Shyla debated. They could retreat deeper in the temple and Shyla could explore. Or she could return at another time with Jayden. He had to be well acquainted with the temple’s layout. Plus Banqui had disabled a few booby traps. Perhaps the Invisible Sword had kept some traps active to keep the curious or the treasure hunters away. The smart thing would be to come back with Jayden, even though it would probably start a fight between them.

“All right. Let’s go,” Shyla said.

They returned to headquarters well before the danger zone. And, as if he’d read her mind, Jayden waited for her in the common room. He and Mojag had earned a small pile of coins, but that wasn’t why they’d returned.

“I’ve news,” Jayden said.

And by the wary way he gazed at her, Shyla knew it wasn’t good. “Just tell me.”

“Captain Yates arrested Hanif and another monk. They’re in the black cells.”

Twelve

Shyla stared at Jayden in stunned silence. Hanif arrested? Locked in the black cells? Grief cracked through the surprise and the full implications of his news hit her. She rocked back on her heels. “Another monk? Do you know who?”

“The rumors said she’s a sun-kissed. I thought it was you. That’s why I came back here as soon as I could.” He shot her an annoyed glare. “To find you missing.”

She ignored him. The other monk had to be Kaveri. All of her energy drained and she sank onto a cushion. It was her fault they’d been arrested. Memories from when she’d visited Banqui rose—the foul odor of excrement and piss, the cold dampness, the wails of the other prisoners, and not a single beam of light.

“We have to rescue them,” she said.

“We don’t have the resources,” Jayden said. “Besides, they’re under the protection of the King. They won’t be there long.”

She jumped to her feet. “Being in there one single angle is too long! And the King gave the Water Prince permission to search the monastery, including the Rooms of Knowledge. That must mean they’ve a good relationship. The monks have helped us so much. We have to do something.”

Jayden held out his hands. “Calm down. We’ll find out why they were arrested and see what we can do.”

Not good enough. They needed to act now. “We can get into one of the prince’s empty special rooms and find a way into the black cells from there.”

“It’s not that simple, otherwise we’d have done it before.”

At that moment, she hated Jayden. Easy for him to be logical and calm, it wasn’t his parents who were in trouble. Except, no one besides Rendor knew they were her parents. Everyone still believed she’d been abandoned in the desert as a baby. Hanif had asked her to keep it a secret.