A muffled cry of dismay sounded. The men hustled around the corner. She didn’t linger. With a hand on the wall, she raced ahead of them. When she reached the next intersection, she turned left and then right at the following one. Once satisfied she’d lost them, she opened the druk and returned to Fadey’s.

This time no one lurked nearby and she entered his rooms without any problems. Fadey stuck his curly head out the door to check that no one waited to arrest her.

“Scorching hells, Shyla. What did you do?” he asked, closing and locking the door.

“I led them on a merry chase and lost them. By the time they figure out how to return, I’ll be long gone. Now, let’s sit down and catch up.”

He grumbled but led her to his sitting room. The opulent touches—lava stones, a hand-woven rug, and oversized cushions—were all gone. A few battered thin cushions remained and Fadey plopped onto one while Shyla sat on another, facing him.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“The Water Prince sent his dogs to round up all the treasure hunters,” he said in a defeated tone.

“Round up? Are they—”

“They’ve been arrested. They’re either rotting in one of his black cells or have been tortured to death.”

Horrified, she pressed her hands to her chest. “Do you know what happened to Banqui?”

“Dekel spotted him creeping around the city, looking skeletal. It was about twenty to twenty-five sun jumps ago. Then one of my hunters reported seeing him about two or three sun jumps after that with a deacon escort. And I’ve heard nothing since.”

Captured or collaborating? Either way it wasn’t good news.

“Sorry, I know you are friends. I’d look into his whereabouts, but I’ve my own problems to deal with.”

She focused on Fadey. “Why is the prince arresting the hunters now?” The prince had mostly ignored them and the black market merchants.

“Those blasted Eyes. You stole them from him and he’s determined that no more artifacts shall be taken. Rohana, his new archeologist, is the only person authorized to dig.” Fadey leaned forward. “If you still have them, you need to give them back!”

It was a good thing Fadey’s powers of observation tended toward ancient artifacts or else he would have noticed the change in her eye color by now. “The Eyes don’t belong to him.”

“But we’re all suffering.”

“Do you really think if he had The Eyes he would release the hunters?” Guilt and sadness twisted around her heart. At least Fadey wasn’t locked in a cell. A beat later—why not? “Why didn’t he arrest you?”

“He did. I was…questioned and forced to give him the names of treasure hunters.” He hung his head in shame.

“Did he interrogate you in one of his special rooms?”