Page 19 of The King of Koraha
“Do you agree to help us?” the King asked.
“I need to think about it,” Shyla said.
“Of course. Najib, please show Shyla to our guest quarters, and—”
“No, thank you, sire. I also need to discuss this with Rendor and I think it would be best to do that away from your…kind hospitality.”
“All right. How about you take the next sun jump to decide? Is that enough time?”
“Yes, sire.”
“Good. Najib, escort Shyla to the surface—no, wait, it’s too close to apex. Perhaps a tour of where she’d be staying if she agrees. It’s not as empty as the rest of the castle. And have her try Cook’s gamelu sausages; they’re the best.”
“Yes, sire.”
Najib escorted her from the room. He chatted about the various rooms they passed through—sitting, receiving, planning, entertaining—so many Shyla lost track of them all.
“Ah, you’re an excellent student of history. Good to see the Monks of Parzival are teaching you properly,” Najib said when she admired a statue of a wollfur—a four-legged creature that had lived in the ancient forests.
“We have a few preserved skeletons in the First Room of Knowledge. Such a shame so many species died as the sun moved closer to our world.”
“It is,” Najib agreed in a solemn tone. “There is an entire Room of Knowledge in the monastery outside of Qulsary dedicated to those creatures.”
Instantly jealous, she said, “That would be worth becoming a monk for! Tell me, do the Monks of Quirin really have ten Rooms of Knowledge?” Even though she knew the Quirin monastery was the largest in Koraha, she never trusted rumors.
“Twelve.” He grinned at her gasp. “As the King’s advisor, I can visit them all.”
“All?”
“Yes,allRooms of Knowledge inallthe monasteries. So can the King, but he prefers I doallthe work and give him a concise—in other words not boring—report.”
“I would actually enjoy doing that,” she admitted. Access to all those rooms would be beyond bliss.
“You’ve woken The Eyes and can become his advisor at any time,” Najib said.
His tone remained even, but Shyla’s magic sensed his emotional turmoil. And it wasn’t jealousy or greed or power but sadness that dominated. Najib would miss working with the King. They’d become more than colleagues during the circuits they worked together.
“I have a job. I’ve no interest in being anyone’s advisor, Najib.” And no desire to become embroiled in the King’s problems.
The swell of his relief almost made Shyla laugh.
“This job, your Invisible Swords, what are your plans?” he asked.
“To ensure no one else abuses their power in Zirdai.”
“Ah, do you think the people you left in power are in danger of being corrupted?”
“No. But there’s still plenty to do within the organization.”
“And you’re the only one to do it?”
“I know what you’re doing,” she said, sensing he planned to use the argument that the Invisible Sword could handle any problems that might arise while she was gone. Of course they could, which was why Shyla would enjoy traveling. There would be nothing to worry about except which city they’d visit next.
“Can’t blame me.” Then a beat later, he asked, “Will your Invisible Swords help other cities if needed?”
Shyla had to appreciate his persistence. “It would depend on the circumstances and our resources at the time.”
“Ah.”
