Page 104 of The Eyes of Tamburah
“I’m very grateful the plan was successful,” Banqui said. His voice was rough from disuse. “However, the prince has The Eyes.” He shuddered.
Jayden shook his head. “Those were fake. We’re not idiots.” Although the quick glance at Shyla suggested he wasn’t including her in that statement.
But she was just as happy as Banqui when Jayden confirmed they were indeed fakes.
The archeologist leaned back and pressed a hand to his chest. “Thank the Sun Goddess!” The motion revealed his thin arms and raw bands of flesh around his wrists. His borrowed clothes hung off his gaunt frame. He’d lost quite a bit of weight as the prince’s prisoner. While the prince—
Odd bits that she’d noticed during the exchange joined together. “The prince!” she cried, snapping her fingers.
Banqui and Jayden traded a had-she-finally-lost-her-mind look.
“Okay, I’ll bite. What about him?” Jayden asked.
“You only had one knife, correct?”
A sigh. “Yes.”
“Then you couldn’t have assassinated the prince.”
“I—”
“Supposedly never miss, I know. But he was wearing armor under his tunic. That knife wouldn’t have killed him.”
“How could you possibly know that?”
“His tunic was loose—and the times I saw him, his shirt was form-fitting. He was sweating, he moved stiffly, and, after he’d gotten that second Eye and the danger had passed, he tugged at his collar as if it was too tight, but it wasn’t.”
“That’s crazy,” Jayden said.
“That’s Shyla,” Banqui said. “She notices seemingly insignificant details like that and then puts them all together. It was why I kept hiring her. I wouldn’t have been so successful without her.” He picked up his glass of water and saluted her. “And now she saved all our lives.”
Jayden didn’t appear convinced, but her guilt over ruining their plans eased.
“If you have the real Eyes, why don’t you use them to overthrow the Water Prince?” Banqui asked. “You said you didn’t care about me. Why the subterfuge with Shyla?”
Good question. If they had them all this time, why not use them? Probably because they didn’t have any magic, just as Shyla suspected all along.
“It’s complicated and I’m not at liberty to discuss that,” Jayden said. “When you’ve finished your meal, one of the Invisible Sword will escort you to your rooms to pack your essential items.”
“And then?”
“You can stay at our headquarters until you’re fully recovered. Then I’d suggest you leave the city.” Jayden strode away.
His comment about leaving reminded Shyla of Rendor. She wondered if he had left the monastery yet. Why did the possibility of never seeing him again hurt? Like Jayden said, he was a dangerous man and she’d no idea of his motives or where his loyalty lay now that the prince had cast him out. His invitation to her was probably only a ruse to get The Eyes. Too tired to think, Shyla sank into the cushion opposite Banqui. The motion hurt and now with the tension gone, her injuries demanded attention. But the effort to find Zhek required too much energy.
“When’s the last time you ate?” Banqui asked.
“I’ve no idea.”
Banqui pushed his half-finished plate toward her. And he refilled his cup and handed it over. Her shoulder blazed with pain when she lifted the cup to her lips. After a mere sip of water she set it down.
“Your injuries need—”
“I know.”
He huffed. “Stubborn to the last.”
“No. Tired.”
