Dark Tarot (Dark Carpathians)

Yes. We are aware of it. Pay it no mind.

Adalasia thought that was a difficult thing to do, but she decided to focus her attention on the two men who had thought to reprimand her lifemate for allowing her to work on her skills.

She concentrated on the large leaves that held the pooling water. As Benedek and Petru walked beneath the trees and automatically protected themselves, she waited until they thought themselves safe.

Trying to be casual, she paused, holding Sandu’s arm as she bent to her boot, as if checking it. Using every ounce of focus and concentration, she moved those funnels of water right over the two Carpathian males’ heads and dumped them. The water sloshed over them in a cold fall running down their hair and faces.

Sandu, will you help me now? she asked as innocently as possible.

Of course, ewal emninumam.

There was sheer laughter in her mind. She knew Sandu had helped her keep Benedek and Petru from knowing she was sneaking up on them with the water. Siv and Nicu had turned back, hands on hips, observing their two soaked brethren, eyebrows raised, looking sober.

Adalasia stood looking at them also, perfectly dry, her clothes immaculate, her hair in a tight weave up off her neck to give her relief from the unrelenting heat and humidity. Her shirt was long-sleeved, a light tan; pants lightweight, khaki in color; and her boots were made for the jungle.

“Benedek, Petru, have you grown slow as you have aged?” The voice came seemingly out of the trees themselves, as if the jungle had come alive. There was amusement in that rich, mellow tone, a mesmerizing, almost hypnotic quality to the velvet sound.

Adalasia pressed her fingers to her mouth to keep from laughing, turning away from the two men. She noticed Sandu had gone on alert, as had the others. She always found that interesting. They had come to the rain forest specifically to find Dominic and his lifemate, Solange. They had sent word ahead, requesting an audience as they had with the others they had visited. She realized that Sandu had been very formal each time he had made a request to speak with another Carpathian couple. She found that odd.

Why didn’t couples welcome visitors, and why were they so wary when they first met with one another? She had so much to learn about the Carpathian way of life. She was always thinking in human terms. Maybe she always would. Would that make her a liability to Sandu?

You are my greatest asset, Sivamet. We can easily navigate two worlds.

Sandu’s assurance made her feel as if she were the only woman in his world. She looked up at him, her heart reacting to the absolute conviction and belief in her—in them—she saw in his eyes.

If you believe we can, Sandu, then I will believe it.

Dominic Dragonseeker emerged from the trees, striding out of the steamy fog rising from the forest floor. At first, it was difficult to make him out. He appeared almost to be an apparition as he came toward them, a handsome man, like all Carpathian males seemed to be. Formidable. Strong. A force to be reckoned with. He greeted each male in the age-old way of the warrior, clasping their forearms and speaking a greeting in their native language.

Sandu introduced Adalasia to him as his lifemate. “Thank you for seeing us, Dominic, on such short notice.”

Dominic’s gaze moved over the four brethren guarding them and then came back to rest on their faces. “This is no social call. Are you in trouble, Sandu?”

“I did say we may be bringing trouble to your door, Dominic,” Sandu reminded. “It is not the undead on our heels. Another kind of enemy follows us. They use bats, owls, insects and whatever else they can manage to invade as spies to get close to us. Here”—Sandu indicated the trees and forest floor—“there is plenty for them to use.”

“How is it they track you?” Dominic was patient, not moving, standing solidly in the exact same position.

Adalasia realized none of her guards had moved from theirs. Sandu hadn’t, either. They had surrounded her the moment Dominic had stepped from the rising fog, keeping her in the middle, protected by their superior height, but they weren’t protecting her from Dominic. She stretched her senses. She knew it was important to utilize her newly acquired Carpathian senses, all much more acute than her human ones had ever been.

Aside from the peculiar shadow cat in the trees, Dominic hadn’t come alone. She should have known. The others knew. Adalasia was annoyed with herself for not paying more attention to the signs the men gave. She had been too busy looking at all the spiders and other potential hazards Nera’s army could use in the battle against them. Each visit seemed to escalate the attacks, as if Nera knew they were getting closer to answers that might stop her from being able to open the gate Adalasia was responsible for guarding.