Page 92 of The King of Koraha
“Yes. The jewels on them are very powerful.”
“I’ll say,’ Mojag said, kicking the broken pendant away.
“No wonder you asked us for help. Can we even beat these guys?”
“I’ve no idea. I don’t know how the magic in the pendants work. I can free everyone I…” Nausea swelled along with a deep shame. She forced the words out. “I coerced. But they still have their pendants and magic. That’s harder to remove.” Shyla had barely freed Rendor from Xerxes’ compulsion after their first encounter with the commander. “But I do think if you remove each person’s…black pendant, the person should recover.”
“But you died!” Mojag cried.
“I think cracking it wasn’t the right thing to do.”
“You think?”
“Mojag, be nice.”
“No, he’s right. I’ve no idea how to counter the pendants.”
“We should free Rendor. We’re going to need him,” Gurice said.
There was nothing she’d love more than having Rendor by her side, except… “That would tip off Xerxes. We’re not ready to go against him.”
“Then what do you want to do?”
By doing what you do best, the goddess had said. “Research.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m going to stay here and do research on those pendants. We need more information.”
“But you don’t have much time before you’re expected back.” Gurice peered at her as if trying to read her mind. “Are you going to pretend to be enslaved to get close to Xerxes?”
“Would he know you’ve broken your jewel?” Mojag asked. He twisted the end of his tunic as a worried expression creased his brow.
That was very possible. “If he does, then he’ll come here.”
“Why here? Why wouldn’t he expect you to run away?”
“Rendor,” Gurice said for her. “He must know you care about him.”
“Yes. And the city is filled with his mercs and the guards so I’d be spotted pretty quick. My best bet would be to remain here and recruit monks to help rescue Rendor. However, Xerxes doesn’t know the Invisible Sword have arrived in Apanji.”
“Unless Rendor told him.”
“Rendor wouldn’t,” Mojag said with a firm I’m-right-and-don’t-try-to-argue-with-me tone.
Gurice didn’t look as convinced but instead asked, “What should we do?”
Ah. Good question. Shyla considered. “Can you keep an eye on Rendor? Track his location so when it’s time to escape, I know where to find him?”
“That’s easy,” Mojag said. “Give us something harder to do.”
“Who else is here?” Shyla asked.
“Jaft and Rae insisted on coming,” Gurice said. “We also brought Vashi, Lamar, Nard, and Balin.”
Rae and Lamar were magic wielders. Jaft, Nard, Balin, and Vashi were strong fighters. Gurice was the brains and Mojag was the secret weapon. No one expected a gangly fourteen-circuit-old boy to be a threat. Yet he wielded the strongest magic of everyone in the Invisible Sword except Shyla.
“I have another task for you.” She explained what she needed them to do. “Of course our plans will all change if Xerxes figures out I’m no longer his biggest fan.”
