“We’re going to Lion’s Claw Peninsula,” I said. “How—”
“Did I find them?” Galen finished for me. “I didn’t. Walsh Bloodrose came to me. Or rather to Vasko, but he wasn’t home at the time. Lucky for me. Walsh and Vasko had attended the Magician’s Keep together, but Walsh was just as happy to work with me.”
I thought about the Bloodrose leader. Walsh preferred to live with his family in relative isolation. They harvested oysters for income. Fisk had mentioned a sudden influx of oysters. If Walsh wanted to ensure privacy, what better way than to drive his fellow oyster farmers out of business and buy their farms. That would also keep the farmers from discovering the black diamonds. But Walsh couldn’t sell those rare diamonds without drawing attention to himself. So he sought a middleman.
“Does Vasko believe those black diamonds came from his mine?” I asked.
“Yes. Poor guy.” Galen tsked. “Lost his most trusted employee and the location of all those expensive black diamonds in one cave-in. He’ll be desperate for more.”
“But you’ll just sell them to him. Why go to all this trouble?”
“All Walsh cares about is money and his family. He has no desire to wield the political power he would have by controlling the black diamonds and the super messengers. Fortunately he wanted something, and he was happy to let me run the diamond business as long as the money kept flowing in and I brought you to him.”
Not for my glass magic. Those black diamonds rendered my little animals obsolete unless he was worried about the competition. But that didn’t sound right.
“Okay, I’ll ask. Why?”
Galen grinned. “He was fascinated by you and your powers. With Quinn’s magic adding to his family’s resources, he wanted more magicians. Hard to get magicians to join a cult on the edge of nowhere. And the Council tends to get involved when one of them goes missing.”
He didn’t wait for me to reason it out. “When I found your blood, I thought to sell it to Walsh so he could inject it into his family members and create more magicians. But then I realized he was willing to give me more than money if I brought you along. And I’ll get a bonus because everyone thinks you’re dead, you can’t run away and you’ll be incapable of refusing an order. Walsh is going to be ecstatic.”
“How did you know I’d link you to Vasko?”
“I planted enough clues to frame his son. A little goodbye present to him, keeping him busy trying to explain Finn to the authorities. Also, once the Master Magicians learned about those super messengers, any idiot would know they’d send you to investigate.”
I followed the logic. “I’m going to work for Walsh.” Which might not be as horrible as I expected.
“He plans to make you a member of his family. You should be honored.”
“Am I going to make glass messengers for him?”
Galen dismissed the notion. “Any glassmaker can make us those messengers. You’ll be needed for other tasks.”
“For example?”
“You’ll be required to birth more magicians in order to expand Walsh’s happy family.”
25
BIRTH MORE MAGICIANS. DIDN’T EXPECT THAT LITTLE revelation. It was far worse than anything my overactive imagination had produced.
Galen delighted in my shocked silence. “I’m to become a member, as well. I’m looking forward to doing my part for the family. Walsh has developed this whole breeding program. It’s quite impressive.”
I rallied. “I’m still able to refuse orders.”
“Not for long.”
We continued the journey south, reaching the Daviian Plateau on the sixth day. Any chance I’d have to seek help from a fellow traveler or local died as we turned west and entered the plateau. No one lived there. The Daviian Warpers had tried, but they were long gone.
The flat expanse stretched to the horizon. Brown clumps of grass dotted the cracked and sunbaked soil. A few stunted trees clung to life.
“Do you have enough food and water?” I asked Galen.
“We’ll let Quartz lead us to water. As for food, I should be able to snare a few rabbits.”
It would take us ten days to cross the plateau. Ten days with the sun’s heat beating down on us, and we were only halfway through the heating season. At least we would be on the coast before the blazing hot season.
In order to find water, I had to communicate with Quartz, using a small bit of magic each time.
Halfway across the plateau, I felt restless and craved…action. When we stopped, I paced around the campfire unable to sit.
Food did not help. Water failed to quench the unrelenting need. Pulling my hair just to feel something different only helped for a second.
Galen watched me with a gleam in his eyes. Eventually the plateau faded from my awareness as the hunger dominated all my senses. It hurt. An ache stabbed deep within me as if a person squeezed a pressure point on my heart.
I huddled on the ground, rocking back and forth. No position eased the excruciating desire.
A cool touch on my skin sent a surge of instant relief. I looked over at Galen. He crouched next to me with his hand resting on my shoulder.
“You desire more magic. Let me—”
“No.” I knocked his arm away and the all-consuming yearning flooded me. I rolled into a ball. Now that I was aware of what would relieve the pain, I felt worse.
At one point, I pulled magic to me, packing it into my body, hoping it would satisfy my hunger. It didn’t. In fact, it was just another link in the chain binding me to Galen.
“Opal, let me help you,” he whispered in my ear.
Shaking with an unstoppable desire, I nodded.
“Relax your left arm,” he instructed.
I let him pry it from where I had clamped it around my knees. His touch no longer cooled. Through my haze of pain, I realized he straddled me. Then metal pricked my arm. A mere annoyance compared to the crushing need. Liquid fire raced through my veins, extinguishing the agonizing desire, leaving me limp and gasping.
Galen leaned over me. He held a syringe.
“Whose blood?” I asked.
“More of mine.” He rubbed his thumb over the spot. I hissed in pain.
He moved away. Spent, I flopped to the ground. Now I truly understood how Devlen felt. How the addiction was to blame. Ulrick, too. He didn’t know what he had gotten himself into when he agreed to switch souls with Devlen.
I considered. This “treatment” had been free. What would the next one cost? Would I be able to resist? If I kept using magic, it wouldn’t matter. Galen would force me to do whatever he wanted.
Twenty-six days. The trip from Ognap to the Lion’s Claw Peninsula lasted a total of twenty-six long, horrible, terrible days. Heading west, we crossed the plateau, cut through the narrow tip of Cowan’s lands, bypassing my hometown of Booruby—those days had been my darkest of the trip, envisioning my family and friends gathered for my flag-raising ceremony—and we skimmed above Bloodgood’s southern border. Galen avoided all major towns and cities.
We arrived at the Bloodroses’ outer wall in the afternoon. Located on the tip of the Lion’s Claw Peninsula, the compound was isolated from the rest of the Bloodgood lands. The narrow finger of land jutted out into the Jade Sea. Blue-green water glinted from both sides of the peninsula. The extra beachfront added to their annual pearl harvest.
The eight-foot-high stone wall contained only one gate. The wrought iron was spotted with rust. Galen called to the two guards on the other side. They opened it without hesitation. The gate’s hinges creaked in protest.
The complex hadn’t changed in the year since I had visited. A few stunted trees and scrub bushes grew in the otherwise barren landscape. The tangy scent of the sea filled the area with a moist mist. Even though clan members moved between the buildings, the only sounds to reach us were the constant roll and crash of the waves and the shriek of gulls as they dived and fought over the discarded oyster shells.
Beyond the massive wall, smal
l cottages built from bamboo were arranged in perfect lines. Past them was a smattering of sun-bleached public buildings. The beaches on each side of the peninsula had a long structure built in the sand. On the northern coast, children dived for oysters, carrying buckets of them into the shade of the sorting area. Adolescents pushed wheelbarrows full of sand and hunks of black rocks on the southern coast. Armed guards watched both. The excuse for their presence had been to protect the clan from pirates and thieves.
It was quite the operation. Pearls, diamonds and breeding magic. My stomach felt as if I had eaten too many raw oysters.
After leaving the horses in the stable, Galen led us to Walsh’s office. He ignored Walsh’s assistant. Her protest died on her lips when he frowned at her. Smart girl. But she did hover in the threshold, lacing her hands over her bulging belly. I swallowed. She looked about fifteen years old—way too young to be with child.
Walsh’s skeletal face lit up when he spotted me. He stood from behind his desk and came around with his arm extended.
“Opal, welcome back. It’s so nice to see you,” Walsh said, flashing stained teeth as he smiled. He wore all white. It matched his long white hair.
I clasped his hand and suppressed a cringe at the creepy feel of his bony fingers wrapped around mine. “I wish I could say the same.”
He kept hold of my hand. Power swept over my skin. I fought the urge to block his invasive scan. For the last fifteen days, I hadn’t needed another shot of blood magic. By not using power, I extended the time between bouts of withdrawal. According to Galen, I couldn’t avoid it altogether. I sensed things would change. And not for the better.
Walsh patted my hand with his free one. “Your unique powers have fascinated me. I’m looking forward to exploring them with you. I’m sure you’ll love it here with time. Even during the hot season, there’s a cool breeze from the sea. No one bothers us with their petty political wrangling and back-stabbing. It’s paradise.”
He finally released my hand and addressed Galen as if I wasn’t standing right there. “She’s healthy and strong. A little old. We should breed her right away. But all in all a nice addition to our family.”
Even though I had been warned, I still gaped at him.
“Opal, wait for me in the reception area. I’ll be right out,” Galen ordered.
“Penny, fetch our new sister something to drink,” Walsh said to his assistant.
She gestured for me to precede her, and shut the door behind us.
“What would you like?” she asked me.
“Nothing.”
She gave me a miserable look. Her drab tan skirt dragged on the ground, and she kept smoothing the fabric of her dull off-white tunic over her stomach.
“Water is fine,” I said.
Relieved, she rushed off. I pressed my ear to the door. They talked about the black diamonds and plans to make super messengers. Since I already knew greed was a motivating factor for Galen and Walsh, I wasn’t sure what I had been hoping to overhear. The topic changed to me and I strained.
“How soon until she’s yours?” Walsh asked Galen.
“Not long. She has a soft spot for others.”
“Then finish it. She’s dangerous right now. House her in the brig until we can trust her.”
Footsteps sounded and I backed away from the door.
Galen was amused. “Any questions?”
“What did you mean by I have ‘a soft spot’?” I asked.
“You run to everyone’s rescue. I’m sure you wouldn’t hesitate to save a drowning child. Come on. I’ll give you a tour.”
I wondered when he had been here before as I trailed after him. He headed straight for the south coast. The long wooden building remained the same. Along the side open to the beach, workers wielded boxes with bottoms made from wire-mesh screens. They barely glanced at us. Using handheld spades, they filled the box with sand and then held it in the water flowing through a chute. The water washed away the sand, but left the rocks behind. After inspecting each black stone, a worker placed it in another box or tossed it onto a pile.
Galen answered my unspoken question, “Only the diamonds are kept.”
There weren’t many. “So not all those black rocks are diamonds?”
“Chunks of useless lava,” he said.
He poured the diamonds into his hand and left. The next building perched on the edge of a dune and resembled three of the bamboo cottages stuck together.
In the front room, Quinn worked at a table. He concentrated on the black stone in his hand. When he finished, he glared at Galen through the shaggy hair hanging in his face. Unaffected, Galen smiled and handed the young man the diamonds he carried.
“More for you to charge,” Galen said.
Quinn remained silent, but he turned his attention on me. With a flash of recognition he leaped to his feet. “You!” He rushed me.
I stepped to the side, dodging his attack. He hit the wall and pushed off, coming at me again. Running out of room to maneuver, I blocked and punched him. The hard muscles of his torso did more damage to my fist than to him. He wrapped his hands around my neck and squeezed.
“You bitch! You left us here!”
No air to respond, I slammed my arms down on the crook of his. Nothing. My vision turned to snow. I could be nasty and dig my thumbs into his eyes or strike his neck with a knife-hand, but I didn’t want to hurt him.
“Opal, use your magic,” Galen said. His voice sounded faraway.
No. Darkness claimed the edges of my world. Then with a jerk, the pressure on my neck released. Air burned in my throat. The pain didn’t stop me from sucking in huge lung-filling gulps.
When I regained my senses, I looked up. Galen held the adolescent in a headlock.
“Another person to add to your fan club, Opal,” Galen said in amusement. He released Quinn, but kept a wary eye on him. “You two should try and get along. After all, you’ll be working together.”
Quinn glowered at me as he tugged his shirt down and swept his black hair from his face.
“Working how?” My voice squeaked. Quinn was seventeen years old at most.
“There’s an interesting little twist to those super messengers. If I or any other magician charges the black diamond with magic, the damn thing cracks after the magic is used.”
“Like the clear diamonds?”
“Exactly. But if Quinn here charges the blacks, they work fine and he can recharge them again and again.”
“Did you enhance his powers with blood, too?”
“No. Quinn’s a Bloodrose. He does it for his clan.”
By the young man’s disgust, I knew Galen’s explanation was far from accurate.
“And my job?” I asked.
“Until you’re mine, you can encase the black diamonds in glass and teach Quinn how to do it,” Galen said.
He opened the door to the back room. The floor was concrete instead of sand and the walls were covered with stones. A kiln and a variety of glassmaking equipment littered the room, which even had a chimney. Barrels of lime and soda ash had been stacked in the corner.
“Everything you need is here. Get started. I’ll be back later.” Galen paused next to Quinn and whispered something to the young magician before leaving.
I waited for Quinn to attack again. But after shooting me a venom-filled glare, he returned to his table. It was the first time in half a season that Galen wasn’t with me. The hard knot in my chest eased just a bit and knowing I’d have access to a kiln gave me a tiny crumb of hope. But I’d need allies. I approached Quinn.
“Go away,” Quinn said in a low growl. He kept his gaze on the diamond in his hand. “Or I might do something you’ll regret.”
“Then I’ll just add it to my list.”
He ignored me.
“I’m sorry for leaving you here, Quinn.”
He continued to stare at the stone, but I sensed a change in the way he held his shoulders. Wearing a loose tan tunic over white pants, Quinn blended in with the
bamboo walls and fine white sand under his bare feet.
“It was a mistake. An oversight. An inexcusable laziness on our part. Pick one. I could list reasons…or rather excuses for why we walked away, but it doesn’t help you.” I drew in a breath, trying to organize my thoughts. “I will fix it. And I’m going to need your help.”
He leaned back as if lost in thought. I waited. Finally, he met my gaze. “You’re going to need a miracle.”
Progress. “They’ve been known to happen,” I said.
“Not here. Although many of our new family members think being invited here is a miracle when they first arrive. We entice them from the streets and homeless shelters with promises of food. We welcome them in, provide them with clothing and shelter. They’re happy until they learn the price of admission—working and obeying Walsh. Until they discover they can never leave.”
“One woman escaped with her children.”
“No she didn’t. They found and killed her.”
“But they didn’t find her children.”
His surprise only lasted a second. “Good for them. I hope they stay hidden.”
“Would Walsh kill the children?” Even with all his creepiness, he didn’t act the type.
“No. Just drag them back here, and force them to work magic for him.”
Like Quinn. “What does he hold over you?” I asked.
“My sisters’ lives.”
I swallowed a dry lump, and felt it land with a thud. “Tell me what’s going on.”
Anger flared. “You don’t know the havoc your little visit caused?”
“Sorry, no.”
He surged to his feet, and I moved so the table remained between us. Instead of attacking, he ran a hand through his messy hair as if to collect his thoughts. Dark smudges under his gray eyes gave him an older appearance. His muscular build must be a result of all those years swimming and diving for oysters.
Quinn pulled the chair farther out and pointed. “Sit down. This is quite a tale.”
Not wanting to upset him, I perched on the edge of the seat.
“Your glass magic fascinated Walsh,” Quinn said. “Since he knew I had an…affinity for glass, he asked me to make those glass messengers. I couldn’t. My magic sticks to the glass, but that’s it.”
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