The sight of the mining rigs came into view not long into the third day of their horseback travel. Large, cylindrical structures made of rusted metal sat about four or five storeys high, all interconnected with sky bridges reaching over more stretches of sand. As Seiren neared, it was obvious why the sandsea was so-called. As Martel had said, it was indeed like the sea beneath the rigs and they ebbed and flowed like waves of water. The horses paused, eyeing it with suspicion. There were no animals nearby. The surface of the sandsea melted from parchment yellow to brick red to dirt brown, blending into each other like a kaleidoscope of sand.

They slid off, both of them groaning but somewhat more adjusted to the aches and pains from riding. Seiren found herself swaggering as she walked, legs spread as if her hips had remolded themselves after the fifty miles spent on the back of a galloping horse. They fed the horses one last time and removed the water bottles and human food, sliding them into their own backpacks. Seiren peered up through the slit in her veil. Wilted trees and dislodged rocks peppered their surroundings. A corrugated metal ramp led from their path not too far ahead up to the balcony of the nearest rig.

Madeleine paused to bid her horse goodbye before catching up with Seiren. Sand slid beneath her feet, making it more of an effort to make an onward journey than Seiren would have liked. Swinging her arms to help propel herself, Seiren swaggered up the incline, a deep ache spasming across her buttock with every step, Madeleine moving in close behind her.

Dry sand raked across Seiren's exposed hands. The air was so desiccating every breath made her feel like she was about to have a nosebleed. The path wound around the metal cylinders like a platform for sightseers. As far as the eyes could see, there were nothing but sandsea and more connecting rigs. With the compass now pointing east once they reached the rig, as Martel instructed, Seiren led the way. The raised platform beneath her boots groaned with every step, making her breath hitch. If they plummeted into the sandsea now, their bodies would never be found and their quest would be over.

Madeleine appeared to have come to the same thoughts, keeping close to Seiren and suppressing a squeal every time the metal joints squeaked. Flakes of rust floated from the thin barrier to their left. Mechanical noises emanated from deep within the wide metal cylinders to the right, occasionally releasing a shudder that reverberated through the entire structure. Their progress slowed right down now they moved on foot, but Seiren kept a firm eye on the compass, pushing doubts and worries out of her mind.

Madeleine's breaths became more laboured as the hours passed. Seiren could probably still power on for another two hours, but she'd had to stop and wait for her sister increasingly frequently. Every wobble and break took longer to recover from and her face was increasingly pale behind the veil. They couldn't speak much as they moved; Martel had warned them occasionally animals prowl the sandseas from below and human noises could attract unwanted attention and attacks.

"Shall we have a break?" Seiren whispered. Madeleine nodded, silent, sliding to her knees with a sigh of relief. Seiren helped her out of her backpack and brought out her bottle of water. Sipping her own, moistening her lips to keep the thirst satisfied but also rationing the water, Seiren gazed across the mobile sandsea surface. If she stayed still, she could see occasional ripples, which she hadn't noticed before. Beneath the surface, the occasional protrusion would flash past before tunnelling beneath the sand again. A fin? A spine? When their father used to take them to Throwley to the seaside in the south of Karma, occasionally there were shark warnings and they couldn't go swimming.

She wasn't sure she was ready to face a Hannan sandsea shark, no matter how many runes she had. She took another sip. The rest of the water would have to be saved.

Her hand drifted to her side, feeling the familiar rustle of rune paper in her pockets. The chalk were in her left breast pocket on the inside, in a cushioning compartment for shock absorption. It was an odd experience, being unable to use rune magic despite the celestial energy flowing through her body. Magic had defined her so much that when it left her for the few weeks after Madeleine returned, Seiren hadn't known what to do. It was as if a part of her identity had been ripped away and her purpose in this world was... gone.

She studied the tips of her fingers. The little white smoke still danced around the tips. One day, with refined summoner's dust and a pilgrimage, she could perhaps make this smoke creature materialise into an actual being. She thought of Martel's daemon with the spikes running down its spine and Gulmore's monstrous crocodile-like daemon with the impossibly small shell for such a massive body; they were perfectly in sync with their summoners, obedient and mutually respecting, not like the rampaging mess she'd been used to until recently.

A rustle came from behind. She turned, thinking Madeleine needed a hand with the bag. A dark shape darted forward and something heavy clamped around Seiren's throat. She gasped, dropping her water bottle and her hands scrabbling at the arm around her neck. Her feet skidded across the corrugated metal, the soles failing to find a foothold as the assailant dragged her backwards.

"Keep struggling and you die," snarled a coarse voice beside her ear. Seiren stilled, heart pounding and blood drumming in her ears. She gurgled, tugging at the arm as her peripheries darkened. The man loosened his grip a tiny fraction and Seiren managed to get some air in before she'd black out.

"What do you want?" Madeleine said in a trembling voice, standing up. "Aren't you meant to be heading to Traquair with Kaim and Eleia?"

Seiren's eyes widened. She couldn't see the man's face or attire and all she could smell were the mix of his sweat and hers.

"We have our own priorities," he said in a hushed voice. The man's breath was rank, making Seiren's nose wrinkle. A hard handle dug into her hip — probably that of a dagger. Her eyes darted down. No pouch at his waist. Not a summoner. Summoners were probably too valuable to Kaim to just send on missions. "We warned you to keep your nose out."

"So you're here to warn us? Because Eleia didn't like how you went against her wishes to rescue Prince Magus?"

"There are great things for Eleia as the future queen and we won't let filthy foreigners like you compromise the bigger plan."

Realisation dawned on Madeleine. "She's just a puppet, isn't she? She's just sixteen. She hasn't had military training and doesn't know how to run a country or manage the people. If she sits on the throne, the insurgents get to control Hanna. You never wanted Magus, because he'd know what he was doing. Eleia won't. Rescuing Magus won't do you lot any favours."

If Seiren wasn't breathing as hard as she could to maintain oxygen going to her brain, she'd chew the guy a new one. The insurgents were no better than the Daemonium, manipulating a kid like Eleia. That would also explain the urgency to reaching the royal daemon before Fautos. Even if the insurgents successfully pushed Eleia onto the throne, with the royal daemon in Fautos's hands, the victory would be short-living.

"You've had your warning, Karmans. When a horse continuously disobeys its rider, there's just one outcome for it. We put it down."

Something cold pressed into Seiren's neck. She gasped. Madeleine's face drained of blood.

"Run, Maddy!" she croaked. Madeleine's eyes darted to hers and then to the backpacks at their feet. She hesitated. "Run!"

The blade dug deeper into her neck and Seiren flinched.

"I'm the older sister!" Madeleine said, her voice shaking. "I won't run. I'm meant to protect you — that's my job!"

"Empty your pockets."

Madeleine pulled out the rune papers and chalks from the folds of her long robe.

"Throw them over the side. The bags, too."

She obeyed, then turned her pockets inside-out to show him they were truly empty.

"Now empty hers."

Madeleine's eyes locked onto Seiren's. Seiren said nothing, maintaining the gaze as Madeleine's hands fished into every pocket and pulled out Seiren's rune equipment, throwing them out. Madeleine stepped back, hands spread and head tilted to show she'd done her job.

"Good. Now, move."

The tip of the knife jabbing into the back of her robe, Seiren stumbled forward. Her joints had begun to lock up during their break. With stiff legs, she marched as instructed, deliberately stamping a little harder than necessary with each step. The rig continues to shudder with their movement, but the rusted locks and screws held. They passed over a sky bridge onto the next rig, heading deeper into the sandseas.

"Why don't you just kill us here?" Seiren said loudly, maintaining her pace. Stamp. Stamp. Stamp. "Just gut us, chuck us over, and the sand buries us. Nobody will find our stuff or our corpses. Job done. You and Kaim Assface can play your stupid puppeteer game with a poor little deaf girl. Gosh, how manly of you."

"Shut up," said the man, shoving Seiren forward. She stumbled, slamming the soles of her shoes down with all her might, and uprighted dramatically.

"She's not an idiot, Eleia. She'll see right through all of you." Seiren ensured her voice carried over the sandseas. "It's not like you guys know how to play the game. Oh, yes, storm the palace during one of the busiest, most-guarded days of the year, when all the Daemonium are there. You didn't go — obviously you didn't—"

"I said, shut up—"

"—otherwise you wouldn't be here talking to us right now. Gulmore summoned her daemon and killed every one Kaim brought into the palace except for Kaim himself and Eleia, and that's just so they can be questioned. Kaim didn't find it an issue that his entire team got slaughtered because he thought it was a good idea to get two foreigners to plant a damn bomb at the king's feast. If Eleia and I hadn't gotten to him in time, that Soleus guy would have ripped out every single name from his throat and you wouldn't even be here."

The knife dug deeper in, almost to the point of breaking skin.

"I said shut—"

"You owe me your life!" Seiren screeched the last two words.

The man slammed his hand over her mouth so hard she tasted blood.

"I said shut it!" He shoved his face in hers, pale eyes ablaze with fury and fear. "There are things in this area that—"

Seiren grinned from ear to ear.

"I know," she said into his hand.

A deep rumble reverberated from beneath.

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