Page 93 of Dark Shaman: Eternal Hope
"I wasn't feeling well," Tula said, one hand on her stomach. "They stayed with me out of solidarity."
"You should eat something," Beulah suggested. "Even if it's just toast."
They took their seats, and servants immediately appeared with fresh plates. Eluheed forced himself to eat normally, though he couldn't taste anything. Tomorrow, at the same time, they would either be free or dead.
"Good morning, everyone." Areana entered with her usual flourish.
She took her seat at the head of the table and smiled at the other ladies before her gaze settled on Eluheed. "Good morning, Elias. Did you find what you were looking for in the gardens yesterday?"
The question caught him off guard for a moment before he remembered his alibi. He and Tony had supposedly been searching for a rare plant while everyone else was enjoying the picnic.
"I did not," he said. "But I'm not giving up. I know I will eventually find it." Maybe he would, but not on this island.
"Persistence often pays off," Areana said, and something in her tone made him wonder if she meant more than just plants.
"We should organize more picnics," Tamira said, changing the subject. "It was nice being outside together."
"When it's not that hot," Tula added. "Maybe in the evening next time."
"That's a lovely idea," Liliat agreed. "We could have lanterns to make it festive. The kids loved the morning picnic, and I'm sure they would love a nighttime picnic as well. We can even have bonfires and roast some potatoes."
The conversation continued, flowing around different topics that felt surreal in the context of their impending escape. They were discussing future picnics when they planned to be gone.
Every word felt like another lie added to the pile.
Raviki was describing a picnic they had all attended centuries ago in the old compound when Tula suddenly pushed back from the table.
"Excuse me," she said, her face pale. "I'm not feeling well again."
"I'll go with you," Tamira said immediately, rising to her feet.
Tony and Eluheed stood as well.
"I'll mix a herbal remedy for you that might ease your symptoms."
"Thank you." Tula smiled at him weakly.
"The poor dear," Beulah said sympathetically. "The heat isn't helping her condition."
They left the dining room quickly, with Tula playing up her nausea just enough to be believable. Once they were back in her bathroom, she straightened.
"That was awful," she said. "I hated sitting there and talking about future plans."
"It was necessary," Tamira said. "Now let's get to work, or no one will be leaving tomorrow."
Tony pulled on a pair of latex gloves. "The orange juice glass first," he said, unwrapping it carefully. "Multiple big prints here."
The fingerprints were visible even without powder, oil whirls, and ridges catching the light. Tony applied tape with the delicacy of a surgeon, pressing gently to capture every detail.
"That's perfect," Eluheed murmured, seeing the complete print transfer to the tape.
They worked methodically, lifting prints from each glass and creating multiple copies on the thin latex membranes. Each one had to be perfect.
They wouldn't get a second chance.
"Three good prints of the index finger on the right hand," Tony announced finally. "We also have several others that we will take with us just in case the index is not the right fingerprint."
Eluheed held one of the latex prints up to the light, seeing Navuh's identity captured in the swirls and ridges. Such a small thing to represent their freedom.
