Storm Glass g-1

by Maria V. Snyder

  As predicted, the Stable Master was livid over Ulrick’s horse theft. “…had to beg—do you hear me, boy?—beg Councillor Sandseed to send me another right away. How could he trust me with a new one, when I lost the other!”

  “I did you a favor,” Ulrick said.

  His reply rendered the Stable Master speechless. A sight I’ve never seen. Impressive. And scary.

  “Moonlight is a fantastic horse. Too good for the Commander. You should save him for a special student or future Master Magician or even for yourself.” Ulrick’s matter-of-fact tone didn’t waver despite the flaming red color spreading on the Stable Master’s cheeks. “I’ll come exercise him for you until you find a rider.” And with a jaunty wave goodbye, Ulrick swept out of the barn.

  I hustled to catch up. There was no way I wanted to be anywhere near the Stable Master when he finally exploded.

  I reported the whole spider incident to Zitora and she was most anxious for me and Ulrick to start experimenting with magic and glass.

  “I’ll ask Master Bloodgood if he knows about another magician in history who could transform magic into a useful object,” she said. “Meanwhile, you should hire Mara to help you in the glass shop. There’s lots of work to be done.”

  “Hire?”

  “Yes. Offer her room and board plus a weekly wage—the accountant should know how much. You’ll need a manager to keep track of supplies and work schedules while you and Ulrick concentrate on learning about your powers.”

  I knew all along what we would use the shop for, but when Zitora talked about managers and schedules, the reality of the situation hit me. It wouldn’t be a hobby, but serious research. Results would be expected, and I could no longer look to another to lead the way. Perhaps we should hire Aydan as a consultant.

  Squashing my fears into a hard lump that sank to the pit of my stomach, I asked, “Should we pay Ulrick, too?”

  “No. We’ll grant him student status and a stipend until you determine the extent of his magical abilities. Then we’ll decide how to proceed.”

  As I returned to the glass shop, I thought there wasn’t much difference between being a student and a worker. Mara would be given a small apartment in the staff quarters and Ulrick would be assigned a room in the apprentice wing. The stipend was smaller than wages, but not by much. Ulrick should be happy with the new arrangements. He would no longer be a guest, but a member of the Keep.

  It didn’t take long for Ulrick, Mara and I to settle into a pleasant routine. And a funny thing happened while Mara worked with us. The population of the Keep would introduce Mara as Opal’s sister to others, and she never batted an eye. She even boasted with pride over being my sister. I berated myself for my previous misgivings and pettiness. In those few days, Mara showed me how I should have behaved.

  And even though there had been no sign of Sir or Tricky or blue-eyed Devlen for a month, Ulrick accompanied me everywhere.

  On the first day of the cold season, I received a message from Zitora to come to her office. Alone. I told Ulrick I would meet him at the glass shop after the meeting.

  “I’ll just wait outside her office, so you can do your secret magician stuff with Master Cowan,” Ulrick said. He tried to keep his tone light, but his voice held a sharp edge.

  “It’s not secret magician stuff.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “My point.”

  Ulrick escorted me to Zitora’s office. He leaned on the wall next to the entrance. She waved me in, then stared at the door. It swung shut.

  A split second of jealousy pricked me. “Handy.”

  “Lazy. It’s been a long night.” She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her eyes. She wore the same clothes as yesterday. “You’ll need to let Ulrick and Mara work on the shop without you for a few days.”

  “Why?”

  “Remember the conversation the Masters had about the Moon Clan?”

  “Vaguely.” It had been close to three weeks ago and so much had happened since then.

  “We’ve discovered there’s more going on with the Moon Clan than the illegal border crossings and a possible assassination attempt on Councillor Moon. There’s a whole faction who want Councillor Moon to step down and the faction’s leader to take her place. Rumors of a civil war have reached us and now—” Zitora waved a scroll in the air “—now I have a report saying this group is selling illegal Ixian goods in the Citadel to raise money for weapons.”

  “Bold.”

  “Not necessarily. There’s always been a black market for certain Ixian goods—swords, tea, linen, spices. When we had no political relationship with Ixia, the officials at the Citadel turned a blind eye to the sales of Ixian merchandise. Once we negotiated a trade treaty with them, all the ‘contraband’ became readily available. It was no longer a problem.”

  “What are they selling now?” I asked.

  “Diamonds.”

  The gemstones were a hot commodity in Sitia. Many riches were mined from the Emerald Mountains, but, so far, no diamonds have been found.

  “The Commander keeps a tight control on the sale of his diamonds to Sitia, so there must be a new mine,” Zitora said.

  “With diamonds being sold on the black market, there’ll be all sorts of problems.”

  “Correct. What kind of trouble?”

  “Another lesson?” I asked.

  “I can’t pass up an opportunity to teach. You’re my first student and I endeavor to be a good mentor.” She rolled her hand in the air urging me to continue.

  “All right. The black market diamonds will be cheaper, so buyers will go to them instead of the legitimate sellers. Word of diminishing sales will get back to the Commander, and he’ll want to know why. If the Sitian Council doesn’t stop the illegal sales, it could strain our relationship with Ixia. Plus, the money is going to the Moon Clan to pay for a potential coup.”

  Each clan decided how they chose their Councillor. A few clans held elections, others followed family lines and the rest had committees who made the decision. The Moon Clan used a matriarchal system. It was understood the Councillor’s daughter would be the next Council member, but birth order didn’t always match the best candidate for the job. On occasion, sisters fighting for the position have been recorded in their history.

  “There’s more,” Zitora said.

  I thought about the people buying the diamonds. “Bigger chance for deceit. With more diamonds available from various sources, the buyers could be conned into purchasing glass.”

  “Can you tell the difference?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never touched a diamond before.”

  “I have one for you to examine.”

  “Why?”

  “Fisk needs someone he can trust to help him find the black market diamond sellers’ source.”

  “Why would he care?”

  No answer from the Master Magician.

  Putting myself in Fisk’s place, I tried to see the situation from his point of view. “His customers are getting conned, which brings suspicion on the Helper’s Guild. And having the Citadel’s guards arrest all the sellers wouldn’t stop the source from going to another town to sell his diamonds. And the arrests would upset the legitimate people in the market. Fisk could lose business.” I considered for a moment. “Better to have everything resolved without the general population knowing about it.”

  “Right. So we find the source and trace the new diamonds back to their point of origin before we arrest anyone.”

  Her serious tone and emphasis on the word new caused my heart to squeeze a warning. This was no longer a hypothetical discussion. “Who will trace the source?”

  “We have a magician in mind to act as our buyer, but she’ll need an expert with her so she doesn’t follow the wrong trail and end up with glass. Fisk trusts you. So does Yelena. She agreed with this plan.”

  “I…But…”

  “You’ll have the perfect cover.” When I didn’t respond, she
continued. “Diamonds enhance magical powers. You need many large stones together to increase the magic, so it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for a rich magician to buy a bunch of diamonds.”

  A sense of having been maneuvered into a corner washed over me. I wanted to be part of the Keep’s network of magicians. Wasn’t this exactly what I would be asked to do when I finished my training? I could say no, but I would probably never be considered for another mission. However, my mission for the Stormdancers had bordered on a disaster, and still wasn’t resolved.

  “What about Sir and Tricky?” I asked. “They haven’t been found yet.”

  “The magician you’ll be working with is strong enough to handle them.”

  Last question. “Who’s the magician?”

  “Pazia Cloud Mist.”

  19

  I GROANED. Pazia detested me as much as I disliked her. It would be difficult to become a team and convince a black market diamond seller to reveal his source.

  “What’s the problem?” Zitora asked.

  “She thinks I’m worthless. A One-Trick Wonder,” I blurted.

  “You’re not…” She paused. “Hearing it from me won’t change your perceptions. If you want to believe you’re a One-Trick Wonder, fine by me. Just don’t say it to me ever again. Understand?”

  Stunned by her order, I drew in a breath before replying. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good.” Zitora leaned forward in her chair. “You’re an adult now, Opal. In order to be successful with this mission, you’ll have to overcome your differences with Pazia. She’s a strong magician. Maybe a Master. I’m certain she will behave in a professional manner toward you, especially since you’re going to pretend you’re best friends when you meet the diamond sellers today.”

  “Today?” Why did troublesome events have to happen so fast? Why couldn’t I digest the information first, and then spring into action?

  “This afternoon you’re to meet with Fisk and Pazia at the Unity Fountain. Do you know where it is?”

  “Yes.”

  “Once there, Fisk’ll take you to a place to change and be briefed before he leads you to the seller. Do you have any questions?”

  “Change into what?”

  “Expensive clothes and obnoxious jewels. You’re supposed to be rich, too.”

  “How will I tell if the diamonds are fake?”

  Zitora opened her desk drawer and removed a small box. She handed it to me. “Open it.”

  I lifted the red velvet-covered lid. Inside a diamond the size of my fingernail sparkled. Clear as glass, yet the light played deep within the stone, obscuring the red velvet behind it. I marveled at the reflections jumping from the many facets on the diamond.

  “You can touch it.” Amusement colored her voice.

  I pinched the diamond between my thumb and forefinger. Cold stabbed my finger pads and a brief image of snow-covered mountains filled my mind. Then heat seared my hand as the mental image transformed into burning mountains. A mere second later, the gem cooled to body temperature, and a slight vibration hummed against my skin.

  My tongue stuck to dry teeth. I swallowed, and the hard motion scratched my throat. “Do you feel a…flash when you touch it?” I asked.

  “Flash?”

  “Feel cold through your fingers and get a mental image?”

  “No. If I charged it with magic, I could feel the potential, but right now, it’s inert.” She studied me. “Does the flash mean you’ll be able to tell the difference?”

  “Yes.” I closed the lid.

  “Any other questions?” Zitora placed her hand on my shoulder. Her comforting gesture reminded me of Ulrick.

  “What should I tell Ulrick?”

  “Nothing about the diamonds. The fewer people who know, the better.”

  “He’s not going to like the idea,” I said. Even though there was plenty for him to do in the glass shop. Equipment and supplies were being delivered every day. Soon the shop would be ready to use.

  “You’re just going to have to convince him.” She smirked. “Good luck with that. He has an overdeveloped stubborn streak and has decided to be your protector. Ditching him will be your hardest task today.”

  “Thanks.” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm from my voice.

  Unaffected, Zitora’s smile grew wider. “He’s rather handsome when he’s mad. All those tight muscles, and those sparks of anger shooting from his captivating eyes.”

  “Really? I hadn’t noticed.” A wave of heat flushed. I blamed the sensation on a lingering effect of the diamond and not on the mental image of Ulrick’s strong arms wrapping around me.

  She laughed, knowing I lied.

  I tried not to blush when I left Zitora’s office and spotted Ulrick waiting. He fell into step beside me as we headed toward the glass shop.

  “What did she say?” he asked, once we were away from the administration building.

  I decided to stick to the truth as much as possible. “She’s sending me on another mission.”

  “And?”

  “I’m going to be busy this afternoon, so you’ll have to work without me. And don’t worry,” I rushed to add, “I’ll be with a very powerful magician.”

  “Can you tell me what the mission is?”

  “Sorry, no.”

  “I was right. Secret magician stuff.”

  “You were right, but the way you say it…”

  “Flippant? Irreverent?” he asked.

  “Like it’s a big joke, something to sneer at.”

  He increased his stride, staring straight ahead. I hurried to keep up.

  Just when I thought the subject of my mission had dropped, Ulrick said, “I’m jealous. I want to be involved.” He swept his arm through the air, indicating the people around us. “I want to be a magician helping Sitia. Making your assignment a joke is so I won’t feel…” His hands flicked as he gathered his thoughts as if they were molten glass. “So I won’t feel left out. Growing up, I was always left out. The six-year age gap between me and my older brother was too big and, since my glassmaking skills were limited, I was excluded from many family activities.” He drew in a deep breath. “I shouldn’t vent my frustration on you. At least allow me to escort you to the meeting site.”

  His story echoed my years at the Keep as the odd woman out. Sympathizing with Ulrick, I agreed.

  It was too early for my rendezvous with Fisk so we wandered through the Citadel, stopping on occasion so I could explain the significance of a statue or fountain we discovered. Surrounded by the white marble wall, the interior of the rectangular Citadel had six districts, each with its own personality. The Keep occupied the entire northeast district.

  With the market in the center position between two areas, the north and south districts mirrored each other. Comprised mostly of businesses, warehouses and factories, the buildings and streets arched around the market and radiated out like rings around a bull’s eye. A confusing grid of narrow streets and dead ends could be found in the northwest and southwest residential districts. The labyrinth was a direct result of accommodating the Citadel’s growing population.

  The southeast district contained a number of administrative buildings and Council Hall, as well as the posh residencies of the Councillors. The Unity Fountain was also located in the southeast. By the time we arrived, Fisk was already there. He waited with his apprentice Jayella.

  Ulrick ignored the others to admire the fountain. Surrounded by waterspouts, an immense dark green sphere with holes rested on a pedestal. The jade sphere had been mined from the Emerald Mountains as a solid block. Inside the sphere were ten other spheres; each one smaller than the next. If the carving was sawed in half, the cross section would resemble a tree’s growth rings. All the layers had been carved from the one stone—through the holes and from the outside in.

  “Unbelievable,” Ulrick said. “I’ve learned about this. Each sphere represents one of the Sitian clans, but it’s more impressive than I imagined. The craftsmanship to carve this…”
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  “Five years of hard work,” Fisk said. “A celebration of the clans uniting.” He cocked his head to the side, considering. “Interesting. If one of the spheres inside would crack, the others would hold it together.” Fisk met my gaze, and I wondered if there was a hidden meaning in his words.

  “We need to keep our appointment,” Fisk said to Ulrick.

  “Keep Opal safe,” he ordered, frowning. “Your business will suffer if rumors about a client being harmed in your care surfaced.”

  The friendly softness in Fisk’s demeanor hardened. “Are you threatening me?”

  No answer.

  “You know nothing about my business or about me. Do you?”

  Again no answer, just a stubborn set to Ulrick’s jaw.

  “In that case, your insult was inadvertent and due to ignorance. Opal, when you have time, please educate this man about loyalty and honor. Come.” He turned and strode from the fountain’s plaza.

  I sensed Ulrick’s molten anger, but couldn’t mollify him now. I hurried after Fisk. He led me down an unremarkable side street. About halfway, he turned into a narrow alley. The alley’s sole purpose appeared to be providing a shortcut to the next street, but Fisk disappeared. When I reached the same spot, I found a tight alcove. To a casual observer, it looked like a dead end. But near the back was a small door. We had to walk down a few steps and bend over to get inside the building.

  “Guild headquarters. We don’t like too many people to know where we are. Although—” he moved around the large room, lighting lanterns “—now that we’re getting older, we’ll need to get a bigger door.”

  As the light illuminated the room, I noticed several desks, a chalkboard and maps hanging from the walls. A detailed layout of the market spanned an entire wall. Letters and a few easy mathematics problems were written on the chalkboard.

  Fisk noticed my interest. “We teach the younger members how to read and do simple math. Also about money. What items cost and how to make change. Speaking of change, you need to get dressed. I have clothes laid out in the back room.” He pointed to the far wall.