Page 89 of The Eyes of Tamburah
Shyla Sun-kissed? That almost sounded like a title. “Give us a moment, please,” she said to the lieutenant.
“You have half an angle.”
The acolytes drew closer to her.
“Should we draw this out? Make it appear as if they have a chance?” Lian asked Shyla in a whisper. “Or else they’ll send twice as many next time.”
“A good idea, but we can’t linger,” she whispered. “Knock them out fast, so they can’t go run for help.”
“What about the ones who’ve been following and watching us from the shadows?” Jaft asked her.
Jaft impressed her by picking up on that. The shadows watchers were either vagrants or hunters. “We can’t engage them until they attack. Focus on the octet in front of us. Follow my lead and jump in after I go.” Shyla’s words may have sounded confident, but a nervous tremble accelerated the beat of her heart. They’d only reached level thirty-five. And even the acolytes had limits to their strength and stamina.
Shyla put her arms up. “All right, I give up.” Waving her hands to opposite sides of the cavern, she shooed the acolytes away. “Go before the lieutenant changes her mind.”
As if leaving, Elek and Lian moved to the left, while Rae and Jaft moved right. Shyla walked slowly toward the officer with her arms still raised. “I don’t know why there’s all this fuss over me.” She gesticulated wildly and altered her route just a bit to keep a table between her and the woman. “I told the other guards, I’ve a meeting with the Water Prince.”
“Then why did he order you arrested on sight?” she asked.
“A miscommunication.” Shyla reached the table and lowered her arms.
“Uh huh. Then why the bodyguards?”
“I’ve something very valuable to deliver to him. And, no offense, but I don’t trust his guards to make the delivery for me.” Shyla removed her pack. Careful not to make any sudden movements.
The guards tensed. All their focus trained on her. The lieutenant eyed her with suspicion as she set the pack onto the table. All the woman had to do was thrust her sword forward and stab Shyla in the stomach, which tightened with anxiety.
“How about a deal?” Shyla asked her.
Her eyebrow quirked.
“I’ve a priceless artifact inside here.” Shyla fumbled at the clasp as if in a hurry then “accidently” dropped her pack onto the floor. “Oops. Sorry.” She crouched down on her haunches to retrieve it.
Instead of grabbing it, she launched up and jumped onto the table. Taken completely by surprise, the lieutenant gaped at her.
“Sorry,” Shyla said right before she kicked the woman in the head, aiming for her temple.
As the woman toppled, her team charged Shyla. Except they’d forgotten about her bodyguards, who had used the distraction to maneuver around behind them. They too used the tables to gain a height advantage.
The fight wasn’t pretty. Nor was it fair, but they didn’t have time for fair.
When the last guard collapsed to the ground unconscious, Shyla gestured for the acolytes to follow her. She sped through the tunnels and stairwells, leading them to the outskirts of Zirdai. The shadow watchers wouldn’t wait much longer, and now they knew she carried something precious.
This strategy gained them another twenty-one levels. She found a secluded spot to rest on level fifty-six. The acolytes needed food and water before the next encounter. No doubt there would be one since Shyla’s map showed tunnels that no longer existed. Any more wrong turns and they’d end up being the dead part of a dead end.
Shyla explained her plan. Once rested, they would creep back to the more populated areas until they reached level sixty-two. From there she would lead them toward Jayden’s commune and then follow Jayden’s directions down to level seventy-three. The commune there should be empty, but she would avoid it regardless. It’d be during the time of darkness, which would limit the number of people in the public tunnels. The acolytes agreed with her reasoning.
Her confidence in the plan lasted until level sixty-one. She expected deacons to come after her. That wasn’t the surprise. No. What amazed her was the sheer numbers of deacons roaming the level searching for her.
Now she wished she could do that chanting thingy that turned her invisible. She and her accomplices just managed to avoid a couple quartets before retreating to level sixty.
“What’s next?” Jaft asked.
No way they’d get past all those deacons. Shyla searched her memory. When Jayden and his team had rescued her from Iskemu, they’d encountered no one along the route they took. Unfortunately, she’d been a bit traumatized by her encounter so she hadn’t paid attention. If only there was some way to skip the level—Scorching hells!
“Shyla, what’s wrong?” Lian asked her.
“Did any of you bring along a spider kit?”
