Page 55 of Dark Shaman: Love Found (The Children Of The Gods #99)

TAMIRA

T alk about an impossible mission.

The pieces she'd been collecting about Elias, or rather Eluheed, all clicked into place, forming a picture that was both more extraordinary and more heartbreaking than she'd imagined.

Even the god Mortdh wouldn't have been able to achieve Eluheed's goals, and he had been the most powerful being Tamira had ever encountered.

She cupped both his cheeks. "Is there anyone from your world who can come to help you?"

He shook his head. "I was hoping for that, but as the years went by, I realized that no one was coming for me. The others back home who knew where I was must have been killed."

Tears gathered in her eyes, threatening to spill.

She knew what it was like to hope for family to come and rescue her, take her back home, to love her.

She'd been only seventeen when she'd been gifted to Mortdh, and after realizing that she was just one of many and that he would never love her, she had dreamt about a rescue that had never come.

"I'm so sorry, Eluheed."

"You aren't scared of me now?" he asked, vulnerability clear in his eyes. "I'm not even from this world, Tamira. I'm something different. An alien on this planet."

She couldn't help but smile at that. "Eluheed, I'm five thousand years old.

I've seen gods walk the earth, witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, and been held captive by a powerful immortal who commands thousands of immortal warriors.

Learning that you're from somewhere beyond Earth is surprising, and even more surprising is that you are a different kind of immortal.

You don't have fangs or venom glands or glowing eyes.

But I'm delighted that you can live forever, and I won't have to say goodbye to you. That was my biggest fear."

His relief was palpable. It seemed like every muscle in his body loosened a fraction.

"You're taking this much better than I thought you would," he said.

"I find nothing alarming in your revelations. You've given me hope for a future we can have together." She traced her fingers along his jaw, feeling the tension there. "I just wish I could do something, anything to help you find your lost treasure. How deep is it buried? "

"The entire face of the mountain collapsed," he said, leaning into her touch. "The avalanche was massive, and it created a new topography. The entrance I used to access the cave is under at least a hundred meters of rock and ice, possibly more."

"You need another earthquake."

He laughed. "Do you have the ear of the god of earthquakes? If you do, please request a very localized one. I don't want to be responsible for the deaths of the people living in the area." The amusement slid off his face. "I've seen enough death to last me my entire immortal life."

"There must be a way. If we could share it with the others, they might be able to suggest solutions. You know how smart and knowledgeable they are."

"You can't tell them, Tamira."

She let out a breath. "I know. But I can present it as a theoretical problem to be solved. They love stuff like that."

"Okay," he relented. "But I've investigated the possibilities for two centuries and didn't come up with anything helpful. Your friends won't find anything either."

She pulled him closer, until their bodies were pressed together under the covers.

"Perhaps, but it wouldn't hurt to try. We also need to figure out how to get off this island.

Things are in flux right now, so this might be our only chance.

Now that I know that you are immortal, it's more crucial than ever.

If Lord Navuh discovers who you are, he will force you to tell him everything. "

He swallowed. "I know. But I thought you were eager to return to the harem, where you felt safe."

"That was before I learned that the male I love needs my help to find a lost treasure and return home."

He leaned away to look into her eyes. "Would you come with me if I found a way to return?"

"In a heartbeat."

He kissed her then, slow and sweet, a lover's kiss.

"There might be a way off the island," Eluheed murmured against her lips.

That got her attention, and she leaned away. "How?"

"During my vision for Navuh today, I saw that he has a small submarine hidden in a pen somewhere between here and the harem."

Tamira's breath caught. "I hope you didn't tell him that you saw that."

"Of course not. I'm not suicidal. But finding it is not going to be easy.

First, we will need to find a way into the tunnel that Navuh uses to travel between the harem and his mansion, and once there, we will need to find the smaller tunnel that leads to the pen.

Also, the sub looks like it can carry two or three people.

No more." He winced. "We won't be able to take the other ladies, and I know how much they mean to you. "

She was quiet for a long moment, knowing her answer would disappoint him. "They're my family, Eluheed. I can't just abandon them."

"And I won't leave without you," he said.

"Then we're at an impasse. We need to find a different solution."

"One may never come, and after we return to the harem, the opportunity to steal the sub might be lost as well. We are running out of time."

"Time," she repeated, then laughed softly. "It's strange. I've had so much of it that centuries have passed like days. But now, I feel every moment I'm with you and cherish it."

"It's the same for me. Suddenly, I have someone to live for." His hands came up to rest on her hips, his touch reverent. "How did I find you? Of all the places in this world, all the possible circumstances, how did fate bring me to you?"

"The Fates," she whispered. "Or maybe it was your god, Elu. They decided that you had suffered enough and deserved a boon." She leaned in to kiss him. "Maybe this is your reward for many centuries of sacrifice and service."

"I've failed. I'm not deserving of a boon."

"Stop that." She pulled back to look at him sternly. "You deserve love, happiness, success in your mission, and everything else. You deserve all of it."

"What do you deserve, Tamira?"

"Freedom," she said after a brief moment. "A life where I make my own choices, go where I wish, and love you." She smiled. "The one man of my choosing."

"You like a challenge, don't you?"

"I do." She leaned in and kissed him again. "It makes life exciting."