“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?”