“It’s better you don’t know.” Shyla grabbed her pack and headed to the First Room of Knowledge. Hopefully being able to go between there and the map room would allow her to remain undetected. She had enough energy to hide the shortcut from one or even two, three if she was desperate. Although she doubted that many would find the hiding spot under the table. The maze of shelves and sudden dead ends should be confusing to the guards. Overall, not the best plan, but it was all she had.

At least she didn’t have to guess when the unit entered. Their boisterous voices echoed off the stone walls and their irreverent and smug comments grated on her sensibilities. They didn’t belong here and they knew it. Hanif must be beside himself over being forced to allow the guards into the Rooms of Knowledge.

Then a voice that sent a knife of fear straight to her heart said, “Fan out, and don’t trust your eyes. Search with your hands. I’ll wait here in case you flush the sun- kissed out.”

She shouldn’t have been surprised. Of course Yates would be with this unit. He wouldn’t be able to resist going into a place that was normally off-limits to him. Not waiting any longer, she hurried to the map room. Once inside, Shyla crouched to the side of the opening and just out of sight. If she sensed anyone nearby, she’d project a solid wall.

As she waited, she counted her heartbeats, which seemed to echo loudly in the room. It didn’t take long for the sounds of boots and voices to reach her. Two, maybe three guards approached the table.

A male voice said, “If I encounter one more spider web, I’m gonna charge the monks a cleaning fee.”

“I don’t know what all the fuss is about these rooms,” said another man. “There’s nothing here but a bunch of dusty old scrolls and tablets.”

“What did you expect?” a woman asked.

“Golden chalices, bowls filled with precious gems, ancient artifacts.”

“You certainly have quite the imagination,” she said, and her tone implied it wasn’t a compliment.

Weak druk light pierced the map room. Shyla gathered her magic as the light brightened.

“Ugh, there’s a gap under the table. Check it out, Gafna,” the first man ordered.

“Why me?”

“You’re smaller than we are.”

“And smarter, too,” she said, but then she sighed. “You owe me.”

A scrape of a boot was followed by a grunt. Shyla aimed her magic at the woman.

Wall.

But without making eye contact, Shyla had no way to know if her magic was working.

Wall.

“There’s nothing here,” the woman said.

Phew.

“Did you do a hand check?”

Oh no.

Another sigh. “You really want me to get bitten by a spider, don’t you?”

“Better you than me.”

Solid wall.