Page 34 of Dark Shaman: Eternal Hope (The Children Of The Gods #100)

TAMIRA

T amira stood at the balcony doors of her room, watching Eluheed and Tony toil in the indoor courtyard. The automated lighting system was sophisticated enough to mimic the gradual color shifts of real twilight, but it was still just an imitation and couldn't compare to the real thing.

The conversation in the gazebo kept replaying in her mind.

Tula's tears, the desperation in her voice, the way she'd pressed her hand over her belly while speaking of the child's doomed future.

It was one thing to suspect a pregnancy, and another thing to hear Tula confirm it.

The anguish in her voice had torn an old wound open in Tamira's chest.

She knew that pain intimately.

The memory of holding Darien in her arms, his beautiful eyes locked on hers, the expression of ultimate trust on his little face that she'd been forced to betray, it was all still as vivid in her mind as the day she'd first held him, the sweet scent of him, the way his tiny fingers had wrapped around hers with such strength.

Nine months of feeling him grow inside her, those precious few months of nursing him, and then the empty ache that never truly healed.

But Tula didn't have to suffer the same fate. Not if Tamira could help it.

With a sigh, she turned away from the glass doors and crossed the room to sit on the couch. Once Eluheed returned, she would tell him that Tula was coming with them.

When the door opened sometime later and Eluheed entered, she smiled up at him. "Are you guys done?"

"Not yet. Every time we think that we've got all the broken pipes replaced, we find another section that's leaking and needs replacement." He headed toward the bathroom but stopped before entering. "You look troubled. What happened?"

"It's Tula." She put a hand on her belly, knowing that he would understand.

He nodded. "That's not a surprise. We've all been suspecting it for a while."

"Yeah, but today she confirmed it. Go wash up, and we'll talk. Do you want tea?"

"Yes, please. The jasmine with ginger." He entered the bathroom, and a moment later, she heard the water running in the shower.

Their talk needed to remain private, so they would have to drink the tea in the bathroom. It was far from perfect, but it wasn't as if they could have tea in bed under the blanket, which was their other mode of secret communication.

When she brought it to the bathroom, she found Eluheed standing in front of the vanity with a towel draped over his hips, and wet hair still dripping water droplets all over the tile. For a moment, she forgot what she wanted to talk to him about.

He turned around and reached for one of the cups. "So, Tula confirmed it." He leaned against the vanity. "How far along is she?"

"Three months more or less." Tamira took a sip of the aromatic tea, closing her eyes for a moment as the rich flavors hit her tongue. "She's understandably devastated and terrified." She sat on the edge of the tub.

"Tony doesn't know?"

"She says that he's either oblivious or pretending not to notice, which makes it worse in my opinion.

She needs his support, but if he's either clueless or too cowardly to acknowledge what's happening, he's not the type of partner Tula deserves.

" Tamira shook her head. "She spoke of throwing herself off the cliff.

I know she would never do that, but it's an indication of how desperate and alone she feels. "

Eluheed moved to sit next to her on the edge of the tub. "She's distraught. She will come to terms with the situation. It's not like she can do anything about it."

"I know the pain she's feeling, and I can't watch her go through what I had to." She leveled her gaze at him and leaned closer. "We need to take her with us," she whispered. "In the submarine."

Eluheed's eyes widened. "Tamira."

"Just listen to me." She leaned and turned the water on. "We have to do it. It would be incredibly selfish of us to leave her behind in her situation."

Eluheed shook his head. "Even if we manage to solve the problem of the surveillance cameras in the tunnel, I don't know if more than two people can fit into that submarine. It looked very small in the vision, almost like a child's toy."

"If it can seat two, it can seat four. We'll sit on each other's laps if we have to."

"It's not just about the space," he said. "What about air? Submarines have a limited oxygen supply that is calibrated for the number of people they are supposed to carry."

"I've been reading up on submarines," she said.

"I found some novels in the library." When he grimaced, she lifted a finger to shush him.

"I know they're just fiction, but they're based on real technology.

We don't need to stay submerged for long.

We don't need much. We just need to get away from the island and surface somewhere safe.

It's a simple calculation. If we cut the maximum distance the sub can travel in half, the oxygen should be enough for double the occupants. "

Eluheed was quiet for a long moment, and she could see him working through the logistics in his mind. "Even if we could fit four people, and even if the air lasted long enough, we still have the problem of the surveillance cameras in the tunnel."

"Tony might be able to help with that." The idea came to her suddenly, like a gift from the Fates.

"Think about it. He knows a lot about technology in general.

He might know how to disable cameras or loop the feed or whatever else.

I don't know the technical terms, but there must be something he could do. "

Eluheed was frowning, but there was calculation in his eyes. "He does know a lot about various things. He might act like a buffoon sometimes, but he's curious by nature and methodical when he wants to learn something." A smile lifted one corner of his mouth. "He might be useful."

Tamira felt hope blooming in her chest. "This feels right, Eluheed. Including Tula and Tony isn't just about being altruistic—it's strategic. Tony's knowledge could be the key to making the escape actually work."

"Don't get excited yet. There's still so much we don't know," Eluheed cautioned. "We don't know how to operate the submarine or how to navigate. Did the books you read have anything about that?"

"I don't think so, but I'll need to read those sections again.

Maybe I'll find some clues." She lifted her hand and cupped his face.

"We will succeed, Eluheed. The vision you shared with me, of Darien and me walking arm in arm in New York, that's proof that we make it out of here.

I believe the Fates reward those who sacrifice for others, and including Tula and Tony in our escape is just the thing that can tip the scales.

That's not the reason I want to do it, but I wouldn't mind a little supernatural help. "

He arched a brow. "Since when do you believe in the Fates?"

"I have to believe in something," she said. "I believe that acts of selflessness are rewarded. Saving Tula from having her child stolen, giving that baby a chance at a real life, feels like what we're supposed to do."

Eluheed pulled her hand from his face but kept hold of it.

"When I first thought about including some of the others, I resisted because it seemed impossible.

Too many variables. But you're right about Tony.

His knowledge could make all the difference.

But how do we approach them? We can't just walk up and say, 'Hey, do you want to escape with us in a submarine that may or may not exist, to an unknown destination? '"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Tamira laughed. "I'll talk to Tula. I just wanted to check with you first that you are okay with that."

"How can I say no?" He let out a breath. "This changes everything. It's not just our escape anymore. We're responsible for them, too."

"We were always responsible for each other," Tamira said. "That's what family does. And after five thousand years, they're all my family. I just wish I could save them all."

"You can't save everyone, Tamira."

"I know." The words tasted like ash. "But I can save Tula. I can save her child and its father. That has to be enough."