Zen and the Art of Major Magical Control Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Mailing List

  Coming Soon

  About the Author

  Other Books

  Copyright

  ZEN AND THE ART OF MAJOR MAGICAL CONTROL

  Devin Harnois

  To Robyn, Tiago’s first and biggest fan.

  CHAPTER ONE

  “So how…” Aiden gathered his courage. “How long have you known?”

  Tiago’s fingers tightened around his. “That I was gay?”

  That wasn’t what Aiden meant, but he wanted to know that too, so he nodded.

  “I guess I had an idea when I was little. There was one of those stupid Disney Channel shows, and I couldn’t stop looking at this boy…” Tiago shrugged. “I knew for sure a few years ago when I kissed this guy in my class.” He tilted his head up, looking at the stars between the trees. Winter lasted longer here, but it was finally giving way to spring. Tonight it was warm, and both of them wore light jackets instead of winter coats. “That was part of the reason my parents… hurt me. I always denied it, but they knew somehow.”

  Aiden squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry.” He wished he could take away Tiago’s pain.

  “It’s fine. I got away from them.” Tiago looked at Aiden with a stunning smile. “And I found you.”

  Oh God. Aiden’s stomach did flips. He still couldn’t believe they were holding hands, that he could finally be honest about his feelings, that Tiago liked him. That they were on a date.

  Sure, they were just walking in the woods, in the same area where they usually trained. But everything had changed.

  “What about you?” Tiago asked. “When did you know?”

  “Um, I’m not gay. I’m bi.” It was the first time he’d said it out loud to anyone.

  Tiago made a thoughtful noise. “Well, question still stands.”

  “I liked a boy in kindergarten. I didn’t know what it meant until later. But I’ve always liked girls too.” Talking about this made him feel nervous, but it was also freeing. Now someone else shared his secret. Well, this secret anyway. “I still can’t believe this.” He squeezed Tiago’s hand again. Part of him wondered when he was going to wake up.

  “What, that a tough guy like me is gay?” Tiago said, his tone light.

  Aiden ducked his head. “That you like me.”

  Tiago stopped, looking at him intently. A breeze rustled the branches, carrying the smell of wet earth and spring. “I like you a lot, Aiden.”

  Aiden shivered as Tiago leaned closer. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. Aiden’s heart hammered and he swallowed, his mouth going dry. Is he…?

  Moving slowly, Tiago drew still closer until his face was inches away, his eyes gleaming yellow in the dark. The first brush of his lips was gentle, like he was asking permission. Everything inside Aiden lit up. A little gasp escaped him, and he kissed Tiago back, part of him wondering if he was doing it right and part of him not caring.

  Tiago groaned, and Aiden’s back was suddenly against a tree. Tiago’s tongue pushed against his lips, and it took Aiden a moment to realize he should open them. I hope he knows what he’s doing, because I sure don’t.

  Then they were kissing deeply, tongues sliding together. Tiago tasted like Coke and something earthy. Aiden knew he was clumsy, but he also knew he didn’t want to stop. The fur-and-humidity sensation of Tiago’s magic gently touched Aiden’s mind. Tiago had one hand on his hip, the other digging into Aiden’s hair. Tingling warmth flowed through Aiden as he put his arms around Tiago, pulling him close.

  Aiden could have kept kissing him forever, but Tiago pulled back with a lazy smile.

  “That was… I…” Aiden panted.

  “Yeah.” Tiago’s pupils were huge, almost swallowing his glowing irises. He slowly pulled away, then blinked in surprise. “Whoa.”

  Aiden looked around, following Tiago’s gaze. The tree they were under had sprouted new leaves, and around Aiden’s feet ankle-high grass and a few tiny flowers had grown. “Um, I guess… I sorta lost control of my magic.”

  Tiago laughed. “Is this gonna happen every time we kiss?”

  Aiden blushed.

  * * *

  The need to talk to someone burned inside Aiden. He was so happy and wanted to share that with someone. There was Tiago, of course, but that didn’t really count.

  He desperately wished he could talk to Dylan, but that was impossible. Aiden kept picturing his friend’s face if he told him he’d kissed a boy. The disgust. The fear.

  Would Dylan lash out? Try to hurt him?

  No, Aiden couldn’t imagine that. He wasn’t sure if he really didn’t think Dylan would ever do that or if it was too horrible to even consider. But turning away from him? Telling Aiden he didn’t want to be friends anymore?

  That, Aiden could imagine.

  He couldn’t talk to his parents either. He’d already ruined their lives by being a changeling and forcing them to move here. Learning that Aiden wasn’t human, wasn’t even really their son, was hard enough. They didn’t need to know he was bi.

  They would probably say it was okay, but what they said and what they felt might be very different.

  God, now he was getting depressed. He didn’t want to ruin the happy, floaty feeling that kissing Tiago had given him.

  Aiden paced his room. He didn’t even have any homework to distract him. He’d finished everything.

  He closed his eyes, thinking about Tiago’s lips on his and how wonderful they’d felt. The whole world felt different now.

  My first kiss.

  Aiden put a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh. It still seemed unreal. Too good to be true.

  And he had to keep it secret.

  Aiden flopped onto his bed with a sigh. But then he had a thought. There was one person who already knew. Well, she’d guessed, and he’d denied it. Would it be safe to talk to Maggie?

  As far as he knew, she hadn’t said anything to anybody. No one had mentioned it at school or snickered when he walked by. And she wasn’t a mean person. If he told her not to say anything, she wouldn’t. Maggie gossiped a little, but nothing like Toby and Tina.

  If Maggie had said anything, no doubt Toby and Tina would have gotten wind of it and would have mentioned it to Aiden. So if anyone was safe, it was Maggie.

  He picked up
his phone and scrolled through his short list of contacts. With Maggie’s name highlighted, he hesitated. What if she was busy? What if she was with friends?

  Anxiety tried to get a grip on him, so Aiden clicked the Call button before that anxiety could make him stop.

  “Hi, Aiden!” Maggie sounded thrilled.

  “Hi.” He swallowed, heart beating fast. “Um, are you somewhere we can talk privately?”

  Her tone changed to concern. “Is something wrong?”

  “No, no! It’s just… personal.”

  A slight pause. “I can go up to my room. Just a sec.”

  A bit of shuffling carried over the line, then a door closed. “Okay, what’s up?”

  Aiden’s mouth went dry and he reconsidered. How could he just say something like that? But he wanted to share this with someone. Other people got to talk about their first kiss with their friends, so why shouldn’t he? “You have to promise not to tell anyone.”

  “Oooh, a secret! Cross my heart.”

  Maybe it would be best to ease into this a little. “Remember… what you said about Tiago and me?” His heart was beating so loud he was sure she could hear it through the phone.

  Maggie gasped. “You mean your crush? I was right, wasn’t I? I knew it! You were totally making puppy eyes at him.”

  And suddenly it was easier. She sounded so pleased, and he really liked the idea of someone being happy for him. “Yeah, you were right. He asked me out.”

  “Oh my God.” She squealed, and he could picture her bouncing on her bed. “Seriously? That’s so amazing.”

  Her excitement was contagious, and he remembered again how wonderful Tiago’s lips had felt, the way it had lit him up inside. “We went out on a date, sort of. Just a walk in the woods.” Tiago had called it a date, so that made it count, right? “And we kissed.”

  Another squeal. “Oh my God, I’m so jealous. Tiago is sooo hot.”

  “He is.” Aiden flopped back on his bed and smiled up at the ceiling. “I can’t believe he likes me.”

  “Don’t think like that, Aiden. You’re amazing. You’re even, like, a hero.”

  He squirmed a little. Whenever people said that it made him uncomfortable. “Not really. I’m just lucky.” Dylan was more the hero type.

  Maggie laughed. “I like that it didn’t give you a giant inflated ego, but you went to rescue Dylan from evil wardens and you just took on a dark fae and killed it.”

  “Dylan killed him.”

  “But you helped. You fought him off, protected your parents.” She giggled. “Have you seen the way girls have been looking at you?”

  “Um, no.” The only girl he noticed that way was Hanna. He still felt guilty about not trying to win her back after her parents made them break up. And then she’d gone out with Dylan, and he’d been happy for her. But then she’d broken up with Dylan, and Aiden didn’t really understand why. Dylan had tried to explain it, but he was little help. He didn’t seem to quite understand it either.

  “They’d be so heartbroken if they knew you were dating Tiago.”

  “You can’t—” Panic squeezed his throat.

  “I won’t, I swear.” Her tone turned serious. “You can trust me, Aiden. I won’t tell anyone, though I wish you didn’t feel like you have to hide it. We’ve had gay people in town before, and yeah, some people are jerks about it, but mostly it’s not a big deal.”

  It was a big deal to him. For about the millionth time he wished he were braver. On the other hand, it wasn’t just about him. It was about protecting his parents, and of course Tiago wouldn’t want to be outed.

  “I’m not gay.” Aiden wondered how many times he was going to have to say that.

  “Um, but you— Ohhh.” There was a shifting sound as if Maggie was sitting up or lying down. “Do you mean you’re like, bisexual?”

  “Yeah.” He was nervous again, waiting for some kind of judgment.

  “You know that’s like, totally common for fae people, right?”

  “It is?” He hadn’t considered that his sexuality was tied to his being… not human.

  “Oh yeah. Didn’t your tutor mention that? Well, I suppose you might not discuss sex and dating with her. But fae tend to be pretty fluid when it comes to attraction and sex and stuff.” She laughed. “Sorry to break it to you, but by fae standards you’re totally normal.”

  “Oh.” That somehow didn’t make him feel better. Although he was becoming more comfortable with his magic, Aiden still wanted to be human.

  The serious note returned to her voice. “You know, if you were human it would be totally okay too. There’s nothing wrong with being bisexual, Aiden. It’s just like being gay or straight. It’s part of who you are.”

  A little laugh escaped him. “Thanks for being my cheerleader, Maggie.”

  “I’ll get my pom-poms out for you anytime.” She made a sound between a gasp and a giggle. “Oh my God, that sounded dirty.”

  Aiden laughed harder.

  CHAPTER TWO

  At lunch the next day, Aiden spotted Tiago heading toward his side of the table and frantically shook his head. He didn’t trust himself to sit that close to Tiago. All he wanted to do was kiss him. Aiden even pictured it, pulling Tiago close, pressing their lips together right in the middle of the lunchroom.

  No way. Impossible. Sharing a table with him at all was going to be hard enough.

  Tiago cocked an eyebrow, and Aiden tried to signal to him as subtly as possible that he should sit next to Dylan. With a little frown, Tiago went around to the other side.

  Thankfully, Dylan was focused on his cheeseburger and didn’t seem to notice.

  “So how did you do on the test?” Aiden asked Dylan.

  Dylan licked ketchup from the corner of his mouth. “Got a B minus.”

  “That’s great!” Aiden had been tutoring both him and Tiago.

  “Guess I’m not so dumb.” Dylan shrugged.

  “Hey, of course not. You aren’t dumb, you just weren’t paying attention.”

  “It was easier when I wasn’t.” Dylan smiled a little and took another bite.

  Tiago was wiggling slightly, which Aiden had been trying to ignore. “Gonna ask what I got, Lizard Boy?” Without waiting for an answer, he said, “B.”

  “Aw, damn it.”

  Tiago laughed and play-punched Dylan in the arm. “Smarter than you, Lizard Boy.”

  “You just got lucky.”

  Aiden sighed. Well, if their competitive natures got them to try harder at school, then at least it was worth something.

  “Hey, can I come over tonight?” Tiago asked Aiden. “I got some homework I need help with.” The look in his eyes said he wasn’t thinking about homework at all.

  Aiden’s heart raced in both excitement and fear. Having Tiago alone in his room, after they’d kissed. Oh, that kiss…

  Dylan frowned. “Something wrong?”

  Stupid heightened senses. “Ah, no. Nothing. Just… remembering I have a report due soon.” God, he hated lying.

  Tiago was smirking. Jerk.

  “You forgetting homework?” Dylan said around a mouthful of food. “That’s hard to believe.”

  “I’ve… had a lot on my mind.” Aiden poked at his barely eaten salad. He’d almost been killed in his own house less than a week ago. And his parents, and Dylan, and Tiago. The dark fae was dead, but there were more of them out there, including the one who’d called himself Uncle.

  Mr. Johnson had come by each night to check and recheck the wards around Aiden’s house. He said he’d figured out how the dark fae had gotten in and closed up that vulnerability, but Aiden was still worried.

  Worried, yes. And he had nightmares. But Aiden didn’t feel helpless. His powers had grown and had saved him. Aiden checked with the house each morning before he went to sleep, asking the wood and stone to alert him if anything happened. A ward of his own, in a way.

  “Yeah,” Dylan said after swallowing. “How’s the cut?”

  The “cut” had been a
wide gash across his forearm. “It’s almost gone. I thought it might scar, but it’s healing much faster than the… the one on my chest.” Aiden still had a small mark in the center of his chest where Dylan had burned him. Only a few people knew about the injury, and only one other person besides Aiden and Dylan knew exactly how it had happened.

  “Good.” Dylan picked up a fry. “You’re not too freaked out or anything?”

  “I’m okay.” Relatively speaking. Aiden didn’t know if he would ever get away from the low-level anxiety after everything that had happened to him, but he could manage as long as his attacks weren’t too often or too strong.

  “Yeah, we even went out last night,” Tiago said.

  Aiden’s heart stopped, and he stared across the table. How could he just blurt it out like that?

  “So you’re training again?” Dylan’s expression lit up.

  Looking at Aiden, Tiago tilted his head with a slight nod as if to say, That’s what I meant.

  “Oh, yes. Training.” Aiden picked up his fork to give his trembling hand something to do.

  “Awesome.” Dylan grinned. “We need to get some serious practice in before the exhibition.”

  The spring exhibition was a big event, something like Shadow Valley’s version of a homecoming game. Last year Aiden had been too afraid to participate after Dylan had burned him. “Just as long as you don’t try to show off too much.”

  Dylan scoffed. “Dude, the whole point of it is to show off. After that trick you pulled with the house, I might have to be worried.”

  Looking back, creating tentacles of wood from the walls and floor was really impressive. “Maybe.” A little smile tugged at Aiden’s mouth. Despite everything, he was starting to get used to having magic. Maybe even comfortable with it.

  “What about you?” Dylan asked Tiago. “Gonna do something for the exhibition?”

  “You mean like strip naked and shift in front of everyone?”

  Okay, that had to be deliberate. Aiden stared at his plate, trying very hard not to think about Tiago with no clothes on.

  “You could jump through hoops. Roll around on a ball,” Dylan said.