Page 44 of The Eyes of Tamburah
She yanked them free. “I keep my promises.” Dipping into her bag, she removed the purse and tossed it to Jayden.
He caught it with one hand. While he tipped the coins out into his palm, she dug for the rest.
“Four? That’s it?”
“Plus four more.” She added them to the pile. “There.”
“That’s not enough,” Mojag said. He matched her height, but probably weighed less. “We could get fifty from the Heliacal Priestess.”
“We had a deal,” she said. “Now if you could just—”
“Show you the way out?” Jayden asked. “Not without a price.”
Ah. Smart guy. “How much?”
“Ten coins.”
“I could just follow you. Unless you plan to stay here indefinitely?”
He tilted his head. “You could, but we’ll just take you back to our friends.”
“Four,” she countered. “Two now and two more when we get somewhere I recognize.”
“You don’t trust us?” Jayden pressed a hand to his chest.
“The last people I trusted tossed me into the air shaft. So no trust.” Not ever again.
“Can’t we just knock her out, take her bag and leave, Jayden?” Mojag asked.
Yet another reason not to trust, but Shyla grinned at the idea of hitting someone right now. “Go ahead. Try.”
“Eight,” Jayden said.
“Six, and I don’t tell the guards about your net.” As long as the air shaft wasn’t blocked, the guards wouldn’t notice the net.
“Hey!” Mojag said. “That’s not fair!”
“And wanting to sell me and then rob me is fair?”
“Six, then,” Jayden agreed.
She gave him three more coins.
He picked up the lantern, but she gestured for him and Mojag to go first. It’d be a long time before she’d be comfortable with someone behind her.
Mojag chattered the entire trip as if the boy—she realized he was much younger than Jayden—was incapable of keeping quiet. Mostly he complained about being conned out of more coins. She ignored him. Eventually they reached the edge of an area she recognized.
Shyla hugged her arms tight, suppressing a shudder. She’d fallen twelve levels to level fifty-one. At least she was familiar with the area. Banqui’s main residence was nearby, in an area built for those who had extra coin to spend on a suite of rooms.
She paid her guides another three coins, relieved to be parted with the noxious duo. Covering her hair with her wrap, she grabbed a druk and sought an isolated spot. Now she had to avoid both deacons and guards until she brought the vial back to Hanif.
Once she found an empty tunnel, she consulted her map. The only piece of information she had was that secret stairway on level seventy-eight. However, considering the source of that nugget, she doubted it was accurate. At least she should rule it out before…she’d no idea of her next step.
The map showed her a few ways to go down to level seventy-eight—most right in the middle of the city. She picked one on the edge and hoped for the best. While folding the map, the crunch-shuffle of many boots pierced the quiet. One thing about living in Zirdai, it was difficult to sneak up on anyone while wearing boots. It sounded like two or three people heading toward her. So much for her isolated spot. Time to go.
Except it sounded like the noise emanated from both directions. The blue glows confirmed it. She set her pack and lantern down and stripped off her wrap just as four deacons appeared—two on each side.
“See, I told you I found the sun-kissed,” Mojag said from behind one of the men.
