Page 107 of The Eyes of Tamburah
Despite her woes, she smiled at the healer’s bossy tone.
“He’s gone. You can come out now,” Zhek said.
She poked her head out. Zhek stood nearby with a tray of food and a glass. Eyeing his offerings with suspicion, she sat up. The smoky aroma of gamelu meat reached her and her stomach growled in ravenous response.
“Eat and drink it all, it will make you feel better.” Zhek set it on her lap.
She debated. The thought of annoying Jayden by falling back to sleep propelled her to do as requested and Shyla finished every last bite. However, instead of growing drowsy, a bit of energy pushed away some of her discomfort. How…
“The restorative?” she asked.
“Yes. We need to leave this place. It’s no longer safe.”
That was all the motivation she needed. Shyla clambered to her feet then waited a moment for the room to stop moving. Then she retrieved her pack and followed Zhek to the main cavern. The vagrants were gone. Only Jayden, Mojag and three druk lanterns remained.
Surprised, she asked Zhek how long she’d slept.
“Not long enough,” he said.
They reached the others. Jayden had changed into a clean tunic and pants, appearing like a normal citizen of Zirdai. But Mojag wore his tattered, stained vagrant clothes.
“Do you need anything from your room?” Jayden asked. “Mojag can fetch it for you. It’s well past the prince’s deadline so you shouldn’t be seen.”
Well past? By the scowl on Jayden’s face it would be best not to ask. She considered. Everything in her room had been destroyed. And her meager valuables should be safe inside her cache. “No.”
Jayden pressed a hand to his chest and mocked, “That was too easy. Zhek, have you discovered an antidote for a difficult sun-kissed?”
“Watch it,” Zhek said. “I can inflict pain as well as heal it.”
Her opinion of Zhek rose considerably.
Duly subdued, some of Jayden’s huffy posture deflated. “Are you able to climb?” he asked her.
“How far?”
“About forty levels?”
“I’ll try.”
“Don’t overdo it, Jayden. There are plenty of places to hide and rest.”
He nodded.
“Come on, scamp,” Zhek said to Mojag. “Let’s go check on my other patients.”
The two of them each grabbed a druk and headed deeper into the cavern.
“The back exit,” Jayden explained. “We need to wait until they’re gone before we leave. Too many people appearing from one location draws attention.”
Ah. They stood in awkward silence for a while. Shyla perched on the edge of a low wall to save her energy for the climb. She ran her fingers through her hair. The stubble wasn’t as stiff, but she was glad there wasn’t a mirror in sight. She caught Jayden staring at her. He glanced away with a frown.
She guessed she’d need to cover her hair. “What happened to my sun cloak?”
“It’s beyond repair. We’ll purchase you another one.”
A strong wave of sadness flowed through her. Odd that all her possessions being destroyed hadn’t affected her like this. But that cloak… It had been with her through some tough times. How pathetic. She dug into her pack and removed her wrap. Arranging it to cover her head, she tucked in the ends to keep it from slipping.
“Why don’t you dye your hair?” Jayden asked.
