Dark Tarot (Dark Carpathians)

She always tried to think before she spoke. She’d been warned. It wasn’t like this came as a complete surprise. “Can you put me to sleep through it?”

“Unfortunately, not through all of it. There will come a time when I will be able to. At that time, I will open the ground and put us both in it. I’ll command you to sleep until I awaken you. You won’t accidentally wake underground, Adalasia, I give you my word.”

She swallowed hard. “Okay. I do believe you, but just in case, there must be a way to open the ground.”

He smiled at her and pushed stray strands of her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. “That’s my woman. Very intelligent. You visualize the earth moving away. Always listen for enemies before you emerge, even if it means lying in the soil but with the earth open above you. Use all your senses, Adalasia. They will all be heightened.”

She nodded. Her hand found his. “I know you’ll be there. I just like to know I can take care of myself in any emergency.” She didn’t want him to think she thought he would abandon her. She didn’t. But sleeping in the ground . . . “I’ll need my tarot cards with me. The Carpathian blood on them will allow them to go with me. They have to stay connected to me no matter what. If you put me in the ground, they come with me. And my book. The book is in my bag. Promise me.” She was firm about that.

Something moved through her body like a shark with a razor-sharp fin swimming through her intestines. She pressed her hand to her stomach. “Do it now, Sandu. Open the ground where we will be. I have to consecrate it against any demons. Not just safeguard it from the undead. Hurry. There isn’t much time.”

Sandu immediately floated with her above the bed, waved his hand and opened the earth beside it, making a deep, wide rectangle. The soil was dark, but she could see it was rich with minerals. She took a deep breath and formed her prayer of protection, while Sandu set his safeguards, both weaving their guards east, south, north and west. Above and below.

He didn’t remind her that they had already done this; he simply did as she asked. He also went through her bag and removed the book and set it beside her blouse, where the tarot cards were hidden.

Adalasia collapsed onto the floor, avoiding the bed instinctively. Sandu waved his hand to rid the room of it. At once, the combined fragrances of lavender and bergamot permeated the room. She felt it was just in time. There was no way she could make it to the bathroom. The shark had taken shards of glass and a blowtorch to her insides. She began to vomit repeatedly. As fast as she did, Sandu rid the room of all evidence as well as the smell. The pain was excruciating, but she tried to breathe through it, to stay on top of it.

Keep your mind in mine. Stay with me. You aren’t protecting me by keeping us apart, Sivamet. Sandu’s eyes were black velvet, red flames, both lover and predator.

She nodded, tears streaming down her face, but she cried quietly, her gaze clinging to his. She slid her mind wholly into his. Her body began to convulse before she could take a breath. He breathed for her, for both of them, while the blowtorch burned up her body from the inside out, destroying her internal organs, shredding them with those glass shards.

Through her tears, she could see three bloodred tears tracking down Sandu’s face from each one of his eyes. Don’t. This is my choice. You are my choice. You waited endless centuries for me. I can handle a little bit of pain for you. You are worth every single second of this. Breathe for me. For us. Do that soothing thing you do. That comforts me.

Another massive convulsion took her, this one lifting her body up and slamming her down. Sandu was there to catch her, to float her carefully to the floor. His features had changed. She’d never seen that expression on him. She knew she might never again. He looked at her with pure love. It was there on his face. Raw. Naked. He let himself be that vulnerable to her. And he got her through what could have seemed a lifetime, but with him didn’t, before he could put her to sleep.

Adalasia loved most things French. She could honestly say that. She especially loved the language and the accents. Walking beside Sandu at night and listening to the couples laughing and talking to each other made her smile. She couldn’t help it. Sandu held her hand or simply walked with her close, his arm around her waist, just like any normal couple in love.