Spellbound

by Amber Carew

  "Have you been...? I mean, the past three years...?"

  He nodded, a devilish gleam in his eyes.

  Anger sliced through her. She planted her hands on her hips. "The whole time I’ve been feeding you and taking care of you, you’ve been a... a...."

  "Wizard."

  She scowled. "A rat, you mean."

  He grinned. "Lucinda, your annunciation is atrocious. You spell cat with a "c," not an "r."

  "I took care of you. I..." Loved you. She bit back the words, the very thought making her ill.

  His smile turned warm and he reached out and took her hand. "I know you did, and believe me the affection is mutual."

  She didn’t like the warmth in his voice. She didn’t like how it chipped away at her indignation. And she didn’t like the way her hand felt so natural clasped in his, like it used to with her brother Jerrick. She snatched her hand away, reminding herself this man was dangerous.

  "Why did you come?" she demanded.

  "To keep you company."

  She folded her arms across her chest. "I don’t want your company."

  He shrugged and strolled across the room. "Fine. I won’t impose myself on you. When I see Nyte, I’ll tell him how worried you are."

  He grinned and nodded toward the bowl of tuna on the floor. "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

  She grimaced at the quote from one of her favorite books.

  He slashed his arms up then down and disappeared.

  She drew in a deep breath and expelled it. She couldn’t believe he’d gone away so easily. It didn’t make sense. Why hadn’t he taken her prisoner again and used her as bait?

  When I see Nyte, I’ll tell him how worried you are.

  Alarm spiked through her. He intended to convince Nyte he’d broken through the barrier and kidnapped her again.

  Damn. Remlin--alias her pet Merlin--was playing a vicious game of cat and mouse with them all, and she didn’t like it one bit.

  If Nyte thought Remlin had her....

  Nyte’s words crept through her mind. Lucinda, I would do anything to protect you. Remlin knows that. Do you really want to give him that much power over me?

  She couldn’t let Nyte think she was Remlin’s prisoner.

  She had to warn him.

  * * * *

  Inside the confines of Nyte’s house and his protective spell, Lucinda could not sense where Nyte was. The bond between them had not been cut off, as it had been when she’d been in Remlin’s clutches, but she couldn’t fully sense Nyte’s essence.

  She shifted her body outside, just beyond the boundaries of the spell. The connection between her and Nyte swelled with his cherished presence, like a flood of warm, fragrant light washing over her.

  She shifted again, following the thread of his essence through space until she felt herself materialize.

  Her first impression was of hard, level ground under her feet. Smooth. Probably a floor, rather than the softer, less even terrain of an outdoor location. A room came into focus around her. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with row upon row of books. Some very new, some as old as a book could be.

  Rand’s library.

  Had Nyte tracked Rand here? If so, and Rand was safe, why had Nyte been gone so long? Had their antagonism gotten the better of them, making them forget the danger from Remlin? If so, she could have a fight on her hands.

  An odd crackling noise vibrated through the air. She knew Nyte must be near--his presence felt very strong--but one of the bookshelves that carved the room into sections blocked her view of the main area.

  She stepped around it and felt her heartbeat accelerate like a formula one racing car at the wave of a checkered flag. It took a second for the scene before her to clarify to reality.

  Nyte stood about five meters from Rand and from his fingers spiked sharp, jagged lines of energy. Violet. Directed straight at Rand.

  Rand stood tall and proud, not even trying to fight back. An eerie violet glow radiated around him, growing brighter as Nyte continued to feed it energy.

  One driving urge burst through her. She had to save Rand. It burned away every thought in her mind, except the fact that if she didn’t take action, the strong emotions boiling through her would leave her a weeping heap of jell-o on the floor.

  She lurched toward Rand, with a rough idea of shoving him out of the way. It wasn’t well thought out, but her legs started running and her brain simply tried to keep up.

  "Lucinda, no!"

  Nyte saw Lucinda racing toward Randalph and knew he could not allow her to get caught in the energy well of the powerful spell he directed at Randalph. This extraordinary spell required enough energy that it could, if misdirected, flatten a large city block.

  Lucinda would not survive.

  He searched deep inside himself for some emergency reserve of energy, and willed it at Lucinda, while keeping the primary flow of energy directed at Randalph.

  About two meters from Rand, Lucinda felt something slam into her, flinging her toward one of the large bookshelves dividing the room. The shelf toppled over and crashed to the floor, books spewing in all directions.

  When the pain she expected to feel at smashing into the heavy oak shelf didn’t emerge, she realized a bubble had formed around her and had cushioned the blow. She flung her gaze to Rand. Nyte still targeted him with his jagged power bolts. She jabbed at the translucent film around her. The stuff gave a little, then bounced back.

  The glow around Rand began to shimmer and the vivid color deepened. The crackling sound increased in volume, tearing across the edges of her nerve endings. She pointed her shoulder toward him and threw her whole body weight at the bubble, hoping to break free--or at least to shift it closer to him and become an obstacle between Nyte and Rand--but it didn’t budge.

  As she tried again and again, she saw the purple outline around Rand flicker, then rapidly contract to the size of a baseball, taking Rand with it. It winked out like a light bulb.

  She gasped, then flattened her hands against the bubble and gaped in horror at the place Rand had been just seconds before.

  Gone. Rand was gone.

  Her heart turned to a solid rock inside her chest. Hard and cold.

  Nyte had killed Rand.

  She slid to her knees, the weight of her despair dragging her down. Her head fell against the barrier that had kept her from Rand’s side in his last moments. It felt cold and sickly soft. Her vision blurred as tears welled up, then flooded from her eyes.

  Rand was gone. She couldn’t believe it.

  Nyte watched the tears stream from Lucinda’s eyes and his gut clenched painfully. He’d had to do what he’d done. It was the only way to settle things between him and Rand. But how would he ever explain it to Lucinda? How could he make her understand?

  He longed to let her out of the bubble, to take her in his arms and hold her. She looked so fragile sitting there, desolation marring her lovely features. But if he released her, he knew she would teleport as far away from him as she could. He wouldn’t even have a chance to explain.

  Slowly, she turned her gaze on him, and the sheer hatred he saw in her face told him no amount of explaining would make things right between them. Only hard evidence would convince her.

  And for that he had to wait.

  Chapter 21

  As Lucinda stared at Nyte, her throat tightened so severely she thought she might choke. How could Fate pair her with a man who would hurt someone so dear to her? Bitterness peppered her heart as she pressed her hand against the wall of the bubble. How could she truly love someone who would control her like Nyte did?

  She stared at him with loathing.

  The look of deep concern on his face, the entreaty in his eyes--as though he wanted to plead his innocence--shook her. Even though he had just killed her best friend, he still touched something deep in her heart. A part of her wanted to reach out and hold him. And be held by him.

  Nausea churned in her stomach and she turned away. The view of her bet
rayer tore too deeply at her heart. And triggered too many turbulent emotions. Did he intend to leave her imprisoned here until she bent to his will?

  A crackling sound snatched her attention from inside the bubble, and her own pain, to outside. A flicker of purple appeared where Rand had last stood. Her heart skipped a double-Dutch beat as she saw a baseball-sized sphere appear, then expand rapidly.

  To Rand’s full height.

  A tall figure stood in the purple mist. Rand! Her breathing seemed too shallow to support her lungs as she watched him step forward. Safe. Very much alive. And wearing the most brilliant smile she’d ever seen.

  Relief rushed through her and she surged to her feet. Rand was alive! And with the young, vital body he’d worn a few days ago.

  Nyte had not killed him after all.

  Then she noticed Rand was not alone. A delicate feminine arm curved around his. As Lucinda followed the arm upwards, past the shoulders to the radiant, smiling face, her heart felt as though it had been flattened like a bug. She’d seen this lovely woman once before, in the depths of a crystal ball.

  Clarissa!

  * * * *

  "Nyte, darling." Clarissa strolled toward Nyte.

  Her auburn hair cascaded in lustrous waves to her waist, shimmering over the moss green velvet of her gown. The cut of the dress caressed her body like a lover’s touch, enveloping every feminine curve in the rich, sensuous fabric. The hem skimmed the floor but, with every step, a long slit up the front revealed a slender, white thigh. Everything about her cried out for the touch of a man.

  She cupped her hands around Nyte’s face and stared into his eyes with a look that would melt the snow from Alaska’s Mount McKinley in five seconds flat.

  "It has been so very long, my love." Her deep, throaty voice carried the words on a musical lilt.

  Clarissa lifted her lips to Nyte’s and, when they met, Lucinda expected live sparks to flare from the passion of their kiss.

  Lucinda’s heart clenched painfully in her chest and tears burned her eyes.

  Clarissa obviously wanted Nyte back.

  Lucinda sucked in a deep breath and willed her overactive heart to beat at a steadier pace, confusion spiraling through her.

  Clarissa couldn’t share a Love Bond with Nyte because Lucinda had bonded with him. Unless this was another of Fate’s tricks. The Call Lucinda had received for Nyte hadn’t been real, despite its overwhelming intensity. Could it be that the Love Bond wasn’t real either?

  Rand stood in the background, watching Nyte and Clarissa in their ardent embrace. She couldn’t understand how he could just stand there watching the woman he loved being kissed by another man. Maybe he just hid his feelings much better than she did. The sight probably cut through him as badly as it did her.

  Lucinda stepped forward, intent on moving to Rand’s side, and rammed straight into the near invisible shell around her. She slammed her fist against it in frustration.

  Nyte drew back from Clarissa. Was it Lucinda’s imagination that he seemed anxious to be free of her hold?

  Clarissa smiled and turned toward Lucinda. "This must be the young woman Randalph has told me so much about." Her lapis blue eyes traveled the length of Lucinda in a thorough examination, as though sizing up the competition.

  Her eyes narrowed and she stepped toward Lucinda. When she stood a foot away, she poked her finger forward, coming into contact with the bubble. Her lips puckered.

  "Nyte, is this any way to treat a lady? Locking her up like a thief?"

  Nyte stretched his arm toward Lucinda and she felt herself pulled toward him. The bubble drifted across the floor and stopped about two meters from Clarissa and Rand. Nyte turned to face her, placing his back to the others, and flattened his hand on the surface of the bubble.

  She shivered being this close to him. A part of her longed for him with an intensity that blocked out common sense.

  "Lucinda, I’m going to set you free. Will you stay and listen to what Randalph has to say?" His dark eyes pleaded with her. "Will you let me explain?"

  If she said no, he would probably keep her here indefinitely. She nodded her agreement, wondering if she would be able to keep that implied promise. The urge to fling herself to the far reaches of the galaxy--to get as far away from Nyte as possible--might overwhelm her.

  She felt energy gather around him, then he pressed the tips of his fingers against the surface of the bubble and it shimmered, then disappeared. She wobbled a little as her feet conformed to the flat floor. His strong hand grasped her elbow to steady her. His firm touch triggered too many feelings in her. Feelings she couldn’t endure for long. She snatched her arm away.

  "Lucinda." Rand stepped toward her, excitement glowing in his eyes. "I was wrong about Nyte. As you can see, he didn’t kill Clarissa after all."

  The warmth in his eyes as he glanced at Clarissa tore at Lucinda’s heart. He obviously loved her and yet he seemed to accept that she was Nyte’s woman. Could she be as accepting about losing Nyte?

  She traced Rand’s features with her gaze, taking in his familiar, and well-loved, face. Though she didn’t understand how it could be, Rand clearly understood what it meant to experience the depths of love. It shone in his eyes every time he gazed at Clarissa. As he did now.

  Anger shot through her at how Clarissa seemed to use, and abuse, men. In fact, she really didn’t deserve Rand or Nyte.

  Rand turned back to face Lucinda. "Nyte and I have patched up our differences, with the help of Remlin."

  "Remlin?" The thought of him reminded her they were all in danger.

  "He’s Nyte’s brother. They come from a different planet--one of powerful wizards who guide newly spawned wizards on other worlds to reach their full potential."

  "A different planet?" She stared at Rand in disbelief.

  "That’s where Clarissa has been all this time."

  Clarissa stepped toward Lucinda, then took both her hands and drew her forward. "You are as lovely as Randalph described." She sent a sidelong glance at Nyte and her lips turned up in a smile. "I can’t help feeling a twinge of jealousy."

  "You have no reason to feel jealous." Nyte’s words, strung as tight as a guitar string, vibrated through Lucinda, shaking loose any thought she might have of fighting for Nyte.

  Clarissa placed her hand on his arm. "Of course, darling. I know that."

  Nyte stepped toward Lucinda and reached for her hand. His fingers encircled hers and, as much as she knew she should pull away, she couldn’t. "Lucinda, I’m sorry I had to confine you in that protective sphere, but I was afraid you would get hurt."

  Her throat constricted and she was unable to force any words out, even if she’d known what to say. She nodded and drew her hand from his, forcing herself not to jerk it away from his bittersweet touch.

  She moved to Rand’s side, then wrapped her fingers around his arm, needing his support more than she ever had before. She averted her gaze from Nyte’s, unable to endure the sharp look of pain in the black depths of his eyes. Clearly, even though he’d been reunited with Clarissa, he was jealous of her closeness with Rand.

  Thank heavens Rand was safe and sound. He glanced at her, smiling. She’d hoped for some look of commiseration in his keen blue eyes, a recognition of their shared loss, but he seemed too caught up in joy at having found Clarissa again.

  "I thought I’d lost you," she told him.

  He squeezed her hand. "I’m fine." He glanced at Clarissa again. "Everything is fine now." He slid his arm around Lucinda’s waist and drew her forward.

  "Lucinda, I’d like to do this properly," Rand said. He gestured toward Clarissa. "I want to introduce you to Clarissa."

  Lucinda offered her hand to the other woman, then nearly choked at Rand’s next words.

  "My mother."

  Lucinda’s eyes widened. "Your mother?"

  She turned to stare at Nyte. Clarissa was his lover. That must mean....

  "Nyte is your father?" She was beginning to feel a little dizzy.


  "That’s right," Rand responded.

  Her head began to spin and she swayed.

  "Are you all right?" Rand asked as he caught her elbow.

  She shook her head. Or maybe she nodded. She wasn’t sure. Rand led her to a nearby chair. As she sank into it, she realized Nyte stood by her other side. He offered her a glass of water.

  "You’re still weak, Lucinda." Nyte held the glass steady in her trembling hands and helped her tip it so she could take a sip. "You’ve been through a lot, and teleporting here used up your reserve of energy. Just relax now."

  Relax? When her whole world had been shaken, not stirred? He had to be kidding.

  Nyte was Rand’s father. Merlin, her cat, who was really Remlin, was Rand’s uncle, and Nyte’s brother.

  Could things get any crazier?

  Nyte started to draw the glass from her hands, but she clung to it and took another sip, cursing herself inwardly because she only did it to keep his fingers around hers. For some inexplicable reason, his lingering touch gave her the strength to cope with this confusing situation.

  She glanced up, looking at him directly for the first time since Clarissa and Rand had returned. Her heart sagged at the sight of him. Still as devastatingly attractive as always, it was hard to think of him as an alien being.

  "You’re from another planet?"

  "Yes." He crouched down in front of her, so they faced each other eye-to-eye. "But I’m not as alien as you seem to fear. My world is very much like this one. The difference is, everyone has magical powers, and we have for countless millennia." He stroked her hair back from her face, his gentle touch sending quivers through her. "We watch for other worlds where magical ability is in the initial stages and send one of our people to act as a guardian to help those new worlds through the teething stages. It’s always hardest for the first wizards."