Spy Glass

18

I STEPPED BACK, KEEPING MY HANDS IN SIGHT AS THE student advanced. He held the switchblade in front of him, signaling his unfamiliarity with the weapon. When he stabbed it toward my neck, I blocked his arm so the blade missed. Then I grabbed his wrist with both my hands while turning to the side, yanking him off balance. Now I had control of his weapon and his arm. Basic knife defense.

Finding a point on his wrist, I applied a little pressure. He yelped and the switchblade dropped to the ground. I pulled his thumb back and he went down on his knees in pain.

“Why did you attack me?” I asked him.

No answer. However, a strong bubble of magic bloomed from him, pushing me. Expecting this attack, I leaned into the power. He sent another robust swell before stopping. Impressive.

“You’re out of options, Puppy Dog. Talk to me.” I suppressed a groan. I couldn’t believe I just quoted Janco.

Silence.

I increased the tension in his hand. “Hard to finish class assignments with a broken thumb. Last time. Why?”

Pure hatred beamed from his blue eyes. His cheekbones reminded me of another regal face, which had sneered at me in disdain and contempt through most of my years at the Keep. Understanding dawned. I scooped up his weapon, then pushed Pazia Cloud Mist’s little brother away from me. He sprawled on the ground for a mere second before hopping to his feet. Ah, youth.

I stood in a fighting stance, holding the knife close to my body, while keeping my free arm extended in front. “Didn’t Captain Marrok teach you not to attack with a weapon until you learned how to fight with it? ’Cause now you’re unarmed and I’m not.”

“I don’t care,” he said. “You ruined my family.”

“How?”

He sputtered. With his face reddening, he charged me. I sidestepped and tripped him as he lunged past. He slid into a bush. Once he regained his feet, he wheeled around and rushed. I faked a dodge, tricking him to veer left where I clotheslined him. He fell onto his back. But this time I followed him down, pressing my forearm on his windpipe. Struggling, he tried to push me away. I intensified the pressure, pinching off his air.

All color drained from his face. Panic and fear replaced his anger.

When he stilled, I eased up and said, “While this is fun, I have more important things to do. So listen up, Puppy Dog. Your family is not ruined. Last time I checked, everyone was healthy, wealthy and schmoozing with the political elite. Pazia and I are both responsible for what happened to her. We worked it out and are friends.

“Obviously, you’re not happy with our arrangement. You can ambush and attack me again, except the next time I will hurt you. Or you can learn how to fight, and then challenge me to a match with a referee, witnesses…the works.” I stood and extended my hand, offering to help him up.

He rubbed his neck, staring at me. “You’d honor a challenge?”

“Yes.”

“What if I challenged you now?”

“Then my opinion of your stupidity would be supported. Otherwise, I’d agree to the match. It’s a guaranteed win for me.”

A balloon of his magic spread over me. It popped. “Do you have a null shield around you?”

“I’m not inclined to tell you, Puppy Dog.” Keeping my immunity a secret wasn’t going to last long at the Keep.

Ignoring my hand, he sprang to his feet. He straightened and puffed out his chest. “My name is Walker Vasko Cloud Mist the Second. Expect my challenge.”

“Aww… You’re cute when you’re trying to be haughty, Puppy Dog. I look forward to our match. In the meantime, don’t flash this around until you know how to use it.” I tossed him his switchblade, gave him a jaunty wave and continued toward the glass shop.

His challenge didn’t concern me too much, but I wondered if Pazia’s father, Vasko, was Finn’s client. As one of the richest men in Sitia, he had plenty of gold. As for the hate, he never gave me an indication when I had met him. He had even offered to support me with the production of my glass messengers. But the friendliness could have been an act, and he really believed I was fully responsible for his daughter’s situation.

I considered Pazia. We had become friends despite everything. And unlike Devlen and me, she retained a small bit of her magic. It had been a blow for her to go from potential master-level to basically a one-trick magician.

Adding research into the Vasko family to my to-do list, I entered the glass shop; the heat from the kiln wrapped me in warmth. I hadn’t even broken a sweat fighting Puppy Dog. Standing near the door, I scanned the room as the roar from the kilns vibrated through my boots. Kilns? Mara had added another one along with two more annealing ovens. I toured the shop, searching for more additions. She had designed a water system and installed a drying rack to evaporate the water inside of the blowpipes.

Students worked at gaffer benches, turning molten glass slugs into a variety of items. A few acknowledged me, but the others concentrated on their tasks. One of the new first-year students dipped a long thin rod—a pontil iron—into the kiln’s cauldron. Squinting into the bright orange light, she rushed the gather, dripping hot glass onto the lip of the cauldron and down onto the floor. The long strings hardened and broke, making a mess. Plus the lip was now sticky. Mara would be upset by the sloppy effort.

I helped the newbie clean up and demonstrated the proper way to gather. “You need to dip into the liquid glass, like this.” I opened the kiln’s door a crack, sliding the iron over the lip. Raising my end up, I pushed the tip into the mixture and spun the rod with my fingers as if wrapping thread around a spool. “Then you push forward and pull up, but keep the rod spinning. See how it sticks like taffy?” I drew the slug from the hot kiln and closed the door with my hip. The molten glass flickered with an orange heartbeat.

I kept the iron parallel with the floor, spinning it. “Big angles mean big trouble. See what happens when I hold the end up? The glass coats the iron and there is nothing hanging off the end to work with. And when I tip it down…” Glass bulged, and would have dropped to the floor if I kept that angle. “Even if you do keep it level, if you don’t keep spinning the rod…” I stopped and the glass dripped.

Scraping glass off the floor, I dumped the bits into the cullet barrel to be remelted, and stuck the glass-covered end of the iron into a bucket of water. I grabbed a clean rod and handed it to the girl. “Your turn.”

She rushed through it again. Hard not to, with the twenty-three-hundred-degree heat and searing light pouring from the kiln. I admired her determination as she kept trying. And I celebrated with her when she gathered a perfect round slug.

“Now what?” she asked. Her young face peered at me with excitement.

A brief memory of my first gather flashed through my mind, bringing back the pride and feelings of accomplishment. Feelings I needed to acknowledge more often in my own life. Despite the result, getting into and out of Wirral was a heck of a feat.

“To the colored glass powder!” I shouted. “Everyone’s first project is always a paperweight.”

I helped her shape her molten blob into a multicolored—and a bit lumpy—paperweight, instructing her how to break it off the rod and into the annealing oven. Glass had to cool slowly or the finished piece would crack.

A passion burned in her eyes. She had caught glass fever. “What’s next?”

“I’ll show you how to thumb a bubble.” I pulled a blowpipe from the heater and blew through the hollow pipe, making sure it wasn’t blocked. After gathering a slug, I sent a puff of air into the pipe and covered the hole with my thumb. A bubble of air grew inside the slug. I still marveled at my ability to produce the round shape. Before losing my magic, I would blow through the pipe, but, instead of air, magic would be trapped inside the glass. The interior would glow, but the glass wouldn’t expand at all.

“You can puff and blow to start one, but thumbing is easier,” I said. “And once you have a starter bubble, it’s not hard to expand it.” Working with the glass, I created a dolphin.

“How do you make a vase?”

“You need to transfer the piece to another rod. It’s more complicated and you’re not ready yet.”

“How do I get ready?”

Oh yes, she had the fever. “Practice, practice and more practice. Make sure you keep your first efforts. You’ll be amazed how much you improve in only half a season.”

“Then you’ll show me the next step?”

I hedged. “If I’m around.”

“Great! Thanks for your help.” She extended her hand. “I’m Keelin.”

I shook it. “Opal.” I hurried away before she could recover from her shock. The story of my adventures in Hubal had reached the Keep via the lightning-fast gossip network. According to Mara, the students had marveled over my “ultimate” sacrifice and the topic had been endlessly debated.

After a full night’s rest, I ate breakfast and joined Captain Marrok in the training yard on the east side of the Keep. Dark clouds covered the sky, threatening rain. Marrok had a difficult time beating me during our match, but he still claimed my skills had lost their edge. He assigned Sarn as my sparring partner for the rest of the gray morning.

I was glad to see a familiar face, but Sarn could wrestle a couple of bulls and win. He was in his fourth year of study and his magic could move objects and people.

“Hiya, Opal!” He beamed. “I missed you.”

“Tired of picking on first-years already?” I teased.

“Yeah. They’re no fun. Not a single one of them can break my hold.” He shrugged his massive shoulders. Muscles wrapped around his thick arms and legs. Despite all his bulk, he was flexible.

But not fast. I could outrun him if I escaped. Big if. “Can anyone in the Keep break your hold?”

“Only one.”

“Just one? Who?”

Sarn’s eyes about popped out. “Did losing your magic mean you lost your memory?”

I thought back to my last bout with Sarn. “You can’t count that. It was cheating.” I had used a pressure point on him.

“Oh no, it wasn’t. It was a perfect move. How many other defenses leave no bruises or stop hurting immediately? None. It’s great for fending off drunks who pick fights, and people you don’t want to injure, but you want to warn them you could hurt them.”

Except if a person kept the pressure on the point, it was unbearable torture. With my firsthand experience, I had learned almost all the sensitive places on a body.

“I found one of the spots,” Sarn said.

Great. Yet another one of my mistakes coming back to bite me. “Have you taught it to anyone?”

“Not yet.” He peered at me in confusion. “What’s wrong with teaching it? You used it on that Cloud Mist whelp the other day.”

Interesting how I hadn’t even hesitated to use the move on Puppy Dog or the guard in the prison, and I had felt no remorse. Not like the time I had broken Sarn’s grip. Then I had been upset.

Before, pressure points and Devlen equaled evil. Now. Not so much.

“Sarn, what happens when that defensive move is learned by the wrong people?”

“I wouldn’t use it in a real fight.”

“Why not?”

“Come on, Opal. Basic self-defense. Hit and git. I’m not going to play nice with an opponent who wants to hurt me. When I hit him, my plan is to knock him down so he can’t get up and chase me when I git.”

“Using pressure points is playing nice?”

“Yep.”

“I’ll remember that when we’re sparring.”

He grinned. “I don’t intend to let you get that close.” Staying true to his promise, Sarn launched an in-and-out attack,

His speed had improved in a year. Outrunning him was no longer an option.

After the grueling workout with Sarn, I aimed my bruised body toward the bathhouse. Soaking in the warm water, I enjoyed a moment of peace. The students were attending their second morning session so the place was empty. I didn’t miss going to class at all. But I missed Kade. We had so little time together.

Six days remained in the warm season. Then Kade would be busy with the heating season’s storms. And what would I do if I traveled to the coast? Keep Kade company, search the beach for treasures with Heli and help Helen with the glass orbs?

I longed to talk to Devlen, as well. Changing into clean clothes, I headed to the market.

“Lovely Lady, can I assist you with your shopping today?” A thin boy, who looked to be ten years old but acted more like twenty, asked.

“No, thank you. But can you deliver a message to Fisk for me?” I slipped the boy a copper.

He flashed a smile. “I can, but I can’t guarantee an answer.”

“Fair enough. Please tell Fisk, Opal is in need of his special services.”

He saluted and disappeared into the Citadel market’s crowd. I marveled at the bustling stands and shops. Even though rain dripped onto shoppers, no one seemed to mind. Members of the Helper’s Guild carried armfuls of packages, haggled with stand owners, or dashed from place to place, leading confused customers to the perfect store.

The market was located in the exact center of the Citadel. Businesses and factories ringed the vast space, emanating out in concentric circles like ripples on a pond. Packed full of sellers hawking their wares, the market breathed as if alive.

The best way to navigate the various stores and craftsmen was to hire a Helper’s Guild member. They knew the honest sellers, competent workers and the good deals. Without them, a buyer could be conned out of a lot of money. Hiring them also kept the poor and homeless children fed and clothed. Fisk recruited them to work for him, giving them a place to stay and money to live on.

“Lovely Opal. So nice to see you again,” Fisk said in his new baritone. He held a clipboard in his oversize hands. “How is the boy?”

“About the same.” When I had checked on him, he hadn’t regained consciousness.

“How can I help you?”

I chose my words with care. “I need to find a person who has something of mine.”

“You’ll have to be a little more specific.” Amusement lit his brown eyes.

I explained about Finn and my blood, guessing if Finn had been hired in the Citadel, Fisk might have heard about it.

He tapped his fingers on the board. “An odd request. And I don’t normally deal with people who perform illicit deeds. However, I have a few contacts and can make some inquiries for you.”

“A few contacts?”

“Just in case. I like to be prepared for all customers. Anything else?” Fisk asked.

I couldn’t stay in the guest quarters of the Creepy Keepy much longer. With all the magic there, it suffocated me. Whichever way my future unrolled, I would probably spend at least half the year in the Citadel.

“I need a place to live. Small, private and secure enough I don’t have to worry about it when I’m away. Is that part of your services?” I asked. I had been in the western section of the Citadel where the majority of residences were located. The maze of streets, buildings and courtyards confused me, and the sheer density of them packed together overwhelmed me.

“Of course. For the right price, I can be—”

“A prince. I remember.”

We were interrupted by one of Fisk’s guild members. The young lady stood on tiptoe and leaned close to his ear, whispering to him. Fisk frowned then nodded to her. She dashed away.

His gaze turned speculative. “Opal, do you remember when those fake diamonds flooded the black market last year?”

“Yes.” I had helped find the source.

“Do you know anything about pearls?”

“I know oysters make them, and where they’re harvested.” I suppressed a shudder, recalling the emotionless Bloodrose family. They lived in isolation at the tip of Lion’s Claw Peninsula, exchanging pearls for other supplies. I wondered about the cold glass. Walsh Bloodrose, the clan’s patriarch, was a magician. Perhaps he invented it.

“Could you tell a fake from a real pearl?”

“Not anymore.” Without my magic, I couldn’t determine if those diamonds were real or fake.

“You’re still an artist. You might spot something we missed.”

“Is someone selling fake pearls on the black market?”

“We’re not sure. Pearls are harder to find than most gemstones, except diamonds. But now the market is inundated with them. Even the legitimate jewelry stores are fully stocked.”

“Have you asked Elita? She’s an expert in precious stones.” Plus, she has been very helpful since her part in the diamond incident was revealed.

“She thinks the black market ones are real, but they’re different.”

“In a good or bad way?”

“We’ve no idea. They could be from a new species of oyster and our concerns are for nothing.” He shrugged. “We’ll just have to wait and see if anything develops. In the meantime, Lovely Opal, I will make a few inquiries and find you a castle.”

I spent the remainder of the day visiting my old friend and mentor, Aydan. Working with him in his glass shop had been my lifeline while I had been a student. By the time we had caught up on news and shared a meal, it was late. My footsteps echoed in the empty streets of the Citadel as I returned to the Keep. Even more time had passed than I realized. I reached through my pants pocket, grasping the handle of my switchblade. No real reason to worry as this section of town was patrolled on a regular basis, but Valek had taught me not to trust those illusions of safety.

The night stayed quiet. A block from the Keep, a small furtive movement to my right caught my attention. I spun, pulled my weapon and froze in midyank. A little girl, too young to be out on her own at this time of night, stepped into the lantern light. She reminded me of a wild rabbit. One move and she would dash away.

I waited for her to speak. She scanned the street before she met my gaze. Her large blue eyes held fear and determination. Dirt streaked her face and her corkscrew curls hung past her shoulders in a tangled mess. She held a stuffed dog to her chest as if it were her shield. Perhaps it was. I recognized the pink bow.

“Where’s my brother?” she asked in a strong, no-nonsense tone.

I inclined my head toward the Keep. “In the infirmary.”

She suppressed her horrified gasp with amazing speed. Impressive.

“What did you do to him?” she demanded.

“Nothing. He pulled too much magic and almost died. He’s suffering from exhaustion.”

She cocked her hip and glared at me. “That’s what that helper whore said. I didn’t believe her and I don’t believe you.”

Helper whore? A thousand questions formed in my mind, but I stifled my curiosity. Instead, I challenged her. “Are you calling me a liar?”

“Yes, I am.”

Bold. I liked this girl. “Then let me prove it to you. Come with me.”

She stepped back as if I had brandished a weapon. “Why should I trust you?”

“Because you don’t have anyone else left to trust,” I guessed. “And you came to me. Why?”

“You were the only one…” She swallowed. “My brother pushed everyone out. Even me.” She glanced at the stuffed dog as a glassy sheen coated her eyes. “No one could get into the building. Except you.” Stabbing an accusatory finger at me, she asked, “What did you do to him?”

“I kept him from dying.” A light touch of power brushed my skin. She was too young to have magic, let alone be able to control it. I glanced around. No one was within sight. Perhaps it came from the Keep.

She nodded. “Now you’re telling the truth. Can I see my brother?”

“One condition.”

Instantly wary, she checked the street as if planning her escape route. “What is it?”

“You tell me your name and your brother’s name.”

“That’s two.”

I grinned. “All right, then on two conditions.”

“What do I get in return for the extra condition?” she asked.

“My name.”

My offer didn’t produce much enthusiasm from her.

“And a bowl of soup,” I added. “Do we have a deal, Miss…?” I extended my hand.

After the slightest of hesitations, she clasped it for one quick shake. “Reema.” She yanked her hand away. Her long thin fingers had felt brittle in mine. She would need more than one bowl of soup.

“And your brother?” I asked.

“Teegan.”

I led her past the Keep’s guards and to the infirmary. Healer Hayes stood outside Teegan’s room. Concern creased his face as he whispered to Irys. The words null shield filled me with an icy dread. An automatic reaction. Reema sensed my unease and slowed her pace.

A null shield would be necessary to keep Teegan alive. Waking in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar people, he could pull magic and risk flaming out again.

Irys and Hayes ceased their conversation as we neared. No surprise touched the Master Magician’s face, but Hayes stepped toward me.

“Something wrong, Opal?” he asked. “Are you ill?”

“I’m fine. I’ve brought a visitor.”

He raised his eyebrows and I realized Reema hid behind me. I moved aside.

“Ah… It’s a little late for visitors.”

“She’s Teegan’s sister.” I introduced her.

He crouched down to her level. “Your brother is gaining more strength each day. What is your clan name?”

Reema pressed next to me. “Why do you need it?”

“I can create a stronger bond between us. Teegan’s been unconscious since he arrived and I can only reach him on a subconscious level. The more I know about him the better.”

Hayes had said the wrong thing. I felt her stiffen. Before she could bolt, I laid my hand on her bony shoulder.

“Let’s visit with Teegan first, and I promised Reema some soup.” I gave Hayes a pointed look.

He straightened. “Of course. I’ll send one of my assistants to the kitchen. I’ll also have an extra bed brought in. It’s too late for Reema to go home.” He hurried away, calling to one of his helpers.

Irys had been studying the girl, and I willed the Master Magician not to scare her off. She met my gaze and nodded with approval. “Let me know if anything changes,” she said before leaving.

I pushed open Teegan’s door. The lantern by his bedside cast a weak light. White blankets covered a small lump on the bed.

Reema climbed up, put her stuffed dog down on his pillow and shook him hard. “Tee, it’s me. Wake up.”

“Easy.” I tried to pull her away, but she shrugged me off.

“Come on, Tee. Wake up.” This time, she straddled him and bounced.

I grabbed her around her skinny waist and yanked her off the bed. She fought me, but she didn’t have the muscles or the stamina to break my hold. One benefit to the ruckus, Teegan opened his eyes.

“S’okay, Ree.” He glanced at me. A wispy thread of magic grazed my face. Before I could raise an alarm, it disappeared.

“Stay with Fire Lady, Ree. S’okay.” His eyes closed.

Reema had stopped struggling. I let her go. This time, she sat on the edge of his bed and held his hand. Her stubborn pout dared me to make her move. Instead, I plopped into the chair as weariness flowed through my body.

“Is this Fire Lady a friend of yours?” I asked her.

“No.”

“A relative?”

“No. We don’t have any relatives.”

“Yes, you do. You’re part of a clan, and if you dig far enough back into history, you’re distantly related to all the members in your clan.”

“Our mother told us not to tell anyone our clan name. She said no one would know it.”

Progress. “Where is your mother? She should know about Teegan.”

“She’s buried under a red rock in the Courtyard of Souls.”

“I’m sorry—”

“Shut up. Tee and I are just fine. Once he gets better, we can take care of ourselves.”

Such confidence. With her small stature she could pass for six years old, but I guessed she was closer to eight.

“Who is this Fire Lady? I can try to contact her for you.”

Reema ignored my question. Her attention was fixed on the night table. Next to the lantern was Teegan’s teapot resting on top of his apron. Someone had washed and folded the garment. The girl stroked the fabric with her fingertips. “I thought they had been stolen.”

“I brought them here. I thought he might want them when he woke.”

She turned her gaze to me. And for the first time I saw behind her tough girl mask. It took all my strength not to wrap her in my arms. The arrival of Hayes with a tray saved me from giving in to that desire. Reema launched herself at the food, eating with a steady determination as if the soup, fruit and cheeses would be snatched away.

Hayes pulled me from the room, closing the door. “Did she give you any more information?”

I relayed the sparse details.

He sighed. “Orphans. Wonderful.” He rubbed a hand along the stubble on his cheek. Dark smudges underlined his brown eyes. “Teegan’s a powerful magician. If he can control his magic, he’ll be enrolled in the Keep’s program.” He scowled.

I guessed where his thoughts went. If Teegan can’t control his magic, he would be joining his mother in the Courtyard of Souls.

Hayes returned his distant gaze to me. “Reema however is another story. We’ll have to contact the authorities and find her a place to stay. She can sleep in his room for a couple nights, otherwise…she’s yours.”

“Mine? But I thought—”

“She trusts you, and I need you to find out as much about her brother as possible.”

“But…”

“What? Do you have something else to do?”

Yes, but I needed to be in the Keep regardless. After Hayes left to check on his other patients, I returned to Teegan’s room. Reema had devoured every bit of food. When a knock sounded, she startled. I opened the door, stepping back so Hayes’s assistant could wheel in another bed. The sheets smelled of soap—a contrast to the rancid odor emanating from the little girl who eyed the assistant with distrust.

My charge. At least for the next few days. First order of business would be a bath. But when I made the suggestion, she refused.

“I need to go home,” she said.

“It’s too late to be out by yourself,” I tried. Reema scoffed.

“That abandoned warehouse isn’t a home,” I said.

She bristled. “You know nothing about it.”

True. But she loved her brother. “You’re right. But I do know Teegan needs you here. He hasn’t woken for the healer, but he woke for you. Without you here, he might not get better.”

A snort of derision. “You’re bluffing. All you grown-ups are the same. You think I’m some dumb kid. That I would stay here and be easy prey for the Citadel’s guards to pick up.” She hopped off the bed.

“At least let me contact this Fire Lady. Teegan told you to stay with her, remember?”

Reema snagged her lower lip with her teeth for a second before crossing her arms. “He’s sick. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

It had been easier to stop a flameout than convince this girl. This whole situation felt familiar. I searched my memory and it didn’t take long. Some recollections never fade with time. Although I might not think about my sister Tula every day, she was always in my heart.

“I’m not bluffing about Teegan,” I said. “My sister needed me with her. She wouldn’t wake for the healers or for Master Magician Jewelrose or for Yelena Zaltana, the Soulfinder. Master Jewelrose showed up in the middle of the night, took me from my home in Booruby and brought me here.” I gestured, indicating the room. “I was terrified, worried about my sister and overwhelmed. They claimed I was the key to saving her. What if I did something wrong and she died because of me?”

The memory of those dark days surged through my body and transported me back in time. I saw Tula, not Teegan, lying on the bed, looking small and brittle. My body ached to hold my sister again. If I had been as smart and savvy as Reema, I wouldn’t have let her murderer into the room. Wouldn’t have gone with his accomplice, trusting them to keep their word that Tula would live if I cooperated.

“What happened?” Reema asked.

Dragging myself to the present, I said to her, “I crawled into bed with my sister and stayed by her side. I helped Yelena coax her back to consciousness.” The girl didn’t need to know the sad ending to the tale. Instead I let the joy of having Tula awake and healthy shine on my face. I would always treasure those few days we had together.

“If I stay here, will you promise me one thing?” she asked.

“If I can, I will.”

She nodded. “If I’m captured by the Citadel’s guards, promise me you won’t let them sell me to the Helper’s Guild.”