Page 57 of The King of Koraha
“We’re not.”
She looked around and didn’t recognize anything even though there were directional markers scratched into the walls at each intersection. “Where are we going?”
“To the heart cavern. Did you get a chance to read Xerxes?”
“No. He never met my gaze.” She wondered if that had been on purpose. Xerxes knew she was more than the King’s emissary. The mercs that had attacked Lota’s caravan had been after her. “Why are we going there?”
“To see something glorious.” Rendor grinned.
She remembered the suggestion from the woman who rented the rooms to be there at apex. Except that was sixty angles away. “Was it glorious?”
“I don’t know. I was worried about you and didn’t pay attention. But I do know it was crowded beforehand. Plus the market is there.”
“Which means there’ll be too many witnesses.”
“Yes. That might make Xerxes hesitate if he’s planning something. Also it’s easy to get lost in a crowd.”
“For us? Or for them?”
“Both.”
“Devious. I approve.”
“If it works. Xerxes won’t be easily misled.”
“What are you thinking?”
Rendor explained his strategy to separate one of the mercs from the rest. It was smart and simple. Except before they reached the heart cavern a wall of oversized men appeared, blocking the far end of the tunnel. Shyla glanced over her shoulder to see another blockade behind them.
Seemed Xerxes had another idea in mind.
Eight
No one else was trapped in the tunnel with Shyla and Rendor. Why did that always happen? There must be some magical twist of fate that arranged these inconvenient coincidences. There had been people around them not too long ago. Did everyone just have an instinct to disappear before trouble? Rendor hadn’t been traveling through forgotten passages or keeping to the edges of the city. Yet there was not a soul in sight.
Instead, there were at least six men waiting for them ahead and another half a dozen behind.
Rendor pulled his sword when Xerxes’ men parted to allow him through. Shyla reached out with her magic. Thirteen people were within her range to influence. But she waited. Might as well learn exactly what Xerxes planned first. It would save them guessing later.
“Relax, Captain,” Xerxes said. “I only wish to talk to you both.”
“There are friendlier ways to arrange a meeting,” Rendor said.
“Would you have met me at a location that I picked in advance?” His focus was on Rendor.
“It depends if it was in a public place or not.”
Xerxes laughed. “It wouldn’t matter. My soldiers have gotten away with quite a lot in so-called public places. Most people go through their lives blind to what’s around them. And they’re easily distracted.”
“So instead you ambush us in a tunnel.”
“Which you expected. Come on, Captain, you can’t say this is a surprise. You spotted my soldiers following you as soon as you left your meeting with the princess.”
“What do you want to talk about?” Rendor asked.
“Your mission for the King, of course.”
“Are you going to confess?” Shyla asked, startling him into finally meeting her gaze.
