Page 27 of The Eyes of Tamburah
Nice of him to warn her, but her stomach still tightened with apprehension. She almost trod on his heels as they resumed their journey.
By the second landing, a bright purple haze emanated from below. The staircase ended in a large room. Dozens of druk lanterns hung from the walls. A bunch of guards occupied the space, many of them sitting at the rough stone tables or standing by the metal doors blocking all the other entrances…or were they exits? She counted five women, eight men, and six doors.
When they noticed Rendor, they stood or straightened to attention.
“At ease,” Rendor said.
They relaxed.
One leered at Shyla. “Did you bring us a new toy?” he asked.
Instinctively, Shyla stepped toward Rendor. The captain stared at the man without saying a word.
The man blanched. “Sorry, sir. How can we help you sir?”
“I need to see the archeologist,” Rendor said in a deep growl.
The guard scurried to comply, unlocking the third entrance on the left. Rendor grabbed a druk and indicated Shyla should do the same. When they entered the dark tunnel, she kept an eye on the man with the big mouth, but he remained in the guard room. The metal door swung closed behind them with a clang. And she almost ran into Rendor when the lock snapped shut. If it hadn’t been for their druks, they would have been in complete darkness. Now she understood why they were called the black cells.
The tunnel sloped downward. The two druks were not strong enough to illuminate more than a meter around them. A faint wail of pain echoed off the stone walls just a few steps before a fetid stench slapped her in the face. She covered her nose with the sleeve of her tunic, but it was far too late. The combination of unwashed bodies, urine, and shit had invaded her senses. Her eyes watered and bile pushed up her throat, threatening to gag her.
Rendor leaned close. “Do not look into the cells we pass or you’re likely to throw up.”
She peered at him. If he was bothered by the terrible smell, he didn’t show it. He waited until she nodded. It was easy to keep her gaze firmly on Rendor’s broad muscular back, but it was impossible not to hear the frantic pleas for help, for water, for food. The implorations for death stabbed her right in the heart. Those poor souls.
Shyla shivered as the temperature dropped again—almost as cold as the top levels during darkness. Puddles of…muck stained the floor. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed bars lined each cell.
Rendor stopped and gestured to the left. Shyla turned and stifled a gasp. Lying on a stone bench in a tiny space, Banqui squinted his swollen black eyes in the weak violet light. Bruises and cuts marked the rest of his face. His clothes were ripped and bloody.
Banqui pushed up to his elbow and blocked the light with his other hand. “Shyla?”
Too horrified to speak, she just stared.
“Shyla!” He scrambled off the bench and grabbed the bars, pressing his forehead against them. “I told you to run and hide! You stubborn girl. Now, you’re caught, too.”
“No. I’m not…” Unable to meet his concerned gaze, she dropped hers. A disconnected part of her mind noted that Banqui’s feet were bare and the source of the stench came from a hole in the floor. Presumably there must be one in every cell.
“What’s going on?” Banqui asked. “Why are you here? Did you find The Eyes?”
“I’ll wait for you over here,” Rendor said, moving back the way they’d come a few meters, giving the illusion of privacy.
“I haven’t found them.” She quickly explained what had happened. “I need to know who you asked about them.”
Banqui ran a hand over his face. “Everyone.”
“What about before they were stolen? Did anyone know you were searching for them? One of your colleagues perhaps?”
“No. I didn’t even tell my diggers it was Tamburah’s temple they’d opened. You and I are the only ones who knew.” He lowered his voice. “There is only one explanation. You need to find out more information on that ancient symbol. That will lead you in the right direction.”
“I tried. I went to the university’s library and found nothing.”
Banqui reached through the bars and touched her arm. “You have to keep trying. Please don’t give up. That symbol will take you to The Eyes.Trust me.”
How could she refuse his desperate plea? “All right.”
He wilted with relief. “You’ll find them, I know you will.”
For his sake, she hoped so. She said goodbye and followed Rendor to the guard room. Distracted, she didn’t bother to gawk at the prince’s rooms. Her mind whirled, trying to figure out her next move.
