Page 19 of Dark Shaman: Eternal Hope (The Children Of The Gods #100)
TAMIRA
T he moment Eluheed closed the door to Tamira's room, she attacked the buttons of his shirt, but instead of responding in kind, he placed a gentle finger over her lips and leaned close to her ear.
"We need to talk," he whispered.
Nodding, she climbed onto the bed, pulling him with her. They lay facing each other, heads close on the same pillow, creating an intimate cocoon where whispers could be exchanged under the cover of lovers' passion.
"What is it?" she breathed against his ear, her hand resting on his chest where she could feel his heartbeat.
"I found it," he whispered back, his lips grazing her ear. "The tunnel entrance is hidden behind a bookshelf in Navuh and Areana's bedroom."
Her heart skipped a beat. They'd known about the tunnel's existence not only from his vision but from figuring out the practicality of Navuh traversing the distance between his mansion and the harem every day without passing through the gates.
"Did you go inside?" she asked.
"I didn't dare. I figured out where it was and then went to Hassan's office and examined the architectural plans. The spot is marked as a support column, but the dimensions don't match. It's definitely a concealed entrance."
She pressed closer, nuzzling his neck. "What stopped you from entering?"
His hand came up to stroke her hair, the gesture allowing him to speak directly into her ear. "I'm sure there is an alarm system. Pressure sensors, infrared, and who knows what else. If we trigger it, we're dead."
It wouldn't even be vindictive. Navuh wouldn't allow anyone with the knowledge of where his escape tunnel was to live.
"I need to find out what kind of security is on that door," Eluheed murmured. "And if there's an alarm, how to disable it, what triggers it."
Tamira pulled back slightly to look at his face, keeping her expression soft and adoring for any cameras that might be watching. "I'll get it out of Areana."
His eyes widened. "How? We can't allow her to suspect what we are planning."
"She won't." Tamira traced a finger along his jaw. "She feels guilty about keeping secrets from me. About Kalugal and my son. I know how to use that to my advantage."
"We'll find out what happened to Darien," Eluheed promised, cupping her face with his hand. "Once we're free, we'll search for him."
"First, we need to get free." The doubt crept into her voice despite her efforts to stay positive.
"Even if I can get the information about the alarm from Areana, there's still the problem of the submarine.
We don't know for sure that it exists, or how to operate it.
According to your vision, it can only seat two or three people.
I can't leave without the others." She grimaced.
"And I don't count Areana among them. I know she would never leave Navuh. "
"One problem at a time," he murmured, pressing his forehead against hers. "First, let's see if we can even get into the tunnel."
She nodded, then pulled back to study his face. Even whispering about escape felt dangerous.
"I need to figure out how to approach Areana about this," she said. "I can't just ask her about security systems."
"You're clever. You'll find a way." He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Maybe express worry about her safety after the rebellion? Ask about emergency procedures?"
"Maybe." She considered the angles. "Or I could ask about the restoration work. Hassan has been everywhere fixing things. Surely he's been in their quarters. I could wonder aloud about privacy, about whether workers disturbed things or activated alarms."
"That could work. Make it seem like idle curiosity."
"Nothing's ever idle with Areana. She notices everything." Tamira felt a wave of frustration. "Five thousand years of playing these games. I'm so tired of it."
"I know." He pulled her closer, and this time it wasn't a pretense. She could feel his desire for her. "Soon. We'll find a way out."
"Do you really believe that?"
"I have to. The alternative is accepting this forever, and I can't do that. Not for me, and not for you."
The words warmed her despite her own doubts. She'd lived for millennia, but these past months with Eluheed had made her feel more alive than in centuries before them.
"I keep thinking about what Areana said during lunch about you," she whispered. "Navuh's impressed with your insights about the enhanced soldiers, and he hopes we'll have a child together."
Eluheed's expression darkened. "He thinks of us as livestock, breeding his superior specimens to produce brilliant generals for his army."
She smiled. "At least he thinks of us as superior. It's better than being generic livestock." Her smile wilted. "He wants another boy to steal from me and turn into a warrior."
"That won't happen," Eluheed said. "We'll be gone long before that. And if we are blessed with a child, we'll raise him free. I promise you that."
She wanted to believe him, but he was making promises he might not be able to deliver, and they both knew that.
Then again, Eluheed had special abilities, and there was a chance they could use them to escape.
"What did you see when you touched one of the enhanced soldiers?"
Eluheed was quiet for a moment. "It was overwhelming. All of their minds are trying to merge into something greater but failing. They're connected but chaotic, like instruments playing different songs simultaneously."
"Can they communicate with the others? Those who are off island?"
"I don't know. Maybe, if they could achieve focus. Right now, they're too fractured, too insane." He paused. "Navuh thinks they're the future of warfare. Soldiers who need no communication devices, enjoying perfect coordination through shared thought."
"That's terrifying."
"It's also unrealistic. They can't be controlled, and they think they are gods."
She chuckled. "In a way, they are. They are the descendants of gods. I wonder how many experiments the gods went through before perfecting their formula."
He frowned. "They weren't naturally immortal and powerful?"
"That was what they claimed, but who knows? Maybe they were created like these enhanced soldiers." She nuzzled his neck as she whispered. "Is there any way you can conceive of that we might use these men to help in our escape? If you can access their minds, you might be able to command them."
Eluheed gave her an incredulous look. "Didn't you hear what I just said? They are chaotic. Besides, I need to touch them to make contact."
Tamira glared at him. "I'm trying to think outside the box. I'm desperate."
"I'm sorry." He deflated. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."
"It's okay. I'm not really mad." She cupped his cheek to prove it and kissed him on the lips. "What do you think? Should we make love and provide the perverts who are watching us with a show?"
His whole demeanor changed instantly. "We could move things to the bathroom."
That was what they'd been doing since their return to the harem, and Tamira was a little tired of lovemaking in the shower or the tub. She wanted a comfortable bed.
"Perhaps we can find a room in the servants' quarters that is private."
"I wish." He cupped the back of her head. "But it's not allowed. The rest of the harem staff still thinks that Navuh makes use of all of his ladies and that he's just a little kinky and likes to watch them with other men."
"Really? Did they tell you that?"
He snorted. "They didn't tell me anything, but that's what I would have assumed if I were suddenly invited for an interlude with one of the ladies."
Tamira pursed her lips. "In theory, that sounds kinky, but I'm not built that way. I can't get excited while thinking that he's watching me."
"How about someone else?"
"Anyone." She pulled away. "I wonder if the enhanced soldiers share intimate moments with each other. If they have any, that is. They are probably savages."
Eluheed's grimace was all the answer she needed.
"How many more of these monsters does he intend to produce?"
"As many as he can. He's looking for new scientists to continue the project and perfect the process."
"We need to get out of here before that happens.
" The urgency felt more pressing to her suddenly.
"The next rebellion might not be as easily quashed.
Not that this one was easy. But you know what I mean.
They might take longer to plan, coordinate better, and have contingencies. Nowhere on this island will be safe."
"I can't argue with your logic. I tried to point out how dangerous it is, but Lord Navuh is enamored with the idea of creating an unstoppable army."
She sighed. "I'll talk to Areana tomorrow and find out about the security."
"Be careful," he repeated. "If she suspects anything?—"
"She won't. I've known Areana for five thousand years. I know how to navigate her moods, her guilt, her need to be both Navuh's perfect mate and our protective older sister. Those contradictions create openings."
"You sound like you're planning a military campaign."
"That's because I am."
"My warrior queen." He kissed her, soft and sweet, and for a moment, she let herself forget about tunnels and alarms and escape plans. Let herself just be a woman in love with a man who loved her back. Not a man , she reminded herself. An immortal .
It suddenly occurred to her that his contact with the enhanced ones could expose him.
"What if they sense what you are?" she asked.
"They were too caught up in their own chaos to probe deeper into my mind. Besides, I keep my mental shields up when I'm with them. Even more so than what I do with Navuh. Frankly, I’m more worried about him. He's much more dangerous than they are."
"Everything here is dangerous." She shifted, laying her head on his chest where she could hear his heartbeat. "I used to think I was safe here. Now I realize we're all just prey waiting for the predator to decide our fate."
"Not prey," he corrected. "Survivors. There's a difference."
"Is there?"
"Prey accepts its fate. Survivors find a way to change it."
She wanted to believe him, wanted to embrace that hope. But five thousand years of captivity had taught her that hope was not a plan.
"Make love to me," she whispered. "I'm tired of talking about escape plans that might kill us. Tonight, I want to forget everything except you."