Page 44 of Dark Shaman: The Lost Treasure (The Children Of The Gods #98)

TAMIRA

T amira's bag weighed almost nothing—a change of clothes, her journal, the small wooden box containing her grandmother's ring.

She had countless gowns, shoes, jewelry, hair accessories, belts, exotic perfumes, and makeup, but none of that mattered to her.

It was all replaceable. The only things she regretted having to leave behind were her books and the precious moments with Elias she'd collected over the past week.

Hopefully, there would be many more.

She could imagine him helping evacuate the staff or perhaps assisting the maintenance crews in trying to avert the disaster. She should have gone with him, should have lent a hand as well, but after thousands of years of living in captivity, she was nearly incapable of making such decisions.

She followed the rules, did what was expected of her, and only dared tiny rebellions inside her own mind. Immortals were not supposed to be able to read the minds of other immortals, but Lord Navuh was different, more powerful than any immortal, and she'd learned to empty her mind in his presence.

She sat on the armchair with the bag in her lap, waiting for instructions as Beulah had suggested, wondering if she should have followed Elias's instructions instead and just got to the surface.

The speakers crackled to life, making her jump.

"Attention," Lord Navuh's voice boomed through the speakers in her television set even though it was not turned on. "Evacuate immediately via the emergency stairs. Do not use the elevators. I repeat, do not use the elevators. Leave all nonessentials behind and proceed to the surface at once."

Spooked, and not because of the evacuation order, Tamira rushed to the door.

If Navuh could speak to her through her television set's speakers, he could probably also see and hear everything that happened in her room. She'd been naive to believe that her room was clear of surveillance.

In the corridor she found Liliat, who clutched a bag and stood frozen in her doorway.

Raviki's bag was overflowing with books that were threatening to fall out, and she was trying to rearrange them as she walked toward the emergency stairs, not watching where she was going.

Sarah was rushing in the same direction with two heavy bags slung from her shoulders.

"Dear merciful Fates," Beulah called out. "Are you out of your minds? Liliat, start moving. Sarah, Raviki, what did you not understand about nonessential items?"

"My research is important," Sarah protested, clutching her two bags. "I'm strong, I can carry these."

She was right about being able to carry her bags, but she was wrong about her research being important. No one other than her and her friends in the harem would ever get to see it, so what good would it do?

Beulah just sighed and pushed Liliat in the direction of the stairs.

As Sarah and Raviki exited through the emergency door, Tula emerged from her room dressed in a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and hiking boots. The female looked like she was going to attack someone, and Tamira wondered who had pissed her off.

Behind her, Tony emerged from their room with a backpack slung over one shoulder. "Let's go, sweetheart."

"I should go down there to help," Tula said. "All those people. The children."

"The guards will help them." Tony reached for her arm. "Come on."

Tula jerked away. "What guards? Do you think he's going to send guards to help them!"

"I'm sure he will," Tony said. "They are probably already on their way down."

"Ladies!" A male voice cut through their debate. One of Areana's personal servants held the emergency door open. "Lady Areana is waiting for you topside. She asked me to make sure all of you leave here at once."

Well, so much for going down to help.

Even Tula wouldn't dare disobey a direct order from Lord Navuh that just got repeated by an emissary of Lady Areana.

As they entered the stairwell, Tamira was reminded how narrow it was. She'd only used them a handful of times, and it had been many years ago. Voices echoed from below—distant thunder of multiple sets of feet on metal steps, some shouts, some cries.

The servants were evacuating somewhere far below, and she could imagine Elias helping organize things so they wouldn't trample each other in a stampede.

"Where's Elias?" Liliat asked as she joined them in the stairwell, looking confused. Her panicky eyes darted from face to face as if she'd somehow missed him in the chaos. "Tamira? Where is he?"

"He went to help evacuate the servants, remember? He has friends down there."

"Oh." Liliat nodded.

Only a single flight of stairs separated Level Two from Level One, but during the short climb the chaos below seemed to have intensified.

The stairwell acted like an acoustic chamber, carrying up the sounds of panic.

Children crying, adults shouting, and the ominous sound of rushing water that was still distant but growing louder.

"Faster, ladies," Raviki urged, practically pushing them upward even though they were in no immediate danger.

Tamira was much more worried about the people below and about Elias who was with them.

They emerged onto the landing of Level One, which was crowded with Areana's personal staff. A group of guards passed them, rushing down, and Tamira murmured thanks to Lord Navuh, who, atypically, had sent help to the staff.

Another flight of stairs brought them to the topside pavilion, and through the glass doors, Tamira could see daylight—gray and dim, and rain, sheets of it, driven horizontal by the wind.

"Out, out!" One of the guards opened the door and held it for the others to exit. "Head out to that elevated area over there."

That was smart. If the water geysered to the surface, it would burst through the pavilion's two available openings and catch everyone and everything in its path.

The water would rush toward the lowest point of the plateau, which was the area overlooking the cliff and then down to the ocean below.

Anyone who got swept away would die, splattering on the rocks below.

Even immortals wouldn't survive that fall.

More than once, Tamira had contemplated ending her existence that way, but she was too much of a coward to do it. It would be a very painful way to die.

As soon as she was out the door, the warm rain hit her like the stream from a pressurized shower head, instantly soaking through her clothes, and the wind tried to tear the bag from her hands.

She'd experienced monsoon storms before, but nothing like this.

The sky was gray, split by constant lightning.

Thunder rolled continuously, so loud it drowned out voices.

"This way!" Areana appeared on the elevated area like a vision in white, somehow maintaining her composure even in the deluge. Her personal servants held up a large tarp, creating a temporary shelter. "Ladies, over here!"

As they huddled beneath the inadequate protection, water still found its way through, running in streams off the edges, but it was better than having the full force of the storm pelt their heads.

Tamira positioned herself where she could see the two pavilion exits. The main one that the ladies used, and the smaller one that was used by servants.

No one was emerging yet. Where was Elias?

"Look at that." Tony pointed through the rain.

Another tarp had been erected nearby, this one sheltering Lord Navuh and more of Areana's personal staff, who were fussing around their lord and lady. They'd even gotten out two chairs so Navuh and Areana could hold court out here in the deluge.

It was so absurd that it was funny.

"It's like that movie," she murmured.

Liliat looked at her questioningly. "What movie?"

" Titanic . The one about the ship sinking. How they kept the class divisions even as people were drowning."

"What a cheerful comparison," Raviki muttered.

Several guards appeared, probably new ones who had entered through the two checkpoints. They formed up next to Lord Navuh's tarp, standing in the rain and awaiting orders.

It was unprecedented for the guards who patrolled the perimeter to enter the harem area, signifying how dire things were for Lord Navuh to allow the breach in protocol.

"Secure the perimeter," Navuh commanded, his voice carrying over the storm. "Set up a containment area for the servants as they emerge. Order needs to be maintained."

Tamira's heart sank. They were here to contain the people, not to help with the rescue.

How typical.

"They should be helping," Tula hissed. "They should be down there carrying children and helping whoever needs assistance. Not standing up here worrying about containment!"

"Tula," Tony warned, but she was too agitated to listen, and in her anger, she glared at their master. "The lord has already sent guards to help," Tony continued. "You saw them going down." He got in front of her, blocking the lord's view of her.

She didn't like it, but he kept murmuring to her until her posture deflated and her shoulders sagged. He then wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her head on his chest.

Watching, Tamira couldn't help a pang of envy. Where was Elias?

As if to answer her question, the servants' door burst open, and people began pouring out, but Elias was not among them.

They emerged into the rain with nowhere to go, huddling against the pavilion walls for whatever protection they could find. The guards made no move to help them.

Where was Elias?

"Bring the children here!" Tamira shouted. "Under our tarp! There's room!"

The other ladies took up the call. "The children! Bring them over!"

Some of the servants hesitated. The invisible barriers that had governed their lives for so long were hard to break, even now. But maternal instinct won out. Mothers began shepherding their children toward the impromptu shelter.

"What are you doing?" One of the guards moved to intercept them.

"Let them through," Areana commanded. "The children will shelter with the ladies and when that tarp can contain no more, the rest can shelter with us."

When Navuh didn't contradict her, the guard stepped aside.

As more people emerged, Tamira tried to track who she recognized. Sonia appeared with her son, the boy who'd been so sick with pneumonia. They'd made it. But where was Mariam, the pregnant one? Where was the elderly gardener who trimmed the hedges, shaping them to look like animals?

Soon they had several children pressed against them, shivering and terrified. Tamira held a little girl who couldn't have been more than three, her dark eyes wide with fear.

"It's all right," she said. "You're safe now. A little rain never hurt anyone."

More servants emerged, a steady stream now, but still no Elias.

"I can't stand this," Tula announced. She shrugged off Tony's restraining arms and stepped out from under the tarp. "I'm going down to help."

"You will remain right here." Lord Navuh's voice cracked like a whip.

Tula turned to face him, rain streaming down her face. "People are struggling down there. Children who can't climb fast enough. Elderly who can't manage the stairs. I'm strong enough to carry them. I can help."

"No," Navuh said, his tone brooking no argument.

"Please, let her go," Areana said softly.

"It's the guards' job to help evacuate the serving staff. Not my concubines'."

The guards securing the perimeter could be more useful helping with the evacuation, but Tamira doubted Areana would point that out. The first wife knew how to manipulate her arrogant mate and contradicting him in public would not only be counterproductive but probably catastrophic.

"I know, my lord," she said while dipping her head. "This is for Tula's sake. She needs to feel like she's helping."

Brilliantly played. Tamira felt like applauding.

Navuh made a dismissive gesture toward Tula. "You can go. But stay in the pavilion. If anyone needs help being escorted out, you can do that."

Tula didn't wait for him to change his mind. She sprinted toward the pavilion, her immortal speed making her seem to blur in the rain.

Tamira doubted Tula was going to follow Navuh's instructions. She would probably head down and hope no one told him. She should help too. She was strong, immortal. She could help?—

She must have taken a step forward because Raviki caught her arm. "Don't be stupid," she murmured. "You'll just get Areana in trouble."

Raviki was right.

Because of Areana's pleading, Navuh had made an exception for Tula. If more ladies tried to join her, he would blame Areana for the insurrection.

The flow of evacuees continued, people emerging already soaked.

Thunder crashed overhead, so loud that some of the children began crying.

It seemed like hours had passed while they were standing in the rain when in fact it had been mere minutes. Time moved differently when a catastrophe was unfolding.

Where was Elias?

"The water must be rising fast," Tony said. "Look at them—they're soaked through. That's not just from the rain."

He was right. The latest evacuees were drenched, their clothes dark with water that had to have come from below.

Time stretched like taffy. Each heartbeat seemed to last an hour, and Tamira found herself making bargains with the Fates, the universe, and with whatever powers might be listening.

Let him be safe. Let him return .

What if the stairwells flooded before he could?—

She couldn't complete the thought.

The storm raged on. Lightning split the sky. Thunder shook the ground. Rain fell in sheets that made seeing difficult.

He had to come back.