Page 110 of The Eyes of Tamburah
A flash of a green tunic crossed the mouth of Shyla’s tunnel. Fear shot through her. She crept to the end, peeking into the cavern. Arch Deacons fought with Invisible Swords. Magic thickened the air and many of the prone forms wore green. But an equal number of the Invisible Swords lay injured and the Arch Deacons kept streaming into the space.
Unable to stand there doing nothing, Shyla stepped forward. A hand grabbed the crook of her arm and yanked her back into the tunnel. She spun to attack. Jayden deflected the blow.
“Come on,” he said. Blood streaked his face from a cut across his forehead. Dark wet stains marked his clothes. He clutched a bloody short sword in one hand.
“What—”
He gripped her wrist and pulled her with him. “Betrayed. You need to get out of here.”
A thousand questions spun like a dust storm in her mind. “Your people—”
“Vastly outnumbered. I’ll return, but first you need to go.”
“Go where?”
He didn’t answer. Just increased his pace, towing her along at a run. They ducked through tunnels and raced up a couple sets of stairs. Jayden skidded to a stop in front of one of those not-doors. He sheathed his sword and opened it. Taking a druk off the wall, he shoved it at her. She clasped it automatically.
“Go. Get to safety.” Jayden pushed her through the opening.
“Wh—”
“We’re in Tamburah’s temple. Go up. Fast.”
“The others?” They should be escaping as well.
He shook his head. Grief shone in his eyes.
“Banqui?”
“Gone.” Now anger blazed.
She sucked in a breath. “Dead?”
“No.” He swung the door.
Shyla put out her arm, stopping it. “Why are you helping me?”
“I’ve caused you enough pain.” Jayden pushed her back and closed it.
Shyla stood in the small space. What did he mean Banqui was gone? Had he been captured by the Arch Deacons? Dimming the druk, she allowed her eyes to adjust. Instead of wasting time making sense of what had just happened, she concentrated on escaping. She was in Tamburah’s temple and at the bottom of a stairwell. The temple was obviously deeper than twelve levels. How long had it housed the Invisible Sword’s headquarters?
Stop it. Focus on the facts.
He’d said to go up. She ascended. After ten levels, she recognized a few features that marked this level as the one where Banqui had found The Eyes. The diggers’ escape tunnel to the surface was on level three.
The air warmed as she climbed. Sweat rolled down her back by the time she reached Tamburah’s judgment chamber, which was six levels underground. Heat baked the curved walls. Of the chamber’s six hallways of the dead, one of those led to the surface. Tamburah’s sand mural faced the correct one.
Except if it was this hot in here, then going to the surface would be suicide. She needed to find a hiding spot a couple levels deeper. Turning to retreat, she froze. Four Arch Deacons blocked her path. Had they found the not-door and come up from below? Did it matter?
Then just to complicate matters, four more Arch Deacons stepped from the hallways surrounding the area. It was a perfect place for an ambush after all. She’d proved it. Twice. She’d also proved she was an idiot. Twice.
They formed a semi-circle around her. Nowhere to run except the tunnel behind her, which they all knew led to death.
“The Heliacal Priestess wishes to speak with you, Sun-kissed,” the bulky man in the middle said. “You have two choices.”
“Yippee for me.”
He ignored her sarcasm. “Allow us to escort you to the Blessed One, or we’ll knock you senseless and carry you there.”
