Dark Tarot (Dark Carpathians)

“The power comes from your line, Sandu. You have always been extremely laid-back around the rest of the ancients, preferring their talents to shine, but you kept your name. It isn’t the original taken in ancient times, but you have carried this one for centuries.”

Sandu nodded. “I moved enough and was alone enough that it mattered little.”

“Those of us who remember that the Berdardi family guarded alone, unaided by other Carpathians, have always known the power and danger you represent. For these cards to hold this power, and they are not the actual well of power, your line is incredible.”

Not the actual well of power? Sandu prompted.

Adalasia didn’t reply. She was small in his mind, staying but keeping very still.

Andre handed the deck back to Adalasia with a nod of respect. “That you can wield these cards is a tribute to your courage and prowess.”

“Thank you,” Adalasia said. She clearly didn’t expect that of him. “Have you advice for us?” Very calmly she shuffled the deck and then returned it to the velvet pouch before once more sliding it inside her top, where they completely disappeared again.

“Only that the two of you must be closer than most couples and never falter in your trust in each other. Listen to each other at all times. Really listen and make decisions together. It is the only way you will get to the end of your journey alive to perform whatever task is meant for you. I wish I could see more for you, but I cannot. Sandu, I cannot stress to you enough the importance of Adalasia being brought wholly into our world. Without that, a full commitment between you is impossible, and that leaves her exposed to too many dangers. More importantly, it leaves an opportunity for your enemies to drive a wedge between you.”

The Boroi guesthouse was hidden right up against the mountain itself, nearly impossible to see the way it was designed, unless you walked right up to it. The entrance looked almost as if one was approaching a set of boulders locked into the side of the mountain, covered in brush and small blades of grass and flowering shrubs. The front could have been a cave entrance.

As they walked through the trees and brush toward the little cottage, in which Andre and Teagan had assured them they would have complete privacy for the rest of the night, Adalasia noted the flutter of wings as very small screech owls moved among the branches. She felt uneasy being in the open, although she hadn’t heard the wolves howling in a long while. Sandu glanced up at the trees more than once and then dropped two steps behind her, letting her take the lead to the strange accommodations Andre and Teagan had lent them for the night.

Adalasia wasn’t going to show her disappointment. Sandu had made the last cave very nice for her. She just thought since Teagan’s home was so lovely, the guesthouse would be as well. Sending them off to a cave didn’t seem in keeping with Teagan’s idea of entertaining guests, even though the woman was Carpathian now.

The path leading up to that dark entrance in the large gray boulders looked like uneven ground, but when they walked on it, the stones felt smooth, easy to navigate, even in the dark of night. She was very aware of Sandu walking close to her. He had those wide shoulders and that broad, muscular chest, wild hair and eyes that could look so feral when red flames burned in them, like now. When he looked down at her, which he always seemed to be doing, a dark fist of lust knotted low in her stomach. Her sex clenched and her panties were suddenly damp. It seemed as if all she had to do was look into his eyes, and he could do that to her.

When had the physical attraction toward Sandu grown so strong until desire bordered on out of control? She wasn’t a woman who had reactions like the ones she was having. The more she was around him, alone with him, in his mind, the more she craved him. She was a little embarrassed that she couldn’t control the way her body reacted to the least little brush of his hand or his hip as they walked together.

Then he smiled. Her heart seemed to do a slow roll. She would follow him anywhere. It wasn’t just his looks. It was the intimacy they shared with each other. She felt him in her mind, connected to her in a way no one had ever been or would ever be again. He gave off a sense of calm even when everything around them seemed to be sheer chaos. She appreciated that trait in him.

“We’re here,” Sandu announced.

She had to stop staring at him. She really did. She forced herself to turn her attention to the cave entrance. They had stepped onto the gray and black stones right at the entryway. Adalasia couldn’t suppress her cry of delight. It wasn’t a cave at all, but a beautiful cottage built into the mountainside.