Dark Tarot (Dark Carpathians)

Riley didn’t seem to mind. She sat beside her lifemate in one of the many chairs scattered around their side patio. The house was situated in front of the mountainside. The back butted up to the mountain itself, and Sandu was certain there was an entrance leading into the mountain. Dax would have a cave hidden somewhere deep, a place his dragon would be happy and where he and his lifemate could go to ground safely.

This patio was for entertaining guests. It made Sandu wonder who came to visit. Dax wasn’t a man to make others comfortable, nor was he comfortable around too many people. Riley, on the other hand, was very good at making her guests feel welcome. She had a soothing quality to her. It wasn’t difficult to see that plants grew all around the patio and reached toward her as if she were an integral part of them.

Dax waved off his apology. “This has been good for us. We never want to grow complacent. And it gave the Old One a good workout. He likes to sleep for months on end. Sometimes I think he will choose to leave us. The fact that he was needed was a good thing.”

Riley nodded. “He doesn’t ever like to admit it when he’s very happy, but he was. Protecting you, Adalasia, from the heat of the Cave of Fire meant he was useful, and he needed to feel that way. Having Dax or me tell him we need him isn’t the same thing as actually having to be there to help save a life.”

“Do you call on him often?” Adalasia asked. “I think it’s the coolest thing in the entire world that he exists in you. He might actually be the only dragon left in the world, which is sad. Sad for him and sad for the world.”

“Even if we did call on him often,” Dax said, “the Old One will only aid someone he deems worthy. He can be very stubborn and arrogant. Bossy, too.”

Riley burst out laughing. “You sound like you might be describing yourself.”

“Careful, woman. You’re going to get your elegant eyebrows singed,” Dax warned.

The brethren had opted not to come with Sandu and Adalasia. They preferred to patrol rather than visit. Sandu had no idea where Luiz was. He had simply disappeared without saying a word to any of them. That wasn’t unusual for an ancient. They came and went without explanation, but Sandu would have liked the chance to thank him.

Sandu had to admit, it was more than just wanting to thank him. He wanted the chance to size him up. Luiz was now connected to both Sandu and Adalasia through blood. That was a very dangerous connection when Luiz was without a lifemate. He needed to know how much of a threat Luiz De La Cruz was to Adalasia.

“That might be a very useful trait to have, Dax,” Sandu said. “Breathing fire at one’s unruly lifemate. Adalasia would be without eyebrows most of the time. I cannot believe she went into the shadow realm and then the Cave of Fire. I expressly forbid her to follow me.” He didn’t need to try too hard to make his voice stern. Every time he thought of his lifemate trapped by the demons, he knew he had to find a way to get the thoughts out of his mind before they overwhelmed him and he became dangerous. The images of her being tortured could bring out the worst in him.

“While it is true I haven’t met too many lifemates,” Dax said, “their modern ways are enough to make any man pull out his hair.”

Riley rolled her eyes. “One has to learn to adapt, Dax. Compromise.” Danutdaxton sent his lifemate an intimate smile. “I have learned many things over the centuries, Riley, and adapting is my specialty.”

Sandu pressed his lips together at the implication that had Riley blushing and shaking her head. Dax may look intimidating, but he wasn’t to his woman.

“I believe you had some questions for me,” Dax said. “We took a detour with the strange battle, but you came for a reason. Hopefully, I can give you aid.”

Sandu felt they were closer than ever to their ultimate goal. They just had to find the right path and stay on it. He explained about his memories and what they’d discovered so far of his name. He watched Dax closely. The Carpathian had chased Mitro Daratrazanoff for centuries into lands barely inhabited. It was very possible he had come across Sandu’s family in his travels.

Danutdaxton sat quietly for some time, clearly pulling up old memories. Finally, he nodded. “I do recall coming across your family on more than one occasion. I did not see you, but you were spoken of. I traveled with Arabejila, Mitro’s lifemate. She opened doors for us that I could never have gotten through. Your family provided us with a safe place for the night as well as good company.”