Dark Tarot (Dark Carpathians)

Adalasia looked at Sandu as she realized exactly where Luiz’s lifemate was. I thought when a male Carpathian is born and his soul is split in half, a female child is born right then with his other half.

Not always. The female can be born, as you were, century after century. Or she can be born a few years later. The soul is waiting for her to keep. The right female has to be matched to the male. There can be no mistakes. It is for eternity.

That makes it harder because the male has to wait longer.

Sometimes, yes. That is why we are born with the ritual binding words.

Adalasia wasn’t certain she agreed with the ritual binding words, but she knew she still thought like a human woman, not a Carpathian one.

“You know where my lifemate is.” Luiz made it a statement.

Adalasia nodded. “I believe I am correct, Luiz, but I can make mistakes.” She never had. Not once, but she didn’t want there to be trouble.

“Where is she?”

She pressed her lips together and cast another quick look at Sandu. They owed this man so much. He nodded. She took a deep breath. “Riley is pregnant, Luiz. I don’t know how far along she is because she didn’t say. I know they’re hiding the pregnancy as best they can.”

“Most Carpathian couples do hide pregnancies now,” Sandu said. “It is so much safer.”

Luiz’s green eyes moved over her face and then over Sandu’s. “I can feel your reluctance to tell me, Adalasia. You think Danutdaxton will object to any interference on my part.”

She nodded. It was useless to deny it.

“He would never know if I reached out to the infant to confirm.”

“The Old One might,” Sandu cautioned. “They lost an earlier pregnancy.”

Luiz was silent for a moment, his eyes moving over Adalasia. She felt his sorrow, even though she knew he didn’t feel it. “My lifemate tried to come into the world once already. The Old One would not know, nor would I care so much. He holds great power, but not in the same way and nowhere near what he would need to discover me should I choose to touch this child to confirm. If she is my lifemate, she is mine to protect.”

Adalasia knew he would do so. How could he not? “I don’t know why they wouldn’t want you to help keep her safe.” She turned to Sandu. “Why do Carpathian males object to that?”

Luiz answered. “I carry darkness in me, Adalasia. You’re very aware of it. So is Dax. It would be natural for him to worry. There is no need for you to be anxious. I will check out the information you’ve given me and proceed accordingly.” He inclined his head. “Thank you. There is no debt between us.”

He stood, shifting as he did so, and just like that, he was gone.

The Dolomite Mountains were certainly a different place to travel in now, considering how wild the area had been with so few human inhabitants in comparison to the many who traveled there now. Skiing, hiking, cycling, all of it was advertised to bring in tourists in all seasons to share the beauty of the mountains.

Sandu and Adalasia with the four guardians flew into one of the airports close to Trentino and then rented a private car to drive to Val di Non, where they hoped to start their journey into the mountains. They were feeling their way. Everything was very different, and with so many hotels and people, they had to be very careful to blend in.

The brotherhood of the monastery had put out a call to Tiberiu Bercovitz to meet them in Val di Non if possible. Sandu had thought long and hard before he sent the invitation to the Carpathian, but he knew, had any of his brethren heard possible news of Liona and not told him, he would have challenged them to a fight to the death. Tiberiu deserved to hear what they had learned, and it was up to him whether or not he believed them, or thought it could be his little sister, long lost to the Carpathians.

If Bercovitz wasn’t in Val di Non, they wouldn’t wait for him. Anxiety was beginning to press on Adalasia. She wasn’t saying anything. She hadn’t once complained, but he knew she was concerned that somehow she would fail in her responsibility to hold the gate closed. Sandu still was uncertain what they were supposed to do when they reached their destination. He didn’t think Adalasia knew either, which added to her anxiety.

Even softening their images, they still drew attention when they reached the farmhouse where they had booked reservations and had hoped to meet up with Tiberiu. The farmhouse had only a few rooms. They managed to rent them all, including one for Tiberiu. They had explained he might not make it, but they would pay for the room just in case. Adalasia was the only woman, and Aria—running the bed-and-breakfast with her husband, Amato Sartori—naturally gravitated toward her.