Page 34 of The Eyes of Tamburah
His voice banished all her loneliness and problems with its rich timbre. Comfort, safety and, at one point, love rested in those tones. Anger, frustration, and heartache also reverberated inside the familiar sound.
Shyla turned. Hanif stood at the edge of the reading room. He hadn’t changed at all. Straight black hair with not a hint of grey despite his age. Like most of the other monks, his deep brown skin matched hers. Wearing a simple red tunic and pants, he might be mistaken for an ordinary monk, but there was no misinterpreting the aura of power that surrounded him. The monks considered him their leader. Shyla had looked to him as a father figure. Not anymore.
“Your companion is worried,” Hanif said.
“I warned him it might take me a while.”
He stiffened at her casual tone. “Do you know he is in the employ of the Water Prince?”
How in the world did Hanif know that? Perhaps the monks were not as isolated as they liked everyone to believe. “I’m well aware.”
“Are you aware of how dangerous that man is?”
She refused to answer.
A snort. “Of course not. Not without evidence. Right, Shyla?”
Anger boiled. He’d lost the right to chastise her. “Are you done? I’ve work to do.”
“How much longer will you be here?” The clipped words a danger sign that he, too, was close to losing his temper.
“Until I find the information I need.”
“That man needs to leave now. You can come back—”
“No, I can’t. And he’s allowed succor within the monastery,” she shot back.
Hanif drew in a deep breath, held it, then released it in one long sigh. “Why can’t you return?”
“I don’t have time.”
“Are you in trouble?”
The familiar retort—why do you always assume I’m in trouble?—pressed on her lips. But a more sensible part of her refrained. Plus she was. Instead, she considered her answer. Hanif would know if she lied. “My friend is. I need to help him recover an artifact.”
“And if you fail?”
“He dies.”
“That explains the watchdog.” Hanif’s gaze swept the table. “What knowledge do you seek?”
She paused. Technically, the monks were under the King of Koraha’s protection. In exchange, they prayed for him and warned him of any possible danger. However, she doubted Hanif would bother to report a girl hunting a myth.
Showing him the symbol, she said, “I’m looking for information on a group called the Invisible Sword.”
“You won’t find it here.” He didn’t even hesitate.
“I know they probably don’t exist, but—”
“They existed. The historical account that you need is located in the Second Room of Knowledge.”
Hope bloomed. “Can you tell me about them?”
“No.”
“Can I access the Second Room of Knowledge?”
“No.”
