Page 90 of Dark Shaman: Eternal Hope
It was awkward to just stand near the pavilion and watch the door, and when the guard gave her a curious look, Tamira fanned herself with her hand. "The tent is too stifling. It's cooler here in the shade."
He dipped his head. "Of course, my lady. You can stand in the shade of the building, but you cannot enter."
"I know." She pouted prettily. "I can't wait for the power outage to end so we can all go back and enjoy air conditioning. I hate this heat."
He nodded with a smile, his posture relaxing.
Tamira was proud of herself. She still knew how to do that. How to disarm people and make them like her. She hadn't lost her touch.
A few moments later, a movement beyond the glass doors caught her eye. It was just a flicker, but it was unmistakable. Getting closer, she could see Eluheed through the glass, peeking through the stairwell door and motioning with his hand.
"The shade is shrinking," she excused her actions to the guard. "It's so hot." She fanned herself with her hand. "Is there any way you can leave your post for a few seconds and get me a bottle of water from the cooler in the tent? I'm starting to feel faint."
The guard looked torn. "I would have loved to, but I can't leave my post."
"Are you sure?" She wiped sweat from her forehead. "I'm so parched."
"I'm so sorry, my lady."
Behind him, she could see the stairwell door opening wider and Eluheed gesticulating to her.
The guard wasn't going to budge no matter what charms she employed. She should have asked Tula about her methods of distraction, but Tula was on the other side of the pavilion,watching the other door and probably flirting with the other guard.
Tamira's only option was thralling, which she hadn't attempted in centuries, and even then she hadn't been good at it. She'd never had use for the ability and hadn't practiced it.
Still, the guard was human and not very bright, and those types were the easiest to thrall because they didn't have any mental walls up.
She reached out with her mind, and her rarely used ability felt rusty and strange. As she'd suspected, the guard's consciousness was easy to access.Your bladder is full. Painfully full. You need to pee so badly that you are about to embarrass yourself in front of the lady.She pushed the thought, threading it into his mind like a needle through fabric.
For a long moment, his expression remained neutral, and she thought she'd failed, but then she saw his stance shift slightly.
She pushed harder, imagining the sensation herself and projecting it.
Urgent. Can't wait.
A muscle in his jaw twitched.
"I would really like a drink of water," she continued conversationally. "It will take you only seconds to run to the tent and get me a bottle. You can get one for yourself as well. You must be thirsty."
"I have to go." The words came out strained. "Can you please make sure no one enters? I'll be right back with your water."
"Of course." She gifted him with her brightest smile. "I'll stand guard until you return."
"Thank you, my lady." He dashed toward the nearest cluster of bushes.
Tamira stood with her back to the door, pushed it slightly open, and waved her hand. Eluheed and Tony ducked outside behind her and immediately beelined in the same direction the guard had gone.
Somehow, miraculously, no one had noticed, and as Tamira waited for the guard to return, her heartbeat eventually returned to normal.
The guy returned a few moments later, his face red with embarrassment and holding two bottles of water in his hands. "My apologies, my lady." He handed her a bottle.
"No need to apologize. Thank you for the water." She made a show of uncapping it and taking a long, grateful sip. "That was lifesaving." She rewarded him with another bright smile. "I feel revived."
She waved her hand and walked away, circling to where Tula was still watching the other door.
"We should return to the shade of the gazebo," she said. "It's much cooler out there."
Tula lifted a brow.
