Storm Glass g-1

by Maria V. Snyder

  Relief melted my fears. I sagged on the couch and decided not to take Ulrick for granted anymore.

  Ulrick woke me early the next morning. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were wrinkled. He frowned.

  “What happened?” Alarmed, I sat up.

  “She escaped. Fed me a sleeping draft and was gone by morning. I’m such an idiot. I fell for the whole baby sister routine.” His voice held a rough edge as if he tried to suppress his emotions.

  My brother, Ahir, used to do the same thing, pretending to be fine after getting hurt. “What do you want to do?”

  “Master Jewelrose and Yelena will have to be informed. Can you tell them for me? I really don’t want to repeat all this.”

  “Sure, I understand. I have a sister, too.”

  He brooded for a while, sitting on the edge of my bed.

  “Was Gressa part of the plot?” I asked.

  “What plot?” Ulrick seemed confused.

  “With Councillor Moon’s sister.”

  “Sorry. I’m still groggy.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Gressa told me she had bragged during a government party that her crystal glass could pass for diamonds, and the Councillor’s sister challenged her to prove it. She did. The sister paid her for more fakes and when Gressa found out they were passing them off for real diamonds, she demanded more money. Typical.”

  An odd huskiness still tainted his voice. Perhaps it was a side effect of the sleeping draft or it could be because he had been tricked and betrayed by Gressa.

  “Why did she run?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe to tip off the sister? Perhaps she supports her.” He turned to me with a sudden intensity blazing in his eyes. “You know what? I don’t care anymore. We solved who’s making the fake diamonds, let the authorities deal with the whys. Besides, Gressa’s self-absorbed behavior made me realize just how self-centered and mopey I’ve been acting. No more. I’m not going to wish my life away. I’m going to enjoy life. Consider me a new man.”

  He gazed at me as if seeing me for the first time. A slow smile spread. “With a beautiful girl by my side, I have better things to do than mope.”

  “Eating breakfast?”

  He tugged my covers down.

  “Packing your bags?”

  He pushed me back onto the pillow.

  “Saddling Moonlight?”

  He stretched out beside me and ran a hand along my arm.

  “Catching up on your sleep?”

  His arm encircled my waist and he pressed his body against me.

  Before I made another guess, his mouth sought mine. As we kissed, I turned off my logical mind, and stopped worrying about the lack of a spark between us. After all, a steady flame could get just as hot.

  His deft fingers unbuttoned my shirt. A shiver brushed my skin as he pulled the fabric free. Ulrick sensed my desire and didn’t hesitate. Instead of making him forget his troubles, he made me forget mine. Either way, I knew Mara would be happy.

  Later in the day, I reported Gressa’s involvement with the fake diamonds to Yelena and Master Jewelrose while Ulrick packed our bags. When we mounted our horses for the trip back to the Citadel, Leif handed me a message for my sister.

  “Tell her I’d rather be home than traipsing around Moon lands, searching for more caves,” he said. Then he grew serious. “Be careful.”

  We had discussed taking a couple of soldiers with us, but decided Ulrick and I could handle any attacks. Plus we would stick to the main roads and overnight at town inns instead of in travel shelters.

  “And keep hold of those bees, they’re handy in a fight,” Leif said.

  “You watch yourself, too, or Yelena might promote you to scout.” I smiled at his mock horror.

  We mounted our horses and headed out of town. Bright sunshine lit the landscape. The air felt crisp. Townspeople bustled about and I realized their sense of expectation was due to the upcoming half-moon festival. Each of the eleven clans held a festival to celebrate the middle of the cold season, which was thirteen days away. The Keep hosted a dance every year. For the first time in four years, I’d have a date.

  Sitting on Moonlight, Ulrick scanned the crowded streets probably looking for any signs of trouble. My thoughts turned to when we had been ambushed by the Storm Thieves, but I decided not to dwell on the past.

  We stopped for the night in a small town just over the western border of Moon lands. Renting a room at the Fireside Inn, we ate dinner in the cozy common room. A huge fire roared in a stone hearth.

  “You’ve been quiet all day,” I said to him.

  “A lot has happened.” He stirred his tea. “Did you have another nightmare last night?”

  My newest dream, being trapped in ice. “Yes, but…” I waved it away. No sense rehashing it.

  In a flicker of firelight, his eyes changed color. I blinked and they returned to normal. My imagination no doubt.

  He covered my hand with his. “How bad are they?”

  “I think one of the glass prisons is calling to me.”

  He nodded as if expecting this answer. “The one you found in the cave?”

  “No,” I said in surprise. “I haven’t felt that one since I handed it to Yelena.”

  “Do you know where this new one is?”

  “All I know is it’s in the snow. An area that could include the northern ice sheet, northern Ixia, or on top of the mountains. Too big an area to search.” Ixia and Sitia shared a mountain chain. Called the Soul Mountains in Ixia, they were connected to the Emerald Mountains, which stretched all the way south to the Daviian Plateau in Sitia.

  “Your dreams get more specific the closer you get. We should travel north and see what happens. Once you find the prison, it may leave your dreams alone.”

  “Into Ixia? Without permission? You’re crazy.”

  He stared at me a moment, then smiled. “You’re right. Bad idea. A good idea is to increase the amount of sleeping potion Leif gave us. He told me it wouldn’t hurt you to drink more.”

  We finished dinner and climbed the stairs to our room. The icy dreams returned. I caught flashes of buildings while the snow blew, but I couldn’t move.

  I woke feeling as if my body had frozen solid. Rubbing my hands over my arms, I tried to work out the stiffness. With slow movements, I managed to sit up without waking Ulrick, sleeping beside me. I didn’t want to disturb him so I quietly changed into less-wrinkled pants, thinking about the fire downstairs and a cup of hot tea.

  I wrote him a note so he wouldn’t get upset, but when I laid it on my pillow, I paused. His sleep-tousled hair covered his eyes and he slept without a shirt. His chest and arms were muscular with only a few burn scars marring them.

  Since his run-in with his sister he’d been more…More what? Affectionate? Bold? He had always hesitated before, waiting for me to initiate. Then again, I had shown him I wasn’t afraid of his touch after he returned from his sister’s. Heat flushed my skin, remembering that morning and the hours we had spent entwined together.

  Leaning over, I gently brushed the hair from his eyes. In a blur of motion, he seized my wrist.

  “Where are you going?” Ulrick demanded.

  Surprised by his quickness, I gaped at him.

  “I didn’t mean to wake you,” I said. “Even with taking a double dose, Leif’s sleeping potion isn’t working. It tastes like a rusty nail. Did you tell Leif what we needed it for?”

  “Not specifically. Just to help you sleep.”

  “I can’t sleep and I’m freezing. I’m going to fetch a cup of tea.”

  With a playful smile, he yanked me down next to him. “You don’t need one. I’ll warm you up.”

  Definitely more bold.

  We returned to the Citadel without incident. It had taken us five days instead of four. Without Leif, neither one of us wanted to brave the plains to cut our trip by a day. Besides, we enjoyed the time together. Ulrick was full of questions, and I marveled at his changed attitude. I should thank his sister for making him re
alize how withdrawn he had become since discovering his limited magical abilities.

  Mara greeted our arrival with mixed emotions. Glad to see us and disappointed Leif hadn’t also returned. She turned all dreamy after reading his note.

  Later that day, Mara and I worked in the shop. My hands itched for a punty iron with a slug of molten glass. When we had finished, she pulled me aside. “You took my advice, didn’t you?”

  “I’m not admitting to it unless you agree not to gloat about it.”

  “Not gloat? No way.” She smirked. “I can tell by your expression anyway. You’re blushing.”

  “Am not.”

  “Are, too.”

  “Am…” I stopped. It was a no-win argument. “We’re supposed to be taking inventory so I can order more supplies for the shop.”

  She pouted for only a second before helping me. A few students arrived and I was glad to see Piecov. He showed me his new pieces and I made appreciative noises over them. “Look how much you improved.”

  “But I have a long way to go,” Piecov said.

  As he talked about his plans for his next project, I could see the avid gleam in his eyes. He was hooked.

  Unfortunately, Ulrick had lost his passion for glass, and avoided the shop. When I asked him about it the next morning, he mentioned his sister.

  “She’s talented, but look what she has done. My mother put so much pressure on all of us to do great things with glass, since I’ve been away I realized there are other things in life. I need a break. Besides—” he pulled me into a tight embrace “—I’m enjoying being the fetch boy.”

  I wiggled away. “I think you’ve been enjoying it too much. Remember there are other things in life.”

  Ulrick sobered. “I know. In time.”

  Time. Enough time had passed and yet Pazia hadn’t regained her magical powers. All she could do was see the glow in my glass, but nothing else. We had been back at the Citadel for a couple of days and she finally recovered enough energy to be discharged from the infirmary.

  I arrived in her room to help her carry all the items she had collected during her stay. She wasn’t happy to see me, but I was determined.

  “I can’t wait to get out of here,” she said. “Then I won’t have to see Healer Hayes or you again.”

  “Don’t count on it.”

  The table beside her bed was heaped with books, and a variety of warped glass vases lined a shelf.

  Pazia stopped near me. “I have many admirers who help at your shop. Too bad they can’t make anything decent.”

  I ignored her harsh tone, and pulled the vases down, carefully wrapping them in towels. “There is a special pride in first efforts.”

  Pazia stared at me in pain. “I want to…” She wrapped her arms around her body. “I need something…” Frustration choked off her words.

  I opened my mouth to apologize again, but she shot me a warning look. Instead, I packed the vases into a carrying basket. My thoughts remained on her as I tried to figure out what she needed.

  “Can you help at the glass shop?” I kept my voice casual. “You have an artistic flair.” I pointed to her ring. The ruby and diamond starburst design was created by her. “And we might still discover a way to reverse what I did and…” I avoided mentioning her magic.

  She bustled about the room, piling books into another basket. We worked for a while in silence.

  “Have you ever decorated glass with jewels?” Pazia asked as she finished folding her clothes. “I can imagine a tall and skinny white vase with a ring of sapphires around the middle. You know, where it narrows before flaring out?” She demonstrated with her hands.

  It was her way of accepting the invitation. “Sounds exquisite, but very expensive.”

  She shrugged. “My father’s friends would snap them up. People love to display jewels and you can only wear so many rings and necklaces.”

  A handful of students arrived to help carry the baskets to her room in the apprentice wing. I recognized Piecov and a few others from the glass shop. They fawned and fretted over her. She basked in their attention.

  They trooped out with Pazia in the lead, leaving me behind. Healer Hayes poked his head into the room.

  “That was fast,” he said.

  “I think she was anxious to go.”

  “An understatement.” He moved back, but I called his name. “Yes?” He hovered in the doorway.

  “I’m…” I suddenly felt silly. “I’ve been having…night mares. Bad ones and the potion Leif gave me isn’t working. Do you…?”

  Stepping into the room, he said, “I’m not surprised Leif’s potion isn’t working. Those jungle recipes are effective, but lose their potency fast.” He pressed his cool hands on my forehead.

  “My dear child, you’re near exhaustion. I’ll get you a sleeping draft. Unless you want me to admit you to the infirmary?”

  “Admit me? I don’t feel that bad.”

  “You’re not. It’s just if you’re here, you won’t be bothered by teachers or friends and can rest.”

  I suppressed a smile. Ulrick would probably demand to stay in the infirmary with me. “I only need a couple of peaceful nights.”

  Nights without the snowy images plaguing my sleep. The dreams had become more specific, but I hadn’t told anyone. I dreamed of wooden buildings leaning together as if bracing against a strong wind. A sign hung above a doorway, the letters burned into the splintered wood, dancing in my mind. I struggled to read them. Icefaren Station. Nearby, a deep pit gaped.

  A Warper called to me from a vast northern distance. Imprisoned in glass on the Ixian ice sheet, he pleaded and promised. But I couldn’t find him. He could be anywhere on the ice sheet. It covered miles and miles of territory. And if the cold season’s blizzards didn’t kill me, the snow cats would.

  Healer Hayes returned with a vial full of liquid. “Two swallows before bed. If it doesn’t work, take three, but no more.”

  Before bed that evening, I braced myself and swigged the potion.

  Ulrick studied me. “How bad?”

  “Tastes like sweet lemons. Much better than Leif’s. His potion must have spoiled.” I gulped another mouthful.

  He didn’t comment. Soon a heaviness flowed through my limbs as if my blood thickened inside my veins. The night was free of horrors and I woke feeling refreshed.

  “That Stormdancer is here,” Ulrick said when he entered the glass shop.

  His scowl was back and I realized I hadn’t missed it at all.

  “He’s waiting in Zitora’s office and wants to talk to you.”

  “Are you coming?” I asked.

  “I’m not invited.”

  The reason for the scowl, or so I thought until he said, “Just don’t run off with him.”

  “Ulrick, don’t be silly. Why would I do that?”

  “He’s a Stormdancer. He’s powerful.”

  “He’s my friend and too busy tracking down the men who killed Indra and Nodin. An important effort that we should support.” Another thing I hadn’t missed, any signs of Sir, Tricky or Devlen.

  I hurried to Zitora’s office. It had been a week since I’d seen Kade and I promised myself I would stick to business and remain distant. Knocking on her door, I pushed it open.

  “…can’t find the Councillor’s sister or Gressa and rumors are circulating about an army forming in the foothills of the Emerald Mountains,” Kade said.

  He perched in a chair in front of Zitora’s desk, and, despite the promise to myself, I felt a tug deep down. His lean build, wind-tossed hair and gold-flecked eyes melted my resolve.

  Zitora gestured for me to come in. “Moon Clan troubles. The Sitian Council is still debating whether to intervene. Coups are part of life, and if the Moon citizens want a new Councillor and the current one won’t step down we shouldn’t interfere in the takeover. But if she’s using illegal means and methods, then we should. Problem is, we have no proof.” She drummed her knuckles on her desk. “Thanks for the update, Kade. Did you
have any luck with the suppliers?”

  “No. One of the reasons I stopped here, I need a list of sand merchants for the western and southern clans from Opal.”

  “Of course.” I wrote down the names and locations of the suppliers I knew. “There may be more, you’ll want to ask the merchants themselves. And I received a message from my father. No one has ordered that particular combination of sand.”

  Kade examined the list.

  “There is another matter I need to talk to you about,” I said. When he glanced up, the tug jerked. The streaks of gold and red in his hair shone in the sunlight. A desire to touch him flared to life. So distracted by the feeling, I missed his question, but sensed the gist of it. “It’s a private matter.”

  He followed me from the office and through the campus to my rooms. The orb’s joyful song pierced the silence, yet Kade seemed in no hurry to broach the subject.

  “Where’s your watchdog?” he asked, looking around the room.

  “At the glass shop, helping Mara.”

  “Impressive. He’s learned to trust you.”

  But he shouldn’t. The unexpected thought popped in my head.

  I retrieved the orb from under my bed before I could say anything I would regret. Unwrapped, the orb’s song vibrated through the room as the energy tingled up my arms.

  “I’m not done searching for Varun,” he said when I carried it out.

  “Have you talked with Yelena since our expedition to the cave?”

  “No. I talked with Master Jewelrose before coming here. Why?” His demeanor seemed guarded as if I was going to accuse him of a misdeed.

  I couldn’t formulate a way to soften the information, so I didn’t. “Kaya’s soul is trapped inside the orb.”

  “How do you…oh, the Soulfinder.” He sank down onto the couch. A brief struggle of emotions creased his brow. “I don’t possess the power to capture souls. Are you sure?”

  “Positive.” Hard to forget having a conversation with Kaya and Yelena inside the orb. “Her essence must have been in the storm long enough for you to harvest it.” I stepped closer to him, holding the orb out. “You need to free her so she can find peace in the sky.”

  When he touched the orb, pure fire raced along my skin, sucking the breath from me. My thoughts and emotions mixed with his and Kaya’s as the storm’s energy sizzled and popped. Through them I could harness the energy and redirect it, controlling the wind and water and lightning. I felt Kade’s torment and Kaya’s longing.