Page 81 of The Eyes of Tamburah
Opening the chest, he removed her pack. She froze as a sudden thought speared her. Would he take The Eyes? Bring them to the prince and claim he recovered them? Instead, he handed the pack to her. She almost collapsed back in relief. Rummaging through, she found the container and removed it. The box was about five centimeters wide, ten centimeters long, and four centimeters high. It had been crafted from marble with a blue, purple, and silver pattern. According to Ximen, it was the original container.
She opened it, showing Rendor the contents. Nestled in silk padding were two small identical “eyes” that stared back at them. Black diamonds for the pupil, a ring of green emeralds for the iris, and white topaz for the rest.
“They’re smaller than I thought,” Rendor said.
“I think they’re life-sized. From a distance they resemble real eyes. It’s creepy. And take a look at the back.” She held up the box.
Rendor carefully picked one up and turned it over. More white topaz, but also streaks of rubies.
“That’s odd isn’t it?” she asked.
“It’s realistic.” He set the gemstone back into the container.
“How do you— Oh.” Shyla imagined many people would be very cooperative if you threated to cut their eyes out. She shivered. At least he had the decency to look grim.
She closed the box and returned it to her pack. There was a hole in the leather that hadn’t been there before. Sticking a finger through it, she glanced at Rendor.
“Arrow. You were extremely lucky that it’s hard to hit a moving target with sweat stinging your eyes.” He sat on the floor next to her. If the movement pained him, he didn’t show it. “What happened after…” He made a vague gesture.
“After they staked you to the sand?”
A grunt.
“I thought you died,” she whispered.
A nod. “It seemed inevitable, but the monks…I’ve no idea why they saved me. They hate me.” He shook his head. “But you were just about to explain what you’ve been doing for the thirteen sun jumps you were missing.”
“I was?”
“Shyla.” A dangerous rumble.
At one point that tone would have scared her, but no longer. “All right.”
She repeated the story the Invisible Sword had concocted. Her fear and confusion had been real so she allowed them to color her words. “Once I convinced them that I would help, they allowed me to be part of their organization, but they didn’t trust me.” She continued with her fabricated story of working for the Invisible Sword, giving details of artifacts she found for the treasure hunters—actual ones they had stolen during that time, just in case Rendor followed up.
“They still didn’t trust me, but I learned enough about their organization that when the opportunity arose to snatch The Eyes, I did.” She touched the bandage on her shoulder. “I didn’t think they’d chase me so close to the danger zone.”
“Why not?” Rendor asked, but didn’t wait for a reply. “You saw how they popped up from the sand when they’d ambushed us. Obviously they have secret tunnels. And they disappeared soon after you were brought inside.”
Secret tunnels made more sense than magic. Perhaps the Invisible Sword just used tricks. Shyla rubbed the place she’d been marked. The knife had cut into her flesh. Blood had spilled. And no one healed that fast.
“What are you going to do with The Eyes?” Rendor asked a little too casually.
“Exactly what I said I’d do. Trade them for Banqui.”
“He’s still alive?” Rendor sounded surprised.
That alarmed her. “You don’t know?”
“I’ve been here healing and hoping. I figured if you were still alive, you’d eventually come here.”
“But the Water Prince—”
“Has already replaced me.”
“Does he think you’re dead?”
“According to the monks, he knows I survived.”
