“All right, then we’ll start at angle zero of the next sun jump. We can meet here on the surface,” Jayden said. “Unless you need more time to recuperate?”
Mindful of Rendor, she chose her words with care. “I should be sufficiently revived by then. If I’m not, I’ll let you know.”
Jayden just shook his head. He gestured at the water jugs. “That’ll help, but we need to address the water situation before we run out.”
Remembering Orla’s advice about delegating, she said, “Rendor has a good idea about getting water.” She turned to Rendor. “Time is critical so put together a team to restock our supplies. No one is off-limits. Let us know if you need anything.”
Rendor nodded, keeping his expression neutral, but appreciation sparked in his eyes.
Jayden drew in a breath but wisely kept quiet in front of Rendor. She suspected he’d corner her later. Too tired to care, she retreated to her room on level nine. As they cleared more and more space inside the temple, the others insisted she have her own spot instead of sharing. Even though only a worn curtain served as her door, it was a nice gesture and gave her the illusion of privacy.
Eventually, they would open up all the dorms. And she hoped she could move up to level six and install a mirror pipe. When she lived in Zirdai, her room had been on level three and she missed being close to the sun.
At about three meters by two meters, the space was…cozy. The thin mat kept her off the cold floor and she used her sun cloak as a blanket. There was no need for a heavy fur this deep as the temperature remained at ten degrees Celsius no matter what the angle. A long table stretched along the wall on the other side of the room. She set her pack down on it. A couple bedraggled sitting cushions were beside it. Two druks kept the darkness at bay, although she wondered if she’d still need them while she slept now that she had the ability to sense people nearby. It’d been embarrassing to admit she was afraid of the dark.
A pile of clothing occupied one corner, and a pyramid of scrolls sat in another. Borrowed from the monks, one of the scrolls showed the layout of the Temple of Arinna, their current home. Another contained information about The Eyes.
She closed one druk and turned the other low before lying down. But her thoughts whirled with all the tasks she needed to do and sleep refused to come. After a few angles, she gave up and unrolled the velbloud skin with the guidance on using the power of The Eyes.
The problem was the information was written in an archaic language and rather cryptic. She’d learned how to read it as that had been her specialty—transcribing old tablets and scrolls—but it took extra time to translate.
So far, Shyla had learned how to block others’ thoughts and emotions, which helped keep her sanity. And she was getting so good at lowering and raising her mental shield that it almost didn’t require a conscious effort. The Eyes also increased her magical power. Before she woke them, she could only influence one person, but afterwards she had persuaded twenty-five people that she’d disappeared. And now she could also alter a person’s memory. She wondered if that was the real reason for Jayden’s reluctance to teach her. Perhaps he was scared of her powers and didn’t want to give her even more abilities. She didn’t blame him; if she thought about it too much, it frightened her as well.
Shyla worked on translating a section of the scroll until the pain in her head forced her to return to her sleeping mat where she proceeded to toss and turn, unable to find a comfortable position. Perhaps some hot tea… No, she wouldn’t waste water. Besides, they didn’t have any lava stones or fuel to heat the water. And tepid tea was…well, tepid. She added lava stones to her wish list along with decent sleeping cushions and extra furs and blankets and fresh meat and vegetables. Perhaps she could buy some from the monks.
Lying on her back, she was staring at the ceiling when she sensed Rendor outside her room—that really was a handy skill! Shyla lowered her shield. He’d brought her a water skin and a couple rolls of jerky since she’d missed second and third meal. Not wishing to disturb her rest, Rendor debated whether to leave them next to her door or to set them inside on the table.
“Come in, Rendor. I’m awake,” she said, raising her mental barrier again.
He swept the curtain aside. “Did I—”
“No, you didn’t wake me.” She sat up. “Thanks for bringing food and water, but I don’t need it.”
“Yes, you do,” he said, stepping into her room. “You haven’t been eating or drinking as much as you should. How can you function properly without sustenance? People are relying on you.”
He’d noticed. “I don’t—”
“Have a headache? Aren’t hungry?”
Now that he mentioned it, the dull ache flared to a sharp pounding, and her stomach rumbled. Loudly. At least he didn’t gloat. “How did you know?”
“I’m observant and can count.” He handed her the skin.
She took a couple sips of water, but it tasted bitter.
Rendor crouched down beside her. “I know you think you’re helping the others by not taking your full share, but you’re not. You’re making all the decisions. Important ones that shouldn’t be made when you’re weak and dehydrated.”
The desire to grump at him pushed up her throat. But he was right and she had been skipping meals. So she gulped down a few more mouthfuls of water and chewed on the dried jerky.
When he stood to leave, she suddenly didn’t want to be alone. “What time is it?” she asked between bites.
“Around angle three hundred.”
“Have you gotten any sleep?”
He hesitated. “Not yet. I wanted to talk to Jaft and Elek about joining my team before their shift.”
The two men had been acolytes when they’d volunteered to help Shyla rescue Banqui and then they joined the Invisible Sword after she’d woken the power of The Eyes. “Good choices.”
