“We walk,” he said.

CHAPTER

6

The walk was hell. One that was made harder by their flimsy parasols, which could only cover three pairs. Every ten minutes, two of them would switch places, for there were eight of them walking the desert.

And even with this paltry shade, there was little to protect them from the reflection of the salt crust in the desert. The fair-skinned Bea and Trix, as well as the freckled Scott, were struggling the most.

They had stopped to make headscarves from the spare sackcloth they had brought. But after a day’s walk, their water stores were already beginning to empty. If they did not see their destination within a day, they would die in this desert.

“How much farther?” Bea asked.

Cade, leading the train of sleds alongside Amber, gazed once more at the horizon. But it was devoid of all life. Just an endless glaring white.

“There’s nothing,” Cade called. “We should take a break.”

He waited for the others to catch up, and they gathered in a circle, sitting on their sleds with their parasols held high.

“Maybe we should travel at night,” Amber said after the group had caught their breath and gulped down more water.

“Then we can’t follow the sun,” Grace replied.

“Is that what we’re following?” Yoshi kicked the sand in frustration. “Then we’re on a wild goose chase.”

Cade furrowed his brow. There hadn’t been time to tell everyone the full scope of Abaddon’s instructions.

“Well, it’s what Abaddon told us to do. Why do you say that?”

“Because the sun moves. We’ll be curving from left to right. Basically a meandering circle, depending on how this planet is positioned.”

Yoshi illustrated his point with a sweeping finger.

“Well, what should we do instead?” Cade asked.

Yoshi shrugged. “We’re at Abaddon’s mercy. His little toys to move as he likes. I’m just saying he’s set us a pointless task. At the very least the Codex could be leading us instead of this sun crap.”

Scott chuckled bitterly. “Well, maybe he just wants us all tanned for when we go into battle. You know, we gotta look good for the show.”

Grace rolled her eyes, though Cade saw the edges of her lips twitch.

He looked to Quintus. The young legionary was not the most talkative, but Cade had hardly heard a word from him since they had set off.

“Quintus … what do you think?” he said loudly, for Quintus was not watching their lips, but rather staring at the ground.

His friend looked up, and only now did Cade see the dejection in his eyes.

“My legion was three thousand, and … there were a few hundred others. They did this before us. Walked into the desert. They had weapons. Food. Much more than we.”

He bit his lip. “We are eight. Hungry. Little armor. How can we win where they … did not?”

His words echoed the heat-fuddled thoughts that Cade himself had been having. He’d been trying to ignore them; they were a bridge to be crossed later.