She shrugged. “We entered the city the same as we left it, in pairs. Mojag and I were first in and we got to the black market before it closed for darkness. I bought the air bladders and then we met up with the others on level thirty-two. Then Rendor led us down to this creepy tunnel that had big pipes crossing through it. The noise of the water rushing inside them was deafening and we had to use hand gestures to communicate. We found a rusted valve and Rendor, Elek, and Ximen had to all grab it.” Gurice grinned. “Lots of bulging muscles on display.” She fanned herself with a hand.

“Focus.”

Gurice laughed. “That valve opened with such a screech I thought it would bring every guard down on us. But nothing happened. We filled the bladders without a hitch and climbed back to the surface. That was the hardest part. Water is heavy!” She shook the empty bucket. “Not as heavy as sand, but I don’t have to lug sand up ninety-nine levels.”

“Did you see the prince’s…special cells?” Shyla swallowed the bile that immediately rose when she thought of those rooms. The image of the naked dead woman hanging upside down had been seared into her mind.

“No. And we didn’t see any guards. Rendor seemed to know exactly where they’d be. Even during the sun jump we had to wait before leaving, we encountered no one as we stayed in various forgotten spots and took turns sleeping.”

Good news and another reason they needed Rendor. See, she wasn’t being selfish. “Did one of the guys say anything…nasty to Rendor?”

Gurice’s expression softened. “Before the mission there was lots of unkind and spiteful grumbling, but no one said anything to him—nobody’s that stupid. And during the mission, everyone was quite impressed. I’m sorry, Shyla. I know you two were…”

Were. As in the past. “Did he say anything about…that?”

“Just what he told Ximen. He seemed pretty grim at the time, but he’s not exactly the happiest person.”

True. But she treasured those moments she’d made him laugh. “Do you know how to find those pipes again?”

“Both Ximen and Elek know how to get back to the pipes, but truthfully, I’d feel better if Rendor was with us.”

“Did he mention what he was going to do? Where he might go?” Shyla remembered he’d planned to become a monk before she invited him to join the Invisible Sword. If she couldn’t find him in the city, she’d check with Hanif.

“No. He said he’d keep out of our way and not to worry about him.”

That wasn’t going to happen. “Thanks, Gurice.”

At the end of the sun jump, Jayden and Mojag headed to the city. Shyla joined them, ignoring Jayden’s protests, which turned him sullen. He refused to discuss the mission with her.