Page 105 of Dark Shaman: The Lost Treasure
Navuh grabbed an umbrella from one of the drivers and walked to the tarp that the ladies were huddling under. He repeated the commands in so many words, including Tony and Elias in his compulsion.
Navuh moved on to the servants next, repeating his commands to each group. He was so powerful that compelling over a hundred people, adults and children alike, was nothing for him.
Her mate was the most powerful immortal in the world, and he could have done so much good if he hadn't had his mind poisoned a long time ago.
Her hand found her purse again. At least she had this. For now.
"My lady," one of the drivers said as he walked over with an umbrella. "Your vehicle is ready."
She allowed herself to be escorted to the large car, settling into the leather seat with a grace born of millennia of practice. The interior smelled of expensive leather and subtle cologne, the opulence a stark contrast to the miserable deluge outside.
Navuh finished his rounds and joined her, water droplets still clinging to his dark hair. He looked oddly satisfied for a man who'd just incurred a substantial loss. It was going to cost him a fortune to restore the structure.
"Where are you planning to shelter the servants?" she asked as the vehicle pulled away.
"They will be taken to the resort's main hotel." He leaned back in the seat. "We don't have many guests during the monsoon season, and we can move the few who are there now to the bungalows to make room for the servants. I don't want them interacting with the guests."
Areana knew that the visitors to the tourist side of the island were not attracted by the weather. She was well aware that her mate dealt in sex tourism and extortion, luring prominent politicians and businessmen to the island with the promise of fulfilling their fantasies, no matter how dark and depraved. She just tried not to think about it too often.
"For how long?" she asked. "Can you get the pyramid fixed before the end of the monsoon season?"
Areana held her breath as she waited for his answer. She needed access to that cliff, and that meant that she needed to get back to the harem.
He glanced at her. "After the storm is over, we will assess the damage and see what needs to be done. The repairs shouldn't take more than a few weeks."
She let out a breath and nodded. "I hope the books in the library survived. It would be such a hassle to replace them. Some of them are probably irreplaceable."
"I know how important those books are to you, my love." Navuh draped his arm around her and kissed her temple. "I promise that everything will be restored to its former glory."
"Thank you." She leaned against his shoulder, enjoying the closeness.
In moments like these, she could almost forget about all the things that were wrong about their relationship and focus on all the things that were absolutely perfect.
The drive continued through the storm-lashed darkness. Without landmarks visible through the rain, Areana couldn't tell where they were going until the vehicle began to climb. Up, away from the coast, into the hills and then down again.
When they finally stopped, she looked at the sprawling mansion that loomed before them. It was everything that the harem wasn't. Instead of being hidden underground, this structure proclaimed its strength openly. High walls and guard towers at regular intervals, manned despite the weather. Gates that would stop anything short of a tank. She was sure that there were cameras tracking every movement even though she couldn't see them in the rain.
They passed through multiple checkpoints to reach the main entrance. Guards saluted as Navuh passed, their eyes carefully avoiding her. She wondered what they'd been told about the evacuation, about the women they would now be guarding.
When they stopped in front of the main entrance, the driver got out and opened the door for Navuh.
Her mate stepped out and opened the door for her himself, offering her a hand down while the driver held the umbrella over their heads. "Welcome to your temporary home."
"It's impressive," she said as she took his hand.
He smiled, pleased by what he took as a compliment. "The security here is as tight as that in the harem. You'll be perfectly safe."
Safe. As if that had ever been her primary concern.
The interior was modern and cold, all glass and steel and sharp angles. No warmth here, no attempt to create even the illusion of a home. This was a fortress, nothing more.
Still, she paid him compliments as they passed by the living room. He led her up the stairs and then through a hallway. "I hope the master suite is to your liking."
"I'm sure it is as elegant as the rest of the house."
He laughed. "I know that you don't like the modernist style. You don't have to pretend that you do."
"I'm surprised that you like it, my love. I always thought of you as a traditionalist."
