Page 62 of The King of Koraha
“Not yet,” Shyla said.
Najib gave them a questioning look.
“We’ll explain in your office.”
“You better be quick. News of your arrival is traveling throughout the castle as we speak. If the news reaches the King before you do, his anger will shrivel you.”
“Shrivel?” Rendor asked.
“You’ll sweat. A lot. So much that your muscles will cramp and your head will ache.”
“Speaking from experience?”
“Unfortunately.” Najib led them to his office. He didn’t offer tea or invite them to sit down. “What’s going on?”
She briefly explained what they’d learned. When he opened his mouth to ask for more information, she stopped him. “We need to talk to the King without any of his guards in the room. Is that possible?”
“They’re all loyal. You said yourself they didn’t steal the taxes,” Najib said.
“Izusa is sending Xerxes information. She’s getting it from Malik, who is a guard. We need Xerxes to believe we did what he ordered. So we need two audiences with the King. One to give him the false information, and the other for the truth.”
“Oh, I see. They’re with him constantly.”
“Even in his sleeping chamber?”
“They’re just outside the doors.”
“Is there another way in?” Rendor asked.
“No. And they check it before the King enters.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Shyla said. Then she explained her plan. “Can you pretend to be smitten with Xerxes?” she asked Rendor.
“I can,” he said, but his gaze promised she’d pay for usingsmittenlater.
She responded with an I’m-looking-forward-to-it grin. “Good.”
Najib took them to the King’s office and they put on a performance for his guards. It didn’t matter if Malik was there or not; they’d tell him everything. Shyla’s stomach twisted over lying to the King. He seemed so relieved that Xerxes was handling it. He invited them to stay in the castle as long as they liked and even offered them a small percentage of the coins that Xerxes would recover for their efforts.
“Best to drink lots of water before you tell him the truth,” Najib said once they were alone again.
Around angle two-forty, Najib escorted them to the King’s suite. Shyla distracted the guards on duty while Najib unlocked the doors. They slipped inside and she kept her connection to the guards until Najib was well away.
The amount of rooms was impressive. Water fountains gurgled in every one. Thick rugs coated the floors. Lush fabrics hung on the walls, absorbing the moisture and muting the sounds.
When they entered the King’s sleeping chamber, they stopped in surprise. The King’s sleeping cushion was surrounded by a pool of dark water. Rendor recovered first. He crouched next to it and stuck his hand into the water.
“It’s not deep so it’s not for protection.” He straightened. “There’s also no place to hide.”
Shyla glanced around. The chamber was about five meters wide by seven meters long. The cushion and pool took up most of the space, leaving a meter-wide strip between the water and the doorway. The King obviously dressed in another room. Perhaps the one next to the massive water closet.
“We can stand in the corner,” Shyla said. “I’ll hide us from the guards.”
“What about the King? You can’t use The Eyes on him.”
“If he yells for the guards, I’ll stop them and erase their memories. But I hope the King figures out why we’re hiding in his room before that happens.”
Waiting was never fun. Every noise from the hallway outside the King’s suite sent her heart into spasms. Boredom filled the spaces in between as they couldn’t talk or do anything that might distract them. Because as soon as the key turned in the lock, they would retreat to the sleeping chamber.
