Dark Tarot (Dark Carpathians)

Sandu’s heart dropped. His sister had been left an enormous job once Domizio had passed from their world. The area was still rough and wild, with few hunters visiting. “Liona, did you hunt the undead?”

“Only if I had no choice,” she admitted matter-of-factly.

Sandu, Adalasia cautioned as he bristled.

Every ancient had the same reaction. The instant rejection. They wanted to reprimand her, to demand she never do such a thing again.

Be careful how you react. I know she is your baby sister, but she has lived centuries on her own. There isn’t anything you can do now. She has succeeded in hunting them, in guarding the gate and in holding back demons. She is to be admired, not reprimanded. Adalasia gave all the ancients the advice, not just Sandu.

We will never be modern men, Adalasia, Petru reminded, but he remained silent, allowing Sandu to address his sister.

Oh, how I’m well aware of that, Petru. The lot of you should be in Josef’s dictionary under impossible.

What do you mean by that? Benedek demanded. What does she mean by that, Sandu?

“Please take us to your home, Liona. Once again, I am in awe of your skills and am grateful that you had Tiberiu’s sister as a friend to see you through those dark days when I could not be here for you,” Sandu said tactfully.

She means you’re hopeless, Sandu added to the brethren, his tone smug. I might really get written up in Josef’s advice column as the epitome of the modern lifemate.

Adalasia gave the mental equivalent of rolling her eyes. Let’s not get carried away.

“Sandu,” Liona said, “you’ll have to let me go long enough for all of us to shift into molecules in order to seep through the tiny vent in the chimney. We may as well leave the chamber sealed. You can follow me home. It is very close.”

Sandu dreaded letting go of her. “Funny thing, Liona, I am uncertain if I can actually release you. You might disappear on me again for good.”

Liona started to say something, choked and shook her head. “I know what you mean. I feel the same way, but we can’t stay in here, not with Adalasia looking like that.”

I can supply Adalasia with blood, Nicu offered.

Sandu’s progressive attitude went right out the window. He pulled his lifemate up against his body. That will be unnecessary. Can you wait, Sivamet, until we reach Liona’s home?

He felt Adalasia’s silent laughter. Of course. But she was pale and leaning most of her weight against him. That was unusual for his woman.

“Lead the way, sisarke.”

I will hold the image in your head, Adalasia. I am well aware you can do so yourself, but you are exhausted. Shift first and follow Nicu and Benedek out of the chamber. I will be with you. Petru, Siv and Tiberiu will follow us.

He didn’t give her a choice. He might have used a soft voice, but there was no denying his was a commanding tone. Adalasia followed, too tired to protest, and she never did just for the sake of asserting her independence anyway.

Liona’s home reminded Sandu of the little guesthouse Andre and Teagan had up in the mountains. The entrance was impossible to discover until you were right on top of it, and only when you were there did you actually see it was a cottage. The pathway was made of rocks blending into the surrounding mountain. Natural fauna covered the ground, and bushes climbed the rocks and boulders. Fern laced the pathway of rocks leading to the rectangular verandah with its overhung roof. The roof appeared to be part of the mountainside, a large rock outcropping covered in vines and grass and even wildflowers.

Liona opened the door and stepped inside, looking back at her guests with a little smile. “Please do enter of your own free will.”

Sandu was grateful that she remembered to put the onus on each of the ancients to enter of their will, giving her the power if they did so. He held Adalasia back, drawing her into his arms, stepping into the shadows at the very end of the porch. He felt the strong safeguards his sister had woven around her home. She took no chances, ensuring the structure was protected from below the ground as well as above it and from every direction. She certainly remembered her training. She’d had to, spending centuries on her own.

“I’m so happy and grateful that she’s alive,” Adalasia whispered.

“Sivamet, you must feed. You are falling down with weariness.” Sandu infused his voice with temptation as he seated himself on the wide railing, pulling her between his thighs and opening his shirt. He cocooned them in the shadowy corner, giving her the privacy she needed. She hadn’t been that long in their world, and taking blood was still new to her.