Page 99 of Dark Shaman: Love Found
"Here," Sarah said to a group of frightened maids, setting down an armful of cushions. "Make yourselves comfortable. We might be here for a while."
The irony wasn't lost on Tamira. The servants who'd watched their every move were now sheltering with them as equals in fear.
Imminent and present danger had a way of leveling hierarchies.
Another explosion, this one violent enough to rattle the food display on the overturned boxes. Some things fell over with a clatter, and the maids rushed to save what they could.
"Zhao is dead," Elias whispered, so quietly only she could hear. "He ended his life rather than face his failure. I'm sorry I couldn't get what you asked for."
Tamira's heart sank into her gut. Zhao had evidently shared her opinion, but by dying, he had taken away her last hope of a merciful exit strategy in case her worst fears materialized.
"Did he take his own poison?" she whispered back.
"I don't know." Elias shrugged. "He took his secrets with him."
"What is that talk about poison?" Areana's voice cut through their murmured conversation. "What are you whispering about?"
The lady was sitting on the other end of the bed, close enough to overhear them despite the whispering.
There was no point in dissembling. Not now, when they might all be dead by morning. "I pleaded with Elias to ask Dr. Zhao for poison that can kill immortals. In case the rebels breached the mansion, I wanted us to have the option to end our lives with dignity." The words came out in a rush, her voice trembling despite her efforts to remain composed.
Several of the other ladies had turned to listen, their faces reflecting the same fear that gnawed at Tamira's insides.
"That's extreme," Beulah said.
"I wanted to have the option." Tamira lifted her chin. "I'd rather die on my terms than fall into the hands of those monsters. You know what they would do to us. We would be spoils of war. Lord Navuh was clear about the brutality of the immortal soldiers and how they treated females. We were protected in the harem, but we are exposed now."
"Nothing is going to happen to any of us," Areana said firmly, though Tamira caught the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. "Lord Navuh will persevere. He always does."
Another explosion punctuated her words, making several of the servants cry out.
"Will he?" Tula asked from where she'd returned to their circle. "Because it sounds like they are tearing the island apart."
Areana's composure never wavered, but Tamira saw her hands clench briefly in her lap. "Elias, you've just come from Lord Navuh's office. Tell us what's happening. We deserve to know."
Elias glanced around at the gathered faces—ladies and servants alike, all looking to him for answers. He sighed, and Tamira felt his hand tighten around hers.
"It's not just the enhanced soldiers," he said, his voice carrying in the cavernous space despite his quiet tone. "The assumption is that one of the enhanced soldiers has the ability to break Lord Navuh's hold on the minds of his warriors. They've recruited hundreds, perhaps thousands, of regular soldiers to their cause."
The silence that followed was deafening. Even the distant sounds of battle seemed to fade as the implications sank in.
"That's impossible," Sarah breathed. "Only Lord Navuh can compel other immortals. It's what keeps the entire structure of the Brotherhood from collapsing into chaos."
"Apparently, Dr. Zhao's enhancements did more than increase physical capabilities," Elias said. "At least one of them can now compel others, turning Lord Navuh's forces against him."
Tamira's throat constricted with panic, her chest tightening until she could barely breathe. This was even worse than what she'd suspected. It wasn't just about Navuh's ability to control the enhanced soldiers. It was about his ability to control the regular forces. Without his compulsion keeping his warriors in line, they were all doomed. The island would descend into chaos, and the ladies would be the first casualties—prizes to be claimed by the victors.
Her whole body began to tremble, little shivers that she couldn't control. She'd survived five thousand years by being careful, by being invisible, by never challenging the power structure that kept her safe in captivity. While Lord Navuh was in charge, he was the only one she needed to please, or rather, refrain from annoying. As long as she didn't cause trouble, she was safe. Now that his control was crumbling, his protection was no longer a shield she could rely on, and she had no poison, no weapon, and no way to protect herself. Her only hope was that Navuh's loyal forces would prevail.
Feeling her tremors, Elias shifted closer and draped his arm over her shoulders. "Sometimes the best remedy for panic is simple human contact," he said, loud enough for the watching servants to hear, giving them an excuse for the intimate gesture.
"He's right," Areana said, moving to sit on Tamira's other side. She took Tamira's free hand, her touch warm and reassuring. "We support each other like always."
The other ladies also moved closer, forming a protectivecircle. Even the servants, seeing the gesture, copied it among themselves, embracing or holding hands.
"Lord Navuh is the smartest male I know," Areana continued, her voice carrying the kind of certainty that made people want to believe. "He's survived for thousands of years, built an empire from the shambles of what his father had left behind, and outmaneuvered countless enemies. These rebels don't stand a chance against his strategic mind."
"But they have enhanced soldiers and converts to their cause," Rolenna pointed out. "Who knows how many remain loyal to Lord Navuh?"
