Storm Glass

28

“HOW…WHAT…WHY…” I stared at Ulrick—Devlen. His eye color returned to the vibrant green of Ulrick’s. He looked the same. I touched his arm—the one not holding the sword. It felt the same. He even smelled the same.

Laughing at my confusion, he said, “Blood magic with a twist.”

“But you don’t have any tattoos.” The Daviian Warpers had gained their power by using blood magic and the Kirakawa ritual. By injecting the blood of their victims into their skin, they increased their magical power. As a Warper ascended through the levels of the ritual, he would be able to trap the victim’s soul and inject it into himself. At that point, he would have enough power to equal a Master Magician.

However, Yelena stopped the Warpers, pulling the trapped souls from them and reducing their powers. The Warpers who knew the final steps of the Kirakawa ritual were imprisoned in glass to keep them from communicating with anyone else.

“But all the Warpers were caught and executed by the Council.” My mind still couldn’t accept his claims.

“Not all the Warpers died. I hid and waited, biding my time. I learned how to use blood magic. Learned it so well, I was able to exchange my blood with another and switch souls.” Devlen pointed to his…Ulrick’s body. “For such a complete exchange there is no magic to detect. I can live in the Keep. And as long as I avoid the Soulfinder, I don’t need to worry.”

I had to close my eyes to understand. Devlen’s soul was in Ulrick’s body and vice versa. “Where is Ulrick?”

“He is a…guest of mine. Safe and sound. For now.”

I opened my eyes. For now! Fury replaced numbed shock and I reached for his neck, intent on strangling him. But he grabbed my wrists and yanked me close.

“Now, now. You weren’t this feisty before.”

Before? I had fought him with my sais in the alley, and protected Zitora from him during the ambush with Sir.

He peered at me. “Maybe this will remind you.” He adjusted his grip on my right wrist, and pressed his finger into the soft part of my forearm.

Unbearable pain shot up my arm and into my head. He released me and the agony ceased.

I staggered, panting in panic. This would be a good time to faint. To hide in the black comfort of unconsciousness. To not have to deal with or think about any of this. But he was an expert on bringing me to the edge of oblivion then yanking me back. Knew exactly how much I could take, what I would do to make him stop.

“Remember me now?”

The man who had come to the tent when Alea had captured me. The one who guaranteed I would obey Alea and jab Yelena with the Curare. He had worn a mask and dark glasses then, and now he wore Ulrick’s face, but there was no denying his touch.

My sais rested beside the bed. Too far.

I dived for his sword. I wanted to kill him or myself. At this point it didn’t matter. My hand closed on the handle, but he was quick. His hands around my neck, thumbs digging into my collarbone. My muscles turned to liquid. The sword clattered to the floor. The world faded and this time he let me slide into the blackness.

I woke, but resisted opening my eyes. The dreams of snow and ice preferable to the reality on the other side of my eyelids. If I kept my thoughts rooted in my dreamworld, could I ignore my situation? Only for a while.

The physical world intruded with muscle cramps along my arms and legs. Aches radiated up my back and soreness pulsed from where my body rested on the hard surface. All from being in one position for too long.

I cracked an eye open, peeking out. A wall built from wood loomed inches from my nose. Growing braver, I scanned my surroundings. I lay on my right side on the floor of an empty room. It was about four feet wide by six feet long. One closed door. Four metal clasps attached to the wall—two high and two low.

Staring at the clasps, I tried not to imagine what they were for, but as I moved to relieve the cramps in my arms, an unwelcome image came to mind. My wrists were hooked together behind my back, but my legs were free. The metal cuffs around my ankles sported bright silver clips which would be easy to attach to the clasps on the wall.

Don’t panic. Don’t panic. I repeated the phrase, but my heart had its own agenda, slamming in my chest as if I ran for my life. I struggled into a sitting position and tried to organize my thoughts, examine the situation.

I should check the door. It might be unlocked, but I might make noise. I didn’t want him to know I was awake. Not yet. I needed time to sort things out.

Pushing through the confusion and my fear on learning about Ulrick’s capture, I concentrated on Devlen’s words. He needed my help, called me his glass finder and mentioned his mentor. A Warper in hiding, he wanted to complete the Kirakawa ritual and the only people who knew the final steps were imprisoned in my glass.

Since I confided everything to him, he knew the glass called to me. I wondered when Devlen switched souls with Ulrick. Had there been a change in Ulrick’s behavior? I thought back. It was so obvious I felt a fool for not questioning his actions. Devlen must have captured him the night he had confronted his sister, Gressa. Ulrick had been alone. And since he had been my constant companion, Devlen had targeted him. I hadn’t even warned Ulrick about Devlen because I didn’t want to hear another lecture about being careful.

Horror and guilt swelled, but I squashed the emotions. Devlen would have found another person to switch souls with. Besides, it had happened, there was nothing I could do to change the past.

Right now I needed to focus on the present. I had two goals. Rescue Kade and Ulrick without helping Devlen. The thought of going against Devlen turned my resolve to mush. And how could I help anyone when I was so easily fooled? His voice had sounded different, he had been bolder, and he’d refused to work with glass. All glaring signs, and I had rationalized each one away.

My emotions once again threatened to overwhelm me. I needed an image to hold to help me concentrate. I needed glass. So I imagined my heart encased in glass. Strong, unbreakable glass to lock away the doubts, worries, fears and to protect myself from further damage. The image helped cool my molten emotions and hardened my determination.

I staggered to my feet and tried the door. Locked.

Of course, my resolve threatened to crack as soon as the lock snapped and the door swung open. Glass heart, glass heart, I repeated to myself. It still jolted me to see a calculating coldness in Ulrick’s eyes. The lips that had smiled at me and kissed me…No—glass heart. Devlen, not Ulrick stood in front of me.

“Figured it out yet?”

“Some. You want me to find your mentor’s prison and release him so you can finish the Kirakawa ritual.”

“You’re smarter than you were five years ago.”

“I’ve learned a lot.”

“So have I.” He stepped into the room.

Instinct made me move back. Glass heart, I thought. I peered past his shoulder and into a living room. “Where are we?”

“In a cabin deep in the woods. No one around for miles so you can scream all you want.” His flat tone lacked emotion.

My hands hit the wall, but I didn’t remember moving away. “Krystal lands?”

Devlen placed his hands on my shoulders. I cringed, but stayed still.

“Now you know what I want. The question remains. Are you going to help me?”

I kneed him in the groin. He hunched forward and I rammed my knee into his nose. But as he fell, he kept hold of me. His hands slid to my waist and he pressed his thumbs into my hip bones.

The pain sucked my breath from my lungs and everything from the waist down numbed. Seconds, minutes, years passed before he relaxed his grip. He had regained his breath. Blood dripped from his nose.

“I take that as a no.” Devlen reached for my collarbone.

My situation hadn’t improved. Not surprising, but I could hope. When I woke for the second time in my room, I was attached to the wall. Once I managed to get my weight on my feet—rather difficult with ankles hooked to the wall clasps, I glanced up. My wrists sported the same metal cuffs. I tugged both arms and legs to no avail. The clasps had been securely fastened to the wood.

I was completely vulnerable. Memories from being in this same spread-eagle position boiled up from the depths. Then I had been staked to the ground. The number and location of all the pain spots on my body scrolled through my mind. What had he called them…? Pressure points. He had also used metal C-shaped clamps wide enough to fit over various parts of my body, leaving them there so his hands wouldn’t tire.

Panic simmered. I wanted him to stop even before he started. But I couldn’t agree to help him. Or could I? He knew my dreams led to the glass prisons. I’ve been dreaming about snow and ice. Kaya said Kade was in northern Ixia. If I told Devlen the prison was near Icefaren Station, we would go there. He would have to figure out how to cross the border and travel through Ixia without being caught. During that time, I might get an opportunity to escape, or send a message to Zitora or anyone at this point. If not, when we reached northern Ixia, I could trick Devlen into searching for Kade instead of the prison.

A nasty little worry that Kade might already be dead tried to speak up. I slapped it down and continued plotting. Once I found and freed Kade, we could search for Ulrick.

There were so many ifs and unknowns, but I didn’t have any other options and now I had a plan to focus on. I rolled my shoulders, easing the pain. The worst part would be convincing Devlen I had given in. He would be suspicious if I agreed too soon. I had to endure his torture longer than before. But this time, I had a goal in mind. I had a measure of control. A tiny one, but it was enough.

When the door swung wide, I centered my thoughts on my goals. He held two clamps. Save Kade. Save Ulrick. The words echoed in my mind.

“Will you help me?” he asked.

Save Kade. “No.” Save Ulrick.

His mouth pressed into a grim line as if the prospect of torturing me was unappealing. “I need to hurry things along this time.” He waved both clamps in front of me. “Something new for you. Two.” He ran his hand along my right leg. “Let’s see, where was that spot you particularly hated.”

My leg jerked when his finger found the location on my upper thigh. He positioned the clamp and twisted the screw. Every muscle in my body spasmed, but there was no preparing for the waves of burning pain that would not stop. I writhed and bucked, but no position eased the torment.

Distantly, he mentioned the second, and as he pushed against me with his body an additional center of stabbing pain exploded from my left shoulder. My stomach heaved, trying to expel the agony. Too much, I couldn’t draw breath and I hovered at the edge of passing out.

“Oops.” He fiddled with one of the clamps.

I sucked in great gasps of air, quite conscious. He left. Save Kade, I thought as each wave of agony slammed through my body. Save Ulrick. Save Kade. But eventually the words just buzzed in a haze of unrelenting pain. I rocked and moaned, wishing for it to stop.

When it did stop, I sagged in my restraints. Joy was in the relief. And gratitude.

Devlen nodded. “Two gets the job done faster. Before you lasted three days.” He frowned. “I wasn’t planning to do this. If you had kept taking Leif’s potion, I’d still be trying to romance the location from you.”

I shoved the romance comment into my glass heart and focused on the details. “Leif’s potion?”

“It wasn’t Leif’s. It was more blood magic. I mixed my mentor’s blood with a sleeping potion to help your dreams become more specific as to where his prison is located. It was working until you switched potions. Then I had to go to Plan B.”

Did I even want to know? Better to keep him talking than the alternative. “Plan B?”

“Lure you away from the Keep and…” He waved a hand at me.

“So the diamond merchant they stopped at the border?”

“I made it up.”

“But Zitora—”

“Believes you’re going to help that Stormdancer with his sand search. Why do you think I arranged everything? And wouldn’t let you mention business at the dance?”

“Because I’m an idiot.”

“No. You’re not an idiot at all. I’ve been watching you since we had the fight in Thunder Valley, waiting for you to trust someone other than Master Cowan and that Stormdancer. Both too powerful for me to trick. Ulrick, however, was easy to convince. He wanted magical power more than he wanted you. I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. He has taken the first step to becoming a Warper.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Or is it you don’t want to believe me? How much did you care for Ulrick before I came along?” He stroked my face.

Jerking back from his touch, I banged my head.

“Ulrick’s thoughts and emotions were easy to read. Frustrated, disappointed, craving more from you, but feeling he received more warmth from a glass statue. His memories showed me everything. A couple of kisses, was it? All you gave him before cooling in his arms. Not nearly enough from you for him to refuse my offer.” He leaned into me. “You certainly gave me much more than a kiss.”

I tried to bite him, but he stayed just out of reach. He lied about Ulrick. I held on to that thought, because to think he told the truth would make me sick.

“I wouldn’t have given you anything, if I’d known it was you,” I said.

“If it makes you feel better, you can lie to yourself, but we both know the truth. Ulrick would have waited for you like a dog ordered to stay. I’m the one who showed initiative. Such a shame you had to be so stubborn about that Stormdancer. I was enjoying myself, playing the boyfriend.” He leered.

I stifled my desire to scream at him, preferring to keep him talking. “How did you get to Ulrick?”

“I trailed him back to his sister’s factory and listened to their little family squabble. She was proud her work passed for diamonds and supports Councillor Moon’s sister. He tried to convince her to switch sides and join Master Jewelrose and Yelena. She hit him on the head with a glass plate and ran.” Devlen stared into the past. “He was dazed and I led him to a small inn just outside of town, pretending to take him to a healer.” He rubbed a spot on his temple. “I did heal the gash on his forehead. Then I showed him what he could do with blood magic. He was hooked.”

I shook my head. “I still don’t believe you.”

He shrugged. “You asked.” His mouth twisted as if he tasted something bad. “Are you going to help me find my mentor? I would like to put all this unpleasantness behind us.”

“No.” It was easy to say. My muscles pulsed with a desire to pound him into a bloody pulp.

He nodded, not surprised by my answer, and positioned the clamps in two new spots, twisting them tight. I lost track of time, of my sanity and my reasons for living.

After the third session, I didn’t need to pretend to give in. At that point I would have done anything. I clung to the fact that it wasn’t a complete submission, because I had planned to tell him all along.

“Icefaren Station.” The words puffed out between my cracked and bleeding lips. My raw throat burned and I longed for a drink. “In Ixia on the ice sheet, but I don’t know where.”

“How interesting. I know where it is. Before the Commander’s takeover, Ixia was divided into provinces. Icefaren province was renamed Military District 1.” His forehead creased as he considered. “I knew we’d have to go into Ixia eventually. Good thing I have a few contacts in the area. Hang out here for a while, I need to fetch some supplies.” He shut and locked the door.

Too exhausted to care, I leaned against the wall. Anything was better than that pain. Anything.

I even fell asleep. Cold air whipped through my clothes, freezing the sweat on my skin. Kade was trapped in a block of ice and I couldn’t get to him. My legs refused to move. I drowned in a snowdrift.

The door banged open, waking me.

Devlen threw a bundle onto the floor and set down a bucket of water and soap. “Clean up and change your clothes.” He unhooked my wrists from the wall. “No trouble. You will do exactly what I tell you. Any deviations and you’ll be punished. I’m bringing a gag and my clamps. Understand?”

I nodded.

“I’m leaving your cuffs on. They fit together. See?” He demonstrated, securing and freeing my wrists.

When he left, I removed my soiled and stained clothes. There was no dignity with pain. I tossed the ruined garments. They landed with a muted clunk.

A bubble of hope pushed up my throat as I dug through my clothes. I had learned my lesson with the robbers and hid weapons on my person. Ulrick…Devlen knew about it and probably searched me. But I found a little nugget of glass inside my pants. Even though it was a spider, it was the most precious item. I didn’t know how I would use it or when. What mattered was I had it.

I washed the grime from my body and dressed in the clean clothes. The black pants sagged around my waist. I used the sash to tighten them, hiding my spider in the folds of the material. Down the long sleeves of the white tunic was a column of black diamond shapes connected end to end. A row of three black diamonds decorated the breast pocket. I wore an Ixian uniform.

The door was unlocked. I joined Devlen in the other room. He stood with my saddlebags and my sais at his feet. Wearing another black and white Ixian uniform, he examined the empty orb.

“Planning to steal magic?” he asked.

“Yes. Give it to me.” I held out a hand.

“Okay. Catch.” He flung the empty sphere across the room.

It shattered against the wall. The sound from the impact cut through me.

“Now, what should I do with this one?” Devlen removed Kade’s orb. Iridescent colors swirled in agitation under his touch.

“Smash it,” I said. The storm’s trapped energy would kill us both.

“Nice try, but I’m not stupid.” He packed it into a large backpack. Another pack rested on the floor next to it. “I’ll sell it. I know a group of Krystal Clan members who are looking for full orbs.”

“Sir’s gang?” When he nodded, I asked, “Why were you with them? What’s their goal?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care. I was just the hired help. They needed a swordsman for a job and I needed money. Hiding out from the Sitian authorities is expensive. If I had known our target was a Master Magician, I wouldn’t have taken the job, but it led me to you so it worked out nicely. Don’t you think?”

“No. I would rather you were still locked up in the Thunder Valley jail.”

“Watch it. Your attitude is not helpful. Do you need a reminder in how to be helpful?”

“No.”

“Good. I think we’ll leave the rest of your stuff here.” He closed my bags and pushed them along with my sais into a corner of the room. “Don’t want any of your little creatures to get in my way.”

Devlen handed me the smaller backpack, a cloak and a sheet of parchment. Three white diamonds decorated the black cloak.

“Just in case you’re seen and approached by the Ixians. You’ll tell them you’re a kitchen attendant returning home from visiting relatives in MD-7. You live in MD-1, General Kitvivan is the general in charge and the uniform colors for MD-1 are black and white. If you’re asked for papers, you are to give them that sheet without question.”

Permission to visit MD-7 was printed on the parchment. My first name was written in the bearer’s space. At least I didn’t have to remember a fake name.

“Don’t lose that paper. It cost a small fortune. Also don’t try to alert any Ixians about your situation. I will confess, telling them you’re a magician. And you know what they do to magicians in Ixia.”

Killed on sight. Depending on my circumstances, I might give myself up. Better than the alternative. I shuddered and Devlen seemed satisfied with my reaction.

“Horses?” I asked, wondering if Quartz was nearby.

“I stabled them. Only high-ranking officers travel with horses in Ixia. We’ll go on foot.”

“How do you plan to cross the border?”

“The Daviians set up a number of smuggling routes. Valek and the Ixian border patrol have discovered a few, but there is always a way through.” Strapping his sword around his waist, he shouldered a short cape and the large backpack. “Come on. We’re wasting time.”

I glanced at my sais four feet away. Could I reach them before he grabbed me? Devlen noticed my hesitation and hooked his arm in mine.

“Helpful, remember.” He dug his fingers into my wrist.

Spikes of pain shot up to my elbow. He kept the pressure until we were well away from the cabin. With his hand still around my arm, we walked through the woods, heading north.

Doubts about my tenuous plan nagged at me. My best chance to escape would be while in Sitia. One little spider wouldn’t save me. What if Kade was already dead? Muted by Devlen’s backpack, Kaya’s orb hummed an urgent tone. I guessed if Kade died, the tune would change.

Each step closer to Ixia brought more worries to my mind. By the evening, I had convinced myself it would be best to escape and return to the Keep to recruit help for Kade. Interesting how the memory of pain fades with time.

Unfortunately, he gave me no opportunity. As soon as we stopped, he hooked my wrists behind a tree trunk while he set up camp in a tight clearing. He released me only to eat then forced me to take a swig of his blood potion before securing me again. Knowing the ingredients made me gag, I slept sitting down, leaning my head against the trunk.

Cold nightmares invaded my dreams.

The next day we met up with a caravan of merchants with five wagons. One wagon was filled with sand, another with lime, but I couldn’t see what was beneath the canvas tarps of the other three. They had been expecting us.

One of the merchants, a heavyset man with thick eyebrows, approached Devlen. “Is this the cargo?”

“Yes.”

The merchant eyed the cuffs on my wrists. “An unusual request. We’re used to smuggling goods in and Ixians out. If she makes a sound—”

“She won’t.”

Hitching his pants over his ample stomach, the man chewed on his lip. “Gonna cost you extra.”

“How much?”

“Three golds, but I’ll give you a discount if me and my boys can play, too.” He gestured to the four men waiting by the horses.

Devlen turned to me. “Care to play with the gentlemen?”

Breathing became difficult as I guessed they weren’t referring to a game of tag. “No, thank you.” My voice quavered just a bit.

“How about two golds and, if she causes any trouble at any time, you can play for one night?” Devlen offered.

“Deal. Load her up.” The merchant returned to his caravan.

Devlen led me to the middle wagon. “Now you have extra incentive to behave.”

A small rectangular hole was at the bottom of the mound of white sand. There was a hinged door attached and I realized the sand covered a long box.

Devlen grabbed my arms and secured my wrists behind me.

“What—”

He shoved a hard rubber bar between my teeth and pulled the straps behind my head. “It’s too important to trust you when we cross into Ixia. I guess you could pound with your feet, but the sand should muffle it. However, our merchant friend would feel the vibrations and get his night of fun.” He stepped back. “Put her in.”

Two of the boys picked me up and shoved me feet first into the hole under the sand. A thud and a few clicks followed. It was dark, coffin-like and I puffed in alarm, convinced the sand or the gag would smother me.

My panic increased with the drumming sound of sand being poured to cover the box’s door. After a few terrifying moments, my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I rolled to my side to take my weight off my arms. Small holes had been drilled into the floor of the box, allowing light and air to seep in.

The wagon lurched forward. Through my peepholes, the ground slid past and my hope of escaping drained drop by drop with each passing mile.

Voices woke me from a light doze. The wagons had stopped and the shuffling sounds of footsteps reached me. I debated taking the risk and making noise, but the image of being given to five men for the night caused me to hesitate too long. The wagon moved. The opportunity gone. Coward.

Ixia passed under my wagon, but I didn’t see much of it. Taken out of my box only at night to eat, I caught a few glimpses of pine trees and frozen farmland. The ground was rock hard and after a few days of travel, muddy snow rolled under the wagon.

The men complained of the weather and stared at me with hungry eyes. After another three days, the air became too cold for the merchants to sleep outside at night. They stopped at a travel shelter. We sat by the fire, finishing our dinner.

“She’ll have to stay in here. The cold could kill her,” Rutz said. “You don’t want to deliver a corpse.”

After being with the men for a total of six days, I knew all their names.

Namir, their large leader said, “The Ixian patrols target the shelters, especially this far north.”

“Opal has papers,” Devlen said.

“But will she cooperate?” Namir asked.

“She has so far.”

“But she hasn’t had the chance to misbehave. With Ixian soldiers here, she could get us all arrested.” Namir frowned.

“Put the gag back on her and I’ll watch her,” Rutz offered.

“No way. She’s more likely to behave with me,” Shen said.

The other two men watched the exchange with interest. Yannis, the man who wore his woolen cap all the time, seemed tense, as if ready to fight. Something about him nagged at me as if I had seen him before. I checked his shadow, but it matched his shape. Owin’s dark brown eyes sparkled with anticipation as his gaze swept my body.

“I’ll ensure she cooperates.” Devlen laid a possessive hand on my shoulder, bringing me closer to him.

From the placement of his fingertips, I understood his warning. All he had to do was squeeze and I would be in agony.

When it was time to sleep, Devlen lay on the cot with me. I flinched away.

“Would you rather share with one of the boys?” he asked, whispering in my ear.

I relented and he pulled me close. His chest against my back and his arm around my waist.

“Just like the good old days. Perhaps?” His hand moved downward.

I grabbed it and lifted his arm off me. “No.”

He put it back around my waist. “You’re causing trouble,” he said with a gruff tone. “The boys are getting antsy.”

“Do we have to travel with them?” I asked.

He remained quiet for a moment. “It’s the safest way to get you north, but in a few days they will turn west. Unless you’ll volunteer to play—”

“No.”

“Then we’ll strike out on our own tomorrow.”

I listened as Devlen’s breathing slowed and his arm around my waist relaxed. My thoughts whirled. He could have given me to the boys—I was defenseless—but he didn’t. Why not? He was a murdering, power-hungry Warper, who enjoyed torturing people. I thought back to the room in the cabin and realized he didn’t enjoy the torture. In fact, his whole posture radiated his distaste. I hadn’t noticed before when I was writhing in pain—a hard time to be objective. The same could be said about the time I had spent in the tent. Looking back at his actions, I sensed he performed his job without emotion, and without touching me in any inappropriate place. Odd.

My thoughts turned to his comments about Ulrick. However much I resisted the notion, he had been right about my feelings toward Ulrick. I had kept my distance even when I knew Ulrick desired me.

I tried to justify my actions with Devlen. But in my heart, I couldn’t say for sure if I would have stuck to my decision the previous night and made love to the real Ulrick. I had to acknowledge the fact that it was Devlen I had been drawn to—not Ulrick. I hoped Ulrick was really safe from harm. And I hoped I would live through this ordeal, so I could explain everything to him, and apologize.

Various plans to escape, to fight and to trick formed in my mind, but all of them led nowhere because I didn’t have enough information. I would have to wait and see what developed, but the tightness around my chest eased a bit. At least I had a few reactions planned, so if a particular situation arose, I wouldn’t hesitate.

Eventually I drifted into sleep. Snow-filled dreams swirled. I didn’t need the potion as we drew closer to the ice sheet. Details of Icefaren Station sharpened and I could see the scratches on the rocky sides of the pit. A snow cat crouched at the edge, its white coat invisible against the snow. The predator moved away. Its sleek muscles capable of incredible power and speed. Snow cats were almost impossible to hunt. All their senses were heightened to such a degree a hunter couldn’t even get within bow-and-arrow range. The Commander of Ixia was the only known person to kill one.

My dream followed the creature. About four feet long and three feet high, the snow cat circled the buildings of the station before heading west. The landscape seemed vast and flat until I viewed it through the snow cat’s eyes. Then ridges of ice and mounds of snow were visible. And a den, filled with six other cats. The heat from their bodies welcoming. Farther inside the white walls turned to gray. A small cave with a pool of water. The cat stopped to drink. At the bottom of the pool rested one of my glass animals, pulsing with a muddy red light. Gede’s prison. The Story Weaver turned Warper. Devlen’s teacher.

I jerked awake.

“What did you see?” Devlen asked. His splayed hand rested on my stomach. Fingertips near pain spots.

“A pit. Buildings.” I could tell him where the prison was. Seven snow cats, more than adequate guards.

“The glass prison?”

“Near the pit. That’s why it called to me. If they dig any wider, they will find it.”

“Who is there?”

“Nobody now, but something is being mined from the pit. Probably during the warmer seasons.” The truth.

He moved his hand away. I remembered to breathe. Weak sunlight lit the shelter. I stood and stretched my stiff muscles while Devlen stirred the fire to life. Two of Namir’s men woke, but Namir and the others came in from outside, bringing a cold blast of air with them.

“Everything’s covered with ice,” Namir said. “We’re going to need a chisel to break up the sand covering her hidey-hole. It’s gonna be hard smoothing it out.”

“Since you’re so worried about being caught with her,” Devlen said, “we’ll travel on our own a few days earlier than planned, and you can make your delivery without trouble.”

Rutz and Shen glanced at each other, then at Namir.

“Well…me and the boys been talking.” Namir hooked his thumb in his belt near a sword.

I couldn’t remember if he always wore a sword or not.

“We’re a little concerned about your girl,” Rutz said.

Owin and Yannis joined them. Knives and swords that I hadn’t noticed before hung from belts.

“And we’ve grown fond of the little girl. Don’t want to see her hurt,” Shen said. “Looks to us like she doesn’t want to be with you.”

“I assure you, gentlemen, she’s quite content with my company.” Devlen stood with his sword in hand.

“We think she would be safer with us.” Namir drew his weapon.

“Since we disagree. Let’s ask her. Opal, who would you rather be with?” Devlen kept his tone neutral.

I had a choice. Stay with the Warper or go with the men. Devlen’s pain was horrible. Rape was horrible. A choice of two horrors. As Leif would say, “Yippee for me.” But with five against one, would I really have a choice?

“Thank you for your concern. I—”

The shelter’s door banged open. An Ixian soldier entered. In a heartbeat, the weapons returned to their holders. Devlen yanked my sleeves down to cover the cuffs.

The big soldier wore black and orange—Military District 8’s colors. Three more men followed him inside. He eyed us with suspicion. “Something wrong?” he asked.

“Perhaps you know the answer, Lieutenant,” Devlen said. “I said General Rasmussen has three daughters, but my friend insists he has two. Who’s right?”

“Neither. The General has one daughter and twin boys.” The Lieutenant’s concern disappeared as Namir’s men laughed.

“My wife was right after all.” Devlen draped an arm around my shoulder.

Another soldier entered. “The wagons are clean,” he said to the Lieutenant.

“Of course they are,” Namir said, sounding offended, “special delivery for MD-1.”

“Papers, please.” The Lieutenant inspected each one with care. “Why are you traveling with these merchants?” he asked me. His eyes were a light blue and small white curls poked out from under his wool cap.

I stared at the soldier. He seemed familiar, and he presented me with a chance to cause trouble and escape from Devlen. A chance to get everyone arrested and hope they didn’t kill me right away. Should I take the chance?

“We’re not with these merchants, sir,” Devlen said. “Just sharing the shelter. My wife and I are on our way home from visiting relatives.”

“I didn’t ask you. Ma’am?”