Page 77 of Dark Shaman: Eternal Hope
When, sometime later, they walked out of her suite and headed to the dining room, there was a new kind of silence between them. It wasn't the heavy, oppressive quiet of unspoken truths, but something a little lighter. The other ladies were already gathering, and Tamira caught Tula's eye with a questioning look. Tula gave a small nod. Yes, they'd talked. Yes, he knew. Yes, they were okay, or as okay as they could be under the circumstances.
Dinner passed in the usual manner, with conversations about the restoration work, the gardens, the weather, all the safe topics that filled their days. But Tula noticed Tamira and Eliasexchanging glances, some form of silent communication passing between them.
As the meal was ending, Elias folded his napkin over his plate and leaned back. "I've overindulged and now I need to walk this meal off. Anyone interested in a walk in the gardens? The temperature has probably dropped to something bearable by now."
"That sounds lovely," Tamira said.
"Some fresh air would be good." Tony glanced at Tula. "Right?"
She nodded. "Sounds good to me. I ate a little too much as well."
That was a lie, but no one called her on it.
"Anyone else?" Elias asked.
"I have a book date waiting for me," Beulah said, and the others made similar excuses, some more convincing than others.
As the four of them emerged aboveground, the evening air was indeed cooler than the oppressive heat of the day, and Tula was glad of the suggestion. She and Tony walked behind Tamira and Elias, holding hands and feeling closer than they had in weeks, which was nice, but Tula had the sense that something was about to happen.
Something important.
31
ELUHEED
The guards stationed outside the double fence had given the four of them curious looks as they'd emerged from the pavilion and headed into the dark gardens, but no one had said anything.
It wasn't against the rules to venture outside the harem at night.
Immortals could see just fine in the dark, but Tony was human, and Eluheed was supposed to be human as well, so the guards must have wondered about it.
Other than the ladies, there were no immortals inside the harem, and it had been a deliberate choice by Navuh. Those guarding it from behind the fences were all immortals, though. It was evident in their unnatural stillness when they were stationary, and their fluid walk when they moved.
Eluheed wasn't like them, which had its advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage was that he could pass for a human because he didn't have any visible characteristics. Regrettably, the disadvantages outnumbered the one advantage. He couldn't provide Tamira with the pleasure of the venom bite,and he had a feeling that the other immortals were stronger and faster than he was.
Hopefully, he wouldn't have to face them during the escape because neither he nor Tony would prevail against one of them, especially since they wouldn't be armed.
The escape plan was a desperate move, and the chances of it succeeding were so pathetic that he wondered whether he should continue enabling this fiction and, on top of that, bring a pregnant female on board.
"It's indeed pleasant outside," Tula said.
"It's bearable." Tamira looked at Eluheed. "We should have brought water."
They should have, but they hadn't. They'd been in a rush to offer Tula hope, but now Eluheed was reconsidering the wisdom of that decision.
Was it too late to stop that wrecking ball?
Should he stop it?
The truth was that he was out of options, and the submarine was the only viable one. Bringing along Tula and Tony complicated things, but it also might make them more manageable.
As they entered the gazebo they sat on the cushioned benches, and for a moment, no one spoke. Eluheed looked at Tamira and lifted a brow, double-checking that she still wanted to go ahead and let the other two in on their secret.
She gave him a slight nod. It was time.
"We asked you both here because we have something important to share with you," Tamira said in a hushed tone. "But before Ido, I want you both to swear on your lives that you won't tell anyone about what Elias and I are going to tell you."
Curiosity shining in Tula's eyes, she put her hand over her heart. "I vow never to reveal what I'm about to learn from you, and I secure my vow with my life."
