Page 10 of The Eyes of Tamburah
“Yet as soon as you figured out who I was, you panicked. Why? You had nofactsabout me.”
Clever. “Banqui is scared of you, and I trust him.”
“And I threatened you.”
True. She couldn’t resist asking, “Is Banqui in one of your special rooms?”
“Not yet.” His gaze sharpened. “That will depend on you.”
“Me?” Did her voice just squeak? Yes, it did.
“Yes. Despite my reputation, I’m a reasonable man. I apologized for my bit of temper earlier and we’ve been having a nice conversation ever since—there’s a fact in my favor.” His smile made the trol light seem dim in comparison.
Her heart flipped in her chest and it had nothing to do with fear.
“Banqui says you’re the best so I’m hiring you to find The Eyes for me.”
Not good. She had no idea how to go about it. “But that’s—”
“In exchange for recovering The Eyes, I will release Banqui.”
Swallowing the dread lumped in her throat, she asked, “What if I can’t find them?”
His expression turned cold. “Then Banqui will meet the same fate as his predecessors.”
So much for being a reasonable man. In desperation, she appealed to his intelligence. “I don’t have the contacts in Zirdai needed for this job. Not many people will talk to me. I can’t pay for information. Banqui thinks I’m the best, but he’s the only one. The clients who haven’t been referred by Banqui only hire me when they’re desperate.”
The Water Prince gazed at her with an amused half-smile. “Since my soldiers have found nothing, I guess you could say I am desperate. And not to worry, as your client, I will provide the funds and I will give you my sigil. If anyone refuses to cooperate, show it to them. If they still refuse, I will ensure they change their minds.”
He countered every one of her arguments with ease. Shyla had no other choice. She was as trapped as if she’d just stepped onto a patch of sluff sand. The more she struggled the faster she would sink. Best to remain still and hope for rescue. Except it was Banqui’s life at risk and not her own. That made it worse.
“All right, I will do my best to find The Eyes.”
“I expect nothing less.” He held out his hand.
Shyla grasped it. His hand was warm and calloused, which was a surprise. He had a firm handshake. She met his intense gaze.
“You have the most unusual eye color—it’s like liquid gold. Do all sun-kissed have the same color?”
“No.” There were about a dozen sun-kisseds at the monastery, but only two had eyes close to her color. One older monk’s eyes matched the sun’s golden red hue exactly.
“May I touch your hair?” he asked.
“Uh…” Kinda creepy.
“Pardon my curiosity, but I’ve never met a sun-kissed before.”
At least he hadn’t fondled her while she was passed out on his cushion. “Sure.”
The Water Prince stroked the pale yellow hair on the uninjured side of her head. His fingers combed through the long strands—her tie was long gone so it flowed to the middle of her back. A shiver raced over her skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake.
“It feels like silk. I’d thought the sun would have dried it out like a velbloud’s coarse hair. Thank you.”
Silk? He was being kind. Considering that she’d sweated, crawled through tunnels, and fallen to the ground, she thought velbloud hair a more accurate description. She suppressed the urge to run her hands through it.
A light knock broke the awkward silence.
“Come,” he called.
