Tag Archives: LGBTQ

Tales of the Quiet Kitty Teaser

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Sci-Fi Fantasy Romance, LGBTQ+

Date Published: May 15, 2026

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These futuristic sci-fi tales are anything but quiet.

 

Board the Quiet Kitty Waveship and travel with Brant Sel, a Sh’Bahkyr Tygyr
and his crew: Bevel-leveB, a Medusoid Jenari with a sentient cock, and Willa,
a Sprite from the wounded planet Sparkle.

Brought together by fate, these three have common goals — to rescue and
gather their lost peoples so they can take down the corrupt, brutal
Corporation, run by the most evil beings in the three Galaxies… Humans.


Publisher’s Note: This box setcontains the previously released Quiet Kitty
novellas Under the Cat’s Paw, Dancing with the Devil, Holiday Dreams, Naked
Secrets, and Cat Scratch Fever.

 

Tales of the Quiet Kitty tablet

 

EXCERPT

Excerpt from Under the Cat’s Paw

The door opened and the sensor controlled walkway winked out beneath her
weighted feet. Almost sorry to reach her destination — she so rarely had a
chance to see daylight — Willa plodded heavily into the interview room, her
small ankles locked into a pair of slaver’s cuffs. Head down, neck bowed, she
flicked her eyes about in quick, furtive forays, taking in the room’s sparse
furnishings: a six foot long cushioned slab and a straight-backed, armless
chair. Noting the absence of tweezers, whips, electronic probes and other
sadistic devices with a thankful sigh and a renewed sense of hope, she dared
to sneak a quick glance at the room’s other occupant, determined to somehow
influence him to take her with him. A harsh, swift breath lifted her full
breasts and set her covering plumes to fluttering.

Before her stood a grey-skinned bi-pedal Being lounging at ease, his long
slender hands resting on the upper horizontal bar of a tall-backed chair. He
faced her, his nude body — tall, slim and muscular — displaying a total lack
of self-consciousness. A thick mop of unruly platinum hair waved in the brush
of an unseen — and unfelt — breeze, falling over his forehead to obscure his
sightless silver eyes. His mouth hung open, allowing a nineteen-centimeter
tongue, coated with cilia, to protrude slightly.

She identified the Being as a Jenari. A member of a race powerful enough to
stand up to the Corporation, his kind usually did not travel in Corporate
Space. Jenari rarely mingled with other races, remaining a mystery rarely seen
among the Corporation’s citizenry. Because of this much speculation abounded
regarding their peculiar genetic makeup.

She had heard enough about the genetically blind, Medusoid race to know the
Jenari’s tongues served as their true “eyes.” With their tongues, they
“tasted” the air, able to sense their environment more accurately than could
most sighted persons.

Currently, the naked alien appeared nonchalant and relaxed. His posture
broadcast his sense of control, his power over her in this private chamber,
obviously unaware how easily that privacy — his privacy — had been breached.
The so-called secure interrogation cubicle was anything but, her master having
ordered it wired for video and sound, rendering it accessible and easily
monitored by him.

The Jenari cocked his head toward her now, giving the impression of eyeing her
askance, locating her so accurately, she almost doubted his sightlessness.

“Sso… you are Willa. Your masster tellss me he hass had you trained ass a
SSexengineer… capable of keeping a Dinyar-classs Wavesship and a medium
number of crew in tip-top orgassmic condition.”

The male’s sibilant words slid from his lips. He framed his sentences oddly,
their cadence broken and rendered choppy by the repeated extrusion of his
tongue. The cilia laden appendage darted out between every several words,
sipping the air in her direction.

“You look much too fragile for ssuch sstrenuous work. A female of your
delicassy sshould be cossseted and cared for… your cunt well conditioned
with frequent usse… your ssweet cream churned with a long thick sspoon…”

Willa felt the Jenari’s thick voice, his dulcet tones, flowing over her,
calming her jangling nerves. Her pussy, long denied any easing, dewed in
response to the pictures his words painted. A strong compulsion beat at her,
making her want nothing so much as to loll at his feet in adoration.


Strange, how clear his words are, given that he speaks using that crowded
appendage… Oh, Drasarka — not so strange when he is attempting to
mind-thrall me!

“Sparkle!”

With a negating shake of her head and an inward surge of disgust at the
endless power-games of males, she threw up her mind blocks, easily winning
free of the subliminal influence. Angered beyond thinking, she verbally
blasted the alien, incensed he would try such a trick on her. “Your mind speak
will not work on me, Jenari.”

She tossed her head, meeting his renewed mental challenge with a sneer. “I am
a Sprite. I cannot be compelled by your voice, nor can your honeyed words
thrall me.”

The alien’s wide mouth spread in a practised movement that aped a smile. “You
are a fressh ssassy baggage! I can ssee why your masster ssayss you invite
beatingss, sslave!” His lips closed in a thin line, concealing his tongue.

She cringed, damning her mouth and her loss of self-control. By Sparkle! When
would she learn to keep her comments to herself? What would she do if her
unruly anger lost her this chance of escape?

It had taken too long to convince her master she truly wished to serve his
plans by spying for him. She had spent the long, grueling years learning about
ship propulsion units, drive flux capacitors and other diverse technical
entities for just such a chance as this: escape. During that time, she’d
swallowed her gorge and taken the physical abuse and so-called sexual
cruelties Lord Avron had doled out, never letting on how his milder tortures
ignited her carnal hungers. She’d only slipped up once, but that lapse had
proven costly.

Avron had somehow learned she needed his release — any partner’s release —
inside her, needed the life-giving fluid of come washing the walls of her sex
in order to flourish and grow a healthy set of pinions and fronds. Since that
time, he’d kept her at the minimum edge of physical and psionic sexual
starvation, taking pleasure in gauging what lengths she would go to, the
degradations she would endure in order to receive a few drops of come.

Years of maneuvering, of posturing and subterfuge had paid off. Lately, unrest
and political furor had escalated within the Corporation. Due to financial
setbacks and personal miscalculations, Lord Avron had lost respect among his
peers. The other Corporation Lords, like canker-phish — more deadly than the
great blalor-sharks of Trofu that devoured their own young — hovered about,
sniffing around his weakness, waiting for his failure. Her master had been
forced to regroup, jettisoning some of his plans for advancement just to
maintain his present lofty position among the powerful despots.

Unwilling to go outside his private power base to obtain help and whatever
information he sought, it had been easy to convince him of her willingness to
win the position as Sexengineer aboard the Quiet Kitty Waveship and garner
information from its crew to transmit back to him. Why he had become obsessed
with this vessel, she neither knew nor cared. All that concerned her lately
was finding her scattered people. Sparkle called for her and its other
children, its summons an imperative she could not ignore. Time was fast
running out for her. If she messed this interview up, she knew Avron would
kill her.

Belly roiling with resentment, she averted her face to hide her grimace and
abased herself before the alien — probably her last chance at freedom. “I
offer apologies to you, Gentle-Being. I beg you to take no offence.”

“Be at easse, Ssprite. I tesst all who sseek to sserve aboard my vesssel. No
one sso eassily controlled iss welcomed aboard my Quiet Kitty. Let uss begin
anew…”

One long arm extended palm up, in the manner of greeting peculiar to her
slavers, the alien stepped from behind the chair, unerringly approaching
Willa. “I am Bevel, masster of the Quiet Kitty Waveship.”

She choked, eyes riveted in desperate immediate hunger to his newly revealed
sex. Obviously, her information loop had seriously failed to include some
pertinent data…

Standing before her, hands extended, awaiting her acknowledgement of his
greeting, the alien was an impressive sight. Or rather, the impressive sight
was his more than ten inch penis swaying lazily between his grey muscular
thighs. A darker grey than the rest of his skin, the Medusoid cock undulated
back and forth, its serpent-like moves hypnotic, compelling, drawing her
fascinated gaze.

 

 

About the Author

A funny thing happened on the way to the grave… In 2006, Cammy was diagnosed
with Pulmonary Sarcoidosis and given two weeks to live. She promptly
discharged herself AMA — Against Medical Advice — since, as she stubbornly
informed her doctors, she could die at home far more comfortably than at the
hospital. But then… she got an idea for a new story. Then another, and
another…

Fifteen years and dozens of fantastic tales later, Cammy passed quietly in her
sleep, at home, as was her wish. We miss her. Her work lives on, and we hold
her in our hearts. Cammy decided many years ago that upon her passing, she
wished to donate her royalties to The Quiet Kitty fund, which helps authors
with emergency medical expenses. We do, to keep her in our hearts and minds.

Find Camille’s other works at Changeling Press

 

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress

 

 

 

 

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Trans in the Time of Trump Blitz

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LGBTQ+

Date Published: February 9, 2026

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Trans in the Time of Trump by Hope Abbigail Nulf is a poignant,
thought-provoking collection that captures the intersection of personal
identity, political resistance, and art. Born from the author’s experiences of
surviving trauma, transitioning, and discovering resilience, this book
combines raw humor, activism, and deep insight into the current political
landscape.

Through her character “Doodle,” Nulf expresses complex emotions about
identity, gender, and societal pressures, offering readers a unique, humorous
perspective on the struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community in an increasingly
divisive world. This first of nine Doodle books explores the power of art to
speak truth to power, inviting readers to join a movement of resistance, hope,
and courage in the face of tyranny.

With illustrations that convey both personal pain and joy, Trans in the Time
of Trump is a powerful declaration that art can heal, inspire, and fuel
activism.

About the Author

I am a trans special education teacher and 10 years ago I started
cartooning books for kids and parents that were in trouble. I did 8 books for
kids that were picked on or disliked, and then my country went away.

In the face of treatment of trans people, brown people, and the growing abuse
of all minorities I had to change Doodle from a comforting friend to a mirror
I could hold up to rednecks.

She is my activism. A far cry from my mother’s activism in the 60s, but
it is what I can add to the fight.

 

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Tilthos Pack Teaser

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LGBTQ, Dark Fantasy, Shifters

Date Published: January 16 2026

 

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Lovers who have stood the test of time find themselves on unsteady ground. Can
their love prevail despite the terror working its way through the pack?


Wedding a Genie:
Mark and Luke are getting married… or are they?
Mark’s pride may not allow him to show how he feels to a roomful of his
nearest and dearest.


The Mating Ceremony:
Ethan and Jeremy have been forced into a mating ceremony.
Can their love survive their pack traditions?


The Separation:
Separated by hundreds of miles and a promise, Charlie and Luis
long for each other. Will their love survive?


A Solstice Sundering:
When Ethan is ordered back to the pack, his strained
relationship with Jeremy comes to the forefront. Can they weather this storm?


Uncertain Foundations:
Lovers who have stood the test of time find themselves
on unsteady ground. Can their love prevail?

 

Tilthos Pack tablet

 

Excerpt from Wedding a Genie

 

Mark paced. He was dressed, finally, in his coat and tie, his hair tamed. He
looked almost the same as he did every day for work, except this was a tux,
not just a suit. And it wasn’t black, like the majority of his dress
clothes. Luke had picked out a soft brown garment that complemented
Mark’s deep tan and his dark brown hair. The tie he wore was the same
blue as his eyes. The tie clip, which he hadn’t even known was a thing
until Luke produced it, was golden and in the shape of a dragon.

He looked good.

But he longed to rip off all his clothes and go for a swim in the Gulf of
Mexico.

Someone knocked on the door to the “groom’s” changing room
on the boat he and Luke had rented for their wedding. Mark quit pacing and
forced his hands not to shake. “Come in.”

His brother, Jonathan, stepped in and shut the door. “Are you all
right?”

Mark scowled. “Why?”

To his surprise, Jonathan didn’t snap right back. “Because I was
nervous as hell when I got married to Becca,” he said quietly “And
you haven’t known Luke half as long as I knew Becca before I proposed.

“Besides, Mark,” he added, “I know you. Making a change like
this is difficult at the best of times and you’ve just been promoted.
You’re trying to get your feet under you.”

Mark let out a long sigh. “You’re right, I’m nervous. I love
him, I want to be with him for the rest of my life. Why am I so
jittery?”

“Like I said, it’s a big change.” Jonathan turned for the
door.

“That’s it? You’re going to come in here, confront me about
my nerves, and then just walk out?”

“You’re calmer now,” Jonathan pointed out.

Mark huffed a laugh. “I still want to go for a swim in the gulf.”

“As long as you get back here in time to dry yourself off, I don’t
see why that’s a problem. It’s almost an hour
before…” Jonathan tilted his head and said, “Or maybe
Luke’s presence would help.”

Mark’s tension rocketed up from a five all the way to a ten.
“Luke?” he squeaked.

Jonathan left the room and Luke stood in the doorway with two tall glasses in
his hands. “I know we’re not supposed to see each other before the
wedding,” Luke said, sounding apologetic. “But do you mind if I
come in?”

Mark took two steps back and gestured his soon-to-be-husband inside. Luke used
his magic to close the door without touching it.

“Showoff,” Mark teased weakly.

“Genie prerogative,” Luke answered. He took a sip from the glass
in his left hand and offered Mark the other one.

It was a rum and Coke; Mark sensed that even before he could smell the
contents. Luke knew what relaxed him. “You could feel my agitation all
the way from the other side of the boat, huh?” he asked as he sipped.
And then took a little more because Luke just made this particular drink so
perfectly.

Luke, being a genie, Mark’s former genie, had a connection to
Mark’s emotions. Sort of like the telepathic link Mark had to Luke,
although in that case it was because of Mark’s dragon genetics. For
Luke, it had everything to do with the rules that governed his species. Or at
least that was what he and Mark had decided. Probably, if SearchLight ever
chose to study genies more thoroughly, they would find a different, or at
least more exact, answer.

Luke nodded, his golden eyebrows drawn together in a worried frown. He set his
glass on a handy table and crossed to Mark. “What’s wrong?”

Damn, but Luke looked good. Mark traced the lapel of his lover’s tux.
Brown, like Mark’s, but a lighter shade. Luke had really coordinated
everything. “You look like a sex god,” Mark murmured.

That got him a brief smile but then Luke’s serious expression returned.
“Talk to me, my Mark. What’s making you so jumpy?”

Mark didn’t know how to lay hands on the source of his nervousness and
so he simply shook his head. He, too, set his glass down and wrapped his arms
tightly around Luke, resting his cheek against his lover’s shoulder. His
whole body wanted to shake and he held it at bay. He felt so safe in
Luke’s embrace.

“Okay, so this is helping,” Luke correctly interpreted. “I
can just hold you during the whole ceremony if you want.”

Mark tensed. “I don’t want…” He stepped back.

The look on Luke’s face was that of a stricken calf.

Mark hugged him close again. “It’s not you, it’s me, and I
know that sounds like a crock of shit but…” He rubbed
Luke’s back. “Please understand… I’m sorry… I
don’t know how to explain but I’m so sorry…” He let
his words fade away as Luke placed a gentle kiss on his hair. Mark
couldn’t help thinking he shouldn’t feel this way, not when he was
the head of a whole damned department, he’d known Luke for three plus
years, and he all but worshiped the ground his genie lover walked on. Why was
he feeling so defensive?

“I’m feeling vulnerable,” he whispered as the truth made
itself known.

Luke’s voice in his ear was unfailingly soothing and warm. “If you
want, we can postpone or…” His swallow was audible in
Mark’s ear.

 

About the Author

Emily Carrington is a multipublished author of male/male and transgender
women’s speculative fiction. Seeking a world made of equality, she
created SearchLight to live out her dreams. But even SearchLight has its
problems, and Emily is looking forward to working all of these out with a host
of characters from dragons and genies to psychic vampires. And in the
contemporary world she’s named “Sticks & Stones,” Emily
has vowed to create small towns where prejudice is challenged by a passionate
quest for equality. Find her on Facebook at Shapeshifter Central or on her
website.

Author’s Website

Emily on Facebook

Emily on Twitter

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress

Save 15% off any order at ChangelingPress.com with code RABT15

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Essence Teaser Tuesday

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(Splintered Bloodlines 3)

LGBTQ / M/M / Fantasy

Date Published: November 28, 2025

 

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Bobby’s always had a thing for silver foxes. Still has. Just never
expected to find the ultimate one is his fated mate.

Bobby Kirkland leads a simple life — mostly simple, considering his budding
romance with the esteemed Deacon Saridan, head vamp of House Saridan.

Amid the romance and Bobby’s exploration of the BDSM lifestyle with his new
mate, a string of murders leads Deacon to believe that a familiar, though
certainly not kind, face has shown itself in the lands of House
Saridan… and this threat proves to be an even bigger challenge than
first thought.

WARNING: Adult language and situations, including BDSM

 

Excerpt

 

All rights reserved.

 

Copyright ©2025 Mychael Black

 

Deacon

“How’s he doing? Fitting in okay?”

The dock foreman, Toryn, leaned against the frame of the plate-glass window we
stood at as we watched the workers in the shipping area below. “Seems to
be. He gets along with the guys pretty well.”

I glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. “But…”

He sighed. “He struggles to stay on task sometimes, and he tends to
daydream a good bit. Not a bad thing inherently, but not great when working
around forklifts and eighteen-wheelers.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. The young man who’d captured my
attention weeks ago was indeed a bit flighty at times. According to Cam, Bobby
Kirkland had always been that way, and a diagnosis of ADHD as a pre-teen had
answered a lot of questions. He needed structure and routine, in my opinion.
I’d hoped working here would give him that, but he still seemed to have
trouble staying focused on occasion.

The bell signaling the end of the workday rang out in the warehouse. I spotted
Bobby going toward the door that led into the large breakroom where the
lockers were. Beside me, Toryn snickered softly.

“I’m surprised you haven’t claimed him yet.”

I turned away from the window. “Soon.”

I followed him out of my office and downstairs. Most of the workers were
already heading home, but a few — including Bobby — remained in the
breakroom. Toryn patted my shoulder and went to his own locker. The others
glanced over at me, and a couple of them shot Bobby teasing smirks. Even from
the doorway, I saw him blush. There wasn’t any hint of jealousy with
this group, thankfully. When Bobby met my gaze, I discreetly gestured for him
to join me upstairs. He nodded, and I headed back up. Once I claimed him,
we’d be able to speak telepathically and not worry about coworker
issues. Then again, he also wouldn’t be working either, but that was a
discussion for another day.

A few minutes after I sat down on the small couch in my office, the door
opened. Bobby smiled, though there was a good bit of nervousness behind it. He
shut the door and sat a couple of feet beside me at my urging. I twisted a
little to face him and got comfortable.

“How was work?”

“Good,” he said, fidgeting a bit with his hands, like he
didn’t know what to do with them. One leg bounced a little.

“Have you had any problems with your coworkers?”

Bobby didn’t answer right away, which told me everything I needed to
know. I reached over and put my hand on his knee, stilling the movement almost
immediately. His eyes widened for a moment, making him seem far younger than
thirty-one. Of course, at my age, he was young.

“What is it? You can tell me anything, Bobby.”

He swallowed and tore his gaze from mine. I waited while he thought about
whatever he wanted to say. Finally, he spoke. “Just a couple of guys who
seem to think I’m an idiot.” He looked back up at me.
“I’m not. I just get… distracted sometimes, hyper focused
at others.”

“No, you’re definitely not an idiot. You wouldn’t be working
here if so,” I said. “Have they done or said anything directly to
you?”

“No, but I’ve caught a few whispers here and there,” he
replied. “Not to mention the weird glances.” He shrugged and
sighed. “I feel like I’m back in fucking high school, to be
honest. It’s ridiculous.”

I chuckled softly and gave his knee a gentle squeeze. “I have a
potential solution then, but I think we need to have a good, long talk before
we go any further.”

Bobby nodded and stared down at my hand. “I honestly started to worry
that this was a one-sided thing,” he muttered.

Unable to resist, I lifted my hand to cup his chin, tilting his head until I
was looking into those soulful brown eyes. I stroked my thumb across his lower
lip, and he let out a soft gasp. “I assure you, this is very much
mutual. That said, there are details we must go over first.”

“Those details have anything to do with your necklace?”

I smiled and lifted the thin chain from under my shirt. Light reflected off
the tiny handcuff pendant accented with garnets. “Indeed. How about we
have dinner, and we can chat?”

“Sounds good to me. I need to let Dad and Cam know where I’ll be.
I don’t have to, but it’s an old habit.”

“Absolutely, and a good one to have. Do you have any food preferences or
sensitivities I need to know about?”

“I’m lactose intolerant, but that’s it.”

“Understood. Let Beau and Cam know what’s going on and then meet
me in my chambers upstairs. Normally, I’d take you out, but the things
we need to discuss are not for anyone else’s ears.”

His gaze shifted a bit, and I couldn’t ignore the urge any longer.
Fingers gripping his chin, I tipped his head and leaned close. Bobby’s
soft moan the moment our lips touched sent almost overwhelming need rushing
through me. His scent — a decadent mix of soap, shampoo, and something woodsy
yet sweet — filled every part of my psyche. The urge to bite flitted through
my mind, but I shoved it away for now. I knew he was mine; I didn’t need
to taste his blood to confirm it.

Bobby opened for me, pliant, eager, and so insanely delicious. I released his
chin and cupped the back of his head, pushing the kiss into hungrier territory
for both of us. Before I could lose control and take him right here, though, I
made myself pull back. He grumbled, and I nipped his lower lip before soothing
it with my tongue.

“Dinner,” I murmured. “I need to taste every inch of you but
not before we talk.”

 

About the Author

Mychael Black has been writing professionally since 2005. He writes gay
romance and erotica, but also het romance as Carys Seraphine and queer fantasy
as Katherine Cook.

He’s an avid PC gamer with a love for RPGs, a horror fanatic, and a fantasy
nut. He also has a weakness for anything relating to skulls, dogs, and
Spongebob Squarepants.

Mychael lives on the Eastern Shore of the US with his family. He loves to hear
from readers, be it via email or Facebook.

 
 

 

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress

 

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Convention of Dragons Teaser

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LGBTQ, Dark Fantasy, Polyamorous, Shapeshifters

Date Published: October 31, 2025

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When duty calls, where will the heart go?

Joel’s twin has been hurt, and Joel decides to stay with him rather than
join his new lovers across the sea. But fate, and a serial killer, have other
plans.

Parisa and Noah are drifting apart and without Joel they might lose everything
they’ve built.

Can this new throuple fight together to win their happiness or will evil
triumph?

 

Convention of Dragons paperback

 

 
EXCERPT

 

“Hooo-elll…”

It was Parisa’s voice, but he couldn’t touch her physically or
telepathically. All Joel’s senses were blurred.

Joel wasn’t sure if he’d passed out, but everything was foggy. Not
dark, since he had no concept of light beyond the meaning of the word, but
misty. It was like the fog that clung to his face and arms, to his hearing and
sense of smell when he’d visited England thirty years ago. He’d
never forget that sensation of everything being muffled. The sound of his own
voice had been right, but the tapping of his cane tip on the cobblestones in
London had been oddly removed from the rest of him. He’d actually fallen
a couple of times in London, not because he couldn’t feel the ground but
because he had tried too hard to rely on the sound of his cane to tell him the
depth of things like cracks and steps.

Now, although the sense of being wrapped in cotton persisted, he felt even
more cut off from the world because he was really two people. He
couldn’t attend to his own movements or speech while living in
Jules’s head. Especially not when Jules was so distant from the world.
His whole spirit seemed caught up in confusion and fear. So although Joel and
Jules sometimes lived in each other’s heads for brief moments, there had
never been such a fundamental separation from physical reality.

Dimly, he could feel a hand caressing his face. He tried to reach up and catch
those fingers, but his arms felt like they weighed a hundred pounds. He
attempted another connection with Jules, one that would allow him to
communicate more than just his confusion and to feel Jules’s sense of
dislocation. That, too, failed.

Someone spoke then, their voice cutting through the fog. “Joel.”
It was James, the dragon guarding him. “Joel, come back. Follow me if
you’re turned around.”

He clung to those words and finally managed, by trailing after them in the
psychic world, to reestablish himself in the realm of touch, hearing, and
scent.

The person caressing his face paused and Parisa asked, “Can you hear me,
Joel?”

“Yes,” he croaked, his throat dry.

“Drink,” she answered, and he opened his mouth, unsure if he would
feel a glass against his lips or her cupped hand. He registered the water as
cool and drank as palmfuls were brought to his lips. From where he’d
heard Parisa’s voice, he’d expected the water to come from another
angle. Maybe Noah was actually giving him the refreshing liquid.

“James?” he asked between mouthfuls.

“He’s not here,” Parisa said, “although I heard him
too. It was like he somehow tapped into a telepathy that could be carried to
more than one person.”

“Are either of you hurt?” Joel asked.

“No,” Parisa answered after a moment. He wondered what caused the
hesitation. Then she explained. “Noah is shell-shocked, I think.
He’s –”

“I’m fine,” Noah said firmly. “Just… sorry
about…”

Struggling to raise his head, Joel felt hands tighten on his shoulders. He
fought down the instantaneous panic that clawed at his throat. “Unless
there’s a reason for me to be lying on my back,” he said as gently
as he could manage, “I’d rather sit up.”

The hands released him and as he sat up, crossing his legs, he felt
Parisa’s breath on his shoulder blade. He was still naked. He shivered
and instinctively pulled his legs up to shield his stomach and softer bits. He
wasn’t afraid of Parisa or Noah, but he felt vulnerable. “What
happened?”

“There was an explosion,” Noah said, and he did sound a little
shocky because his voice trembled. “Over at the other house, we
think.”

“Definitely not here,” Parisa put in. “Do either of you need
a towel? There aren’t robes in here, and I don’t think we should
leave the bathroom until we get the all-clear.”

So, that was why his bare butt was on tile. “Did you two carry me in
here?”

Again, there was that momentary pause. Then Parisa said, “I helped Noah
and carried you, yes.”

Their location made sense even if nothing else did. As far as Joel knew, the
bathroom might be the only room in the smaller house without windows.

Not like the one that had blown inward, injuring Jules.

He shivered as that realization, sent by his twin, hit him. Jules didn’t
actually know it had been a window, but he’d had glass taken out of his
arm so he’d made an educated guess. Joel said, “Soon as we can, I
need to get to Jules. Something’s seriously wrong with him.”

“Can you feel him?” Parisa asked, her hand warm on his back.

“Not now but…” He shivered again, unable to help himself.
“He was muffled, or that’s what it felt like. Like having your
head wrapped in a blanket.”

Noah began, “Did he –”

Someone interrupted, throwing open the door. “Here they are,” said
James, his voice tight.

“Good,” said a voice that came out slightly tinny. “Help is
on the way but it’s a good hour out. See if you can move them to this
building.”

“Will do.” James crouched, his voice coming from off to
Joel’s right. “Are any of you hurt?”

Joel shook his head. “I’m fine. It didn’t happen
here.” He reached out toward James’s voice, but Parisa caught his
hand.

“Agent Tavery,” she said softly, “you’re
bleeding.”

 

About the Author

Emily Carrington is a multipublished author of male/male and transgender
women’s speculative fiction. Seeking a world made of equality, she
created SearchLight to live out her dreams. But even SearchLight has its
problems, and Emily is looking forward to working all of these out with a host
of characters from dragons and genies to psychic vampires. And in the
contemporary world she’s named “Sticks & Stones,” Emily
has vowed to create small towns where prejudice is challenged by a passionate
quest for equality. Find her on Facebook at Shapeshifter Central or on her
website.

Author’s Website

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Emily on Twitter

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress

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