Patricia Simpson, The Dark Horse

The Dark Horse

Patricia Simpson

Tor, Nov 2005, $6.99

ISBN: 0765353245

CommOptima CEO Tobias Benton, believes he has located the legendary Fountain of Youth inside a cave in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. On the outside "door" are letters written in ancient Nimian. Tobias knows the person capable of breaking the code to allow entry; he assumes forced access will prove dangerous, as he expects booby traps everywhere.

Tobias sends for employee Claire Coulter, offering her a deal she cannot refuse. She will go to the site and translate the Nimian runes for him, in exchange for her brother obtaining the kidney transplant he desperately needs to live.

Needing money to keep his ranch, Dark Horse Ranch owner Jack Hughes reluctantly agrees to escort Tobias and Claire to the cave, a three day ride by horseback, though he hates going near there, having suffered a paranormal experience there as a teen. At the same time Set, an Ancient One, seeks the healing powers of the Fountain too, and plans to use the human pawns to help him attain his objective; afterward he will dispatch these worthless creatures.

This terrific paranormal romantic suspense thriller has some tenuous ties to the previous Forbidden Tarot tale, THE DARK LORD, but clearly can be perused without reading the first tale. Claire is a wonderful protagonist, willing to sacrifice everything including ethics and love to save her sibling's life; she adds a deep moral dilemma/fiber to the tale. Jack is also interesting, as he denies love while Tobias is fixated on finding the Fountain of Youth. However, the most fascinating character is Set, whose appearances are somewhat limited, yet tell quite a back tale involving the Golden Ones and much more.