Chapter Two - Purple Haze

"They call me the Space Cowboy," Ethan crooned along badly with the Steve Miller Band record playing in the background. He sprawled in a chair situated around a large circular table in his flat.

"No, they don't," Philip shot back as he passed the bong down the circle.

"And you don't get your lovin' on the run or any other way for that matter," Giles said, holding his hand out for the bong.

Ethan wrinkled his hawkish nose at him. "Very funny, Ripper."

"Deirdre, why do we hang out with these losers?" Telyn asked, brushing back her blazing red hair.

"They have their uses," Deirdre said, patting Thomas' leg. She gave him a suggestive look that bounced off the shield of pot smoke he had around him.

Telyn was the newcomer to the little band of mages. She found them entertaining and dangerous which made them delicious. Sometimes they had dubious judgment such as summoning Eyghon on a regular basis. Everyone in the room tonight bore his tattoo except her and Marta. For mortals, they were amusing. She had two current favorites, Ethan Rayne and Ripper Giles, mostly because they were powerful and they were just so darn cute in their competition for her affections. Right now Ripper was winning the race mostly because he was intelligent and lacked Ethan's overwhelming ego. He was just interesting enough that she might choose Ethan because it would be a shame for Ripper to meet the end her lovers usually did.

At any rate, they were the undisputed leaders of this group of merry men. Thomas Sutcliff was just a bit too weak, riding on the shirttails of his more powerful friends. Philip Henry seemed to be in it for the fun of it and Telyn suspected Deirdre Page was merely looking for something exciting and dangerous; something that beat going to University and studying dreadfully dull stuff that her family no doubt had planned for her. There were other hangers-on, especially during any summoning of Eyghon since Deirdre might be easy but she was no substitution for a good bacchanalia.

"Will you come with me to the party tomorrow, Telyn?" Ethan asked, brushing back his long brown hair. He fixed his gaze on her in a way that made her slightly uncomfortable.

"I've already told you, Ethan, it's just a party. I'll be there but I'm not with anyone." Telyn stretched out, wishing the pot would actually affect her. She'd like to honestly feel the happiness that enveloped her companions rather than just mimic their silliness. She watched Ripper shoot Ethan a superior look. Yes, he definitely had prettier eyes than Ethan, so clear and blue.

"Why don't you ask her to the benefit party, too, and get shot down again," Marta Dalton, one of the more regular hangers-on asked and Ethan shot her the two-fingered salute.

"Same deal goes for that," Telyn said, studying the stucco walls. The raised sections were green and the valleys bright silver making for an interesting effect.

"I can't believe we're even going to that potty party," Ethan said. "Who gives a toss about Monty Python?"

"I do," Telyn said, delighting in the upset look on Ethan's gaunt face.

"And it's for a good cause," Deirdre added. She got up to get a few more beers for everyone. She made it as far as the beanbag chair and collapsed with a giggle.

"Besides, I thought the new film was brilliant," Giles said, stumbling up to put on another album on his stereo system.

Telyn found that utterly amusing about mortal teens. They might have to go hungry for lack of money but they'd find a way to have a great sound system. Hendrix's 'Purple Haze' blasted out of the speakers after Giles set the needle to the vinyl. Telyn grinned. He looked delicious in his tight bellbottoms.

Giles head-butted Phillip in the chest. "It's just a flesh wound!"

"Stop that!" Philip cried, doing his best imitation of Graham Chapman doing King Arthur.

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Anything to impress the birds, Ripper. If Telyn said she liked chewing glass you'd be raving about it."

"Don't get shirty with me, you git," Giles said, running his hands back over his head, his wheat brown hair flowing with the motion. Telyn liked the way it brushed his belt.

"You two aren't going to start up again," Thomas groaned.

"No, they aren't," Telyn said, with a pointed look. The competition could get a bit tiring.

"Yes, get serious you two. We need to decide what spell we're going to cast at the party tomorrow. Nigel's group is not going to upstage us again," Philip said, his pale face darkening at the thought of their last humiliation.

"No accidentally conjuring up zombie dogs this time," Giles said, shooting a glance at Thomas who choked on the deep breath he was pulling in from the bong. An uncomfortable silence settled over the room as they remembered Ripper's rage when that had happened.

"I'm thinking of a mass transmogrification spell," Ethan said finally.

"Right-o but let's make it a decent animal. If we get stuck I don't want to be a rat or something," Deirdre said with a shiver.

"I was thinking more along the lines of Hinklem demon. They have wings. It would be fun to fly," Ethan said. A wicked look set on his face. It should have been a warning to his friends but they paid it no heed.

"That's a bit adventuresome for a first time. Maybe we should try for a cat or a dog," Giles said.

"You are just an old woman, aren't you, Ripper?" Ethan sneered and Giles flipped him off.

"I think he might have a good idea," Telyn said, almost regretting the openly hostile look Ethan gave Giles as a result but she didn't want to lose these guys to a spell; at least not until she had first pick of the powerful.

"Thank you. Oh, and I do have something special for you tomorrow at the party, Telyn." Giles smiled seductively at Telyn.

"Yeah, probably something really small." Ethan winged his Zippo at Giles' crotch for emphasis.

Giles caught the lighter before it hit but before he could retaliate Thomas clamped a hand on him. Giles shoved Thomas irritably.

"Well," Philip said quickly before they could get to fighting, "If we're going to do this I suggest we start practicing and one of us should stay human just in case we do get stuck. We'll need someone to undo the spell."

"Yeah but which of us?" Thomas asked.

"Maybe you, Thomas. Ethan and Ripper are the best casters. They should change," Marta said.

"I think one of them should stay human for the same reason," Deirdre argued.

"I'll stay human," Giles said.

"Scared, Ripper?" Ethan's lip curled.

Giles sneered back, letting a stream of smoke trickle past his lips. "You wish, Ethan."

Telyn listened disinterestedly as they bickered back and forth. She was still trying to decide which one she wanted. Ethan had the brashness to make him open for anything but sitting there in his rugby shirt he looked scrawny. Ripper, on the other hand, was in better shape. She could see the definition of his chest through the open neck of his shimmering polyester purple paisley shirt. A sprinkle of honey-hued hair peeked through the opening of the shirt. Ah, the choice. Why make them when you could have both, she decided with satisfaction.