Conquering Lazar by Alta Hensley Page A

continued on, "there is hope of possibly rebuilding elsewhere. Casen does not have the necessary resources. It is clear to see that with all the allied forces coming, our commune is already drying up."
    "That is true. But I have no doubt that Lazar will be ours once again," Malachi said. "Now, if you would please excuse me, I want to check on Elbi."
    She quickly walked away from the door and sat down at the table. She was fidgeting with her fingers as he walked in the room.
    "The conversation you were listening to was with Donte and my brother, Talon," Malachi said with a wicked smile.
    "I… uh, I didn't mean to—"
    "Eavesdrop?" he interrupted. How he could know amazed her.
    Elbi's already sore bottom throbbed at the thought of what he would do. "I'm sorry," she offered.
    Malachi smiled again, walked to the chair across from her and sat down. "Did you sleep well?"
    "Yes." She took a deep, calming breath. "I actually feel much better… stronger. I think I can rejoin the rest of the harem now."
    Malachi leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Is that what you want?"
    "Well, I don't want to be your burden any longer."
    "Is that what you think you are to me?"
    "Well, I… uh." Elbi looked down at the ground and then back up to meet his eyes. "I don't know what to think."
    "Do you want to go back to the rest of the harem girls?" Malachi asked again.
    "No, not really. I just don't want to be in the way."
    He smiled. "Enough of this talk. I would like you to stay with me, and you are not a burden. Do not say those words again or there will be consequences. I dislike it very much when you talk poorly of yourself." Changing the subject, Malachi continued. "Tell me more about you, Elbi. I noticed on your upper back that you have a marking. What is it?"
    She was surprised by his question. She hadn't thought of the branding on her back for quite some time. It wasn't something she had to look at, and she tried her best to shut that part of her life out. The branding represented her past—it represented Vostok.
    "It is a V with two lines underneath. The two lines are to represent the river that dried up many decades ago," she explained. "The V represents my birth commune, Vostok. They branded all residents of the commune with the same mark."
    "How did you come to Lazar?" Malachi asked as he stood and went to start a fire. He then set a pot of water over the flame.
    "You do not know? I was purchased by the Palace of Lazar." She stared at him, confused.
    He shook his head. "My older brother, Jaq, was in charge of acquiring the harem. I had no part in that." He turned to look at her. "Did you have family? Are there people you miss?"
    Elbi shook her head. "I miss no one. Life at Vostok was not something I ever look back on. It is why the Palace of Lazar means so much to me. It was my only home. It is all I ever choose to know. My only past is the palace, and I choose to look no further than that in my memories."
    Malachi reached for two cups and a medium-sized container. He began to scoop its contents into the cups, then stood in silence while waiting for the water to bubble. When it did, he poured the water into the cups and brought them to the table.
    "Did you and your brothers build the Palace of Lazar?"
    He smiled before taking a drink of his tea. "No. Our great-grandfather did. We simply rule what was left for us."
    Elbi took a drink of her own tea. "Why were you building Casen? Weren't you happy with Lazar?"
    "We are trying to be proactive when it comes to resources. It is just a matter of time until everything withers away."
    "Unless you find rain," Elbi interjected. "I heard your brother mention rain."
    Malachi flashed that smile again; the one Elbi was growing to love. "Yes, rain. A myth to many, but my adventurous brother, Jaq, does not give up in his search."
    "Do you think rain exists? I thought the clouds stopped producing moisture years and years ago."
    He nodded. "That is true. But if we do not have hope of future