Tall, Dark and Paranormal: 10 Thrilling Tales of Sexy Alpha Bad Boys

by Opal Carew

  “You must have some idea.”

  The searching hope in Randalph’s eyes triggered a poignant memory of the younger Randalph, during one of their deep discussions of the nature of magic and the universe. He used to watch Nyte with such intense interest, a look bordering on adoration. Nyte had always cherished the respect and admiration given him by Randalph. A deep longing stirred in him to recapture that closeness.

  How had they wound up with so many barriers between them?

  “The only way I can think of is to attempt to find what is not there. He is shielding himself from magical sensing, but like a rock in a moving river, when the magic hits him, it must flow around him, causing an eddy in the current.”

  “But you said you have no idea where he might be. Are you going to fling energy in all directions and hope for the best?” Randalph asked.

  “Do you have a better idea?”

  Randalph sat on a fallen tree and rested his chin on his palm. Nyte leaned against an old, oak tree, the bark rough against his hand. He liked trees. Solid. Strong. Full of pure, uncomplicated energy.

  “I don’t know if this is related,” Randalph said, “but I have been monitoring an increase of energy at the Oracle. Could that have something to do with this other wizard?”

  Nyte turned to him with interest. “Delphi? He must be drawing energy from there. That will make him much more difficult to defeat.”

  Randalph’s white, bushy eyebrow tilted upward. “We should go to Delphi then?”

  “No. He wouldn’t need to be near the Oracle to boost his power from it. He could be anywhere.”

  “Can you trace where the energy is going?”

  Nyte reached out with his magical senses and touched the Oracle. He felt for any threads of energy flowing from it. He detected several, but as he traced them away from the source, they faded into obscurity before he could perceive more than a general direction. And they all went in different directions. All part of Remlin’s plan to elude them, Nyte was certain.

  “He has masked the energy trail,” Nyte told Randalph.

  Randalph thumped his fist on the tree truck. “There must be something we can do.”

  “Until we think of something better, we’ll have to work with what we have. If the two of us work together, sending out waves of energy to see what disturbances we can detect, we might just be able to track them down.”

  Not likely, but it was the only chance they had.

  * * * *

  Lucinda’s captor picked up a crystal ball from the bookshelf and set it on the table in front of the couch where she could see into it.

  She sat with the blanket wrapped around her. Despite the fact that a fire blazed less than two meters away and she wore a warm, turtleneck sweater, the thought of the frigid weather outside made her shiver constantly. Or could it be because she had so little energy?

  She stared at the pattern of internal flecks in the clear quartz sphere and realized they looked suspiciously like the ones inside her own crystal ball, the one that should be sitting on the pewter stand in her den.

  “I thought we might watch this drama unfold together.” Remlin sat down in an ornately carved wooden chair at the end of the rectangular table and waved his hands over the crystal sphere. The inside of the ball clouded, then the mists swirled into recognizable images.

  First, Rand sitting on a fallen tree. Next, she could see a tall, dark shape a few meters away. The shape clarified and she saw it was Nyte.

  She wanted to reach out and touch the image of his face, to feel a little closer to him, but all she would feel would be smooth, cold crystal. A deep longing ached through her for Nyte and his wonderful, loving touch.

  “Good, I see they’re together,” Remlin observed.

  She glanced at Remlin. The intensity with which he stared into the ball disturbed her. Her heart started to race. Why did Remlin want to watch Rand and Nyte? And why did he care if they were together? Did he mean to harm them?

  She shifted her focus back to the images of Nyte and Rand. They stood in what appeared to be--from the glimpse of an ancient stone well in the background--the small woods behind Rand’s house.

  Remlin’s keen gaze shifted to hers. “They have decided to pair up to look for you, Lucinda.”

  At least some good would come of this. If they could work together, they might be able to sort out their differences.

  The two of them. Together. Not at each others’ throats. The thought warmed her heart.

  In fact, as she watched, Nyte moved to Rand’s side and placed his hand on Rand’s shoulder. At the sight, she felt a little misty. The two men cared enough about her to put aside their differences and work together to rescue her.

  “This looks good.” Remlin leaned closer to the ball.

  The close moment Nyte and Rand seemed to be sharing was shattered when Rand lurched to his feet, a thunderous glare in his eyes. A moment later, his expression turned to one of concern.

  She wished she could understand what they were saying. She switched her attention to Remlin, who watched the two figures in the mist with great interest.

  What plan had he concocted and what did it have to do with Nyte and Rand?

  Remlin chuckled. “He thinks his powers rival mine.”

  Was he reading their lips? Or maybe, if he was as powerful as she feared, he could hear as well as see through the crystal.

  He drummed his fingers on the table top. “I may have to set him straight on that.”

  The words, said so casually, sent a shiver the length of her spine. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself.

  Who thought he rivaled Remlin? Of course, it must be Nyte. Both Nyte and Remlin were mysterious wizards she had never heard of before. Rand had told her Nyte was far more powerful than any wizard they’d ever known. That fact alone meant that, unless Remlin’s magic were on par with Nyte’s, Nyte would have no problem finding them. Yet if Nyte knew where she was, she was sure he’d be here right now. He had expressed his excessive desire to protect her on many occasions.

  A tremor traveled the length of her spine. Remlin meant to harm Nyte. The certainty drove through her like a power drill.

  They continued to watch Nyte and Rand talk. She couldn’t quite decide if they were cooperating or fighting--or both. She wished she could understand what they were saying, then she’d have some idea what was going on.

  She leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes, fatigue insisting she lay down and have a nap. She insisted right back that it was a very bad idea.

  “Tired?”

  She opened her eyes to see Remlin’s green ones staring back at her.

  “I’m all right.” Except for being quite frustrated at once again being trapped somewhere she didn’t want to be, and scared to death for Nyte and Rand.

  “You really should rest. This may take a while.”

  She glanced at the crystal ball and saw Nyte and Rand standing back to back, their arms outstretched. What were they doing?

  Remlin’s gaze shifted from her face to the image in the ball. “They’re searching for you. Sending out energy hoping to find turbulence in the flow. The odds of them finding you with that method are astronomically low, especially since I’ve streamlined the shape of this dwelling so the energy will slip around the barrier with a minimum of disruption.”

  He drummed his fingertips on his knee.

  “It may take a while for them to come up with another plan, but somehow I don’t think their fragile partnership will survive this futile method.”

  He sat back, his gaze returning to her, and smiled.

  “I think I need to offer them another challenge.”

  Chapter 17

  Nyte felt Rand’s back shift against his own.

  “This is getting us nowhere.” Randalph’s voice sounded frustrated, and tired.

  They’d been standing back to back, sending out energy in a circle for about an hour. So far they’d found nothing. The strain of expending so much energy would be a sev
ere drain on Randalph, especially in his current aged form.

  Nyte gestured toward the fallen tree. “Let’s take a break.” He sat down and watched Randalph slump down beside him, looking extremely weary.

  He himself would prefer to stand and move around, but he knew Randalph’s pride would not allow him to sit unless Nyte did, too.

  Seeing Randalph--whom Nyte had always known as young and vital--as a white-haired elder disconcerted him. Randalph was far too young to look old and decrepit.

  A yearning to help him exorcise the inner demons that drained his youthful vigor gnawed at his gut. If only he could get past Randalph’s barriers. There were so many things he and Randalph had to discuss, so many things they had to put right.

  But now was not the time. First, they had to find Lucinda.

  For Lucinda’s sake. For his own.

  And for Randalph’s.

  Nyte knew his own heart would be shredded beyond repair if anything happened to Lucinda, but he also recognized Randalph’s condition would worsen exponentially. He had already lost one important woman in his life. Nyte knew that Lucinda had taken Clarissa’s place in Randalph’s heart, at least as confidant and friend, and losing her would deepen his internal scars.

  Damn Clarissa! He still couldn’t understand how she had allowed herself to walk away from Randalph so callously. Her selfish act was all the more despicable because, in the end, it had left Randalph completely alone.

  “Have you thought of another way we might search for Lucinda?” Randalph asked.

  “Not yet.”

  Frustration tormented him as a grey mist swirled through his brain where ideas should bloom.

  Sifting through ancient memories, he’d reviewed the places Remlin liked to go and focused on those locations as he sent out his energy sweep, but it hadn’t helped. Remlin liked mountains, and water. And trees.

  He glanced around at the trees surrounding the clearing. Huge oaks, willowy birch, red maple. Birds twittered from the hidden depths of the foliage and a light breeze murmured through the leaves, ruffling them in a playful pattern of brilliant sunshine and shadows.

  Remlin would like it here.

  Nyte’s gaze drifted to the old stone well which stood at the edge of the clearing, near the heavily worn path. The well was an inconvenient distance from the house and Nyte suspected that Randalph did not use it for his daily supply. He would have no need, with the more convenient methods today’s world had to offer. Randalph probably came to this place to clear his energy. To find tranquility. To think.

  Memories of walking through the woods with Randalph, deep in discussion, shimmered through his mind. They had talked about science, philosophy, the cosmos. They had always ended up at a little church with a well just like Randalph’s where they would rest for a bit before they journeyed back.

  His heart compressed as he remembered that Clarissa used to walk with Randalph to that place, also. Damn her for hurting Randalph.

  He imagined Randalph sitting alone on the wooden bench by the well, remembering those same times. Perhaps Lucinda had filled some of Randalph’s lonely hours sitting with him by the well. He could imagine her smiling at Randalph with affection lighting her eyes and jealousy warred with relief at the thought Randalph had found someone to help him through his pain.

  “Nyte.”

  He glanced around and noticed Randalph sat with his back rigid.

  “What is it?”

  Randalph shifted his weight, the fingers of one hand tightening around a small branch angling upward from the trunk they sat upon. Nyte knew he had something to say but for some reason he hesitated.

  “If you have an idea that might help Lucinda--”

  “A few moments ago I... had a thought.”

  At his pause, Nyte prompted, “Go on.”

  Randalph stared levelly at Nyte. “It wasn’t my thought.”

  Not his thought?

  “You think someone projected it into your head?”

  Randalph nodded. The stiffness of his posture and the strained expression on his face told Nyte that Randalph was extremely uncomfortable with the invasion.

  “Randalph,” he said in a reassuring tone, “Tell me what it was.”

  Randalph drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

  “The exact words were: To find Lucinda, Nyte must touch your heart, then follow the compass of your soul.”

  * * * *

  Lucinda’s heart thumped at an uneven pace. She leaned forward. “What kind of challenge?”

  Remlin waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “Nothing too dramatic. I’ll just give them a clue as to where we are.”

  Remlin wouldn’t help Nyte and Rand find this place unless he was confident they could not overpower him. But even if he was as powerful--or more--than Nyte, with Nyte and Rand’s combined power they should be able to defeat him.

  What kind of trap was Remlin setting for Nyte and Rand?

  “Don’t worry, Lucinda. I won’t actually let them in when they get here. I have a protection spell around this dwelling to repel intruders and it’s reinforced by some very powerful magic.”

  The Oracle, no doubt.

  “And what will you do once they’re here?” she asked.

  “I’ll let them know you’re here, then I’ll make sure they know the chances of rescuing you are absolutely impossible.”

  “Why?”

  “To see how they react.”

  “Why?”

  He sighed and leaned against the back of his chair. “Lucinda, you ask too many questions. Why don’t you take a nap?”

  He was treating her like an annoying child and she didn’t like it. She wanted to demand he answer, but knew she’d get nowhere with that tactic.

  She didn’t understand this cat and mouse game he was playing, but one thing was clear. If he didn’t have her as his prisoner, he wouldn’t have the bait he needed to lure Nyte and Rand here, and to keep them under his control. He was using her to manipulate them and she couldn’t allow that.

  She had to escape. But how?

  Remlin knew she was in a weakened state, so maybe he believed she wouldn’t try to escape by herself. If he believed that, maybe he would decide to channel the extra energy he spoke of into keeping Nyte and Rand out rather than keeping her in.

  It was a thought worth pursuing.

  Maybe the best way to escape would be to make him believe she was as weak, or more than he believed. She ignored the little voice in her head that insisted she was only fooling herself if she didn’t believe it, too.

  He kept recommending she sleep. Maybe if she pretended she was asleep, she might be able to catch him off guard.

  Unfortunately, the danger was that if she pretended to sleep she actually would fall asleep, then she’d be of no use to anyone.

  Caffeine would be a good idea right now. It would help her fight this feeling of exhaustion.

  “Remlin, could I have a cup of coffee?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you prefer a diet Coke?”

  How the heck did he know her preference in beverages?

  “Sure. A Coke would be great.”

  After he’d left the room, she slumped back on the couch.

  She had to focus on the fact that she had to get out of here. To protect Nyte. And Rand.

  * * * *

  “Touch your heart?”

  Nyte wondered who had projected the thought into Randalph’s head, and what the cryptic message meant.

  Randalph pushed himself to his feet and stalked across the clearing.

  “Foolishness, that’s what it is. Something to confuse us.” Randalph shook his clenched fist at Nyte. “We need to find another approach.” He paced a few times, hands clasped behind his back. “You say you know this wizard. Where would he take Lucinda?”

  “If I knew that, we would be there now.”

  He watched Randalph march back and forth, nervous energy spinning from him in all directions. Randalph hadn’t liked having someone invad
e his mind, but more than that, Nyte was sure he was worried about the content of the message. He was probably afraid he might have to lower some of his well-erected barriers and open up to Nyte in order to understand it.

  “There must be other things we can try,” Randalph insisted.

  “Name one.”

  Randalph stared at him for several long moments.

  Nyte returned his stare with a quiet authority. “Randalph, like it or not, this is the only clue we have. Without it, we could be searching for energy disparities for days and still be no closer to finding Lucinda.”

  Finally, a look of acceptance settled on Randalph’s face.

  “All right. Where do you suggest we start?” Randalph gestured toward the path leading to his house. “Should we fetch some books of poetry from my library, or do you think we could find a Hallmark card that could do the trick?” A cool edge of sarcasm edged his words.

  “I doubt that’s the way to touch your heart,” Nyte responded. “You’ve never been the sentimental type.”

  Randalph’s expression hardened and Nyte silently cursed his use of words. He might have learned sentiment over the centuries, especially after losing the two people closest to him.

  “Remlin certainly isn’t the sentimental type. I’m sure he had a more direct approach in mind.”

  “You mean, he actually wants you to touch my heart?”

  “Something like that.”

  Nyte approached him and Randalph watched warily. Nyte stopped about two feet away and pointed at his chest.

  “He probably means the energy around your heart.”

  Randalph’s features relaxed as understanding dawned. “Sensing the heart chakra.”

  “Exactly.” He gestured for Randalph to sit down on the fallen tree and, after he’d done so, Nyte held his flattened palm about two inches from Randalph’s chest. “May I?”

  Randalph stared into his eyes. “You truly believe this is the only way to find Lucinda?”

  “I do.”