But would their lives change once the Invisible Sword defeated the Water Prince and Heliacal Priestess? Taxes and tithes would still be needed to grow food and distribute water. Yet there would be no harsh punishments for minor crimes, no threat of torture just because a deacon decided someone didn’t show the proper devotion, and no more fear simmering in the air. It was going to take a great deal of time, coin, and effort, but she was determined to bring laughter back to the city of Zirdai.

Shyla reached the dining cavern on level nineteen. It was angle thirty—the end of first meal. Almost everyone had gone, but a few lingered inside. The deacons in charge of making sure those who entered had paid their tithes rolled up their scrolls of names, preparing to settle in for the boring angles between meals. Citizens could stop in for water at any time, but most filled their water skins during the three meal times.

Gathering her will, she used her magic on the deacons.

Look away, she commanded them.

Look away.

Both men turned to glance in the opposite direction and she slipped by them. Her magic worked differently than the power of The Eyes. She could influence a person’s perceptions or give them simple commands like sleep or look away without the need for eye contact. However, The Eyes made her magical commands stronger.

Only a few people sat at the tables scattered around the cavern. Since all the dining areas spanned two levels, the ceiling arched high above. The sounds of the workers cleaning up the serving line bounced off the hard stone walls as the lingering spicy scent of roasted gamelu meat perfumed the air. She breathed in deep. It’d been so long since she had a hot juicy meal that she just about drooled.

Pulling her focus back to her task, Shyla scanned the diners. When not recovering artifacts, the treasure hunters gathered here each sun jump to swap stories, dig for information, and to team up if a job was too big for one of them to handle. Except this jump. No one lingered, which meant they must all be working.

Most of the hunters worked as freelancers for Fadey. He arranged jobs and hooked up hunters with buyers. For a fee, of course. When she’d first arrived in Zirdai, she had worked for Fadey, finding the location of hidden treasure for his hunters. It had been a temporary arrangement until she’d set up her legitimate business.

Shyla headed to Fadey’s rooms. He lived on level seventeen despite having enough coins to afford a deeper place. Hunters stayed close to the surface for easier access to the buried ancient ruins, temples, and palaces full of artifacts.