Page 119 of The Eyes of Tamburah
After the session, she returned to her room, feeling more centered. Sweaty and sore, she cleaned up, and tried to ignore the scars on her body. Too bad Zhek’s goo didn’t erase them as well as the burns and blisters. Changing into yet another borrowed tunic and pants, she smoothed the short strands of her hair down. It was time to make a decision. Shyla had avoided it long enough.
Zhek had instructed her to remain out of the sun for a few sun jumps, and she’d listened. But her favorite thinking place beckoned. She needed the sun’s warmth on her body and to breathe in the crisp cool scent of the early angle air. Already hearing Zhek’s admonishment in her head, Shyla would bring her wrap along just in case her skin was still sensitive.
Shyla dug into her pack and found the wrap Jayden had given her. It’d belonged to a vagrant that might have died in one of the prince’s special rooms or might have been one of the people she’d helped save. She fingered the cloth, remembering the horrible image of that woman hanging upside down.
Under the material were four rolls of gamelu jerky that had been blasted by the excessive heat when she’d been out during the danger zone. They turned to crumbs the instant she touched them, coating her water skin. It was empty—no surprise. Scratches marked the thick leather. And at the very bottom of her pack…
The vial of black water!
Son of a sand demon. After all this time, it’d survived intact.
* * *
Shyla handed Hanif the glass vial filled with the black water. “I’d like access to the Second Room of Knowledge.”
Hanif inspected the vial. “I’m surprised you completed the mission.”
“Because it was a sham?” she asked. When he gave her an appraising look, she added, “You wanted me to see therealcity of Zirdai. To meet the vagrants and see the horrors of the prince’s special rooms. I’m guessing it was to show me that I was better off becoming a monk.”
“It wasn’t a sham, you needed to experience the true heart of Zirdai. You tend to see only what you want and ignore the rest. After keeping to the upper levels of the city for two circuits, it was time for you to open your eyes. I wasn’t trying to get to you to return. The reason I’m surprised is because I figured you would have caught on to my intentions and stubbornly refused to continue.” He set the glass on his desk. “A deal’s a deal. When do you wish to go?”
“Now.”
He led her deeper into the monastery. The First Room of Knowledge was on level nine and the Second Room was located on level eleven on the opposite side of the monastery. Each Room was in a different section to minimize damage to the precious tablets and scrolls of information in case of a collapse.
Two monks guarded the entrance, but didn’t so much as move when Hanif and Shyla approached.
Hanif stood before the double stained glass doors. “What knowledge do you seek?”
“My original request—more information about the Invisible Sword.”
As he swung open the doors, Hanif kept his expression neutral, but Shyla spotted a spark of…surprise? Amusement? Or was that pride?
“Search for their symbol, it marks the alcove where that information can be found. There’s plenty of druks inside. The rules for the First Room apply to this Room as well. Good luck.” He swept his hand out, inviting her inside.
After she entered, the doors closed and locked behind her. Disappointed that, at first glance, the stacks of scrolls, tablets and various artifacts resembled the First Room. She’d expected something more…exotic. Although the warren of caverns and walkways didn’t follow the same pattern. She retreated to the entrance before getting hopelessly lost. Picking up a piece of chalk from a container nearby, she marked her route like a rookie acolyte. Except acolytes were not allowed in here, only in the First Room. A bit of pride puffed in her chest—another accomplishment. She needed to remember those when her many doubts crept in.
As the angles passed without success, Shyla considered returning later with enough food and water. She hesitated because Hanif hadn’t said she would haveunlimitedaccess to the Second Room of Knowledge and he might not allow her back inside. So she ignored her stomach’s growling and her dry lips.
When she found the Invisible Sword’s symbol carved over the arched opening of a deep recess, all her physical needs vanished. Grabbing a second druk, she entered. And stopped. No stacks of tablets or mounds of scrolls littered the alcove. The bare walls surrounded a single high table. On the top rested a beautiful rectangular marble box and a single tablet.
Shyla moved closer. The box’s size matched the one that she’d given to the Water Prince. The one that held the fake eyes. Shyla set both druks on the table, the yellowish light shining on the smooth surface, revealing the intricate pattern. Flecks of silver and gold dotted the rich browns, creams and maroon that swirled through the marble. A very rare type of granite found only at the deepest points of Koraha.
Her hands shook as she lifted the lid. Inside nestled two round shapes covered with precious jewels.
Tamburah’s Eyes or fakes? These had blue sapphires instead of emeralds for his irises, but the rest remained the same. She searched her memories. When she’d researched Tamburah, no one had reported what color his eyes had been.
Unable to resist, she picked them up. The alcove spun around her. Her vision blurred and dimmed then brightened as if a trol lantern was suddenly uncovered. She really should have eaten. A strange vibrating heat traveled from her palms and over her wrists, then crawled up her forearms. Terrified, she returned The Eyes to the container and closed the lid.
The odd symptoms ceased. She inspected her hands and arms for burns, but nothing marked her skin. Absolutely nothing. The scars on her left wrist were gone. Did that mean The Eyes erased the scars?
No. No way the monks had the real Eyes. Right?
Shyla picked up the tablet and held it next to a druk. The ancient language matched Tamburah’s time. Translating took longer than it would have if she’d been well rested and not recovering from…well, everything.
Eventually, the lessons from her childhood crawled from the depths of her mind and the text became easier to read. It was a set of directions on how to—
Wake the power of The Eyes!
