Page 128 of The Eyes of Tamburah
Stay still.
Then a searing inferno ignited inside her eye socket. Before she had time to process, a second sharp agony dug into her left eye. This time she couldn’t stop a harsh scream from escaping. Another blazing fire erupted in her left eye socket. Her world turned black.
But the burn. Oh, the burn. No longer able to hold still, she thrashed as the pain intensified, only dimly aware of hands holding her down. Her eyelids scraped over a hard gritty mass like a ball of solid sand. Voices shouted and argued.
“Take those damn things out,” Zhek ordered at one point.
She spit the leather roll out. “No,” she gasped. It was supposed to hurt. Right?
Another blast of sizzling heat engulfed her. So hot she thought she stood on the surface with the sun directly overhead and not a velbloud in sight. Maybe it wasn’t supposed to hurt this bad.
“It’s not working,” Hanif said.
“No,” she screamed. “Let…” Panting for breath, she tried again. “Give…it…time.”
A bright yellow light pierced her vision and another intense burn spread. Yet this time the grit and rough edges underneath her eyelids smoothed. She bucked as a second blast of light and pain rolled through. Then a third. And a fourth. Each time the uncomfortable scrape eased. After a final explosion of light, the pain disappeared.
She sagged against the person holding her—Rendor. Energy spent, all she wanted to do was curl up in his arms and stay there. She kept her eyes closed, afraid any movement would bring pain.
“What just happened?” Zhek asked. “Is her heart still beating?”
A rumbled reply.
“Let me examine her, you big brute,” Zhek ordered.
She almost smiled. Rendor laid her on the altar, but then took her hand in his.
Zhek’s cold fingers pressed on her neck. “She’s alive. Shyla, are you awake?”
Her throat hurt too much to speak, so she nodded.
“Well?” Hanif asked. “Did it work?”
“Open your eyes, dear child.”
“Too bright,” she rasped.
“Lower the druks,” Hanif ordered.
The yellow glow on the other side of her eyelids dimmed. She squeezed Rendor’s hand and opened her eyes. Blurry figures surrounded her. Smears of faces staring down. Lots of faces. She blinked. Everything sharpened just a bit. Another couple of blinks and the blobs turned into recognizable people. They gazed at her with a variety of concerned, horrified, and anxious expressions. No one breathed. They were waiting for her.
“So nice toseeyou all,” she said.
Cheers erupted. Smiles bloomed. Mojag danced around and high-fived Gurice. Hanif beamed.
And Zhek pulled on her lower eyelids to examine her eyes. “There’s no evidence of trauma. They appear normal—except for the change in eye color. I hope you like sapphire blue. If you need anything for the pain—”
“I’m not in pain.” And it was true. The relief left her lightheaded. And she rather liked blue eyes.
He harrumphed. “I’m sure it won’t be long until you’ll need my services.”
Zhek acted annoyed and upset, but he was glad and thankful that the foolishness worked. Huh? How did she know that?
She turned to Rendor. He still held her hand. Her blood stained his tunic.
“You had us all worried,” he said.
If he’d blinded her, he never would have forgiven himself. Again Shyla wondered where those foreign thoughts were coming from. Not thoughts, exactly. She just…knew.
