Dark Tarot (Dark Carpathians)

Siv gave an overt sigh. “That was over a century ago, even longer. I told you at the time, more of the little fiends must have come during the day. I had no such problem where I chose to sleep in my chamber.”

Adalasia clutched Sandu’s shoulder and turned her head slightly to make certain she heard every single word. She was not about to sleep under the ground if there were leeches. That was out in a big way. She didn’t care if she wouldn’t know or if they couldn’t suck her blood because it wasn’t running through her veins. She began to go through her protection prayers to see if there was anything that would repel leeches.

“I was covered in the vile creatures as well,” Benedek said, his voice even lower. “And I was in a different chamber than both of you. They were like a blanket over me. Did you only clear your chamber, Siv?”

“I would not have done such a thing. Perhaps something in your bodies attracted them. A mineral. How would I know why leeches were attracted to your resting spot? Perhaps this cave system is their breeding ground.”

“Now that I recall,” Petru said, his voice grim, “there were hundreds of gelatinous cocoons with the egg masses inside attached to my body and all surfaces around me and even buried in the soil beneath me. Several of the leeches were curled around one another, still attached. It was a ghastly awakening. At first, I thought the undead had found me.”

Adalasia dug her fingers into Sandu’s chest. We are not going into those caves.

Why are you listening to them? There was a kind of lazy amusement in his voice.

She was silent a moment. Are you telling me that none of that ever happened? They are making it up for my benefit?

That is exactly what I am telling you.

She was silent, still clutching his shirt. Don’t let on that you told me, please.

She got the impression of laughter. She had to turn her head back to see the steady fall of frothy water coming from above them and falling into a pool of inky water below them. Gray-blue boulders half concealed by large lacy ferns lined the edges of the pool and the stream that ran toward the river.

What are you up to, ewal emninumam?

Sandu ducked beneath the waterfall and carried her back into what looked like a very shallow ledge with a wall of rocks behind the water. She couldn’t even see the crack in the boulders there, but Sandu waved his hand, and the crack widened.

I’m not certain yet, but I’ll let you know.

“I will make absolutely certain to clear out all leeches,” Siv promised solemnly. “But I cannot stop leeches from returning to your resting place. You can try to weave your own safeguards against the pesky creatures. They are not the undead, after all. They are part of nature. Normal. I do not think our safeguards work against their invasion. Only if they are working for the vampire.”

“I will take the chamber you used,” Petru declared, “since they mysteriously did not show up in your soil.”

“Unfortunately,” Nicu added, “we have returned at the same time of year. It is possible they are breeding again.”

Adalasia gave a little shudder that was very visible and hid her face against Sandu’s shoulder. Who said she didn’t have acting skills? She knew the guardian angels were looking at one another. If they could feel smug, they were.

“I’m going to make us very thin, Sivamet,” Sandu cautioned. “We’ll go through the crack and be on the other side in seconds.”

She gripped his shoulder and chest tighter and nodded, already planning out her revenge on the four men following closely. Just before Sandu could step through, Benedek moved in front of him.

“Best to let me lead the way, ekäm, just to be certain. There is no evidence of the undead, but we take no chances with either of you.”

Whenever he called Sandu “my brother,” it melted Adalasia’s heart. Still, she was getting them back for trying to scare her with the leeches-in-the-ground story. That was a must. She just had to be very clever about it because they did weave safeguards around their sleeping areas, and they didn’t tell others where they were sleeping. She knew they would choose chambers or areas of ground to surround Sandu and her, but she wouldn’t know exactly where, so she would have to be very, very cautious in the way she handled the idea already formulating her mind.

Benedek looked like a thin shadow sliding through the crack ahead of them. Then they were slipping through right behind him. Petru followed, then Siv, with Nicu bringing up the rear and closing the crack. All of them turned to weave safeguards.

“Sandu, I have to seal it as well against Nera’s army,” Adalasia said firmly. “She uses insects and worms, as you well know. I overheard the guardians talking about leeches . . .” She gave another delicate shudder. “Nera can use insects and worms here in these caves if we don’t protect ourselves against her demons. Your safeguards hold out against the undead and what they send, but not necessarily all of her spies.”