Ahmed sent the twins out ahead to report back the day before we would dock. It might be a few days to Iliaz on foot but it was only a few short hours as the shape-shifting falcons flew. They were back before sundown. Maz landed on the crow’s nest and scrambled down the mast in the shape of a monkey, while Izz misjudged his landing and catapulted into a roll that only didn’t break his neck because he became a snake at the last second before turning into a very naked boy at our feet.

Izz reached us first. ‘There’s an army,’ he said breathlessly, yet with a wide-eyed look that couldn’t quite hide his exhilaration at beating Maz to us.

‘Were you two racing?’ Shazad asked, tossing Izz a shirt, which he tied around his middle, for our sake.

Izz beamed momentarily. ‘I won.’

‘I can see that,’ Shazad said, handing a pair of trousers to a disgruntled-looking Maz, as he reached the bottom of the mast and changed back to a boy. ‘What’s this about an army?’

‘Iliaz,’ Maz said, fastening his trousers. ‘There’s an army camped at the western base of the mountains, by the look of it.’

‘There are blue flags,’ Izz added.

‘The Gallan,’ I said, feeling my blood go cold. ‘What are they doing here?’ I’d found my seasickness was better if I stayed on deck, where the air was less stale. And the plants Ahmed had given me had helped some. I’d taken to sleeping above deck, falling asleep under the stars. Jin was usually there at night, too, manning this monstrous ship I didn’t understand or like with the whole of his attention.

I’d been avoiding him ever since Zaahir had kissed me, since any temptation to kiss him would be a decision bigger than I was ready to make right now.

‘Probably running a supply route to Izman through the mountains.’ Rahim crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against one of the huge masts. ‘It’s what I would do if I were laying siege to the city. You’d think they’d have the decency to stay out of our country while we fight this out among ourselves.’

‘How many?’ Shazad asked, growing grave now. She checked around quickly, making sure no one else on board was close enough to hear.

Izz and Maz traded sheepish looks. Izz scratched his blue hair, making it stick up at the back as he faced us. ‘A lot?’ he guessed.

‘I’d say at least twice that many.’ Maz nodded along seriously.

‘So too many to fight outright,’ Jin interpreted for the rest of us.

‘Any way we can walk through under an illusion?’ Shazad turned to our Demdji princess.

‘I don’t think I can hide this many people.’ Delila chewed her lip as she glanced around. ‘Six people is one thing, but we’re close to three hundred now.’

The wind off the water picked up, riffling its fingers through all of our hair, dashing a few stray strands over our general’s face, deep in thought.

‘We could fly over them.’ Ahmed was pressing that spot on his hairline again.

‘Only in small numbers, though,’ Jin pointed out, leaning on the helm as we moved gently through the water. I stared out across the narrow band of sparkling blue ocean. We had finished passing the mountain now. The coast wasn’t green fields and orchards of sweet fruits any more. It was blistering golden sand. It was desert. My desert.

‘It would take too long,’ Rahim agreed for once. ‘And it’s a risk to split everyone up.’

‘Rahim, you know these mountains; is there a way around?’ Shazad asked.

I found myself reaching for the sand almost without noticing it. The pain in my ribs answered, but so did the desert, shifting as I drummed my fingers against my side. I had the beginning of an idea. I just couldn’t tell whether it was the kind that would get us all killed or not.

‘The mountain is well defended,’ Rahim was saying. ‘No roads, only paths. There is one way we could try, but we’d lose at least a week and—’

‘What if we go through?’ I interrupted Rahim. ‘Not around, not over, but –’ I made a small forwards motion with my hand, like it was a knife cutting through silk, and even this far away, I felt the sand shift, like a current through water – ‘through.’ The wheels in my mind were still turning, wondering if we could really do this or if I was losing my mind.

‘No.’ Ahmed was already shaking his head. ‘You heard Shazad: a fair fight would be suicide with our numbers, and I won’t risk it.’

But Shazad knew me well enough to know that even I wasn’t reckless enough to suggest fighting our way through. She was watching me, mind turning quickly, trying to see what I was thinking. ‘You’re not talking about a fight, are you?’

‘Not a fair one, at least.’ I could feel the excitement bubbling up. ‘What if we sailed through?’ There was a moment of complete silence as everyone stared at me like I was insane. Everyone except Shazad, who understood instantly. Jin caught up with her a moment later.

‘So, just to be clear.’ Jin leaned forwards so that I was pinned under his gaze. He was speaking slowly. If I knew him any less well, I might’ve thought he was chastising me. But I did know him. He had that smile on his face. Like we were about to get ourselves in real trouble and he wouldn’t have it any other way. ‘You’re suggesting sailing a ship through the sand with your Demdji gift?’