Kade held me down. “No. You are to stay in bed until Leif gives you permission to move.”
“Who made Leif boss?”
“I did when he saved your life.”
“Pah! I would have been fine.” I couldn’t believe Kade had fallen for Leif’s dramatics.
Kade sighed. “Opal, why didn’t you tell us?”
“Tell you what?”
“About the pain. You didn’t have to spark all that glass. You could have done a little at a time.”
“Heli felt so bad…I wanted to help.”
“She’ll be fine. She’s been sorting the sea glass, trying to decipher the message.”
I tried to push up to my elbow, but Kade refused to budge. “Has she gotten any of it?”
“Not yet. One side of the glass has a letter and the other has a number code scratched on it. Once she figures out the code, she’ll be able to assemble the letters in the right order.”
An interesting puzzle. I longed to join her and to check on the glassmakers. “Can you ask Leif to come visit so I can get up?”
“Will you promise to stay in bed?”
“Yes.”
Kade left. I fidgeted and thought of a bunch of questions I wanted to ask. A little of my energy returned—enough so I regretted promising to stay prone.
Leif arrived carrying a mug. “How’s my favorite glass wizard today?”
“Wonderful. Can I move now?”
“Not yet.” He handed me the drink.
I wrinkled my nose. Another foul-smelling brew. This one reminded me of mushrooms and moldy storerooms.
“It’s a restorative. You’re to finish every drop and eat a full meal before you’re allowed to walk among the living.”
“Why do all your potions taste so bad?” I stalled for time.
“They’re all made from plants and fruits grown in the Illiais Jungle. My father is an expert on herbal remedies, and, since I’m not the super healer like my sister…” He gave me a wry smile. “I have to make do with using leaves and spoors and roots and seeds.”
Leif’s clan, the Zaltanas, lived in the jungle. Their homestead had been built in the tree canopy, blending in with the surrounding greenery.
“Are you going to drink it? Or do I need to hold your nose and force it down your throat?”
I sipped the potion. It tasted better than it smelled. Swallowing a few more sips, I noticed deep scratches on his nose and cheeks. “Are they from me?” I pointed.
“I think so.”
“Sorry.”
“No problem. You sliced my face, I cracked your ribs. Let’s call it even.” His tone remained light, but his expression was uncharacteristically somber. “If you hadn’t broken the spell.. just imagine.” His hand touched the hilt of his machete. “If I had thought about it before you went to neutralize the glass, I would have stopped you. The magic on them was strong. Maybe even master-level strong.”
“Really?”
“It’s hard to say for sure. I couldn’t examine them while they were charged, but most magicians keep mental defenses in place so they don’t fall for illusions and magical suggestions. The Stormdancers don’t because their magic is…different. But the rest of us do. And for the sea glass’s magic to break through mine and Skippy’s defenses, it had to be strong.”
“Skippy’s?” I found that hard to believe.
“He may be a prick, but he’s a powerful prick.”
“Good to know.” I thought about Leif’s comments. “The magician who charged the glass was either desperate or deranged.” I drained the rest of Leif’s brew and upended the mug. “Can I get up now?”
“Nope. You still need to eat.”
“I’m sure Raiden has a savory dish on the fire.” I pushed the blankets away. How did I get so many? Swinging my legs over the side, I stood, using the little energy I had collected. My legs buckled under me and I plopped down on the cot.
Leif watched me with an aggrieved expression. “It would be refreshing if, for once, I helped someone who actually listened to me.”
“I drank your tea.”
He harrumphed.
Kade arrived with a tray full of food.
“Make sure she eats it all,” Leif said, shooting me a warning glare before he left.
I consumed a large serving of Raiden’s special fish stew, bread and seaweed. The salty green leaves crunched between my teeth.
“What have the glassmakers been doing?” I asked Kade.
“They made a few orbs. But Heli’s getting closer to figuring out the code. She thinks there may be missing pieces. Once you’re feeling better, she wants to take us back to the spot where she found them.”
I squinted at him in suspicion. He had changed the subject from the glassmakers rather fast and now he avoided my gaze. Yet I couldn’t help being intrigued by the prospect of going to find more sea glass.
When I finished every bite as instructed by Leif, Kade put the tray on the floor. Instead of feeling energized by the food, I felt sleepy. My eyes kept drifting shut. Movement roused me as Kade pulled the blankets over me.
“Want to…” I muttered.
“Later.” He kissed my temple.
It was hard to stay mad at Leif for spiking my food with a sleeping potion when I felt so much better. The early-morning twilight shone through the cracks in the curtain. Kade slept on a pile of blankets on the floor. He looked exhausted, so I tiptoed from the cave without waking him.
I felt bad about slipping out, but I didn’t want to have to drink one of Leif’s potions before I could go anywhere. Hiking up the trail, I checked on the kiln. The glassmakers had been busy. A handful of orbs filled a table. I picked one up and brought it out into the light.
A purple iridescent film coated the outside of the round translucent glass. It resembled a bubble of soap. A small neck and lip for the opening ruined the perfect sphere shape. I ran a finger along the inside of the hole. The orb could be any size as long as it wasn’t too heavy for a Stormdancer to hold, but the opening had to be a specific diameter or else the rubber stopper wouldn’t fit.
Once a Stormdancer filled the orb with the storm’s energy, the stopper sealed the energy inside. When the orb arrived at one of the Stormdance Clan’s factories, a glass tube was inserted through the rubber to transfer the energy from the orb to the machinery.
I hefted the orb. This one weighed about eight pounds and felt solid, but so had the ones that shattered during the last storm season. Carrying it back to the table, I tried to ignore the hum of potential vibrating through my fingers.
I stopped short. Why couldn’t I use an orb to siphon the magic from the sea glass? Because at the time the melt wasn’t ready, and Skippy would have had a fit—not that I cared. If we found more sea glass, I would have to try it.
The rubber stopper fit perfectly. Impressive. In fact, it fit all the orbs on the table with the same snugness. Incredible. My opinion of Ziven and Zetta increased by a factor of ten. All were a beautiful round shape and their sizes matched. Wow.
Only one test left. I found a hammer and pounded on the orb. It broke with a solid crack.
“What are you doing?” Ziven asked with a sharp and accusing tone.
I startled and spun around. “Good morning to you, too.”
He strode into the cave, scanning the equipment as if he’d caught me stealing. “Why did you destroy that orb? It was—”
“Perfect. So far.” I took one of the broken pieces out to the light and inspected it. Ziven followed me.
The thickness of the glass was consistent throughout the section. Good. “Do you have any orbs left over from the previous glassmakers?” I swallowed a sudden lump in my throat. Sir had murdered the three siblings for the orb’s recipe.
“Why?” Again the suspicious tone.
“To compare the density. I just want to be sure these match those before I give Kade my approval.”
“Oh. Okay.” He strode to the back of the cavern and returned with another orb.
I smiled w
hen he handed it to me. It was egg-shaped. One of Nodin’s. He always had trouble shaping the orb. With reluctance, I broke it and evaluated the cross-section.
“Your orbs are wonderful. They should work well for the Stormdancers.”
Ziven beamed and it transformed his whole face. He looked years younger.
“Zetta will be happy to hear it,” he said.
I collected the broken pieces and dumped them into the cullet barrel. One of the joys of working with glass was being able to reuse it. The cullet would be melted in the cauldron and made into new orbs.
On my way down to the main cavern, I checked in on Kade. He was still sound asleep and I wondered how late he had stayed up the night before. Most of the people who slept around the cook fire remained motionless in their cots. For a second, I panicked, thinking they had all been hit with Curare. But then Leif rolled over and Wick snored.
I scanned the sleepers, searching for Skippy. Not the type to rub elbows with the masses, he must have taken a cot up to one of the empty caves for privacy. Since we arrived at The Cliffs, he had been keeping a low profile. I didn’t mind. It was a nice break not having him by my side all the time.
Not wanting to bother anyone in the common room, I headed to the stables to check on the horses. I found Raiden filling their buckets with fresh water.
“Good thing we have this spring back here,” Raiden said. “Otherwise, we’d have to cart in a tankful of drinkable water every season.”
I helped him feed the horses and muck out the stalls. Quartz nuzzled my ear before eating her breakfast. They all needed exercise. I would ask Kade about riding them to the location where Heli found the sea glass. It would save time and energy.
“Has Heli discovered anything more about the glass?” I asked Raiden.
“No. And she’s obsessed about it. It caused enough trouble, so I told her to toss it back into the sea.”
“It’s harmless now.”
Raiden shot me a dubious look.
I changed the subject. “Your new glassmakers have made some beautiful orbs.”
“Will they work?”
“They should.”
“Should isn’t an encouraging word.”
“There’s always a possibility something may go wrong.” A lesson I learned from experience, yet each time there was an element of surprise.
“Would you stake Kade’s life on it?” Raiden asked. “Because you know he’ll want to be the first one to test the new orbs out.”
I knew. “Yes, I would.”
Raiden stared out to sea for a moment. “That’s more encouraging. Especially since it’s obvious you two are a couple.”
“He hasn’t said anything to you?”
“I’ve hardly spoken to him since he returned. He’s been gone since the end of the cooling season, when he chased after the bastards who murdered Indra and her brothers.” Raiden kicked a rock into the sea. “He sent me a message explaining what happened, but it was basic facts.” He gave me a sly smile. “He’s happier now. And I don’t have to worry too much about him taking unnecessary chances and risking his life. We don’t have many Stormdancers.”
“How many are there?”
He gestured toward the cave. “What you see is what you get.”
“Five! That’s all?” And one was in training.
“We lost Kaya and Gian during the last storm season, and the year before a rookie lost control and drowned. Then with the glassmakers’ deaths, I’m surprised Tebbs even admitted she had the power.”
“She probably heard about the fabulous location and posh accommodations,” I teased.
“Hey! When I was younger, the dancers slept on the beach and cooked for themselves. Now they have cots and privacy screens and a cook. They’re spoiled.”
I laughed. We finished cleaning the stalls and headed back to the common area.
“We must be doing something right,” Raiden said. “When the word spread that we needed glassmakers, we were overwhelmed with applicants.”
“How did you decide to hire Ziven and Zetta?” I asked, glad for this opportunity.
“I wanted to invite you back to help us since you know the orb-making process, but Councilor Stormdance said you were busy.”
Busy disobeying the Council’s orders and hunting down Ulrick. No need to tell Raiden that.
When I didn’t say anything, he continued, “I whittled the field down to two families based on experience and knowledge, but, before I could announce my choice, Councilor Stormdance arrived with Ziven and Zetta. He claimed they were perfect for the job and hired them.”
“You must have been livid.”
“Livid is too tame a word.” He scowled. “The Councilor gives me the responsibility and doesn’t even ask my opinion. It was a big waste of my time.”
“Look on the bright side. They produced a high-quality orb. That’s the most important thing.”
“Yeah, yeah. Silver lining and all that, but I just wish those two had—” he waved his hands as if trying to pull the right word out of the air “—more personality. They’re too serious and suspicious. They always think you’re trying to trick them or tease them. We’re here four months a year, living together. I hope they relax now that they have the orb recipe.”
We returned to the main cave. A few people had roused. Raiden stirred the fire to life and I walked over to Heli. She bent over a table, moving the sea glass around with her fingertips.
“Anything?” I asked.
She startled.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” she said. “I should be apologizing to you. To everyone, but no one will listen. They tell me it’s not my fault.”
“It isn’t—”
“Bull. Put yourself in my place. How would you feel?”
I considered. “Lousy.”
“At least you didn’t die.”
“Heli, don’t listen to Leif. He exaggerates and revels in drama.”
“Really? Because two days ago when you were still comatose, he was alarmed. And I watched him have many serious discussions with Kade, who looked distressed.” She cocked her head to the side, peering past my shoulder. “Sort of like he looks now.”
I turned. Barefoot and with sleep-tousled hair, Kade strode toward me. His unbuttoned shirt flapped behind him. I braced for his lecture.
“As much as I enjoyed thinking all kinds of horrible possibilities about your whereabouts, do you think the next time you disappear, you could leave me a note?” Kade asked. “We can even make up a form. I’m gone because of A, Tricky, or B, Devlen, or C, fill in the blank. You can just circle a reason and leave it for me.”
“Wow. That’s some impressive sarcasm,” Heli said. “I’m glad I’m not on the receiving end this time.”
Considering all that had happened to me since I’d known Kade, I couldn’t blame him for being upset. “I’m sorry. I’ll try not to do it again.”
An eyebrow spiked. “Try?”
“Since your suggestion of making up a form actually is a good idea, I’d say try is the best I can do. I have no control over a whole list of things, but what I can control, I’ll make sure to let you know.”
His anger dissipated as he conceded the point. “You liked my form idea?” A hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth.
“It could use a little work. I think we should put check boxes next to the list—circling the reason might take too long. With a box, I can just check and go.”
“I’ll get right on it.”
Despite my assurances that I felt fine, Leif wouldn’t approve my request.
“Rest today and you can go tomorrow,” he said.
Kade agreed. “You can help Heli with the code. Maybe find out more about the sea glass.”
I grumped, but listened and even drank a cup of Leif’s wet-dog brew with breakfast.
Heli welcomed my aid. We sorted the glass by color, by number and by letter, hoping to see a pattern. Nothing. The numbers weren’t consecutive. We tried
matching the pieces like a jigsaw puzzle, but none of them fit together.
“What can scratch glass?” Heli asked. She held a translucent green one.
“Diamonds can and other hard gemstones. Glass cutters have bits of diamonds on the wheel, but they’re not the nice ones used for jewelry.”
“So anyone could have done it?”
“The scratches, yes. The magic, no.”
“Did you get any sense of the magician when you neutralized them?”
Heli looked so hopeful, I hated to disappoint her. But all I felt was burning pain. “No.”
All our attempts to decipher the markings failed. Heli was determined. She had the trip back to the sea glass’s location all planned out, enlisting help from Leif to form a null shield before we reached the destination to keep everyone safe.
We would ride the horses. Heli with me on Quartz. Raiden insisted on coming along, so Kade offered to share Moonlight. Though not happy about the prospect, Skippy would tag along, too.
Unfortunately, we never had the chance to execute Heli’s plans. As we gathered around the fire to eat dinner, Leif arrived and pulled me aside. He held one of my glass messengers in his hand. “Opal, we have to leave. Now.”
17
“WHY?” I ASKED LEIF IN ALARM. “WHAT HAPPENED? MARA—”
“She’s fine. Nothing bad happened. I just received a message from Irys…Master Jewelrose.” He hesitated. “You’re not going to like this, but it makes sense.”
“What? Tell me.” I gripped his arm.
Leif glanced across the fire. The others talked and ate dinner, ignoring us, but Kade watched in concern.
“The Masters have detected a wild magician in the Bloodgood lands. This person is on the verge of flaming out. They’ve ordered us to get down there and stop him—or her.”
“How?”
“This is the part you’re not going to like. The Masters want you to siphon the wild magic into an orb.”
Shock rendered me speechless.
“You’ll save a life and stop the power source from warping. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”
When put that way, he had a point. “Does the Council know? Did they give permission?”
“Yes, it’s all been approved. We need to leave tonight.”
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