What a beautiful cock. What 


a fuck! 

Sitting up now, he looked around him. He was 
alone. Turning over on his back, he ran his hands over 
his chest with a contented sigh, touching his cock. No 
wonder Vortimere wanted Brennus so. 

Then reality set in. Brennus still intended to kill 
him. Vortimere was inside him. He was him, and as 
much as he might be terrified of the possibility, he 
was going to have to come face to face with the guy 
soon. 


 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Six 

 

 

“Y
ou are resisting the trance,” Anita said to Darien 
the following evening. “What happened to you 
last night? Where did you disappear to? We were all 
worried sick.” 

This was the third time she had asked him. “I told 
you, I was fine. I met someone.” 

“Pierre says it was Brennus Monroe,” Anita folded 
her arms across her chest and peered down at him 
from where he was lying on the sofa. 

“Okay, it was Brennus, but he didn’t hurt me,” 
Darien said, sitting up. 

“What happened?” 

“That’s not important. What is important is that 
unless I can figure this all out, he’s going to kill 
me…and destroy my soul so that it can’t come back 
again…on the night of the Feast of the Dead. It’s the 
night he died…was murdered.” 

Anita rubbed her chin. “Did you try to make him 
see that…?” 

“Hah!” Darien exclaimed, scowling. “I even tried 
appealing to his faith. He told me some stuff about 
Celtic codes of honor…ancient stuff that…well, let’s 


just say it doesn’t mesh with our beliefs.” 

“It’s true, they lived in a different time,” Anita 
replied. 

“Nita,” he said, using her pet name, “I feel this 
Vortimere. I heard his voice last night. So did 
Brennus. It was in my head. I know we are one. Do 
you think I’m paying for the wrongs I did in that 
life?” 

“I don’t know. Try not to think about that now. Lay 
back, we’ll try it again.” 

Darien focused on what Anita was saying. He was 
trying to clear his mind of all other thoughts, but all 
he could think about was Brennus...Brennus touching 
him, Brennus inside of him. Sinking deeper and 
deeper into a well of darkness, his need of Brennus 
grew. His mind raced. He doesn’t want me. He’s content 
to shut himself away in the college with his books. He will 
never want me. He’s more powerful than me. People 
respect him more. He’s making love with someone 
else…someone else… 

 

* * * * 

 

Anita watched as Darien sat up, staring straight 
ahead. “Who are you?” she asked, sensing that Darien 
was gone. 

“Who wants to know?” A voice replied, a thick 
voice with an accent she had never heard before. 

Anita tried to remain calm. “Brennus wants to 
know.” It just kind of slipped out. She didn’t know 
what else to say. 


Darien’s body laughed. “You’re a liar. Darien 
wants to know. He needs to know me so that he can 
stay alive.” 

“Yes,” Anita replied. She could scarcely breathe. 
“Help him. This is your doing, not his. What do you 
want here?” 

“Brennus, of course.” 

“But he wants to kill you,” Anita says. “You can’t 
possibly win his love.” 

“I can’t, but Darien can.” 

There was a long silence. 

“What did you do…what did you do, you 
bastard?” Anita’s temper got the best of her. “You 
show Darien what you did…you show him how to 
save his life.” 

It laughed again. “I am not here to save his life. I’m 
here to feel Brennus’ touch once more…just…once 
more. He can’t resist me. Darien is beautiful to him. 
Tonight when Brennus comes to me—and he will 
come—I will take him in my arms as Vortimere. 
Darien is not strong enough to fight me.” 

“Is it worth killing an innocent young man to 
satisfy your lust for a few nights with Brennus 
Monroe?” Anita said between clenched teeth. 

“Oh, yes, lassie. If you’d had him, you’d know… 
well worth it.” 

“You must have been one evil son of a…” she 
stopped. Darien had flopped back down on the sofa. 

Anita brought him quickly out of the trance. He sat 
up, giving her a half smile. “Did I say anything?” 

“We’re in more trouble than I thought,” Anita said. 


“Vortimere doesn’t care about your death. He’s here 
only for one reason…to satisfy his own lust. What a 
despicable…” 

“Did we learn anything about the past?” Darien 
asked, hopeful. 

“Not really. Your only hope is Brennus. He has to 
see that you are a victim here. Vortimere is using 
you.” 

Darien sighed. “If you think he will show me any 
compassion, then you’re wrong. I’ll have to connect 
with Vortimere myself.” 

“How?” 

“You know how.” 

“No, Darien, it’s too dangerous. I don’t trust that 
man. He practices…” 

“I have no choice, Anita,” Darien said, standing up. 

“He said Brennus was coming to you tonight.” 

Darien nodded. “I’m not in any danger yet. He 
won’t hurt me. Don’t worry.” 

She watched him out the window as he got into his 
car and drove off. She was worried because she knew 
where he was going. 

 

* * * * 

 

It was early evening when he finally arrived at 
Zendle’s house, which was tucked away out in the 
woods. Zendle was a real sleazebag. He had been 
ostracized from Wicca for dabbling in the black arts. 
He was also heavily into pornography. Darien wasn’t 
looking forward to seeing him, but he knew that 


Zendle was probably one of the best mediums 
around. He made a living from clearing houses of 
ghosts and poltergeists. He was often called on by the 
police in the cases of missing children. If anyone 
could help him learn about his past life as Vortimere, 
he could. What it would cost him in return was 
another question. 

When Darien walked up onto the rickety porch, 
Zendle was waiting. He was an image right out some 
wizard movie, with his long white hair and spidery 
fingers. He was wearing a purple robe, with a gold 
brooch in the shape of a crescent moon pinned to the 
label. Catching a glimpse of the symbol for the 
Goddess Isis made him feel a tinier bit more at ease as 
he stepped into the one room shack. 

“Darien,” Zendle said, rubbing his hands together 
as if he were just presented with something good to 
eat, “what a surprise. What brings you to my humble 
abode?” 

The place stank of something dead. A huge pot 
boiled on a filthy stove. An odd looking crow-like 
bird made a high-pitched screech from its perch in the 
corner. Darien’s eyes moved to the mattress on the 
floor next the stove. My God, is that where he slept? 

“I…I need your help,” Darien said, not wanting to 
take another step. 

“Really? My help?” His eyes moved up in his head 
for a moment, and he smiled, black teeth emerging 
from his jaw, “with the vampire, then?” His heavy 
Scottish accent made the words roll, like he was 
saying a rhyme. 


Darien wasn’t surprised that he knew about 
Brennus. “Then you know he intends to kill me?” 

“Only after he be a having you, lad,” he cackled 
like an old woman. 

Darien clicked his tongue. “That’s not important. I 
need to get in touch with this spirit inside of me…this 
Vortimere. I need to know how to get rid of it.” 

“You can’t get rid of yourself,” Zendle said, 
motioning for him to come and take a chair by the old 
chrome table. 

Darien took a seat, keeping his hands clear of the 
table, which was badly stained with blood. “I need to 
know what happened between Vortimere and 
Brennus.” 

“Thinking that will keep you alive?” Zendle raised 
a filmy eye. It was hard to tell just how old he was. 

“Maybe,” Darien managed. “Do you know?” 

“Do I know what?” 

“Do you know what happened?” Darien sighed. 

Zendle narrowed his eyes. “Maybe.” 

“Well, then, tell me,” Darien said, putting his 
hands on the table and leaning forward, forgetting 
about how soiled it was. 

“I said maybe,” he murmured. “But it won’t come 
cheap, lad,” he pursed his lips. “Want some tea?” 

“No, no tea,” Darien said. “Now do you know or 
not, Zendle?” 

“I can find out quick enough,” he said. “I know 
some…but there is a price.” 

“What…what is the price? I can pay you…I can…” 
Darien began, digging in his pocket. 


“Not money…” He met his eyes. 

“Forget it,” Darien said, “I’m not having sex with 
you.” 

He cackled again. “All right, then. I will use my 
powers to find out what happened to you in your 
past life…but you must take off your clothes.” He 
licked his lips. 

Darien stood up. “No.” 

“Well, then,” Zendle shrugged. “Face your 
vampire without any ammunition. He will destroy 
you…along with your very soul. He’s waited a long 
time, Darien.” 

Darien sucked in some breath. Slowly, he began to 
pull his T-shirt over his head. 

Zendle stood up. He clutched onto the table as 
Darien took off his shoes, then, undid his pants. 
Pausing, Darien glared at him. “No touching. And 
you tell me the truth, you dirty old bastard.” 

Zendle grinned. “Agreed, but I get to talk dirty all I 
want.” 

“Knock yourself out,” Darien sneered. “Do you 
have to put me under, because I don’t trust…” 

“No worries, my young stud. You’ll be fully 
conscious. Come on, get them down,” he said, his 
eyes looking a bit bizarre as Darien pulled his pants 
over his hips. 

When he went to sit down, Zendle shook his head. 
“Pull the chair out in front of me, sit down, spread 
your legs and clasp your hands behind your head.” 

Darien followed his instructions, a scowl firmly 
planted on his face. It could be worse, he supposed. 


He could have had to suck his cock. 

Zendle stood in front of him now. His nostrils were 
flaring as he ran his eyes over him. “Sweet young 
flesh. Tell me, how does your cock feel now, exposed 
to the air like that?” 

“Just fine,” Darien hissed. “Now, tell me about 
Vortimere.” 

“I can’t just tell you like that. Your nipples are so 
hard, are they terribly sensitive? Be honest, now.” 

“Yes. Sometimes,” Darien said, flushing. 

“Tell me about Brennus…what he did to you last 
time he fucked you? Did he tie you up?” 

“He tied my hands…yes.” 

“Did you like it?” Zendle breathed, fingering 
himself. 

“Yes, I liked it. Is this…necessary?” 

“Yes, it is,” Zendle replied. “Your relationship with 
Brennus was intensely sexual, not only in this life but 
as Vortimere. Vortimere ravaged Brennus before he 
burnt him alive.” 

Darien gasped. “Burnt him…alive?” His eyes 
widened. “Why in the hell would he do such a 
thing?” 

“He loved him. He adored him in fact, couldn’t 
stand the thought of another touching him. He tricked 
him that night, sent a note and signed it ‘D’.” 

“Who was ‘D’?” 

“Brennus’ lover…or would-be lover. I’m not sure.” 

Darien felt his mouth go dry. “Did he love ‘D’?” 

“I don’t know,” Zendle said. “I can’t tell you how 
Brennus felt, only Vortimere. Tell me more about 


your sexual encounter with Brennus, the last one. It 
will connect you with Vortimere. Close your eyes 
when you tell me, so that you feel it.” 

“Are you sure that…?” Darien began. 

“It’s the only way, go ahead,” the old man said, his 
eyes absorbing Darien’s nakedness. 

Darien closed his eyes, but he felt nervous, being 
naked like this in front of Zendle…but he had to trust 
him. He was his last hope. “I was dancing with 
Pierre,” he began. 

“Yes, and you had worn next to nothing that night, 
knowing that Brennus would notice.” 

“Yes,” he said softly. “I was half naked, wanting 
only for him to come and rip off the rest of it. He took 
me away from Pierre. I was caught in his arms. We 
were dancing. I felt as if I were floating. The next 
thing I knew I was on a bed of satin, and my hands 
were restrained. He spread my legs and began to 
stimulate me with his tongue and his fingers.” 

“Were you hard, Darien, like you are now just 
talking about it?” 

“Oh, God, yes, so hard, near to exploding. I wanted 
him.” 

“Did he fuck you?” 

“Not then.” 

“Did he enter you with his fingers?” 

“Yes.” 

“Did he play with your cock and your balls?” 

“Yes,” Darien breathed. 

“Did he fuck you, Vortimere?” the voice 
demanded. 


“Yes….but only when I begged him,” the voice 
changed, taking on an ancient accent. “He practically 
fucked my brains out with his big, juicy, gorgeous 
cock and I wanted that little shit to go away…that 
Darien…he wants him, too.” 

“Tell me, Vortimere, what lengths did you go 
through to have him? Would you have even 
committed murder to have him? Tell me how you 
raped him…how you made him desire you in spite of 
how much he hated you. Tell me everything!” 

 

* * * * 

 

A few hours later, Darien found himself on the road. 
He was driving towards the city again. He felt hot 
and feverish. When he had finally opened his eyes 
back there in that old shack, Zendle was kneeling 
between his thighs, sucking his cock. He had closed 
his eyes again, his entire body bathed in sweat. He 
allowed him to finish the job. He was already at the 
point of no return. When he came, he cried out like a 
banshee. Zendle ran his hands over his thighs and 
then up to his tits. He gave them both a roll between 
his thumbs and his forefingers. “Sexy bastard,” he 
whispered. “Let me tie you up and fuck you. Please.” 

Darien pushed him away. “You already got far 
more than was promised.” He began to dress. His 
head was full of the past, horrifying and real. Zendle 
had delivered. 

“Let me show you my collection of porn,” Zendle 
pleaded. “I have pictures of sexual bondage that will 


keep you hard for hours.” 

“No, thanks,” Darien said, his heart feeling heavy. 

Now he pulled the car off onto the side of the road 
to take a break. He knew everything. The entire scene 
played out in front of him. A beautiful Druid Priest 
dedicated to his faith…an unscrupulous Druid priest 
obsessed with Brennus’ beauty. Together with several 
other lustful young Druids, they captured Brennus 
and initiated him into a night of unbridled sexual 
perversions. Almost mad with the thought that 
Brennus may be attracted to another, Vortimere 
burned him at the stake as a sacrifice to the gods and 
goddesses of the moon. 

“His beauty is the ultimate sacrifice. Accept this beauty 
this night, knowing no one will ever again touch his 
delicious flesh.” 

Tears ran down his cheeks. The words that he’d 
said that night came back to him like it was yesterday. 
He had done this. He had tortured and murdered a 
man out of pure lust and jealousy. He had to make it 
right, but how? He had to help Brennus. 

He turned the car around and headed back to 
Zendle’s shack. Running up on the porch, he burst 
into the door. 

“Come to look at the porn after all?” Zendle smiled 
at him, stirring something he had in the pot on the 
stove. 

“How? How do I fix this?” Darien demanded, 
looking down as a big black cat brushed across his 
leg. “You know, so tell me.” 

“For someone who belongs to a group no one 


wants me to be a part of, suddenly it seems I’ve 
become rather useful.” 

“What do you want, Zendle?” 

“You are a powerful witch, Darien, but to do this, 
you will need two things.” 

Darien met his eyes. “Tell me.” 

“You must call upon the dark arts…and Brennus 
must be willing to trust you enough to relive that 
night again.” 

Darien’s heart sank. Even if he were willing to betray 
his beliefs, how in the world was he going to get Brennus 
to…? “Tell me more.” 

“On the night of the Feast of the Dead, at the hour 
Brennus died, you must allow Vortimere to take over 
your body. This is easy enough to do…demon 
possession is…” 

“All right, yes, and…” Darien winced. 

“At the right moment before Brennus dies, you 
must cast out Vortimere’s spirit like one would cast 
out a demon, reclaim your present soul and save 
Brennus. That way Vortimere will never return and 
Brennus’ pain will be alleviated.” 

“I can’t do that, Zendle. I’m not powerful enough 
to…what power do I have?” 

“Love,” Zendle said simply. “The power of love is 
what you have.” 

Darien looked back at him in shock. “Love?” he 
mouthed. 

Zendle put down his spoon and came over to stand 
in front of him. “Yes, you love that vampire, and it’s 
that love, along with some practice with witchcraft, 


that will save the both of you. At the end, it will come 
down to who loves Brennus the most. Come back 
tomorrow. I’ll show you the spells you need to 
exorcise a demon when you are under the 
influence…so to speak.” He laughed at his own joke. 

“And in return?” Darien asked hesitantly. 

“Put a good word in for me with the big shots.” 

“Done,” Darien said in relief. 

 

* * * * 

 

Brennus didn’t come to him that night, as Anita 
predicted. He got into bed, waiting, trying to put the 
images of torture and death out of his mind. He 
suddenly felt very protective of Brennus. He 
understood his wrath. How he had come to feel such 
love for him, he didn’t know. Now all he had to do 
was convince him to trust him. Hah! That should be 
interesting. 

 

* * * * 

 

Darien went to see Zendle again the next evening. 
The spell he had to learn to exorcise Vortimere was 
complicated. He came home exhausted, physically 
and mentally. Again, he got into bed and waited, 
hoping Brennus would come to him. He didn’t. He 
had to see him. If he didn’t come to him soon, he 
would have to find him. He had to gain his trust, or 
Vortimere would win. 

The following day, after closing up the shop early, 


Darien made the trip out to see Zendle again. Having 
just come back from a rather trying hour, he decided 
to take a little nap on the sofa. He dreamt about 
Brennus. He saw his face, heard his voice, felt his 
hands touch him. 

Anna woke him when she came into the living 
room. She saw his face contorting in his sleep, his 
body restless. “Darien, are you all right?” she asked. 

He opened his eyes. “Fine, just tired,” he mumbled 
sleepily. “Anxious to get this cast off my hand. It 
itches.” 

Anna fingered the five-pointed star she was 
intending to hang over the front door. 

“Anna,” Darien said, catching a glimpse of the 
pentagram she was holding through half closed eyes, 
“we have those all over the house now. Don’t you 
think it’s enough?” 

“One can never have enough protection,” she said, 
pausing to look at him. 

Darien sighed and sat up. “Why?” 

“Anita is worried,” Anna burst out. “She says 
you’ve been acting strange. Did you go and see that 
creepy alchemist, Zendle?” 

Darien sighed. “Anna, just stay out of it, okay?” 
The Feast of the Dead was just a week away. He was 
nervous as it was, especially about talking to Brennus. 
He didn’t need Anna freaking out on him. 

“Zendle’s a black witch, Darien. I think he roasts 
little children in his oven.” 

Darien laughed. “I don’t think his oven even 
works. Don’t worry, little sister. I know what I’m 


doing.” 

“You could be banned for…” 

“Well, then, so be it,” Darien stood up. “This is my 
life,” he pointed at himself. “If I’m banned, I’m 
banned.” 

“You need the support of the coven right now,” 
Anna cried. 

“To hell with the coven,” he growled. “I need 
Brennus.” 

Anna opened her mouth to say something else, but 
her brother had walked out the front door. 

 

* * * * 

 

As he drove around the neighborhood, he was 
beginning to feel badly about the way he had spoken 
to his sister. He understood her concern, and keeping 
her in the dark was just increasing her anxiety. He 
had also been avoiding Anita. He knew she really 
didn’t approve of Zendle. He couldn’t blame her 
really, but Zendle was giving him his only way out. 
That is, if he could find Brennus. 

Finally, feeling quite desperate, Darien stopped the 
car on the side of that road and took a walk in the 
park. His mind was haunted by images he never 
wanted to be a part of. Brennus. We need to talk. 

It was a cold night, and the wind rustled ruthlessly 
through the trees. Snow was in the air. As his boots 
scuffed through the leaves, he pulled the collar of his 
navy coat up around his neck. Shadows danced 
across the lawns, and hovered over the park benches. 


He paused and looked out over the rippling river for 
a second, before deciding to turn back. 

When he felt the fingers curl around his shoulder, 
he froze, breathing in some of the icy air. “Brennus,” 
he said. 

He was released. He turned around to see him 
standing in front of him, his fair hair loose and softly 
blowing around his cheek. “What do you want, 
Darien?” His voice seemed amicable enough, patient. 

“We need to talk.” He looked into those blue eyes, 
trying to figure out what was going on behind them. 

“So you said. About what?” 

“About our…about my fate?” 

“There’s nothing to talk about. You know. It’s not 
negotiable.” He began to walk. 

Darien fell into step beside him. “Come on, 
Brennus. Just hear me out. You do believe in a 
person’s right to defense, don’t you?” 

“Of course,” he nodded, “but in your case, there is 
nothing to defend. We both know you committed the 
crime.” 

“I didn’t commit the crime. Vortimere committed 
it, and yes, we have the same soul, but it’s been 
reconditioned…gone through changes. We don’t 
know how many lives I’ve had in between now and 
then, right?” 

“Your point is?” 

“My point is…” Darien said, grabbing onto 
Brennus forearm, “maybe I’ve paid for what my soul 
did. Aren’t we forced to pay in one life for what we 
did in another?” 


“Maybe you’re paying now,” Brennus said. 

Darien fell silent. 

Brennus looked down at Darien’s hand on his arm, 
then, he reached for the other one, the one that was 
still in a cast. Pinching it between his fingers, he 
cracked it open. 

“Hey, what are you…?” Darien began. The pieces 
of the broken plaster fell to the ground. Taking 
Darien’s hand in his, he held it for a second, then, 
released it. “It’s healed now. You don’t need that 
anymore.” 

Darien flexed his hand. “What did you do that 
for?” 

He shrugged. “I felt like it.” 

“Have you been listening to anything I’ve said, or 
are you so hell bent on killing me, you don’t care?” 

“I thought you didn’t believe in hell?” Brennus 
raised an eyebrow. 

Darien looked at his beautiful face. He wanted to 
cry. He looked like an angel, and yet… 

“I’m a killer,” he whispered. 

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Darien said, 
having to practically run to keep up with him now. 
Brennus wore a long, brown leather coat. It was open, 
and flapping out behind him. “What if there was a 
way to destroy Vortimere without killing me?” 

Brennus stopped. Without turning around, he said, 
“That’s impossible.” 

“No, it’s not,” Darien said, coming now to stand in 
front of him. I love you. Now, what in hell had made 
him think that at this moment? 


“You can’t help it. You’re Vortimere,” he replied, 
his eyelids lowered. 

“No, Vortimere didn’t love you, Brennus. He 
wanted to possess you…to own you…that’s not 
love,” Darien said. “Do you know why I know I love 
you?” 

Brennus’ blue eyes widened some. 

Darien shook his head. “You want to kill me, and 
all I can think about right now is making love to you.” 

Brennus’ lips parted a little, and he exhaled. 
“You’re insane,” he said. 

Darien laughed. “Yes, and if you knew what 
company I had endured in order to learn how to 
exorcise a soul…you’d…never mind. I think I can 
destroy…cancel out Vortimere’s soul. That way you’d 
have your revenge. He would never know 
consciousness again, but it would mean…” 

Brennus actually placed his hands on Darien’s 
shoulders. “It would mean what?” 

“I would have to allow Vortimere to possess me 
just long enough to work the spell. We’d have to 
relive…that night.” 

“And allow you to kill me again?” Brennus said 
angrily, backing away. “Do you think I’m a fool?” 

“No,” Darien said with a sigh. “You’d have to trust 
me…to…be strong enough to fight him at the right 
moment. You have to accept the fact that Vortimere 
didn’t truly love you. He couldn’t have…and allowed 
you to die that way. If my love is stronger, I can cast 
him out. Your pain will end, my…” He almost said, 
‘love’, but Brennus didn’t seem to be in any mood for 


terms of endearment. Brennus walked over to a bench 
and sat down. 

Darien finally found the courage to go and sit 
down next to him. He wanted to take his hand. 
Instead, he folded his hands in his lap. He shivered 
suddenly. It was far too cold to sit still. “Well,” he 
announced, “if you are determined to go through 
with killing me in a fortnight, would you consider 
letting me have the sex of my life in the meantime?” It 
was meant to be a joke really, but it ended up 
sounding like a plea. 

Brennus looked at him now, and smiled. 

Whoa! Anna had always said he had a smile that could 
run you over and pin you to the spot. Gorgeous. 

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll bite you?” 

Darien couldn’t help but smile back. “Sure, a little. 
Are you going to bite me?” 

He shook his head. “Not unless you want me to.” 

Darien laughed. He felt almost giddy. “Does this 
mean there’s a truce between us tonight?” 

“I fixed your hand, didn’t I?” 

“You did.” 

“Not for altogether selfish motives,” he said, 
standing up. 

Darien opened his mouth to speak, but then closed 
it. You knew that I… 

“Yes, I knew we’d end up making love tonight. 
You’ve been waiting for me to come to you.” He 
began to walk slowly. 

Darien walked beside him. “Are you taking me to 
your lair?” 


“My lair?” He glanced at him. 

“A joke.” 

“I see. What about your car? You left it back there a 
ways,” Brennus said. 

“Do you know everything?” 

“Just about.” 

“It will be all right. Where are we going?” Darien 
asked. 

“To my lair,” he replied, his voice serious. 

Darien laughed. He couldn’t help it. Whether it 
was the high of just being in his presence or the cold 
night air, his laughter rang out into the clear frosty 
air. 

After a few minutes, Brennus joined him. 

 

* * * * 

 

“Is this where we were the other night?” Darien asked 
as they walked up the steps to Brennus’ condo. 

“The other night?” he echoed. 

“Yes. We were in a room with…” Darien trialed off 
as Brennus pushed the buttons to turn off the alarm 
and stepped inside. He switched on a light, more for 
Darien than anything, and then turned to ask him if 
he needed anything. 

Yeah. I need something. You. He forgot, of course, 
that Brennus could read his thoughts. He felt the color 
rush to his face as Brennus looked down at him and 
grinned. “That can be arranged, but I was thinking 
more along the lines of a drink.” 

“No, thanks,” Darien said, looking around. The 


living room was next to empty. There was a sofa, a 
small bar. The kitchenette off to the side was 
immaculate. No wonder, he probably never used it. 
Beside the kitchenette was an open door. This, he 
assumed, was the bedroom. 

Brennus began to unbutton Darien’s coat. “Don’t 
think this changes anything between us, Darien.” He 
said his name, and Darien’s heart began to thud in his 
chest. 

“Meaning you plan to fuck me, then kill me?” 
Darien said softly, moving his lips up beside his ear. 
He felt absolutely no fear. 

“Maybe you should,” Brennus said, letting his jaw 
go slack, revealing his fangs. 

Darien lifted one hand to his mouth. Almost 
tenderly, he stroked the tips of Brennus’ teeth with his 
fingertips. Brennus looked down at him with calm 
blue eyes. Trailing his fingers down over his jaw, 
Darien moved them down to his shirt and began to 
slowly undo the buttons. Brennus growled softly in 
his throat, his sex now making a conspicuous package 
in his pants. Darien moved the shirt off his shoulders, 
letting it fall to the floor at Brennus’ feet. Then he 
reached down for the belt on his jeans. Slowly he 
undid it, feeling the need radiating from Brennus’ 
body. 

Pausing once before sliding his zipper down, he 
looked up into eyes that now were swimming with 
flecks of red and orange. Smiling, he relieved the 
pressure on his eager sex, then pushed his jeans all 
the way down to the floor. Brennus kicked off his 


shoes, stepping out of the pile on the floor. Reaching 
out, he took Darien’s hand and led him into the 
bedroom. 

He’s mine…Darien…don’t forget that. 

Darien stopped and looked around. He could have 
sworn someone was speaking to him. He shook his 
head as if to rid himself of an annoying bug, and 
pressed Brennus down to the silky sheets. Lying on 
top of him, he gently caressed his fair hair, moving 
his hand down his square jaw to his lips. The other 
hand was on his thigh, ever so close to his cock that 
was threatening to spill out of his underwear. Darien 
took his mouth in a savage kiss, entwining his fingers 
with his. 

He has a delicious mouth. There is so much you can do 
with it. 

Darien tore his mouth away from Brennus, moving 
it down to his chest. Trying to recall the words to the 
spell Zendle had taught him, he closed his eyes and 
took one of Brennus’ hard nipples between his teeth. 

Not tonight, you bastard. Nella ke far montra. 

His mind quieted almost immediately, and he 
began to lick the nipple between his teeth, moaning, 
disengaging one of his hands from Brennus and 
moving it down to his swollen cock. 

Brennus immediately let out a soft cry from the 
contact. Lapping at his nipple a few more times, 
Darien reached into the white briefs he was wearing 
and scooped out his erection. Moving his lips down 
his chest to his stomach, he let his eyes travel over his 
cock, on display right above the band of his 


underwear. Gingerly, he let his tongue taste the tip, 
slick with Brennus’ juices. “Tonight you’re mine,” 
Darien told him forcefully. “Any objection?” 

Brennus let his hand move over Darien’s dark hair. 
“No. None what so ever.” 

Darien took the head of Brennus’ cock in his 
mouth, savoring the taste of the circumference of the 
perfectly shaped tip. He opened up his mouth wide 
and took as much of it in his mouth as he could, 
holding it steady with one hand and moving his lips 
up and down the length of it. At first, it was slow, 
then faster until he felt Brennus grab a fistful of his 
hair and pull. When he exploded, Darien swallowed, 
withdrawing when it became overwhelming. He sat 
up on the bed. The light which was coming in from 
the living room allowed him to watch as Brennus’ 
face contorted in orgasm. He let out a deep growl. His 
eyes turned a brilliant shade of red, the sharp, deadly 
teeth glittering in the half light of the room. 

Suddenly, Brennus drew him up into his arms. He 
pressed Darien’s head down on his chest, stroking his 
hair. Darien was surprised at the sudden display of 
affection. For a few minutes, he scarcely dared 
breathe. When Brennus did begin to speak, Darien 
couldn’t make much sense of it. “He knew I couldn’t 
resist,” he said. 

“Resist what?” Darien asked, raising his head off 
his chest an inch to look at him. 

“The packaging,” he murmured with a tight little 
laugh. 

“What?” 


“You are the dead image of him…pardon the pun.” 

“The dead image of whom?” 

“Daeliah, the man I was falling in love with 
before…” 

Darien placed an arm across his waist. “It’s how 
Vortimere drew you to your death. He sent a note 
signed D.” 

“Yes.” 

“Were you lovers?” 

“No, but I think we would have been if…” He 
stopped. 

“Brennus, you can’t mean that Vortimere put his 
soul in my body deliberately? I can’t even wrap my 
mind about that. He’d have to be…” 

“A very powerful sorcerer,” Brennus finished for 
him. “And he was…one of the most powerful witches 
I’d ever seen. And evil.” 

“I can fight him. I fought him tonight,” Darien said, 
his voice filled with excitement as he pulled away 
from Brennus and sat up on the bed. 

Brennus said nothing. 

“I can fight him. I can banish him. We can do it 
together. Brennus,” he said, his voice pleading, “trust 
me.” 

“Why should I?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Because I love you,” Darien said softly, reaching 
out a hand to caress his thigh. “And you love me.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Brennus said, sitting up 
now, throwing his legs over the other side of the bed. 

“You do. I feel it.” 

“It’s not you, it’s…” 


“It’s me,” Darien said, lumbering off the bed and 
preventing him from escaping out the door. “You feel 
it too. You know it’s true. Help me fight him 
together.” 

Brennus met his eyes. “Are you strong enough? 
When the moment comes, can you banish him 
forever?” 

“We can do it together, Brennus.” 

“I don’t know if I can relive that night, Darien,” 
Brennus said, his eyes sad. 

“You have been reliving it for centuries. What’s 
one more night if it means you will be rid of those 
nightmares forever?” Tears were on Darien’s cheeks. 
He couldn’t stand the thought of him in pain, 
suddenly. 

Brennus gently wiped them away with his thumb. 
He could feel the love coming from him, and God 
help him…he…wanted him. Taking Darien in his 
arms, he kissed him. “Take me back to bed and 
convince me that you love me…and maybe…just 
maybe I’ll consider it.” 

Darien wrapped his arms around Brennus, 
hugging him. They stood there embracing for a few 
minutes, then, Darien backed away. “Come, baby,” he 
said, “I’m ready to show you now.” He laughed as he 
looked down at his erect cock, suddenly quieting as 
Brennus took his sex in his hand and fondled it. 
Darien pressed closer against him, and Brennus 
leaned down and kissed him. Folding his arms 
around him, Brennus lifted him up and carried him 
over to the bed. With his lips still pressed to his, he 


lowered him to the bed and slid his hands under his 
hips. Moving away, he raised Darien’s legs up over 
his shoulders and gazed down into his eyes. Without 
another word, he moved into him. Darien closed his 
eyes, letting the feeling of his cock inside him take 
him to another place. 

My place! 

Darien’s eyes snapped open. Brennus wasn’t aware 
of the voice inside of Darien’s head. He was lost, his 
eyes closed, head back, pumping his passion into him 
with an intoxicating rhythm. 

No, you’re not going to ruin this for me. You have no 
place here…no…his delicious sex is mine…and on the 
night that you will allow me to possess you, I will have him 
and destroy you at the same time. Brennus. Brennus. 

Brennus stopped suddenly, pulling out of Darien’s 
body, his cock aching, his senses alert. Vortimere. He 
was here with him. He looked down into Darien’s 
eyes, eyes that suddenly looked different, insane, 
crazed. 

“Yes, my love, I’m here. Fuck me some more.” It 
was Vortimere’s voice. 

Brennus stumbled backwards across the room. 
“Get out,” he shouted. “Get away from me!” For a 
minute, he felt panic. 

Vortimere stood up. He ran his hands seductively 
over Darien’s naked body. “You can’t get enough of 
him, can you? Now, you know what it would have 
been like if I’d have let you fornicate with that lusty 
stable boy. Come, come taste me, my love. Do what 
you want to this body…for after all,” he started to 


laugh, “it is only a body.” 

Brennus hissed in the corner of the room, his eyes 
blood red with anger. “Bring him back,” he 
demanded. “Let Darien go.” 

“Oh, no, not yet, not until I’ve had my fill of you,” 
the voice boomed. Suddenly a reflection of 
Vortimere’s face peered out from behind Darien’s 
eyes. It grew larger, and then exited his body, 
looming just about his head. 

Brennus’ eyes widened. For a minute he froze, 
unprepared for what seeing that face would do to 
him. He reacted on pure instinct. He bared his fangs 
and hissed again. The sudden appearance of his hated 
enemy caused him to flex his haunches, prepared for 
an attack. 

“Kill me, and you kill Darien,” he said, laughing. 
“If you want that amateur witch back, come and show 
me what you’re made of…show me how hard you 
can fuck me…and then maybe I’ll release him.” 

Brennus let out a howl of rage, his hands curling 
into fists. Blood. He went for his throat, springing at 
him, then, just as his hands tightened around him, the 
hideous image disappeared. Darien dropped to the 
floor. 

“Darien,” Brennus said, bending down and pulling 
his limp body into his arms. “Darien.” He pushed the 
hair out of his face, and carried him over to the bed. 
For a moment, he held him against him, cradling him 
as if he were a small child. Then he kissed him gently 
on the mouth. 

Darien opened his eyes. 


“Are you all right?” Brennus asked him, searching 
his face, wanting to make sure it was really him. 

Darien nodded. “What happened?” 

“He took over. It was him, Vortimere, I saw him 
like…” 

Darien put a hand to his cheek. “It’s all right. He 
can’t hurt you. It’s the spells I’ve been doing with 
Zendle. It brings him out…he has to come out if we 
are going to trap his soul.” 

“He took over completely. You can’t fight him, 
Darien,” Brennus released him and stood up. 

“Yes, I can. With your help, we can do it. I wasn’t 
prepared tonight. I will be. I promise.” Darien waited 
for an answer. He needed Brennus to stand with him. 
He needed Brennus to see that he and Vortimere were 
two separate entities. “We are not the same. He is…” 

“I know that,” Brennus put up a hand. “I think you 
should leave now. I have to be alone to think.” 

Darien got off the bed and slowly put on his 
clothes. He took one more look at Brennus before he 
left, but Brennus had his back to him, staring out the 
window. 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Seven 

 

 

Z
endle was ogling him again. Darien was in no 
mood tonight. He was thinking about Brennus, 
about whether he had the strength to relive that night 
again. If he didn’t, this was all for nothing. 
“Concentrate,” Zendle insisted. “You have the power, 
but unless you concentrate it…it’s flying all over the 
damn place. Get your mind off your cock and…” 

“My mind is not on my cock,” Darien snapped. 

“It’s on Brennus Monroe’s cock, then, same deal,” 
Zendle snickered. “I think that vampire is one big 
pussy. If he really loved you, he’d…” 

Zendle paused in mid sentence. A cool hand sat 
suddenly on the back of his neck. Darien’s mouth 
formed a perfect O. 

“If he really loved him, he’d what, Zendle?” 
Brennus brought his head around to look directly into 
the bearded man’s face.“ Ah…I was saying…” he 
cleared his throat, “that love is…” 

“And what would you know about love?” Brennus 
asked, releasing his neck with a jerk, then, his eyes 
floated over to Darien. “If you love someone, you’re 


willing to walk through fire for them. What do you 
say, my beautiful witch?” 

Darien’s eyes met his, his heart fluttering. “I say…” 
he managed, his voice choked with emotion, “you’re 
right…my beautiful vampire.” 

They smiled at each other now. Then Zendle 
remembered what they were doing here. “Okay, 
enough, I’m going to need a shower. We are trying to 
save this witch’s hide,” Zendle said, casting a wary 
glance at the vampire standing less than two feet from 
him. “Are you here to help, or hinder?” 

Brennus gave him an ironic look. “Well, I’m 
certainly not here to see you, old man. And don’t you 
ever call me a pussy again. Let’s go. Show us these 
spells. Show me how to get rid of Vortimere forever.” 

For the next week, they worked every night. 
Zendle was amazed at Brennus’ power, and Brennus 
marvelled at Darien’s will. Finally, on the eve before 
the Feast of the Dead, it was over. They had gone as 
far as they could. 

“I feel dirty,” Darien had told Brennus as they 
were about to leave the old mans shack. “I feel as if I 
have crapped on every thing Wicca holds dear. After 
this is over, I never want to dabble in the black arts 
again. Do you know the poem…ever mind the rule of 
three, what you give out comes back to thee?” 

Brennus placed his arm around Darien’s shoulders. 
“No, but desperate times call for desperate measures. 
You had no choice. Vortimere is evil, and we must 
fight evil with evil. The ancients believed that it was 
all right to cause harm, if it was justified. You had to 


be willing to accept the karmic consequences. Are 
you…willing to accept the consequences?” 

Darien nodded. 

Zendle was watching them now, the way their 
bodies swayed close together. His expression was one 
of jealousy. “So, what do I get now?” He demanded, 
rubbing his palms together, fixing them with a 
lecherous look. 

Brennus looked at him, piercing his eyes with his. 
“I’ll tell you what you get, old man. You get to live.” 

Zendle shivered, noticing the wave of red that 
flashed through his eyes. He watched with relief as 
Brennus took Darien by the hand and led him 
outside. Immediately he went to lock the door. 

 

* * * * 

 

Anna stood beside Anita as they gathered in the circle 
and began to call to the elements of nature. Clint, 
Pierre and Jamie and Doug stood opposite them, 
beginning to chant. It was Anna who saw Darien 
approach, Brennus Monroe by his side. Tears sprang 
to her eyes. For over a week now, she’d seen very 
little of Darien, and when they did meet he was 
evasive and very curt. Now he was smiling. No one 
said anything as he joined the circle, pulling Brennus 
in with him. Brennus and Darien looked at each other, 
then at the moon. “Fire, Air, Water, Earth,” Anita 
began. “Elements of Astral birth…I call you now, 
attend to me…” Darien turned sharply when he 
heard Brennus reciting something in an ancient 


tongue he’d never heard. It was so beautiful. They all 
stood still to listen suddenly, his words sweeping 
them into the past…connecting them with their 
ancestors. Switching back into English, he said, “From 
cave and desert, sea and hill…by wand, blade, and 
pentacle…I call you now, attend to me. This is my 
will, so mote it be!” Raising his hands up to the sky, 
he called out, “Mother, you blessed me once with 
eternal life. May I ask once more for your blessing to 
wipe evil from this plane and all other planes for ever 
and ever.” 

Suddenly the moon disappeared from the sky, 
submerging them in total darkness, and the earth 
seemed to tremble for a moment. A flash of lightning 
ripped through the sky. The participants all stood 
looking at each other. As quickly as it came, it 
disappeared. The earth quieted, and the moon 
loomed down above them in the silent sky. 

Anita began to dance, then moving over to 
Brennus, she took his hands and drew him further 
into the inner circle where he too began to move his 
body. 

Anna took the opportunity to speak to her brother. 
She hugged him to her as his eyes shifted lovingly 
over to Brennus. Her hold tightened on him, but she 
didn’t say anything. 

Pierre, Jamie, Doug and Clint moved over to 
Brennus and began to touch him like he was a sacred 
object. He allowed their examination for a few 
minutes, then disengaged himself. Facing Darien 
now, he met his eyes. He didn’t have to tell him what 


he was thinking. It was written all over his face. “Wait 
for me, Brennus. I need to talk to the others for a 
moment,” Darien said. 

Brennus nodded at Anna, and walked over to a 
tree in the distance. 

“Anna, if anything happens to me tomorrow 
night…” Darien began. 

“Won’t you be here for the…?” 

Darien shook his head. “No…well…” he smiled, 
“maybe later. Brennus and I must take care of 
something first. If it goes well…” 

She swallowed. “I’m afraid.” 

“Don’t be,” Darien said. “If something happens, 
Brennus will take care of you. I haven’t asked him yet 
but…” 

“Darien,” Anna sighed. 

Anita came now, too, and the others. They all 
hugged him. “Although we don’t clearly understand 
it all, we’re with you,” Anita said softly. “We love 
you.” 

Darien nodded. He didn’t want to cry. Sliding 
through the circle around him, he made his way back 
to Brennus. “Don’t worry,” Brennus told him, “if 
something happens to you, I will take care of Anna.” 

“Thank you,” Darien said, then they walked 
without talking. 

They went back to that room, took off their clothes 
and lay down together on the bed. For a long time, 
they just held each other. Then Brennus touched him, 
and he lost all control. 

 


* * * * 

 

When he awoke, it was daylight. The blinds were 
open and the sun was streaming through the window. 
He was alone. He stretched and yawned in 
contentment. He wasn’t going to open the shop today. 
He turned over in the bed, deciding to go back to 
sleep. He was thinking about Brennus, wondering 
where he went during the day. Last night had been 
wonderful; their lovemaking had been practically 
animalistic. He raised his fingers to find the wounds 
on his throat. There were none. Brennus had kissed 
and licked the tiny holes, sealing them over. 

Vortimere had not tried to impose himself last 
night. At first they both listened cautiously, pausing 
in between kisses. After a few minutes, they got lost 
in the touch and feel of one another, and Vortimere 
was forgotten. Sighing, he tried to will himself back to 
sleep but his mind was on tonight. Maybe Vortimere 
suspected what they were up to, but that didn’t 
matter. With what they had planned, once underway, 
Vortimere would not be able to resist. 

 

* * * * 

 

Tonight, the night after All Hallow’s Eve, was a 
cold one. There was frost already on the ground. The 
leaves sounded dead and hollow beneath his feet. 
Halloween decorations still littered people’s lawns, 
but the lights in the eerily carved pumpkins were all 
out now. Brennus halted his pace for a moment to 


look at a vampire hanging from the porch of an old 
Victorian styled house. He grinned. He was hunting 
early tonight. As soon as the sun had descended, he 
rose from one of his many sanctuaries in the city and 
took to the sky. He regretted not waking beside 
Darien, but he couldn’t do that, at least not yet. He 
needed blood tonight, not a lot, but just enough to 
give him the strength he needed to carry this through. 
They had recreated everything so perfectly. It had to 
work. Facing that night again was terrifying, but this 
time he knew that Vortimere couldn’t really hurt 
him…and if he kept telling himself that it was 
Darien’s hands touching him, he might just be able to 
bear it. 

Continuing on his way through the quiet 
neighborhood, he saw a woman carrying a grocery 
bag. He went to sit on a park bench, waiting for her to 
pass. Leaning back seductively, he laid his arms 
across the back of the bench. She had spotted him 
from some distance. She unconsciously ran a hand 
over her hair. When she approached, she stopped, 
and smiled at him. “Cold night, isn’t it?” 

“Yes,” he said. “Can I help you with your bag?” 

“Oh,” she replied nervously, “I just live over 
there.” She pointed to a grey stone building with 
black iron balconies on the corner. 

“Good,” he said, taking her bag. As he did he made 
sure their hands touched. She held his eyes longer 
than was decent. He knew she wanted him. Her mind 
was screaming it. She was calculating how long her 
husband would be gone. He’s playing cards with his 


friends. He won’t be home for hours. 

Oh, it won’t take that long, Brennus thought. By 
the time her husband came home, she’d be deeply 
asleep in bed. In the morning she’d get up feeling as if 
she had just made a donation to the blood bank… 
Brennus’ blood bank, he thought with a sly smile. 

Making his way back to Darien, he actually felt 
quite good. He had made sure she felt as if she’d had 
the best sex in her life when he drank from her, even 
though he barely touched her. If her husband was 
perceptive, he’d wake her up when he got home, and 
she would probably give him the sex of his life. He 
couldn’t help but laugh. 

When he arrived back at the condo, Darien was 
sitting on the steps outside. He looked anxious, 
suddenly reminding Brennus of what lay ahead. 
“Where have you been?” He jumped to his feet, 
searching his face. 

“Walking. Don’t worry, Darien,” he said, touching 
his cheek, “everything will be all right.” 

“Yea…well, you’re not the one who’s going to have 
some freak take over his body and…” 

“Listen,” Brennus placed his hands on his 
shoulders and captured his eyes with his, “if you 
don’t want to do this…” 

“What choice do I have…either I do this or you kill 
me.” 

He looked stricken for a second. 

Brennus dragged him into his embrace. “Do you 
think I could kill you now? Maybe in the 
beginning…now…it’s impossible. If we don’t do this, 


Vortimere will continue to torment both of us.” 

Darien laid his head on Brennus’ chest for a 
second, tightening his hold. “I know the spells 
backwards and forwards…and you’ll be there to help 
me.” 

“We can do this together,” Brennus said with 
determination, moving away from him. Taking his 
key from his pocket, he went up the steps, Darien 
following behind. 

 

* * * * 

 

Anna was begging Anita to tell her the truth. “I don’t 
really know,” she said, sitting at her kitchen table. She 
stared down into her coffee cup. 

“You do know,” Anna insisted. “You know what 
they’re planning. It’s dangerous…last night, Darien 
talked as if…” 

Anita glanced up at Anna. “We can’t help them.” 

“So, we’re just supposed to sit here and wait?” 

“No,” Anita said briskly, standing up, “we’re 
supposed to get ready for the celebration.” 

Tears sprang to Anna’s eyes. 

Anita softened. “I’m sorry, my dear, I know very 
little about what will happen tonight, except there is 
no stopping it. Last night, I saw the love between 
your brother and Brennus Monroe. It’s strong. 
Brennus will protect your brother. In life, he was a 
powerful witch and now… ” 

“He is a vampire,” she said, letting the words settle 
on her tongue. “It goes against everything we 


believe.” 

“But remember, my dear,” Anita said, “we don’t 
know all the mysteries of the universe. The goddesses 
and gods blessed Brennus Monroe enough to bring 
him back from death. Why they brought him back as 
a vampire, I don’t know…but there must have been a 
reason. Wicca believes in love, and I saw it last night 
in its purest form. Love is the most powerful force in 
the universe.” 

Anna swallowed. She too had seen Brennus’ power 
last night, heard his ancient words. She would have to 
wait, and beg the deities to protect her brother on this 
most sacred of nights. 

 

* * * * 

 

Darien sat in the corner. Black candles were scattered 
around, illuminating the darkened room. He was 
chanting, an ancient chant with words which came 
from the book of the dead. “Tiglass…sa 
…monostor…kamilee….tiglass…sa…monostor…kamilee…” 

Brennus stood by silently, waiting. Come on, 
Vortimere…come and get me…come and get me. 

Suddenly a gust of wind blew across the room. 
There were shadows, and then darkness. Brennus 
gasped for air. Two eyes glowed red across the pitch-
black room. “Brennus,” a voice said. A shiver ran 
down his spine, and suddenly, the candles were lit 
again. He was back at his desk at the college. 

It was odd to look around him and see all the 


trappings of modern culture erased. There were no 
lamps, no color televisions, not even a radio. He sat in 
front of a fireplace at a plain wooden table reading 
from a book that outlined the responsibilities of his 
faith. As the wind howled outside, he knew that any 
minute a message would arrive for him, asking him to 
come to a secluded place just outside the village. 

Brennus, please meet me. We have much to talk about. 
D. 

Now, he mounted his horse and rode. This time 
there was no giddy anticipation that when he arrived, 
Daeliah would be there waiting for him. He slowed 
his horse, gazing up at the moon. The time was right. 
There was no turning back. 

When he arrived in the clearing, Vortimere was 
there. So were the others, shadows of the past. 
Brennus slid off his horse. His eyes went to the Ankh 
that hung around Vortimere’s neck. He breathed a bit 
easier. The Egyptian cross like symbol seemed to 
glow suddenly, affirming the power of Isis. 

“Vortimere,” he said bowing his head, the long 
burlap robe he wore swinging around his ankles as he 
walked, reminding him of where he was. 

“Brennus,” Vortimere replied, raising a hand to 
him in greeting. Brennus studied him a moment. He 
wore a long beard. It was brown, flecked with grey 
and rather shaggy. His robe was not unlike his own, 
and rather tattered. 

“I received a note and I…” Brennus began. The 
moon disappeared behind a cloud. He felt the others 
move in around him. He couldn’t think of Darien. He 


had to make sure that Vortimere believed this was 
authentic. 

He was seized by the shoulders. Ropes were being 
placed around his wrists. Several men dragged him 
over to a tree and laced his hands above his head. 
“Vortimere. What have I done?” he asked him, 
struggling against his constraints. His voice sounded 
the same way it had that night. “Why have you 
brought me here under false pretences? What manner 
of treachery is this?” 

Vortimere didn’t look like himself. His piercing 
grey eyes shone with an unnatural gleam. It was pure 
lechery. Reaching up to the collar of Brennus’ robe, he 
ripped it down the middle, leaving his body totally 
exposed. His eyes settled on his chest, then moved 
down to his sex and stayed there. “Get that thing off 
of him,” Vortimere demanded of his cronies. “Throw 
it away.” 

Fingers tore at the robe, which was attached over 
his shoulders. Finally it was gone. “You have 
tormented me far long enough, Brennus!” Vortimere 
boomed. “And now to even think of taking that 
uneducated servant as a lover…it’s never going to 
happen.” He kept talking; saliva was running down 
the length of his beard as he practically spat out the 
words at him. “Tonight I will have you,” he smiled, 
coming closer now and wrapping his arms around 
the lower part of his body. His tongue darted out, and 
lapped over Brennus’ cock. Brennus shuddered, 
revolted, as the mangy beard scratched his sensitive 
skin. “I will make you want me…I will have you over 


and over again…do the unspeakable to your beautiful 
body.” 

“You will pay for this,” Brennus told him, kicking 
at him. “You will be put to death for what you do to 
me this night.” 

“Tie his ankles,” Vortimere demanded, standing 
back to avoid being kicked. 

Ghostly hands wrapped rope around his ankles as 
Vortimere removed his own robe and laid it almost 
reverently aside. Completely naked now, the ancient 
priest’s sex stood erect and ready. Reaching up and 
grabbing Brennus’ face, he forced his tongue into his 
mouth. It tasted rancid, a result of the fact that the few 
teeth he had left in his head were rotting. Stepping 
back, he let his eyes move slowly over Brennus’ body 
again. His gaze was humiliating. It disgusted him. 
When one of his scaly hands wrapped around 
Brennus’ cock, he cried out, rancorous. “Gag him!” 
Vortimere growled. “Shut him up.” 

Again, almost transparent hands attended to 
Vortimere’s demands, stuffing Brennus’ mouth with 
some obnoxious-tasting material. His cock was 
squeezed again, then, Vortimere began to play with it 
viciously until he saw it begin to stiffen. “You’re hard 
for me, Brennus…my beauty.” Reaching up he 
pinched his nipples, then began to suck on them, one 
by one. As he did, he reached around and ran his 
hands over Brennus’ buttocks. Slapping them, he 
began to laugh as he removed his mouth from his 
chest, and moved around to the back of him. 

Brennus stiffened as he felt Vortimere part his ass 


cheeks with his hands. “I want to play with you, 
Brennus…like a child plays with a toy. I want to enter 
and explode my seed so hard in you your entire body 
will go into spasm.” 

Brennus knew what was to come, and there was 
nothing he could do about it. It wasn’t time for Darien 
yet. They had to wait until Vortimere took him to the 
stake. “Lift me up,” Vortimere demanded, and as his 
devotees raised him, Vortimere delved his sex deep 
inside of Brennus. The pain was more severe than he 
remembered. He had been untouched then, a virgin. 
He had never so much as kissed another being in a 
passionate way. He knew it wasn’t real, it was only 
psychic pain, but each time Vortimere rammed into 
him, he grunted, biting down into his lip so hard it 
started to bleed. His eyes remained blue, his jaw 
remained closed. He was mortal again. 

It seemed to go on and on with no reprieve, others 
also using him for their pleasure. And then as 
Vortimere tormented his cock, denying him release, 
Brennus began to beg him for pleasure. It was his 
intention all along, of course, and he was reveling in 
it. The disgust, the degradation, the need…in his 
mind he saw an image…a beautiful young man. 
Daeliah…or…was it Darien? He closed his eyes as 
Vortimere began to suck his cock, imagining that 
beauty touching him. That’s what he had done. That’s 
how he had endured it all without losing his mind. 
Vortimere was kissing his thigh now, his arms 
wrapped around his hips blissfully. “Brennus,” he 
moaned. “I love you. I love you. Say you love me. Say 


you’ll come and live with me. I want you.” 

There was venom in his voice when he spoke. “I 
will never love you, you despicable, repugnant old 
man. You have defiled me, and our way of life. Do 
you think I’d ever want to be your lover?” 

The cross around Vortimere’s neck glowed 
brightly, almost blinding him now. He was being 
taken down, dragged across the hilly grass. There it 
was, the stake, waiting for him. “No lover will ever 
again touch your beautiful body, Brennus…no one 
will know that ecstasy besides me. You will 
burn…burn…Brennus…burn!” 

There was madness in his eyes as he tied him to the 
stake. When the fire started, Brennus started to pray, 
but this time it wasn’t to the goddesses of the moon. 
He was chanting the dark words from the Book of the 
Dead in his ancient Celtic. These words were meant to 
rouse Darien’s spirit, bring him into the past so that 
together they could cast Vortimere out forever. 

The flames flicked higher. Brennus swallowed 
something dry in his throat. He couldn’t die like this 
again. He began to chant louder, while Vortimere 
professed his love for him. “Say the word…I’ll put 
out the fire. Be my lover…be my lover, Brennus.” 

The Ankh around Vortimere’s neck began to throw 
off a reflection. It began to float off his chest, turning 
around his throat. He grabbed onto to it, not sure 
what was happening. Darien. 

Darien heard words in his head, ancient words 
Zendle had taught him in that dirty old cabin of his. 
He repeated them in his head, over and over, 


matching the passion and speed of the Celtic script 
Brennus was following. 

The shadows disappeared around Vortimere. He 
was alone. Brennus winced against the flames now 
licking at his calves. The twigs were crackling below 
him, ashes flying up around his head. He coughed, 
licking his dry lips, then began to chant again. 

Vortimere fell on his knee. He looked up into 
Brennus eyes. “You bastard. You cheeky tempter… 
you seducer…you…tricked…tricked me…” Holding 
up a hand, he held his gaze for a moment, then his 
eyes rolled up in his head. His body went slack and 
he fell. 

Oh, great, Brennus thought. Fine. It looked like 
Vortimere was dead, but he was still burning. He 
began to struggle, then, suddenly the body on the 
ground began to move. Brennus gasped as Vortimere 
got to his feet. Nooo! 

“It’s me,” another voice told him, beginning to 
hastily untie the ropes. Brennus jumped over the 
raging pile, burning his hands and his calves in the 
process. He peered at the man in front of him. 
“Darien?” he said in disbelief. 

The figure in front of him nodded. “I’ve taken 
possession of his soul…but not for long. He fought 
hard. The only thing that saved me was that he was 
so distracted by you, he kept losing track of what I 
was doing.” 

Brennus was speechless. He felt something change 
in his body. He was once again a vampire. 

“Look at me,” Darien cried, holding out his arms, 


then grabbing onto the beard, “I’ve got to get out of 
this body.” 

Brennus hugged him close for a minute, then, held 
him away giving him a disparaging look. “Yes, you 
do. Expecting me to make love to that…would be a 
challenge at best.” 

Darien gave him a sarcastic look. “Fine,” he 
snapped, never expecting to actually end up 
exchanging bodies with Vortimere. “Now we need to 
banish the soul before it comes back again. 
Remember?” 

Brennus nodded. He looked up at the sky. 
“Together now, okay? Mother Earth…I ask you to 
cleanse this body of all evil and negative energy.” 
Reaching over and clutching the cross in his hand, he 
and Darien repeated the secret spell that would wipe 
out Vortimere’s spirit forever. 

When it was done, Darien looked up at Brennus 
and smiled. “It’s done. We did it. We did it together.” 

Slowly Vortimere’s face disappeared, replaced by 
Darien’s. The robe fell away from his body as well, 
and disintegrated into the ground. The only thing that 
remained was the Ankh hanging around Darien’s 
neck. “Umm,” Brennus moved his eyes over his 
naked body, “now that’s a vast improvement.” 

Darien gave him a teasing grin. “So, what are you 
going to do about it?” 

He was just about to touch him when everything 
went black. Then suddenly, the candles once again 
illuminated Brennus’ room. Darien stood up from 
where he sat in the corner of the room. Brennus 


embraced him. “I’m glad it’s over,” Brennus said, 
“but I am rather disappointed about one thing.” 

Darien looked up, concerned. “What, my love?” 

“You were naked just a while ago,” he said. 

Darien laughed. “That can be easily remedied. In 
fact,” he said, pulling his T-shirt over his head, “I will 
remedy that right now.” 

Brennus went over to the bed and lay down, 
watching lazily as Darien took off the remainder of 
his clothes. “My witch,” he said softly in the candle lit 
room. 

“Brennus’ witch,” Darien whispered, as he came 
over to the bed and fell on top of him. “How I love 
the sound of that.” 

“You saved me,” Brennus told him, wrapping his 
arms around him. “You’re more powerful than you 
know.” 

“You trusted me,” Darien said, undoing the 
buttons on Brennus’ shirt. “You love me. The power 
came from that. The pain is gone now, baby. He’s 
gone.” 

Brennus smiled. Yes. It felt right suddenly. 

“Now love me. I think I’ve earned it,” Darien 
insisted. 

Brennus moved his hands over Darien’s back. “Ah, 
so you expect payment, do you, Brennus’s witch?” 

Darien covered one of Brennus’ nipples with his 
lips. For a minute he didn’t answer, contented to feel 
his nipple stiffen under the tutelage of his tongue. 
Then, he raised his head with a smile. “You bet…and 
every night until the end of my life.” 


“And if I have anything to do with that,” Brennus 
replied, reaching down to take Darien’s cock in his 
hand, “that will be a lot longer than you expect.” 

 

The End. 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author 

 

 

I 
write not only for my own pleasure, but for the 
pleasure of my readers. I can’t remember a time in 
my life when I haven’t written and told stories. When 
I’m not writing, I’m dreaming about writing, doing 
something wild and adventurous, or trying to make 
the world a better and more open minded place to 
live in. I adore beautiful men, and I know I’m not 
alone in this! Eroticism between consenting adults, in 
all its many forms is the icing on the cake of life!