Gathering all her strength, she gazed right into his dark brown eyes. “You searched. You found nothing. The monks are not lying to you.”
“I…searched.”
“Yes.”
“No sign of the sun-kissed?”
She pressed, driving the command home with all her might. “Yes. She’s not here. Say goodbye to Hanif, thank him for his time, and leave.”
Yates sheathed his sword, turned to Hanif, thanked him for his time, and left.
Hanif stared at Shyla with a combination of awe and horror. “That was truly impressive.”
She tried to respond, but the floor underneath her feet dropped away like the edge of a sand dune. Darkness rushed up and buried her.
Warm and comfortable under the fur, Shyla snuggled in deeper. It’d been ages since she’d slept on a decent cushion. Plus every muscle in her body ached as if she’d been shoveling sand in the hot sun. Her heavy limbs required too much effort to move. All were excellent reasons to go back to sleep. So she did.
Voices woke her the second time. She instantly recognized the deep unhappy rumble. Just how long had she slept? Prying an eye open, she spotted Rendor interrogating the poor monk who’d been assigned to watch over her. Rendor still wore his sun cloak. The hot anise scent of the desert wafted from him. Sweat dampened the hair around his forehead. He must have just arrived. The sand clock read angle twenty. That explained his glower. Shyla had slept for an entire sun jump.
“I’m okay, Rendor,” she said. Her voice rasped as if sand coated her tongue.
When Rendor turned his attention to her, the young monk just about swayed with relief. “I’ll go inform Hanif that you’re awake.” The man bolted.
“What happened?” Rendor asked, striding over to her.
She struggled to sit up. He helped, steadying her. His large hand warmed her shoulder. Glancing around, she searched for her pack. It was on the floor next to the cushion. Understanding, Rendor swept it up and handed it to her. She fumbled for her water skin. Empty. Shyla wilted.
Rendor grunted, pulled his from his belt, and gave it to her. The warm water quenched the fire in her throat. Ah.
“Now are you ready to tell me what happened?” he asked.
She stabbed a finger at him. “Stop looming. I’m fine.” When he didn’t move, she snapped, “Sit down and I’ll tell you.”
The aggrieved sigh he released said he didn’t spend the entire darkness worrying about her just to be scolded for being concerned. That was quite a bit of information for a sigh. Shyla strengthened her mental shield. No need to read Rendor’s thoughts when it was clear he was upset. Instead of arguing with her, he shrugged off his cloak and settled next to her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, taking his hand in hers.
The tension eased from his shoulders.
“I’m just mad at myself for being stupid. No, don’t bother protesting,” she said even though he hadn’t. But that earned her a small smile. “I exhausted myself and almost got caught.” She told him about wanting to practice using her magic on the monks and then confronting Captain Yates. “He’s strong-willed and I just managed to convince him.”
“That’s good you convinced him,” Rendor said. “Yates is stubborn, persistent, and capable, which is why the Water Prince chose him to replace me. He would have harassed the monks until they proved to him you weren’t here.”
“Which begs the question, why are you here?” Hanif asked from the doorway. He wore a loose tan tunic and pants. The light-colored fabric contrasted nicely against his golden-brown skin—the same shade as Shyla’s. A wide dillo leather belt was cinched around his waist. Gray eyes glinted with curiosity.
“Is anyone with you?” she asked.
“No.”
“Then come in and shut the door. Please,” she added when he scowled. This was his monastery after all. Then she dug in her pack and removed the four torques. “I hid the other one in the Second Room of Knowledge after we rescued Jayden, but I think all five of these should be stored in the Fourth Room.” She gave them to Hanif.
“What do they do?” he asked.
“It’s better if you don’t know.”
“Are they dangerous?”
“Not to you. It’s extremely important that no one knows they’re here.”
Hanif quirked an eyebrow. “That sounds ominous.”
She remembered when Yates threatened to cut off the monks’ water supply. “If you’d rather not hide them, I understand.”
“No. They’ll be safe here. After all, we hid The Eyes for thousands of circuits.”
“What if the Water Prince stops sending you water? Or the priestess refuses to give you food?” she asked.
Hanif gave her a sly smile. “You don’t really think we’re that dependent on them, do you?”
“But Yates said…” Her tired brain churned through his comment. “The King supplies you, too?”
“Not quite.”
“They have their own sources for food and water,” Rendor said.
Hanif’s gaze snapped to him. “Does the Water Prince know?”
“No. But I lived here long enough to figure it out.”
“Wait. You’ve lived here for what…forty-odd sun jumps, but I grew up here. I lived here for eighteen circuits. Why didn’t I know?” Was she that obtuse?
“You were a child for most of your time here,” Rendor said. “I’m an adult and trained to investigate when things don’t add up. I can put the clues together.”
Shyla liked to believe she was capable of the same thing. She had earned a living these last two circuits uncovering lost ruins, ancient temples, and artifacts. Yet she missed it. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked Hanif.
“Because you never swore the oath and became a monk.”
That was his go-to excuse for everything.
“And…uh…can’t you just…” He tapped a finger on his temple.
“I can read your mind. But I respect your privacy. Unless you’re saying I shouldn’t?” She leaned forward.
Hanif stepped back, holding up his hands. “No, no. That’s an admirable policy.”
Score one for her. But she still couldn’t help feeling like an idiot because, once she actually thought about it, the clues were always there. “You have your own growing cavern.”
“We do. It’s small, but it will provide enough for the monastery if the Heliacal Priestess ever decides to cut us off.”
Excited now, she asked, “Can you show me?”
Hanif hesitated. “I suppose. Why do you want to see it?”
“I’m curious.” She told him about her plan to start one in their headquarters, which wasn’t as original of an idea as she’d thought.
“All right. We can grab that other torque and swing by the Fourth Room of Knowledge on our way.”
“After she eats,” Rendor said. Then to her, “You’ve been asleep for an entire sun jump.”
Now that he mentioned it, her stomach growled with hunger. Although she was quite capable of standing up, she let Rendor pull her to her feet. He frowned when she wobbled.