“I…it’s just that…I never made the connection before. She was here only a few days.” Prin sounded aggrieved. “No one told me.”
“Not too many people know,” I said. “It’s safer that way.”
Everyone remained quiet for a moment.
“In any case,” I said, “they are my creations and I can give them to whomever I want.”
“The messenger committee isn’t going to like that,” Skippy said.
“I don’t care.”
“You should. I can prevent you from making them.” Skippy straightened.
“It’s not part of your assignment.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s the right thing to do.”
“I don’t agree.”
“That doesn’t matter, either,” Skippy said.
“Yes, it does,” Kade said. “Opal’s opinion matters to me.”
“We’re away from the Keep, Stormdancer. I can erect a null shield at my discretion.”
“You’re outnumbered. There are five of us. Seven if you include Leif and Opal. And a null shield isn’t going to stop me from dumping you in the ocean.” Kade remained relaxed in his seat, but a dead-serious expression touched his face.
Skippy wisely kept quiet. Prin and Tebbs exchanged a look. Wick snorted and mumbled in his sleep.
The glassmakers arrived and hesitated by the cook fire as if scenting the tension in the air.
“How’s the melt?” I asked.
“Good, good,” Ziven said. He poured soup into two bowls, handing one to his sister. “We should be able to make orbs tomorrow morning.”
“Excellent,” Kade said.
The friction eased a bit. Conversation resumed. I wanted to ask Raiden about the glassmakers’ experience, but would wait until we could talk in private. A few of the Stormdancers had their own caves to sleep in; others collapsed on cots around the main cavern’s fire.
When I visited before, I slept with the others. I wondered if Kade’s cot was big enough for two. Despite being the leader of the Stormdancers, he had chosen a small cave with only enough room for a cot and a brazier. He claimed the room was a nice respite from the vastness of the sea.
The soft yellow firelight lit his profile. His straight nose widened just a bit at the end. Grains of sea salt clung to his long eyelashes. He had tucked his hair behind his ear. The sun-streaked strands resembled gold threads. Kade caught me staring and smiled.
Darkness pressed against the cave’s entrance, and I was going to suggest we retire for the evening, when I realized Heli hadn’t returned.
“Is Heli always gone so late?” I asked Kade.
He glanced around in dismay. “Ray, did Heli come back yet?”
Raiden jerked as if slapped. “Haven’t seen her all day. I’ll check her cave. Maybe she’s sorting her junk.” He lit a lantern and hurried out.
Kade lit a few more lanterns as we waited. Unable to sit still, I hovered near the base of the trail. By Raiden’s worried expression, I knew Heli’s room was empty.
“The sea’s calm today,” Kade said. “No rogue waves or riptides.”
“Maybe she fell and broke her leg or hit her head,” Prin said.
“Which way did she head out?” I asked Raiden.
He shrugged. “She’s always going out. This is the first time she’s been gone so long.”
“She’s alone. Maybe she was attacked,” Prin said.
No wonder Heli had called Prin Ms. Doom and Gloom.
We split into two groups. Raiden, Prin and Tebbs headed north, while Kade, Leif and I turned south. Skippy stayed behind with the still-sleeping Wick just in case Heli bypassed us.
“Signal if you find her,” Kade had ordered.
“How?” Prin asked.
“Send a blast of air and I’ll do the same.”
We marched down the beach. The sand crunched under our boots. Waves shushed in a steady rhythm. We checked caves, inspected shadows and called Heli’s name.
“I keep forgetting how young she is,” Kade said. “She’s been dancing for four years, but she’s only sixteen.”
Leif stopped. He closed his eyes and drew in deep breaths. “Is she…springy? Enthusiastic?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Then she came this way.” He paused. “It’s been a while. No bad scents.”
We continued. The moon crested The Cliffs, casting a pale light over us. Eventually our lantern sputtered and died.
“Now what?” Leif asked.
“We keep going,” Kade said. “Are you still…smelling her?”
“Yep.”
“Let me know if anything changes.”
“Will do.”
My eyes adjusted to the weak moonlight. As I searched for a sign of Heli, I worried she might have drowned. Would the sea deposit her body on the shore like one of her treasures? Did Kade know the currents well enough to trace her through the waves? Now who was being Ms. Doom and Gloom?
“Heli!” Kade cried with delight and ran to a figure up ahead.
By the time I reached them, he had picked her up and swung her around.
“Where have you been?” he demanded when he set her down. She looked like a little girl next to him.
“Out collecting,” she said. “I kept finding these wonderful bits of sea glass.” She held up a bulging mesh bag. “More and more of them all scattered along the beach and well…I guess I went too far. But I couldn’t stop picking them up! The time flew and the next thing I knew, it was too dark to see the glass.” She gave Kade a wry smile. “Just my luck you returned today.” Heli noticed me. “And you brought Opal.” She jumped with glee. “Opal, just wait until you see these pieces. You’re going to die!”
“I nailed it,” Leif said. “Springy.”
I introduced him to the young Stormdancer. Even though she had been busy all day, Heli still had energy to relate to us all her adventures. Before we headed back to the caverns, Kade signaled the others, sending a strong burst of wind up the coast.
Although they chastised her for being gone so long, the others were relieved Heli was safe. She pulled a small table next to the fire and dumped her treasure on it.
Sea glass of different shapes, sizes and colors glittered and winked. The pile beckoned. The desire to hold the pieces and claim them filled me. We were all drawn to the table. The sand and movement of the water had smoothed and polished the bits of broken glass. I picked up a blue piece.
Magic burned my fingers, jolting up my arm and shocking me. I dropped the piece with a cry, but the others grabbed at them, fighting over them. Raiden and even Wick—when did he wake?—clutched pieces as if they were children with candy. Heli scooped a bunch in her hands, yelling at everyone the sea glass was hers.
The arguments turned nasty. Voices grew louder. Soon fistfights would break out.
I pulled at Kade’s sleeve, and shouted for him to stop. But he shoved me away, protecting his hoard. I landed on the ground hard, staring at the horrible scene before me. The violence escalated and I guessed why.
The magic in the sea glass had enchanted them.
16
IF I DIDN’T DO SOMETHING AND SOON, THERE WOULD BE bloodshed. The magic in the sea glass forced everyone to crave it. They all desired the shiny pieces for themselves. Even I had felt the pull. However, as soon as I touched one, I…woke. That didn’t work for the others, who fought and grabbed for the pieces.
The fight bordered on a melee, with Kade and Wick wrestling and Prin punching Raiden. I blocked the ruckus from my mind, and concentrated on what Heli had said about collecting the sea glass. She couldn’t help herself from gathering them until dark.
I glanced at the fire. If I doused it, would the ensuing darkness work? A null shield would be perfect. Unfortunately, Skippy struggled with Ziven. However, Leif knew how to erect one.
Leif crawled on the floor, picking up the dropped glass. I pounded on his shoulders and screamed in his ear. He batted me away as if I were an annoying fly. In desperation, I straddled his
back and cupped my hands over his eyes, pinching his nose tight, too. Leif’s magical senses involved smells. If he couldn’t smell, perhaps he wouldn’t be influenced by the sea glass’s magic.
He bucked and cursed and rolled, slamming me into the side of the cave. I held tight despite the pain radiating up my spine. He smashed me against the stone wall again and again, then stilled. My ribs ached, but I kept my hands clamped to his face. Pressed between him and the wall, I waited.
“Opal, why are you covering my eyes?” Leif asked. His voice sounded funny.
“Magic in the sea glass has made everyone insane with desire. I need you to build a null shield.”
“I’ll need to see, and breathe.”
“Don’t look at the sea glass,” I instructed. “Put the pieces in your pocket.”
He emptied his hands and I removed mine.
“I’ll be a date for a necklace snake,” Leif said as he surveyed the chaos. “All this for a…pretty…sparkle…”
“Leif!” I yanked his head around. “Don’t look.”
“Oh, sorry.” He shook his shoulders. “What did you need?”
“Null shield.”
“Oh, yeah.” He blinked.
“Now! Before the Stormdancers start sending tornadoes at each other.”
“Oh, right.” Leif focused on the ceiling.
I thought about asking him to move his weight off me, but decided to stay quiet for now. The sounds of fighting diminished. I risked a peek over Leif. The others stood panting and looking at each other in confusion.
Long scratches on Prin’s right cheek bled, Wick’s eye puffed, Raiden rubbed his arm, Kade pushed Skippy’s hands away from his neck, and Heli gaped in horror.
“Leif?” I asked.
“Hmm?”
“Move, please.”
“Oh, sorry.” He rolled away.
I sucked in a deep and painful breath. It felt like I might have cracked my ribs. “Keep the shield in place until we put all the glass away.” I staggered to my feet.
No one said a word. Heli’s mesh bag had fallen to the floor, landing under the table. I picked it up and noticed one piece of sea glass remained on the table. All the others had been snatched and fought over, yet no one desired the milky blue triangle.
I examined it. Was it the one I had touched?
“Leif, where is the shield’s boundary?” I asked.
“Past the fire.”
I handed the mesh bag to Heli. “Collect all the sea glass.”
She blinked at me as if I’d asked her to fly.
“Go on,” I urged. “Make sure you get them all.” I carried the little blue piece past the fire, bracing for the burning pain of magic. Nothing. Its magic was spent and it didn’t even sparkle as much as before. In fact, scratches marred the piece, rendering it ugly and ordinary. I put it into my pocket.
When Heli had gathered all the glass, she handed me the bag. Leif dropped the shield and the Stormdancers swayed in relief. Everyone suddenly found something to do, righting the chairs and cleaning up the mess made by the fight. No one wanted to talk about what happened, but we would have to.
Raiden stirred the fire, adding logs. Flames leaped toward the ceiling. I collapsed into a chair and Kade saw my wince of pain. He was beside me in an instant.
“Do you need a healer?” he asked.
“No.”
Leif poked me in the side. I yelped.
“How about you answer that question again?” Leif’s smug expression wilted as I glared at him. He hurried to his saddlebags.
Kade knelt next to me. “I pushed you down. I’m sorry—”
“Not your fault.” When tears flooded Heli’s eyes, I added, “Not anyone’s.”
“I’ll fetch a healer,” Kade said.
“I don’t need one. Does anyone else?” I asked.
No one spoke up. Leif returned with a variety of first-aid supplies. “If her ribs are broken, she’ll need a healer. But if they’re cracked, she can heal on her own without danger.” He sorted through his collection of herbs. “I’ll brew you a tea to help with the pain, but first I want to assess the damage.”
“Assess how?” I asked.
He gave me a grim smile, then turned to Kade. “Is there a private place where I can examine her?”
Despite my protests, Kade carried me to his cave. I grabbed the bag of sea glass, knowing better than to leave it behind.
After being tortured by Leif’s examination, he declared two ribs on my left side were indeed cracked. He wrapped a bandage tightly around my middle. I dressed as he hurried off to make tea and to check on the others. If the brew was anything like the horrid stuff he fed me after Tricky’s attempt to bleed me dry, I planned to dump it onto the ground.
Kade tucked me into his cot. He started a fire in the brazier, then promised to return after helping Leif. I squirmed, trying to find a comfortable position. A sharp point jabbed me in the leg and I remembered the blue piece. I pulled it out. Leaning over the cot and ignoring the pain, I opened the brazier’s door. In the firelight, I examined the glass. So much trouble for such a little thing.
The scratches seemed random until I flipped it over. It could either be my overactive imagination or someone had carved a letter into the glass.
Kade returned carrying a steaming cup. I showed him the glass before he could force me to swallow the tea. He flinched as if burned.
“Relax. This one is spent. No magic.”
He took the sea glass and handed me the mug. “Drink up.”
“Ugh.” The liquid smelled like a wet dog. “What do you think?” I pointed to the glass.
“I think you should drink your tea and go to sleep.”
“About the scratches?”
He waited.
“Fine. Look, I’m sipping.” I slurped loudly. As usual, Leif’s medicinal concoction tasted horrible.
Kade examined the piece in the firelight. “The markings on this side resemble the letter S.”
“I thought so! We should look at the others.”
“And go crazy again?” Kade asked.
My elation died. “Have you discussed the…incident with the others yet? Are they all right?”
“Minor injuries only. Leif applied poultices and dispensed tea. Everyone was so exhausted I sent them all to bed. We’ll discuss it in the morning.” He sat on the edge of the cot. “You know, the tea tastes worse when it’s cold.”
I downed another gulp. “You should go to bed, too.”
“I’ll sleep in the main cavern. I don’t want to bump your ribs.”
“No need to worry.” I scooted over.
“Opal, you should—”
“Finish my tea first. Good idea.” I drained the cup.
He still looked unconvinced.
“Please stay. The last two nights have been horrible.” First Tricky, then the sea glass. With all that had happened, I had forgotten about the wound on my arm. In fact, even the pain in my ribs had dissipated. Leif’s tea worked. I would thank him, but he would be obnoxious about it.
Kade slipped into the cot next to me. Once his arms wrapped around my waist, I fell asleep.
“I didn’t see anyone,” Heli said. She concentrated on the empty bowl in her lap, spinning it around. “I was in the middle of nowhere.”
The early-morning sunlight touched the horizon. The beach remained in The Cliffs’ shadow, casting twilight into the main cavern. Everyone gathered around the cook fire. And everyone avoided each other’s gaze.
My ribs ached, but I wasn’t about to ask Leif for more of his tea.
“A magician had charged the sea glass,” Kade said. “Either he scattered them on the beach for you to find, or they were deposited there by the current.”
“Why?” Heli asked. She sounded like a little girl.
“To sabotage us or as a joke,” Kade guessed.
“Heck of a cruel joke,” Raiden said.
“Maybe someone really wanted you to find them,” I said. “Maybe they were tryi
ng to send you a message.” I pulled out the blue piece.
Ten people flinched, including Kade, who should have known better.
“This one is safe,” I said, handing it to Leif. “Looks like someone scratched the letter S on it.”
Leif turned it over in his hands. “Why is it safe?”
I thought back. “When I touched it, it…sparked, waking me. After all the…craziness last night, it was the only piece not claimed.”
“Let’s assume you’re right and it’s a message,” Kade said. “How do we examine the other pieces without going insane with desire?”
“Opal can spark them,” Leif said. “In a place where we can’t see.”
It was a reasonable step in logic. However, I dreaded the prospect, remembering the burn and shock of pain from just one piece.
I pulled Leif aside. “Can you brew me more of your tea?”
“Which one?”
“The wet-dog one you gave me last night.”
“Are your ribs hurting?”
“Yes.” Which was the truth.
I returned to Kade’s cot and dumped the sea glass onto the blanket. A mug of Leif’s potion was within reach. Steeling myself, I drank the entire mug, then reached for the first piece.
By the time I finished, my numb hands could barely hold the glass. Pain burned along my skin from wrist to shoulders. My bones ached. I wrapped my arms around my waist and curled up on the cot.
Kade woke me with a hard shake. “Opal, what happened? We thought you’d be back by now.”
My body throbbed. My arms and hands tingled as if they’d fallen asleep.
“Is it your ribs?” he asked in alarm.
“Yes. No. Leif. Dog.” The room dimmed and Leif appeared next to Kade. A hot liquid burned my lips. I choked on the taste of dirt mixed with mint.
“Drink it. It’ll help you,” Leif said. “Trust me.”
I wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but the pain eased and I drifted into a relieved sleep.
The next time I opened my eyes, Kade hovered above me with an anxious expression.
“I’m fine,” I said, although I didn’t have any energy.
“You slept for two days. That’s not fine.”
“Two days? But the melt, the orbs…” I tried to sit up.
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