What did Shyla and her companion think they were doing? If they tried to get the child, they’d have to fight four Arch Deacons without his and Lota’s help. Hanif would kill them both if they were seen aiding an abandoned child. At least Hanif’s information that a sun-kissed had been born recently proved accurate. Appalled and disgusted, he hoped the Arch Deacons would leave soon, but the scorching sand demons seemed determined to wait until the poor child died. He also worried they’d been warned about the monks attempting to rescue the sun-kissed since the four deacons faced four different directions. And they each kept a hand on the hilt of their swords as if expecting an attack.

A scary thought hit Shyla. What if the baby was bait? What if this was a hideous attempt to get the Invisible Swords to come out of hiding? She returned to Jayden and told him what she’d learned and her fears.

“How would they know you were watching on this particular sun jump?” Jayden asked, questioning her theory.

“I don’t know. Maybe they thought we had spies in the city. Hanif had known this might happen and sent the monks. Unless…” No, that was too terrible.

“Unless what?”

“Unless they’ve been doing this every sun jump since we attacked them at the old headquarters.”

Jayden’s horror matched her own. “That was five sun jumps ago.”

Her next thought was equally ghastly. Did they bring the child back to the city when their trap didn’t work only to take the poor thing back out the next sun jump? This had to stop. Now.

“Even if they’re expecting us, we can’t walk away,” she said.

“Agreed. But unless the monks fight—”

“They won’t.”

“Then it’s two against four and they’ll see us coming.” Jayden rubbed his hands together. “I’m okay with that.”

Was she? They couldn’t influence or manipulate the Arch Deacons, but they could move the sand. Perhaps a cloud to hide them or— “What an idiot!”

“I hope you’re not talking about me.”

“No.” She rushed to explain her plan. “Do you think it’ll work?”

“If it doesn’t we can always fall back on plan B.”

“Fists and feet?”

“And knives.” Jayden pulled his from his belt and brandished it. “Might as well put on a show.”

Shyla added learn-how-to-fight-with-a-knife to her list of things to do. Going up against two Arch Deacons without a weapon was a daunting prospect. She hoped her crazy scheme worked.

As she and Jayden crested the dune, Shyla didn’t need to read the hidden monks’ thoughts. No doubt they were questioning her intelligence.

The Arch Deacons spotted them immediately. The four formed a line between them and the baby on the sand. They drew their weapons—short swords, sharp and slightly curved. Jayden’s knife looked like a child’s toy in comparison.