Julien Gregg's Moreau Witches Part Two Chapter 6

 SIX

We went by the manor. It looked good as things go. It wasn't finished, but they were coming along. I saw the witches kneeling with their spell bags. That made me happy. They had a lot more done than I'd thought they would. It wouldn't be long and we'd be back in the manor where we belonged. We drove back to the house and found Mary Beth and Greg just arriving. Greg smiled when he saw me. I smiled back. We went inside the beach house and found Lestan waiting in the living room. He hugged Mary Beth.

"Well, what are we doing today?" she asked.

"Hanging out with the adults," he said. "We're sticking close together today. How's the Manor?"

"It's coming along," I said. "They have a lot more done than I'd thought they would at this point. I suspect that has much more to do with spell crafting than actual construction."

"Probably," he said. "They've only been at it a week."

"Yeah," I said.

It was hard to believe that Dad had been dead for almost two weeks. It didn't seem that way to me, but it was what it was. We sat in the living room with snacks from the food that everyone bought. It was so fresh that I knew that Grandpa had cast a spell on it to keep it that way. Greg asked me what I'd been up to, and I told him Legacy stuff. He thought that was rude. I told him the Legacy never slept, so I had to do it whenever there was something to do pertaining to it.

We sat and watched movies. We were out of school because of the death of our father, but we'd go back on Monday. It was Friday, so we had the weekend. I was ready to go back to school. I didn't do well with idle time. Lestan and Mary Beth were cuddled up on the love seat, and Greg and I were both in the recliners. Grandpa and Pop were on the couch. They asked us questions now and then, and we answered. I told them how the book was going, and Grandpa said it was a good thing that it could be saved from the Manor after the fire. I agreed.

We didn't talk about Dad that day. We just sat there with each other and watched movies until Mary Beth and Greg's father came to get them. Then I went to my room and worked on the book. I got a lot done before Lestan came to sit with me. He was a bit clingy now that Dad was dead, but I understood it. When a death happens you cling to those you love out of fear that they might be next. I let him sit there and talk to me. I closed the book file and turned to face him.

"Greg likes you," he said.

"I know that," I said. "He told me as much. But I'm not ready to just fall into a relationship. I really want to get to know him before I make any decisions based on lust."

"You're a lot smarter than me when it comes to that," he said. "I lucked out that Mary Beth is so great. I fell for her hard but it started out as lust."

"I figured," I said. "But you've got a good head on your shoulders. You would have recognized if it had stayed in the lust category for too long."

"Thanks," he said. "How's the book going now?"

"I'm almost finished," I said. "There are just a few scenes to write but I'll be done sometime today. I can send it to my agent tomorrow."

"Well, I'm sorry that I interrupted you," he said.

"You didn't," I said. "I was at a stopping point. I have to think of how I want the ending to go."

"Okay," he said. "I just really wanted to be with you today."

"That's fine," I said. "I'd like that a lot. We don't hang out as much as we used to. I know it's because we're growing up and drifting slightly apart, but it's sad at times. I really miss you sometimes."

"I know exactly how you feel," he said. "I don't know what life will be like when I marry Mary Beth."

"You think it's going to go all the way?" I asked.

"I think so," he said. "Mary Beth keeps talking about when we're married, so I guess she does, too. Her dad says that he'll have a wedding to pay for sooner or later. I keep reminding him that we're all fifteen years old. You know that she and Greg will turn sixteen before we do."

"I know," I said. "They're birthday is coming soon."

"Ours isn't until April," he said. "I'm looking forward to driving. Though Dad was supposed to buy me a car."

"I guess I'm the one buying cars now," I said sadly.

"Are you going to let me pick the car?" he asked.

"Of course," I said. "Unless you want something dangerous or too flashy. No Lambos."

We laughed about that. He told me he wanted a truck. I told him I did, too. I was going for the Ford F150. He wanted the Dodge Ram. It worked. I told him there would be no problems when the time came. He asked if we were getting new ones. I told him that it made no sense to get used vehicles. We'd get more life out of them if they were new. He agreed. We went down to lunch and sat with Grandpa and Pop to eat the cold cut sandwiches and eat chips. I actually ate the chips today. I didn't usually. I liked carrot sticks or celery sticks with my meal usually. I ate kind of healthy. I did drink a glass of iced tea, though. I even got a refill when lunch was over.

We hung out in the living room for a while. Then Greg came back over and he and I went to my room with snacks and glasses of iced tea. He talked about how his father was going on and on about the wedding that he'd be paying for soon for Mary Beth and Lestan. He asked me when I was going to find a girl and settle down. I reminded him that I'm gay and fifteen. He laughed at that. He told me that his dad was on him all of the time to find someone and settle down. He didn't know that he was talking to me.

"Well, we're getting to know each other right now," I said. "I don't know what the future holds for us just yet. We may be nothing more than close friends. I'd like there to be more, but that's lust. You can't build a relationship on lust. We have to know each other and see if we fit romantically."

"You talk like an adult," he said. "Do you spend a lot of time around them?"

"Lately I do," I said. "There's always lawyers to talk to, and Grandpa and Pop want us around a lot now that my dad is gone. It's natural for them to want us close after a tragedy. The lawyers are all about the Legacy, though."

"The Legacy seems like a big chore," he said.

"It is," I agreed. "But it keeps me sane in times like this. I mean there's always something to take your mind off of your grief. Right now they're working on my project, so I'm interested."

"What's your project?" he asked.

"A dog rescue," I said. "No particular breed. They're all suffering somewhere. We'll rescue and rehabilitate them and then adopt them to good homes."

"That's amazing," he said. "Where's it going to go?"

"Not far from the Manor," I said. "They found land just beside it, so I told them to purchase it and to build the shelter. I told them we'd hire a staff of people to care for and rehabilitate the animals. They're all over it."

"That's awesome," he said. "Do you want volunteers?"

"Sure," I said. "If you want to volunteer just wait until the shelter is built and there are dogs in there."

"That would be awesome," he said. "I love dogs, but I've never been allowed to own one."

"Well, I don't own Jinx," I said with a smile. "He owns me."

He laughed about that. I was finding more and more to like about him. He might get his wish to be with me. But I had a message flashing on my computer. I opened it and found a lengthy one from someone named Damon Arcola. I knew what Arcola was. I had a closet full of their clothing. I wondered what he was messaging me for. I read that he was an Immortalis, and he had a proposition for me. He wanted to call him and come and talk to me, but he urged me to keep it secret. I messaged back with my phone number and told him that my father had died recently so I was sticking to home. He said he'd call me and set up a time to come and talk to me.

I didn't tell Greg what that was about. I just closed the message and waited for my phone to ring. When it did, I excused myself and went into the bathroom.

"First of all, let me express my sincere condolences and say that I'm sorry for your loss," said Damon.

"Thank you," I said. "What's this about?"

"I've seen that the Heirs are all dying too soon," he said. "What I want to discuss with you is turning you into an immortalis, so the curse doesn't visit you in say twenty years or so."

"You want to make me an Immortalis?" I asked. "Won't that change who I am?"

"No," he said. "You'll just be more of who you are, and you'll live forever. You'll find your mind expanded, and you'll be able to think of so much more at one time than before. You'll notice colors like you never did before and see beauty where you never saw it before. It's a wonderful experience. I know that witches try to study us to find the magic in our veins, but it isn't in our veins. It's in us. It's part of us. We are the magic."

"Can I think about this?" I asked.

"Yes, but please, I urge you not to tell anyone that I've made this offer," he said.

"I won't," I said. "That would cause more problems than I need. I'm intrigued. I will tell you that."

"Well, I won't visit you until you turn sixteen," he said. "I imagine you'll want your twin to have the same offer. You can talk to him about it. Just know that the conversion requires an orgasm. I'd simply masturbate you to complete the transformation. Then I'd give you the elixir so you aren't bonded to me anymore."

"Okay," I said. "I'll talk to Lestan about this and call you back. I have your number."

I got off the phone and went back to the bedroom. Greg asked me if everything was all right. I told him it was. That it was just Legacy stuff. He nodded. We went back to talking about the dog rescue. I had a lot to think about, and I needed to talk to Lestan. Greg hung out for a while. We talked the shelter and he wanted to know everything about it. I told him that they were buying the land and the shelter would be built when the Manor was finished, because the construction company was busy. He laughed at that.

"So, what's it like being the Heir to the Legacy?" he asked.

"It's tedious most of the time," I said. "There are loan contracts, and land disputes to settle. Sometimes family squabbles come in and they want my opinion. Most of the time it's purchasing buildings and converting them into Moreau Medical Centers or Moreau Legal Offices. Right now they're still working on the New York City installments of both. Moreau Shipping is moving into Miami and Maine. So there's a lot going on with the Legacy right now."

"That sounds like a lot of headache," he said.

"Well, most of it is just me approving such projects," I said. "They find people to actually do the work. Then it's just labor reports and paychecks to approve. That's not so bad. When my dad purchased the land that we sit on, there was a lot to do and it involved getting people to open businesses on this side of the city, and building a school for the kids who live on this side of town. There was also the apartment building for the college students. That really bit us in the ass, if I'm honest. The Arrows infiltrated the apartment building and turned half the young witches dark."

"I remember that," he said. "We were young then."

"Yes," I said. "My dad nearly died from a spell they cast on him."

"That's seriously scary," he said. "They won't come back will they?"

"Well, if they do, we'll be ready for them," I said. "We know their family names, and no one with that family name is admitted to Ashdon anymore. They can't get a foot hold in the city."

"That's good," he said, putting a hand to his chest. "I'm seriously terrified of the Arrows."

"Well, Marcel killed a lot of them," I said. "I could kill a lot of them if they came back."

"That's right," he said. "You have power like Marcel's. You healed a human with cancer the day your dad died."

"Yes," I said. "I don't like to think about that day, though."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to bring it up."

"But yes, I have the same power as Marcel, but I have a few of my own," I said.

"Would you tell me what they are?" he asked. "You already know that I'm a firestarter."

"I can communicate with the dead, animals, and have prophetic dreams at times," I said. "Lestan has them more often than I do. He can manipulate air and turn it into a weapon."

"You guys are the two most powerful witches in the family," he said. "No wonder you're the Heir."

"Well, you have to be pretty powerful to be the Heir or Heiress," I said. "Even if your power is benign you have to be strong in it. The ring and necklace know if you're strong enough for them."

"That's serious magic," he said. "Do you know who spelled them?"

"It's in the family journals in the Manor," I said. "That section of the manor wasn't burned or damaged in the explosion. My father's journals are in there now."

"That's good that they weren't destroyed," he said. "Who spelled the ring and necklace?"

"Marguerite Moreau spelled them way back in the sixteen hundreds in France," I said. "She began the Legacy with Moreau Shipping."

"Wow," he said. "You know your family history."

"I've read all of the journals," I said. "They were translated into English from French. I could have read the French. We're all made to study it. It's our native tongue. Or the family's."

"Yes, I've had French class since I started middle education," he said.

"Me, too," I said. "It isn't like I'm going to go to France. No Heir or Heiress has that I know of. There's a lot of family over there, but they come here when we have big events. It's easier to understand them when they come because of the classes."

"That's true," he said. "Charlie, I'm finding more and more to like about you."

"The same is true for me with you," I said. "We can try a relationship if you like."

"I'd like that," he said. Then he kissed me. My first kiss was awkward, but it was nice. He sat closer to me and held me for a bit. I liked that. I wasn't ready for sex, and he seemed to understand that. He had to leave, and Pop drove him home. I was smiling as I thought about the kiss. I told Pop that we were in a relationship now. He smiled at that. Lestan came home with Pop when he dropped Greg off. He came straight to my room.

"I have something to discuss with you," I said when he came in.

"Is it Legacy related?" he asked.

"In a way," I said. "We need to have privacy."

He closed the door. "There," he said. "Now talk."

"Damon Arcola messaged me on the computer and then called me to offer something that I think you might want to take him up on," I said. "He wants to make us Immortalis. We'd live forever."

"What about Mary Beth for me and Greg for you?" he asked.

"We can give them the bonding potion," I said. "He won't do it until we turn sixteen. He said he has seen that the Heirs are all dying before they've had a chance to live. He wants to change that for us. We wouldn't stay with the family in this capacity forever, but we would for a long time. We'll live forever."

"I say do it," he said. "After what happened to Dad, I've been worried about your life as the Heir. They die, Charlie. They die horribly. If we do this we'll never die. You and I will be alive forever. If they're bonded to us will they live forever?"

"They're life would be tied to ours, so unless someone removes our heart and they stay near enough to touch us they'll live forever," I said. "If we give them the elixir, they'll leave us."

"Then we'll bond them," he said. "It's perfect. Do you want to tell Pop and Grandpa?"

"After the conversion," I said. "I don't want them to talk me out of it or forbid me to do it."

"I get you," he said. "This is going to be great."

"I have to call Damon back," I said. I pulled out my phone and dialed.

"Charlie?" he asked when he answered.

"Yes, Damon," I said. "We've decided to take you up on your offer."

"Me and my bonded will be with you soon," he said. "Remember, not until you're sixteen."

"Right," I said. "We'll see you soon."

"He's coming here?" Lestan asked.

"Yes," I said. "He and his bonded. He must have more than one. I don't know what the life of an Immortalis is like."

"Well, he'll be here to tell us," he said. "This is great. I'm so happy that you decided to share this with me."

"There's one thing," I said. "We have to be bonded before the elixir will work on us, because we're not Arcola's. It requires an orgasm. He said he'd masturbate us to seal the conversion and then give us the elixir so we're not bonded to him anymore."

"What if we get bonded and he withholds the elixir?" he asked.

"He knows I can kill him," I said. "He knows better than to double cross a pair of witches who can make his life hell."

"Okay," he said. "I still say go for it."

Damon Arcola and five other young men arrived in Moonlight Bay. The witches were fascinated by Damon. He allowed them to talk with him from time to time, but he wouldn't allow testing. They moved into one of the available beach houses and started to hang out with me and Lestan. In proximity they hung out with Mary Beth and Lestan. They had many questions for Damon. He answered them honestly. He told them what the life of an Immortalis really was. It was moving every ten years to take on another identity unless you staked claim to a corner of the world, found out what the people wanted and then mass produced it. He said that bonded were part of their life. They made the journey through immortality better for the bond holder. No, witches couldn't be bonded, he told them. He winked at me when he said this.

We had private conversations, and he showed me the bonding potion and taught me to make the elixir myself. That's how I knew I could trust him. I made a double batch of the elixir, because it didn't make much. I had to put it in the light of a full moon. Well there was one that very night. I put it on the sun porch where the moon shined on it all night long. Then I stored it in my closet. Lestan asked about it, but I told him it wouldn't work without first being bonded. He nodded.

"Damon came to see you and Lestan, didn't he?" Pop asked one night.

"Yes, he did," I said. "I've been chatting with him on the internet, so he wanted to come and meet us. It was time for him to leave where he was as it was. He'll be here for ten years."

"Has he offered to make you immortalis?" he asked. "Because if he has, I'm going to urge you to accept."

"Why would you do that?" I asked.

"Charlie, your father died a horrible death," he said. "Your grandfather was ate up with cancer when he died. You can live forever. I'm assuming if he offered, he also offered it to Lestan. I want you two to accept his offer and live forever."

"What about you?" I asked.

"I don't want to live forever," he said. "I want to be reborn and find your father again in the future."

"Okay," I said. "Should we tell Grandpa?"

"He already knows, and he doesn't want it either," he said. "He said he wants to be reborn to find Quinn again."

"Then I'll tell you we've already accepted," I said. "He won't do it until we turn sixteen. He said it would be hell to be trapped at fifteen forever."

"What's the difference?" he asked. He doesn't look a day over sixteen. If they didn't have that man living with them, I'd say they were a bunch of teenagers."

"They've been immortal for fifty years," Pop. "They're so not teenagers."

"I know that," he said. "We won't tell the family until you're ready to leave here."

"Would I have to?" I asked. "I mean we're in Moonlight Bay of all places. I would step down as the Heir as soon as an Heir in Waiting was found and came of age, but would I have to leave here?"

"I don't know," he said. "We'll tell the family when you're ready then."

"That sounds good," I said. "Thank you for talking to me about this. I was dreading keeping the secret from you and Grandpa."

"Well, you don't have to," he said. "But please do this."

"We will do it," I said. "We've already made the promise. We just have to turn sixteen."

"That will happen in about five months," he said. "It's already almost winter break."

"Well, we're headed for Thanksgiving first," I laughed. "Then it'll be winter break when December gets here."

"You're going back to school, aren't you?" he asked.

"I'm going to finish school," I said. "Plus I have a project with the Legacy that will be mine when I step down."

"Good thinking," he said. "I'll get back to what I was doing and leave you be."

"I love you, Pop," I said.

"I love you so much, Charlie," he said.

I hung out with Damon. He told me he'd be going to school, too. He'd be at the school on the west side. I told him I could make them let him go to the school in Keller Village. He liked that idea. He said all of his bonded would be in school. The adult would work at the school. He was a history teacher and a baseball coach. His name was Eric, and he applied at the West High School and was hired. Damon said it didn't matter if they went to the other high school. Eric had a job for ten years. I told him none of us really had to move from Moonlight Bay. I told him that my Pop and Grandpa had already figured out what was going on. I'd step down as Heir when the Heir in Waiting was found and came of age, but we weren't leaving Moonlight Bay.

"That's perfect," he said. "I don't know if my guys will want to stay here or not. I'll talk to them. It would be so amazing to be able to stay in one place and be honest about who and what we are."

"Well when the time comes we'll gather the coven and tell them about it," I said. "Not until the time comes though. That will be when I step down as Heir. I'll tell them I'm an immortalis, and I have decided to let the next Heir take his or her place in the family. That will make them sit up and pay attention."

"Yes," he said. "But as the Heir you can make them accept us."

"I can," I said. "It'll be fine."

The Manor was completed and we were in before Thanksgiving. Grandpa told us that the manor was finished in his day and they moved in right before Thanksgiving. He said it was a good omen. Damon and his bonded were there for Thanksgiving. We had a great day. I was back in my rooms, and Damon came to talk to me about my birthday. He said he would bond us on our birthday and we already had the elixir. Once we were bonded we could drink it and cancel the bond and be Immortalis on our own. He said he'd add us to the database. When I asked what that was, he said he kept track of all of the Immortalis and their bonded so they could get together when something happened. They'd be getting together because of this once it happened.

After Thanksgiving, Lestan and Mary Beth started to hang out at the Manor more often than not. Greg was always around. It seemed now that he was in a relationship with the Heir his father was ready to let him have freedom. I finally had sex with him in my own room at the Manor. It was amazing and I loved every minute of it. In fact we did it three times that night. He was a great lover, and he loved being on the receiving end so that was perfect.

I told Damon that I would bond Greg, and Lestan would bond Mary Beth. He told us that woman got pregnant every time an Immortalis had sex with her. So they'd have to use contraceptives. Lestan said he'd be on it. He didn't want children too soon. I told him that his son or daughter might be the new heir or heiress. He didn't seem to like that idea. He told me to have my own children. I told him I was gay and didn't want a woman.

Damon and the others fit right in at school. They hung out with me, Lestan, Mary Beth and Greg. Greg suddenly had more friends than he'd ever had. All of the teasing and taunting had died down when they saw that he was dating the Heir to the Legacy. They were all really nice to him now. He didn't bother with most of the student body. He hung out with Damon and his bonded. Suddenly he had things to do after school that didn't always center around me. They included him in what they were doing, because they knew that he would be bonded soon.

I had money of my own that wasn't tied to the Legacy. There was close to four million in my personal account. I'd gotten twenty thousand dollars twice from being the Heir in Waiting. Then there had been the death benefit when my father died. That was a million. The insurance money from my father's life insurance was paid to me and Lestan. That was a million each. Then there was the insurance that came from the fire at the Manor. Because of that I had nearly four million in my personal account. They probably thought the money should have reverted to the Legacy, but that's not what I did with it.

I used Legacy money to buy Christmas for my family, Greg, Mary Beth, Damon and all of his bonded, and that included Eric. Just because he was teaching and coaching at the other school didn't mean that he wasn't in and out of the Manor with the rest of them. I found him to be sexy, and I could see why Damon had bonded him. He told me that Eric was bonded because he'd formed a club at his high school for him and his bonded, but they needed faculty advisors. He'd bonded Eric, and his brother, Jason had bonded the other. He said Jason would show up in town eventually. He always followed Damon around, because they looked like twins.

Jason and his bonded showed up a few days later, and I was introduced to him and his bonded. They started school after Winter Break. I was scrambling to buy presents for all of them. Rodney took a job at the Keller Village high school and introduced basketball to the school. Before that it was just football and baseball. Now they had a basketball and track team. West had one too. But that would all happen after Winter Break. Instead of that, we had Christmas. The Manor was filled with people with Damon and his bonded and Jason and his bonded. They truly did look like identical twins. Jason explained that he was much older than damon, but had drank the elixir at seventeen. He said that it had been a remarkable life, and he welcomed me to the journey.

After Christmas, we all took over the original Family Fun Center for New Years and gave them profits they hadn't seen in years. It was just me, Greg, Mary Beth, Damon and his bonded, and Jason and his bonded. He had a girl named Laken among his bonded and would have a child when he decided it was time. He said their sister had already had a child. I thought that was astounding. I didn't want children, and neither did Greg. Jason told me that my mind set might change once I was immortal.

We played video games, munched pizza and had soft drinks. We watched movies and hung out. The staff of the center was happy, and we were happy. Damon told me that the bonded were all like cousins in the world of Immortalis. He said that Mary Beth and Greg would feel that way with all of them as soon as they were bonded. I told him that we weren't bonding anyone else. He said it was all up to the Immortalis how many bonded he had. We didn't need to move every ten years, so there wasn't a need for people in specific positions among my bonded. He'd had his for so long that he was used to them and couldn't imagine life without them.

"I hope it's that way for me and Greg," I said.

"It will be," he said. "Bonding them makes them closer to you. He'll never cheat, because he won't have sex with anyone but you or any you bond. If you only bond him, then you'll have the relationship you crave and it will be fine. You can fall in love. That's a luxury that I don't have."

"That's sad," I said. "What is life without love?"

"Well, I have the love of my family," he said. "I have a father, a mother, an adopted father, an adopted brother, and a brother and sister. I have an uncle, and grandparents. They're all immortal."

"Wow," I said. "An immortal family."

"You'll be tempted to make more immortalis," he said. "I urge you not to. Keep the immortals to you and Lestan. Bond the rest."

"Okay," I said. "I don't know any that would want it. My Pop and Grandpa have both said they don't want it. Those are who I'm closest to."

"I've told Jason that we don't have to move from here, but he says we will eventually," he said. "He isn't comfortable around so many witches. He'll stay as long as I'm here, but he'll entice me to move eventually."

"That's sad," I said. "The witches here don't want to harm you or test you. You can stay as long as you want."

"I think once he sees that for himself he'll decide to stay," he said. "It's expensive to move all of the time."

"How do you have the money?" I asked.

"We're all millionaires," he said. "We have plenty of money."

"Find that thing that the people need," I said. "Then mass produce it from here. Make this your home base."

"You have a project that is appealing to my bonded," he said. "The dog shelter is appealing to them. They want to stay and run it for you."

"That would be amazing," I said. "Do Jason's bonded want to do it?"

"They do," he said. "They'll be your staff."

"That'll work," I said. "That makes me so happy. I was afraid I wouldn't find the right staff. This is perfect."

"Declan will get it online and people will know to bring dogs to us," he said. "Evan will coordinate with other shelters for dogs that they can't or won't house. We'll run that place for you. It might be the way to make Jason stay here."

"That's wonderful," I said, smiling. I was excited.

"What are you two talking about?" Jason asked as he came to sit with us.

"Staying here and running the dog shelter," Damon said. "The bonded are all interested in doing it."

"Yes, they've talked to me about it," he said. "I'll stay."

"Good," said Damon. "We really don't have to leave here any time soon."

"I know," he said. "Once I figured out that the witches were only being friendly, I decided that I could stay here for a while."

"So there'll be four Immortalis and their bonded in Moonlight Bay," I said. Lestan came over to have a chat with us.

"What are we talking about?" he asked.

"Damon and Jason, and their bonded staying to run the dog shelter for me," I said.

"That's great," he said. "You were worried about finding the right staff. If they love dogs then they'll be perfect."

"They love dogs," Jason said. "We all do."

"Then it's perfect," Lestan said. "When he steps down as Heir he's going to head the shelter and bring in other animals. I'll come on board about that time. Mary Beth wants to be a veterinarian, and Greg wants to be a vet tech. So they'll fit right in."

"I might send a few of my bonded to college for veterinarian science as well," said Damon.

"I might, too," said Jason. "You can never have too many vets in a shelter like that."

"That would be perfect," I said. "Find out which ones want to and when we graduate they can go to Ashdon. They have vet science there."

"Ashdon is a really good school," Damon said. "We've looked at it a few times, but it was too close to a town full of witches. Now that they aren't trying to figure out how the magic works, we can all go there."

"It'll be perfect," I said.

We left the Family Fun Center and went home to sleep. Jinx was happy to see me. He was getting old, and it was hard for him to get up in my bed. I had to help him. I healed his arthritis, and he was like his old self again. I delved him that morning and found a spot on his lung. I healed that and coaxed new cells to divide and spread through his body. He was like a puppy again after that. I wondered how long I could keep him alive doing this.

I slept with him beside me, and I slept until dinner time. I got up and took him outside. Pop commented that he was moving around a lot better. I admitted that I had healed a spot on his lung and his arthritis. He said that was probably it. He said that it was good that I could heal them so they'd live longer. I agreed. Then I took my dog and fed him. I ate lasagna and garlic bread with my family. Lestan asked me to do that for Lucky and Paul, and I did. They were all chipper and peppy after that. Lestan was happy, and so were the dogs.

Back to school we went and everyone was happy to be back among friends. We hung out with Damon, Jason, and the bonded. And of course, we hung out with Mary Beth and Greg. It was coming. It was January and our birthday was in April. Time moved while we were in school. January became February, and Valentine's Day was upon us. We had a party at the Keller Center, and Damon, Jason, and their bonded were there. They were becoming a fixture in the family. Everyone liked them. When Damon explained that it was a witch who had spelled the elixir for his grandfather ages ago, they decided that there was nothing to test them for. Jason became more comfortable after that.

After Valentine's Day it was St. Patrick's Day. We didn't have a party for that, but all of the kids wore green to school that day. Then April was upon us and our birthday was right around the corner. Lestan and I talked over and over about when we would be immortalis, and what it would mean for witchcraft to have witch immortalis. I asked Damon about it, and he said that it wouldn't make much difference. We'd be the first of our kind, and unless we gave the elixir to our children, who wouldn't need the bonding potion because the elixir would be in their DNA, we'd be the only of our kind.

I told him that we might never have children. I was sure that Lestan and Mary Beth would want children eventually, but I wasn't so sure about me and Greg. I didn't want another Heir in Waiting to come from my line. He said he understood that, but what if a new Heir or Heiress wasn't found because I didn't have children. I'd have to discuss that with Greg when he was bonded. I didn't want him to feel like I was cheating on him. Damon said to bond the female and have the children and then give her the elixir. That was an idea. I said I'd run it by Greg when it was all said and done. He said he understood. 

Our birthday came around, and we had a party at the Keller Center. All of the family and half the coven were there. We got tons of gifts from handheld games, to educational software for our computers. We got witch supplies, too. I got a new cauldron, wand, chalice, and bell. So did Lestan. We got those from Pierre. We also got candles in a multitude of colors. We got bags of herbs, and spell provisions. We also got ball gloves and batting gloves, a baseball bat, a pool cue, and darts with plastic tips. We had cake and ice cream and plenty of punch. There was dancing and games to play. We left there around eleven that night.

Damon came to the house with us. He came upstairs and we were both bonded that night. Then we drank the elixir, and were immortal. Damon was right. It canceled the bond and let us think of so much more at a time than before. I saw colors more vividly than before, and I was no longer tired. He warned that we'd fall over from exhaustion if we didn't sleep. He left us there after that. I went to bed and so did Lestan. He'd showed us how to brew the bonding potion and we'd get that done the next day.

I dreamed that night of the dog shelter. It was up and running and Damon and Jason's bonded were running it for me while I was the Heir. It was beautiful and fulfilling. I loved that dream. When I woke up the next morning I felt more refreshed than ever before. Jinx was peppy and ready to go outside. I took him out, but I immediately fell in love with nature. I made the flowers grow all around the house that day. Jinx loved it. I took him in and fed him. Lestan was coming in with Lucky and Paul. We had breakfast with Pop and Grandpa. They asked if we were immortal, and we said we were. We'd be bonding Mary Beth and Greg today. They nodded at this and had expected no less from us.

I bonded Greg as soon as he came over. He was amazed when I told him what had happened. He said he could feel me in his head. I admitted that I could feel him, too. He said it was perfect. Then I had the discussion about children and told him what Damon had told me about the legacy not having an heir or heiress if I didn't procreate. He asked if a surrogate could be found. I told him I'd ask Damon about it. She might have to be bonded, but once she'd had the children I'd give her the elixir. He asked why I hadn't given it to him, and I said because it would pull us apart. He said he didn't want it.

Mary Beth was bonded to Lestan that same day. She didn't want the elixir either. She knew she had to stay on the pill or she'd get pregnant. They were nowhere near ready for children. Things went on as they had. Damon and Jason were on hand for questions. I put the question of a surrogate to them. They said if she was bonded we could use her twice or three times. Then give her the elixir. It was strange to do it that way, but if I were truly gay it would work. Greg was there when he explained it to me. We agreed to do it that way. I told him I had to give her an orgasm to seal the bond. He said he was fine with that.

Damon told him that she'd want to have sex with both of us all of the time. He said that wouldn't happen. I told him he was right about that. I wanted nothing to do with heterosexual sex. I was gay. That was all there was to it. I wasn't changing just to have children. No magic would be involved either. I wanted normal witch children. I didn't want accelerated children. Damon asked what that was about and I told him about how we were conceived. Our mother had cast a dark spell that tied us to her life force. It had backfired and robbed her of her life force as we grew quickly. He said he understood.