Page 17 of Dark Shaman: The Lost Treasure
"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 aspossible. 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 haddied 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."
