Spellbound by Marcus Atley

Elion shrugged, a blush creeping up his neck. Not once had Stavros actually taken any of his work into consideration and he certainly never had the patience to allow Elion to ask a question about anything.
    “The necklace looked familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’ve seen it so I did some searching. The one in the museum seems to be a replica; a very expensive, very meticulous replica, but a fake nonetheless. This appears to be the real one,” he said, turning his laptop to show Stavros the screen. The cambion’s brow rose slightly as he read the few sentences beneath the enlarged photograph.
    “You’ve heard of it?” Elion asked. “It is said to contain the blood of a queen that slaughtered virgins for the purity of their blood.” Stavros gave him a blank look before nodding for him to continue. “They said she was allergic to the sun, and she believed that the blood could cure her,” he read off the screen.
    Stavros shook his head and stood up to cross to Elion’s bed. He sat at the edge and leaned over the smaller man’s shoulder to read the screen. “Where do they come up with this garbage?” Stavros finally grumbled.
    “Hey, the internet is like a goldmine of information,” he defended. “Humans use it for practically everything.”
    “Well, they’re idiots,” Stavros scoffed. “She was a ruthless human. She killed her own husband for a little more power. She started to age and sought eternal life, thinking it would bring her youth and power. Of course, a debt meant little to her, until she realized the true price she had paid. The One that turned her had promised that she would be unstoppable. He didn’t tell her the fine print. She slaughtered virgins and children for their blood because it was untainted and made her more powerful, or so she claimed, but being trapped in the darkness didn’t suit her. She felt that she was less powerful being condemned from the sun; she wanted to rule over that as well.
    She took a lover, a sorcerer who wished to become a liche. He said he could allow her to walk in the day again, but it would come with a price. She gave birth to a child a short time later. They killed the infant, claiming that it carried the key to immortality being that it was a creation of their power and magic. The moment her lover had completed the task she needed him for, she turned on him; was in the process of draining him dry when she was captured. The amulet was said to contain the essence of the Queen.”
    Elion shuddered as he listened to Stavros speak. It wasn’t until Stavros’ eyes narrowed slightly that Elion realized how close he had drifted. In fact, if he just leaned in another inch or two he could brush his lips against-
    Elion cleared his throat and forced himself to lean back, his weight resting on the palms of his hands as he fought a blush. “Well, that’s horrifying, but is it true?”
    Stavros snorted dryly, folding his arms over his chest, but making no move to get off the bed. “The story is thousands of years old. I’m sure there’s as much truth as there is false information.”
    Elion turned his laptop around and tossed an open file onto Stavros’ lap. He waited patiently while his partner read what was in front of him, lazily reading what Elion had written before setting it aside.
    “Why would a fake one be in the museum? Or even better yet, if that one is fake than where’s the real one?” Elion asked, chewing on his thumbnail mindlessly.
    Stavros reached up and swatted his hand from his mouth, ignoring the look of protest and shock from Elion. “That’s disgusting.”
    “You’re disgusting,” Elion muttered.
    “You make Utah sound amazing,” Stavros huffed, scratching the bit of stubble shadowing his jaw. “But, those are good questions.”
    Elion blushed openly that time. He didn’t even bother to hide his proud grin as he bathed in the delight of being praised. It was ridiculous, really. He was a grown man. He was a highly trained