Ximen glanced at Jayden as if seeking his permission.

“I asked the question, Ximen,” she snapped.

“This really is for the best,” Ximen said. “Think about it, even Rendor’s parents didn’t want him and they raised him.”

“That’s not what I asked.” She stared at him. If she had to get the information by using The Eyes and taking another step down the path to Tamburah’s madness, she would.

Ximen dropped his gaze. “They live on level eighty-four.”

Only the very wealthy could afford to live below level eighty. She’d no idea. A self-absorbed and selfish sun-idiot. “What do they do?”

“They own a number of businesses. Hastin travels to other cities to purchase and trade goods. He’s supposed to be some kind of prodigy.” Ximen shrugged. “All we know is that soon after Hastin became an active part of their business, they were able to move down from level sixty-seven.”

And Rendor’s skills with a sword were not beneficial to his family. He’d told her his family thought he was worthless, but she’d never asked him…anything. Too concerned with the Invisible Sword. No wonder he didn’t want to come back. Too bad. She’d find him and drag him back if she had to.

“Shyla, it’s not worth the risk,” Jayden said.

Was she that easy to read?

“You’re vital to this organization. Without you, we can’t free Zirdai,” Ximen said.

Jayden touched her arm. “You can’t be selfish.”

Oh yes she could. And she would. It took every gram of willpower not to punch him in his you-can’t-be-selfish guts. Instead, she turned from them both and hurried to her room before tears spilled. Once in the privacy of her room, though, her sadness turned to anger. She paced the tiny area.

At the first sign of trouble between them, Rendor bolted. He had known the Invisible Sword wouldn’t welcome him right away, that he’d have to fight for it. So what changed?

You don’t share the same feelings, he’d said.

How could he believe that when everyone else apparently thought she was in love with him? Had something happened on the mission? She needed to talk to Gurice. Of all the people in the Invisible Sword, she’d already accepted Rendor. Or so it seemed.

Shyla found Gurice dumping buckets of sand on the surface.

“You just came back from a mission. You don’t have to work,” she said to Gurice. “Aren’t you tired?”

“Nah. We slept while we waited.”

“Tell me how the mission went.”

Gurice swiped a stray lock of brown hair from her light green eyes. “Ximen reported it all to Jayden.”

Who was the last person Shyla wished to speak to. “Humor me.”