Page 6 of Dark Shaman: The Lost Treasure (The Children Of The Gods #98)

Only when their voices faded completely did Eluheed allow himself to raise his head and breathe properly again.

Tamira .

The name echoed in his mind with uncomfortable resonance. He'd lived for centuries, had known countless women, but something about that voice and that brief glimpse had penetrated deeper and affected him more strongly than it should have.

"The forbidden fruit," he muttered, pushing himself to his feet. "That's the allure."

The lovely concubines belonged to the warlord even if he didn't visit their beds and was devoted solely to his first lady. And if the rumors were true and the lord had no problem with his concubines dallying with members of the staff, it was only with those who looked like him.

Eluheed didn't look enough like Navuh to be considered, and until today, that hadn't bothered him. There had been enough lovely female staff members who'd happily shared his bed during the months he'd spent in the harem.

In a place like this, monotony and boredom were the enemies, and every newcomer was welcomed with open arms. Especially one who looked young, was decently attractive, and knew his way around medicinal herbs.

The warlord had been true to his promise, and Eluheed had been given a private room in the servants' quarters that had its own exclusive bathroom. It was modest in size and furnishings, but it had everything Eluheed needed, and it was luxurious compared to the places he had lived in before.

He'd entertained quite a number of maids and cooks in there since his arrival, and not just to provide spiritual guidance and herbal remedies.

As the service elevator descended to the servants' quarters, Eluheed remembered how impressed he'd been, when he had first arrived, by the architectural genius that had gone into building the harem's seven underground levels.

Now the pyramid felt like a tomb. Everything here existed in artificial illumination that could never replace the real thing.

Sonia was waiting outside her room, her face drawn with worry. "He's wheezing so badly."

The boy most likely needed antibiotics, and it was easy enough to get them.

The island had a large clinic that served its population and the resort guests.

The doctors and nurses working there were not allowed to enter the harem, and those working in the harem were not permitted to leave it, but it was possible to submit a request for medications to be delivered.

He followed her inside to where Mika lay on a narrow bed, his eight-year-old frame shivering beneath the blankets. The boy's forehead burned with fever, and his breathing came in labored wheezes that spoke of fluid in the lungs.

"How long has he been like this?" Eluheed started mixing herbs in a ceramic bowl he'd brought with him.

"Since dawn. I've been sponging him with cool water like you showed me, but he's still getting worse."

"You need to ask for antibiotics to be brought from the clinic. There is a limit to what I can do with herbs from my garden."

She nodded. "I know. I already did. Someone is supposed to deliver them this afternoon."

He let out a relieved breath. "Good. The antibiotics will do the heavy lifting while I'll provide relief in other ways. Can you get me some hot water and honey?"

While Sonia fetched what he needed, Eluheed examined the boy more closely. The fever was high, but what worried him more was the rattling in Mika's chest.

When Sonia returned with the requested items, he set about preparing a concentrated tea of elderflower, willow bark, and thyme. He added honey to make it palatable and helped prop Mika up enough to spoon the mixture between his cracked lips.

"Small sips," he instructed Sonia. "Every twenty minutes, if you can manage it. I'll prepare a chest compress with eucalyptus and peppermint oils to help his breathing."

Eluheed finished preparing the compress and showed her how to apply it. The eucalyptus scent filled the small room, and Mika's breathing already seemed marginally easier.

"I'll check on him again this afternoon," he promised. "Send word if his condition changes. Hopefully, the antibiotics will get here soon."

He left mother and son, returning to his own quarters to wash the herb residue from his hands and change out of his dirt-stained clothes.

The small mirror above his washbasin reflected a face that hadn't aged in centuries—lean features, brown eyes that turned hazel in direct light, hair that was mostly medium brown but was streaked with lighter strands, bleached by the sun.

Eluheed was handsome in an unremarkable way—nothing like Navuh's commanding presence, striking features, and much darker coloring.

He would never be allowed near the lord's concubines, and even if he were, they would probably not find him attractive enough to deserve a second look. Not that he wanted to get entangled with any of them and father children for the warlord to claim.

And yet, as he changed into clean clothes, Eluheed's thoughts drifted to azure silk and dark hair, to a silky voice that had evoked an unexpected reaction.

Tamira .

Even her name seemed to carry a musical quality.

When a knock sounded on his door, he opened it to see Arnav standing out in the corridor.

"Lord Navuh wants to see you in his office," the guy said.

Eluheed's stomach clenched. Navuh's summonses were never predictable in their timing, but very predictable in their nature. The warlord was paranoid and always wanted to know about people conspiring against him.

That was Eluheed's main value to Navuh—to warn him about betrayals.

He followed Arnav through the winding passages to the elevator that led to the uppermost level, where the lord's private quarters in the harem were located.

They emerged into opulence, a stark contrast to the servants' quarters below. Here, marble floors gleamed beneath crystal chandeliers, and priceless artwork adorned the walls.

Navuh's office in the harem was even more opulent than the one Eluheed had been brought to originally by Gorchenco. The lord of the island sat behind a massive ebony desk, his attention on documents that probably detailed some new terrible and senseless war in the making.

"Leave us," he commanded Arnav without looking up.

The servant bowed and retreated, closing the heavy door with a soft click that sounded like a trap springing shut.

Navuh raised his dark eyes to study Eluheed.

"Shaman," he said as a form of greeting.

"My lord." Eluheed bowed.

"Sit down." Navuh waved at the chair in front of his desk.

That was good. If he wanted Eluheed to sit, he wasn't going to execute him for daring to look at the feet of his concubine or for feeding him misinformation.

"Thank you, my lord." Eluheed lowered himself to the edge of the chair.

"My son evaded capture," Navuh said, sounding almost pleased. "Your visions about his escape routes were far from accurate."

He had done his best to provide information that would almost get the son caught, so it would be deemed reliable, but still allow the guy to escape, so Eluheed wouldn't have his death on his conscience.

"My apologies, my lord." He dipped his head. "My visions leave a lot to be desired. I was surprised that they were even remotely accurate."

"Indeed." Navuh leaned back in his throne-like chair. "I have to admit that they are still quite impressive."

Eluheed wasn't used to getting compliments from Navuh. Something was afoot, and he wondered what game the guy was playing with him and why.

"Thank you, my lord." He dipped his head again.

"Tell me, shaman. Where is my wayward son now?"

"I would need to touch?—"

"Yes, yes." Navuh extended his hand with the air of someone making a great sacrifice. "Let's get this over with."

Eluheed looked inward, into the radiant place that provided him with glimpses of the future, and as soon as he took the lord's hand, the vision flowed through their connection with surprising clarity.

At first, he saw the son with his lovely female companion surrounded by well-wishers who were welcoming them into their community, but then the visions changed, turning apocalyptic.

The island was ablaze as figures moved through the smoke and chaos. The double fence around the harem melted like wax. And through it all, he had a sense of ending, of empires crumbling and prisons opening.

Eluheed gasped, jerking his hand back instinctively.

Navuh's eyes narrowed.

"What did you see?"

Think. He had to think. The truth was too dire and dangerous to reveal. Messengers of doom were often executed. But lying to Navuh carried its own risks.

"Change," he said carefully. "Something is coming, though the specifics remain clouded."

Usually, he could only sense connections, so the vision he'd seen was the first of its kind, and he wasn't sure how to interpret it. Fire and smoke didn't necessarily mean exploding bombs. They could be symbolic.

"Is my son leading the change?"

Eluheed shook his head. "I didn't see that."

"What kind of change did you see?" Navuh asked.

"I saw upheaval, but whether it threatens you directly, the island, or simply represents shifts in the wider world, I cannot say."

Navuh leaned back, fingers steepled beneath his chin. "You're being deliberately vague."

"My gift is finicky, my lord, and I can only report what I see. The interpretation is yours to make."

"What you saw disturbed you. I could see it on your face."

Eluheed chose his words like a man navigating a minefield. "Change is always disturbing, especially change of the magnitude I witnessed. But whether it will come tomorrow or decades ahead, whether it brings opportunity or threat—these things remain hidden from me."

For a long moment, Navuh stared at him, those ancient eyes seeming to peel back layers of deception. Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.

"You know what I think, Elias? I think you saw something that you don't want to share with me." He stood, moving around the desk with predatory grace. "But resisting me is futile. Do you know why?"

Eluheed remained silent, knowing that anything he said would be twisted to serve the warlord's agenda.

"Because I can force you to tell me about the true nature of your vision." He looked into Eluheed's eyes. "Tell me everything you saw."

It wasn't the first time the lord had tried that trick with him, and as usual, Eluheed pretended that he was forced to say things he hadn't intended to say while repeating what he had said before in so many words.

When Navuh's strange power slid off him without finding purchase, Eluheed wondered how well it worked on others.

It must be effective, or Navuh wouldn't be trying to use it on him.

After listening to Eluheed's answer and realizing that he had nothing more to add, the warlord dismissed him with a wave of his hand and returned to his seat behind the desk.

Outside, Arnav was waiting to escort Eluheed back to the servants' quarters and ensure he didn't wander around the upper levels, peeking where he wasn't supposed to.

Destruction was coming to this place, but Eluheed hadn't lied when he said that he didn't know the when or how or even why.