“I think The Eyes don’t choose. I think they’ll work for anyone who is brave and conceited enough to allow another person to cut out their eyeballs.”
Six
Shyla thought she’d been astounded before. This was so far beyond it she didn’t have a word to describe it.
“I’m being honest,” he said into the silence.
Recovering slightly, she said, “I got that. But what about all the warnings that The Eyes might fail to work and leave a person blind?”
“That’s where the brave part comes in. That supposed risk kept so many people from trying. From even touching them.” He shook his head. “And it put doubts into their heads so even if The Eyes stirred to their touch, they still wouldn’t go through with it.”
“And the conceit? Where does that come in?”
“Believing that you’re so special that there is no doubt they’ll work for you. Having the conceit to actually go through with it.”
It hadn’t been like that for her. She’d had lots of doubts about whether they would wake, but she went through with the sacrifice despite them. Unlike now when she doubted Jayden would believe her even if she tried to enlighten him. His bitterness explained so much.
“You wanted to wake The Eyes,” she said.
“Yes. It should have been me.” He flicked his fingers. Sand burst into the air. “I’ve spent my entire life working to make the people of Zirdai’s lives better.”
There was nothing she could say that would ease his anger. Best to keep quiet and let him get it out. The grains formed the shape of an arrow and zipped around them. One part of her wanted to ask him to teach her how to do that, and the other wanted to duck and cover.
“The Invisible Sword leaders thought I was too young. Too inexperienced. They wouldn’t even let me touch them.” The arrow swooped close to the surface, sucking up more sand. It grew larger. “And then you came along. No experience. Younger than me. You couldn’t care less about people’s lives. Just your own agenda.” He laughed, but it was a humorless sound. “After all that, you really did steal The Eyes of Tamburah.” The arrow slammed into the dune. Sand sprayed out in all directions, leaving behind a sunburst pattern.
“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” she asked.
He rounded on her. “What could I say? You did it to rescue me. I’d come off as an ungrateful jerk.” Scrubbing a hand through his hair, Jayden glanced around as if searching for a reason for his outburst. “I can’t believe I’m saying all this now.”
She touched his arm. “You needed to say it.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not like it’s going to change anything.”
It already had for her and she suspected for him as well. “Rescuing you was only one of the reasons I sacrificed my eyes. Dyani, the little girl who was poisoned, was another. And I realized I not only wanted to help the vagrants and the Invisible Swords, but that I could. Huh. I guess that was conceited.”
“See?” He gave her a wan smile.
“You’re right, bravery and conceit.” And, according to Rendor, insanity. “I never felt I was special, though.”
“But you’re sun-kissed.”
“That makes me an outcast, unwanted, and, if you believe the Heliacal Priestess, cursed. Not special.” She thought about why he’d think that. “Do I act like I am?” That would be terrible.
“No.”
One positive. Probably not enough for Jayden. “If you leave, I’ll understand.”
“Why would I leave?”
“You think I stole The Eyes from you.”
“You did.”
“My point exactly.”
“I’m upset but not stupid. We’re stronger together. Besides, who’s going to teach you how to move sand? Gurice? Ximen? I think not.”
“But you said Ximen can do all three magical techniques equally well.”
“He can, but I’m twice as strong as him.”
“Now who’s conceited?”
“Shut up,” he said with a grin. “And if you’re finished distracting me, let’s get back to the lesson. Smoothing out a boot print is on a small scale, but to be able to bury your body in sand, you have to command a larger area. You have to extend your focus and concentrate on what you want the sand to do.”
“What do I want it to do?” she asked.
“You want the sand to lift up, creating a body-sized hollow. Let’s start with a small area,” he said. “Think of using your will to scoop up a shovelful of sand.”
Shyla considered. Using return wouldn’t work in this case. Fly? Up? “How do you target a certain size when there’s an entire desert full of sand?” At least a boot print had edges.
Jayden bent down and drew a circle in the sand with his finger. “Sorry, it’s been a while since I learned. This will help you visualize. Eventually, you won’t need it.”
Concentrating on the circle, Shyla imagined digging down about two centimeters.
Lift.
The circle heaved, but only a few grains flew into the air.
Adding more energy, she tried again.
Lift.
Same result.
“Did I say it was easy?” Jayden asked.
She huffed. “You make it look easy.”
“I’ve eighteen circuits of practice. My father kept a bucket full of sand next to my sleeping cushion just so I could practice every sun jump.”
Eighteen? That meant— “You started using magic when you were six circuits old?”
“Yes.”
“They tested you that young?” She couldn’t keep the horror from her voice. Chaining a young boy in complete darkness was beyond cruel.
“I wasn’t tested in the chamber. My father didn’t have the patience. Try to move the sand again, but this time put some energy into it.”
What did his father do to cause a young Jayden to be scared and desperate enough to invoke his magic? It had to be equally terrible. She channeled her outrage into the command.
Lift.
Sand exploded, shooting into the air before raining back down.
“Better. Do it again,” Jayden said.
She did it another thousand times. Okay, it was more like a hundred, but at least her control improved with each repetition. When Jayden was satisfied, he taught her how to keep the sand in the air. He demonstrated, lifting a section. The cloud hovered above the surface, remaining in place. “Your turn.”
Shyla needed another order. Stay? Hold? Focusing on her circle, she gathered her will.
Lift.
Before she could issue the second one, the grains fell. She glanced at Jayden, but he remained quiet. Obviously using two commands wasn’t going to work. She needed one to do both.
It took her longer to figure out a command than she’d like to admit. Once again, she aimed her will at the circle. She imagined the velbloud flocks.
Float.
The sand rose in the air and stayed.
“Not bad,” Jayden said. “Now put it back so it appears undisturbed.”
Visualizing the smooth rippled pattern of the surrounding sand, Shyla sent her magic to the cloud.
Settle.