“Perhaps because you threw a fit about your hair ribbons.”
This, then, was the legendary Dax, who shared his soul with a real dragon. Sarika could see evidence of the fire-breathing soulmate in the Carpathian’s eyes. The man had looked beyond his daughter to find Luiz. Sarika could see he was very conflicted. He was a Carpathian male and would want to know his daughter had added protection. But Luiz was now one of the controversial De La Cruz family. And he wasn’t in the least modern.
“Thank you for ridding the world of Mitro,” she said to Dax, once more regaining his attention. She was certain Tomas had shared information with Dax as soon as her memories became known. Dax lived close, and Mitro had been a larger-than-life monster that haunted her.
Dax gave her a short old-world bow. “I regret that I was unable to rid the world of him before he destroyed the people you loved.”
She felt his regret. His guilt. It was the last thing she wanted. She certainly didn’t blame Dax for the terrible things Mitro had done. “At the time, I didn’t think there was anyone in this world who could rid the world of such a monster.”
Maureen went over to her father to take his hand. “Mama says Daddy is a hero, but we’re not supposed to call him that when he’s around.” She stated it proudly to Sarika in an overly loud whisper.
Riley came through the door just in time to hear her daughter’s declaration and receive the burning, piercing glare from her lifemate. She laughed, the sound moving through the room to dispel any doubt that she thought her man was a hero.
“But you are, honey,” she said and circled his neck with her arm. “At least to me.”
“And me,” Maureen said staunchly.
“And me,” Sarika chimed in, enjoying the Carpathian male’s discomfort just a little too much. She liked that the women weren’t intimidated by their own lifemates, not even Marguarita.
Dominic brought chairs, this time for Riley and Sarika. She found herself seated at the women’s table. The men faded into the background, and the party began in earnest. Maureen ran into the next room to find the other children. She seemed to be a little force of nature. Her hair was several shades of red, emphasized by the corkscrew curls. Secretly, Sarika was very pleased that Luiz’s lifemate was a little tornado and already very self-assured.
Sarika wasn’t certain how the males did it, but they faded so much into the background that she nearly forgot they were there. She didn’t ask questions about being Carpathian. The talk was mostly about babies and being a mother. Solange was clearly nervous but very happy, and the others wanted to support her.
An hour of fun and silly games had gone by when, without warning, the shadow hit Sarika hard, dropping over her, into her, until she could barely breathe. The threat came out of nowhere, in the midst of children’s laughter and women’s excited murmurs as they talked of new babies and the love and joy they brought.
The atmosphere in Solange’s home had been joyful. Bright. Filled with hope and friendship. She had relaxed, believing that with all the male Carpathians there, she had been wrong. The women and children were protected, not only by those inside the house but also by the roving patrols outside.
In that one heartbeat, everything changed. Shadows shifted in the room. In her mind, she saw the shadows growing on the walls, reaching to the high ceilings to loom over the children and the women laughing and talking as if none of that threat touched them.
Chapter
19
Sarika looked around the room, a long, slow scan, trying to see with more than her eyes. The little girls sat at the craft table, their heads together, glitter falling around them like pixie dust. Sandrine had pink and green frosting smeared across her face and in her hair. Bianca was much cleaner, but glitter sparkled over her hair and outfit. Hunter’s face was covered in frosting. Little Maureen was chattering away, wiping at Hunter’s face with a napkin, smearing the frosting into his hair. Her hands sparkled with glitter, but shockingly, there wasn’t any in the bright red of her curls.
One moment Sarika was laughing, totally absorbed in the antics of the children, and the next, a terrible shadow spread like a cancer, creeping across the artful branches and shimmering leaves on the walls and ceiling until the ominous portent engulfed the entire upper half of the room. The shadows began to creep downward, inch by slow inch.
Instinctively, she reached out for Tomas.The danger is here. They are gathering for the attack. Do you feel them?
Instantly, Luiz was on the alert, showing himself, where before he had been part of the walls. She hadn’t forgotten his presence, but apparently, everyone else had. He crossed the room with blurring speedand positioned himself in front of young Maureen, who immediately smiled at him and offered him a glittery cupcake.
The moment Luiz stood in front of the table to guard the children, Dax joined him. He looked warily around the room. “What is it?”
“I can only feel the threat through Sarika,” Luiz admitted. “It is very real, but why I can’t identify it, I have no idea.”
Dax scanned the room and then turned his gaze on Sarika. “You are certain of her?”
Tomas rose in one fluid motion, his body partially shielding Sarika from the scrutiny of the two legendary Carpathians. “I am certain of her, Dax,” he said simply. “There is a threat to our women and children.”
“Yet some of the most powerful Carpathian hunters are gathered together, and they cannot feel this threat. Only she can,” Dax persisted.
Luiz turned cold eyes on Dax. “I feel it as well. It is very real. Should you prefer to ignore it, know that I will keep your lifemate and daughter safe.”
Flames flickered in Dax’s eyes. Sarika could see the dragon eyeing Luiz like prey.
“Do not think you are safe because you believe you have a claim on my daughter.”
She tilted her chin at the two men. “Seriously? That’s called divide and conquer, a very old tactic I would have thought all of you were long past.” She glanced up at Tomas. “Is there a subtle influence I’m missing? Something to pit the men against each other?”
