Page 42 of Dark Shaman: Love Found
Understanding flickered in his eyes. "You want to take a look?"
"Lord Navuh said that we could. We can do a quick assessment before lunch and then continue after." She pitched her voice to carry back to the sitting room. "I want to see what might be salvaged to make this place feel a little warmer, more inviting."
"That's a wonderful idea," Elias replied, matching her formal tone. "I'd be happy to assist."
The head butler appeared as if summoned by their conversation, which was what she'd intended.
"Forgive me, Lady Tamira." He inclined his head. "I couldn't help but overhear that you wish to go down to the basement?"
"Lord Navuh said that we can look through the furniture and decor items in storage," she said, allowing a touch of Areana's serene authority to color her voice. "Elias has an excellent eye for Tuscan-inspired decor, and I thought we'd take a look and assess what could be reintegrated into the current decor."
The butler's jaw tightened. "I see. When would you like to schedule this...assessment?"
"Now would be ideal," Tamira said brightly. "Just a quick look to see what we're working with."
"Lunch is about to be served, my lady."
"Lady Areana and Lord Navuh are still in their meeting," Tamira countered. "And lunch can't begin without them. I'm not talking about a lengthy exploration. I just need a few minutes to peek into some boxes and get a sense of the scope."
The butler's reluctance was written in every line of his rigid posture, but since Lord Navuh had given his permission to Areana and, by extension, to her ladies, refusing Tamira'srequest was not an option without an iron-clad justification that he didn't have.
"Very well," he said after a pause that stretched to just shy of rude. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you where the furniture and decor are stored."
He led them through a heavy, reinforced metal door that was hidden behind the main staircase, which Tamira assumed led to the basement.
The butler flicked a switch, flooding the space with harsh fluorescent light that made Tamira blink. A staircase covered in glossy black tile was revealed. It led down into a dark cavern.
"Mind your step," he cautioned as they descended. "The stairs can be treacherous."
They were quite wide and easy to navigate, but the shiny surface was indeed slippery and disorienting.
Tamira wondered what happened to the interior designer who had created this barely habitable house. She had a feeling that the poor guy was no longer among the living because Navuh probably executed him after seeing the results.
Her master was not the forgiving or understanding type.
She should remember that when she took risks with Elias. Navuh might not mind their relationship and even encourage it, but if she humiliated him by getting caught, he would not show her mercy.
Not her and not Elias.
The temperature dropped noticeably as they went down, the climate control working overtime to combat the heat that tried to seep in even here. The walls were plain concrete, utilitarian but clean and pristine like the rest of the house.
"It's easy to get lost down here," the butler said as he flipped another switch, and light flooded the enormous basement.
It stretched out in all directions with corridors branching off in several directions. Ceiling lights marched away into the distance, revealing space that seemed to extend far beyond the footprint of the house above.
"It must go under the garden and the front yard," Elias murmured, coming to the same realization she had. "That's why the trees…"
"Stay shallow-rooted, yes," the butler finished. "The foundation extends considerably beyond the structure."
They passed through what felt like a maze of corridors, some areas open, others sealed behind heavy doors. Metal mesh blocked certain sections while still allowing air circulation, and through one, Tamira glimpsed what looked like active construction.
"What's being built there?" she asked, pausing to peer through the mesh.
The butler's expression shifted minutely. Was that fear? "I couldn't say, my lady. I'm not privy to such things."
"Surely you must have some idea," she pressed. "As the head butler, you oversee the household?—"
"I oversee what Lord Navuh wishes me to oversee," he interrupted, then seemed to catch himself. When he spoke again, his tone was more polite. "My lady, in Lord Navuh's home, it is unwise to ask questions about things that don't directly concern you."
