Page 49 of The City of Zirdai
Orla welcomed them. The older woman fussed over Mojag, sending him to get something decent to eat—a kind and cutting gesture at the same time. Though maybe Shyla was just feeling guilty for not providing fresh food for her members.
“Oh my goodness, no,” Orla said when they asked her about a missing baby. “I haven’t heard anything about that. The deacons have done some questionable and downright horrific things over the circuits, but that’s a new low.” She paused. “I’d hate to think this of my fellow Zirdains, but there is a possibility that the babe was…donated by either a devout mother or a desperate one. We get many young mothers here who can no longer afford to pay taxes and tithes for two.”
In that case, the mother would be harder to find and probably wouldn’t want the baby returned to her. And that was another sad state of affairs that needed to be rectified. Children under the age of two circuits should be exempt from paying taxes and tithes. More guilt pressed on her shoulders as she wondered whether she was wasting time chasing after Rendor.
“Have you heard anything about large shipments of platinum?” Jayden asked.
Orla’s gray eyes gleamed. “We’ve heard rumors from Petula. She said a single platinum ring sold for fifteen osees.”
“Petula lives in my commune,” Jayden said. “I’ll go talk to her.”
Shyla noted that he still considered the commune on level sixty-two as his. Was that due to a lack of community within the Invisible Sword?
“What about Aphra or Banqui? Any word?” she asked Orla.
“Talk to Adair, he thought he spotted the woman.”
Ugh. Shyla would rather not. Adair had pushed her into an air shaft without warning her that there was a net twelve levels below to catch her. She glanced at Jayden. Did he remember helping to extract her from that net?
“We caught you fair and square.” He grinned. “You protested that you weren’t ours, and look what happened. You’re ours now.”
His statement caused a strange combination of emotions to tumble inside her. The Invisible Sword had become her family, yet she hadn’t gotten that reciprocal sense from them…well, not all of them. Perhaps if she’d put in more effort.
Shyla returned his smile. “Surprised?”
He laughed. “Aren’t you?”
“Very much.”
Before Jayden left to visit the commune on level sixty-two, Shyla gave him a handful of osees. “Please purchase some fresh food for the group.”
“You sure? Jerky is cheaper.”
“I’m sure.”
He hesitated but then nodded and called to Mojag, who was wrestling on the ground with a pack of small squealing children. The kids complained with one disappointed awww when Mojag trotted over to join Jayden.
Shyla searched the commune for Adair. As she walked through the various common areas and gathering places, she grappled with her emotions. Adair hadn’t tried to kill her, he’d just been spiteful. Too bad that logic failed to change her opinion of the man. She spotted him talking with a group of young men. He still had his short black beard that matched the color of his tight curly hair. Thick eyebrows arched over dark brown eyes.
He scowled when she approached but excused himself from the conversation.
“What doyouwant?” he asked.
To remind you we are on the same side, but she clamped down on that comment. Instead, she asked about Aphra. “Have you seen her?”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
He stared at her as if waiting. It took her a moment to understand. She dug into her pack and handed him a coin.
“The treasure hunter is now shoveling sand for Rohana, the Water Prince’s new archeologist.”
That was unexpected. Shyla had thought Aphra would avoid Rohana. Also why hadn’t Fadey known that? He was Rohana’s assistant. Unless Aphra was wearing a disguise and avoiding him… Considering the treasure hunters knew he sold them out, it would make sense.
“Do you know if they’re out on a dig?” she asked Adair.
“Do I look like I care?”
