I look at Dante, and he gives me a smirk as he continues eating his food. My mind drifts to what is to come tomorrow. I want to ask him about Sienna, but he won’t give me an answer, anyway. I’ve got to figure this out on my own.
I watch her sit there, smiling softly at something Artemis said. She looks at me and gives me that beautiful smile of hers. However, it doesn’t bring me confidence, but uncertainty and worry.
I will find out what’s going on, no matter what.
Beneath theDesert Heat
Sienna
That night, I shared a room with the girls, and although I was not happy with them sneaking onto the mission like this, it was nice to have them here. Jayce is watching me like a hawk. Every move I make, he’s assessing it. Kataleya, too. She’s tried to touch me more than once, but I know what her power does, and I refuse to let her use it on me.
I deserve this pain for what I’ve done. The pain I’ll cause Jayce is cruel. So, that’s why I refuse to give up. I’m trying to find an answer, but it’s hard when there’s nothing to go on.
I need answers on gods, and the truth is, there aren’t many. I can’t use magic here to look for an answer, not with the rules Enrique has made clear. No magic.
It’s safe to say I didn’t sleep last night.
We set off long before the sun had even risen
I touch my neck. It feels normal, but nothing involving a god is simple. Only Ishouldhave realised that first, instead offollowing my heart and agreeing blindly. If I got Dad back, I would be beyond happy, but at the cost Helios is asking, no one would want me to pay this price, especially Dad.
I can’t do this alone; I need to tell someone. I need help. After this mission, I have to get help without wasting any time. I’ve fucked up, and I need to fix it.
It’s still dark when we head out. A shield to mask us is in place, thanks to Enrique. We’re going on foot to make sure there is no chance of being followed or found, and the destination is not accessible by vehicles anyway.
They call it the Qattara Depression, located in the Western Desert. It lies northwest of the old oasis, past Ba?riyyah and Farafirah, where the rocky plateau dips low and never comes back up. The Qattara Depression, they say, is over a hundred meters below sea level in places, caused by deadly sinkholes.
No one lives there, not even the Bedouins wander through due to the dangers of it. No roads or camel trails run across it. It’s too soft for tyres, and too steep for the feet of camels. South of it, the desert turns wild again with ridges of sand, like waves on a dead sea.
There are many parts of the Egyptian Desert that are now tourist spots, like the Valley of the Kings, or the Giza Plateau, where the Great Pyramids and Sphinx stand, but the Qattara Depression is forgotten and isolated.
This is a stealth mission, and staying hidden is the most important part. Whatever this calling is for Jayce, we have to make sure it is carried out without being intercepted.
The exact location of the ‘jade-eyed sphinx’ is unknown. There is no known sphinx across Egypt that has jade eyes. But once again, we drew on myths and lore with the witches’ help. I have learned parts of this in Mystery and Lore lessons. Theknowledge that the witches possess of the past is far more than ours, as they passed down stories so they could be remembered, and Professor Virelia, who teaches this class, is a witch.
I see how the others work well together. The quints, and then Brock and Artemis, who have a good understanding of each other. Artemis has her medical pack with her. We have a mix of the Paths here today. Jayce, Carter and Brock are Aegis. Artemis is Verdantia, I’m Aetheris, and Theo is Noctaris. Although there’s no Luminaria, it just shows how everyone brings something different to a team.
We travel in silence. No one talks, the heat burning through our clothing. Using any magic could trigger an alert, so we can’t even use cooling spells. We know the enemy has magic and power on their side, and most likely can detect it, too. No one talks as we focus on staying alert, listening for any sound beyond our group, and conserving our energy for when it’s needed. Theo is the only one to occasionally break the silence.
The sun begins to rise, and with it, the sweltering heat that is rising to suffocating levels. Sweat trickles down my face and into the neck of my clothes, making me feel itchy and uncomfortable. The sand is brittle beneath my feet, and when a warm waft does sift through it, it only makes the sand get in our eyes and noses.
Jayce is behind me, and I know when his eyes are on me, which is the majority of the time.
Two hours in, we are all wearing bandanas over our faces to protect us from the sand, but nothing helps with the heat, not even the cloaks meant to shield us from it. We’ve passed several warning signs not to venture further. The sand has changed in some places. In some places, it’s sludge, and we sink deep into it; in other parts, it’s jagged and hard to walk across.
“Can’t we use a simple cooling spell?” Heaven asks, lookingat Enrique. He’s in charge of magic usage, and she’s not too pleased by it.
“No, the less magic, the better. There are ways to detect magic, and if they know them, then they’ll realise we’re here. We continue as we are,” he replies in his accented English.
Heaven frowns slightly, but nods. “That makes sense. Can I ask how you’re using a masking spell, then?”
“In a way, I’m not. My guardsmen are,” Enrique answers as he helps Kataleya over a large dip.
I look around, trying to sense the three guardsmen, but can’t. Heaven nods as we fall silent again. The wind is getting worse, and it’s getting harder to walk through it.
“Looks like we might be hit with a sandstorm,” Uncle Liam says from ahead. “If it gets too bad, we’ll have to wait it out; otherwise, we keep going. Everyone stays together. Pair up and keep an eye out for one another.”
Ahren steps up beside me. “Done,” he says, his eyes narrowed as he looks at me.What is going on with you?
