Dark Tarot (Dark Carpathians)

Danutdaxton nodded. “I agree with Adalasia on this, Sandu. The Old One does as well, and he rarely bothers to give his opinion. You have to let this go and leave her to her fate.”

“I do feel as if I am obligated to inform her brother,” Sandu said. “He has searched for news of her for centuries.”

Dax sat back in his chair. “That is a difficult decision. It would be wrong to withhold that information, but on the other hand, you have no way of knowing for certain if that child exchanged for the parasites is the Bercovitz girl. It could be giving him false hope. And how would he get to her? He is an ancient and very dark, Sandu. He stays alone for long periods of time. Several of the hunters watch him, and he has the ability to disappear almost before their eyes. He is very skilled in battle. We have no way of knowing what will push him over the edge.”

Adalasia sighed. “There are always two paths, aren’t there? Both dangerous. I keep thinking we are going to be shown a clear way, but we never are. How terrible not to tell this poor man who has searched for his only sister that she may still live.”

“Is she really alive, though?” Riley asked. “In that realm, could she still live?”

“She was alive,” Sandu said. “Absolutely she was alive. So was the male Carpathian.”

“You are certain he was a Carpathian?” Dax asked.

Sandu nodded slowly. “I would like to say otherwise, but he knew the ancient oath sworn to our people and our lifemates. He recited the oath with me when I needed it most. He even merged his voice with mine to chant. He spoke the ancient tongue. His voice was demonic, like that of a beast at times, but there was no doubt that he was Carpathian.” He hesitated and then told the truth. “I felt a brotherhood with him, just as I do for those in the monastery.”

“That would be natural,” Dax said. “How could you not feel a comradery for a brother after centuries in the monastery chanting those very vows when you were at your lowest point? He must use them as well.”

“It grates on me that I had to leave both of them there,” Sandu said.

“When you say Adalasia guards these gates this Carpathian demon is behind, what do you mean?” Dax asked.

Sandu glanced at his lifemate. They had come for Danutdaxton’s advice, but they hadn’t explained the situation fully to him.

You tell him as much as you wish, ewal emninumam. Sandu accepted that this was a journey for the two of them, not just him.

Adalasia didn’t hesitate. She told Dax and Riley about her childhood of preparation to fight demons. About her mother passing on Sandu’s soul as had her mother before her. About the history of her family and the duty given to them—guarding the eastern gate that held back a demon that could not be set upon the world. Lilith wished to command this demon, and she had armies ready to slip into their realm when she found a portal. The eastern gate was in jeopardy, and Sandu and Adalasia had to find their way to the original source and make the necessary repairs to ensure the demon couldn’t escape.

“I had no idea what I was guarding,” Adalasia finished. “This has been a huge revelation. A tragedy, really. I hate that he’s a Carpathian and can’t be saved. I really hate that my family has had a hand in holding him behind that gate for centuries. Maybe if the Carpathian people had known about him, they could have found a way to save him.”

Danutdaxton shook his head. “They would have had no choice but to hunt and destroy him. He sounds as if he is very powerful. He would have taken many of our best hunters with him before he died. And that’s if he could have been killed. The Old One has taught me many things, Adalasia, and one of the most important is that events unfold as they are meant to. These pieces were put in place long before you were born. You are playing a small part in the drama that is his life, but it has already been unfolding for centuries.”

Sandu could see that what Danutdaxton had said gave Adalasia some comfort. He stroked his thumb over the back of her hand.

“You do not know where exactly to go,” Dax said.

Sandu shook his head. “My memories are completely gone. I do not remember my family. I now have glimpses of my sister, Liona, but only brief, a very few images. I do not remember much of her. Her laughter. She shared that with me after I lost emotion. I do remember that about her.”

“Luiz De La Cruz gave you blood many times, Sandu,” Dax said. “He might not be an obvious choice, but he has the De La Cruz warriors in him going back centuries. Long before either of us, I would imagine. If he would answer your call, he might be the one to ask.”