Page 111 of Dark Shaman: Love Found
Navuh was watching him intently, those dark eyes missing nothing. "What did you see?"
"The island rebuilt," Eluheed said. "I saw new structures, better than those that were destroyed, and order restored. Everything was back to normal."
"And?" Navuh leaned forward. "I know that's not all you saw."
"Dark clouds gathering on the horizon," Eluheed admitted. "Another storm is brewing, but I couldn't see its nature clearly."
"What else?" Navuh's voice had taken on a dangerous edge. "Usually, I don't need people to tell me what's on their minds. I can pluck it at will. But your Russian heritage has hardened your mind. It's difficult to read you, but I can break through. The only reason I haven't yet is because Idon't want to destroy your brain in the process. I still have use for you."
It was a threat that Eluheed knew he should heed, not because Navuh could break into his head but because he held his life in his fist.
He met Navuh's gaze steadily. "The visions were fragmented, my lord. Pieces that didn't connect clearly. I saw movement, urgency, but nothing concrete enough to describe with certainty. Perhaps future sessions will show me more."
For a long moment, Navuh studied him, and Eluheed felt like those dark eyes were indeed trying to peel back the layers of his skull to see the thoughts beneath. Then, surprisingly, Navuh smiled.
"There's always a storm gathering on the horizon," he said, leaning back in his chair. "That's the nature of power. Someone always wants to take it from you." His expression turned philosophical. "Whoever thinks that life is about rainbows and butterflies is bound for disappointment and an early grave."
"Wise words, my lord," Eluheed said, relief flooding through him that Navuh had accepted his partial truth.
"You can go." Navuh waved his hand dismissively.
Eluheed rose and bowed. "Yes, my lord."
As he reached the door, Navuh called after him. "Shaman."
Eluheed turned back. "My lord?"
"Those dark clouds you saw. Were they coming from within or without?"
It was a perceptive question, and Eluheed considered his answer carefully. "I couldn't tell for sure, my lord, but my impression was that they were coming from without."
39
AREANA
Areana paused outside Navuh's office door, taking a moment to smooth her dusty gown and compose herself. The fear that had gripped her in the basement was replaced by shakiness, not of the body, but of the soul. She didn't feel like she was on stable ground, and she needed the love of her life to provide her with strength.
Even after all he had been through, she knew he still had an abundance to spare.
"Navuh," she breathed as she entered his office, and before she could stop herself, she was across the room and in his arms.
He caught her easily, pulling her against his chest with his familiar strength. For a moment, they simply held each other, and Areana allowed herself to tremble.
"I was scared," she admitted against his shoulder, the words muffled by his robes. "When those explosions kept getting closer, and I could hear the fighting right above us, I wasterrified even though I knew in my gut that no one can best you. You always win."
His arms tightened around her. "I wanted to come to you once it was all over, but we need to maintain appearances, my love. Everyone from the generals to the lowly maids needed to see their lord victorious and unshaken, not running to comfort his wife."
She understood, of course. She'd always understood the delicate balance Navuh maintained between the man who loved her and the despot who ruled through fear and absolute control. Still, understanding didn't make spending those hours of terror without him any easier to bear.
"I know," she said, reaching up to touch his face. "So, I came to you because I needed to feel your arms around me and hear you say that we won."
A smile played at the corners of his mouth. "I crushed them, Areana. The lesson I taught these arrogant, enhanced soldiers will not be forgotten soon, not by my generals and not by anyone who might entertain the idea of rebelling again. I broadcasted the last few seconds of the eight trapped in the tunnel underneath this house. That memory will remain burned into the minds of everyone who saw the broadcast."
Areana suppressed a shudder. Even after five thousand years with him, Navuh's capacity for cruelty could still unsettle her. But then, that edge of darkness was part of what had drawn them together. The Fates had a twisted sense of humor sometimes, but they knew what they weredoing. Despite what her sons and her sister thought, the Fates had chosen the right male as her truelove mate.
"I can't wait to return to the harem and forget this whole thing ever happened," she said.
"Soon, my love. The restoration is nearly complete, but after what happened today, I want to revisit the safety measures. We can't allow anyone to get this close again."
