The sensation stopped with such abruptness, I fell to my hands and knees as tremors ran rampant through my body. I gasped for breath.
Once I regained my composure I sat on the floor and looked at Kade. The orb rested in his lap with his head bowed over it.
He didn’t move. “I can’t. She’s all I have left.”
“What about Raiden and the other Stormdancers?”
No answer.
“Friends?”
“Not the same. We had a special bond. You wouldn’t understand.”
Frustration boiled. “You’re as thick as a fog bank. I do understand. Tula wasn’t my twin, but we did everything together, shared everything. I fought her demons with her after she had been attacked by Ferde. And I was so mad at her for dying when I needed her the most. Two weeks I suffered for her and she didn’t wait for me. I returned and there was no one I could talk to, confide in, cry with.” The words flew from my mouth. Unexpected. Unintentional. But there all the same.
Kade stared at me as if I had grown antennae. And perhaps I had. I felt like a different person.
“Then you understand why I don’t want to get close to another again. What happens when she dies, too? I couldn’t bear it.”
“Then you miss out on life.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll be alone, trusting no one because of fear. I know. I have four years of experience of pushing people away, missing out on life. Four years spent by myself, living in my glass cage. Four years of self-doubt, worries, fears.”
“And now?” he asked. His voice rough with emotion.
“I still have my fears, doubts and worries, but I also have Mara, Leif, Zitora and Ulrick.”
“The watchdog?”
“No. A person to confide in and share with. A person willing to take a risk and be with me despite my track record.”
“And if he dies?”
“I’ll have Mara, Leif and Zitora.”
“So the more people you invite in, the easier it is to lose one?”
“No. I’ll still feel as if my heart is being torn into strips, but I’ll have support and love to hold the fragments together until they heal.”
“Then you’re braver than I am.” Kade stood. He dropped the orb into my lap. “Keep it safe. Please.”
I stared at the swirling colors on the surface of the orb. Muted, sad colors. No song. The door clicked shut. Kade was gone.
Routine. Routine felt safe and warm. Routine was waking in the morning next to Ulrick and spending a day in the glass shop with my sister. Routine was riding Quartz through figure eights and jumping her over fences. Routine was discussing politics with Zitora and making plans for the midseason festival. Routine was weapons training and letting Pazia take her frustrations out on me.
Just when I settled into a routine, Ulrick informed me about another mission.
“Illegal diamonds were discovered hidden in a merchant’s wagon. He was stopped and searched after he crossed the border from Ixia,” he said.
We were in the Keep’s dining hall, decorating for the midseason dance. Each of the glass helpers had made a centerpiece for the tables. Pazia’s was the best, but I would never say so out loud. Ulrick refused to make one, but he seemed content to assist the others.
“Zitora wants us to go to Mica, where you can test the diamonds to see if they’re the same as Mr. Lune’s.” Ulrick positioned a vase with a sunflower made of pale yellow glass.
“Now?” I had been anticipating the dance for the last week. Leif had even returned from the Moon lands just to attend.
Ulrick’s expression was hard to read. He acted as if the trip was bad news. “We’ll leave tomorrow morning. Tonight is for dancing and fun only. No business talk. Promise?”
“That’s an easy promise to make.”
It was an easy promise to keep. Everyone dressed in their finest clothes. I wore a simple and elegant gown made with purple silk. Fisk had found the material on sale, and introduced me to a little-known dressmaker who had designed the formfitting gown for me.
Ulrick’s openmouthed gape said it all.
The dining hall had been transformed into a ballroom. The music enticed us onto the dance floor. The divine smell of roasting meat and sweet pastries pulled us to the buffet table. Mara and Leif looked splendid together. Ulrick charmed. Conversation remained on light and frothy topics. A perfect evening.
I wrapped the memories of the evening around myself as I lugged my saddlebags through the cold air and to the stable the next morning. Humming a tune from the dance, I saddled Quartz and helped Ulrick with Moonlight.
The trip to Mica would take three days. We traveled on main roads and stayed overnight at inns. Late on the second night, I woke feeling uneasy. I stared into the darkness and listened for a moment. Nothing. A wedge of light reflected off the window and I slid out of bed to investigate the source. It emanated from my saddlebags beneath the flap.
Apprehension churned as I moved the flap. Kaya’s orb glowed. I brushed the orb with my fingertips. An intense wave of energy shot through my hand. My sight blurred as Kaya’s voice filled my head.
Kade’s in trouble, she said with urgency.
A vision of Sir, Tal and Tricky wrestling with the Stormdancer formed in my mind. Snow-laced wind swirled around the fighters. They wore heavy cloaks. I watched him, powerless to help. Debris flew around the men and for a moment it appeared as if Kade had the upper hand.
Tricky reached behind a wagon and threw a net over Kade. The scene disappeared in an instant.
What happened? I asked Kaya.
The net…has a null shield intertwined with the ropes.
A null shield blocks magic. The Sandseeds used it and Leif could create one, but I’ve never heard of it being tied into a net. It didn’t matter how. All I cared about was Kade. Would they kill him?
Kaya interrupted my growing panic. Help him, she said.
How?
You’re smart, Opal. You’ll figure it out.
Where is he?
Northern Ixia. Kaya severed our connection.
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 introuble.”
“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 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 awa
y. “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.
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