Page 5 of Dark Shaman: The Lost Treasure
"Very well." Navuh extended his hand across the space between their chairs. "You may touch my hand."
Eluheed reached out, his movements careful and deliberate, giving Navuh's security no reason to be alarmed. The moment his fingers made contact with Navuh's palm, the vision slammed into him with the force of a sledgehammer.
Power.
Ancient power that had nothing to do with money or weapons. For a moment, Eluheed was confused by the sheer weight of years he sensed, but then understanding came—this man was old, far older than he appeared, with centuries of violence trailing behind him like a blood-soaked cloak.
He was an immortal, a very old one, even older than Eluheed, but the how of it was irrelevant at the moment, and Eluheed pushed the disturbing revelation aside to focus on the question Navuh wanted an answer to.
Family connections radiated from Navuh like a spider's web. Sons, many sons, some by blood but most adopted, each with a different thread of loyalty and ambition. And there, like a wound in the web, was the betrayal Navuh feared.
A son. Not just any son, but one that Navuh cared about. The vision sharpened. The man had Navuh's dark hair and dark eyes, but he lacked his father's cruelty.
The son was good, trapped in an evil empire and trying to minimize the damage it caused. The son walked a tightrope between his father's expectations and his own moral compass.
He couldn't give Navuh that information. But he had to give him something.
"A son," Eluheed said, his voice hoarse. "A son will betray you."
Navuh's hand tightened around his, the grip becoming painful. "Which son? I have many."
"I can't see clearly," Eluheed said, and it wasn't a lie. His gift never gave clear visions. "He is far away from here."
That seemed to narrow the options because Navuh's crushing grip on his hand eased a fraction. "When?" The word came out sharp as a blade.
"I don't know." This part was also true. "The future is fluid. It could be soon, or it could be years. It's not something that puts your life in danger. He's not after your head."
"What form does this betrayal take?" Navuh leaned forward, his dark eyes boring into Eluheed's. "Does he steal from me? Sell information to my enemies?"
Eluheed felt pressure inside his mind and realized that the lord was trying to enter his thoughts or maybe compel him to say things he did not want to.
Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the air-conditioning, which was practically freezing the room. He had to shield his mind but not appear as if he was doing so. He had to give enough to be valuable but not enough to sign the son's death warrant.
"The vision is unclear," he said. "I see conflict. Your son doesn't wish you harm—that much is certain. The betrayal comes from conscience, not ambition. He's a good man trying to do what he believes is right."
"That narrows it to one name only." There was contempt in his voice that could have curdled milk. "I thought I taught him better. I thought that I raised him strong. I am very disappointed."
"Perhaps that's the entire betrayal," Eluheed ventured, then immediately regretted it as Navuh's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Explain."
Eluheed swallowed hard. "He might not be doing anything to undermine you, but he is disappointing you, and that feels like a betrayal. It shouldn't, though. You should be proud of him."
The silence that followed was deafening. Navuh hadn't moved, hadn't even blinked, but Eluheed could feel the violence coiled within him, ready to strike.
He'd made a grave mistake.
Eluheed wasn't in a position to tell the lord what he should or shouldn't do or feel. One wrong word and he'd be dead before his next heartbeat.
The problem was that he'd already misspoken, and he was counting the heartbeats until his execution.
"I should be proud?" Navuh spat.
He had to save the situation somehow. Perhaps flattery would soften the blow that was sure to come.
"It takes tremendous strength to go against someone as powerful as you, Lord Navuh," Eluheed whispered. "Your son has backbone. Perhaps you can work things out with him."
When Navuh released his hand, Eluheed had to stop himself from cradling it against his chest. The immortal lord leaned back in his chair, studying him with those terrible, dark eyes.
