Page 120 of The Eyes of Tamburah
Shyla scanned the instructions. Just holding them wasn’t enough, but if The Eyes heated when touched, then the wielder might have the power to use the magic. It didn’t guarantee success, just implied it was possible. Her excitement died once she finished the translation. It explained why no one had attempted to wake The Eyes.
A huge sacrifice was required, along with a daunting leap of faith.
CHAPTER
19
“I see you found it,” Hanif said.
Shyla jumped about a meter. He’d made no sounds of approach. Or had she just been too shocked over her discovery? Hanif carried a cup of water and a plate of food.
“You’d been in here so long, I’d thought you might be hungry,” he said, setting them down on the table.
“You knew they were here.” She poked her finger at the container. “Why…don’t you…” The words fled as she grappled with the implications.
“It’s not our duty. We protect and observe. We encourage and train. But we don’t get directly involved.”
“So the Invisible Sword…”
“Is an organization we’ve encouraged.”
“Do they know?”
“Their commanders are aware that we have The Eyes.”
“Why not give them to the Invisible Sword?”
“They are safer here and have been here since Tamburah’s defeat.”
“But don’t they want to wake the power?”
“Except one, none of the Invisible Swords has… stirred the power.”
“One?”
“Many circuits ago, but once he read the tablet…”
She didn’t blame him. “So the part about them seeking their true leader wasn’t a lie?”
“Yes. They need a person willing to…” Even Hanif couldn’t say it aloud.
Shyla shuddered at the thought.
Hanif gazed at the marble box. “Did you open it?”
“Yes.”
“Did you touch them?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
Shyla knew exactly what he wished to know. Had she stirred the power of The Eyes. Instead of answering, she said, “They’re pretty. I didn’t know Tamburah had blue eyes.” The truth.
Hanif almost glared. She considered that a victory. And she was tired of providing information and getting nothing in return.
“What do you want to know?” he asked.
