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

by Opal Carew

  “I don’t know and neither do you.” Kai looked fondly at Asmodeus. “And that’s the problem. All of us have a lot of a little bit of information but none of us have the whole story. From what I understand, like a million years ago, King Solomon suddenly had this ring one day and started controlling all of you. It didn’t stop until he got drunk, took of the ring and gave it to Asmodeus who then tossed it into the ocean. Right?”

  The boys in the Brotherhood nodded and Kai didn’t miss the looks of discomfort that passed between them while recalling unpleasant memories. Asmodeus’ body tensed at the mention of it but Kai gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Zemi, however, stifled a giggle at the mention of their unfortunate experience and Kai caught Lucifer giving her a look that could kill.

  “Zemi?” Kai turned her attention to the queen who’d been staring at Lucifer. “Right around that same time, something big went down with the Fae didn’t it?”

  “Yes.” Zemi lifted her chin as though she was trying to rise above the difficult memory. “That was when my sister and the others walked away from the Fae dimension to reside in the mortal world and live as witches.”

  “Fine.” Kai nodded and put her hands on her hips. “I have another question. If this ring is part of the Custodian legacy then how the heck did old Solomon get his hands on it?”

  “I haven’t the foggiest notion.” Zemi smiled. Even though she acted clueless, Kai had a sinking suspicion that she knew exactly how Solomon got it. “Just a stroke of luck, I suppose.” She winked at Lucifer. “Or bad luck, depending on how one sees it.”

  “You?” Lucifer seethed. He lifted his hands but Asmodeus countered and gave him a warning glare, which made Lucifer lower his hands. “You gave Solomon that ring. Didn’t you?”

  “I don’t recall,” Zemi said, while twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “It was an awfully long time ago.”

  “Actually, it might not have been Zemi.” Kai looked at Lucifer and then to Satan. “Willow would have enjoyed seeing you suffer a little. Wouldn’t she, Satan?”

  “Son of a bitch,” Satan spat. “How could she do that to me?”

  “Witches can be bitches,” Isadora said with a wink to Satan. “But I suppose you can ask her that for yourself, if she ever gets here.”

  “Anyway,” Kai said, with a warning look to Isadora. “I have another question for you people. Where did this spell book come from?”

  Kai extended both hands and an instant later the spell book flew off the wicker table on the porch with wicked speed before landing in her hands with an audible slap.

  “Be careful with that,” Zemi cautioned in an oddly gentle tone. “It possesses more power than you could possibly fathom, Halfling.”

  “I’m sure it does.” Kai held it against her chest and studied Zemi closely. “I haven’t had time to read all of it but there are some spells in here that can do serious damage to every one of the members of the Brotherhood, not to mention anyone else who pisses me off. Now, I’m the one who’s losing patience, so how about you cut the crap and tell me where this book came from and who wrote this Prophecy?”

  “Why?” Zemi’s voice quivered with something that sounded like fear. Her blue eyes flicked from Kai to Lucifer. “It is of no importance who wrote it or why.”

  “I beg to differ,” Lucifer said in a surprisingly calm voice. “If our destruction is at stake, I’d say that the origin of this so-called Prophecy is of the highest importance.”

  “Please,” Zemi whispered. Her eyes glimmered with silver tears as she stared at Lucifer. “There are some wounds that are best left alone. I’m sorry but once the Prophecy has been set in motion there is no way to stop it.”

  Kai looked from Zemi to Lucifer and saw that the anger and frustration that flowed between them so freely before, was replaced with sadness and regret. Lucifer stepped away from his brothers and walked slowly toward Zemi. Asmodeus went to stop him but Kai grabbed his arm and held him back. “Let him go.”

  “Zemi?” Lucifer moved closer, until he was only a few feet from the queen. “How long are you going to punish me for one foolish mistake?”

  The unusually tender moment was interrupted when Murdoch, who was standing behind Zemi, started to make an odd gurgling sound and what happened next, went by in slow motion. Kai watched in horrified fascination as Murdoch’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and his body shuddered before erupting in an explosive flash of light. The look of surprise on Zemi’s face as she spun around, was swiftly replaced by rage when she saw her secretary disintegrate into nothingness.

  An instant later, Kai noticed disruptions in the air around them and it became very clear that their party was getting crashed.

  In a split second, chaos erupted and a supernatural war came to Bliss.

  Flashes of fire and white light exploded from every angle and through the smoke she saw an evil smile on a familiar face as it emerged from the light.

  Ben Flaherty.

  The smell of burnt flesh and smoke filled Kai’s head and made her stomach roll. Somewhere in the background, Kai heard Isadora scream but she sounded so far away that Kai wasn’t even sure that’s who was screaming. For all Kai knew, the scream may have come from her.

  A blast of heat and otherworldly power knocked Kai through the air and slammed her into the trunk of the massive elm tree by the driveway. The book fell from her hands and she dropped to the ground in a gasping, writhing heap. Pain fired through her body as she struggled to get to her feet, while dirt and gravel dug into her palms. Coughing and gasping to find her breath, she squinted but could only make out ghostly figures in the smoke.

  Through the chaos, Kai heard a woman’s voice chanting. It was quiet at first but as it was repeated, the chant grew louder and Kai stifled a scream.

  Someone was casting a spell and it wasn’t Isadora. And Kai had no idea how to stop it.

  Bound and frozen, solid as stone.

  Bodies fall still, blood and bone.

  No sound, no breath, no whimpers or pleas.

  The wicked will halt and their magic shall cease.

  “Kai!” Asmodeus screamed her name but she couldn’t see him. He started to call her name again but was cut off and horrid silence followed.

  “Asmodeus! Lucifer….Isadora?” She called and called but no one answered.

  The world around her was burning. Blinded by smoke and submerged in darkness, Kai stumbled forward, held up her hand with the ring and though the power swirled violently in her chest, she was terrified to use it because she had no idea who she might hit.

  Then, as suddenly as it began, the explosions and the chanting stopped. A haunting, unnatural quiet fell over the property and Kai shuddered with blood curdling fear. Hands raised, the ring glowed while she held her ground and tried to calm her rapid breathing.

  A gust of wind came along and in one fell swoop, all of the smoke was sucked away but a pall of darkness covered the sky, blotting out the sun. Kai’s hands flew to her mouth in horror when she saw the scene before her.

  All of them were frozen. Everyone. Zemi, Isadora, all of the Brotherhood…and Asmodeus. Frozen in time and space.

  Isadora was standing with her arms in the air attempting to call up a spell and her long, black hair whipped around her, suspended in mid-air. Five members of the Brotherhood were in various positions, all of them charging toward a perceived enemy. Trails of fire shot from their hands but they were frozen, like a snapshot in time.

  Asmodeus was just a few feet from Kai and was immobilized like the others. Rage stamped into his features, he was reaching toward her, trying to protect her, no doubt. Zemi and Lucifer were back to back and looked like they were fighting a common enemy as opposed to each other.

  Kai looked back at Asmodeus and when she captured his gaze with hers, she stifled a cry. He may have been frozen but he was totally aware of what was going on. Bodies frozen but minds alert, she could only imagine how tortured they all were and the cruelty of it fueled Kai’s rage because in the
middle of it all were two frighteningly familiar faces. Ben Flaherty wasn’t alone. Standing next to him was one of the secretaries to the Witches Council—Rosalyn.

  Chapter Twenty

  Asmodeus watched in helpless fury as Kai threw her light toward their two attackers. However, Ben and Rosalyn matched Kai’s magic with their own, creating a mid-air explosion that was almost as deafening as it was blinding. Kai staggered backward as the power bounced back into her and when she found her feet again, Rosalyn was standing in front of her with a jagged, ancient looking dagger pointed at Kai’s throat.

  Kai had been visibly weakened by the exchange of magic and Asmodeus watched her attempt to call up her light, but nothing happened. The ring’s light sputtered and Rosalyn laughed cruelly at Kai’s failure to rejuvenate her power.

  “Seems you shot your load,” Rosalyn laughed. She leaned close and grabbed Kai’s jaw, while pressing the knife against her throat. “I’m not surprised to see you out of gas so quickly. An inexperienced half-breed like you doesn’t deserve the power of the ring or the glories hidden within the spell book.”

  Kai’s body shook and she looked at Asmodeus through wide, frightened eyes. Rosalyn was going to kill Kai and there wasn’t a damn thing Asmodeus could do to help her. A scream echoed through his head but wouldn’t escape his lips. All he could do was watch the horrific scene play out in front of him.

  “Now, I know you can’t remove the ring,” Rosalyn hissed. “But I could cut off that pretty little finger, couldn’t I? I was wondering if my immobility spell would work on you but that damn ring seems to be protecting you somehow.”

  “Quit fucking around, Rosalyn,” Ben shouted. He was behind Asmodeus and most likely right next to Zemi and Lucifer. “I’ve got the queen, kill that girl and get the damn ring off her hand. Don’t forget to grab the spell book. We have to get out of here and take Zemi to the others before your damn spell wears off or her magic rejuvenates.”

  “Fine.” Rosalyn moved with the speed of an ancient witch, and in a blur, had Kai pinned up against the tree. “I never liked you much anyway.”

  Asmodeus, his body burning from the inside out, watched with disbelief as Rosalyn raised the knife high in the air. Kai’s frightened gaze met his, and as the scene unfolded, a fire erupted inside of him. With a bone shattering bellow of outrage, Asmodeus burst free from the constraints of the spell and charged toward Rosalyn.

  “Get away from her.” Asmodeus called up the power of fire and incinerated Rosalyn when she turned around to charge him. Rosalyn’s body exploded in a flash of fire and smoke.

  Weakened from breaking through the spell, Asmodeus stumbled and fell to the ground at Kai’s feet. She immediately squatted next to him and rained kisses over his face. He couldn’t help but smile because even in the midst of all the death and destruction, she still smelled like ivory soap and lavender.

  “No!” Ben, red faced, screamed with indignation while Rosalyn’s ashes rain down like snow. Stalking slowly toward Kai and Asmodeus and with ashes covering his face, he whispered, “I will avenge you, my love.”

  The look in his eyes was nothing short of ice-cold revenge.

  “Why are you doing this?” Kai huddled behind Asmodeus and wrapped her arms around him protectively. “The ring won’t do you any good, Ben. You’re not a Custodian or a Chosen One and good luck opening that book. It won’t even let you near it, let alone allow you to open it.”

  “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been searching for that ring? I spent countless hours, weeks, tearing this shit hole upside down and you come in here after a few days and find it.”

  “It wasn’t yours to find,” Asmodeus said, between halting breaths. Heat flickered along his arms but still his powers remained just outside his reach. “It’s not yours to possess. It’s not your place.”

  “Not my place?” He seethed. “My place is on the throne not being her advisor. The woman never listened to a damn thing anyway. She has driven our people to the edge of extinction with her obsession over this Prophecy and her ridiculous infatuation with that demon.” He gestured toward Lucifer who was still frozen next to Zemi. “She’s had the finest Fae women breeding with half-warlock humans in an effort to create the Chosen One. She doesn’t deserve to rule our people and now she rules no longer.”

  “You’re Bentley?” Kai asked quietly. “Zemi’s advisor.”

  “Her advisor?” He let out a sound of disgust and threw another bolt of light above their heads, which made the leaves of the tree burst into flames. “I’m her son and her dirty little secret. A Witch-Fae offspring who just didn’t fit the bill for her precious Prophecy. She prohibits the Fae from having contact with the Witches so how would it look if the queen herself mated with one and had a little half-breed boy? I made the mistake of being born with a dick and we all know the Chosen One had to be a girl.”

  “Listen, it’s a shitty gig,” Kai laughed. “I don’t want to be the Chosen One and I’d gladly pass the baton to you or anyone else but I can’t.”

  “You can if you’re dead.” Ben’s body shook with unbridled rage and he stalked toward them, throwing rippling bolts of power one after the other but he wasn’t aiming at Asmodeus…he was aiming at Kai. Yet every strike of light he threw landed inches on either side of them, always close but never hitting their mark. Kai’s body shivered against Asmodeus’ as Ben toyed with them time and time again.

  He stopped when he was just a couple of feet away and leveled a deadly glare at Asmodeus.

  “Say good-bye to your girlfriend,” Ben leered.

  Ben roared with fury and raised his hands for the final, deadly blow. Asmodeus, with his last shred of strength, scrambled to his feet, pushed Kai back and took the strike of lightning point blank in the chest. Agonizing pain seared Asmodeus’ torso and his arms flew out to his side as every muscle in his body hummed with white-hot agony. The entire world seemed to explode around him in a luminous blaze before the darkness closed in.

  ***

  Asmodeus was dead.

  That was the first thought that ran through Kai’s mind when she watched Ben’s light slam into his hulking form. Asmodeus sacrificed himself for Kai and while she watched his immortal body shake with otherworldly power, her heart shattered in a million tiny pieces.

  The only man she’d ever truly loved---was dying before her eyes.

  And that’s when it happened.

  Ben’s light consumed Asmodeus in an incandescent flash just before it ricocheted back out and slammed into Ben. The power threw him head over heels through the air across the property. His limp body landed with a sickening thud just before it skidded to a halt at Zemi’s feet. Kai held her breath while his aura sputter violently before finally going dark.

  Shaking and sweating from fear, relief, and pure adrenaline, Kai scrambled over to Asmodeus’ unmoving form. At first glance, someone else might think he was dead, but Kai knew better.

  Asmodeus’ aura glowed brighter than it ever had but something else was different as well.

  The tattoos on his arms were gone.

  Kneeling next to him, Kai wiped at the tears that fell down her cheeks. Placing a warm kiss on his forehead, she brushed his stubble-covered jaw with the back of her fingers. She whispered his name and laughed through her tears when his eyes fluttered open before staring into hers. Sobbing with relief, Kai rained kisses all over his face as he sat up and pulled her into his arms.

  “You did it,” she said in between kisses. Sitting in his lap, she linked her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “And I hate to say I told you so…but I told you so. I was right.”

  “What are you talking about?” Asmodeus held her face in his hands and pulled back so he could look her in the eyes. “Right about what?”

  “Look.” Kai stood up and pulled Asmodeus to his feet. Holding his hand in hers, she lifted his arm and ran her fingers over the unmarked flesh. “The mark of the Brotherhood…the chains…they’re gone. And you still have an aura. Like I said,
baby. Light and love. You haven’t been taking my light, Asmodeus. You’ve been taking my love and that fed your soul.”

  “This can’t be possible,” he murmured. Asmodeus stared at his arms and shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t understand. I still have my powers.” He conjured up a fireball briefly before reabsorbing the energy. “I’m still a demon, so how can I possibly have a soul?”

  “You were willing to sacrifice your life for mine.” Kai made a wide sweeping gesture with her arms. “What could be more loving and soulful than that?”

  A clinking sound caught Kai’s attention and she noticed her hand felt markedly lighter.

  “Holy shit,” Kai gasped. She pulled her hand in between them and they both stared at her now naked finger. Smiling broadly, Kai murmured, “The ring came off.”

  Asmodeus’ smile was short lived as he looked around them. “Where is it?”

  Just as the words escaped his lips, a rumbling and cracking sound filled the air. The pall of darkness vanished and in a swirl of light the others were freed from the spell.

  A chorus of grumbles, a considerable number of f-bombs, and a few explosions of localized fireballs filled the air while the others emerged from their restraints. Kai leaned into Asmodeus’ embrace and rested her head on his shoulder while Lucifer tended cautiously to Zemi. The two of former lovers huddled together and spoke in hushed tones, and Kai could only hope they were on the road to an on-again phase.

  They had all witnessed what had happened so there was no need to fill them in and Kai couldn’t help but smile as she watched Isadora snuggle with Zephyr. It was a glimmer of normal behavior in a sea of weirdness.

  “Where’s the ring?” Satan asked with his usual impatience. He rolled his shoulders and straightened his back as he stalked over to Asmodeus. “Right before the spell wore off, I heard Kai say that the ring came off. We’ve gotta find that damn thing and take it to the Underworld where it can’t do any more damage. No offense to you two and your weird lovey-dovey-soul-creating-union, but I like my darkness, thank you very much, and I don’t need some woman taking it away from me. It keeps my head clear.”