Storm Glass g-1

by Maria V. Snyder

  Yelena asked her if she wanted to go to the sky.

  “I would love to go to the sky, but you can’t set me free, Soulfinder,” Kaya said. “Only my brother can.”

  Frowning, Yelena’s forehead crinkled with effort as she reached toward Kaya.

  “That’s a first,” Yelena said. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, I’ve met a few…interesting souls in the past four years.”

  I remembered Leif’s translation of Yelena-speak, and interesting meant dangerous. “I didn’t know souls could be treacherous.”

  “The ones who belong in the fire world are. They always fight.” She placed her hands on her hips. “We’ll have a talk with your brother.”

  Kaya sighed. “I tried to tell him I was here, but he thinks I’m with the storms.”

  “What does he have to do to free her?” I asked Yelena.

  “Pull out the stopper.”

  “Then why can’t we do that now?”

  The Soulfinder smiled. “I know you’ve discovered more uses for your power, but do you really think you can control the force of the storm? I know I can’t.”

  “Point taken. How about another Stormdancer?”

  “No,” Kaya said. “Kade needs to free me.”

  Lost in a blizzard, I yelled Kade’s name. My feet were frozen. I dragged them along as the wind whipped me with icy pellets.

  “Opal, wake up.” Ulrick’s harsh voice woke me from another nightmare.

  I shivered under my blankets.

  His frown softened. He sat on the edge of the bed. “Another one?”

  I nodded.

  “The cave of lights?”

  “No. I don’t think I’ll dream of that one again.”

  “Why not?” His eyes held an intensity. Yelena had told me to keep my knowledge of the prison’s location a secret.

  “Because we were there last night. And I found…”

  “What?” He leaned closer to me.

  “Gypsum crystals. A possible ingredient for the fake diamonds.”

  “Makes sense, but what about this new nightmare?”

  “Being lost in the cold. You know how much I hate the cold.” I shuddered.

  But he wouldn’t let the subject drop. “You called for that Stormdancer.”

  The real reason for his frown. “Kade’s my friend, Ulrick. I have friends. I have family. They’re all part of my life.

  Besides, dreams are strange. You can’t get upset over them.” Trying to listen to my own advice, I stretched and yawned. “What time is it?”

  “Almost dinnertime, but we’re having a meeting in Yelena’s office. She wants everyone there.”

  “Leif won’t be happy.”

  “He’s bringing a snack.”

  I eyed Leif’s slice of cake with envy as I listened to Yelena. Ulrick sat next to me on the couch, and Master Jewelrose lounged in the other armchair. Kade wasn’t there. According to Yelena, he wasn’t at the inn so the messenger left a note.

  Yelena preferred to pace around the office as she talked. “We’ll have to pick up Chun’s trail again to see where he delivers the crystals. And we still don’t know where the real diamonds are coming from.”

  “We’ll set a watch at the cave,” Master Jewelrose said. “Hopefully he’ll come back for more supplies.”

  “Have you figured out what the crystals are?” I asked.

  “Yes. You were right. They’re gypsum crystals of high quality. The first ever found in Sitia.” The Master Magician seemed pleased. “And I’m guessing Councillor Moon’s team of surveyors found this cave and instead of reporting the find to the Councillor, told the Councillor’s sister.”

  “So the question remains, what else have they discovered?” Leif asked between bites.

  “What’s the plan?” I asked.

  “You and Ulrick go back to the Citadel. Mr. Lune may return with your real diamonds and you need to be there to purchase them,” Yelena said. “Leif helps me with tracking down the surveyors and Irys stays here and babysits the Councillor.”

  “Why do I have to babysit?”

  Yelena laughed. “Imagine you’re the Councillor. Who would you rather have watching your back—a Master Magician or a scary Soulfinder with an Ixian boyfriend?”

  With no way to dispute her, Master Jewelrose conceded the point, but she wasn’t happy about it. She left the room to attend to her “babysitting” duties.

  “What about Kade?” Yelena asked me. “Do you think he wants to help us?”

  “He’s tracking down a group of troublemakers,” I said. “I’m guessing after we talk with him, he’ll want to continue searching for them.”

  “You two aren’t planning to gang up on him, are you?” Leif asked. “Because that’s not fair.”

  I shook my head, glancing at Ulrick. He had remained quiet during the meeting and I wondered if he felt left out.

  The rest of the time we made arrangements for our assigned tasks.

  “If we discover any questionable gemstones, I’ll send them to the Citadel with Leif,” Yelena said to me.

  “Yippee. I’ve been promoted from fire lighter to delivery boy. I’ll write a letter home to Mother. She’ll be so pleased.” Leif ducked his sister’s swing.

  As we returned to our rooms, Ulrick’s gloom continued. I thought about our trip back to the Keep. Now that these nightmares invaded my sleep, Ulrick would be alarmed. I understood the need to keep certain secrets, but this one could ruin our relationship. By not confiding in him, I wasn’t being honest with him. I pulled him into my bedroom and closed the door.

  His shock was almost comical, until I realized I hadn’t been alone with him in a long time.

  “Sit down. I need to talk to you.” I gestured to the only place to sit—the bed.

  “What’s wrong?” Ulrick held my hand in his. “You’re not telling me everything.” His gaze bored into me. “How can I trust you to make the right choices, if you don’t trust me?”

  “This is big. Telling you could make you a target.”

  He refused to back down. Just being with me endangered him, so I explained about finding the glass prison.

  “What did you do with it?” he asked.

  “Gave it to Yelena.”

  “Wow. It must have been difficult to turn down all that magic.”

  “It was painful. But an increase in power is an increase in responsibility.” I thought of Zitora’s warning about being considered a threat. “I already hurt Pazia, killed the storm thief leader and almost released a Warper. I don’t need any more complications.”

  “At least the prison is no longer a problem.”

  When I didn’t agree, he asked, “Or is it?”

  “The trapped souls haunt my dreams. I think all I need to do is get close to another prison and I’ll be able to find it.”

  “We’ll stay away from them and I’ll ask Leif to brew you a sleeping potion.” He pulled me down next to him. “And here I was afraid you were leaving me for that Stormdancer.”

  That Stormdancer had no desire to be with me. Mara’s advice, make him forget about his troubles sounded in my mind.

  I leaned forward and kissed him. His surprise didn’t last long. He kissed me back with passion, wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. For a while, I forgot all my problems.

  When his hands tugged at my shirt, I pulled away. Another of Mara’s comments floated in my mind, I’ve seen turtles mate faster. But I couldn’t continue. I wasn’t ready.

  Ulrick said he understood, but the pain in his eyes haunted me for the rest of the day. Eventually, he would give up trying, and then how would I feel? The answer eluded me.

  The next morning we visited Ulrick’s sister.

  “Seems silly not to,” he said. “Besides, you should meet her.”

  “Maybe I can get her to tell me a few embarrassing stories about you. My family has an endless supply.”

  He grinned. “I will admit, the one your mother told about the sandpile—”

  “Stop
. I’ve heard it a million times, I don’t need to hear it again.”

  The streets of Fulgor buzzed with activity. Wagons rumbled along the cobblestones, dogs barked and merchants called. With the blue sky above and not a hint of a breeze, the air warmed.

  Whenever I contemplated the weather, my thoughts automatically turned to Kade. Yelena had received a message from him. He had left for the Cloud Mist Clan’s main town of Ognap, hoping to interview lava flake suppliers. He would meet up with us back at the Citadel to get another list of sand merchants from me. The dry wording of the message made it quite clear to me that Kade viewed me as a colleague. I vowed to forget about his “spark” and focus on Ulrick by following Mara’s advice.

  Gressa’s shop was on the end of a long row of stores. Displayed in the window was a variety of glasswares. Sunlight glinted off the exquisite vases and bowls.

  “It’s one thing to have a talented sister, another to have a glass genius,” Ulrick said.

  “Does she have any magic?” I asked.

  “You’ll have to tell me.” He turned away to open the door.

  Dressed in expensive silk tunics, saleswomen descended on Ulrick as soon as we entered the shop. I let him explain while I strolled around the display cases. A fruit bowl with rippled sides drew my attention. I ran a finger along the light purple glass. No magic, but the craftsmanship was superb.

  “Please don’t touch,” a saleswoman said. She eyed my cloak. “I doubt you have the gold to pay for it if you break it.”

  “Sina, that is no way to talk to a customer,” another woman admonished.

  I turned my head to see a tall beauty with long ebony hair and vibrant green eyes. Ulrick’s sister. They could have been twins. I liked her immediately.

  “She’s with me,” Ulrick said, untangling himself from a persistent salesgirl.

  “Ulrick! What a surprise.” They embraced briefly. She invited us to join her in the back. “My office is next to the workshop.”

  Four kilns roared and eight workers scurried about the workbenches. The place resembled more a factory than a shop.

  “Production pieces.” Gressa dismissed the activity. “It’s the only way I can keep up with the demand.” She chatted about her work, listing all the projects she’d been commissioned for in one speech.

  We entered her office. Sheets of colored glass had been attached to the walls, floor and ceiling. Each pane a different color and when she closed the door to block the noise, I felt as if I stood in a glass box. Her desk and tables were made out of clear glass. Various glass items littered the tables and paper was piled on her desk.

  She gestured to a round table made from brown-colored glass. The cushions on the four chairs surrounding the table were the only soft things in the entire office. We sat and stared at each other for a moment.

  “Why are you here?” she asked.

  Ulrick huffed with annoyance. “I wanted you to meet Opal. Do you remember her? She’s one of Jaymes’s daughters.”

  Her mouth twisted into a little frown. “You’re obviously not the older one or the dead one.” Recognition lit her eyes. “The youngest one!” She seemed pleased with herself for figuring it out.

  Perhaps I had been too hasty in liking her. She prattled on about how she could have been friends with Tula at school, but her talent manifested early and working glass was more important than classes.

  “I remember now. You’re the glass magician.” Gressa regarded me with more interest. “You have important friends. Why are you wasting time with my brother?”

  I changed my mind. I didn’t like her at all. “He’s important to me. And he’s a glass magician, too.”

  “Really?” She ignored my heated tone. “Everyone always says I work magic with glass. Do I have power, too?”

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Ulrick roll his eyes. No wonder he hadn’t wanted to visit her at first. I glanced at the wares on the table. “Are they yours?”

  “Yes.” She hopped to her feet. “Experiments, but I liked the way they catch the light.”

  “May I?” My hand hovered over a small glass rose.

  “Go ahead. I’m working on a whole bouquet of flowers made of glass for Councillor Moon.”

  The rose was expertly wrought, but the glass remained silent. None of her other items popped or glowed. I dug out my seashell and showed it to her.

  “Ugh. What a horrid creation. Here, let me toss that into the cullet barrel for you.”

  “Gressa,” Ulrick said with outrage.

  “What?” She seemed genuinely confused. So focused on herself, she wasn’t aware of how her words and actions affected others.

  “It’s all right.” I explained about the magic trapped inside the piece. “It usually is a very good indicator of a person’s magic ability, but Ulrick can’t see it, either.”

  “Figures. Poor Ulrick always had just enough talent to make his life frustrating. Why would magic be any different?”

  He jumped up. “I’ve had enough. Come on, Opal.”

  Gressa scrambled to apologize. “At least, let me show you my shop. I implemented the water system you designed.”

  Ulrick crossed his arms. “The system you laughed at and said wouldn’t work?”

  “I was wrong.”

  He dropped his arms in surprise. “Can you write that down for me?”

  “Now don’t make a big stink about it. Come see.” She breezed out of the room, leaving us to either follow or stay.

  “Interesting lady,” I said.

  “She’s actually better than she used to be. I wonder if she even installed the system right. Let’s go.”

  I was impressed with the shop. She had a number of helpful little gadgets. Eventually, though, the siblings discussed technical details and I wandered away bored.

  As with most shops, the mixing room was separated from the factory to avoid having dust contaminate the glass. It was usually locked to keep ingredients and recipes a secret. Gressa’s wasn’t. She was either confident her workers wouldn’t intrude, or careless. I poked around the room. Despite my curiosity, I wasn’t going to pry open barrels or look in drawers. Standard mixing equipment and bowls were scattered on the counters. Powdered colors filled jars.

  A sparkle from behind the scale drew my attention. Tiny diamonds covered the bottom of a tray. I moved closer and pinched a few between my fingertips, rolling them around. No flash. Not diamonds, but gypsum crystals.

  27

  “OPAL.”

  I jumped and turned around. Gressa stood in the doorway.

  “Don’t you know it’s rude to snoop in other people’s mixing rooms?” She studied me as if seeking a sign of guilt.

  “Just looking for more innovations. Your factory is a wonder.” I hoped appealing to her ego would throw her off the scent.

  “It is the only factory of its kind.” Sweeping in to hook her arm around mine, she drew me out. “Let me show you my new hopper bins for sand.”

  In a whirl, she finished the tour. Ulrick and I were dismissed without fanfare. We stood out on the street for a moment amazed by the speed of events.

  “She didn’t even offer us anything to drink,” Ulrick said. “Not once did she ask any questions about you or me or our family. Sorry to put you through that. I don’t think I’ll visit her again.” He looked at me. “Something’s wrong. I can see it in your eyes.”

  How to word my discovery without sounding accusing?

  Ulrick grabbed my arm with alarm. “It can’t be that bad. Can it?”

  I tried the straightforward method. “I found gypsum crystals in your sister’s mixing room.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Damn.” He pulled me along as he walked away from the factory. “Maybe it’s not hers? No. She would never share her space.”

  “Maybe she viewed it as a challenge to create a glass resembling diamonds. Perhaps she doesn’t know what they’re being used for.” I tried to apply logic.

  “I’d ag
ree with the challenge, but I’m not so sure about the ignorance.” He remained quiet during the trip back to the guest quarters.

  He stopped outside the building. A gamut of emotions washed over his face before he looked at me with a painful determination. “We need to know how involved she is.”

  “Should we tell Yelena and Master Jewelrose?”

  “Not yet. Opal, she’s family. Let me talk to her first.”

  “Sounds fair. What if she’s part of the Councillor’s sister’s plot?”

  “Then we see if she’ll help collect evidence against the sister in exchange for a lighter sentence.”

  “Will she agree to that?”

  “Only one way to find out.”

  “That’s my father’s line.” I didn’t know what else to say. Ulrick faced a difficult task.

  “Smart man, your father.”

  Ulrick returned to Gressa’s shop while I finished gathering supplies. I worried when the sun set and Ulrick hadn’t returned. As time elapsed, my imagination created a series of horrible scenarios, from being robbed in the city to murdered by Gressa. I convinced myself Ulrick was in dire straits.

  Mara’s comments once again nagged me as I paced the room. What do you regret? Yes, Mara, I regret letting Ulrick go alone. I regret dragging him into trouble. I regret being distracted by Kade and taking Ulrick for granted. Are you happy now, Mara?

  I couldn’t wait any longer. Shoving my sais in my cloak, I grabbed a handful of bees, raced from my room and collided with a messenger. We landed in a heap. So much for the appearance of a heroic rescue. I helped him to his feet, apologizing.

  “Isn’t the first time and won’t be the last,” the messenger said. “I’ve been run over by much worse.” The man peered around the hallway. “Can you tell me where Opal Cowan’s rooms are?”

  “I’m Opal.”

  The messenger looked pleased. “Good timing, then. I love it when that happens. Tracking people down is no fun.” He handed me an envelope and was on his way.

  I recognized Ulrick’s tight writing. Taking the message back inside, I opened the note. He wrote his sister was very upset and wanted him to spend the night. He thought by morning she would agree to help Master Jewelrose and Yelena.