It was one such night when my eyes had just shut and sleep was speeding toward me like a sandstorm when I heard his soft patter.

I sat up.

His shadow appeared in the alcove doorway. “Your hearing’s getting better.”

“Maybe you’re just getting louder.”

He laughed, and I relaxed back against the wall. “Please don’t tell me you’ve come to take me to do some night training. I don’t think my muscles can handle it.” I already had a bruise forming on my arm where Dimic had smacked me with a wooden sword while I’d been fighting Cion. The whole exercise was supposed to show how you needed to be aware of your opponent while still noticing what was around you.

And I definitely noticed Dimic’s practice sword after it crashed into me.

“No training,” Cion said. “Now, I need your mind.”

I groaned. “I’m not sure that’s in good shape either.” I’d been trying not to think for days. Only react. And learn. Otherwise the weight of my father’s betrayal would suck me downward until sand choked off my screams.

“It’ll have to do,” he said.

I tried to stifle the moans caused by stiffness that emanated from my muscles as I stood and followed him out of the hideout into the cold night air. I would’ve thought it would be refreshing after so many days cooped up in the cave, but I’d never liked the desert at night. The desert sun might roast you, but its absence would immobilize you. The chill snaked in around you, slowly seeping into your skin like poison from a yellow-spotted sand snake bite. You’d shiver until your muscles cramped up, useless.

There’d always been something about staying still, about not moving forward, that I didn’t like.

Cion set a quick pace across the desert. I wasn’t sure if that was because he’d finally seen I could keep up with him or if he did it to stave off the cold.

“So where are we going?” I asked.

“I can’t tell you,” Cion said.

“Why not?” I tried to hide my feeling we were past the point of not trusting each other.

But Cion must have heard it in my voice because he stopped and turned toward me, saying, “This is the most closely guarded secret I have. Only Dimic knows. I’m only bringing you because I think you could help. In case something happens to us on the way there . . . well, the less you know, the better.”

He turned away and continued walking across the steep dunes, and I was even more confused than when we’d left.

I trudged after him, my mind too worn out to think. I was so exhausted I thought I was seeing things when lights appeared on the horizon. I’d never heard of anyone having night mirages, but maybe after what I’d been putting my body through, anything was possible.

As we neared the light, it wasn’t the greedy wisps of the sunlight claiming the sky once more. It was softer. Lantern light. We were close to the city.