Warm and comfortable under the fur, Shyla snuggled in deeper. It’d been ages since she’d slept on a decent cushion. Plus every muscle in her body ached as if she’d been shoveling sand in the hot sun. Her heavy limbs required too much effort to move. All were excellent reasons to go back to sleep. So she did.

Voices woke her the second time. She instantly recognized the deep unhappy rumble. Just how long had she slept? Prying an eye open, she spotted Rendor interrogating the poor monk who’d been assigned to watch over her. Rendor still wore his sun cloak. The hot anise scent of the desert wafted from him. Sweat dampened the hair around his forehead. He must have just arrived. The sand clock read angle twenty. That explained his glower. Shyla had slept for an entire sun jump.

“I’m okay, Rendor,” she said. Her voice rasped as if sand coated her tongue.

When Rendor turned his attention to her, the young monk just about swayed with relief. “I’ll go inform Hanif that you’re awake.” The man bolted.

“What happened?” Rendor asked, striding over to her.

She struggled to sit up. He helped, steadying her. His large hand warmed her shoulder. Glancing around, she searched for her pack. It was on the floor next to the cushion. Understanding, Rendor swept it up and handed it to her. She fumbled for her water skin. Empty. Shyla wilted.

Rendor grunted, pulled his from his belt, and gave it to her. The warm water quenched the fire in her throat. Ah.

“Now are you ready to tell me what happened?” he asked.

She stabbed a finger at him. “Stop looming. I’m fine.” When he didn’t move, she snapped, “Sit down and I’ll tell you.”

The aggrieved sigh he released said he didn’t spend the entire darkness worrying about her just to be scolded for being concerned. That was quite a bit of information for a sigh. Shyla strengthened her mental shield. No need to read Rendor’s thoughts when it was clear he was upset. Instead of arguing with her, he shrugged off his cloak and settled next to her.

“I’m sorry,” she said, taking his hand in hers.

The tension eased from his shoulders.

“I’m just mad at myself for being stupid. No, don’t bother protesting,” she said even though he hadn’t. But that earned her a small smile. “I exhausted myself and almost got caught.” She told him about wanting to practice using her magic on the monks and then confronting Captain Yates. “He’s strong-willed and I just managed to convince him.”

“That’s good you convinced him,” Rendor said. “Yates is stubborn, persistent, and capable, which is why the Water Prince chose him to replace me. He would have harassed the monks until they proved to him you weren’t here.”