Before the deck of tarot cards touched his fingers, there was an explosion of lights, of colors, all rain forest greens and silvers. Patterns of the jaguar. Jagged bolts of lightning like violent spears shooting from the cards as if they attempted to pierce Luiz’s skin. He didn’t flinch or pull back, but calmly took the deck from her, ignoring the wild display of power that only heightened as his strong fingers settled around the cards.
Shadows bounced through the room, playing on the vines hanging from the ceiling overhead. Thunder crashed, and hideous growls merged with snarls to add to the chaos as Luiz calmly shuffled the cards, ignoring the wild display and the sparks flying. Adalasia realized the more he shuffled, the more the deck calmed, became accepting of him, almost as if by feeling him, the cards began to know his true character. Eventually, the display faded away and all noise ceased. She let out the air in her lungs she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
Luiz divided the cards and laid the three stacks in front of her.
“Choose one of the stacks and set the other two aside. Pull three cards from your chosen stack and set the others aside.”
Luiz followed her instructions. His gaze flicked to hers. She could see he wanted to question her. Three cards when there were so many. How could she possibly tell him where his lifemate was with three cards? She always went with her intuition. If there was a strong inclination to do a layout with three cards, that was what she went with. She indicated where to place each card and then had him turn them over.
There was his lifemate, and once again, she let her breath out. He needed patience, which she knew he had in abundance. She tapped the card and allowed the pads of her fingers to linger on it while she pressed her palm over her heart and the goddess card, asking for help in locating his lifemate. The cards indicated a short journey for him. She was somewhere in his vicinity. Somewhere close to him.
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.”