T hings were touchy between Aiden and EJ3 as
Aiden referred to Daniel's boyfriend. But
knowing he was doing what had to be done, Aiden
made the effort to personally invite the guy to
Daniel's surprise party. It was the least he could do.
His old friend was going to need some support.
Liam contented himself with running interference
between the caterer and Aiden, making sure that there
were no major arguments. While at the same time,
attending school and doing his best to avoid Brad
Chambers. It wasn't easy on all counts.
Aiden was bitchier than usual. Liam hoped it was
just work, but he suspected that Aiden was worried
about him despite his assurances otherwise. It hadn't
helped when Morgan Taylor had appeared at Aiden's
office the day before to confirm that Brad Chambers
indeed was out to get Liam and insisting that Aiden
keep him close. Not that he wasn't going to, but
somehow having Liam's mother order him around,
made the idea less desirable.
142 Magical Moonlight
To make the week more tense than usual, the
preparations for Daniel's surprise party were causing
problems. Aiden had invited some of Daniel's
coworkers and Liam had discovered through Lisa,
Daniel wasn't out at work. He tried to get Aiden to
cancel the invitations, but the older man refused. It
was then that Liam began to get suspicious, that Aiden
was planning on outing his long time human friend.
"Just make the drinks and keep out of it." Aiden
said. He was pacing around the apartment adjusting
the decorations and generally annoying Liam. "I know
what I'm doing." And he did know, but he was
nervously uncertain that his plan to disenchant Daniel
might have been better had he just used good old-
fashioned magic.
"Sure you do." Liam snorted. "Hey did I tell you
that fuckin' Chambers set fire to my locker?" He had
planned on keeping the information to himself, but
Aiden needed to focus on something other than the
arriving guests.
"WHAT THE FUCK?" Aiden turned and faced
Liam, his anxiety over the party forgotten for a
moment.
"Don't have a hissy, I lost a bunch of stuff that's
all." Liam shrugged. "Dakota got them all on video
though, so she turned in her camera to the principal
and they're all suspended. They might even be kicked
out. I mean the school could have burned down. Brad
could lose his year."
"It's going to make things worse." Aiden paused.
"Fuck, he's going to make this all your fault. Assholes
ER Bryant 143
like that always do." He ran his hand through his hair
making it stand on end. Liam reached over and
smoothed it back in place.
"I'll deal with him." Liam stood on tiptoe and
kissed Aiden on the nose. Your first guests are
arriving."
The party was well advanced. Music played
loudly and Aiden was feeling the affects of too much
beer and not enough oxygen. Liam was busy behind
the bar, but not too busy to keep watch over Aiden as
he made his way through the crowd of dancing and
talking people, playing the ever-attentive host. Daniel
had arrived earlier, pretending surprise. It was
apparent that Bob and Evan had let him in on the
surprise.
Liam knew things were going too good. He
wasn't sure of Aiden's plan, but no doubt it was going
to be a big and bad one. The downstairs buzzer
sounded over the music. Liam was about to answer
when Aiden appeared from nowhere and spoke into
the intercom.
Expecting to hear a drum roll, the red head
watched the loft door. And then things began to unfold
in slow motion. It was weird, Liam watched Susan
appear, Daniel greet her, Aiden wrap his arms around
Danny and kiss him, Susan's shocked face, EJ3
punching Aiden. It all happened too fast and too slow.
Liam debated whether he should interfere but then
decided it was the Aiden Show he'd stick around and
pick up the pieces. What had taken hours and days to
prepare was over in minutes. The room cleared
144 Magical Moonlight
quickly, each person willing to jump on Aiden and
give him a verbal kick. Liam watched and made
himself a chocolate martini. He was going to need one
or maybe more than one.
Aiden stood silently watching them all troop past
him. He barely moved. It was just so surreal. Daniel
was a human, not Wahjee, but still he'd been his best
friend for more than half of his life. And now it was
over, all to make him give up the idea that they would
ever be together. He should have done something
about Daniel's fixation years ago, but he hadn't
bothered. He was a selfish son of a bitch for caring so
little about the feelings of the human who had been so
close to him. And now he'd virtually destroyed him.
Again he wondered if perhaps magic would have been
the better answer.
When the last person left, Liam closed and locked
the loft door. He made a motion and muttered a few
words making the loft presentable again. It wasn't
rocket science and he knew Aiden wouldn't notice the
magic. The man in question stood in the same place
he'd been standing when everyone left.
Satisfied that the loft was returned to normal,
Liam put his arm around Aiden and led him to the
sofa, sitting him down, but saying nothing. There
really wasn't anything much to say. Liam had to agree
that Aiden's methods worked. Daniel no doubt, would
turn to his new boy friend, too stupid to realize just
what Aiden had done for him. Lisa would
conveniently forget she'd been begging Aiden to do
ER Bryant 145
what he'd done and the rest of the gang would forget
all of the good things Aiden had done.
There was a knock on the loft door. Aiden didn't
move or acknowledge the sound. Liam sighed but
went over to the door to answer it. "Hey" he said to
Evan, who stood in the hallway.
"I couldn't leave you two with all the mess."
Evan began. He looked around at the immaculate loft.
"Oh, it's been cleaned."
"I work fast." Liam said and shrugged. "Why are
you really here?"
"I want to talk to Aiden." Evan looked sad. "Do
you mind if I come in?"
"Come on in." Liam stood back. "Aiden's on the
sofa, but he's not saying much."
Evan walked over and sat down on a chair he'd
pulled close to Aiden. "Aiden, honey, I know I'm the
last person you'd expect to do this. But I consider you
a friend. I may be flaming and seem like I don't have
a care in the world, but I see what you do for all of us.
I don't say anything. I figure you have your own
reasons for keeping things quiet. But I see. I see how
much you care and how good you are." He reached
out and put his hand over Aiden's. "I know what you
did tonight, you did for your friend. It was probably
the only way he'd wake up and smell the coffee and
get him a life. I know it and you know it. Hell,
probably anyone who really knows Daniel will figure
it out eventually. I just wanted to tell you that you did
good. Sometimes a little pain is needed." He got up
146 Magical Moonlight
and kissed Aiden's cheek while he gave him a quick
hug. "I'll leave now."
Liam walked Evan to the door. He could see that
Evan's eyes were wet and he gave the man a hug.
"Thanks Evan. Aiden isn't himself right now, but I
know he'll appreciate what you said."
Liam waited for Evan to get into the elevator
before he shut the door to the apartment and securing
it once again. He turned to where Aiden had been
sitting but he wasn't there any longer.
"Aiden?" Liam questioned, looking around.
"I'm in here." Aiden lay on the bed, the book he'd
given Daniel open on his chest.
"Here, give me that. You don't want it getting all
sweaty." Liam laughed and put the comic back in its
plastic sleeve.
"It doesn't matter." Aiden sighed. "If I was doing
something good for him, why do I feel like a shit?"
Liam resisted rolling his eyes; instead he crawled
up from the bottom of the bed and pushed into
Aiden's under arm, wrapping his body partially over
the taller man's.
"What are you doing?" Aiden asked.
"Cuddling you." Liam said. "Making you feel
better."
"I don't cuddle, but it does make me feel
marginally better." Aiden admitted.
"Daniel will come around soon. You guys have a
lot of history."
"I don't want him to come around. I want him to
get a fucking life. If he wants Edward Jackson the
ER Bryant 147
third then let him have the bastard. It won't last, but
then what the fuck does?" Aiden pushed away from
Liam and sat up, his feet on the floor.
"Aiden, come to bed." Liam knelt on the bed,
wrapping his arms around his lover.
"I don't want to." Aiden stood up and walked into
the bathroom. He stood for a moment looking into the
mirror, not liking what he saw there. And then he was
gone. Breaking one of his hard and fast rules, Aiden
Mac Ruaidhri had used a spell to disappear from the
loft.
"Fuck." Liam said. He had no idea where in hell
Aiden could have gone. The man never used magic.
He hadn't used it in years. How did he even know a
transport spell? How did he know one well enough to
be sure that he'd actually appear somewhere and not
be partially in some fucking wall?
Liam looked around the bathroom, looking for
something that would give him a clue as to where
Aiden might have disappeared. There was nothing, not
even hint of Aiden in the air. Only the very strongest
of wizards could transport without leaving a tell tale
sign of some kind in their wake. He was impressed.
There was more to the man than he'd realized.
"AIDEN, WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU GO?"
Liam shouted in the air as he turned around and
around in the marble walled room.
"Liam, is there a problem?" Frances was standing
beside him.
"Fuck, I thought I put a spell on so you couldn't
do that." Liam griped.
148 Magical Moonlight
"You did, but I cancelled it." Frances shrugged.
He looked around. "Where's hubby?"
"Aiden is gone, vanished, vaporized, disappeared,
transported." Liam kicked at the vanity and stalked
out of the room.
"Oh is that all." Frances followed his cousin.
"How did the big party go?"
"It sucked. Everyone is pissed at Aiden and he
thinks he's lost his best friend."
"Well, he's probably gone somewhere that would
make him feel better. Any ideas?"
"Duh, if I had any ideas, I'd be there." Liam
paced like a caged lion. "Go back to Toronto or
Victoria or where ever the hell you go, I'm not in any
danger, I'm just choked with Aiden."
"I know you are." Frances put his arm around
Liam. "Why don't you go to bed? Aiden will turn up
sooner or later."
"I just don't think he should be alone right now."
Liam threw himself on the sofa, putting a pillow over
his face. He sighed with all the drama a teenager could
muster.
Frances smothered a snicker. It was apparent that
Liam wasn't in any danger, he was going to head back
to his wife. "Cousin, let it be. Aiden needs some time
to come to terms with what he set in motion."
"Why do I hurt inside? It was Aiden who came up
with this stupid idea. He should have realized it was
going to hurt him." Liam moaned.
ER Bryant 149
"Because you love him. It comes with the
territory." Frances put his hand on Liam's shoulder
and squeezed. "I'm heading back to Marcie."
"Yeah, thanks for stopping by and if you don't
mind, put that spell back and double it. I don't need
any other Wahjee dropping in."
"What about Aiden?"
"He can let himself in. It's his place. You know
spells won't work against him."
"Just checking." Frances grinned before he too,
disappeared with an audible pop.
Liam stared at the spot his cousin had been. He
was good, but still there had been the usual sound of
him leaving. Aiden hadn't even made a small sound.
Liam wasn't sure even he could transport himself
somewhere in complete silence. "Stupid man." He
mumbled looking around the room. And then he had
an idea.
Taking a chance, Liam transported himself to
Shay's bedroom. The room was in darkness, with only
the smallest of night-lights glowing low on the wall.
Liam saw a baby monitor on a dresser near Shay's
crib. It had a silence aura placed on it. Sitting in a
corner on a rocker too small for his large frame, was
Aiden. He was holding Shay wrapped in a blanket,
rocking silently in the room. Their eyes met. "I was
worried." Liam whispered, his voice barely audible.
"You needn't." Aiden replied, just as quietly. He
continued to rock his son, his hands larger than life as
they held the bundle of warm sleepy baby. "It's funny,
the feelings that I have for this small bit of Wahjee. I
150 Magical Moonlight
didn't think it was possible to feel like this." He
looked at the baby and then at Liam. "Do you think
my parents felt even half of what I feel when they held
me? And if they did, when did they change and begin
hating me?"
Liam had no answer for that question. He
couldn't conceive of any parent hating their child.
"We should go, Rosie or Vans could come in here any
minute."
"I know, I just needed to be with him for a few
minutes." Aiden stood up and laid the baby back in his
crib. "I didn't mean to run off like that."
"You did what you had to do." Liam shrugged. "It
wouldn't have hurt though to let me know where you
were going?"
"But you found me." Aiden smiled. "I knew you
would." He bent down and kissed Shay on the
forehead. "Come here."
Liam walked over and let Aiden wrap him in his
arms. He saw Shay smile up at the two of them, the
spell vanished from the monitor and then he found
himself washed over with the familiar tingle when he
transported.
"Hey, you transported me at the same time?"
Liam laughed and looked around. "Where are we?"
Aiden hated to remove his arms from around
Liam, but he did. "We're in a favorite place of mine.
Somewhere I used to like to go to when I was a kid. It
hasn't changed a lot. It's one of those places that seem
to be in some kind of time warp."
ER Bryant 151
"With a little help from a certain Wahjee." Liam
added and snickered. "I can feel you all around me."
"Perhaps." Aiden shrugged. They were in a grotto
of sorts, formed by the twining of thick and thorny
blackberry vines. So thick that even in the winter
months, Liam knew that they'd be invisible when
inside. It was rather comfortable considering where
they were. A fallen tree provided a perfect backrest
when sitting. Aiden pulled Liam down so the red head
was sitting beside him. "I found it when I was six. It
was smaller of course then, but so was I, it was the
perfect hiding place. There is an entrance just small
enough for a kid to crawl through over there. Believe
it or not, we're only a few hundred feet from the house
I grew up in. The house backs on a ravine. This is part
of it."
"How often did you come here?" Liam asked. He
leaned against Aiden, shivering in the night air.
Aiden magicked a thick fleece comforter and
wrapped it around the two of them. "I was here a lot.
Day or night, it didn't matter to me. No one could find
me no matter how hard they tried. And believe me,
both my parents tried. Neither one of them had any
idea that I could transport. In fact, I doubt they even
know now." He grinned to himself. "When they were
at the end of their rope, I'd make sure I was found in
my bed sleeping. It drove them crazy, each one
blaming the other one for not checking my room. That
was before I learned to defend myself against them. I
suppose some Wahjee or another had a good reason to
make sure Wahjee children couldn't use their abilities
152 Magical Moonlight
against their parents. But there are parents that should
never be parents."
"You figured a way around it didn't you?" Liam
asked. Impressed with the amount of natural ability
Aiden had in him at such an early age. No wonder
Shay showed it to him a few hours after he was born.
He was his father's son after all.
"Yeah, I did." Aiden chuckled. "I wasn't very old.
I think it was a self protection instinct that broke me
away from Wahjee inborn tradition." He looked down
at Liam. "Are you still cold?"
"No, it's nice here. Weird but nice." Liam looked
around. "It's kind of like a closet or something. Lots
of kids hide in closets."
"Not at my place they didn't." Aiden shuddered.
"Closets weren't what I'd call friendly places."
"I used to hide in the closet at the bottom of the
stairs." Liam said. "I could move right into the back
where all the old coats were, you know the ones that
no one ever wears any more. I made a little nest out of
them."
"Other than the obvious reason, why were you
hiding in a closet." Aiden asked.
"Let's just say Cecil Taylor is a bit of a freak. It
was better to hide than to submit or worse, turn him
into the roach that he is. I knew I could do it too. I
used to practice when he was sleeping." Liam yawned,
doing his best to smother it. "This place is so cozy it
makes me feel all relaxed."
Aiden laughed. "It relaxes me to the point of
sleeping too."
ER Bryant 153
Liam waved his hand and the grotto was lit with
dozens of tiny electric sparks. "It's prettier this way."
"You know, I'm beginning to like these flying
bugs you throw around." Aiden loved to tease Liam;
he knew what buttons to push each and every time.
"I don't use bugs." Liam laughed; he knew what
Aiden was up to. "Take us home. I'm going fuck you
silly tonight."
"Poor little witch boy is delusional." Aiden
huffed. He turned Liam's face up to his. "Thanks for
being there for me tonight. Don't think I don't know
how you kept things from combusting." He sighed. "I
probably shouldn't have done it the way I did, but shit
Liam, Danny needs a safe to fall on his head before he
wakes up and smells the coffee."
"I'm not going to tell you that you shouldn't
have. You're a big boy; you have to make your own
decisions. But I will tell you this. I'll always be there
to pick your ass back up. It's my destiny." He sighed
with drama to take away some of the seriousness of
what he said.
"Some how Liam Taylor, I kind of like that idea."
Aiden leaned down and kissed Liam with tenderness.
As he kissed him, he transported the two of them back
to the loft, landing with a thump outside the apartment
door. "Shit Liam, you put back the protection spell."
He rubbed his ass.
"Sorry, but you do have a key." Liam giggled.
"Not with me." Aiden glared.
"Well open it with magic."
"No, you know my rules."
154 Magical Moonlight
"It didn't stop you a couple of hours ago."
"That was different."
"Oh for crap sake, you're such a big baby." Liam
stood up, mumbled a cancellation spell. "Come on, we
have like forty five seconds to g