Storm Glass

by Maria V. Snyder

  “Perfect name. He’s quick and intelligent. A Sandseed breed, I believe.” He patted the horse’s neck.

  “Don’t you want to know why?”

  “I’m afraid of the answer.” His flippant response lacked conviction.

  “You should be.”

  “Come on, get it over with. You’re dying to tell me—I can see in your eyes. You want revenge for my mock attack.”

  “I’m not that vindictive.”

  “Now you’re scaring me.”

  “Good. Because Moonlight was going to be a gift to Commander Ambrose of Ixia. Our relationship with Ixia has improved thanks to Liaison Yelena, and the Sitian Council wanted to make a gesture of goodwill.”

  All color faded from Ulrick’s cheeks. “I’m in...”

  “Deep shit?”

  “Yes.”

  Ulrick failed to follow my suggestion to return the horse as soon as possible. He insisted on accompanying us to Booruby. Leif’s cold shoulder toward Ulrick melted when he apologized. Also, Ulrick’s ability to make travel rations flavorful won him Leif’s good approval.

  After traveling all day, we stopped and made camp along the road.

  “We made such a racket last night,” Leif said, “it’s best we avoid the shelters.”

  Cornstalk stubble lined the harvested field and worked well as kindling. We sat around the campfire and talked about sisters. Ulrick had two, one older and one younger than him. I grew up with two older sisters, and Leif had Yelena, who was kidnapped when she was six years old and returned home five years ago after a fourteen-year absence.

  “She made up for the lost time,” Leif said. “We blew through all those years of sibling rivalry in two seasons.” He laughed. “Probably a good thing she wasn’t with me when I was growing up. I never would have lived to see age twenty. Since she’s been back, I’ve been bait to an amorous necklace snake, kept under house arrest in the Commander’s castle, squeezed through a tunnel too small for me and paralyzed with Curare! And do you know what the kicker is?”

  “She’s still dragging you along on missions and endangering your life?” I guessed.

  “That, too. But she’s the one who gets all the attention. I was at the Warper Battle and helped defeat the Daviian Vermin, but does anyone remember that? No! They remember Yelena diving into the fire, sacrificing herself to defeat the Fire Warper.”

  “You have to admit, that was pretty big,” Ulrick said.

  Leif grumbled halfheartedly. “Well, I have a scar.” He showed us a four-inch healed slash along his forearm.

  “We know the significant role you played in the battle,” I said. “Don’t forget you’ve already caught one person’s attention and admiration. And she’s a hard one to impress.”

  “True.” Leif beamed. “Only three more days until I see her again.”

  Ulrick ahhed in understanding as he made the connection. “Mara.”

  I waited for his jealousy or for a longing and wistful look. My sister had not only been gifted with beauty, but she was a sweetheart, too. Kindness, concern for others and intelligence, she had it all.

  His demeanor remained pleasant. “Lucky man. Every guy in Booruby has a crush on her.”

  “Including you?” I asked, unable to stop myself.

  “I was in school with her, but she had no interest in any of us.” He considered. “I probably did have a crush for her back then, but not now.” Ulrick watched me.

  “Good,” Leif said into the lengthening silence. “Cause I’d hate to sic my sister on you. She’s a better fighter than me.”

  We laughed.

  “And I bet she lets you know it, too,” Ulrick said. Then his smile faded. “My younger sister crafts magnificent sculptures from glass. Sitian Councillors were commissioning pieces from Gressa before she was fifteen. She has her own shop in Moon Clan lands now. But it was hard to be proud of her when she flaunted it every chance she got. Especially when my own pieces fell far short of our mother’s expectations.”

  “I understand that feeling. My glass animals looked crude in comparison to my sister Tula’s. She had a finer hand.”

  “But look at you now.” Ulrick gestured. “Tula’s animals might be sought by collectors, and Mara sought for her beauty, but you’re a famous glass magician. Your name is said after Yelena’s when people discuss the Warper Battle, no offense, Leif.”

  “None taken,” Leif said.

  “Opal, your animals provide a service to all of Sitia. You’re important.” Ulrick raked a hand through his hair. “When my younger sister was born, she was the baby of the family. Everyone doted on her and I was ignored unless I managed to annoy one of my siblings or my parents.” His lips formed a rueful smile. “At least I was good at being a pest.”

  I rubbed my neck, thinking of his surprise attack. “You’re still good,” I teased.

  He cried out in mock indignation and pushed me gently on the shoulder.

  “Don’t knock the power of a pest,” Leif said. “Persistence and stubbornness can be useful in many situations.”

  * * *

  “Opal, why didn’t you send me a message? Two guests! What will I feed them?”

  “Mother,” I said, trying to suppress my irritation. We had just arrived from five days on the road and I was saddle sore and tired. “You always have enough food to feed half of Booruby. They don’t need any special meals.”

  My mother fussed about the kitchen, muttering over her supplies. “Go upstairs and move Mara’s things to your room. We can use her room for Leif and this...Ulrick, is it? Cesca’s son?” Mother shot me a questioning glance.

  I nodded.

  “Why doesn’t he stay with his family?”

  “They had a disagreement over his decision to come to the Citadel,” I said.

  “And he’s been working with you at the Magician’s Keep?” Her eyebrows hovered at midforehead.

  I sighed at the unspoken question. “Yes. He’s a colleague. We’re building a glass shop for the Keep.”

  “He’s a nice-looking boy from a reputable family.” She scanned my rumpled travel clothes. “Perhaps Mara could lend you one of her pretty dresses for dinner tonight.”

  Ignoring the implication, I climbed the steps to arrange the rooms and stopped in shock at the threshold. Tula’s grief flag was gone. The shelf above her bed was empty. Her glass animals and various treasures gone. I held on to the doorjamb, feeling light-headed. Footsteps sounded behind me, and I swallowed the emotional rock lodged in my throat.

  “I forgot to tell you,” my mother said. “We decided it was time. I saved Tula’s fox for you. I know how much you liked it.” She pointed to my bed stand.

  I picked it up—all that was left of my sister. “It’s been almost five years. Why now?”

  “Both you and Mara are older now. You will be graduating this year. I’m hoping Leif will become a member of our family and perhaps you—”

  “Mother,” I warned.

  “Well, I can hope, can’t I? Besides, every time you visit you have a friend with you, so we needed a guest room.” She sighed. “It was time to stop clutching the old days and embrace the new. And I’m hoping one day this house will be filled with grandchildren.” She held up a hand. “Don’t ‘mother’ me. I’ll say what I want when I want. Now get moving, I’m sure the boys will want to get washed up before dinner.”

  I replaced the fox on my table. My mother had a point about Tula’s flag and, while we may embrace the new, we won’t ever forget.

  * * *

  “...Opal decided to try to use a bellows to pump air into the molten glass. She made a huge bubble. It was so thin it cooled too fast and burst. Looked like snow,” Mother said.

  The dinner table erupted with laughter and I wished to disappear. Why couldn’t they pick on Mara or my bro
ther, Ahir? Because their mistakes weren’t as funny and they didn’t try everything they could imagine to put a bubble into glass and produce disastrous results. They just had to blow air into the pipe. Jealous? Who me?

  Ulrick was enjoying himself so I tried to keep my sense of humor. At least my family paid attention to me. It would be worse to sit here while everyone ignored me. I suffered through the stories and didn’t die of embarrassment. When dinner was over, I helped clean up and then escaped outside, needing a moment alone.

  I sucked in the crisp night air. A half-moon hovered in the sky, casting a mist of light. I scanned the grounds around my home. A cat stalked a field mouse behind the glass factory, but otherwise all was quiet.

  I hadn’t told my parents about Sir and Tricky’s abduction. But since the night of the wild dog attack, no other incidents had happened on the road. I felt safe here. The kitchen door opened. Leif and Mara headed toward the factory, hand in hand. I checked on the horses, and pulled a few things I would need from my saddlebags.

  “There you are,” my father said. “Let’s go to my lab and go over your supply list. I told Ulrick to meet us there.”

  He waited while I dug the small orb and a few glass spiders from my bag. I wanted to show them to him.

  “Nice young man, your Ulrick,” Father said as we headed toward his lab.

  “He’s not mine. We’re colleagues.” I tried to keep the exasperation from my voice.

  “Don’t get all huffy at me.” He aimed a stern stare.

  I regressed into a ten-year-old being scolded. “Sorry, Father.”

  “As I was saying, Ulrick is quick and intelligent. I like him.”

  It was the same description Ulrick had used for Moonlight. I suppressed a giggle, thinking about other descriptors like strong and loyal, which could be applied to both men and horses.

  “He comes from a good family,” Father said.

  A purebred, I thought.

  “He has a very different style with the glass.”

  Unique markings.

  “It’s a shame Cesca didn’t encourage his experiments.”

  Rejected by his mother.

  “But I’ve told him he could use our factory anytime.”

  Joined a new herd.

  When we entered my father’s lab and Ulrick greeted me with genuine affection, I felt bad about my comparisons. Deep down I knew why I did it and why I kept telling my family Ulrick and I were colleagues. Because I didn’t want to hope. Didn’t want to imagine there was more between us than building a glass shop for the Keep. Avoiding the pain of rejection, I tried to rationalize. Or was my distancing due to a certain Stormdancer? Talk about slim hope. Kade had probably distanced himself from our connection. I should do the same. He would soon forget about me.

  My father sat behind his desk and the three of us reviewed the supply list for the kiln. Beside each item, he wrote the name of a supplier Ulrick and I should visit in the morning. We discussed the specifications of the kiln and who to order the white coal from.

  “A good day’s work and you should have it all ordered,” my father said. “Just make sure Gid doesn’t charge you more than three silvers for a load of coal.”

  Satisfied we were done, I placed the orb and three glass spiders on my father’s desk. “What do you think?”

  He picked up the orb and examined it close to the lantern light. “Is this one of the Stormdance orbs?”

  “No. It was made by another,” I said. When he raised an eyebrow, I continued, “Someone named Ash. He might be from the Krystal Clan.”

  “Never heard of him. Hmm. Functional and a little misshapen, otherwise sturdy.” He gave the orb to Ulrick and picked up one of the spiders. “It looks like a real spider. Who made these?”

  Time for a little creative explaining. “I did...in a way.”

  Twin confused expressions peered at me. I steeled myself and launched into how I channeled Tricky’s attack into the glass orb. “One reason for the decision to build the Keep’s glass shop, so we can experiment with this ability.”

  “So these are magical spiders inside here?” my father asked. “Do they glow like your other animals?”

  “No glow, and Master Cowan couldn’t use the magic inside.”

  “Are you going to tell me why this magician attacked you?”

  “As long as you don’t tell Mother.”

  Father considered. “Unless there is a need to tell her, I won’t say anything.”

  I explained about Sir’s group and their desire to duplicate the Stormdancers’ orbs.

  Before he could reply, a muted shout reached us through the windows. The door flew open and Leif stood in the threshold. His eyes filled with horror.

  “Mara,” he panted. “Bit by a snake. Come. Help.”

  18

  Leif bolted to the factory. Ulrick, my father and I scrambled to our feet. Mara had been bitten and had mere minutes to live. In my rush to leave, I knocked the glass spiders to the floor, and crushed one under my boot.

  By the time I arrived, Mara was in Leif’s arms. Sweat dripped from her forehead and her body shook. A decapitated fer de lance snake and a bloody machete lay next to her.

  My father cursed. He knelt beside her leg. The bleeding punctures were above her ankle. The venom coursed through her leg. Shock froze all other emotions as I watched my sister die.

  “Ahir ran for the healer. I tied a tourniquet under her knee. But that won’t save her,” Leif cried.

  Suck the venom out, I thought and moved toward her. Father yelped. A large brown spider scrambled onto Mara’s foot and bent over her wound. He drew his arm back to swat it away.

  “No,” I yelled instinctively. “Let it alone.”

  The spider stabbed its mouth into the bite. Its body grew like a water skin being filled. When it finished sucking, the spider vanished. Blood splashed on the floor.

  “The poison’s gone,” I said.

  “How do you know?” Leif asked with a voice laced with pain.

  Everyone stared at me. “The spider told me.”

  Without hesitation, without question, Leif untied the leather strap on Mara’s leg; my father covered the bite and rubbed her calf to improve the flow of clean blood back to her foot. Leif cradled her in his arms, and she was enduring Mother’s worried attentions in the kitchen in no time. I loved my family. Only they would take the magical spider’s appearance and rescue in stride. Questions would arise later, but, for now, they were focused on the happy result.

  Ulrick remained in the factory, disposing of the dead snake and hunting for more.

  “Mara, you should know better,” Father admonished. “Cold night and hot kilns draw the snakes into the factory. What were you doing?”

  She glanced at Leif, who had his arm around her shoulders. “I was...preoccupied.”

  “Doing what?” he demanded.

  Kissing Leif, I guessed. As her cheeks turned pink, Mara silently appealed to Mother.

  “Jaymes,” Mother said, “you left the lanterns burning in your lab. Are you planning to do more work tonight?”

  Deftly distracted, my father returned to his lab. I followed. About halfway to the building, I stopped. My emotions melted and drenched me. Relief—Mara didn’t die. Surprise—she was saved by a spider. Shock—a spider who magically disappeared. Fear—it resembled one of Tricky’s spiders.

  By the time I joined my father, he had his magnifying glass in hand, inspecting one of my glass spiders. “Just what I thought. It’s the same spider only smaller. Care to tell me what’s going on?”

  “I would if I could.” I grabbed a dustpan and brush, sweeping up the crushed glass from the floor. “I stepped on one. Maybe I released the illusion?”

  “That spider was no illusion. Are you sure you weren’t attacked
by real spiders?”

  I thought back. The beetles Tricky had used first were illusions. Or, as Zitora had explained, figments of my imagination planted by Tricky, which is why I had felt pain. His second strike hadn’t touched me. I channeled his magic before the spiders reached me, trapping his power. However, the creatures called to me in the glass, as if I had pulled the magic.

  I collapsed into a chair. “I’m not sure of anything right now.”

  “Only one way to find out.”

  “Wait—”

  Father tried to snap one of my glass spiders in half. He dropped it to the floor, stomping on it. Nothing. “These things are indestructible.”

  “Here.” I reached for it, remembering how brittle they felt in my hands. Sure enough, I broke one in half.

  A whoosh of air, a huff and a flash and one brown-colored spider stood in the middle of my father’s desk. Its body as big as two of my father’s fists put together and eight thin legs spread out close to the edge.

  I jumped to my feet, wanting to back away.

  “Relax.”

  The creature remained in place as if waiting. The door opened behind me and even the night breeze didn’t disturb the spider.

  “Ulrick, don’t come any closer,” Father ordered. “Opal, what did you do after you stepped on the glass?”

  I replayed the series of panicked events in my mind. “I ran to Mara. Stood there like a complete simpleton. And...” I closed my eyes for a moment. “And my next thought was the need to suck the venom from Mara. But the spider came and...”

  “Did your bidding,” Father said.

  “A big leap in logic,” Ulrick said from the doorway.

  “Easy to find out. Opal, tell the spider to climb to the ceiling.”

  “With my thoughts or my voice?”

  “We can try both. How many glass spiders do you have?”

  I shuddered. “Hundreds.” Drawing in a deep breath and feeling a little silly, I ordered the spider to climb.

  It leaped to the wall and scurried to the ceiling. When it arrived, it disappeared. For the first time ever, magic responded to my wishes. A strange sensation swept over me and I felt weightless. I dropped into a chair and clutched the armrests to keep from fainting.