Storm Glass

24

I STOPPED STRUGGLING.

“Smart choice,” the man said.

I didn’t recognize his voice, which gave me little comfort, considering my circumstances. The knife stayed against my throat, and the hand remained over my mouth. A wet dog smell emanated from him.

“I’ve got her. Go,” he ordered.

The men who held me put me down. They headed for the shelter. Leif and Ulrick slept within and I couldn’t warn them. Powerless, I counted five of them as they slipped inside. My own fear forgotten, I worried for my companions.

Although muted by the wind and rain, shouts, curses and the sounds of fighting reached me, I tensed. The knife dug deeper.

“Relax. It’ll all be over soon,” the man said.

The next few seconds moved as if we stood there for days. Five against two, but Leif had learned to fight from Valek. I cursed the storm’s wild winds. Otherwise the horses would have alerted us to the danger. And now the storm masked the noise of the attack, so the three horses huddled together without knowing the danger.

When one of the attackers signaled from the door, I knew Leif and Ulrick had lost.

“Told you. Let’s go.” He kept me with him as he guided me into the shelter.

Ulrick and Leif knelt by the hearth. Hands on their heads, various cuts bleeding on their arms and their spines stiff with anger.

Ulrick’s concern turned to relief when he saw me. “Are you all right?”

“No talking!” One of the four men guarding them hit Ulrick with the flat of his sword.

Ulrick winced with pain, but kept quiet. His helpless situation was all my fault. Leif was used to trouble, but not Ulrick. Mara’s comments replayed in my mind.

What if Ulrick died? her voice asked.

Guilt, of course, for bringing him along. Missing his smile and protective bearishness. Missing his company.

Regrets?

Wishing I hadn’t snapped at him in annoyance and had been more considerate. Wishing I had been a better guard.

Unkempt and wearing tattered clothes, the men kept their weapons pointed at Leif and Ulrick. The rain left clean streaks on the men’s dirty faces.

My captor released me, pushing me toward my friends. I stumbled.

“Take off your cloak.” He gestured with his knife. A long thin blade with my blood on its tip.

Confused and alarmed, I shrugged off the sodden garment, letting it plop to the ground.

“Search her,” the leader ordered.

The man who had signaled the all clear checked me for weapons. I recoiled at his rough touch, but he was fast. Declaring me clean, he pushed me down on my knees next to Leif. He didn’t miss anything. Everything I could use in my defense was in my cloak. If I was ever given a second chance, I wouldn’t be so stupid again.

“See what goodies you can find,” the leader said.

While two men kept guard, the others searched through our belongings. It finally dawned on me they might be robbers, and I actually began to hope they would take what they wanted and leave.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have much besides coins and weapons. Piling the goods in front of us, they puzzled over the glass orbs and spilled my glass spiders and bees on the floor. TheglasstreeleopardLeifusedtocommunicatewithothermagiciansdrewlaughsofderisionoverwhattheythoughtwasatoy.

The leader picked up one of the bees and examined it in the firelight. “What’s this?” he asked me.

“Don’t tell him,” Leif said.

I glanced at Leif. He looked worried. Too worried. He wanted the leader to think they were significant. I caught on.

“It’s gotta be important, boss. They don’t have anything else with them,” the Signal Man said.

The leader grabbed my hair, yanking me to my feet. He jabbed me with his knife’s point in the exact same spot as before. Pain blazed. “What is it?”

“Glass…decorations…worthless.” I held still.

“You want to die over a few trinkets?” He twisted the knife.

I cried out as fire ringed my throat.

“Stop,” Ulrick yelled. “Tell him.”

“Hurry up or I’m going to carve my initials deep into your smooth skin.”

“There are jewels…hidden inside.” I relaxed a bit as he pulled his knife away. Warm wetness flowed down my neck.

“The spiders?” he asked.

“Topaz,” I said.

“The bees?”

“Emeralds and onyx.”

“How do we get to them?”

“Don’t—” Leif tried, but a guard kicked him in the stomach.

The leader dragged his blade along my cheek, leaving a trail of pain.

“Break it,” I said as if he had forced it from me. I hoped this was what Leif wanted.

With greedy glints in their eyes, the leader and three of his men tried to snap the glass items in half.

“Only I can break them open,” I said.

The leader thrust them in my hand. “Do it.”

The resultant whoosh and flash distracted the men long enough for Leif and Ulrick to jump to their feet and snatch their weapons from the pile.

I broke all the glass. “Attack them,” I yelled to the three spiders and one bee that had been released, keeping the image of our ambushers in my mind.

The leader backed away as the bee flew toward him. Cries and yells sounded as chaos descended. Ulrick fought with his sword and Leif hacked with his machete. I dived for my cloak and pulled more spiders from a pocket. Breaking them open, I sent each one into the fight to add to the robbers’ confusion. A spider’s bite hurts, but doesn’t kill.

I pulled my sais, and checked where the leader had gone. Unfortunately, the Greenblade bee had stung him. His body convulsed on the floor as he died. I pushed the horrible image from my mind and engaged in the battle.

Swinging my sais, I knocked one man unconscious and trapped another’s sword long enough for Ulrick to disarm him. Within minutes the fight was over. The attackers surrendered.

Ulrick, Leif and I stood and stared at each other for a long moment.

Then Leif laughed. “Damn. For just a second, I thought you weren’t going to tell them about the spiders and had missed my hint. My heart actually ceased to beat.”

“I’m sorry for letting them through,” I said.

Leif waved the apology away. “You didn’t stand a chance. It was six against one, during a storm. I must have been tired to sleep through the rain. If I had known, I would have joined you. Here, hold this.” He handed me his machete. “Chop anyone that moves, I’ll contact the authorities.” Picking up his tree leopard, Leif stared into the glowing depths of the glass, sending out a message.

I moved closer to Ulrick. Two men had been knocked out, and three robbers huddled together and nursed the bleeding gashes and bite marks turning into red welts on their skin.

He glanced at me before returning his attention to the men. “Are you all right?”

I probed the wound on my neck with a finger. It throbbed. “I’ll live, but I wish Leif had healing powers.”

“Leif’s magic—”

“Useless in this case,” Leif said. “I could smell the foul things they’ve done, know they had no remorse for their actions, but couldn’t do a damn thing about it.” He rummaged in his saddlebags. “Ah, I do have one.” Firelight glinted off a vial of liquid. Leif dipped metal darts into the substance.

“Curare?” I asked.

“Yep. The closest town is Owl’s Hill. They’re sending guards, but it’ll be a while until they get here. I don’t want these guys following us.” He jabbed each one. “The town’s been getting reports about a gang of men robbing travelers. Called them the Storm Thieves.”

Leif checked the pulse on the leader and met my gaze. My guilt burned through my heart and I thought I should be arrested, too. He was dead because of me. The rationalization of kill or be killed was not a comfort—our situation hadn’t seemed that dire. A life gone. My first. Now I had a true regret.

“You saved lives with his death,” Leif said. “He reeks of blood. Killed many and captured women for his pleasure before leaving them to die. He was wanted for murder, a hanging offense.”

“But that is for a judge to decide. Not me.”

“And you decided he would die?”

“No, but—”

“It was my plan. Do you think I would have let you trick them into breaking open the bees, if I knew they would take what they wanted and go?”

“I—”

“Hadn’t thought of it that way? I smelled their intentions. You were part of their spoils and Ulrick and I were soon to be dead.” Leif returned to his bags and removed his water skin, a handful of leaves and a white roll. Pouring water into a pot, he crushed the leaves and sprinkled them in. “Sit,” he ordered me. “Those guys aren’t going anywhere and I want to clean your wound before it gets infected. Ulrick, heat the water.”

Stirring the fire to roaring life, Ulrick boiled the water. Leif’s ministrations caused my eyes to tear. The burning pain was worse than the knife as he rubbed an earthy-smelling goo into my cut. When Ulrick sat beside me, I clung to his hand.

“It’s deep, but the poultice should keep it clean until we reach Yelena. The mark on your cheek is just a scratch.” He wrapped a bandage around my neck.

“Why wait until we reach the Soulfinder?” Ulrick asked.

I explained about her healing abilities. “She could have saved my sister’s life, if Ferde hadn’t stolen Tula’s soul.”

“Only if she was there before Tula died,” Leif said. “Once the body dies, she won’t return the soul.”

“Why not?” he asked.

“The two people she ‘woke’ from the dead came back with different personalities. They obsessed about death and eventually killed themselves.” Leif finished tying the bandage. “Now, I’m depressed. Let’s get out of here before I start to cry.”

I checked on the horses as Leif and Ulrick gathered our supplies. The sky lightened, turning the darkness into a dreary gray fog. Rain and sleet continued to blow. Propelled by the wind, the chilly wetness soaked my cloak and reached my skin.

After a cold breakfast, we continued our journey east. As expected, the roads softened into muck that clung to the horses’ legs and filled their hooves. The storm followed us into the plains.

We stopped just past the border to clean the mud from the horses’ feet. The tall gold-brown stalks of the grass bowed under the weight of the rain. At least the ground remained firm. Spreading as far as I could see in the gloom, the plains’ terrain undulated as if it were a frozen sea. But then the scene shifted. It looked foreign. Hostile.

“We’re lost,” Ulrick said. He pulled his sword, glancing around him as if searching for attackers. “We must go back.”

I agreed. “We should leave. Now.” I peered around as my panic increased. Which way had we come? Which way was safe?

“Relax,” Leif said. “It’s just the Sandseed protection. Let me…” He drew in a breath and closed his eyes.

The landscape returned to a more benign setting. My conviction of being lost dissipated. “What did you do?”

“Introduced you to the Sandseed’s magic. Promised you would behave and not be a threat to them.”

“What happens if they think we’re a threat?” Ulrick asked.

“You don’t want to know,” Leif said.

“Bad?”

“Very bad.”

“How does the protection know you’re related?” I asked Leif.

“My blood. It can…smell it, and knows if I’m family or not.” He squinted into the rain. “We better get moving. I want to be in Fulgor by tomorrow afternoon.”

We mounted and Leif gave us a few instructions. “Follow my lead. Let your horses have control. And hold on!” He spurred Rusalka into a gallop.

Quartz and Moonlight raced after them.

Leif shouted, “Gust-of-wind.”

My world changed. The ground under Quartz’s hooves transformed into a river of sand. Streaks of color flowed by me. I no longer felt I rode on a horse, but was propelled by a wave of air. Quartz sliced through the pouring rain. Exhilaration and terror pulsed in my veins, blocking out all other thoughts. A heady sensation.

My world returned to normal when Leif stopped Rusalka. Quartz snorted and huffed as if she’d had a good run. Sweat darkened her coat. My cloak felt dry and we had outrun the storm. Sunlight painted the plains with wide swatches of yellows, golds, browns and reds.

“Do you want to stop and eat, or ride farther?” Leif asked.

“Ride.” I had no appetite. Memories of the Storm Thieves’ attack rushed into my mind. While Leif’s explanation had eased my heart-burning guilt over their leader’s death, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should have ordered the bee not to sting. I hadn’t fully realized the consequences of these glass weapons. Packing them with vague thoughts of defense, I had never considered exactly what I would use them for and what the results would be. As if I had given a child a sword and didn’t tell him what would happen if he used it. It was irresponsible and dangerous.

After we rested and watered the horses, we resumed our journey. When the horses slowed again, we stopped for the night.

I helped collect a few sticks of wood for the fire from the stunted trees and sparse bushes growing in the plains. What I found wasn’t enough to cook with, but Leif had come prepared.

“Mara gave me these.” He unpacked a handful of white scoals.

While he made dinner, I groomed the horses. We ate in near silence.

“What’s the watch schedule?” I asked Leif.

“No need for one in the plains.”

I lay down by the fire. The earth was still damp from the rain and I shivered.

“Oh, for sand’s sake,” Ulrick whispered next to me. “I know we’re taking it slow, but this is ridiculous. Come here.”

He lifted his blanket and I rolled to him, ending with my back to his chest. He covered us both and put his arm around my stomach, pulling me tight against him.

“It’s been an awful day. I need to hold you,” he said.

His warmth drove the chill from my body.

“I thought you were dead. Some protector. If it wasn’t for you, we’d all be…” He swallowed. “You did what you had to. I would have done the same.”

I agreed. “But I feel like I cheated.”

“You played by their rules. They set the standard when they attacked without warning, creeping up while we slept.”

His arm trembled and I wondered if he was angry or finally reacting to the fight.

“I landed a few blows, but couldn’t reach my sword. Then being ordered to my knees and feeling so…”

“Powerless,” I supplied.

“Yes. I didn’t like it.”

Having been in the same situation many times, I was about to commiserate. But with the morning’s events still fresh in my mind, I made a realization. “We really weren’t completely powerless. In this case, we had Leif’s intelligence, tricking them. And there is always the power to choose. Cooperate or die—not a stellar choice, but a choice nonetheless.”

“What about cooperate or someone you love dies?”

“You still have a choice.”

“But when he jabbed his knife into your throat, the choice was no longer mine.”

“Right. It was mine,” I said.

“That’s why I felt so helpless.”

“You shouldn’t. It’s my choice. You need to trust me to make the right one.” And I needed to trust myself. Recognizing the lack was one step in the right direction.

Sleep came in fits and my dreams hovered on the edge of nightmares. I dreamed about a cave of lights. The images were sharp and the air smelled of wet minerals. Dampness caressed my skin. A pleading voice scratched at my thoughts. It beckoned and begged from its hidden location. Whispered promises in exchange for freedom. Promises of power.

I woke with a cry and Ulrick’s arm around my waist.

“A nightmare?” he asked.

“Not quite.” I told him about the cave of lights.

I drifted through the rest of the night. The voice haunted my sleep and the morning sun was a relief. Leif already had a pot of water heating on the coals. “These are wonderful.”

“They’re expensive,” I grumped.

“Rough night?” he asked.

“I’ve had better.”

He poured three cups of tea. I sipped mine and savored my sour mood. I felt trapped and the feeling lasted for the rest of the day. By late afternoon, we arrived at the main road to Fulgor. By then, the insistent voice from my dreams echoed in my mind. I ignored it and focused on the world around me.

The crowded cobblestone streets of Fulgor buzzed with activity. As the capital of the Moon Clan lands, the large city hosted all the government offices and boasted the wealthiest market district. The proud citizens chose to ignore the fact no one wanted to travel all the way to the Emerald Mountains to purchase jewels from the Cloud Mist Clan. Far better to have the mine owners ship their goods to Fulgor for sale and trade.

Unfortunately, rich shoppers attracted thieves and beggars; so the city guards patrolled the streets and kept a close watch.

“Yelena and Irys are staying in Councillor Moon’s guest quarters,” Leif said, angling Rusalka through the late-day traffic. “She said there was enough room for us.”

I scanned the goods in the windows of the closing shops. Fulgor was known for its variety of clay, and, sure enough, I spotted several bowls and plates fashioned from the clay. Why anyone would want to eat from a clunky, heavy piece of pottery when they could use glass was beyond my imagination. The earthenwares competed with the glasswares at the market stands. My father always sent his sturdiest cups when selling to the Fulgor merchants.

A few pottery pieces drew my attention. I would have liked to stop and examine them, but Leif was determined to reach the Councillor’s Hall before it closed for the evening and the cooks left for their homes.

The white dome of the Hall rose above the other city buildings. All Sitian government buildings had been constructed from the white marble mined from the Moon lands. The green-veined slabs had been painstakingly chiseled from the ground and exported to the other capital cities.

When we arrived at the courtyard, our horses were taken to the stable and we were directed inside. Leif had been “communicating” with his sister through his glass messenger.

Yelena waited in the main lobby, which was a huge cavern with a black-and-white marble floor and was open all the way up to the dome ten stories above.

She rushed over and hugged Leif. “It’s been so long. I’m beginning to think you’re avoiding me,” she said.

He smirked. “Then you’d be thinking right. Every time I visit, you get me into trouble.”

“You have it all wrong. Again. Every time you visit me, you bring trouble.”

Yelena winked at me. I introduced her to Ulrick. He stuttered through his greeting, seeming to be awed by her. I didn’t blame him. Not only were her Soulfinding abilities legendary, but she radiated warmth and intelligence. And with those stunning green eyes and long black hair, she never lacked for admirers.

Of course, they wouldn’t dream of competing for her attentions. Valek, a master swordsman, assassin and leader of the intelligence network for Ixia was her soul mate. Sitia’s number one enemy. Despite her connection to Valek, she had become Ixia’s and Sitia’s liaison.

I glanced around the Hall’s lobby, searching for Valek.

Yelena laughed. “He’s not here, Opal. If the Councillor heard even a whiff of a rumor about him, she’d have heart failure.” She grew serious. “I’m glad you’re here. We’ve had some…interesting developments.”

Leif groaned. “That’s Yelena-speak for life-threatening danger.”

She shot him an annoyed look. I would have wilted under her stare, but Leif was nonplussed.

“Come up to my office. Irys and Kade are waiting for us.” Yelena led the way to a sweeping staircase.

An elaborate chandelier hung above the first landing. I marveled at its intricate construction and brilliance.

“That’s one of Gressa’s pieces,” Ulrick said in a neutral tone. Gressa was his talented younger sister. “She has a glass shop in Fulgor. She and Mother never worked well together. Gressa left as soon as she turned eighteen.”

“Do you want to visit her while we’re here?” I asked.

“I guess, if we have time.”

We climbed three stories before walking down a long corridor. I marveled at the sculptures and paintings decorating the hallways. The Moon Councillor’s Hall made Booruby’s look dumpy in comparison.

Yelena escorted us to an impressive office with a reception room. Dark crimson couches and brown leather armchairs contrasted in a pleasing way against the white marble walls. Thick red-and-gold carpets covered the floor.

“Good thing I was traveling with Master Jewelrose,” Yelena said. “Otherwise, they would have stuck me in the basement, using a barrel for a seat and an old packing crate as a desk.”

Third Magician pished at Yelena. “She exaggerates.”

Kade lounged in one of the armchairs. His dusty boots matched his disheveled appearance. One elbow was propped and he rested his head in his hand. He said nothing. Master Jewelrose waved at us to sit down and sent Yelena for tea.

Ulrick coughed. He was the only one bothered by sending a Soulfinder for refreshments. Leif plopped on the couch, kicked off his muddy boots and put his feet on the table.

“We’ve come to a standstill,” Master Jewelrose said. “Councillor Moon’s sister is organizing a coup, but the Councillor refuses to believe us. She insists the Commander of Ixia has sent Valek here to assassinate her.” She leaned back in her chair. A few black strands of hair had escaped her tight bun. Dark smudges stood out under her emerald-colored eyes.

“Why is she convinced Ambrose is out to get her?” Leif asked.

“Ambrose?” Yelena raised a slender eyebrow. She carried a tray of tea and fruit. “You’re on a first name basis with the Commander now?”

“I usually call him Amby, but not in mixed company. Hey!” Leif caught the apple his sister threw at him.

They looked chastised after Master Jewelrose gave them a stern stare. Yelena retrieved a black statue from a desk in the corner. She handed it to me.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“You tell me.”

Carved into the shape of a dagger, the smooth statue glinted. “It’s not stone. Probably a type of high-quality glass. Just like those fake diamonds.” I turned the piece in my hands.

“What’s the significance?” Leif asked.

“It was found on Councillor Moon’s pillow. Her advisers warned it was a calling card from Valek, and she had been targeted for assassination,” Yelena said.

Before the Commander’s takeover of Ixia, Valek had assassinated the entire royal family. To make the job more interesting and challenging, he would leave one of his carvings on his victim’s bed to warn them.

“Valek doesn’t leave warnings anymore and, truthfully, if the Commander wrote an order for Councillor Moon’s assassination, she would be dead by now.”

Ulrick gaped at Yelena’s matter-of-fact tone.

“There has to be another reason the Councillor thinks the Commander is after her.” Leif reached for the dagger.

“The Councillor recently sent a team of specialists to search the Moon lands for diamond deposits. She believes the Commander wants to stop her before she finds any,” Yelena explained.

“Meanwhile, dear old sis is amassing arms and soldiers by selling fake diamonds?” Leif guessed.

“Right, but we had no proof. Until now.” She smiled at me. “Opal and Kade found the link between the sister and the fakes. Chun. Kade followed him straight to the mine.”

“It’s in a cave,” Kade said.

“What about the real diamonds? Any ideas on those?” Leif asked.

“Nothing substantial. Although…” I wondered if I should say more.

“Although?” Yelena prompted

“When I held the real diamonds, a vision entered my mind. It was cold with white all around.”

“Like a marble quarry?” Master Jewelrose asked.

“Perhaps.” I had assumed the white was snow, but it could be marble.

“So we still haven’t connected the real diamonds with the sister,” Yelena said.

“Does it matter?” Leif asked.

“Not for this case, but I would like to know where they’re coming from. Perhaps if Opal accompanies me and Kade to the cave, she can sense where the real diamonds are.”

Happy tones emanated from the dream voice in my mind. It had been quiet all day as if growing roots deep into my soul. An uneasy feeling rolled along my spine, and dread pulsed. Something waited for me in the cave.