Page 18 of Dark Shaman: Love Found (The Children Of The Gods #99)

The room indeed seemed different. The harsh emergency lighting made it look foreign, and water stains crept up the walls as they had in the hallway—evidence of the pervasive humidity and the water-saturated concrete.

"Your books," he said, noticing the empty shelves. "Did the workers move them?"

"I hope they did that to protect them from the moisture." She stepped inside, walking toward her wardrobe. "Help me pack some dresses."

She hadn't taken any on the way out because they were not crucial or irreplaceable, but there was no rush now, and she could take her time and collect what she wanted to wear around the mansion .

He walked over to the bed and removed one of the pillowcases. "Here. You can stash things in this."

She smiled. "That's a great idea. Can you get another? I want to take as many dresses as I can. I hate what they sell in the island store."

"Of course." He removed another pillowcase and helped her stuff dresses and shoes inside.

The last item he took was his hat. "I hope no one will notice that I got it here."

She turned to him, and for a moment, they simply looked at each other. The air between them crackled with unspoken words, suppressed desires, and the weight of their impossible situation.

"How are you managing?" she asked. "The hotel must be strange after this."

"Tony snores and talks in his sleep," he said, winning a small smile from her. "But the strangest part is not being with you. Sometimes I find it hard to breathe."

She nodded. "It's the same for me. The mansion is a prison with better lighting. Every move is watched, every word is reported. At least here we have the illusion of privacy."

"Tamira—"

"Don't," she interrupted. "If you say something kind, something sweet, I might cry. And I can't cry here. Not when we have only moments alone together. "

He wanted to reach for her and kiss her, but she turned back to the closet and stuffed a few more things into the pillowcase.

"Take this." She handed it to him.

The humidity made everything feel damp, clinging. Eluheed's shirt stuck to his back, and he could see the sheen of perspiration on Tamira's skin. "We should go," he said when the second pillowcase looked full. "The others are probably done by now."

She nodded, taking one last look around the room. "It's strange. I hated this place for so long and wished desperately to escape. Now I'd give anything to have it back."

"Because it was yours," he said. "Your space."

"Yes." She headed toward the door, then paused. "And because here, I can be with you."

The words hung between them, too dangerous to acknowledge, too precious to ignore.

Eluheed wanted to tell her that any place with her in it was his heaven, and any place without her was hell, but footsteps sounded in the corridor, and a moment later Beulah appeared at the doorway, her arms full of dresses.

"The air down here is suffocating. Are you all done? "

"Yes," Tamira said.

They made their way back through the humid corridor, collecting the other ladies as they went. Evidently, they had all taken longer than they had expected to collect their belongings .

The guards at the entrance took their burdens to load into the vehicles for transport back to the mansion. The ladies and their two male companions continued to the gardens.

The breeze coming from the ocean was a relief after the oppressive air inside, and Eluheed drew deep breaths, feeling his lungs expand properly for the first time since entering the harem.

As they walked through the gardens toward the gazebo, he stopped by his herb garden, which was regrettably in shambles.

"You can always plant a new one," Tamira said.

He nodded. "It will take time until things grow. I'll come back later and see if there is anything I can salvage."

They continued to the gazebo, and it was the first time he was actually invited to join them there.

"That was depressing." Rolenna sat on one of the benches.

"At least the structure survived," Sarah pointed out. "The books in the library didn't get wet, but they probably got damaged because of the humidity. We will need to get them all out of there and dry them."

Eluheed stood next to Tamira, deliberating if it was okay to wrap his arm around her. Tony and Tula were sitting side by side on a bench, their bodies angled toward each other and looking quite obvious.

"I'm sorry about the herb garden, Elias," Tony said. "It must be hard for you."

"Plants can be replaced." Eluheed brushed his fingers over Tamira's hand. "Seeds replanted. "

Areana stood at the opening, half her body inside the gazebo and half outside. "Hassan seems optimistic about the restoration timeline. A few weeks, perhaps a month."

"That sounds like an eternity," Tula murmured, and Tony's hand twitched as if he wanted to reach for her but didn't dare out here in sight of the workers or the guards.

"We need to make plans," Areana said quietly. "A way for our two couples to enjoy a few moments alone. The gazebo is private, but it's open. We can keep watch."

Tamira chuckled. "Lady Areana. I didn't know you were so adventurous."

Areana smiled. "Desperate times, my dear.

I want to find a solution for you, Elias, Tula, and Tony.

" She motioned at the bench. "Please, take a seat and enjoy each other's company for a little bit.

" She waved at the other ladies. "Stand at the entrance and make sure no one can see them. " She started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Sarah called after her.

"To the lookout point. I need some alone time to think."