“It’s ridiculous,” Prin said. “He should be with another clan member. We need more Stormdancers. If he stays with Opal, they’ll probably have children with weird glass powers.”
Uncertain how to react, I moved past them without saying a word. It didn’t matter what they thought as long as Kade remained happy.
He waited for me at the stable. He had saddled Quartz for me. Leif grumbled and worked on getting Rusalka ready. Skippy sat on Beryl. She danced with impatience, sensing her rider’s mood.
Kade grabbed my bags and secured them on Quartz. I glanced at Moonlight. Even though the stall’s door gaped wide open, he pressed against the far wall of the pen, presenting his rear to us. His taut muscles and laid-back ears warned us to keep away.
“He won’t come out,” Leif said.
“He wouldn’t let me bridle him,” Kade said. “I’m sure the Stable Master at the Keep wants him back. Do you think he knows I’m not going with you?”
Leif and I just looked at Kade.
“Oh.”
“Looks like you got yourself a horse,” Leif said. He swung up on Rusalka. “Let’s go, we’re burning daylight.”
Kade stepped close to me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and rested his forehead on mine. “Be very very careful. Post a watch at night, and don’t let your guard down. Promise?”
“Yes. Will you be able to come for my graduation?”
“Sorry. Storms tend to trickle into the hot season. And I received a threatening letter from my mother. My parents haven’t seen me since Kaya’s flag-raising ceremony—almost a year ago.”
“I understand.” I remembered my parents had kept my sister’s grief flag over her bed for five years before they could put it away.
“They want me to stay with them until the next storm season. Why don’t you come visit me after graduation. I’m sure they would love to meet you.”
“I would enjoy that. I’ll send you a message.”
“Come on and kiss already,” Leif called to us. “I want to put as much distance behind us before dinner.”
“Is he always ruled by his stomach?” Kade asked.
“Yep.”
Our eight-day trip back to the Keep contained no ambushes. No signs of Tricky. And no assassination attempts. One of my better treks.
I should have suspected my luck wouldn’t last. But no. Surrounded by magicians at the Keep, I felt safer than on the open road. I returned to my classes, gossiped with my sister, endured a stern lecture from the Stable Master about Moonlight, produced glass messengers and trained at least six hours every day, including lock-picking sessions with Marrok, the Weapons Master. Skippy and my babysitters no longer followed me around the Keep.
My parents arrived for my graduation ceremony. Every time my mother embarked on an embarrassing tale about my childhood, Leif leaned close and whispered, “Bloodrose.”
Graduation day was the first day of the hot season. Fifty graduates dressed in formal robes sweated in the heat as Master Bloodgood congratulated us on our achievement. Yelena sat with the spectators, but disappeared soon after. I hoped to have a chance to talk with her before she left the Citadel.
I met Pazia’s father, Vasko Cloud Mist, at the postgraduation celebration held in the dining room. A tall man with black hair and mustache, he oozed power. Political power. Magical power. Wealthy power. Two of his associates stood behind him at all times.
“Thank you for the messengers, Opal,” he said. “They’ve been a tremendous help with my business.”
“You’re—”
Too impatient for small talk, he asked, “What are your plans for the future?”
“I’m not sure. I have an appointment tomorrow morning with the Sitian Council to discuss my assignment.” Although it sounded impressive, the Council really wanted to assess me before they went on hiatus for the season.
“Before you hear what they have to say, I’d like to offer you a business opportunity with my company,” he said. “Pazia’s coming home to work with me, so you’ll already know a…friend.”
Surprised, I asked, “What type of opportunity?”
“With your glass messengers, of course. I’m offering to support you financially. You’ll have enough funds to set up a glass factory, hire workers and sales staff. All in the beautiful foothills of the Emerald Mountains.” He gestured to the small group of Councilors who had attended the ceremony. “Committees and government red tape has slowed and complicated the process of sending messages. Relay stations. Pah! We’ll do it right. Fast, efficient and fair with you calling all the shots.”
And too good to be true. “What’s the catch? How do you benefit from supporting me?”
“Smart girl. All I want are messengers. I want to be able to come to your workshop and request five messengers without having to fill out a single form. Hell, I’ll even limit my requests so I don’t take all your stock. We’ll draw up an agreement. What do you say?”
His rapid-fire proposal overwhelmed me. I tried to pull my scattered thoughts into a coherent sentence. “I’m flattered you’d like to do business with me. I need to think about your offer first. Can I give you an answer later?”
“Sure, sure. We’ll be here for a few days.” He peered at me for a moment. “Don’t let the Council scare you. You graduated. As long as you’re obeying the laws of Sitia, they don’t have any legal right to dictate what you can or can’t do.”
After a sleepless night of wondering and worrying, I arrived for my appointment with the Council. All eleven Councilors were in attendance with their aides as well as the three Master Magicians and Yelena Zaltana.
I kept Vasko’s advice in my mind, gathering the courage to stand up for myself if needed. And not be scared.
The Council session started out fine. We assembled in the great hall early in the morning to avoid the afternoon heat. The members sat along their U-shaped table, reviewing my recent achievements and discussing the successful magical test I had endured before I left for The Cliffs. Skippy and Leif had made a full report on our adventures with the Stormdancers.
No suspects had been found regarding the assassination attempt. The Council speculated Commander Ambrose might be behind it. He feared magical power and my messengers gave the Sitians an upper hand.
“It’s not the Commander,” Yelena said.
“Why not? It makes the most sense,” Councilor Tama Moon said. She wore a white silk blouse and long skirt. Gressa stood behind her.
“Because the Commander would have assigned the job to Valek and, no offense, Opal, you would be dead by now. He doesn’t fail.”
“Obviously he hired local talent. He is well known in Sitia—surely he couldn’t do the job himself.” Tama flicked her long blond hair away from her face as if dismissing Yelena’s comments.
But Yelena shook her head no. “For Opal, he would.”
So nice to know if the Commander decided I was a threat, Valek would personally kill me. I had met him during the aftermath of the Warper Battle. He had been very grateful for my role in bringing Yelena back from the fire world and had offered his aid should I need it. Anytime, anyplace, he had said.
The assassination attempt concerned the Council more than the fact that Tricky remained at large. Tricky’s attack, they reasoned, was revenge for siphoning his magic. I still couldn’t tell them about his immunity to me. The vision of the Councilors arguing about using my blood to protect themselves from me kept me silent.
“You’re not worried he could be teaching blood magic to others?” I asked.
“No, because all those who know the final stages of the rituals are safely contained in your glass prisons.”
Ahh…collective denial. Wonderful. I studied Zitora. As in the past, she kept quiet during the session. Her closed expression gave no hint of her emotions.
Finally the Council asked me where I wanted to work after graduation. I sensed the question was asked out of sheer politeness and they would tell me what I would do regardless of my desires.
“I’d like to be a part of the Messenger Committee,” I said.
A little ripple of shock traveled through the Councilors. I suppressed a grin.
“We will consider it,” Councilor Greenblade said. “In the meantime, we have decided to hire you as a staff member of the Magician’s Keep. You’ll be in charge of the glass factory and can train students to assist you while you craft the messengers. This way, you’ll also be available to assist with any magical problems that arise, like an out-of-control magician.”
Councilor Zaltana added, “And living in the Keep will keep you safe from any more attempts on your life or from revenge seekers.”
“Thank you for the job offer, Councilors and Master Magicians. I will consider it.”
Another wave of disconcertion rolled around the U. I didn’t wait for them to form a response. “And, as you’re considering my request to be on the Messenger Committee, I wanted to let you know there won’t be any messengers made for you unless I’m on the committee.”
The rumble grew louder as Councilors conversed among themselves.
“Are you threatening to stop creating the messengers?” Councilor Cloud Mist asked me.
“No, sir. I just won’t make them for you. The messengers are my creations. Since I’ve been busy with my studies, I haven’t had time to be a part of how they are distributed and used. I’m trying to rectify that oversight now.”
Tama Moon studied me with a shrewd expression. She nodded in approval when I met her gaze. After all, this had been her idea.
“We could force you, Opal,” Councilor Krystal said.
“You could try.” I kept my voice steady despite the spinning of my heart.
Arguments erupted and discussions sounded, filling the hall with an angry buzz. Master Bloodgood restored order with a bang of his gavel.
“We will take a short break, and then discuss Opal’s counteroffer. Opal, you’re dismissed.”
Pleased by my courage, I left. Footsteps sounded behind me and I turned, reaching for my blade. Yelena paused. I relaxed my stance.
“You’re jumpy. Do you really think someone would attack you in the Council building?” she asked.
“Yes. Weren’t you listening? I just gave the Council an ultimatum. I’d feel safer at a travel shelter than in here right now.”
“I think you did the right thing. You should have been put on the Messenger Committee from the get-go.”
“Good to know I have one person on my side.” I smiled, but she remained serious, appraising me with her striking green eyes as if she read my thoughts.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“I wanted to tell you before…” She frowned and spun her snake bracelet around her wrist. “I did some research…”
“And?”
She met my gaze. “Opal, it’s impossible for anyone to switch souls. Ulrick is Ulrick Cowan. Not Devlen, a Daviian Warper.”
20
“COULD YOU REPEAT THAT?” I ASKED YELENA, CERTAIN I’D MISSED a vital hint.
She touched my arm. “I tried switching souls. And it didn’t work.”
I gaped at her, failing to grasp her words. “What do you mean tried?”
She steered me to a bench and sat beside me. “You have many supporters, Opal. Leif and Bain volunteered to help me experiment. I moved Leif’s soul to Bain. Both souls stayed in Bain’s body, but when I moved Bain’s soul to Leif, they automatically flipped back.”
Her words bounced in my mind. I refused to grasp them. “There must be another way.”
“I searched Bain’s books, and read everything I found on blood magic, but I didn’t see anything about switching souls. I talked with Zitora at length. Ulrick’s telling the truth.”
“Did you talk with Kade and Janco?”
“Of course. They both believe you, and reported Ulrick’s horrendous behavior. They couldn’t offer any proof, and I can’t find any. And you know how good I am about finding things.” She tried to give me a wry grin, but it resembled a grimace.
I finally understood. She no longer believed me, and neither did Leif and Bain. Pain burned deep in my chest. The same unrelenting torment as grief. I muttered a few words to Yelena, then bolted from the building.
I had no memory of where I went or what I did. Tricky could have caught me and I would have sliced open my wrist for him. I would have welcomed an assassin. I wandered and suffered. Conversations with Ulrick and Devlen replayed over and over and over in my mind. Had I been duped? How could Ulrick know those pressure points? How could he use them? What about my conversation with Ulrick in Ognap?
Darkness came and went. Then a thought surfaced. Strange things had happened with magic. Yelena’s Soulfinding abilities for one. All the history books about Soulfinders had been wrong. Yelena discovered they had been Soulstealers. She trusted herself, and eventually accepted who she was, changing everyone’s negative perception about Soulfinders.
I had been determined to prove Devlen had switched with Ulrick. Just because Yelena didn’t believe me didn’t mean I had to give up. I knew Devlen’s soul resided in Ulrick’s body. When I had drained him of all his magic, I felt his essence through the glass orb. I believed in myself.
To help solidify my resolve, I envisioned myself as a piece of thick sea glass. Worn by the water and sand, I was no longer shiny and new. Innocence and naiveté rubbed off by life, I had broken off from the rest and tumbled in the waves by myself.
I banished all the doubts and the pain of betrayal, replacing it with cold, hard determination.
Standing before Councilor Moon’s door, I imagined sea glass. When I expelled my emotions, I knocked. An aide answered. He fussed about my lack of appointment.
“Tell her I’m here and let her decide if she wants to see me,” I said with authority.
He disappeared through another door. I paced in a modest living area. All the Councilors had offices in the Council building and a residence in the Citadel.
The door swung open and Tama Moon greeted me with a smile. “So good to see you. We were getting worried when no one could find you at the Keep.”
“After the session yesterday, I needed time to think over the Council’s offer.”
“And?”
“I’m going to wait for the counteroffer.”
She laughed. “The Council believes it’s a good idea to have you on the Messenger Committee. In fact, we have ourselves almost convinced it was our idea in the first place.”
“I’m glad.”
“Are you going to stay at the Keep, then?” She kept her tone neutral, but cold calculation filled her eyes.
“No. I decided to go out on my own. Be in control for once.”
“Good for you.”
“Shouldn’t you be trying to talk me out of it? After all, you’re on the Council.”
“In this case, I don’t agree with the Council. As you should be well aware of. I made my opinions clear in Fulgor. Although, at the time, you were feeling rather…charitable toward the Council.”
“Well, the charity is gone. And I like your idea. You had offered to support my business before. Is it still good?”
“I didn’t offer. Gressa made the proposal. And yes, it is still good.”
“Excellent. I would like to set up a workshop in Fulgor, then. Can you let the Council know my decision? Tell them I’m willing to help out whenever they need my special…services. Oh, and ask them to return my diamonds to me. I’m going to need capital.”
She whistled in appreciation. “Considering the Council isn’t going to be happy with you leaving, that’s very bold.”
Bold. I liked it. “I’m being proactive.”
While the boldness still flowed in my blood, I knocked at Zitora’s office. She had ignored me long enough.
“Come in, Opal,” she called through the door.
I strode into the room. Little had changed since I was here almost a year ago. She sat behind her desk as the late-afternoon sun streamed through the window. I s
topped before her desk.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“Oh! You want to help me now? It’s too late. I’m going to help myself.”
Her gaze flattened and she pressed her lips into a tight line. “What do you want?”
A small voice in the back of my mind warned me to shut up, but I smashed it with a surge of emotion. “To inform you I’m leaving the Keep. I’m not going to work for the Council. Instead, I’m setting up shop with Gressa in Fulgor.”
She kept her body rigid. “Why are you telling me? I’m not your mentor.”
Cold. “I thought you might be happy, considering you and Tama Moon are friends. I’ll be supporting the Moon economy.”
“You can’t trust Gressa or Councilor Moon.”
“Why not?” I waited, maintaining an expectant expression.
“I can’t tell you—”
“Of course not. Why would you tell poor deluded Opal? The one who embarrassed you in front of the Council.”
“That’s enough. Do you really think the Council will just let you go?”
“Why not? You did.”
She stood, but I held my ground.
“Who do you think you are to question my decisions?” she asked.
“I’m Opal Cowan. I used to be your student until you turned your back on me.”
“I distanced myself for your protection.”
“Easy excuse. Tell me the truth for once. Admit it, you’re mad at me for not telling you everything that happened in Ixia.”
“Leave now, Opal. I have work to do.” She settled back into her chair.
“No. I’m not letting you ignore me. I want answers. If not out of anger, then why else did you support Tama’s claim that Ulrick worked undercover? You know it’s a lie.”
“Because Tama did assign him. I talked to her at length. He hadn’t been hit on the head by his sister. Together they visited Tama.” She drew in a breath. “Opal, do you know how ridiculous you’re being? Yelena confirmed it’s impossible for Ulrick and Devlen to switch souls.”
“That’s sweet. You talked to Tama and Yelena. But you never talked to me. We’ve been through a lot together. Don’t I get the same courtesy?”
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