Page 40 of The City of Zirdai
Jayden’s horror matched her own. “That was five sun jumps ago.”
Her next thought was equally ghastly. Did they bring the child back to the city when their trap didn’t work only to take the poor thing back out the next sun jump? This had to stop. Now.
“Even if they’re expecting us, we can’t walk away,” she said.
“Agreed. But unless the monks fight—”
“They won’t.”
“Then it’s two against four and they’ll see us coming.” Jayden rubbed his hands together. “I’m okay with that.”
Was she? They couldn’t influence or manipulate the Arch Deacons, but they could move the sand. Perhaps a cloud to hide them or— “What an idiot!”
“I hope you’re not talking about me.”
“No.” She rushed to explain her plan. “Do you think it’ll work?”
“If it doesn’t we can always fall back on plan B.”
“Fists and feet?”
“And knives.” Jayden pulled his from his belt and brandished it. “Might as well put on a show.”
Shyla added learn-how-to-fight-with-a-knife to her list of things to do. Going up against two Arch Deacons without a weapon was a daunting prospect. She hoped her crazy scheme worked.
As she and Jayden crested the dune, Shyla didn’t need to read the hidden monks’ thoughts. No doubt they were questioning her intelligence.
The Arch Deacons spotted them immediately. The four formed a line between them and the baby on the sand. They drew their weapons—short swords, sharp and slightly curved. Jayden’s knife looked like a child’s toy in comparison.
“Ah, the Blessed One was correct that you wouldn’t be able to resist,” said an Arch Deacon. He stood on the far left and had to be the leader. “Come with us, Sun-kissed, and your companion can take the baby and go.”
“That’s a decent offer. What do you think?” Jayden asked her.
“I think the Arch Deacon is a son of a sand demon and should be left on the surface to die.” She stared at the man but concentrated on his feet.
“Ouch.” Jayden pressed his free hand to his chest. He turned to the Arch Deacon. “The truth hurts, doesn’t it?”
“Enough of this,” the man said, then to his companions, “Don’t kill the sun-kissed.”
The Arch Deacons stepped forward. Or, rather, they tried. The sand underneath them no longer supported their weight. Shyla increased her will, creating a deeper hole under the leader. Jayden focused on the other three.
Amid cries of disbelief and fear, the quartet sank up to their chests—a comical sight. Their arms remained on the surface and they struggled to break free. Jayden used the sand to yank the swords from their hands. The weapons disappeared into a dune. Then the grains trapped the men’s arms.
Not wasting time, Shyla crouched in front of the leader. She yanked the torque from his throat, then met his terrified gaze.
“You should be scared,” she said. Not bothering to question him, she probed the depths of his mind.
As she’d feared, they’d been setting this trap for the last couple sun jumps. They thought they’d be safe from her magic with the torques.
Shyla gave him a cold smile. “You’re never safe from me. And inform the Heliacal Priestess that if she tries to abandon another baby, everyone will be dragged deep under the sand and left there to die.”
Jayden removed the torques from the other three. Then they put the four Arch Deacons to sleep. Shyla scooped up the baby. Sweat glistened on its dark skin and the poor thing was overheated. Dehydrated, too—no tears leaked from its eyes and its wails were weak gasps. The blanket was twisted around the baby’s body. Shyla pulled it off and paused. The boy wasn’t sun-kissed. Outrage and horror filled her. The Heliacal Priestess had taken someone’s baby to trap Shyla.
The monks approached but then stopped as if afraid to come any closer.
“Are they dead?” Lota asked, nodding at the half-buried forms.
“No, sleeping. Before we leave, we’ll loosen the sand and wake them up so they can get inside before the danger zone.”
