Page 62 of Dark Shaman: Love Found
Three hours of privacy with Elias sounded like heaven to Tamira.
"How should we arrange the schedule?" Liliat asked, ever practical. "We can't all go down there every night. That would look suspicious."
"I thought we could alternate," Areana said. "Tamira and Elias tonight, Tula and Tony tomorrow. The rest of you can accompany them if you wish, to maintain appearances, but it would be better if you pretend disinterest in interior decor. I will have to go down there from time to time to examine the finds, but I can limit my visits to just a few minutes."
"I'm really not interested in interior design," Raviki said with a grin. "I'd rather retire to my room and soak in a bath with a good book than waste time in a dusty basement after spending all day in a tent infested with sand. I never realized how much sand was carried in the wind. The harem is so far from the beach." She turned to Areana. "And speaking of the beach, you promised to speak to Lord Navuh about an excursion."
"I did," Areana admitted. "But I've learned that it's better to tackle one issue at a time with my mate. Now that the basement is settled, I might ask him about a trip to the beach."
"What about the books?" Liliat asked. "They are not going to restore themselves, and I don't trust the servants to do aproper job with them. We can't take breaks to go to the beach until this is done."
Raviki shook her head. "Once we are back in the harem, we won't be allowed out again. We need to use this opportunity to enjoy things we will never get to enjoy once we are back in our prison."
Rolenna let out a breath. "And yet here we are, eager to return to these grounds because it's infinitely better here than what's out there. Everything is relative." She snorted. "Even space and time. I sound so profound."
Tamira wanted to hug them all. After thousands of years together, they had become true sisters, supporting each other through the endless monotony and occasional crises of their shared captivity.
Mortdh might have been an even worse despot than his son, but at least he had chosen the best females for his harem, and it hadn't been just about their looks. He had wanted clever offspring and had selected them accordingly. The problem was that he hadn't been able to impregnate any of them. His only true son, Navuh, had been born to a human mother.
He was clever, though, so the mother must have been smart as well.
"Don't look too eager," Areana said pointedly to Tamira. "When you and Elias head down to the basement, you need to act indifferent to each other. Tell Elias to pretend that it's a chore he would love to get out of."
Tamira chuckled. "I don't know how good he is at acting, but I'll tell him to do his best."
Areana turned to Tula. "Are you alright with waiting until tomorrow to be with Tony?"
Tula nodded. "One more day won't kill me." She shifted on her pillow. "Although I have to admit that I've missed the kind of pleasure that only a man can provide. My own fingers are fine for a night or two, but they can barely take off the edge."
"Tula," Areana said as she glanced at the tent entrance. "Please refrain from direct language. We need to be careful."
"Sorry," Tula said. "I keep forgetting that this is a tent and its walls don't provide a sound barrier. I'm just glad that this large air-conditioning unit is so loud that it probably drowns out anything we say in here."
It was a polite way to tell Areana not to worry, but Tamira wasn't sure Tula was right about the noise being enough to cover their conversation. It probably could shield it from human ears, but the guards were not human, and Tamira was much more worried about them than the servants who were loyal to Areana and would never betray her trust.
"We should get back to work," Areana said. "The servants will be back with more books, and we are not done with the crates they brought out before. Tamira, perhaps you could go check on the progress in the garden? See how the herbs are recovering?"
It was a transparent excuse to let her see Elias, but Tamira took it gratefully. "Of course, my lady."
She grabbed two bottles of water for the men and forced herself to walk casually from the tent instead of running. The sun roasted her as soon as she left the cool interior, but she barely noticed it.
She found Elias kneeling in the dirt, carefully transplanting sage into a section of the garden that had been cleared of debris. His shirt was soaked with sweat, clinging to his back, and his hands were covered in soil. He looked up as her shadow fell across him, and his face transformed with a smile that made her weak in the knees.
"Lady Tamira," he said formally, aware of the guards watching from afar. "Have you come to inspect our progress?"
"I have." She handed him and Tony each a bottle. "Lady Areana wanted me to tell you that you are both invited to dinner tonight. In fact, you will be joining us for dinner every night from now on." She wanted to tell him about the basement, about the three precious hours of privacy they were afforded, but the immortal guards were too close, and she didn't know how to tell him without it sounding suspicious.
"That's great." He cast her a smile. "Tony and I have grown tired of what is on offer at the hotel. Lord Navuh's chef is in a league of his own."
Tony nodded enthusiastically. "He is. But what brought about the change?"
She shrugged. "That's between the lord and the lady. They prefer to dine alone, so perhaps Lady Areana felt guilty forabandoning us at dinner and convinced the lord to invite you to entertain us. She also convinced him to let us explore the treasures of the basement and choose what we want to add to the house decor. We can start today after dinner."
Understanding registered in Elias's eyes, and a moment later in Tony's.
"Are we all going to the basement then?" Tony asked.
"We'll take turns. Lord Navuh doesn't want too many people down there at once."
