Like Shyla, he wore the red tunic and pants that the monks donned when they were on the surface. Hanif had given them a number of used and worn sets. She copied Jayden. They folded the sun cloaks and then buried them under the sand. Without the protective material, the heat grew uncomfortable despite the early angle. Sweat collected along her brow.

Instead of following the tracks, Jayden led them to the southeast, looping around so they would approach the worship site from another direction. When they neared it, they crouched low, keeping a larger dune between them and the Arch Deacons.

Shyla spotted two monks lying in the sand nearby. And they no doubt noticed her as well. The monks or acolytes—hard to tell since their clothing, veils, and turbans blended in with the colors of the desert—appeared to be within direct sight of the worship site and probably the Arch Deacons. Either the Arch Deacons had chosen to ignore them or they hadn’t seen them.

She tugged on Jayden’s arm and pointed the monks out to him.

“Why are they here?” he asked, whispering in her ear.

Good question. Normally the parents of sun-kissed babies abandoned them in the desert well away from the public paths. In rare cases, some were given to the deacons to leave on the surface. “I think they’re waiting for the Arch Deacons to return to the city so they can rescue the baby.”

Jayden huffed. “So it’s a waiting game? See who’ll stay out here the longest without getting cooked?”

If the baby was unprotected from the sun, it would die well before the killing heat. “The monks are technically not allowed to interfere.”

“So it’s up to us?”

“Yes.”

“We need to take a peek,” Jayden said.

“How?” She gestured to their surroundings. “They’ll see us and we can’t influence them.” Shyla stared at the monks. An idea formed.

“I’ll go through the dune,” Jayden said. “I’ll just push the sand this way so they don’t notice.”

That would take him a fair amount of energy and time. “No. I’ve another plan.”

“And…?”

“If it doesn’t work, we’ll go with yours.” She crept to the edge of the dune, closing the distance between her and the hidden monks. Waving her hands, she hoped to catch their full attention and not just a glance. Lowering her mental shield, she prepared to act. The monk closest to her shifted his gaze and she made eye contact. Perfect! She picked up on his emotions and thoughts.