Читать книгу Glass Collection: Storm Glass / Sea Glass / Spy Glass - Maria V. Snyder - Страница 18

A ROUND OPENING appeared in the wall. The sand woman exploded into a whirling funnel. Pulled and spun by the strong currents, she disappeared, leaving me alone.

Darkness loomed past the opening. A flash of lightning revealed wet rocks. Another flash lit a figure. He slumped against The Cliffs, head bowed. Rain and sea spray bombarded him. Kade.

The storm’s energy pulsed around him. The weight of exhaustion hung on his body. He turned toward me. A brief flicker illuminated the pain in his eyes.

The doorway moved. Dizziness blurred my vision. The air thickened as the storm’s essence filled my chamber—orb!

I stood inside an orb. Logic rejected the conjecture because it was impossible, but my gut instinct had no problems accepting it. In fact, a part of me even knew I was in one of Kade’s orbs on the beach and not in the cave.

The flow of energy slowed and eventually reversed. The sand woman had said Kade was weak and I had to help him. He couldn’t fill the orb. But I possessed no magical skills of use. If he needed a glass dolphin, I could oblige him. Otherwise he was out of luck.

A wave crashed into Kade, knocking him down. My orb bobbed and spun, water gushed in. Just when I thought the orb would be sucked out to sea, Kade grabbed the lip. He tried again to funnel the storm’s power.

He failed.

Panic and fear flared.

He would die.

Trapped inside an orb, my thoughts raced, but kept coming back to the fact that glass surrounded me. What did I do with glass? Come on, Opal. Think!

I drew in a deep breath and blew magic into the glass. Concentrating on the power in the air, I inhaled and exhaled. The orb filled with the storm’s misty extract. It pushed me up as if a life raft inflated under my feet. My emotions linked with Kade’s and his surprise matched my own.

The opening rushed toward me. A black stopper brushed my shoulder and I flew into the open air. A cascade of images spun around me. My body light and as indistinct as a fog, I floated into Kade.

“Opal?” He looked around. The sea beat at the beach, hammering against The Cliffs. The sand around his feet remained smooth; his bubble of calm restored, blocking the waves.

Picking up the last orb, he drew power and I blew my strength into him, giving him all my energy to finish the job.

“Opal … Opal … you … all right?”

The words hissed in my ears. Heli’s nose hovered inches from mine. I sighed with relief, glad to be back in the cave even if I lay on the cold floor exhausted. “What happened?”

“I’m not sure. You left to get a blanket and next time I looked you were on the ground.” She glanced at the pile of blankets. “I covered the orb. Raiden told us you can hear it. We really didn’t believe him, but, by your reaction, I’d say the orb’s cry overwhelmed you. They become really agitated during a storm. Although this monster stumbled when it hit land, and I think the danger is past.”

Her explanation made sense. Better than believing I had been sucked inside the orb, had a conversation with a sand woman and assisted Kade with his work.

When Heli helped me to stand, grains of sand rained to the floor.

“Looks like you were on the beach,” Heli said with amusement.

My legs wobbled.

Heli’s grip on my arm tightened. “Perhaps you should lie down.” She guided me over to my cot and steadied me until I sat. “Do you want a glass of water?”

I tried to say no, but my throat was raw. Swallowing, I choked on the taste of salt and sand. Heli strode over to the water pitcher. I glanced around, hoping I didn’t wake anyone.

Zitora was up on her elbow, watching me. “Care to tell me what that was all about?”

“That?”

“Don’t play the simpleton. You know what I mean.”

I knew. I liked Heli’s explanation, overcome by the orb’s song. Zitora wouldn’t be satisfied, though. “Can I tell you later?” It was an effort to talk and my eyes kept drifting shut. Besides, I needed time to figure it out.

“All right, but …”

I stopped listening and lay on my cot, falling asleep in a heartbeat.

Light stabbed through my closed eyelids. I groaned and rolled over, blocking the annoyance. Eventually the sounds of people moving and talking with happy voices burrowed into my consciousness. A dry breeze fanned me. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t go back to sleep.

I pretended to be unconscious, needing time to go over last night’s odd series of events. What would appease the Master Magician? Should I tell her I was sucked into an orb by a woman made of sand? Questions swirled in my mind. Unfortunately no answers formed from my stew of thoughts.

With reluctance, I peeked to see if anyone had noticed me. Kade slept on a cot next to mine. His tunic was stiff with dried seawater. Grains of sand clung to his chin. I reached out to smooth his hair, remembering our brief union, but jerked my hand back when he opened his eyes.

He stared at me and I knew the sand woman’s name. When he frowned, it cemented my conviction. The sand woman was Kade’s sister, Kaya. How or why, I hadn’t a clue, but it explained why she looked so familiar.

Before he could speak, Zitora walked between us. “You’re up. Good. Raiden and I would like to have a word with you and Kade.”

Kade sat and looked around. “Where’s Raiden?”

“Down on the beach, assessing damage.”

We followed the Master Magician. Raiden directed Tal and Varun as they piled driftwood onto a wooden cart hitched to Sudi. When we drew closer, Tal muttered an oath.

“Excuse me?” Kade asked.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot to genuflect,” Tal said. “The hero’s here with his glassmaking sidekick. All hail the wonder that is Kade.” He bowed with mock reverence.

“All right, Tal. I’ve had enough,” Raiden said. “You can stop with the wood. I’m sending you home. Tell Soshe to send another helper to take your place.”

“Fine by me.” Tal flung his load to the ground. “There are far better uses for my talents.” He strode away.

Raiden helped Varun finish loading. The glassmaker grabbed Sudi’s reins and led her up the path. He watched as they climbed the steep slope. “I should have Soshe send a horse, too. Usually by this point in the season, the orbs are made and we don’t need to haul supplies up to the kiln.”

“Once Sudi is rested, we should return to the Keep,” Zitora said. “But first I want an explanation about last night.” She crossed her arms, waiting.

Raiden squinted at Kade in confusion. “I thought you said everything went well. You brought back five filled orbs.”

“I found out five is too many for me,” Kade said. His gaze sought mine. “I think I had help with the last two.”

Everyone stared at me. I stammered for a moment, then told them a condensed version of my adventures inside the orb. I omitted the part about Kaya and about linking with Kade.

“An interesting development, but it makes sense,” Zitora said almost to herself. “Opal can trap magic within glass and Kade uses magic to trap the storm’s energy. The two actions are similar. Do you ever use two Stormdancers to fill one orb?”

“All the time,” Kade said. “Usually when we are training a new dancer.”

“But both Stormdancers are together with the orb. We don’t have one in the cave and the other on the beach. I don’t think any dancer in our history could claim that skill.” Raiden shrugged. “It must be a talent of Opal’s. Either way, it worked out. We finally have orbs we can use and one safe Stormdancer. Now, if only the storm season lasts a little longer than usual, we can make up for lost time.” Raiden rubbed his hands in anticipation and hurried away to make lunch.

“We can experiment more with your new skill at the Keep,” Zitora said to me. “Since the problem with the orbs is fixed, there’s no reason to stay.” She left to organize our supplies.

But I wasn’t ready to leave. I had made friends with the glassmakers. They accepted me for who I was. The thought of returning to the Magician’s Keep and to the snide gossip of my fellow students formed a cold lump in my throat. And I was reluctant to leave Kade. He was the only person, besides Yelena, I had shared power with. I wanted to connect with him again, to feel the strength of a storm and to have control over the wind. Even though the power was vicarious, I still craved it.

He watched the sea, lost in his own thoughts. I turned to go.

“Opal?”

I paused.

“Why didn’t you tell them about Kaya?”

“I thought she was a figment of my imagination.”

“I thought she had come for me,” Kade said in a quiet voice.

I moved closer to hear him.

“I was happy to go with her. Fly to the sky. I wanted …” Kade shook his head.

I knew what he desired. He wanted his sister. Missed her so much, he was willing to leave this world to be with her.

“You wouldn’t understand.”

I swallowed my reply.

After a while, he huffed with amusement. “Imagine my surprise when you flew from the orb.”

Sudden annoyance tinged with anger flared in my chest. “Of course you would be surprised.” The words erupted from my mouth of their own volition. “So wrapped up in your own problems, you can’t even see the people around you. You’re not the only person in this world to lose a sister.” I strode away.

The emotions dissipated as fast as they had arrived. I regretted my outburst. Even I had been surprised by my ability with the orbs. Although, the more I thought about it, the logic became evident. It was just my one-trick power. Nothing new, except Kade’s involvement, which was similar to when Yelena linked with me to trap those souls. I had shared her emotions, too.

Boots crunching on sand sounded behind me. A hand grabbed my elbow and spun me around. Kade.

“I’m sorry. You were right.” He searched my face for a moment.

“Go on.”

A flash of teeth. “I am being selfish, and I shouldn’t have been surprised about your help last night. I should be grateful. You saved my life.”

I dismissed the notion. “Kaya—”

“Wasn’t the one that gave me her considerable strength.”

“But she—”

“Told you I was in trouble? But you didn’t have to exhaust yourself for my sake.”

“Who wouldn’t?”

He shook his head as if he pitied my naiveté. “You’re too young—”

“Oh, for sand’s sake! I’m almost twenty. Probably only a few years younger than you.”

Kade considered as I fumed. “My mistake. I should have known the Master Magicians wouldn’t send a first-year student. Plus you solved our problem.”

“With the orbs?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t solve it. My father did.” Before he could comment, I walked away. The crux of my worry revealed. My first mission for the Masters and I had run home to my father for help, wasting precious time.

But Kade wouldn’t let me go off in a huff. He caught up to me and matched my stride as I ascended the trail toward the cave.

“You wouldn’t be mistaken for a younger woman if you had a little more self-confidence.”

I stopped and he almost bumped into me. “What do you mean?”

“Examine your actions during the last two weeks. Is there another who could have done what you did?”

“My—”

“With both the glass orbs and with the magic?”

I cast about for an answer, but as the delay grew longer, Kade became smugger.

“You win. I’m the all-powerful glass magician. Happy now?”

“No. More.” He waited.

“More?”

“Yes.”

“The savior of the Stormdancers. The founder of long-distance communication.” I clamped my mouth shut on another boast—the creator of the glass prisons—mentioning them would ruin the mood.

“Good. Now remember all those deeds the next time you’re presented with a problem. Knowing what you can do will help you feel confident enough to tackle the next storm.”

“Storm?” I asked.

“Sorry. I tend to compare everything to storms. People, life and problem solving.”

I considered his philosophy. “What happens when you feel able to deal with a gale, yet, despite your best efforts, it still wreaks havoc?”

“Clean up the pieces, rebuild and continue as best as you can.” The humor faded from his eyes. “Although a few things will be permanently destroyed.”

That was the kicker. Some things were too precious to lose, and I was sure Kade referred to his sister. My thoughts turned to Tula. Was my sister completely gone?

“You’re wrong,” I said.

“How so?”

“At first, it feels as if she has vanished forever, and all traces are destroyed. But later, when the pain of loss doesn’t overwhelm all your other feelings, every time you think of her, or hear her voice in your head, or remember a happy time together, you realize she’s still a part of you and will never be totally gone.”

“Is this from experience?” Kade held himself tight as if afraid to move.

“Unfortunately.” I told him about Tula, avoiding the horrible details of her death, but making it clear she had been taken from us.

“Then this fire burning inside me will extinguish?”

I assumed he referred to grief. “It’ll die down in time. After all, storms do fizzle.”

A brief smile touched Kade’s lips. “Now you’re using weather analogies. If you hang around here any longer, you’ll be spouting storm lingo like a dancer.”

I widened my eyes in mock horror. “Then I’d better go.”

He laughed. And I marveled at the rich sound—a rare gem, considering all his sour looks and ill humor.

“You better hurry then.” His laughter died, but his amusement remained. “Stay safe on your journey home. I won’t be there to blow away your attackers.” Kade grinned. “I must admit, knocking Blue Eyes over was the most fun I’ve had this season.”

His shoulder brushed mine when he strode past. Energy sizzled down my arm, raising all the hairs as if the air around me was charged for a lightning strike. If Kade felt it, he showed no signs. He continued up the trail, bypassing the storm cave.

I arrived at the cavern in time to see Tal swing his pack over his shoulder, almost knocking Indra over with the motion.

“I’m ecstatic you’re leaving, Tal,” Indra said. “I think you’ll be much happier harvesting indigo and mucking out stables.”

“I don’t really care what you think. You act like you’re so special. How special can you be when you needed little Opal’s help? She’s proven there’s no magic involved in your work. Anyone can make those orbs.” Tal spun on Raiden. “Deliver your own message to Soshe, old man. I no longer work for you.” Tal stomped out.

I hurried to get out of his way. He never looked back.

“Finally,” Indra said.

She settled back in her chair between her brothers and next to the fire. Lines of weariness marked the three glassmakers’ faces. Varun stared at the entrance with his lips pursed in contemplation. Raiden sat cross-legged on the floor, repairing a fishing net. The other Stormdancers were absent.

“Where are Heli and the others?” I asked Raiden.

He gestured with a threaded needle. “Out searching for treasure. Big storms deposit all types of goodies on the beach. Heli has a huge collection of beautiful seashells.” He broke the black twine with his teeth. “I would suggest you join them, but it looks like your boss is getting ready to go.”

I glanced toward the back of the cave. Zitora saddled Sudi. As I skirted the fire to go help her, Indra gestured to me.

“The new orbs worked. Are we good to go?” Indra asked.

“Yes. But you should keep watch over your ingredients until all the orbs are made. One of you should stay in the kiln’s cave at all times.”

“Surely, you don’t think one of our clan members sabotaged the lime?” Nodin asked.

“There’s no evidence to suggest it. But, then again, there’s no evidence to disprove it, either. Tal—”

“Would never jeopardize a Stormdancer’s life,” Raiden said. “He’s upset and disappointed, but I’ve known the boy since he was little. He’s all bluster.”

“He’s no longer a little boy, and all he ever wanted to be was a Stormdancer. Opal made a valid point. Who wants to take the first shift?” Indra asked her brothers.

Varun volunteered. “Stop by and say goodbye on your way home.” He left in a hurry.

I finally joined Zitora by the horse stalls. She had finished saddling Sudi. The contents of her bags littered the floor.

“We don’t have much food. We’ll stop at the market after we talk to the officials in Thunder Valley. I hope they have more information on Blue Eyes.” She organized our remaining provisions and packed them as I hurried to prepare Quartz for the journey.

The Stormdancers returned from their scavenging in time for us to say farewell. Heli gave me a shiny pink-and-white shell. The almost-flat fan shape was ridged and there was a tiny hole near the top.

“It’s a scallop’s shell. You can string in on a necklace and wear it if you want,” Heli said.

“Don’t you want to keep it for your collection?”

“It’s for you. A small token of my thanks for helping with the orbs.”

I clamped down on my desire to contradict her, remembering Kade’s words.

My legs felt as if they were full of sand as we trudged up the trail to The Flats. I tried to convince myself my reluctance to leave was due to a dread over spending the night out in the open and sleeping on the uncomfortable ground. And not due to missing the company of a certain Stormdancer.

We arrived at Thunder Valley the next afternoon. Tired and sore from a night of restless sleep, I followed Zitora into the town’s administration building. Even through my fog of fatigue, I noted the elaborate candelabra on the mantel in the lobby. The candleholder’s teardrop pattern made with red crystal was a trademark of my uncle’s. I remembered how proud and excited he had been when he was asked to make the piece. It was an honor to be chosen to decorate a government building.

Zitora led me into the security offices located in the west wing of the first floor. She warned me that since the escape of the ambushers the local guards were outright hostile to anyone with magic abilities.

We entered an open common area strewn with desks. Guards either worked at their desks or stood in groups. Our arrival caused a bit of a stir and one man approached us.

“Can I help you?” he asked Zitora.

“Yes. Is Captain Loris in his office?”

“No. He’s on patrol. I’m Lieutenant Coll. Perhaps I can help you …”

“Master Cowan.”

He jerked and stared at me. Three other guards moved closer and spread between us and the door. Everyone’s attention pressed on my skin.

“When will the Captain be back?” Zitora asked.

But the Lieutenant ignored her question. He kept his focus on me. “Is she traveling with you, Master Cowan?”

“Why do you want to know?” The firm authority in her voice caused the man to switch his attention back to her.

“I apologize, Master Cowan, but I need to know her identity.”

“Why?”

The question was weighted. I recognized the signs. If the man had any intelligence or any sensitivity to magic, he would rush to answer her question before she forced it from him with her magic.

“She matches the description of a wanted criminal.”

Zitora’s posture relaxed a bit. “She’s not a criminal. Her name is Opal Cowan. She’s an apprentice at the Magician’s Keep.”

Coll nodded to the men behind us. I thought they would return to their desks. Instead, two of them grabbed my arms.

“Hey,” I said.

“Explain, now,” Zitora ordered Lieutenant Coll.

“Opal Cowan is under arrest.”