by Amber Carew
Ah, well, Lucinda would get over it. Right now, he had to speak with her.
Last night, he had felt his presence again. At first, he’d thought it was just a bad dream, then an overwhelming certainty had spiked him to wakefulness.
Nyte had returned.
Heaven help them all!
Rand’s apprehension had been growing over the hours, as if Nyte were getting closer. In fact, ever since arriving at Lucinda’s house, the feeling had become almost unbearable.
Lucinda crept down the stairs, watching Rand stare out the window. If only she could grab a cup of coffee before having to deal with him, but her hopes of sneaking into the kitchen in search of caffeine dissipated when Rand turned and fixed her with his crystal blue stare.
Her hand leapt to the crystal she wore around her neck. Her fingers traced the bottom arc of the smooth, tapered pendant. She’d chosen rutilated tourmaline--clear tourmaline with black fibers of rutile crystal meandering through it in a glittering pattern--because she needed something to help her stay centered and calm. The day promised to be full of turmoil.
"Lucinda, I’m sorry I walked in on that, but I didn’t realize... I mean...."
She met his gaze, searching for any sign of jealously. To her surprise, she found none.
Rand waved his hands back and forth. "Never mind." He clasped his hands behind his back and paced. "Something has come up. I have to find someone."
Concern lurched through Lucinda. Rand was never unsure of himself and rarely apologized for anything. Actually, he rarely did anything that required apology. Walking in on her unannounced was not a usual occurrence. It always signified something urgent.
"Who, Rand?" She watched him pace the length of her living room.
"You don’t know him but he’s...." Again Rand hesitated.
"An old friend?"
He glared at her, his nostrils flaring. "No! Certainly no friend of mine!"
His vehemence startled her. "Is he one of us?"
His expression relaxed a little. "Yes, he is a wizard."
"Then I must know him." Only a couple dozen wizards existed in the world and they all knew each other.
"No. He’s been out of touch for a very long time."
"What do you mean ‘out of touch’?"
"It’s a long story and I don’t have time right now--"
Annoyance flickered through her. "Wait a minute," Lucinda interrupted. "You’re saying there’s a wizard around that I’ve never met, a situation that I personally believe is impossible, and you think you can leave it at that?" She jammed her hands on her hips and frowned at him. "I don’t think so."
Rand sighed. "I will tell you. Just not right now."
She glared at him, willing him to speak up, but his determined expression made it clear she wouldn’t get the story now.
"Okay, so at least tell me why you think it’s going to be difficult to find him, since you seem to think he’s no longer ‘out of touch.’"
Rand shrugged. "His personality signature is weak, so I can’t pinpoint him."
Another mystery. Great. Well, at least it was Rand’s to sort out this time. Unless... Why had he come here? "Rand, did you want my help?"
"No!" he snapped, then drew in a deep breath and continued in a calmer voice. "Luce, this is something I need to do myself. I just wanted to let you know I’d...."
Rand’s voice trailed off and his eyes flared wide. She swung around to see her overnight guest strolling down the stairs, fully dressed, his gorgeous hair drawn back from his face.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Rand roared.
Lucinda’s gaze flew back to Rand and her eyes widened. Good heavens, he’d moved into battle stance!
He raised his arm. He was going to send a projectile at her guest!
Lunging at Rand, she slammed his arm out of the way. She’d been on the receiving end of one of those a couple of years ago and she didn’t want to be again--but she would not allow him to harm anyone under her protection.
"What are you doing?" she shrieked. "Why are you attacking my guest?"
"Your guest?" Rand demanded. He glanced at her and then at the man calmly lounging against the banister at the bottom of the staircase. "Was this the man upstairs in your bed? Good Lord, Lucinda, you didn’t sleep with him, did you?"
She barely noticed the look of horror on his face as she flushed hotly.
"Rand." Her voice growled in a low warning. She didn’t understand Rand this morning. He’d never crossed these unspoken boundaries before, even when he’d been bursting with curiosity about her and Death.
He clutched her hand. "Luce, I know it’s none of my business, but this is different. Don’t you know who this is?"
Very conscious of the man in question watching her carefully, she glanced toward him. To her surprise, rather than staring at her, he stared at Rand. And not with an expression of irate possessiveness over her, but with a narrow-eyed gaze, as if he were trying to solve a puzzle.
"What am I thinking?" Rand continued. "Of course you don’t know."
She frowned and drew her hand away, not wanting to enflame the situation. All she needed now was for her amnesiac guest to fly into a jealous rage.
"No, and neither does he, but clearly you do. Do you want to shed a little light on the matter for us?"
Rand’s finger pierced the air as he pointed at her tall stranger. "He’s trying to make you believe he doesn’t remember who he is? Don’t fall for it, Lucinda. It’s a trick."
She stiffened, expecting a violent reaction from her guest, but it didn’t come. Rand had essentially called him a liar and still he held his silence. Her admiration for him rose sharply. Any other macho hunk she knew would explode at an accusation like that.
She glanced at him. He held his face in an expressionless mask. Watching. Waiting. An aura of supreme confidence veiled him. No sign of weakness there.
She planted her hands on her hips and turned back to face Randalph.
"Really, Rand. Why would he try to trick me?"
Rand stepped forward and took hold of her upper arms. From the corner of her eye, she saw their observer’s mouth compress. So, he wasn’t totally unaffected by the situation.
"You don’t know Nyte like I do."
Nyte. So that was his name.
"Maybe not, but I will."
Once she explained the whole situation, Rand would understand. Nervousness tickled the inside of her stomach at the thought he might be jealous of her attachment to another man.
"Rand, he needs me. There’s a link between us. I’m meant to teach him how to use his powers." She took his hands, knowing he’d find this hard to believe. "I felt The Call last night."
Rand stared at her, incredulous, shaking his head. "That’s impossible."
"I know I shouldn’t have because of...." She glanced away, uneasy at how Rand would react to her being linked to another man. "You and I. And because I’m not... you know...."
Damn. He knew the rules of mentorship as well as she did. Better. She didn’t have to tell him that a wizard never went into a second mentor relationship, nor that only children of wizards became mentors.
He stared into her eyes with that penetrating look of his. "Lucinda, you’re mistaken. It could not have been The Call."
"I’m not wrong about this." She disengaged herself from his grip and stepped away, sensing that, despite the relaxed stance of her guest, he wouldn’t tolerate much more touching between her and Rand. "I don’t understand why it didn’t happen when he was born. Maybe his talent was dormant and an accident of some sort triggered it. I know that sounds bizarre, but--"
"Don’t believe it." Rand’s expression grew fierce. "I don’t know why he’s here but it’s for no good. Of that I am certain."
Why was Rand behaving this way? Could it be jealousy? After all, he had found her in bed with this man he called Nyte.
Did Rand still hope to form a Love Bond with her? They had never discussed the situation, both too embarrassed to
broach the subject, but she had wondered if he had given up on the possibility.
"Lucinda, you’ve always been so strong." The anger had trickled out of Rand’s voice and concern etched his words. He stroked her cheek and she noticed the slight clenching of the other man’s hands. "I’ve never had to worry about you. But with him...." Rand gripped her shoulders. "He’s different."
She’d never seen Rand like this. His obvious agitation shook her. She glanced at the attractive stranger. His mouth was drawn into a straight line and he held his back rigid.
What did she really know about the man Rand called Nyte? He was strong, there was no doubt about that. And confident. But was he a liar?
He watched her, clearly awaiting her judgment. Her inner senses told her Nyte needed her, and that his amnesia was real.
"Rand, he’s telling the truth. You know I’d be able to sense if he wasn’t. He doesn’t remember anything." She gripped Rand’s arm. "No matter what you think he is, or was, he needs my help now. Do you understand? I can’t just turn him away."
Rand grasped her shoulders, his eyes piercing hers with their blue intensity.
"Lucinda--"
"Why don’t you listen to the lady?" Nyte’s voice cut through their argument. "Or don’t you trust her judgment?"
Rand narrowed his eyes as he turned his head to face him. "I trust Lucinda. It’s you I don’t trust." He turned back to Lucinda. "And what he could do to you."
Chapter 3
"Are you suggesting that I would hurt Lucinda?" Menace crept into Nyte’s voice. He barely suppressed his anger as he glared at the man named Randalph.
Obviously, Lucinda trusted him--so Nyte had stood silently by, ignoring the insults the man flung at him. But now this Randalph insinuated he would cause Lucinda pain. That he could not allow.
"I know what you’re capable of," Randalph responded.
Blind anger jolted forth at the words. Nyte felt it singe through him in a blaze of heat. He wanted the man to leave. Now. Power surged from his body without control and, suddenly, the man named Randalph was gone.
Shock thundered through him as he realized he was responsible.
Lucinda blinked at the spot where Rand had stood a second before, startled by his sudden departure.
"He sure left in a hurry."
It wasn’t Rand’s usual style of exit. But then, he was sometimes obsessive about having the last word.
The whole discussion with Rand confused her, but it was way too early in the morning to think logically. She needed coffee desperately. But first she must face her guest.
At least now she had a name for him. Nyte.
It suited him. Dark and full of mystery.
"Um, that was Rand. He’s not usually quite so inhospitable, but...."
Nyte still stared at the spot where Randalph had been, a preoccupied expression on his face. One that told her he wouldn’t hear anything she said.
Typical male. Wanted to know everything but wouldn’t listen to a word.
Caffeine jumped to the top of her priority list. She marched past the man cluttering her living room and pushed open the kitchen door. Merlin greeted her with a meow and rubbed against her legs.
"Well, you’re unusually chipper this morning." She padded across the room, the light blue ceramic tile cool against her bare feet. "I notice you stayed out of Rand’s way."
He murred and lapped some water from his dish, then sat down and proceeded to lick his front paw. The old nonchalant act.
"Chicken."
She stepped past him and opened the fridge. Diet Coke. A faster source of caffeine. She popped open a can and downed half of it before the fizzle finished echoing through her brain. The jolt of caffeine shocked her synapses into some kind of coherent order. Questions dropped into her mind like rain falling from the sky.
Rand had said the person he sought was a wizard. Did that mean the man Fate had called her to mentor was a full-fledged wizard, not someone who had just gained power and didn’t know how to use it? If so, what did it mean to be his mentor?
Rand obviously knew him, but how well? And how long ago? Rand had said Nyte had been ‘out of touch.’ Whatever that meant. Since she’d never sensed him before, could it be he’d disappeared before she was born? That meant he’d been missing for more than three centuries. Where had he been all that time?
And what could possibly cause a wizard to suffer memory loss? She shuddered, not wanting to think about that.
Then the most disturbing thought of all settled into her mind, pushing the others aside. Why was it that the two men who affected her most--Rand, whose wisdom and affection she relied on, and Nyte, who sent her hormones reeling--had to be so totally at odds? As if her life weren’t complicated enough. Clearly, the two men were enemies, but why?
"You two are obviously close." Her guest’s voice drew her from her thoughts.
"Yes, very close." She turned to face him. "So, now we know your name is Nyte. Does it ring any bells?"
He shook his head, his ponytail sweeping back and forth across his shoulders. "Afraid not."
"Well, I’ll give you some time to think about it. I’ve got to go out for a while."
She had an appointment with one of her clients this afternoon, so she had to go into the office. Also, she’d have to make arrangements for someone to take over her cases while she trained Nyte. She intended to give her full attention to mentoring him, at least until she taught him the basics. Sensing his powers to be quite advanced, she assumed that wouldn’t take too long. Maybe a few months. Once they got into higher-level magic, he could study on his own some of the time.
He eyed the red can in her hand. "What about breakfast?"
She swished the cola around. "I’m not much of a morning person. I don’t usually bother."
He stepped toward her, a little too close for comfort. The hairs on her arms stood up and the blood flowing through her felt charged with electricity. Static, most likely.
"But you must begin the day with a proper meal."
Great. He was already trying to control her life. Just like a man.
"Look, if I don’t want to eat, then it’s really none of your business."
Merlin leaped onto the counter beside her and bleated. She stared at him.
Was she forgetting her manners? Nyte was her guest and he would probably like some breakfast. And she felt sure he wouldn’t want to eat alone. Her gaze returned to his broad, muscular shoulders. And by the look of him, he’d want a substantial meal to start the day.
Okay, so she’d have breakfast this once.
She debated whether to use a spell to make breakfast or cook it on the stove. It threatened to be a long, tiring day, especially after such an abbreviated night’s sleep, so she wanted to conserve her magical strength. She headed to the stove and pulled out a couple of frying pans.
Half an hour and several greasy pans later, she carried the food to the kitchen table. The bacon strips looked a little crunchier than she’d intended, but she liked it crisp. She placed a plate with a relatively intact omelet in front of Nyte. He raised an eyebrow but made no comment.
"Bacon?" She lifted four slices from the platter in the centre of the table and set them on her plate.
"If you mean those black strips, I think I’d rather not."
She picked one up and waved it in front of her. "It’s delicious this way. You should try it." She bit into it and flinched as her teeth threatened to give before the bacon did. Okay, so maybe it was beyond crisp. Regardless, she crunched through the whole piece, taking care not to break a tooth in the process.
As she sipped her coffee, she heard Merlin mew near her feet. Expecting him to hop onto the table, as was his habit anytime food was there--and any other inconvenient time, come to think of it--she was surprised when he leaped onto Nyte’s lap then climbed onto his shoulder. She watched Nyte’s large hand stroke her cat’s head.
Merlin being friendly? Her jaw dropped as his purring drowned out all coherent thought.
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"Nice cat you have." Nyte scratched Merlin behind his ears and Merlin’s eyes closed halfway.
"Nice? I guess."
Merlin had never been particularly nice before. He was good company, she supposed, ignoring the fact that he destroyed her plants, always laid in her favorite chair, and slept most of the time. When he wasn’t nagging her, of course. But he never purred like that for her.
She finished her breakfast, trying to ignore how Merlin draped himself over Nyte’s shoulder, an obscenely content expression on his face. Taking one final mouthful of coffee, she glanced at her watch. Ten o’clock.
"I have to go to my office."
If she didn’t hurry she’d be late for her appointment. She stood up and cast a quick spell to change her sweater and jeans into a tailored violet suit with a jade silk blouse.
Nyte stood up and his gaze skimmed her outfit. His smile and the glitter in his eyes told her he liked what he saw, filling her with deep feminine satisfaction, despite herself.
"I will go, too."
Oh, great. That was all she needed. Some hulking man trailing after her at work.
"No, I’ve got things to do. I won’t have time to...."
She hesitated, watching his eyes narrow dangerously and she realized she’d better not suggest she needed to take care of him. A man’s pride was not something to be trifled with, especially this man’s. But if he came, she would have to watch him. What would she do with him during the meeting with her client? She couldn’t have him just wandering around the office.
Merlin hopped onto the table and purred.
"Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be a good idea to leave him here," she said to Merlin, her gaze reluctantly drifting back to Nyte.
