The Necromancer and the Men Who Love Him

Chapter 1“f**k!” Gage Hawkins cussed softly when he finally arrived at the funeral home in downtown Manhattan and checked the time on his smartphone. “Two minutes.” He parked his bicycle and secured it before rushing into the funeral home. His heavy backpack was sticking uncomfortably to his sweaty shirt, and he grimaced because he could smell himself. Fall in New York wasn’t that warm, but it was a sunny day. Moreover, he had to ride his bicycle as fast as he could because he had a few other deliveries to make before attending classes at New York University later in the afternoon. Fortunately for him, Nancy, the recipient of the urgent documents, was waiting for him in the lobby and she was a generous tipper. Gage thanked Nancy before heading toward the exit with a huge smile on his face. He was one foot away from the door when he heard the tiny tintinnabulation, as faint as fairy bells. Then someone entered the funeral home on a gentle breeze blowing in from the outside. The visitor was a man, dressed in black from head to toe. He was holding a black walking cane with a sharp, pointed edge at the bottom and a big, black butterfly handle on top. He had no noticeable limp. Gage wondered if the cane was more of a fashion statement to grab other people’s attention. Not that it was necessary, because Gage stopped in his tracks and stared. The man was beyond gorgeous. The stranger’s flawless skin appeared to be evenly tanned everywhere, and his short, black hair seemed to glow. The main feature that caused Gage to almost lose his breath, however, was the man’s eyes. He was mesmerized by them. They were light brown in color, and to call them beautiful was a huge understatement. The man was at least seven to eight inches shorter than Gage, who was six feet and two inches tall, and maybe eighty to ninety pounds lighter. Then again, Gage was made up of two hundred and twenty-three pounds of bulky muscles. He identified as bisexual, but he was honestly rarely attracted to other men, both romantically and sexually. He liked women, and s*x with women was awesome, but there were times when he was instantly aroused by men. There was something about this unknown man that Gage simply couldn’t ignore. When the nameless man walked past, Gage was stunned by the scent that wafted toward him. It was something flowery and sweet, yet also woodsy and earthy. The fragrance was refreshing and sexy. It was unlike any that Gage had ever smelled. As a college wrestler who had been offered a scholarship by the university three years ago based on his stellar ability to pummel his opponents into the ground, he’d been up close to many men over the years, both on the mats and in locker rooms, and more often than not, they stank to high heaven. Gage was tempted to follow the man, to at least get a name to go with that pretty face, but he realized that would be creepy. Besides, he had places to go to. Otherwise, he wouldn’t get paid. His employment might even be terminated, and he couldn’t afford that. Living in New York City wasn’t cheap, but Gage really liked it here, and he was determined to succeed in the big city. He didn’t want to go back to his tiny hometown in Missouri. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Gage wanted to prove to his parents and two older brothers that he could make it all by himself in New York City. With that thought in mind, he took one final peek of the man’s back before dashing from the funeral home. He didn’t have any time to waste. He had things to do. * * * * Calian sat on one of the chairs at the back of the room at the funeral home. He knew some people were glancing in his direction, and he could sense their curiosity, but he ignored them all. He wasn’t there for them. Or even the deceased. Calian was there for one specific purpose. He waited patiently until a black butterfly popped into being right next to him. It gently flew toward the front of the room where it hovered above the head of a beautiful young woman for several seconds. Calian knew who she was. Her name was Cynthia. Calian observed as the black butterfly made its way back to him and landed on his lap before disappearing. For the next few moments, he remained in his seat while keeping an eye on his target. He couldn’t make a move. He had to get Cynthia alone. Unfortunately, Cynthia didn’t seem inclined to go anywhere. Calian thought he would have to stay there for hours. He sighed under his breath. He would most likely be bored out of his mind after five minutes. However, his concerns were alleviated when Cynthia abruptly got up and made her way toward the door before exiting from the room. Calian followed her in an instant. He didn’t bother to cloak his presence with his magic. He had to gain her attention. He obtained it when she abruptly stopped walking and turned around to face him. “Who are you? And what do you want from me?” “Calian, and the answer to your second question is nothing.” The woman was obviously taken aback by Calian’s response. “Why are you tailing me then? The men’s restroom is on the other side of the funeral home.” Calian chuckled. “I don’t need to go. I’m actually here to help you out, Cynthia.” Cynthia’s eyes widened. “How do you know my—” “Aren’t you tired of living yet?” Calian interrupted, ignoring Cynthia’s question. “You’re two hundred and thirty-three years old. It’s way past your expiration date.” Cynthia’s surprise morphed into terror. “What are you?” Calian gazed into Cynthia’s eyes. “I’m just a witch with a special talent.” “What’s that?” “Dealing with the souls of those people who should have died many years ago.” Cynthia gasped, but she didn’t utter a single word. Calian maintained a neutral expression as he approached the wall and leaned against it. He didn’t have to keep the supernatural world a secret from Cynthia. She’d been made aware of its existence when the curse on her had begun to take effect. Cynthia had contacted all sorts of magical folks. There were druids, witches, sorceresses, warlocks, and many others, but none of them had been able to help her with the curse. Not that Calian was surprised. He folded his arms across his chest and stared at Cynthia in silence. He could be patient when he needed to. The fear was palpable on Cynthia’s face, but there were resignation and relief there, as well. “Am I allowed to bid farewell to my family before you take me away?” Calian shrugged. “Sure. You have exactly twenty-four hours. I’ll be at your house tomorrow. See you soon.” He left Cynthia standing there and headed toward the main entrance. He hoped Cynthia had the common sense not to make things difficult for herself. She had more than enough problems. However, if she decided to stir up more trouble within the next twenty-four hours, there was nothing Calian could do about it. He would simply have to deal with the aftermath. It was up to Cynthia to decide whether she would obey him willingly. Or otherwise. Regardless of what she chose, there could only be one outcome in the end. * * * * Flynn Hamilton forced himself to smile while discreetly peeking at the time on his smartphone. It was sixteen minutes past eight o’clock in the evening, and he would probably be stuck at the restaurant for another thirty minutes or longer. Fortunately, he had already completed all his homework before leaving the penthouse to have dinner with his parents, Frederick and Georgina, and their esteemed clients. He was grateful to his parents for paying off his college tuition fee every semester, and he was fully aware of how fortunate he’d been to be given a duplex penthouse as a graduation gift straight out of high school four years ago. As much as he enjoyed the delicious food at the restaurant, he wished he could spend more time with his peers during his final semester at New York University instead of schmoozing and networking with his parents at least twice a week. Then again, he might as well get used to it. He was his parents’ only child, and sooner or later, he would inherit their accounting firm before they retired. He suppressed his irritation and continued to act as if everything was wonderful until dinner was over. He and his parents bade farewell to their guests before they settled the bill. “How’s school?” “Great,” Flynn replied calmly when he and his parents walked out of the restaurant a few minutes later. “You should visit us at home more often,” his mother admonished him gently. “Your father and I miss you all the time. We’re worried about you.” “For heaven’s sake, Gina,” Frederick interjected while frowning at his wife. “Flynn is twenty-two years old. He’s a man now. He can take care of himself.” Flynn grinned when his mother rolled her eyes, and he was even more amused when his parents began to bicker in an affectionate manner while they waited for the valets to bring their cars. He was relieved when his car arrived in the next minute or so. As much as he loved his parents, they embarrassed him sometimes with their silly arguments in public. He tipped the valet in a hurry, hugged both of his parents, and quickly got into the car before driving away. The journey back to his penthouse was uneventful, and he heaved a huge sigh when he was finally home. He removed his suit jacket, vest, and tie before plopping onto the couch in the living room and staring up at the ceiling. He had to take a shower before going to bed, but he was too tired to do so. He needed to rest for a while. He was about to shut his eyes when he noticed something moving in his peripheral vision. He turned his head left, and he was taken aback when he caught sight of a black butterfly flitting around. Flynn groaned and made his way toward the sliding doors. He was hoping that the butterfly would feel the breeze outside and get out of his penthouse. It had probably sneaked in when he returned home from the restaurant earlier. He continued to stand outside on the balcony while looking at the butterfly, but it seemed content to remain inside. After a while, Flynn gave up, but he decided to stay out for a bit. The air was refreshing, and it was fun to count the people strolling past the building seven floors below him, either individually or in groups. Then Flynn heard the soft ringing of bells, and he was taken aback when a man stopped right outside his building and glanced upward. Their eyes met, and Flynn was stunned. The stranger had short black hair, and those eyes, even from such a distance away, were absolutely beautiful. Flynn couldn’t be one hundred percent positive what their color was, though. The other thing that he found attractive in the stranger was the man’s build. The nameless man had to be quite a lot shorter and lighter than Flynn who was six feet, three inches tall and weighed two hundred and forty-one pounds of firm, bulky muscles. He was the captain of the wrestling team at New York University, so he had to be powerful and muscular. However, he was aware that he preferred a partner who was smaller in stature and build than him. Time appeared to be frozen, and neither of them made a move for what felt like the next several hours, but Flynn had no doubt that less than a minute had passed. He had no idea what the man was doing down there, but he was astonished when the black butterfly flew past his right ear and glided downward until it was close to the unknown man. The butterfly circled the man’s head over and over again before it landed on the tip of the stranger’s right ear. Then the man smiled while lifting what appeared to be a walking cane off the ground, and Flynn’s heart pounded faster and harder at the enticing sight. The nameless man was even more good-looking with that expression on his face, and Flynn was completely enchanted. He was more than a little disappointed when the unknown man walked away after that. Just his bad luck. Maybe someday he would have another encounter with him and they’d get the chance to converse then. In the meantime, he had to shower and get ready for bed. His first class the next morning would begin at eight, and he couldn’t afford to be late because the professor would lock the door. No latecomers. Flynn threw one last wistful glance downward before making his way back inside. No point in loitering outside.