"No, he just wasn't there anymore."

Porter stood up and began pacing back and forth. "When a ghost is haunting someone, they tend to form a connection with him or her. A necromancer generally needs to do a two-step process. You push the ghost away from the item or person it is haunting then you banish them. It sounds like you did both at the same time."

"I did." He'd been damn proud about it too.

"How did it feel?"

"What do you mean? I was damn pleased it worked out."

"Did it feel the same as when you banished the students?"

Eli examined his memory for a moment. "Not really. I mean I felt him moving away from Jaynell, but I didn't have the same completeness as I did when the students disappeared."

"Was he not there or did he just go into someone?"

"What?" Eli stood up. "You think Dragonspawn possessed someone?"

"Who was in the room?" Porter pinned Eli with a steady gaze as if he was a particularly tricky puzzle to figure out.

"Me, Jaynell and Devin. That's all."

"Look me in the eye!" Porter demanded.

Eli turned and faced Porter.

The spirit stared at him for a moment. "Well, you are obviously not possessed. From what I heard, Jaynell is too powerful for a spirit to get the drop on him. That only leaves..."

"Devin!" Eli's mouth dropped open. "You think he's possessed?"

"I think it's a possibility. Dragonspawn was a powerful wizard. Even if it's true that Jay drained him of all powers, he'll have some ghost abilities in the afterlife. If he inhabited Devin, than he'll be able to cast spells again."

"Won't Devin fight him?"

"Possessions are tricky. Devin would have to know he was being possessed for him to be able to battle Dragonspawn. Ideas that shoot through his head may be things he's thought of doing and then cast aside. Dragonspawn will make him think everything he does is his own idea which is what makes it hard for a person possessed to realize it."

Eli rubbed his hands up and down his arms. The thought of having made love to a possessed Devin had chills going up his spine and his stomach twisting uneasily. "His kiss was different."

"What?"

"When he kissed me, he had a different technique and the spark wasn't there like it was before. Oh, gods, you're right! He is possessed."

Eli's knees gave out and he ended up back on his bed. "I kissed a possessed guy and didn't even notice."

"You noticed. You just ignored your instincts. As a necromancer, your gut feeling will save you over time. You need to trust yourself."

"Yeah, because that worked out so well when I let Devin become possessed." Guilt slashed its ugly claws across Eli's conscience. "I can't believe how bad I am at this."

"Hey, you're too hard on yourself. Now you just need to listen to your instincts. It will be harder to banish a ghost while he's possessing someone. The ghost has already laid its clutches on Devin's soul. You'll have to work fast to separate them before he becomes part of Devin forever. Trust me, this isn't the type of guy you want to be your boyfriend."

"If Devin is possessed, I need to go back and do what I can."

Eli grabbed his necromancer kit and opened the door.

"I'll come with," Porter said.

"You think you can do something?"

"I should at least be able to verify if Devin is possessed."

Eli nodded. That would be something at least. He'd hate to try to depossess his boyfriend only to discover he was just having an off day.

"You don't look so good, bro," Dan said, examining Devin as if he were a rather unfortunate bug about to be squashed. "What do you want us to do?"

"I don't feel so good. My head hurts." He couldn't think. Thoughts trickled through his mind but flittered off with butterfly quickness.

"Was he this pale last night?" Dean's voice came from somewhere near the foot of the couch.

"No." Eli's lighter voice replied. "Dragonspawn is sucking his energy."

When had Eli returned? Devin turned his head to watch his lover approach with bleary eyes. "You know what's wrong with me?"

"I suspect Dragonspawn has possessed you."

Dean knelt beside Dan and the pair of them stared at Devin.

"What?"

"I don't know, man, but remember when Jay taught us to look at auras?" Dean asked.

"Yeah."

"Yours isn't looking so good," Dan finished. "It has all these dark tones. Eli, can you see auras?"

Eli laughed. "I'm a pretty shitty wizard, guys, but Porter told me he's pretty sure Dragonspawn has possessed Devin."

"Oh, fuck," Dan said. "I think you're right. Come here."

Eli settled between the two brothers. Each of them put a hand on his arm.

Devin had to hold back his instinctive protest about his brothers touching his man. Not only did Dan have a gorgeous mate of his own who would set him on fire if he strayed, but Dean only dated women.

"Now focus on Devin."

Eli's eyes glowed an emerald green, but it was his brothers who gasped.

"Oh, fuck, Devin. You are possessed," Dan said.

"I guess they aren't as stupid as they look," a deep voice whispered in his head.

Dan frantically dialed his phone. Someone must've answered because he shouted into the mouthpiece, "Jay, man, we need you now!"

A loud pop filled the air and Devin's dorm room became even smaller. Jay now stood beside Dean. "What's wrong?"

"Devin's possessed!" Dean pointed at Devin.

"Feeling melodramatic today, are we?" Jay said mildly.

"Eli, show him!" Dan ordered.

"I don't know what you saw," Eli protested.

Jay knelt down beside him. Devin flinched as the ghost moved inside him. Dragonspawn didn't like Jay so close to them.

"We were looking at his aura and we touched Eli," Dan explained.

"Okay." Jay touched Eli's arm. "Examine Devin like you're looking for his aura."

Devin froze, almost afraid to speak. Jay touched Eli's arm. Eli's eyes glowed, then Jay's did. Devin tried to scoot back out of reach. They were beginning to freak him out a bit.

"Crap, you've been possessed by Dragonspawn."

Devin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. How many wizards needed to announce it before it became reality? "I know."

Eli sucked in a breath. "I guess I didn't banish him after all?"

"Sorry, Eli." Jay stood.

Devin had a twinge of sympathy for the necromancer.

"He is a sweet thing. I'll keep him for a while." Dragonspawn's voice filtered through his head.

Devin gritted his teeth. "Stay away from him."

Eli watched as Porter appeared over the back of the couch. His eyes were lit with an odd blue fire Eli had never seen before. "Porter, what are you doing?"

"Don't you know, Eli? There's only one way to get rid of a ghost like this."

Before he could ask anything, Porter produced a glowing sword. It pulsed with ectoplasmic energy. A low hum came from the weapon before he plunged it deep into Devin's chest.

"No!" Eli screamed.

Devin convulsed. A dark, oily light poured out of him like a greasy, toxic spill. The blob formed the rough shape of a man before an earth-shattering shriek ripped through the air. Eli dropped to the floor, clapped his hands over his ears and tried to block out the noise.

His eyes watered from the power of the spirit pounding against his mental shields.

Jaynell, Dean and Dan all crouched on the floor around Devin's body. A bright light pulsed through the room then the shape vanished.

"Devin!" Eli crawled over to the still form. He cupped Devin's head. His lover's unseeing eyes gazed straight at the ceiling. "Devin!"

"He's gone. There's only one place to save him." Porter shimmered above Devin's body.

"You!" Eli jumped to his feet. Gathering his energy, he channeled his necromancer skills. His hellhound flashed into existence beside him, the power of a necromancer slid through Eli's veins. He poured his energy into Porter. Focusing every inch of his will into the ghost. Betrayal and pain twisted him up inside. How could Porter do this to him? "I send you to the afterlife."

"Good. Come with me." Porter jumped, latching his body around Eli the second he released his magic.

The world swirled around him. Energy crackled, sending bolts of lightning through the air. Eli screamed as his body twisted into shapes and his bones stretched and cracked until he dissipated to nothingness.

A rushing noise, like a turbulent river, crashed through his ears and swept his spirit away. Eli lost the ability to breathe as he was whisked through time and space. Everything spun and the world blurred until he stopped.

Eli tumbled into a pool of briny liquid. His mouth filled with the sour water. Clamping his mouth shut, he had to swallow the water down to keep from opening his lips and letting more inside. Lungs aching, he broke through the surface and gasped. Hot air filled his lungs.

Coughing, Eli scanned the area. A sandy bank lay on either side of what Eli could now see was a river he'd fallen into. A familiar glowing form was standing on the left bank beside an enormous dog. Eli struck out toward Porter and Reaper, his smooth swimming strides carrying him quickly to the sandy ground.

Luckily the water didn't flow too quickly, otherwise he would've been swept away. Reaper sat on the land above him, his doggy tongue hanging out.

"Thanks, buddy," Eli groaned.

Porter held out a hand and helped Eli out of the water. His clothes were soaked, but he was otherwise unharmed.

"Welcome to the underworld," Porter said. The ghost's form glowed a bright white in the dimly lit space.

Eli glanced around. "Why did you kill Devin? What did he ever do to you?"

"Sorry, Eli, but the only way to retrieve your lover is to pull him back before he reaches the gates of the underworld." Porter's eyes sparkled like diamonds. "I've waited fifty years to come here."

"You provoked me on purpose."

"Yes." Porter didn't even try to deny it. "I didn't think you'd believe me. Only the strongest of necromancers can come here and leave again."

Eli didn't see anything in the darkness except a wide river and miles of rock. He wondered if this was what had happened to Alstair. Would he now be only half a man? "Where am I?"

"You are on the banks of the River Styx formed by the boundary between Earth and the underworld. You need to follow it to Acheron and find the ferryman. He will have Devin's soul to take to Hades."

"How am I going to find him?" Tears filled Eli's eyes. "I was just fooling myself thinking I can be strong enough to save Devin."

Porter slapped Eli. His head snapped back from the force.

"What the fuck!"

"You have a hound of Hades at your feet! You need to be strong. Do you love him or not?"

Eli nodded. "I do."

"Then man the fuck up and go get him."

Shame burned through Eli. "You're right. I'm sorry."