Page 13 of Dark Shaman: The Lost Treasure
"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, andthyme. 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.
