Shyla smoothed out her and Rendor’s tracks as they returned to their headquarters. The sun hung just above the horizon. They had woken at angle one-sixty. And while she was refreshed, the effort to erase their boot prints was quickly draining the energy she’d regained. It was a good thing Rendor had insisted on carrying the two jugs of water Hanif had insisted on giving them. She’d vowed to pay him back.

Jayden and Ximen waited for her near the main entrance.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, noting their tight postures.

“Nothing now that you’re here,” Ximen said. “We heard Captain Yates was at the monastery. Did you see him?”

“Yes.” She explained what had happened.

“That’s exactly why we haven’t been teaching you more about your magic,” Jayden said. “You don’t know your limits.”

Oh no, he didn’t get to pull that on her. “Knowledge is never a bad thing. If I knew more about my magic, I wouldn’t exhaust myself experimenting.”

They glared at each other.

“Perhaps a compromise?” Ximen suggested.

“I’m listening,” Shyla said.

“We’ll teach you, but we determine the pace. And you have to promise not to overextend yourself again. Agreed?”

That was an easy question to answer. “Yes. When do we start?”

Ximen glanced at Jayden.

“How are you feeling now?” Jayden asked.

She straightened. “I’m fine.”

“She’s still recovering,” Rendor said. “You promised not to exhaust yourself,” he added when she frowned at him.

“All right, then we’ll start at angle zero of the next sun jump. We can meet here on the surface,” Jayden said. “Unless you need more time to recuperate?”

Mindful of Rendor, she chose her words with care. “I should be sufficiently revived by then. If I’m not, I’ll let you know.”

Jayden just shook his head. He gestured at the water jugs. “That’ll help, but we need to address the water situation before we run out.”

Remembering Orla’s advice about delegating, she said, “Rendor has a good idea about getting water.” She turned to Rendor. “Time is critical so put together a team to restock our supplies. No one is off-limits. Let us know if you need anything.”

Rendor nodded, keeping his expression neutral, but appreciation sparked in his eyes.

Jayden drew in a breath but wisely kept quiet in front of Rendor. She suspected he’d corner her later. Too tired to care, she retreated to her room on level nine. As they cleared more and more space inside the temple, the others insisted she have her own spot instead of sharing. Even though only a worn curtain served as her door, it was a nice gesture and gave her the illusion of privacy.