Page 59 of Dark Shaman: The Lost Treasure
"But you carry it with your boundaries intact," Elias said. "That distance allows compassion without drowning. Perhaps the effort required for true communication, the choice to bridge the gap, is what makes connection meaningful."
Tamira leaned toward him, drawn by his words. There was so much wisdom in them, so much understanding and compassion. He had an incredibly bright soul.
"So, you're saying that isolation is a gift?" Tony asked with thinly veiled sarcasm.
"I'm saying boundaries are sacred," Elias said. "They define where I end and you begin, which makes the choice to connect an act of will and courage."
His eyes met Tamira's as he spoke, and she felt heat bloom in her chest. Was he speaking of spiritual philosophy or something more personal? The knee that had brushed hers earlier remained close, not quite touching but near enough that she could feel his warmth through the silk of her dress.
"Courage," Liliat repeated. "That's an interesting word choice for connecting with others. Most would say that love and desire drive connection."
"Love requires courage," Elias said. "And so does desire. Without courage, both remain unrequited and unfulfilled. A true connection requires the bravery to be subjected to rejection, misunderstanding, or loss."
"Speaking from experience?" Raviki asked with characteristic directness.
A shadow crossed his face, there and gone so quickly that Tamira might have imagined it. "We all have our stories of connection and disconnection, and they shape how we approach new possibilities."
Tamira recognized deflection when she heard it. Whatever losses Elias had experienced, they still carried weight. It made her want to know more, to understand what had created the shadows of sorrow in his eyes.
"Well, I for one am grateful for new possibilities," she said, letting warmth seep into her voice. "The courage to engage with a new acquaintance has brought us a fascinating dinner conversation."
"Hear, hear." Tony lifted his wine glass. "To new perspectives and the courage to share them."
They toasted, crystal chiming against crystal with pure, clear notes. Tamira let her fingers brush Elias's as they lowered their glasses, a touch so brief it could have been accidental, but the slight widening of his eyes suggested he knew it wasn't.
"You said that you traveled a lot," Sarah said as servants silently cleared the dessert plates. "Which famous locations have you visited?"
Tamira watched Elias choose his words carefully. Whatever his full story, he wasn't ready to share it completely.
"I've been to many places," he said. "From the mountains of the Caucasus to the markets of Constantinople. I've walked the Silk Road and sailed the Mediterranean. Each place taught me something different."
"Constantinople?" Beulah repeated. "Isn't it called Istanbul these days? They changed the name in 1930."
Tamira frowned. It was the kind of mistake that very old humans or immortals made, but Elias was a young man.
He smiled. "It depends on where you come from. Those who dislike the Turks often refer to the city as Constantinople. It annoys Turks to no end."
"Are you Armenian?" Sarah asked.
"Good guess," he said. "There is no love lost between Turks and Armenians."
It was a good explanation, but Tamira suspected that there was more to it. She had known Elias for a very short time, but she'd paid attention and learned to tell when he was being completely open and when he hid behind half-truths.
"I still think of Myanmar as Burma, and Zimbabwe as Rhodesia," Rolenna said. "Change happens faster than my memory adjusts."
"What did you do in Constantinople?" Tamira asked Elias.
"A little bit of commerce. Empires rise and fall, but trade endures, and the merchants in the Grand Bazaar still sell the same goods their ancestors did—spices, silk, stories. The namesand languages change, but the human need for connection through exchange remains constant."
"You are reducing human connection to commerce," Liliat said. "That's rather cynical for a shaman."
"I'm not reducing. I'm recognizing that trade drives progress," Elias corrected. "Before we could speak each other's languages, we could point at goods and negotiate value. It's connection at its most basic and honest."
"I never thought of it that way," Tony said. "Though it makes sense. DNA shows trade routes almost as clearly as migration patterns. Genetic markers follow the Silk Road like breadcrumbs."
Tamira wasn't sure if he said that seriously or meant it as a joke, and given the looks the others directed his way, they weren't sure of his meaning either. Tony must have realized that and launched into one of his lectures.
Tamira didn't pay attention. She was focused on studying Elias and reading his subtle tells.
