Page 25 of The Eyes of Tamburah
“Ohhh, good one.” He dragged another cushion close to hers and sat down. The humorous glint in his eyes died. “At least you’ve confirmed the Heliacal Priestess does not have The Eyes.”
Confused, she said, “I thought we knew that before.”
“We guessed. However, if she had The Eyes, then the smart thing for her to do would be to wait, pretending she didn’t have them so she could spend that time planning her takeover of Zirdai. Then she would strike with a surprise attack.”
And Shyla thought her head hurt before.
“But now we know she is desperate to get them. What did she promise you in exchange?”
The effects of the holy water no longer controlled her tongue. She debated what to tell him. “She offered to absolve me of my sins so I may have a blessed afterlife.”
“In other words, forced suicide. Nice of her. You didn’t believe her…did you?” His hopeful tone sounded almost too…practiced.
“I am sun-cursed.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Unable to sit still, the prince stood. He paced. “It’s an ancient prejudice over people born with yellow hair and has nothing to do with a so-called Sun Goddess. It’s barbaric and something I’ve been wanting to stop inmycity. Except the Heliacal Priestess—” he spat her name out “—encourages such thoughts and sacrifices. She rewards the pious for murdering their own children.”
Shyla shrank back, glad that his fury was not directed at her.
“I don’t have enough power to stop her. Not yet.” He stared at Shyla. “If I had The Eyes, then that would be the first thing I’d change.”
“Why can’t you stop them now?” she asked.
“I’ve tried.” Sighing, he settled back on the cushion. “But the parents contact the deacons right away. They take the baby to the surface, leaving the child exposed to the sun. My people never hear about it in time—it’s always too late.”
“The monks—”
“Will rescue some babies, but many die before they can be found.” He swept a tendril of her hair from her face. “That’s why I called you a survivor. You fought for your life.”
She considered his words and remembered the priestess’s threat. “Why does the Heliacal Priestess allow the monks to rescue the sun-kissed?”
“She doesn’t. In fact, she hates that they do, but she can’t stop them. Her deacons are no match for the monks and I refuse to help her. But I guarantee that if she gets Tamburah’s Eyes, one of her first acts will be to overpower the monks. That would give her access to the Rooms of Knowledge, and she will sacrifice all the sun- kissed she finds living there.”
While Shyla didn’t believe The Eyes would tip the balance of power, she also couldn’t risk her family getting hurt by the Heliacal Priestess. She told him about the woman’s claim that she would free Banqui first.
He stilled. “You lied to me.”
The Water Prince’s warning tone sent fear skittering along her spine. “No,” she rushed to explain. “She did offer to absolve me of my sins.”
The muscles along his jaw tightened.
Suddenly exhausted, Shyla cradled her head in her hands. “Sorry. I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“What did you tell her about The Eyes?” he asked in a soft voice.
She lifted her head and met his gaze. “She assumed I would hand The Eyes to her so I didn’t have to promise anything.”
“Good. Have you made any progress?”
“I’ve discovered who doesn’t have The Eyes.”
“In other words, not much. What’s next?”
“Would it be possible for me to talk to Banqui?” she asked, taking a risk. The prince had never offered proof that Banqui was his prisoner nor had she asked. The archeologist could be dead for all Shyla knew.
Once again he stilled. “Why do you need to talk to him?”
She chose her words with the utmost care. “I’ve some ideas, but I don’t want to pursue them if Banqui already ruled them out.”
