I inhaled a deep, shaky breath. At least Edan was safe. That would have to do for now.
CHAPTER NINE
I didn’t hear the window open.
It was morning, and I was still in Edan’s chambers reading through the books at my feet when, from behind, someone shook me.
“They’re coming for you!”
Ammi pried the book from my hands. “Master Tamarin,” she pressed, “are you listening? You have to get out of here!”
“What?” I rasped. My tongue was so dry it clicked against the roof of my mouth. “Who?”
“The emperor!” Ammi pulled me to my feet. “Jun and Zaini won’t be able to hold their tongues for long. You must hurry!”
I grabbed my things, including the medicine I’d found in Edan’s cabinets. “What of Lady Sarnai?”
“She’s alive, but barely. They took her to the dungeon this morning. That’s what will happen to you if you don’t—”
The dungeon! “I have to help her.”
“Are you listening?” Ammi grabbed my arm. “Half of the palace guards are looking for you, and the other half are watching Lady Sarnai. You can’t—”
I twisted out of her grip and grabbed Edan’s pouch, slipping the vial, his flute, and his mirror inside. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”
Ammi wrinkled her nose. “I’m not letting you go alone. I doubt you even know where the dungeon is.”
I didn’t.
My expression must have been easy to read, for she let out a sigh. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”
I slipped the pouch’s straps over my head. “Why are you helping me? I thought you were upset with me.”
“Iam,” she replied, “but that doesn’t mean I want you killed. You’re too good a tailor for that, Master Tamarin.”
I might have smiled if the morning hadn’t taken such a dire turn. Still, the iciness creeping into my heart thawed just enough for me to smile at my friend. “Call me Maia.”
A tight smile graced Ammi’s lips in return. “Hurry up, Maia. The last thing I want is to be caught with you.” She started climbing out the window. “This way. We’ll cut through the gardens. By the gods, I hope the guards are having lunch.”
• • •
They weren’t. And unfortunately, Ammi was right about the dungeon teeming with security. I would have no chance of getting inside to see Lady Sarnai. Not without help.
Bamboo fences surrounded the prison, a box-shaped structure constructed of large, mismatched stones. No windows, and no doors but for the entrance. It seemed more like a crypt than a dungeon.
Then again, most prisoners weren’t meant to live long inside.
After ducking behind a bush, I mentally marked the guard with the keys dangling from his hip, and reached for my pendant. My thumb edged along the side of the walnut that carried the dress of the sun.
Here goes.
“Wrap your sash around your eyes,” I whispered to Ammi. “Shut them as tight as you can. Don’t open them—no matter what you hear. Not until the light is gone. Then run back to the kitchens.”
Before she could ask any questions, I darted out of my hiding place and counted to three— “Now!”
I reached for my pendant and released the power of the dress of the sun, aiming it at the guards. The light blinded them. One by one, they staggered, dropping their weapons and trying to shield their eyes before crumpling against the fence.
There was no time to waste. I knocked past them and crouched beside the guard with the keys, snipping off his belt with my scissors.
