Page 123 of The Eyes of Tamburah
Gurice brought in a few other volunteers, including Mojag. A number of acolytes, including Lian, Elek, Jaft, and even Rae accepted her invitation.
Shyla hadn’t asked Rendor yet. Not sure why she saved him for last, but deep down she suspected Zhek might balk and Rendor… Well, she’d no idea about his reaction. Best to get it over with as soon as possible. Jayden couldn’t hold out much longer.
* * *
“Come in,” Rendor said.
This time Shyla didn’t hesitate. She strode into his room. He sat at his desk, writing on a scroll, but he set the stylus down when he saw her.
“You’ve been busy,” he said in a neutral tone. “I wondered if you were going to visit me.”
Meaning the gossip network worked faster than she did. Leaving no time for niceties, she asked, “Would you like to join the Invisible Sword instead of becoming a monk?”
No surprised reaction, just contemplation. “I thought they were routed and only a handful survived.”
“I’m rebuilding and recruiting.”
“Are you also going to lead?”
“Yes.”
“It’s dangerous.”
An understatement. “Yes, it is. That’s why I need you.”
“Is that the only reason?” he asked.
This was a part of why she waited to talk to him last. “Rendor…” She summoned her courage. “I’m…confused about you. My heart longs to forgive and forget and jump into your arms. Yet I can’t follow my heart because my brain is sending out bright red warning signals. Your desire to atone is wonderful, but it all could be an act. I’m obviously a horrible judge of character because so many people managed to fool me.” She laced her hands together to keep her emotions from derailing the conversation. “However, despite my track record, I decided to take a number of risks. And these choices I’ve made are with no doubts, all in, go for it, one hundred percent. I’m not going to angst over bad choices. I’ll either succeed or fail.”
“Do or die?”
“Yes.”
“If I join the Invisible Sword, you still won’t trust me.”
“I’ll trust you with my life and the lives of the other members, but I won’t risk my heart.”
“Ah. Then I need to prove to your heart my genuine determination to make amends.”
“Yes.”
“And then will you jump into my arms?”
Figured he remembered that bit. “Yes.”
He grinned. “I’m all in. One hundred percent.”
“Before you agree, I need to explain a few things to you about the Invisible Sword.” She told him about the magic.
“I thought you said that magic wasn’t real. Have they tricked you?” he asked.
“At first I thought it was a form of hypnotism, but it’s not and I don’t have any factual information to describe how or why it works…it just does.”
He rubbed his injured shoulder. “When I was staked to the sand, I watched them vanish with you like burrowing sand devils. Was that magic?”
“Yes. And do you remember those thirteen sun jumps I disappeared?”
His grumpy scowl creased his face. “Hard to forget.”
