Shyla spotted the two men. No one paid them any attention as they strode away from the city in a different direction than Elek and Jaft. They too carried shovels. Except Nard’s sun cloak appeared…odd. There was a…hump on his back. Not big as if— Idiot! They carried the air bladders full of water on their backs under their sun cloaks. Rendor was a genius!

A bit of pride pushed her other emotions to the side for an angle. He wasn’t the second worst choice. In fact, she would no longer tolerate those comments. And it was time to stop trying to please everyone.

After a few more angles, Balin and Daksh slipped from a little used exit and soon disappeared from sight. Shyla and Jayden continued to wait, but none of the other Invisible Swords left the city. Soon, the flow of people stopped and the sweepers retreated underground. Had the rest of the team been caught? Or were they still collecting water? Instead of jumping to horrible conclusions, she’d ask Elek when she returned to the temple. But first the baby.

Jayden squeezed her arm. “Not yet.”

She suppressed a growl. What were they delaying for? The baby shouldn’t be out—

The Heliacal Priestess and her posse strode into sight. Oh, right. So anxious to rescue the infant, she’d forgotten about the seventeen people. Except only thirteen returned from the place of worship. The four Arch Deacons were noticeably absent. Seven hells. They’d remained behind to ensure the baby wasn’t rescued. And with the torques protecting them from Shyla and Jayden’s magic, they’d be hard to beat. Not impossible, but not a guarantee either.

Once the deacons and the priestess disappeared underground, Jayden said, “I’m not sure where the Arch Deacons are, so move the sand to the side instead of up into the air.” He released his grip. “Try not to draw attention.”

Shyla concentrated and envisioned the grains being swept aside as if she was slowly opening a set of curtains. The weight lifted from her back as the sunlight brightened. Interesting how the sand had also insulated her from the heat. The sand devils dug into the dunes to escape the killing heat, but they also had tough hides and special respiratory systems to aid in their survival.

Her stiff muscles protested when she pushed to her feet. Jayden stood next to her, brushing sand from his cloak.

Scanning the desert, she found the deacons’ tracks. However, the baby hadn’t made any more noise. Had the infant died already?

“We need a plan,” Jayden said. “We can’t just rush in there. Let’s take a look first.” He shrugged off his cloak.