Page 20 of The Eyes of Tamburah
By the time she trudged up the thirty-nine levels, the sun neared angle one-eighty. Cool air breezed through the corridors, sweeping the heat away. Once the sun finished its jump, there would be a hundred and eighty angles of darkness while the sun jumped around the other side of their desert world. During that time, the temperatures on the surface would drop well past zero degrees and the three upper levels would hover at zero.
Her fur kept her quite warm at night. Too bad it had been turned to rags. She sorted through the wreckage, picking up a few needed items that hadn’t been broken and putting them into her pack. Until the lock on her door was fixed, her cushions restuffed, and she purchased a new fur, she couldn’t sleep in her room. Instead, she headed toward the dining cavern for third meal.
The deacons started their routine—did they really think their censure would make her leave Zirdai when it hadn’t worked in over two circuits? She waited.
“…I wonder how a sun-kissed could afford to pay the tithe. Perhaps we should—”
The deacons clamped their mouths shut as their gazes slid past her shoulder.
Shyla shifted to the side. Rendor loomed behind her. Scorching sands, the big man hadn’t made any noise.
“Are they giving you a hard time?” Rendor asked her. Her sun cloak was draped over his arm.
All color leaked from the deacons’ faces. While they didn’t report to the captain of the guards, Rendor was one scary man with his own reputation.
“Uh, no. They’re just double-checking the list,” she said. No sense giving them another reason to hate her.
He grunted. “Has this woman ever not paid her tithe?” he asked deacon-on-the-right.
She’d gone fromsun-kissedtothis woman. Not sure if that was an improvement or not.
“No, sir.”
“Then perhaps you can find her name the first time. Or is that too difficult a task for you?”
“No, sir. Not too difficult at all, sir,” deacon-on-the-left said in a rush.
“Good.” He turned his full attention on Shyla. “Walk with me?”
It sounded more like an order than a request. “All right.”
Rendor strode down the main corridor until they reached another tunnel. This one wasn’t as bright or as crowded. He kept going until they were alone. Then he rounded on her. “Who tossed your room?”
It took her a moment to understand the question. “I don’t know.”
“Any guesses?”
“Treasure hunters and thieves probably looking for The Eyes.”
His scowl rivaled the searing heat from the sun. “That’s not helpful.”
“Why does it matter? The Eyes were never there. They didn’t take anything. Hells, it could have been someone who wants to drive the evil sun-kissed back to the desert.”
She didn’t think it possible, but his expression darkened further. Which confused her because he’d made his feelings about her quite clear. “Why would that upset you? You said so yourself that—”
“Here.” Rendor thrust her cloak into her hands. “It’s been cleaned and repaired. Any progress on finding The Eyes?”
“None so far.”
“Any leads?”
“Not yet.”
He drew in a deep breath. She braced for a lecture or a threat. Most likely she’d get both.
“Time is critical. The longer they’re gone the harder they will be to find.”
“I understand.”
