Page 50 of The Eyes of Tamburah
“Shyla,” Jayden said, stopping her.
She glanced at him. “I thought you were supposed to help me?”
“We had to gain your trust first.”
“By charging me for a fake rescue? Then selling me to the deacons? Oh, yes, that’s anexcellentplan.”
He ignored her sarcasm. “We charged for the rescue in order to get you to trust us. You wouldn’t have believed we would help you due to kindness. I was giving you time to reach level seventy-eight and fumble around before offering to lead you to the stairway when Mojag disappeared. I should have told him my plan. I thought he returned to the commune. But he realized he made a terrible mistake. He found me and confessed everything right away. That’s why we knew where you were. We rescued you as fast as we could.”
It took her a moment to really understand what they had done. “You risked your lives for me?”
“Of course. It was the right thing to do. Anyone would have done the same.”
Except they wouldn’t. Not for a sun-kissed. She studied him. What scam was he working now? Pretend she wasn’t any different to get her to trust him. Unless he really believed she was worth risking his life for? Did it matter why he did it? No. She didn’t care about these people and their agendas.
“Just tell me where I can find the black river,” she said.
“I’ll go one better and show you.”
“No. Tell me.”
“It’s too complicated.”
Nice try. “I’ve a map you can mark.” She dug in her pack, checking the contents. Everything was there except the last of her coins. Shyla shot Mojag a sharp glare. He had the decency to look sheepish.
“Mojag, give her back her coins,” Jayden ordered, correctly interpreting their silent exchange.
“I already gave them to the collective. Sorry,” the boy said to his feet.
“How many?”
“Two.”
Jayden dug into his pocket.
“Keep them,” Shyla said. They weren’t hers anyway. “They should cover Zhek’s services.” She took out the map and a stick of charcoal, handing both to Jayden.
He spread it out on the floor and studied it. Gurice and Mojag peered over his shoulder. Both had the same oval-shaped face, light green eyes, and chestnut-colored skin. The resemblance between the two was now obvious.
“Brother?” she asked Gurice.
“Yeah,” she said, with that combination of exasperation mixed with love.
And for a moment, Shyla stood in the monastery bickering with Karlin and Easan over who deserved that last piece of pie.
“Your map is useless,” Jayden said, jerking her from the past.
“Just do your best.”
He sighed and sketched a few lines, drew a couple of arrows. “In this area on level seventy-three, I’m not sure of all the turns, but there’s this air…conduit that you have to crawl through. It smells like rotten cheese.” Then he reached level seventy-eight. “Here’s a stairwell that just goes straight down. But be careful, there’s steps missing. Then at the bottom…” He drew a curvy line. “And don’t make any noise when you’re down there. It carries and it won’t be long until the entire guard is chasing you.” Jayden shot Mojag a pointed glare.
“I had to sneeze,” the boy said in his defense.
Jayden marked a thick black line. “The river’s not very long or wide, but you should be able to find it.” Jayden folded the map and handed it to her.
“Thank you.”
He stood and brushed off his pants. “Let me guide you. It’ll be safer.”
