Page 61 of Dark Shaman: The Lost Treasure
"Please, sit." Areana waved a hand over the table. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I came to welcome the latest addition to our group." She glided to Elias, who bowed even deeper. "My lady."
"Call me Areana. Everyone here does."
"I'm Elias," he said.
"Welcome to our small group within the larger community of the harem, Elias," Areana said. "Are you enjoying yourself?"
"Very much so, my lady—Areana. I don't remember ever engaging in a conversation quite as stimulating. Your ladies are as intelligent and as knowledgeable as they are beautiful."
"I'm glad you appreciate my lovely companions. Each of them is a bright diamond with no equal, and I treasure them greatly." She surveyed the table with her kind, ageless eyes.
"Will you join us for coffee?" Liliat offered.
"Thank you, but no. I need to be back in my quarters." Her gaze fell on Elias again. "I look forward to speaking with you properly tomorrow at lunch."
"I'm honored, my lady, I mean Areana," Elias said with yet another bow.
After Lady Areana left, the mood shifted. Her presence always reminded them of their reality. For all the luxury and conversation, they remained prisoners of a despot's whims, and they were lucky to have Lady Areana as a protector and shield.
"More wine?" Tony asked, reaching for a bottle. "I find philosophy goes down easier with proper lubrication."
"Not for me," Raviki said, rising. "I need my beauty sleep. I feel every year of my long life tonight. Too much deep thinking makes me nostalgic."
One by one the others excused themselves, and soon only Tamira, Elias, Tula, and Tony remained.
"Well," Tony said, looking between them with thinly veiled amusement. "Tula and I should probably retire for the evening as well."
"Good night," Tamira said with a smile.
Their exit was about as subtle as a thunderclap, and Tamira found herself alone with Elias in the grand dining room,the servants having discreetly vanished once the meal had concluded.
"Subtle, isn't he?" Elias said with a wry smile.
"As a battering ram." She shifted in her chair, angling toward him. "I was hoping we'd have a chance to talk privately."
"Were you?" His voice held cautious interest.
"Mmm. Group conversations are wonderful, but they don't allow for deeper exploration." She let the words carry a double meaning, watching his reaction.
She wanted him tonight, but only if he wanted her too. She wasn't in the habit of coercing males into her bed who weren't interested.
Not that they were ever uninterested unless they were in love with someone else.
Tamira knew she was beautiful. After all, she had to be stunning for the god Mortdh to take her as his concubine. Her beauty had condemned her to life in the harem, but it had also saved her life. If she had stayed in Sumer and mated another immortal from a prominent family, she might have been happy for a few years, but then she would have died with everyone else when Mortdh had decided to kill all the gods and die along with them.
Elias didn't disappoint, holding her gaze. "What do you have in mind?"
"You," she said simply. "All to myself." She rose to her feet and offered him a hand up.
His breath caught. "Tamira..."
"I have a sitting room in my quarters, well stocked with books and comfortable chairs. We could continue our discussion about manifestation and consciousness without Tony's interruptions."
"Discussion?" He seemed unsure suddenly.
She smiled. "I've found that the best connections unfold naturally, without predetermined outcomes."
He took her hand and smiled, his face transforming from handsome to devastating. "I would be honored to continue our conversation privately."
