“It’s for the best,” Zhek assured her. “He’s been stabbed. It’s deep, but the blade just missed his stomach.”

“Will he live?”

“He’s young and strong and stubborn. But if he doesn’t want to, then I’ve no cure for that. You must stay with him and talk to him once we get him to a better and cleaner location.”

She recruited a bunch of strong men to help carry Rendor to another room. Zhek led the way and she was about to follow when she noticed Jaft and Rae clinging to each other as if they were fighting a strong wind. Oh no.

“I’ll catch up,” she said. She approached them. Both had tears in their eyes. Rae sobbed with little hiccups. It could only mean bad news. “Lian? Elek?”

“Both gone,” Jaft said. “Crushed in the explosion.”

If the priestess wasn’t already dead, she’d murder the woman with her bare hands. No, that was too quick a death. She’d leave her on the surface for the Sun Goddess to cook.

Shyla stayed by Rendor’s side, talking to him and including him in the organization of the clean-up and search for survivors. Shyla learned that Yates had challenged Rendor again. They had fought, but Rendor’s heart hadn’t been in it and Yates stabbed him, winning the match. Yates tossed him into a black cell to either bleed to death or die of infection.

When Zhek’s potion wore off, all her aches and pains returned with such force that slamming into a wall would have been softer. All she could do was crawl under the fur with Rendor and pass out. They were in the room that she’d woken in when the Water Prince’s guards had captured her the very first time—a lifetime ago.

When she woke, she learned Ximen, Hanif, and Kaveri were still among the missing. Ilan had arrived with his rats to find bodies. They had good news almost right away as Cat Toy found two guards who’d been trapped under the rubble but were still alive. The rescue sent a pulse of energy and hope through the search crews.

The people had rallied and stormed the chapels, freeing the “sinners” and securing the deacons. Shyla would visit each one and assess them all when she had time. But there was one person she made time for—her friend Banqui.

He’d been captured by the Arch Deacons when they’d ambushed the Invisible Sword and forced to work in the chapel on level seventy-one, melting platinum for the torques. While exhausted and malnourished, he was still in better shape than after spending time in the black cells.