She gestured to the six guards on the floor and edged closer to the door. “Sure doesn’t seem like it.”
He gave them a disdainful look. “They’re for my protection.” Then he returned his full focus on her.
Even though she knew he was evil to his core, she was still struck by his handsome features, the deep emerald of his eyes flecked with silver, his black hair contrasting with his tan skin. Like many others who lived deep in the bowels of Zirdai, the prince spent little time in the sun, while Yates could almost be his shadow.
Subtly she shifted, increasing the distance between them. The door loomed behind her about two meters away. But then she sensed more guards on the other side. They filled the hallway in front of Emeline’s quarters.
Scorching sand rats.
“What did you want to talk about?” she asked, delaying the inevitable. Her best chance would be to dive into the hallway, surprising those waiting, and hope to sprint away without having to send them all to sleep. She inched closer.
“About a possible exchange.”
She froze.
He smiled, but the sharp lines of his face didn’t soften. In fact, they appeared even more severe, and she wondered how she could have ever thought this man attractive.
“It’s your turn,” he said. Then after a moment, he continued. “No? All right then, I wish to discuss the fate of the two monks in my custody—your parents.”
She kept her expression impassive despite her heart’s frantic beats. “My parents abandoned me in the desert. You are mistaken.”
“Oh, come on, Shyla. You’d have to be blind not to see the resemblance.”
Considering she was raised in the monastery and spent eighteen circuits with Hanif, blind was an apt description. “What do you want?” Although she had a good guess.
“I want The Eyes of Tamburah.” He swept out a hand, indicating the sleeping guards. “But you’ve already claimed them and somehow woke their power.” His tone almost filled with awe until it sharpened. “You lied to me. You said The Eyes held no magical powers. That you didn’t seek power. Yet, here you are.”
“I didn’t lie. At that time, I thought both statements were true. But now…”
“Now?”
“By assigning me the task to find The Eyes for you, you made me see the real city of Zirdai, and not the one I’d built in my childish fantasies. I saw the rot, the corruption, and the horrors of your rule. I saw a city suffering. And when I held the means to change it in my hands, I found the strength to claim it.”
“Nice speech. You may have The Eyes, but you don’t have much else. You may be able to put my guards to sleep, but I’ve an army of people. And if you could render them all unconscious, then we wouldn’t have almost caught you at the monastery.”
Shyla thought it best to remain silent. If he was hoping she’d reveal the limits of her power, he was going to be disappointed. She concentrated on the guards outside the door, counting them and devising an escape plan.
“What I want”—the prince stepped closer—“is for you to work for me. I want the Invisible Sword to disappear for good—never to be seen again. In exchange, I’ll release the monks and anyone else you care about.”
Not quite what she’d expected. At least cutting her eyes out wasn’t part of the deal. Not yet anyway. Not until he learned how to claim the power for himself.
“Anyone? Including Banqui?” she tried.
The prince glanced at Yates in genuine surprise. The captain shook his head.
“Have you lost your friend again? That’s rather irresponsible of you,” the prince said.
At least Banqui wasn’t locked in a black cell. Then where was he? Bringing her attention back to the prince, she asked, “What would I do if I worked for you?”
He tilted his head at the prone forms on the floor. “You’ll be one of my protectors. You’ll also be my advisor. You can tell if someone is lying, right?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “You’ll help me usurp the Heliacal Priestess. The city doesn’t need two rulers. Everything will be better with just me in charge. And…” The prince moved closer and lowered his voice. “I’ll stop torturing people for information.”
That was too good to be true. There had to be some trick despite his honesty.
He leaned in. “Think about it. Why would I need to torture anyone when you can read their souls and learn all their secrets?”
Stopping the torture was her top priority. And working for the prince would solve a number of other issues and avoid a battle where there would be casualties. A cold pulse of shock slammed into her when she realized she was tempted. It allowed the rational part of her to override her emotional first reaction. What the prince proposed she’d do instead of hurting his prisoners was exactly what Tamburah had done. Besides, the prince had to release her parents eventually or risk upsetting the King.
Then it occurred to her that she could capture the prince right now. Except she doubted his guards outside would allow her to leave with her prisoner. Unless she knocked them out, which would take too much energy because Yates was thick-headed and would require most of her strength.
The prince watched her. “Do we have a deal?”
“I need to think about it.”
“Then sit down and have a think.” He gestured to a cushion. “Professor, do you have any refreshments for your guests?”
Emeline let out a squeak of surprise before dashing over to a water jug. Shyla didn’t move. Obviously the prince wasn’t going to let her leave without an answer. And she wasn’t about to give him one. Both led to trouble.
As the prince made a show of settling in with a glass of water in hand, Shyla’s thoughts raced. There were about eight guards in the hallway. Too many to put to sleep, but perhaps she could influence them.
She accepted a cup from Emeline but didn’t sip the water. The professor might have served her holy water. Why not? She’d betrayed Shyla to the prince, she could be working for the priestess as well. And that thought gave her an idea. Gathering her power, she sent it to the five men and three women waiting outside.
Arch Deacons.
Shyla envisioned half a dozen well-armed Arch Deacons approaching the guards from both sides.
Arch Deacons.
Shouts pierced the tense silence. Then a rustling and the unmistakable ring of swords being drawn. The prince and Yates exchanged a concerned glance before the huge man strode to the door and slid it open with more force than needed. A crack zigzagged along the colored glass.
The guards had split into two groups of four. They stood back to back, facing the Arch Deacons.
“What’s going on?” Yates demanded.
Arch Deacons.
Shyla pictured them advancing on the guards.
“Arch Deacons are attacking, sir!” one man said as he blocked an invisible weapon.
Taking advantage of the momentary confusion, Shyla used the not here command and took off down the tunnel. Only Yates spotted her. The captain cursed and the sound of his boots pounded after her. Once she was out of sight of the guards, she dropped her mental suggestions, then poured all her energy into staying ahead of Yates.
From the brief glances over her shoulder, Yates wasn’t far behind. In fact, for a man his size, he was rather quick. There was nothing worse than being chased through an underground city. Eventually, they’d run into more guards or a group of deacons or a dead end, which was very likely as she wasn’t familiar with this particular level.