Oyri continued as if Liyana hadn’t spoken. “While Maara and I have had our differences, I believe it is the duty—”

Inform Oyri that Maara will accompany us, Bayla said.

Liyana repeated Bayla’s words and then asked silently, Truly? She felt hope flutter inside her. Perhaps Bayla was not unsympathetic to Raan . . . or to Liyana.

Oyri echoed her thought. “Truly, Bayla? What if this human of yours contributes to her downfall? Would you wish another to suffer your fate?

Repeat my words: I do not believe it is in the best interests of the Scorpion Clan to be beholden to the Silk Clan. Liyana repeated Bayla’s words. And, Oyri, if you ever think of expanding to the Goat Clan, I will personally render you deaf as well as blind.

Oyri gasped. “I would never!”

Once, the salt worms roved the desert freely. . . .

“Once, the salt worms roved the desert freely,” Liyana began. She knew this story. She continued without prompting. “Everywhere the worms tunneled, they tainted the sand with salt. Living things withered, and the desert was laced with trails of death. Maara of the Scorpion Clan saw them approach the hills, and she sent her scorpions to sting the salt worms until they fled. Some burrowed deep below the rocks, never to rise again. Others retreated to the plains, creating the salt flats, never to leave again.”

You know your tales, Bayla said, sounding pleased. It would please Oyri greatly to cause the Scorpion Clan to leave their hills and beg for mercy from the Silk Clan. Liyana repeated that out loud.

Sendar raised both eyebrows at Oyri. “Is this true?”

Oyri opened her mouth and then shut it like a fish.

“Maara stays with us,” Korbyn said firmly. “And you would do well to remember that the clans are one people. Perhaps your blindness will open your eyes to that.”

“Let us ride, Sendar. I can no longer abide our present company.” Oyri held up her arms like a child, and Sendar lifted her onto one of the horses.

Sendar mounted his own horse. He held the reins of Oyri’s horse. “You will see that your horses are well cared for.” It was a command, not a question. He was leaving them with the three desert horses and taking the two empire horses—either out of kindness or a certainty that they could not care for the nondesert horses. Regardless, Liyana was grateful that Gray Luck was one of the horses he was leaving. “Remember: We must intercept the army before they enter the mountains. Do not be late.”

“As I recall, I wasn’t the one who was slow to the finish line,” Korbyn said.

The two deities rode away without a farewell. Sand plumed in their wake and then wavered in the heat. Liyana and Korbyn watched them until they shrank to specks in the distance. “There is a reason why most deities are loners,” Korbyn said.

“Everyone will put aside their differences to face the invaders,” Liyana said. She pictured the emperor, a most polite invader.

How sweetly optimistic, Bayla said.

Practical, Liyana corrected. For all our differences, there is one thing the clans have in common: the desert. We’ll fight for it if we have to.

I think that may be the first thing you have said that I agree with, vessel.

Liyana and Korbyn secured the unconscious Raan to a horse. Taking her reins, Liyana climbed onto Gray Luck. Korbyn led the extra horse. They rode west.

At midday they camped.

While Korbyn located food, Liyana sat beside a clump of cacti, intending to fill the leaves with water. She began to breathe evenly, trying to calm her thoughts so she could picture the lake.

Oh, let me, Bayla said.

Power flooded into Liyana. She gasped and reached out to the cacti. Instantly it plumped with water. She then reached out further, and every cacti within a hundred yards of the tent filled with water.

That was a lot of magic, she said as mildly as she could manage.

Indeed, Bayla said and then fell silent.

The goddess stayed silent as Liyana collected the cacti and extracted their moisture, filling their waterskins and setting a pot with tea leaves to boil. Korbyn returned with several desert rats. As they fell into the comfortable rhythm of preparing food, Liyana relaxed. It almost felt like it used to, just her and Korbyn. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he cooked dinner. After a few minutes, she noticed that he was sneaking glances at her as well. She wondered who he was looking for, her or Bayla. He offered her a strip of meat. Their fingers touched briefly as she took the meat. They stared at each other.

Ask Korbyn if he remembers our first meal together.

Liyana asked him.

“Of course I do,” he said, looking back at the fire. “She dared me.”

I do not like to be spoken of in the third person, Bayla said. I am here.

Liyana repeated this. Still stirring the fire, Korbyn said, “You told me you would poison me for stealing Sendar’s horses, and you dared me to eat with you.”

“You stole horses?” Liyana asked.

“Only a few,” Korbyn said. “I wanted to teach them to fly.”

He said it as if that were a sensible reason. “Did it work?” Liyana asked.

Clearly not, Bayla said. Do you see any horses flying across the desert?

“Almost,” Korbyn said with the trace of a smile. “All right, no, it didn’t. Even with hollow bones and a significantly reduced mass, the required wingspan was impractical. But I did create a flying rodent.”

I always hated your bats, Bayla said, and Liyana felt a wave of fondness roll over her.

“Bayla had . . .” Korbyn looked at her and corrected himself. “You had prepared a meal with dozens of sauces and flatbreads for dipping. There was spiced wine. And you had made baked chocolate for dessert. You said that if I ate with you, I would worship you and be in thrall to your every whim. I replied that there was no magic that could enslave a man’s mind.”

And I said, “Yes, there is.”

Before Liyana could repeat Bayla’s words, Korbyn said, “And you said, ‘Yes, there is. There are women.’ ”

I poisoned you with love.

“Per your request, I returned the horses in the morning,” Korbyn said. He reached toward her, and his fingers brushed Liyana’s cheek. “Bayla . . .”

Liyana turned her face away. It felt hard to breathe. Her heart was a fist inside her rib cage. She felt her hand tremble. Liyana wasn’t causing it to move.

Why do you value this ephemeral human? Bayla asked. We could be together! Liyana’s hand reached toward Korbyn.

Clamping down on her wrist, Liyana thought at Bayla, You will be together in the Dreaming for all eternity. Please . . . A shudder wracked her body as Bayla tried to force her hand to move again.

“In my nightmares I search and cannot find you,” Korbyn said, cupping her face in his hands. His eyes searched hers. Feeling his touch on her cheeks, Liyana remembered all the nightmares she had calmed over their journey. I’m keeping him from her, she thought, deep where Bayla couldn’t hear. She felt her insides twist with guilt.

Raan moaned. Her eyelids fluttered open. Both Liyana and Korbyn peered at her. Raan smiled broadly. “She weakens!”

Maara.

Liyana recoiled. “It isn’t necessary to sound so gleeful about it.”

“Her presence is an unnatural offense,” Maara said. “One soul per body. And we take priority—our magic will save an entire clan.”

“Bayla has worked magic with Liyana,” Korbyn said. He gestured to the cacti.

Maara fixed her eyes on Liyana with an expression that said she thought Liyana was worse than a venomous snake. “You’re still here. Bayla, the key is to disorient her so badly that she cannot focus. Then push the areas where she’s weakest.”

Liyana felt chilled. “You’re torturing your vessel.”