Page 8 of Dark Shaman: The Lost Treasure (The Children Of The Gods #98)
Unlike the simple laborers Navuh provided to the harem, Tony had been someone before his kidnapping.
He was on his way to becoming a professor of bioinformatics or something like that.
He'd explained once that it was about working with computers and genetics.
But in addition to his technical expertise that none of them could properly grasp, he could actually string together complete sentences and discuss a variety of topics.
He was like a breath of fresh air, but it was almost cruel to give them someone intelligent to talk to who wasn't going to last. It reminded them of what was out there in the world that they would never have access to.
Companionship with an equal, intellectual discourse, and perhaps the possibility of connection beyond the hollow relationships they maintained with their rotating cast of human lovers.
In a few decades, though, Tony would be dead, and they'd still be here, having the same breakfast, the same conversations, the same empty eternity stretching before them.
"You must have seen Elias," Tony said. "And he's not a gardener. He just grows medicinal herbs to provide cures to the human staff."
"Oh, Elias." Areana nodded. "I've seen his name on the roster, but his occupation wasn't specified, so I assumed he was part of the general staff."
"Well, he is," Tony said. "But some say that he's a shaman or used to be before being captured and brought here."
"A shaman?" Sarah leaned forward. "Like a witch doctor?"
Tony shrugged. "I'm not sure. Shamans are supposed to be spiritual guides. They communicate with spirits, perform rituals, and heal using plants and prayers. But Elias seems more like an herbalist. He makes teas and poultices and other natural remedies for the servants."
"How long has he been here?" Tamira asked.
"I think it has been about eighteen months. He's a quiet guy, but I hear that he's very popular among the single ladies."
An unexpected surge of jealousy surged through Tamira. "Is he good-looking? I didn't get a good look since his face was planted in the dirt and his ass was in the air."
Tony shrugged. "He's okay, I guess. I didn't pay attention. He's doing amazing things with those herbs he's growing, though, so maybe the ladies are grateful and repay his kindness with favors."
It sounded to Tamira as if Tony was envious of Elias's success with the ladies, even though he shouldn't be because Tula had claimed him as hers.
Areana sighed, the sound carrying five thousand years of resignation. "I've been meaning to remind Navuh that we need a proper physician in the harem. Dr. Petro's passing left the human staff vulnerable. And even we might need a physician's services if any of us needs help delivering a baby."
An uncomfortable silence fell over the table. None of them wanted to become pregnant, but Navuh forbade them the use of contraceptives because he wanted more sons. The only way to prevent pregnancy was complete abstinence or other methods that always left them unsatisfied.
Not that Tamira had ever been truly satisfied with any of her numerous human lovers. She still hadn't forgotten the immense pleasure of a venom bite and the euphoria that followed. She hadn't enjoyed one since Mortdh's death five thousand years ago, and she still missed it and yearned for it.
"I hate the idea of dooming another soul to life imprisonment, but the humans need care," Areana said. "I doubt a shaman can replace a proper physician."
"We are all doomed here," Tula said. "Dead people walking."
"Don't be morbid," Areana chided, though her tone lacked conviction.
They'd all contemplated a final escape at some point over the millennia. The cliff called to them, promising an end to the endless days. But hope and uncertainty held them back. What if a miracle happened and they were freed? What if the gods were not dead and they were looking for their people?
Then there was the possibility that the drop wouldn't kill them, and they would suffer unimaginable pain, only to go back to jail or worse. Navuh was a vindictive bastard, and he would find creative ways to punish anyone who dared to disobey him by seeking death on their own terms.
"Elias sounds interesting," Tamira said, to steer the conversation and her own thoughts back to safer ground. "It would be nice to have someone new to talk to."
"He seems like a nice guy," Tony said. "A bit strange though." He chuckled. "Given where I am and who you are, saying that Elias is strange sounds like a joke."
"How is he strange?" Tamira asked, not caring that she was showing too much interest in someone she shouldn't.
"I can't put my finger on it." Tony lifted his coffee cup and took a sip.
"He treated a cut on my hand and gave me something for headaches.
He doesn't know that you are all immortals, and the rest of the staff has been instructed to tell him as little as possible.
I don't know why. All I know is that Navuh requests that he be escorted to his office in the harem almost every day.
No one knows why, though, and the staff is speculating that the lord must have headaches or some other affliction that Elias is taking care of. "
Tamira was beyond intrigued.
She couldn't care less about Navuh's dealings with Elias, but she was extremely curious about what he could do for Navuh.
Then it registered that Tony had seen Elias up close, so he must know what he looked like with no guessing involved.
"Can you describe Elias to us?" The question slipped out before she could stop it.
"Not like the usual type Lord Navuh brings in," Tony said. "The coloring is similar but lighter, and the features are more European. Maybe Eastern European? Russian? I'm really not an expert on ethnicities."
Definitely not Navuh's type. Which explained the segregation. Five thousand years of carefully maintaining the fiction that all children born in the harem were Navuh's required strict control over which males had access to his concubines.
"That must be why he's kept apart." Sarah voiced Tamira's thoughts. "Can't have children who don't fit the mold."
"As if any of us are eager to bear any children," Liliat said, then caught herself. "We have our duty, of course. But we are not eager."
Another uncomfortable silence. They'd all borne children over the millennia, and all of them other than two girls who had died as old humans in the harem had been taken away. It was a wound that never healed, no matter how much time passed.
"Shall we discuss the week's activities?" Areana asked, gracefully changing the subject as she'd done ten thousand times before, and turned to Rolenna. "I filled out the form to request additional supplies for your glass workshop."
"Thank you." Rolenna dipped her head. "At the rate I'm going, I will need a lot before I produce anything adequate."
The conversation shifted to safer ground, the seven of them taking part in the eternal dance of making their captivity bearable. But Tamira's mind wandered to the herb garden and to the man who cultivated it.
"Tamira!" Tula said. "You're not listening."
"Sorry. What?"
"I asked if you wanted to join us for cards this afternoon. Tony's teaching us Texas Hold'em."
"Poker?" Tamira laughed a little more loudly than was appropriate. "What's next, cigars and brandy?"
"That's a great idea." Tony grinned. "We can do that while playing poker."
"I'll pass." Tamira waved a dismissive hand. "I think I'll work on my translations this afternoon."
"Those Sanskrit texts?" Raviki wrinkled her nose. "You've been working on them for over three hundred years."
"It's a lifetime project," Tamira defended. "And it's not as if I'm short on time."
That earned her rueful laughs. Time was the one resource they had in abundance—endless, crawling, suffocating time that stretched before them like the vast ocean surrounding the island.
Later, as they left the dining room, each heading to her quarters, Areana fell in step with Tamira.
"You seem intrigued by Elias, and I don't remember the last time you were interested in a man.
I'm going to speak with Navuh today about him.
I will tell my mate that he should remove the restrictions from the shaman because it's medically necessary.
" She smiled. "After all, keeping the mind sharp and engaged is as important as keeping the body satisfied. "
"Indeed." Tamira nodded, trying to look amused rather than eager.
Areana studied her with those kind eyes of hers. "Be careful with your heart, my dear. You cannot give it to a human."
"I know," Tamira said quickly. "I'm just bored and in desperate need of having someone new to talk to."
Areana's cautious smile turned bright. "Absolutely. I'm sure that my mate will not begrudge you such a small boon."