Yates pushed her aside and advanced on her mother with his knife drawn. Kaveri straightened and glared at the captain in defiance. No fear lurked in her gaze.
Shyla’s heart twisted with anguish. “No. Stop!” She was being selfish, and she didn’t care. They weren’t going to die because of her.
Yates glanced at the prince, who nodded.
“Tell me,” he ordered.
“You’re right, you have to remove my eyes. I assume they’ll turn back into gemstones, but I’ve no idea.”
“Then what.”
She was going to enjoy this next bit. “Then you have to sacrifice your own eyes. Once they’re gone, you place the gemstones into your empty eye sockets.”
The prince paled. “You’re lying.”
“No,” Hanif said. “She’s not. I was there. I placed The Eyes into her empty sockets.” He shuddered.
Shyla didn’t blame him. The memory of the pain haunted her dreams.
“A sacrifice is required,” Shyla said. “And a leap of faith.”
“What leap of faith?” the prince demanded.
“That it will work for you. That you will be able to wake the power.” That last statement resonated. Had The Eyes woken because of her magic or because of who she was?
“They won’t work for him,” Hanif said. “He has no magical abilities.”
The prince rounded on her. “You were able to use magic before stealing The Eyes from me?”
Hanif had seeded the doubt and now it was Shyla’s turn to water it. “Yes.”
“How? I thought you said magic didn’t exist. Did you lie to me?”
“No. I believed magic was a myth. But I was mistaken. I was…shown proof that it existed and was told of my own potential to use it.”
“What about me? Do I have potential?”
“I don’t know. You would have to remove my collar and your torque for me to see if you have it.”
“So you can take over my mind? Nice try.”
She shrugged. “Then you’ll just have to have faith.”
The Water Prince sent her back to her room while he considered everything he’d learned. She hoped it would take him a long while to work up the nerve. No way the prince would allow anyone else in his organization to attempt to wake The Eyes. He trusted no one and was too power hungry. The priestess could assign an underling to make the sacrifice because her people were fanatics and worshipped her.
It only took a couple sun jumps before the prince called for her. The doubt had grown and he wanted to know if he had magical potential.
Two guards held Kaveri tight—the prince’s insurance that Shyla wouldn’t double-cross him. Her mother no longer reeked and her torn monk’s robe had been replaced with a clean tunic.
The prince noticed the direction of Shyla’s gaze. “I’m keeping your parents close. They’re being well treated and will continue to be as long as you cooperate.”
She wondered if that was the entire reason or if the threat about the King had him worried. Either way, her mother appeared healthier. And, by the gleam in her eyes, ready for action. Kaveri was a trained monk. Two guards, even armed, were no match for her.
Too bad Yates remained in the room and he wore his torque. Plus the prince was trained to fight as well. She’d seen the hard lines of his muscles under his form-fitting tunic.
So she behaved and instructed the prince to gather his will. She sought the glow of potential as he tried to move the sand inside a clock. There was nothing inside him but blackness.
“You don’t have potential,” she told him.
“You lie.” He backhanded her.
She spun with the blow and lost her balance, ending up on the floor. Yates clamped the hated collar around her neck before she could reach the prince with her magic.
“I am the Water Prince. Of course I have magic.” He stared at her with such venom, she expected him to order Yates to kill her. “I will have the power of The Eyes. Captain, send a man to fetch Timin. Have him bring his sharpest scalpel.” Then he grabbed Shyla’s chain and yanked her up to face him. “After I remove your eyes, I will kill you.” He shoved her back.
She landed hard on the ground but barely registered the pain. The Water Prince had meant what he said.
Timin arrived along with a few more guards. Kaveri was taken back to her quarters. She’d raised a blond eyebrow in inquiry at Shyla before leaving. But Shyla shook her head. Too many guards for the two of them to handle.
The physician was horrified by the prince’s request. He sounded just like Zhek. And he raised all the same concerns as Zhek. Shyla would have smiled, but she knew Timin was loyal and would do as commanded. And, sure enough, he agreed.
“We’ll see if they turn back into gemstones before I sacrifice my eyes,” the prince said. He snapped his fingers at his guards. “Keep her still.”
Four guards rushed her and held her down on the floor. Yates’ huge hands clamped around her head. The fear that had been simmering deep inside her chest boiled over, sending out searing darts of terror. Yates smiled down at her. Ice clutched her skin. She’d never seen him smile. One good thing about dying was she would never have to see it again.
Timin knelt next to her. His normally kind face creased in sympathy and sorrow as if he’d already pronounced her dead. The physician spread her right eyelid open. The small, curved, and oh-so-very-sharp blade descended toward her eye. She gripped one of the guards’ hands, blindly seeking comfort. He kindly squeezed back. Her thoughts spun with desperation. Need. To. Stop. This. Now.
“Wait!” she cried. “I’m still wearing the collar! The Eyes won’t turn back without magic.” She’d no idea if it was true or not.
Timin paused. The prince cursed. She was granted a few more moments as they discussed what to do. Time to think of a brilliant escape plan. Eventually, torques were brought in for everyone, including Timin. All she’d managed to do was delay the inevitable. And here she was, once again immobilized on the floor without any sudden epiphanies.
Then it was Timin, eyelid, blade, squeezing hands—two this time—and torques. The platinum gleamed in the trol light. She focused on the Invisible Sword symbol etched into the metal, hoping for some comfort. Instead that desperately needed epiphany sprang to life. Gathering all her magic in one giant scoop, she released it in one huge explosion of power.
Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!
They froze. She silently thanked the Sun Goddess as relief rushed through her.
Release me.
They did.
Back away.
They scooted back. She sat up, panting and shaking from her close call. Her magic still held them, even Yates—although he strained mightily so she needed to move fast. The prince’s expression was priceless—a combination of utter shock, fury, and murderous intention.
Their torques hadn’t protected them because they had been engraved with the old symbol of the Invisible Sword. Shyla had retaken the oath with the new symbol. The one with her extra embellishments. It had been her own conviction that she couldn’t get past those torques that kept her from doing it. Once she figured it out, she just needed a leap of faith.
She pushed to her feet, turned and— Seven hells!