Chapter 22
ELUHEED
The party swirled around Eluheed, festive and bright and utterly foreign to everything he'd known for the past millennium.
He stood with a plate of food in his hands that he'd barely touched, watching Tamira and her friends laugh and mingle with remarkable ease with members of this lovely community.
The village was truly an oasis, a testament to the idea that sometimes extremely diverse peoples could coexist in peace and contribute to the mutual prosperity of their combined community.
It was unusual for Earthlings, but then most of these people were a mixture of an alien species with humans.
The descendants of the gods, who somehow lived in harmony with the Kra-ell, who'd shared their planet of origin but very little of their values.
Still, the glue that bound them together was survival.
Both cherished life and neither revered death like the Sitorians on his home planet or the followers of darkness on Earth.
These people had built something remarkable—a community, a family, a sanctuary hidden out in the open. They celebrated together, mourned together, and protected each other.
Tamira leaned on his arm, her warmth a comfort against the chill of the approaching evening and that of his thoughts.
"You've barely eaten anything," she said. "Is the food not to your taste?"
"The flavors are a little too intense," he admitted. "I'm also not that hungry."
"You look worried." She slipped her hand into his, threading their fingers together. "Talk to me."
Eluheed looked at this woman who had become his everything in this alien world he'd been exiled to for over a millennium. Her dark blue eyes held nothing but love and patience.
She knew what was troubling him. She just needed him to share with her what he intended to do about it. The clan had the resources to help him, but to ask for their help, he would need to reveal the truth about himself.
"It's obvious that they have the resources," he said quietly so only she could hear him. "I just don't know how to go about asking for their help without revealing things I'm not allowed to reveal. The oath I took was sacred. Breaking it could have severe consequences."
"Keeping it has consequences, too." Tamira turned to face him.
"Your charges, whoever and whatever they are, are depending on you, and you're the only one who knows where they are, the only one who can find them.
If you don't act because you don't trust anyone enough to help you, they could be trapped there forever.
That's not going to serve them or you or whoever you've given your oath to. "
Her words, well-meaning as they were, were like punches she was delivering to his gut, each one landing exactly where it hurt most. She was right, of course. But that didn't solve the problem of the oath he had taken, which pressed down on him like the mountain pressing down on his charges.
He felt powerless to lift either.
"I'm trapped," he admitted. "I'm doomed if I do and doomed if I don't."
"You're just letting fear paralyze you. At some point, you need to take a leap of faith and believe that you were brought here for a reason."
It had occurred to him that his encounter with this other breed of immortals had not been coincidental. He could see the pattern that had led him to this moment, every obstacle serving to bring him a little closer to this village, to these people.
Eluheed took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling a decision crystallizing, taking shape, becoming real.
"I'll talk to Kian," he said.
Tamira's eyes widened. "When?"
"Right now. I'll request a meeting." He looked across the lawn to where Kian was standing with his family, looking relaxed and approachable in a way he hadn't looked during any of their previous encounters.
Tamira rose on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "That's very courageous of you. You make me proud."
"I haven't done anything yet."
"Reaching a decision is the hardest part." She gave him a gentle push. "Go before you lose your nerve."
Eluheed nodded and began making his way across the lawn.
The crowd parted easily around him, people stepping aside with polite smiles and curious glances. He was still a novelty here, one of the newcomers from Navuh's island, and he felt their eyes tracking his progress with interest.
Kian was standing with his wife and their daughter, a golden-haired toddler who was currently trying to escape her father's arms with the single-minded determination that only little children possessed.
Nearby, Amanda and her mate were engaged in conversation with Annani, the goddess's laughter ringing out like bells across the gathering.
Eluheed hesitated at the edge of the family group, suddenly uncertain. This was the inner circle, the heart of the clan's power structure. Did he have the right to interrupt?
But Kian had already noticed him. "Elias," he said. "Are you enjoying the celebration?"
"Very much so." Eluheed smiled and offered Kian a slight bow. "Thank you for the heartwarming welcome."
"I've done nothing that deserves your thanks. My sister shouldered all the work." He cast Amanda a fond look. "She's the best party planner anyone could be lucky enough to get."
"I'm grateful to your entire family. What you have done for us is above and beyond what any of us could have ever hoped for." Eluheed stopped to take a breath. "Your incredible generosity is what gives me the courage to request something of you that I've never asked of anyone before."
Kian's eyes widened with surprise. "I'm curious to hear your request, but I can't promise to grant it. Not before I know what it is."
"Naturally." Eluheed smiled. "Right now, all I'm requesting is a few moments of your time. If it's not too much trouble, that is. I don't want to take you away from your family."
"It's fine." Kian handed Allegra to Syssi with a murmured apology and a kiss to her cheek. "Let's find somewhere quiet to talk."
As they walked over to one of the vacant tables in the back, Eluheed was acutely aware of the eyes following them. People were probably wondering what the human newcomer wanted with their leader, speculating and gossiping. People always did that.
"What's on your mind?" Kian asked when they sat down.
Eluheed thought of his charges, waiting buried under tons of basalt. He thought of Tamira, believing in him. He thought of the oath he'd sworn many centuries ago, and of the sacred trust that had been placed in his keeping.
Some oaths were meant to be kept unto death. But others were meant to be broken when the time was right. When breaking them could save lives or change the course of history or could bring hope to those who had none.
He prayed he was making the right choice.
"I carry a secret that has been kept for over a thousand years."
Kian leaned back in his chair. "That sounds intriguing. Go on."
Eluheed had hoped that would be Kian's response. Curiosity was a powerful motivator.
"I can't reveal it out here, in a public place, but I would like to schedule a private appointment with you in your office or anywhere else our conversation will be guaranteed to be confidential."
Kian smiled. "You didn't need to go through all these theatrics to get a meeting with me. A simple text or call would have done."
Eluheed wasn't sure of that at all. Kian could have offered to meet him a month from now, and Eluheed was all out of patience. He felt in his bones that the time to act was now.
He shook his head. "What I carry is not mere information. It's a responsibility. A sacred trust that was placed in my keeping long before I found myself sold to Navuh by an opportunistic arms dealer."
"Gorchenco?" Kian asked.
Eluheed lifted a brow. "You know him?"
"I know of him."
"Then you know the kind of man he is. I knew that he was dangerous the moment he walked into my shop and requested a reading, and for some reason that I still can't understand I gave him a real one instead of making something up, like I did with most of my clients.
He recognized that my abilities might be valuable to Navuh, kidnapped me, and traded me in exchange for an exclusive arms deal with the warlord.
" Eluheed kept his voice even, though the memory still burned.
"I spent months in that harem, and I don't regret it because I met the love of my life in there, but it was time that I didn't dedicate to my sacred duty. "
Kian studied him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "You're being deliberately vague. What is that sacred duty you are talking about?"
"I apologize for the vagueness." Eluheed dipped his head.
"But this is one of the things I cannot talk about out here, surrounded by people who might overhear.
What I need to tell you requires privacy and your full attention.
" He swallowed. "It may also require significant resources that I haven't been able to obtain on my own. "
"Resources for what?"
"A rescue." The word hung between them, heavy with implication. "I've heard about all the rescue missions your clan runs. You are good people, which is why I'm risking revealing my secrets. I need help. I can't do this alone."
Eluheed paused, searching for the right words.
"When I found myself here, in your village, surrounded by people with incredible abilities, I knew that fate had brought me to the right place. I don't believe in coincidences, Kian. I believe I'm here for a reason. And I believe that you are the reason."
Kian's jaw tightened. "I need to know more before I commit to anything.
My clan's resources belong to the clan, and my people decide which charities they are willing to invest in.
If your mission requires significant resources, I won't be able to decide on that on my own.
I will have to put it to a vote, which means that your secret will be revealed to all.
I don't think this is something you would be comfortable with. "
Eluheed's heart sank. "No. I'm not. But all I'm asking of you right now is to grant me a private meeting where I can share my secret exclusively with you and explain everything.
" He leaned forward. "Once you hear my story, you will decide how to proceed.
What I need from you, though, is a guarantee that what I tell you remains between the two of us unless I explicitly allow it to be shared with others.
I know I'm not in any position to make demands, so please, regard it as the desperate request it is. I don't know what else to do."
The silence stretched between them, filled with the sounds of music and laughter from the party.
Kian tapped his fingers in a slow rhythm against the table, then let out a breath. "All right. I will hear you out. When do you want to meet?"
Relief flooded through Eluheed. "Whenever is convenient for you."
"Let me check my schedule." Kian pulled out his phone. "I can squeeze you in on Tuesday at eleven-thirty in the morning. I'll give you half an hour, so come prepared."