Page 25 of Dark Shaman: Love Found
"I don't know about that. The site is dangerous. Construction workers everywhere, and the structure is unstable. I won't risk you."
"I'm a goddess," she reminded him gently. "And the ladies are immortal. A falling beam might hurt, but it won't kill any of us."
"It would be difficult to explain your presence."
He wasn't putting up as much resistance as she'd expected, but she still needed a convincing argument.
Areana set down her silverware and leaned back in her chair. "Do you know what we do all day? The ladies and I?"
"Whatever pleases you, I assume."
"We sit in that box of a garden, slowly roasting in the sun while your gardeners pretend to work while spying on us. We make stilted conversation because we know every word is reported. We count the minutes until each meal because it's the only break in the monotony, but we can't speak freely even then. We are suffocating here."
He smiled indulgently. "And here I was under the impression that you are all thrilled to finally be released from theharem. When you were there, all I heard was that you were prisoners in a gilded cage."
That was true, and Areana was well aware of the irony.
"We're bored, Navuh. Desperately, mind-numbingly bored. And bored people make mistakes. Say things they shouldn't. Drop pretenses they should maintain."
That got his attention. "Such as?"
"Yesterday, Rolenna blurted within a maid's earshot that Tula missed Tony. I had to think quickly and cover up for her slip-up. But it's true. Tula misses him desperately, and desperate people do desperate things. They need to be allowed to be together, and it's not possible here or at the hotel. The harem is the only safe place."
He cast her an incredulous look. "Nothing is working there, and you can't live in an underground structure without proper air circulation."
"There are extensive lush gardens and the gazebo. Plenty of private shaded places where people can talk without curious eyes watching their every move."
He was wavering. She could see that. Time for the final push. "Besides, I want to make sure that things are being restored correctly." She waved a hand over the room they were in. "Without supervision, it might end up like this."
He laughed. "We can't have that, can we?"
"No, we definitely can't. By the way, is it okay if I go down to the storage and look for the things that were saved from the time this house still looked like a home? The servantsfound these two lovely candelabras down there, and I wonder what other treasures I might find packed away in boxes, accumulating dust."
He considered that for a moment. "If I allow it, would it suffice to keep you occupied?" He lifted the wine bottle and refilled their glasses. "You and the ladies can tackle one room at a time, restoring the decor to what it was before this unfortunate exercise in modernity."
"Nice try." She took the glass that he handed her. "I want both."
"The site is full of workers."
"Then assign guards, but I want the ones who served in the harem." She took a sip from her wine. "I can't pretend all day long, my love. I need a place where I can be me, and the ladies need a place where they can be themselves."
He took her hand and interlocked their fingers. "Are you that unhappy here?"
"Sitting in this fishbowl while your staff catalogs our every move is exhausting."
A long silence stretched between them. She could practically see his mind working, weighing risks against benefits. Finally, he sighed.
"You may visit the site. Supervised, with full security detail."
Relief flooded through her, but she kept her expression merely pleased. "Thank you."
"But." He held up a finger. "There are conditions."
"Of course."
"You go during daylight hours only. You interact with workers only about restoration matters—colors, materials, and layouts. Nothing personal, nothing that might hint at your true nature."
Each restriction was reasonable, expected. She nodded her acceptance.
