Fifteen

 The limo pulled up to the curb.

I sat in the middle of the wide seat. Dana was to my right, drinking down the last of her whiskey. I couldn’t hide my smile as she almost bounced in her seat, eager to get the night going. She spent most of the day talking about tonight, and trying on different clothes. When the sun set, she finally came out in sheer leather pants, a ripped up black shirt, black eye-liner, black lipstick, and several silver chains hanging from around her neck. Bats with folded wings earrings hung from her ears. Black leather boots completed her look.

I turned my attention to Beth as she leaned onto me, her arm around my waist. Beth wore something a little more conservative than her sister’s outfit, but just as bold in another way. She wore a long, black dress with lace along the wrists. Ruffled lace accentuated her large bosom, drawing my eyes, and anyone else looking, to her deep cleavage.

Beth snuggled closer. She took in my scent like it was ambrosia.

I was wearing a silky black, collared shirt. I had a few of the top buttons opened, much to Dana’s request so it would show off some of my collar bones and chest. Black jeans covered my legs, and black leather shoes were on my feet. I had to wave away Dana’s advances of gothic jewelry. I was fine with what I had on and didn’t need to draw any more attention than needed.

Harold stepped outside from driver’s seat. I watched him through the black, tinted glass as he made his way around to the door closest to the curb. Beth sat up and Dana continued to bounce in her seat. Harold reached the door, took hold, and opened it.

Dana was first to step out. I was next and Beth followed. Once we were outside, we were greeted with lights, laughing, and thumping vibrations.

I smirked as I stood before the main entrance to The Laughing Gargoyle. The establishment did indeed have a stone gargoyle in front, complete with sunglasses, various chains, and a lit cigar in its partially open maw. A thick line of people stood along the block, talking, and laughing as colored spotlights framed the entrance, their lights stabbing into the dark sky.

The front of the club had a gothic cathedral appearance. The stone looked weathered from either the elements or too many party nights. It looked almost like an ancient, converted bank. Several large bouncers stood at the entrance, checking tablets as they let in a few party people at a time.

My cousins moved to either side of me, hands and arms touching my arms as we became a single force.

“Remember, we’re here to talk to Theo, and invite him to the coven,” I reminded my cousins.

“Can we still have a good time?” Dana asked with a smile.

I smiled. “I don’t see why not, as long as we take care of what we came to do.”

Dana grinned and squeezed my arm.

“I’ll be waiting across the street. Call me if you need anything,” Harold said in a dark tone.

“We will. Thank you, Harold,” I said as I looked at the club entrance.

I took a step forward and the three of us moved as one to the stairs. As we climbed the steps, a few people at the front of the line gave us dirty looks. I quickly ignored them, my mind drifting to my mother. She seemed happy that we were going out, but I could tell, behind her beautiful features, she didn’t want me to go. Her hand trembled as we left the castle, as if to reach out and snatch me back into her arms. I wasn’t sure it was because she needed me to feed, or she simply was uncomfortable being so far from her. I tried to reassure her that we would be fine. Harold was not only our limo drive, but he was a skilled bodyguard. Despite all of that, it could have been her overwhelming love to keep me close.

It had been years since I travelled around the world, living a decadent lifestyle of learning the dark arts and visiting many parties. When my mother grew ill, it all meant nothing as I returned to her and stayed by her side to the very end.

I pushed away the dark memories as we approached the bouncers. They were large brutish men in black. One of them looked down at a tablet and cleared his throat. The others immediately stood tall and beamed welcoming smiles at me and my cousins. When we reached the top, all of them bowed, ignoring everyone else on line.

“Lord Umbra, welcome to the Laughing Gargoyle. We have been expecting you. Please come inside. You will be escorted to your party,” a bouncer smiled.

I simply nodded, used to the extra attention when you come from family and power. The doors opened as people on the line began talking to each other. Their snide looks melted away as they were instantly curious as to who we were and how easily we entered the famed club.

Two bouncers flanked us as we entered. Dana continued to smile. Beth looked around with a happy gaze. Thick velvet curtains were pulled aside as a storm of music and light blasted our senses.

The main room to the club was enormous with vaulted ceilings. Lights swiveled and stabbed with changing colors into the crowd. The music carried a deep beat, pulsating against our very bones. The crowd was whipped into a frenzy, dancing and carrying on like it was last night on earth.

For a brief moment, it did feel like I was home again. The beats and sounds washed over me and I wanted nothing more to bask in it. Duty did call, but after business was concluded, there was no reason to rush back home just yet.

A platform took up a corner of the immense room. It was above the crowd. There was a bar underneath, serving drinks. A staircase was against the wall that led up to the second floor. The bouncers guided us through the crowd, gently pushing dancing people away to make room for us. We reached the bottom of the stairs. Two bouncers stood like angry golems. One of them unhooked a velvet rope and bowed.

We made our way up the stairs and onto the second floor. I looked over the glass railing along the second floor to the party. Hands and bodies bounced to the beat as they almost seemed to want to grab at us like we were angels above them.

I turned away from the railing and looked at sea of leather couches, seats, and small tables. The second floor was sparsely populated and almost everyone there was by the bar against the wall, talking to each other like it was a normal night at the pub. Neon lights ran along almost every edge, pink and purple lights glowing to the beat.

Two figures stepped out from a shadowy corner and approached. I turned to the two figures. One of them was someone I didn’t recognize. She was similarly dressed like Dana, but had dark circles under her eyes like she never slept. Eyeliner was smudged and a spiked collar graced her thin neck. She was thin, almost emaciated. Next to her was a face I recognized from my childhood.

“It has been a long time,” Theo said as he looked at me with a bowed head.

“It has. Good to see you,” I smiled.

Theo looked the same, except taller. He was very thin and had a nervous aura around him. He was wearing fashionable clothes, but even the clothes couldn’t hide the natural fear in his gray eyes. As far back as I could remember, he was always nervous. His mother, Aunt Violet, always had a strong personality, and often berated him in public and in private. When she passed years ago, I thought for a moment at the funeral he would be overjoyed that she was gone. Instead, he wept like a part of his soul had died.

Theo nodded and glanced at the woman beside him. “Meet Nina, my assistant.”

“Charmed,” I said with a smile.

Nina nodded, her face a dripping mask of neutrality.

“Nina, these are my cousins from back home. Make sure they have everything they want or need.”

“Of course, Theo,” Nina said with a blooming smile.

Beth and Dana uncurled their arms from me and stepped closer to Theo and Nina.

Beth was first to speak, “I think we all need some drinks.”

“And maybe some medicine,” Dana nodded and winked.

Nina nodded and pointed to the bar. “We have everything you could ask for. Let’s gather some supplies.”

The three women walked toward the bar and I was left alone with my cousin.

“Care to sit?” Theo asked.

I simply nodded. The two of us moved to a couch, table, and a chair. I sat on the couch as Theo sat in the single, leather chair.

“I was surprised to get a text from Beth, saying you were staying at the castle for a time,” Theo began.

“We were keeping it lowkey. It’s a small getaway to relax and take in what Ireland has to offer.”

I looked around at the party, lights, and music. “You’re doing well for yourself.”

Theo nodded. “It’s okay. It keeps me busy so I don’t have to think about too many things.”

A moment of silence filled the area between us. I wasn’t sure what to say. How do I start a conversation about asking my cousin to join a blood coven and raise his dead mother?

“What really brings you out here?” Theo asked with nervous eyes.

My cousin was the nervous type, but he wasn’t stupid.

“I wanted to speak to you about bringing your mother back from the afterlife,” I said simply.

Theo’s expression didn’t change as he kept his gaze to the table. “Did you do it already? Did you bring back your mother? I remember that your family had the Libro De Nocte. I knew it was only a matter of time before you would use the dark ritual to bring her back.”

“If I did, would that bother you?”

Theo looked to the side. “No. I always admired your strength. You could do things I never could. My mother passed years ago. When the year anniversary arrived, I knew I could ask you to use the book to bring her back from the Dreamlands. I…” Theo trailed off.

“Would it help to tell you that it is more than just bringing her back? I started something that could change the world. We just need to bring you into the coven and summon your mother from the dreamlands.”

Theo shook his head. “They gave us instructions to never summon them back to this world. Dana and Beth are here, so it’s safe to assume that their mother is back as well. Why are you going against their wishes? They wanted to stay in the dreamlands, to serve the dark gods. That is our family’s destiny. Why disrupt what they wanted?”

I leaned back on the couch. I looked at my cousin, a conflict in his eyes. He was waging some internal battle and I wasn’t sure why. He was just like all of us, growing up with dark knowledge and duties to spread the dark word to others. He is bred and true to our family line. It was almost like he was having one, last desperate fight against what runs in our blood.

“Because, when I brought my mother back, she was not only elated, but spoke to our true family purpose. We are losing the war and the dark gods have placed knowledge in our mothers to turn the tide.”

Theo blinked slowly. “You started a blood coven. That is why Dana and Beth were hanging on you as you came in. They have already bound themselves to you.”

I nodded. “We can still do our work to change the tide, but Rose and Lily want their sister back. They miss her terribly and…I know you miss her too.”

“I have a life here. I have people who depend on me. I bring joy to thousands of people. If I give that up, their worlds will crumble.”

I smiled. “You know that is not the truth. They will move on to the next party and your parties will be a forgotten dream. We have a chance to do what the rest of family are too afraid to do.”

I sat up a little straighter as I looked at my cousin. “I want you as part of the coven. I think it will help you in many different ways, and help us achieve greatness. As you know, it’s your choice, but I would like you to join us on this holy quest.”

Theo’s eyes widened a little. “You are giving me a choice to join? You’re not forcing it on me?”

My eyebrow raised. “Why would I force you?”

Theo was about to say something when Nina, Dana, and Beth returned. Drinks were placed on the table. A silver tray filled with a mountain of white powder was placed in the middle of the table. Metal straws laid around the powder, as did an assortment of pills.

Dana licked her lips as she picked up a metal straw and snorted up a line of powder. A happy shout struck the air as my thin cousin turned her demonic gaze on Theo.

“Such good stuff,” Dana said with a devilish grin.

Theo looked down. “Only the best for my parties.”

Dana held the metal straw to Theo and stepped closer. “Have some.”

“I don’t partake when I’m running a party,” Theo said.

Dana’s eyes narrowed. “I said, have some.”

Nina looked on with blank eyes. Beth took a sip of her drink. I picked up my drink and took a sip of whiskey.

Theo looked away and made no move to take the straw. Dana’s eyes narrowed before she stabbed a finger into the white powder and lifted some to Theo’s face. He looked away as she brought it closer to his nose. Dana’s other hand grabbed at his hair and held him in place, the powered finger an inch from his nose.

“I said have some. Don’t fight me. I know what’s good for you. Take it and make me happy,” Dana said with a harsh whisper.

I watched with intrigued eyes. Dana liked to be bossy. It was something Theo confessed to me one time in our youth. I think he had forgotten he told me, as he acted like it never happened. When Dana was around, he followed her around like a lost puppy and she took full advantage of him. At family gatherings, I often caught her talking down to him and he whimpered like a beaten animal.

“What about my happiness,” Theo said in a small voice, unable to look up at Dana.

“What about it?” Dana growled. “Take your medicine or I’ll shove your whole face in it and make you lick it up.”

Theo looked up at Dana. Something broke in his gaze. He leaned forward and snorted the bump off her finger.

“There. I know you’re happy, and I’m happy,” Dana said as she sat on the chair’s armrest her arm draped over Theo’s shoulders.

Beth leaned against my side and took a long sip from her drink. I glanced at Nina and she simply watched us with her blank gaze.

Theo looked at me before looking up to his assistant. “Nina, give us some time. Make sure our guests are having a good time.”

Nina nodded and walked off.

When Nina was gone, I spoke up. “I don’t expect an answer right away. You have some time to think about it. We will be staying at the castle for a while.”

Dana looked down on Theo. “You didn’t already say yes?”

Theo kept his gaze down as his eyes widened. I could see the drug taking effect, Theo’s gaze growing a little wider.

“You can be such a disappointment,” Dana huffed before taking a straw and snorting up a line from the tray.

I held my drink close to my lips and watched my cousins. Dana pulled her head back and laughed. She wiped at her nose and looked at me with mischievous eyes. Beth’s hand touched my leg. Fingers ran along my thigh as she continued to sip from her drink.

The mood had shifted and took on a hazy edge. My body began to relax as the music thumped. For some reason, the outside world became muted, and all I could see was my family before me. It licked at my mind, heart, and soul. I missed my mother, but this moment was a dreamy replacement for the time being.

“Theo,” Dana said as she leaned on him and ran her fingers through his hair. “Why didn’t you jump at the chance to join us? One happy family, just like what you always wanted.”

My cousin remained silent.

Dana looked at me and Beth, and grinned. “He told me all his secrets when I demanded them. All of those wicked thoughts and dreams. He’s so afraid of everything, until he is on his knees and begging. You begged me to stop, but we both know you never wanted me to stop. You never want me to stop.”

“Dana…please,” Theo whispered.

“Please what? We’re all family here. Gerald is leading our family now and you didn’t say yes right away? I thought you would beg to be part of our coven, ready to serve on your knees.”

I glanced up to the bouncers at the top the stairs. They looked over with watchful eyes.

“Theo, tell them we are fine,” I instructed.

Theo gave me a timid nod before turning his head and looked past Dana’s back to the bouncers.

“We’re fine,” Theo said simply.

The bouncers nodded, but continued to look over with wary eyes.

Dana glanced at the bouncers and then back down on Theo. “There must be a place we can talk in private?”

Theo nodded and slowly stood up. He turned and walked to a door not far from the bar. I stood up. Beth stood up and grabbed our drinks. Dana scooped up the tray and walked like a 1950’s waitress at a diner. We all followed Theo to the door. He opened it and stepped aside so we could enter.

The room was covered in warm, crimson red velvet, from the couches to the rug and along the walls. A woman in a suit stood behind a small bar. She stood straighter as we came in. The center of the room had comfortable red couches. Lamps dotted the room, giving it a dim warmth. A small table stood in the middle of the cluster of couches. The loud music thumped as the door closed, but it took on a distance that allowed us to carry on a conversation.

“My private entertainment chamber,” Theo said in a low tone.

Dana sauntered in and placed the tray on the table. She snorted another line and giggled to herself.

“If these walls could talk,” Dana said as she licked her black lips.

I sat down on the wide, middle couch. Beth sat next to me, curled her legs underneath her and leaned on my shoulder. Theo sat on another couch and Dana plopped down next to him, her mouth wide with a toothy smile.

I glanced to the bartender and she gave me a nervous look.

“She can be trusted,” Theo said as if reading my mind.

“We should continue our conversation,” Dana said before she licked Theo’s ear.

Theo bowed his head. “How…are they like? Are they different?”

I smiled. “They are different, but they are also the same. Maybe we should arrange a visit?”

Dana giggled and laughed. “Theo would be overjoyed. He would bow at their feet and kiss their toes,” she said as if he wasn’t there.

I watched as Theo struggled with himself. Dana leaned on our cousin. Her smile was wide and her eyes barely blinking. Her hips moved slightly as she sat next to Theo, and I knew she was fighting her desires. It was only a matter of time before she gave in to them, and secretly, I wanted to witness it. Dana was always the wild cousin who liked to push her limits. Tonight, was about relaxing and talking, but I always knew Dana’s relaxation was letting her true self out.

I turned my gaze to the woman behind the bar. I could feel the bartender trying to listen in as she tended to drinks behind it. My own paranoia slipped into my thoughts and knew we had to be able to speak freely, despite Theo’s trust of his staff.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tend to us. You may leave,” I said across the room to the bartender.

The bartender shifted her gaze to the back of Theo’s head. He turned around and gave her a weak nod. The bartender nodded and made a hasty exit, closing the private room door behind her.

“She truly could be trusted,” Theo said in a small voice.

I nodded. “I know, but I thought it was would be easier for all us to talk without any prying eyes.”

Theo gave a weak nod.

Dana licked her lips and looked at Theo, “Have some more, or maybe something else to calm your nerves.”

“Dana…I can’t,” Theo said.

I decided I needed to move the conversation along. “Cousin, are you happy?”

Theo looked at me and his lips parted. The room was silent as no words came spilling out. Instead, Theo closed his lips and looked away.

Dana’s brow formed a hard V. “This is what’s so infuriating about you! You hide and run, even with family here. You have a choice to be part of something that will change the world and you whimper like some weakling.”

Dana’s crazed eyes turned to me and an evil smile formed. “Theo never told anyone how much he wanted to suck your dick. He has been attracted to you since we were kids. He only told me because I made him tell me.”

“Dana!” Theo hissed.

Dana looked at him, a boiling rage behind her eyes. “It’s the truth. Our coven is freedom. We can be anything we want, as long as we serve Gerald and the dark gods. You should be honored that were here and begging us to join!”

My eyebrow lifted. I had always suspected, but was never sure. Theo liked to hang out with me when he could, but I had no idea he was attracted to me.

“Is this true?” I asked plainly.

Shadows covered Theo’s eyes as he bowed his head.

I smiled. “It’s okay if it’s true. If you joined our coven, you would be free to be yourself.”

Theo’s head snapped up like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It stabbed at him, breaking down walls that always encircled his soul.

The hazy feeling, I felt before, began to glow with velvet light. I felt like I was sinking deeper into the couch. The drink swirled in my belly and bled into my mind. I felt free, like my very spirit was going to hover above my body.

Beth snuggled closer, her hand resting on my leg. My head turned and I looked at her. Her eyes behind her glasses held a yearning that I found difficult to ignore.

Dana scooped up some white powder from the tray and held it before Theo. Her hand grabbed at his hair and pushed his nose closer to it.

“I want us to keep having fun,” my cousin said it more like a threat than a statement.

Theo looked past the white powder, our gazes connecting. “Gerald, I can truly be free?”

My head made a slow nod as the room began to shift around me. Reality began bending and vibrating to different energies. I was finding it harder and harder to concentrate, but his words lingered in my mind.

“Theo, if you join us, you would be free to be anything you want, as long as you serve,” I said as my voice came out dark.

My cousin stared at me for a long moment before he pushed his nose into the powder and took a deep inhale. Powder covered the bottom of his nose as he sat back. Dana snuggled closer to him. She took a deep inhale before licking the rest off her fingers.

The mood shifted into wanting perversions and urges. I could barely concentrate as the haze deepened.

Dana looked at Theo. “Go ahead, take it out. Remember how you wanted to show your true self.”

Beth and I watched as Theo undid his pants. The drug fueled his bravery. The nervous trembles fell away as he looked at us, looked at me. When his pants were opened, his cock nearly sprang into the air. It throbbed as he took hold of it. Slowly, he began to stroke it while his gaze remained on me.

Beth writhed against me as she watched Theo stroke himself.

I leaned a little closer to her ear. “Undo my pants and sit on my lap.”

Beth didn’t hesitate as she took hold of my belt and undid it. She then pulled open my pants and my own member stood up, free from its confinement. Beth looked down with hungry eyes as she stood up. She faced her back to me, reached down and took hold of her dress. She pulled it up, revealing her thick thighs. When the dress reached her waist, I looked down to her bare ass. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath. Wetness dripped down her inner thighs as she gently pushed her ass to me and sat down. My cock was snuggled between her ass cheeks and she moved against me. Her breathing deepened as she didn’t look back. She watched as Theo stroked himself. Dana enjoyed the show.

The hard edges of the room began to waver. I felt like I was falling deeper and deeper into a dream. It wasn’t just Theo who felt freedom, but all of us. Beth shifted and took hold of my member. She pressed the tip to her dripping valley. Her body sank down an inch and she let out a heated sigh. I felt her take every inch until she slid down to the hilt. Her hands touched my knees and she moved slowly as she watched Theo stroke his cock.

“Fuck,” Beth whispered as she moved on me, never breaking the connection.

Dana giggled like a demoness. “We can have this all the time. Join our coven. Be part of us and I’ll let you come on my tits like the perverted monster you are.”

“Dana…please…don’t ruin this for me,” Theo seethed as he was getting closer.

Dana’s eyes half closed. “You like when I ruin you, just like your mother. She ruined your self-esteem and your self-worth. You always liked it when I picked on you and made you come. I loved watching you whimper as come dripped from your dick and onto the floor while I laughed at you. It turns you on and it turns me on to see you give in to our truth.”

“Gerald…you feel so good,” Beth cooed as she moved on my cock.

I reached up and played with her hair as she rode me. The tempo increased and she let out whimpering moan.

I looked over to Theo again with confident eyes. “Theo, do you like when Dana picks on you?”

He didn’t answer as he stroked himself faster.

I turned my gaze to Dana. She licked her lips as she looked down on Theo stroking his member.

“Dana, have you every sucked his cock?” I asked.

My cousin let out a demonic laugh. “Why would I take his cock when I have yours!”

It was in that moment I understood the cruelty my cousin Dana could have. The drugs and her strong personality warped her into her true self. Theo was turned on, but she took further pleasure in torturing him. They both had to know that I was the only true power in their lives.

My thumb touched my silver ring as I looked at Beth. My cousin humped my cock, unwilling to control herself. Her moans drifted into the air as she bounced on my lap. Her round ass slapped against my hips and thighs as my cock pushed deep into her tight womanhood.

The room began to spin as my own demons began to chatter and sing. My connection to the ring glowed and my next words came out with an other-worldly tone.

“My gift to you, Theo,” I said with commanding power. “Dana, get on your knees. Please our cousin until he says stop.”

Dana’s manic eyes cooled as my words touched her mind, body, and spirit. She slipped down off the couch and kneeled between Theo’s parted legs. Theo looked down as he continued to stroke himself. Dana weaved for a moment before she leaned in and took the tip of his cock between her lips.

“Enjoy every taste,” I commanded.

Dana moaned as Theo’s cock filled her mouth. My cousin let go and looked down on Dana as her lips smoothed down his veiny shaft. Her moans grew louder until the tip of his cock touched the back of her throat. I could feel the connection between them, but I felt it more from Dana. Her tongue worked, pushing it against the roof of her mouth and sucking on him like a pacifier.

“Theo, look at me,” I commanded.

Theo looked up and his gaze connected with mine. Beth moaned louder as she rode my cock. Her scent drifted up and I took a deep inhale as I kept my gaze locked on Theo.

I pulled back on my control of Dana and she was free of my influence for the moment. “Dana, do you want to stop?”

Dana’s wits returned as she looked down at Theo’s cock in her mouth. There was no shock, but instead, a pleasant surprise. Her eyes half-closed and she continued to suck on him, unable to break away.

“You see Theo, sometime we all need a push in the right direction,” I said darkly.

Theo nodded as looked at me.

“You can allow yourself to be free. Think of me when you come in Dana’s mouth,” I smiled.

Theo’s eyes widened and then he made a loud grunt. I mentally slipped into Dana’s mind and felt her joy as come splashed against the back of her throat. The moment of ambrosia snaked around her as she enjoyed the taste and quickly sucked it down.

Beth let out her own cry, sinking down to the hilt and her orgasms exploding. I was back in my body, a surge of wetness spilling between our connection. She continued to move her hips, milking the sensations. Her back rested against my chest and she writhed on me, trying to coax me to climax.

The haziness took a turn and I couldn’t fight it any longer. The room shifted and turned like a mad funhouse. Swirls and heat spiraled as I couldn’t string one thought to another. My stomach burned, and with the last drop of my sanity, I knew what was happening.

“Beth…I’ve…been…drugged,” I managed before my own cock thickened.

Beth shot forward just as my seed spurted into her. She rested her hands on my knees as my cock throbbed and spurted. Only when I finished, did she pull away, come dripping down her inner thigh.

I looked up as Beth turned and looked down on me with worried eyes. Her hand dove into her purse and pulled out her cellphone.

“Theo, was there a drug in Gerald’s drink?” Beth asked with a commanding tone.

Theo huffed as Dana continued to suck on his cock. “No, it shouldn’t have been,” He managed through gritted teeth.

I tried to sit up, but the couch and gravity had me rooted to the spot.

Beth looked around with wide eyes as she put the cellphone to the side of her head. “Harold, we need help. I think Gerald has been drugged and we don’t know with what. We are in a back room. Come inside and get us.”

Dana pulled her head back and away. Theo and Dana were to their feet and fixing their clothes. They rushed over to me as I tried to keep my wits.

“Gerald, I swear, no one would have drugged your drink unless you wanted it,” Theo said with wild eyes.

“We have to get him out of here!” Dana said and grabbed my arm.

I was jostled up to my feet. Beth fixed my pants as Theo and Dana each put one of my arms over their shoulders.

Waves of bliss and ecstasy slammed into me with divine power. I was no stranger to the party life, but this felt like a strong cocktail that I couldn’t fight if I tried. My entire body wanted to melt as my muscles turned to jelly.

Dana looked down at the tray of cocaine. “He needs something to help fight the effects.”

Beth looked at her sister and then down on the tray. “You want him to fight the effects with more drugs!”

“Just enough to get his heart going,” Dana said and scooped up a small handful.

My cousin put it to my face and I blinked. My eyes slowly closed, the darkness wanting to consume me. I felt like I was going to drift off into the abyss and maybe, never return. The simple thoughts blazed across my soul.

I nodded to Dana and she pressed the powder to my nose. I inhaled and my body jolted awake. Energy spilled into my limps and the darkness receded.

“Let’s go!” Beth said and led the way.

Theo and Dana pulled me along as bliss and ecstasy surged into every cell of my body. We burst from the back room and moved toward the stairs. The bouncers looked over with shock in their eyes.

“Out of the way!” Theo shouted.

The bouncers moved aside as we reached the stairs and made our way down.

Reality shifted between real and unreal as we made our way down. The thumping music crashed into my soul. The black bodies on the dancefloor morphed into dancing demons. Sickening laughter and screams stabbed into my ears and I wanted to roar to silence them.

I looked toward the entrance as three bouncers crashed through the doorway and hit the floor. All three groaned and clutched at their faces or balls as Harold stepped in. Harold turned and rushed to us. The limo driver wrapped his arm around my waist and pushed away Dana and Theo. Despite Harold being shorter than me, he was strong like an ox. He helped me along without so much as a grunt. Beth, Dana, and Theo were around us as we stepped through the hallway and toward the front doors.

The moment we stepped out onto the stairs, I took the deepest breath of my life. The night air cleansed my lungs as the drugs addled my senses.

The limo door was open and the engine running. Harold reached the open door and carefully helped me in. Beth, Dana, and Theo followed in. The door closed and Harold rushed to the driver’s side.

I slowly blinked as my cousins looked at me with wide, concerned eyes.

“My family,” I whispered and they leaned in closer. “We will do great things.”

“Gerald, relax. It will all pass. We just have to get you home and safe,” Beth said.

The moment the limo began to move, I slipped into a trance as bliss curled along every nerve across my body.