Was that really a two-headed poodle?

  Gil spun on his heels and crossed the main street and found himself standing on a large sprawl of grass that surrounded a black lake.

  A black lake.

  “Where the fuck am I?” Gil removed his jacket, sweat pouring down his back and scalp. He even took off his shirt and then rolled the sleeves of his thermal up his arms.

  When he drew closer to the lake, he noticed the surface was undisturbed by ripples. Then again, there wasn’t a breeze. He picked up a pebble and threw it into the water. It didn’t splash. The water didn’t move, but the tiny rock had disappeared.

  “I told you we needed to talk,” Wayland said from behind him. “I wanted to explain things before you came out here and discovered that Serenity City wasn’t so…normal.”

  Gil turned and gaped at Wayland. “The water didn’t move. Why didn’t the water move?”

  “It’s a lake, but not,” Wayland said, leaving Gil even more confused.

  “How is a lake not a lake?”

  “It’s a portal to the human realm.” Wayland had managed to say that with a straight face. The skin under Gil’s eye twitched.

  “Say that again?”

  “You’re not in the human realm, Gil.”

  “Then where am I?” Did he really want to know? All Gil’s life he’d wished that a more interesting world than his own existed, that werewolves and goblins were just as real as he was. But now that he stood on the platform of fantasy, ready to board the crazy train, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to get on.

  Wayland took Gil’s hand. Gil didn’t bother to pull away. He felt as if Wayland was the only real thing in this place, and he clung to that belief for fear of going completely insane.

  “You’re in the demon realm, Gil.”

  Wayland spoke the words softly, as if he were talking to a small child. Gil started to tremble as he looked around. One of the basketball players had horns. Another was slightly blue. One guy held his arms out, palms up, and then fire shot upward from them.

  Gil quickly gazed at his feet. Had he been fatally injured in that attack and this was some strange purgatory? He wasn’t sure what to think as he stood there trying to make sense of everything.

  He slowly lifted his head to stare up at Wayland. “What are you?”

  “I’m a demon warrior,” Wayland said. “I was born to protect the demon realm, but for a very long time, my protection has extended to the human realm as well.”

  Gil snatched his hand away. “So you’re telling me there’s more to life than the mundane, that there’s real magic in the world, and there’s more than humans walking the planet?”

  Wayland nodded.

  Gil grinned. “Shut the front door!”

  Wayland cocked his head to the side, frowning. “You’re not going to have a meltdown?”

  “A meltdown?” Was the guy kidding? “My entire life I never belonged. Do you know how badly I’ve craved for something like this? And you’re telling me all of this is really, really, real? Hell no, I’m not going to freak out. I want you to show me everything,” Gil said with a laugh.

  Wayland scratched at his beard. “I guess that’s all right, but didn’t you say you had to call your mom?”

  How had Gil forgotten? “Can I get phone reception in this place, and will I be charged an exorbitant amount of money for calling between realms?”

  Wayland pulled out his phone and handed it to Gil. “Not sure. Never had problems with my phone, so you can use it.”

  “I’ll use mine,” Gil said as the excitement continued to build inside him. “I’m dying to see how Verizon charges me for this.” He just hoped he didn’t end up owing thousands of dollars for one phone call to his mom.

  It rang once before she answered. “Oh my goodness, Gizmo! Where are you? You’ve been missing for three days. I called the cops and filed a missing person report, and your brothers and I are climbing the walls with worry.”

  He highly doubted Ferguson was climbing any walls, and she didn’t mention his father. Had he expected the man to change just because Gil had gone missing? Nope.

  “Mom, you’re never going to believe where I am.” Gil squeaked just before Wayland snatched the phone from his hand.

  Wayland shook his head. “You can’t tell her any of this, understand?”

  “No,” Gil said. He heard his mother shouting his name on the other end. “Why can’t I tell her?”

  “Because we’ve kept our existence a secret from the humans. I can’t have you blabbering to your mom about any of this.”

  Gil didn’t like it, but he nodded his agreement. He was too afraid that if he didn’t do as Wayland asked, he’d be booted out. “Okay, not a word. I promise.”

  He wasn’t sure what to say now. What would he tell his mother about his disappearance? He placed the phone back to his ear after Wayland handed it to him. “I’m here, Mom. I was on my way to your house when…when…Mayor Brac needed my help. It was an urgent matter that I’m not allowed to talk about, but I’ll tell you what I can when I see you.”

  “But I spoke with him and the mayor assured me every effort to find you would be taken. Why would he lie to me when he saw how beside myself I was?”

  Dang it. Gil should’ve used someone else. “I’m sure he feels bad about that, but like I said, it’s top secret. I’ll be home soon.” Gil looked up at Wayland and the man nodded. “I’m sorry you were so worried. I love you, Mom.”

  “Just as long as you’re okay,” she said. “I don’t like this, but I’m just glad you’re not hurt.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Okay, I love you, too, honey bunch. But when you get here, I want more answers. Understood?”

  “I understand.” Gil ended the call. Wayland looked as though he was struggling not to grin. “You heard that?”

  The man nodded. “I sure did, honey bunch.”

  Gil scowled. “Don’t call me that. Only my mom can call me that. Besides, that coming from a guy is just weird.”

  “So I’m getting the impression you’re not gay.” Wayland began to walk away from the lake, so Gil followed, taking in everything this city had to offer. He couldn’t tell Wayland the truth about his sexuality. Not if Gil didn’t want his dad to find out.

  “No, but if you’re gay, that’s cool. I don’t judge.” Gil stopped when he saw the guy with the poodle. “Does that dog really have two heads?”

  “He does,” Wayland said. “And they have two different personalities and two different names.”

  Gil raced toward the poodle with reckless confidence before squatting down in front of the fluffy dog and holding out both hands for a sniff. “Can I pet him?”

  “Them,” the man corrected with a generous smile.

  Gil swallowed when he saw fangs. “You’re a vampire.”

  The man’s grin grew. “Very astute. Did my sharp teeth give it away?” He stuck his hand out. “I’m Peter.”

  Gil shook it. “Gilmore Flanagan, but you can call me Gil.”

  “Well, Gil, this is Mitzy and Mickey. One is female, the other male.”

  Gil was simply astonished. He had a thousand questions on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t want to get too personal. They were strangers, after all. So he kept his lips sealed as he petted both heads. The dog…err…dogs yelped as they wagged their tail.

  “As much as I love to see them happy, I really need to get going,” Peter said. “I hope to see you around again, Gil.”

  Gil said good-bye as Peter walked off.

  “Ready for the full tour?” Wayland asked.

  Gil bounced on his heels as he grinned. “Blow my mind away.”

  An hour later, Gil was even more exhausted than before and needed to lie down somewhere, but he wasn’t ready to end his tour just yet. Not only had Serenity City fascinated him beyond belief, but so had Wayland.

  Chapter Three

  “I had a great time.” Gil used his key to open the door to his apartment. His hand shook, and for a moment Wayland thought he would have to take the keys and do it himself.

  “You showed me things I never thought possible,” Gil went on chattering as he finally got the door open and stepped inside. “And that dinner at Malcor’s Melting Pot was phenomenal. So was the shake at Jake’s Java. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten that much in such a short span of time. My belly hurts because it’s so full.” Gill patted his flat stomach. “I’m still shocked they accepted a credit card as payment.”

  Under any other circumstance, Wayland would walk away from such a chatterbox. People who droned on and on made his teeth grind. But with Gill, he somehow didn’t mind so much. Wayland stood at the door, resting his arm against the wood frame.

  Gil was flushed as he turned and grinned. “I really want to thank you for showing me all that. I promise not to tell anyone. I’ll just have to come up with something more believable when I go see my mom tomorrow.”

  So far the young man hadn’t invited him in. Wayland decided to take matters into his own hands. “Do you mind if I use your bathroom?”

  “Oh, sure!” Gil waved him in before closing the door. They stood in a small foyer, with a closet to the right and a door next to it. Since the door was open, Wayland was able to see it led to a bedroom. The bathroom was straight ahead, and next to that was another door he assumed led to another closet. The living room was to his left, and beyond that he saw a kitchen. The place wasn’t very big, not like Wayland’s apartment.

  But it was cozy. Wayland leaned to his left and saw a sectional in the living room, a desk, a stand with a small flat-screen, and a coffee table littered with takeout food.

  “As you can see”—Gil pointed ahead.—“the bathroom is right there.”

  “Thanks.” Wayland stepped inside and felt too big for the tiny room. A tub stood to his left with the sink and toilet behind it. He chuckled when he glanced at the shower curtain.

  After spending the evening with Gil, Wayland didn’t expect he’d be the type to have a shower curtain with a print of kittens playing with balls of string

  He didn’t really have to go, so Wayland poked around, waiting the right amount of time before he turned on the faucet and washed his hands. He glanced through the medicine cabinet to see shaving cream, cologne, dental-hygiene stuff, and a small container of breath mints.

  Wayland shut the water off and exited the shoebox.

  “All good?”

  Gil stood exactly where he’d been when Wayland went into the bathroom, minus the messenger bag. Wayland saw that on the couch.

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  They stood in awkward silence, one waiting for the other to say something.

  Gil sighed and smiled. “Would you like some hot chocolate? That’s the only thing I have to drink, besides water.”

  It was Wayland’s chance to hang around a little while longer, to investigate that funny fluttering in his chest. “Sounds good.”

  “You can settle on the couch while I make it.” Gil spun and walked to the kitchen while Wayland took a seat. Under the stand where the television sat was a row of movies. He got up to inspect them and saw that most were horror films.

  “I don’t know why I have those,” Gil said as he returned, with a cookie in his hand. For a skinny guy, the man could eat. “I’m scared of those movies, yet I force myself to watch them.”

  “Why?”

  “The rush,” Gil confessed. “The heart-pounding rush I get at seeing things that go bump in the night.”

  An idea struck Wayland. “You wanna watch one with me?”

  The thought of cozying up to the young man appealed to Wayland. Gil joined him by the television, and Wayland moved just a little closer until their bodies nearly touched. The tension of wanting to run his hands over Gil was intriguing. Wayland usually took care of his needs at Diablo’s, where he could find plenty of strippers and skanks. No guy there had ever turned him down. Not that he looked at Gil as an easy lay.

  He’d never had to work for a piece of ass before, and being subtle was both nerve-wracking and pulse-pounding. And going after a straight man? He had to be insane. Wayland didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell with Gil, yet he couldn’t make himself leave or give up so easily.

  “This one always terrifies me.” Gil came away with a movie in his hand. The Ring. “Have you seen it?”

  “Can’t say that I have.”

  “Oh, the milk!” Gil shoved the movie at him and rushed into the kitchen. Wayland studied the DVD player and figured the thing out enough to power it on and insert the disc. The mechanics conquered, he took a seat in the corner section of the couch and got comfortable.

  Gil returned a minute later with two mugs. He set them next to a Styrofoam container and used packets of soy sauce before he took a step back. “I’m gonna go get these thermals off. I’m sweating like crazy.”

  Wayland watched him hurry to his bedroom and groaned at the thought of Gil being naked in there.

  A moment later, Gil came out and took a seat one cushion down from Wayland. Damn. The guy hadn’t cozied up to him.

  “This is my mom’s recipe.” Gil handed a mug to him. “I’ve been drinking it since I was old enough to hold a cup.”

  “How old are you?” Wayland blew across the top of the mug, scattering the steam. The hot chocolate smelled delicious.

  “Twenty-one.”

  “But you said a fall could be fatal to someone your mom’s age. She can’t be that old if you’re just twenty-one.”

  “She had me late in life. But not my brothers. Ferguson is thirty-eight, and Rafferty is thirty-five. I might as well have been an only child since they were adults by the time I was a teenager. They never really had time for me because they were so busy with building their lives.” Sadness moved behind Gil’s eyes.

  Gil grabbed his mug and settled back. “But enough about me. Where exactly is the demon realm? I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be anywhere on Google Maps.”

  Wayland chuckled at Gil’s constant chatter. “It’s beyond a veil.”

  “Seriously?” He seemed to ponder that as he curled his feet under him and faced Wayland, clutching his mug. “Makes sense. Are there any other kinds of veils?”

  “The fairy veil.” Wayland took a sip of his drink. Damn. It was probably the best hot chocolate he’d ever tasted. The flavor was rich and smooth, with just a hint of cinnamon. He noticed Gil’s cup had tiny marshmallows floating on top.

  “Fairies?” Gil’s eyes widened and began to sparkle with excitement. “Tell me we can go there next.”

  “Sorry.” Wayland set his mug on the cluttered table. “You can only access it if you’re a fairy, which I am not.”

  Gil’s eyes raked over Wayland, making Wayland’s body tighten. “No, you certainly aren’t.”

  For a straight guy, Gil gave off some pretty heavy vibes. Wayland was getting mixed signals. Was the young man gay or not? Could he be a closet case? Just as long as he wasn’t truly heterosexual, Wayland could work at luring him out of the closet.

  “Are we going to watch this movie?” To test the waters, he reached over and tugged on Gil’s hand. “Better get close so you won’t be so scared.”

  “Good idea.” Gil set his mug down and curled into Wayland’s side. No straight boy would ever do that. He slid his arm around Gil’s slender shoulders and pulled the human closer. Gil went willingly.

  As the first scary part played out, Gil covered his face and squeaked. He turned into Wayland, and Wayland fastened his arms around him.

  “I can’t believe you’re really afraid of this.” Wayland had seen a lot worse in his lifetime. If he’d been in that room with that crab-crawling thing, he would’ve choked the shit out of her before cutting her damn head off.

  “It’s more creepy than scary,” Gil said into Wayland’s side. “Is that part over yet?”

  Wayland wanted to say no so Gil would stay where he was, but he said, “Yeah, it’s over, scaredy-cat.”

  Gil shoved at him. “Don’t pick on me.”

  The young man wasn’t teasing. He was dead serious. His eyes were narrowed and his voice had been dangerously quiet. “I was just trying to lighten the mood,” Wayland explained. “I meant nothing by it.”

  Why had Gil reacted in such a negative way? This human had more to him than Wayland had thought, and Wayland was intrigued enough to want to stick around and peel back those layers.

  * * * *

  Gil really was afraid of the movie, but it gave him the opportunity to get closer to the demon without the man trying to make any moves. An arm over the shoulder was nice. And Wayland smelled fantastic. All evening Gil had hung on every word Wayland spoke, enthused about being in a demon realm, but enchanted with the demon himself.

  The pep talk he’d given himself in Wayland’s bedroom had flown out the window after spending some time with the demon. Gil was completely fascinated by the guy and was glad Wayland hadn’t just dropped him off and left.

  You’re treading dangerous waters. You better be careful about this. If Dad finds out….

  He knew the bathroom excuse hadn’t been real. His toilet flushed so loudly that it could wake the dead. Gil had asked his landlord more than once about getting it fixed. He hadn’t heard it when Wayland was in there. The demon had lied, but why?

  To spend more time with Gil?

  He hoped so. But the movie was coming to an end and Gil couldn’t come up with a reason for Wayland to stay. He wasn’t giving up the goods, but he didn’t want this night to end so quickly.

  “I see you liked the chocolate,” Gil said when Wayland set his empty mug on the table. He hadn’t had a chance to clean before heading to his mom’s, and the leftover stuff on the table needed to be thrown out. He should’ve done that while Wayland had been in the bathroom, but Gil had been too excited about having a demon in his apartment to think.

  He’d clean later.

  “I have to give your mom props,” Wayland said. “That was great.”

  “Hey.” Gil poked the demon in his ribs. “I deserve some credit.”