Samhain

By Pelaam

Robert must care for his niece Aimee, who is unaware he's a witch of light. Darkness seeks to use her against him. On Samhain, the forces of light and dark will clash. Who will be the victor?

Robert unexpectedly finds he has to care for a niece he hasn't been allowed to see in over a decade. Aimee is unaware that he is a Witch of Light, or that he even has a male lover, Leander, who is also his familiar. As Samhain approaches, they have to find a way to complete their ritual while not revealing their true selves to Aimee.

Angry at being sent to stay with a man who hasn't been in contact with her since she was a baby, Aimee is a target for the dark forces that seek to destroy Robert's forest sanctuary.

On Samhain, darkness and light will clash. Who will emerge victorious?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Mar 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9781685502652

Pelaam

Living in clean, green New Zealand, Pelaam is a multi-published author of gay romance and erotic books. When not busy writing, she can be found indulging in her other passions of cookery and wine appreciation. Pelaam's books: Smoking Mirror, 2017 finalist in 2017 Rainbow Awards in Gay Futuristic/Sci-Fi; Stranded, Evernight Publishing Readers’ Choice winner 2016 for Sci-Fi; The Avian Emperor, runner up and Honourable Mention in 2016 Rainbow Awards Gay Futuristic/Sci-Fi.

Book preview

Samhain

By Pelaam

Published by JMS Books LLC

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2022 Pelaam

ISBN 9781685502652

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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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Samhain

By Pelaam

Chapter 1

I don’t believe it. I don’t fucking believe it.

The sound of Robert’s angry voice reached Leander from the hallway. He looked up from where he’d busily assembled cream cheese and smoked salmon topped bagels for breakfast. The plates, glasses of orange juice, and a pot of coffee were already out on the table.

What is it, love? Leander headed toward the door, and met Robert on his way in. His lover’s normally smiling visage scowled darkly. Whatever was in the crushed piece of paper that Robert held in his hand had genuinely upset him.

This. Robert shook the paper. My bloody sister.

Leander stood frozen in shock. Lucy, Robert’s sister, hadn’t contacted him in over a decade. This couldn’t be anything good. He shook himself into action. He had to take care of his lover. He urged Robert to sit at the table, and poured him a mug of coffee.

Do you want me to read it or will you give me the abridged version? Leander sat close, and pushed the coffee toward his lover.

Robert sipped at the coffee and peered, frowning, over the mug’s rim.

My dear sister, who hasn’t so much as spoken to me for the last twelve years, wants me to look after her daughter, Aimee. Lucy’s having surgery, needs recovery time afterward, and wants us…me, to look after Aimee.

What? Leander couldn’t stop the squawk of outrage. The niece you haven’t been permitted to see in over a decade, since she was…what, three years old?

Oh, that’s not the best of it. She’s invoked the Bound by Blood Oath. I can’t refuse to take Aimee as she’s my blood, my kin. Equally, I’m bound not to reveal to her I’m gay, or that I live with you. That’s part of the deal.

She expects you to honour the Blood Oath yet deny yourself at the same time? Leander couldn’t help his voice rising in pitch as his anger also rose. That was a mean trick, even for Lucy. The oath meant that Robert couldn’t refuse his sister’s request, bound by their relationship as brother and sister, to care for his niece. He was also bound by whatever terms Lucy imposed, such as silence regarding their relationship, which she had never approved of.

"Aimee hasn’t been told anything about me other than I’m eccentric, I like to

Reviews for Samhain

[serenayates · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is an interesting take on Samhain and a ritual that needs to be completed by a witch and his familiar so that the forest and the fae who live within it are protected against the forces of evil for another year. Of course, that isn't as easy as it seems. The forces of evil in the form of a dark witch have a cunning plan to stop the ritual so the forest will become dark. Luckily, the forces of light have a few things up their sleeves.

Robert is the witch in this story, and he's been living with Leander, his familiar, for years. They are lovers and very happy together, protected in the forest they live in while protecting it in turn. The one thing Robert hadn’t counted on was his sister interfering in his peaceful existence, since she never talked to him after he came out and even banished him from seeing his niece. Imagine his shock when he receives a letter announcing that Aimee will stay with him for three weeks, but he is not to reveal that he is gay, not that Leander is his lover.

Leander is a great guy and utterly supportive of Robert. They are deeply in love and Leander cannot imagine being apart from Robert for that long. Leander consoles Robert and suggests he stay in his cat form while Aimee is around. That way he doesn't have to leave and they will still have the nights together. It's a good thing he does, since his help will be sorely needed once the evil witch starts her attack!

If you like stories about witches who fight evil, if you enjoy reading about lovers who stick together no matter what, and f you're looking for a slightly spooky Samhain-themed read with a battle of good versus evil, then you will probably like this short story.