Storm Glass

by Maria V. Snyder

  Urgency grew in my heart. I had to rescue him. Because if I didn’t help him then... What? This time I didn’t shy away from the answer. If I didn’t find him, I would regret it for the rest of my life. There, I admitted it to myself, but I knew not to hold any romantic notions of us riding off into the sunset.

  I shook Ulrick awake. He sat up in alarm, grabbing his sword. “What happened?”

  “Kade’s in trouble. We have to help him.”

  Annoyed, he asked, “How do you know? Another dream?”

  “No. From Kade’s orb. I told you I was keeping it safe.”

  “But you didn’t tell me you were bringing it along.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Kade’s in trouble.”

  “Send a message to his clan, I’m sure they can send another dancer.”

  “No time. We’re in the Krystal lands and can interview sand suppliers. He must have gotten a lead on where Sir and Tal are—”

  “Opal, we’re not helping him.” Ulrick stood. “He’s a grown man and a Stormdancer. He can take care of himself. We’re expected in Mica.”

  “You don’t have to come, but I’m going to try and find out where he is. I can’t just send a message.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.”

  “You don’t want to be with me anymore?” His tone was flat and curious.

  “That’s not it. I enjoy being with you, it’s just he’s in trouble.”

  “Enjoy? How about love, Opal? Do you love me?”

  “This has nothing to do with us. You don’t understand. I won’t let them hurt him.”

  Ulrick laughed. Not the reaction I expected.

  “What a useless statement, ‘I won’t let them hurt him.’ They’ll do whatever they please to him whether you let them or not. Frankly, I hope they kill him.”

  My outrage froze on my lips. This was all wrong. When he lit the lantern, I stared at his shadow. It matched.

  “You have no clue, but you’re really not in a position to rescue anybody, including yourself.” He stepped toward me.

  His eyes blazed with blue fire.

  “Now do you understand?”

  “No.” The truth. I didn’t understand. His shadow matched his body. He lived in the Keep for weeks. Led me around the dance floor. Shared my bed.

  “You will. Because you’re my little glass finder, who’s going to help me find my imprisoned mentor so I can complete the Kirakawa ritual.”

  Logic shattered into fragments. My mind reduced to admiring the pretty pieces floating around my head. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t put them together into a reasonable picture.

  “Do you submit?”

  Realization crushed my confusion. Familiar words from the wrong face. Blue-eyed Devlen had disguised himself as Ulrick.

  28

  “How...what...why...” I stared at Ulrick—Devlen. His eye color returned to the vibrant green of Ulrick’s. He looked the same. I touched his arm—the one not holding the sword. It felt the same. He even smelled the same.

  Laughing at my confusion, he said, “Blood magic with a twist.”

  “But you don’t have any tattoos.” The Daviian Warpers had gained their power by using blood magic and the Kirakawa ritual. By injecting the blood of their victims into their skin, they increased their magical power. As a Warper ascended through the levels of the ritual, he would be able to trap the victim’s soul and inject it into himself. At that point, he would have enough power to equal a Master Magician.

  However, Yelena stopped the Warpers, pulling the trapped souls from them and reducing their powers. The Warpers who knew the final steps of the Kirakawa ritual were imprisoned in glass to keep them from communicating with anyone else.

  “But all the Warpers were caught and executed by the Council.” My mind still couldn’t accept his claims.

  “Not all the Warpers died. I hid and waited, biding my time. I learned how to use blood magic. Learned it so well, I was able to exchange my blood with another’s and switch souls.” Devlen pointed to his...Ulrick’s body. “For such a complete exchange there is no magic to detect. I can live in the Keep. And as long as I avoid the Soulfinder, I don’t need to worry.”

  I had to close my eyes to understand. Devlen’s soul was in Ulrick’s body and vice versa. “Where is Ulrick?”

  “He is a...guest of mine. Safe and sound. For now.”

  I opened my eyes. For now! Fury replaced numbed shock and I reached for his neck, intent on strangling him. But he grabbed my wrists and yanked me close.

  “Now, now. You weren’t this feisty before.”

  Before? I had fought him with my sais in the alley, and protected Zitora from him during the ambush with Sir.

  He peered at me. “Maybe this will remind you.” He adjusted his grip on my right wrist, and pressed his finger into the soft part of my forearm.

  Unbearable pain shot up my arm and into my head. He released me and the agony ceased.

  I staggered, panting in panic. This would be a good time to faint. To hide in the black comfort of unconsciousness. To not have to deal with or think about any of this. But he was an expert on bringing me to the edge of oblivion then yanking me back. Knew exactly how much I could take, what I would do to make him stop.

  “Remember me now?”

  The man who had come to the tent when Alea had captured me. The one who guaranteed I would obey Alea and jab Yelena with the Curare. He had worn a mask and dark glasses then, and now he wore Ulrick’s face, but there was no denying his touch.

  My sais rested beside the bed. Too far.

  I dived for his sword. I wanted to kill him or myself. At this point it didn’t matter. My hand closed on the handle, but he was quick. His hands around my neck, thumbs digging into my collarbone. My muscles turned to liquid. The sword clattered to the floor. The world faded and this time he let me slide into the blackness.

  * * *

  I woke, but resisted opening my eyes. The dreams of snow and ice preferable to the reality on the other side of my eyelids. If I kept my thoughts rooted in my dreamworld, could I ignore my situation? Only for a while.

  The physical world intruded with muscle cramps along my arms and legs. Aches radiated up my back and soreness pulsed from where my body rested on the hard surface. All from being in one position for too long.

  I cracked an eye open, peeking out. A wall built from wood loomed inches from my nose. Growing braver, I scanned my surroundings. I lay on my right side on the floor of an empty room. It was about four feet wide by six feet long. One closed door. Four metal clasps attached to the wall—two high and two low.

  Staring at the clasps, I tried not to imagine what they were for, but as I moved to relieve the cramps in my arms, an unwelcome image came to mind. My wrists were hooked together behind my back, but my legs were free. The metal cuffs around my ankles sported bright silver clips which would be easy to attach to the clasps on the wall.

  Don’t panic. Don’t panic. I repeated the phrase, but my heart had its own agenda, slamming in my chest as if I ran for my life. I struggled into a sitting position and tried to organize my thoughts, examine the situation.

  I should check the door. It might be unlocked, but I might make noise. I didn’t want him to know I was awake. Not yet. I needed time to sort things out.

  Pushing through the confusion and my fear on learning about Ulrick’s capture, I concentrated on Devlen’s words. He needed my help, called me his glass finder and mentioned his mentor. A Warper in hiding, he wanted to complete the Kirakawa ritual and the only people who knew the final steps were imprisoned in my glass.

  Since I confided everything to him, he knew the glass called to me. I wondered when Devlen switched souls with Ulrick. Had there been a change in Ulrick’s behavior? I thought back. It was so
obvious I felt a fool for not questioning his actions. Devlen must have captured him the night he had confronted his sister, Gressa. Ulrick had been alone. And since he had been my constant companion, Devlen had targeted him. I hadn’t even warned Ulrick about Devlen because I didn’t want to hear another lecture about being careful.

  Horror and guilt swelled, but I squashed the emotions. Devlen would have found another person to switch souls with. Besides, it had happened, there was nothing I could do to change the past.

  Right now I needed to focus on the present. I had two goals. Rescue Kade and Ulrick without helping Devlen. The thought of going against Devlen turned my resolve to mush. And how could I help anyone when I was so easily fooled? His voice had sounded different, he had been bolder, and he’d refused to work with glass. All glaring signs, and I had rationalized each one away.

  My emotions once again threatened to overwhelm me. I needed an image to hold to help me concentrate. I needed glass. So I imagined my heart encased in glass. Strong, unbreakable glass to lock away the doubts, worries, fears and to protect myself from further damage. The image helped cool my molten emotions and hardened my determination.

  I staggered to my feet and tried the door. Locked.

  Of course, my resolve threatened to crack as soon as the lock snapped and the door swung open. Glass heart, glass heart, I repeated to myself. It still jolted me to see a calculating coldness in Ulrick’s eyes. The lips that had smiled at me and kissed me... No—glass heart. Devlen, not Ulrick stood in front of me.

  “Figured it out yet?”

  “Some. You want me to find your mentor’s prison and release him so you can finish the Kirakawa ritual.”

  “You’re smarter than you were five years ago.”

  “I’ve learned a lot.”

  “So have I.” He stepped into the room.

  Instinct made me move back. Glass heart, I thought. I peered past his shoulder and into a living room. “Where are we?”

  “In a cabin deep in the woods. No one around for miles so you can scream all you want.” His flat tone lacked emotion.

  My hands hit the wall, but I didn’t remember moving away. “Krystal lands?”

  Devlen placed his hands on my shoulders. I cringed, but stayed still.

  “Now you know what I want. The question remains. Are you going to help me?”

  I kneed him in the groin. He hunched forward and I rammed my knee into his nose. But as he fell, he kept hold of me. His hands slid to my waist and he pressed his thumbs into my hip bones.

  The pain sucked my breath from my lungs and everything from the waist down numbed. Seconds, minutes, years passed before he relaxed his grip. He had regained his breath. Blood dripped from his nose.

  “I take that as a no.” Devlen reached for my collarbone.

  * * *

  My situation hadn’t improved. Not surprising, but I could hope. When I woke for the second time in my room, I was attached to the wall. Once I managed to get my weight on my feet—rather difficult with ankles hooked to the wall clasps, I glanced up. My wrists sported the same metal cuffs. I tugged both arms and legs to no avail. The clasps had been securely fastened to the wood.

  I was completely vulnerable. Memories from being in this same spread-eagle position boiled up from the depths. Then I had been staked to the ground. The number and location of all the pain spots on my body scrolled through my mind. What had he called them...? Pressure points. He had also used metal C-shaped clamps wide enough to fit over various parts of my body, leaving them there so his hands wouldn’t tire.

  Panic simmered. I wanted him to stop even before he started. But I couldn’t agree to help him. Or could I? He knew my dreams led to the glass prisons. I’ve been dreaming about snow and ice. Kaya said Kade was in northern Ixia. If I told Devlen the prison was near Icefaren Station, we would go there. He would have to figure out how to cross the border and travel through Ixia without being caught. During that time, I might get an opportunity to escape, or send a message to Zitora or anyone at this point. If not, when we reached northern Ixia, I could trick Devlen into searching for Kade instead of the prison.

  A nasty little worry that Kade might already be dead tried to speak up. I slapped it down and continued plotting. Once I found and freed Kade, we could search for Ulrick.

  There were so many ifs and unknowns, but I didn’t have any other options and now I had a plan to focus on. I rolled my shoulders, easing the pain. The worst part would be convincing Devlen I had given in. He would be suspicious if I agreed too soon. I had to endure his torture longer than before. But this time, I had a goal in mind. I had a measure of control. A tiny one, but it was enough.

  When the door swung wide, I centered my thoughts on my goals. He held two clamps. Save Kade. Save Ulrick. The words echoed in my mind.

  “Will you help me?” he asked.

  Save Kade. “No.” Save Ulrick.

  His mouth pressed into a grim line as if the prospect of torturing me was unappealing. “I need to hurry things along this time.” He waved both clamps in front of me. “Something new for you. Two.” He ran his hand along my right leg. “Let’s see, where was that spot you particularly hated.”

  My leg jerked when his finger found the location on my upper thigh. He positioned the clamp and twisted the screw. Every muscle in my body spasmed, but there was no preparing for the waves of burning pain that would not stop. I writhed and bucked, but no position eased the torment.

  Distantly, he mentioned the second, and as he pushed against me with his body an additional center of stabbing pain exploded from my left shoulder. My stomach heaved, trying to expel the agony. Too much, I couldn’t draw breath and I hovered at the edge of passing out.

  “Oops.” He fiddled with one of the clamps.

  I sucked in great gasps of air, quite conscious. He left. Save Kade, I thought as each wave of agony slammed through my body. Save Ulrick. Save Kade. But eventually the words just buzzed in a haze of unrelenting pain. I rocked and moaned, wishing for it to stop.

  When it did stop, I sagged in my restraints. Joy was in the relief. And gratitude.

  Devlen nodded. “Two gets the job done faster. Before you lasted three days.” He frowned. “I wasn’t planning to do this. If you had kept taking Leif’s potion, I’d still be trying to romance the location from you.”

  I shoved the romance comment into my glass heart and focused on the details. “Leif’s potion?”

  “It wasn’t Leif’s. It was more blood magic. I mixed my mentor’s blood with a sleeping potion to help your dreams become more specific as to where his prison is located. It was working until you switched potions. Then I had to go to Plan B.”

  Did I even want to know? Better to keep him talking than the alternative. “Plan B?”

  “Lure you away from the Keep and...” He waved a hand at me.

  “So the diamond merchant they stopped at the border?”

  “I made it up.”

  “But Zitora—”

  “Believes you’re going to help that Stormdancer with his sand search. Why do you think I arranged everything? And wouldn’t let you mention business at the dance?”

  “Because I’m an idiot.”

  “No. You’re not an idiot at all. I’ve been watching you since we had the fight in Thunder Valley, waiting for you to trust someone other than Master Cowan and that Stormdancer. Both too powerful for me to trick. Ulrick, however, was easy to convince. He wanted magical power more than he wanted you. I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. He has taken the first step to becoming a Warper.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “Or is it you don’t want to believe me? How much did you care for Ulrick before I came along?” He stroked my face.

  Jerking back from his touch, I banged my head.

  “Ulrick’s thoughts a
nd emotions were easy to read. Frustrated, disappointed, craving more from you, but feeling he received more warmth from a glass statue. His memories showed me everything. A couple of kisses, was it? All you gave him before cooling in his arms. Not nearly enough from you for him to refuse my offer.” He leaned into me. “You certainly gave me much more than a kiss.”

  I tried to bite him, but he stayed just out of reach. He lied about Ulrick. I held on to that thought, because to think he told the truth would make me sick.

  “I wouldn’t have given you anything, if I’d known it was you,” I said.

  “If it makes you feel better, you can lie to yourself, but we both know the truth. Ulrick would have waited for you like a dog ordered to stay. I’m the one who showed initiative. Such a shame you had to be so stubborn about that Stormdancer. I was enjoying myself, playing the boyfriend.” He leered.

  I stifled my desire to scream at him, preferring to keep him talking. “How did you get to Ulrick?”

  “I trailed him back to his sister’s factory and listened to their little family squabble. She was proud her work passed for diamonds and supports Councillor Moon’s sister. He tried to convince her to switch sides and join Master Jewelrose and Yelena. She hit him on the head with a glass plate and ran.” Devlen stared into the past. “He was dazed and I led him to a small inn just outside of town, pretending to take him to a healer.” He rubbed a spot on his temple. “I did heal the gash on his forehead. Then I showed him what he could do with blood magic. He was hooked.”

  I shook my head. “I still don’t believe you.”

  He shrugged. “You asked.” His mouth twisted as if he tasted something bad. “Are you going to help me find my mentor? I would like to put all this unpleasantness behind us.”

  “No.” It was easy to say. My muscles pulsed with a desire to pound him into a bloody pulp.

  He nodded, not surprised by my answer, and positioned the clamps in two new spots, twisting them tight. I lost track of time, of my sanity and my reasons for living.

  After the third session, I didn’t need to pretend to give in. At that point I would have done anything. I clung to the fact that it wasn’t a complete submission, because I had planned to tell him all along.