Storm Glass

by Maria V. Snyder

  As I checked the others, my bones ached with cold. The snowy vision stayed and a few wooden structures came into focus. The wood, peeling and gray, appeared weathered by many storms. The buildings leaned as if constructed during a strong wind. Piles of snow decorated their roofs and icicles hung from the windows.

  The gems were authentic. I signaled Pazia with a discreet gesture.

  “How much?” Pazia asked Mr. Lune.

  “For which one?”

  “For all.”

  Shock and then gleeful greed blazed on Mr. Lune’s dark face before he smoothed his expression into mild interest. His first amount was so ridiculously high, even Elita couldn’t suppress a huff of amusement.

  Pazia handled the brisk negotiations. Feeling had returned to my palm and I wanted to see what would happen if I touched all six diamonds at once. I laid my hand over the gems on the velvet. Ice pierced my skin and spread throughout my body, driving the heat out. Once again the white expanse formed in my mind. This time I concentrated on the structures, searching for any clue to their location.

  Gray smoke billowed from a chimney rising above the only stone building. Footprints tracked between doorways. Another set of tracks ringed one small shack. These resembled snow cat paw prints, which ended in a scuffed mess stained pink.

  Unable to endure the icy grip on my body, I pulled my hand away from the diamonds. I glimpsed a deep pit before the vision melted.

  Rubbing my arms, I shivered. The gems had been mined from the northern ice sheet above the Territory of Ixia, a vast expanse of snow and ice almost as big as Ixia. Mr. Lune had lied about the mountains.

  “...pay Elita and the two agents who brought you here, plus my workers, there’ll be nothing left,” Mr. Lune said.

  “I know how much miners are paid. My offer is more than generous,” Pazia countered.

  The negotiations launched into another round. My thoughts shifted to Ulrick. He would be worried if we delayed too long. A deluge of emotions swirled in my chest. The thrill of holding his hand, the wonderment over his attraction to me, the annoyance about his protectiveness, and the worry we lacked a certain spark all churned. I shied away from the last thought. Since our brief touch in Zitora’s office, I couldn’t think of sparks without thinking of Kade.

  “...five golds per carat, and if you can find me six more diamonds over ten carats from the same mine, I’ll up it to six,” Pazia said.

  Mr. Lune blinked a few times. “Six more diamonds that big? They’re hard to find. Their rarity increases the cost more than a gold. The other gems will cost you twelve golds a carat.”

  They haggled. A wild glint shone in Pazia’s eyes. She enjoyed the verbal battle. She offered a flat rate of nine golds per carat if he could secure six more large gems.

  “Deal.” Mr. Lune shook Pazia’s hand.

  She counted out twenty golds as down payment for twelve diamonds. Mr. Lune would send her a message when he returned, and they would complete the exchange.

  By the time we left Elita’s shop, all the Citadel’s stores had closed. The taverns remained opened. Bursts of laughter and measures of music formed pools of warmth in the cold night air. Pazia walked through them without notice. She reviewed the bargaining session with glee, detailing the finer moments.

  Her enthusiasm was infectious, but I kept watch for strangers following us or worse—someone I recognized.

  She ceased her chatter and placed a warning hand on my arm. “Around the corner...a man...” Pazia pressed her lips together.

  My insides felt tight. I reached for my sais.

  With an exasperated huff she relaxed. “Ulrick. Guess you forgot to tie his leash.”

  The instant vision of Ulrick chained to a post like a dog made me laugh out loud. To an outsider who didn’t know about the various threats, Ulrick’s behavior around me would appear guard doggish.

  My laughter wasn’t the reaction Pazia hoped for. She frowned, flashing me a cold stare from her olive-colored eyes.

  “I haven’t pushed him away, and you’re jealous,” I said.

  “Of course. He’s gorgeous, smart and caring. He deserves better than you.”

  “I was right. You do think you’re better than me.”

  “No. You’re still wrong. I said he deserved better. Not that he deserved me. In one small way, Opal, I’m just like you. I don’t know who to trust.” She strode on ahead and rounded the corner.

  I stared at her back for a moment before rushing to catch up. Ulrick was berating her for leaving me alone. She met his tirade with a bored air, answered him with a flippant response and sauntered away.

  “She only cares about one person,” Ulrick said. “Herself.”

  But I wasn’t so sure I agreed with him.

  * * *

  Once the kiln reached the proper temperature, the sand mixture was loaded into the inner cauldron. It would take another half day to melt into molten glass. In the meantime, we set a schedule for the three of us to keep the fire hot.

  “We could use a few more people to help,” Mara said. “Leif would—”

  “You can’t ask Leif to shovel coal,” Ulrick said.

  “Why not?” she asked.

  “He’s too important. It’s like asking Master Cowan to mend socks.”

  Mara fixed him with a cold stare. “If Leif thought shoveling coal was too menial for him, I wouldn’t be here.”

  “It’s just—”

  I touched his shoulder. “You really shouldn’t say any more. You’ll just dig yourself in deeper.”

  He threw his hands up in surrender and checked the temperature of the annealing oven. However, Mara was right, we did need more helpers. I wondered if I could send out a general request to the Keep’s student body. Perhaps a few would be interested in learning how to work with the glass.

  Zitora approved the idea and I wrote a message on the dining hall’s announcement blackboard. In no time, a handful of students arrived at our glass shop, offering to lend a hand. Working with their class schedules, Mara added the five of them in when they had free time and promised glass lessons in exchange for shoveling coal.

  I erased the request off the board. Five would be enough for now.

  * * *

  Finally the melt was ready. We had loaded the kiln with a sand recipe that was similar to the Stormdancers’ mix. The three of us had decided to craft a few orbs for our first project to see if I could channel another’s magic into glass as I had done when Tricky attacked me.

  “It almost feels like home,” Mara said as she gathered a slug for Ulrick on the end of a blowpipe.

  “Do you miss home?” I asked.

  “Yes, but it really was time for me to move on. If Mother mentioned grandchildren to me once more, I would have...”

  “What?” I smiled.

  “Threatened to remain childless!” Mara shaped the molten slug into a sphere then handed the pipe to Ulrick.

  “My nieces and nephews were constantly underfoot,” Ulrick said. He blew a bubble into the sphere.

  Annoyance twinged at how easy he made it look, and I was sure by the end of the day even our new helpers could thumb a bubble. Swallowing my frustrations, I reflected on Ulrick’s comment.

  “Do you miss your family?” I asked him.

  Mara lifted the pipe from his workbench, and reheated the glass in the glory hole.

  “Not at all,” he said.

  My sister returned when the glass glowed yellow. Ulrick grabbed the jacks and, as he turned the pipe, Mara blew into one end as he narrowed the glass around the other end, forming an almost-complete ball. I hurried to get a small amount of glass on a pontil iron and formed a punty. Using the metal tweezers, Ulrick brought the punty to the end of the ball, then dripped water near the end of the blowpipe. One hit with the end of his tweeze
rs, the orb cracked off the blowpipe and was now attached to the pontil rod.

  The orb was inserted back into the glory hole to heat. When the tip was pliable, Ulrick worked to craft a lip for the orb. He used the orb I stole from Tricky as a guide to how to shape it. Since we didn’t plan to trap energy inside, we didn’t worry about finding a way to plug the opening.

  We made four orbs and set them in the annealing oven to cool. It would be twelve hours before we could work with the orbs.

  “I have twenty pounds of my special sand mix on order,” Ulrick said. “When it arrives, I’ll show you how I make those vases.”

  While Ulrick helped Mara make a bowl, I showed Piecov how to gather glass from the kiln. The first-year student had signed up to help with the glass shop. He had watched us work, and now it was his turn to try.

  “Watch, it’s very hot. You want to get in and out as fast as possible,” I said. “And keep the rod turning all the time or the glass will drip to the floor.”

  He was quick to learn and asked all the right questions.

  Overall, I was very pleased with the glass shop’s first day of operation. Everyone worked together well, and the equipment ran without problems. It was a shame the harmony didn’t last very long.

  * * *

  The next day we inspected the orbs. No cracks or flaws and the glass felt thick enough to withstand any jostling. Our creations matched the one containing the spiders.

  “Do you think it’ll work?” Ulrick asked.

  “Only one way to find out.”

  We would have to wait for Stefan’s morning classes to finish. He promised to stop by and attack me with a magical illusion during lunch.

  When the door to the glass shop opened, I expected to see Stefan. Instead an aggrieved Pazia stood in the threshold.

  “Stefan’s not coming,” she said. She scanned the shop with distaste.

  “Why not?” I demanded.

  “Master Bloodgood needs him.” She joined us by the table of orbs. “Bain sent me to help.” Her stiff demeanor revealed that she would rather be doing anything but aid us.

  “No,” Ulrick said. “We’ll find someone else.”

  “As much as I would love to leave, there is no one better at illusions than me. If you’re going to experiment with magic, you might as well do it right or not bother at all.”

  I considered. Master Bloodgood knew our plans. If he thought Pazia would be useful, then she would be. “All right. Do you know what we’re trying to do?”

  “Opal, may I have a word with you?” Ulrick grabbed my arm and propelled me outside. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “Why not? She’s a very powerful magician and could be useful with our experiments.”

  “What if she tries to sabotage them? She’s jealous of you.”

  “Then we’ll ask her to leave. You have to keep an open mind.”

  “I just don’t want her to hurt you.” He pulled me into an embrace.

  I melted against him, enjoying the moment. “Do you think I would let her?”

  “Not intentionally. You’re too nice, Opal. You always think the best of people so you’re always going to get hurt.”

  I mulled over his comment. He was right in a way, but my interactions with people didn’t always lead to pain. Interesting how Pazia said I didn’t trust anyone and Ulrick claimed I trust too much. Who was right?

  “Do you think she’s up to something?” Ulrick asked.

  “Like what?”

  “Spying on you, seeing what you can do with your magic.”

  “For what purpose?”

  “You have people after you. She could tell them how to neutralize your magic or where to find you.”

  “I haven’t seen a sign of anyone in a while. Don’t you think you’re being a little paranoid?” I pulled away from him.

  “I’m being smart. As time passes without any hint of danger, you’ll begin to relax. Eventually you’ll think the danger is past and then... Bam! Surprised and unprepared you’re caught. That’s what I would do if I were Tricky.”

  He had a point. My skin felt hot and tight as if I was trapped in a spotlight. Could I ever relax?

  “You shouldn’t trust anyone besides me and your sister,” Ulrick said.

  “What about Zitora or my parents or Kade?” The Stormdancer’s name slipped out.

  He frowned. “They all could be compromised. How do you know Kade wasn’t the one who spiked the glass with Brittle Talc? He could be working with Tricky for his own reasons. Maybe for revenge over his sister’s death. Maybe her death was really an accident and he wants to put a stop to all stormdancing.”

  I couldn’t believe that scenario. “You can make up any story you want to fit, but it doesn’t mean it’s true. I could even come up with a reason for my sister and Leif to plot against me.”

  “But it could be true. Perhaps you should trust no one.”

  If my first four years at the Keep had been lonely, not being able to trust anyone would make my life worse. But then Pazia’s words about trust drifted through my thoughts again. She was wrong. I trusted Ulrick with my life, Zitora with my education, my sister with my dreams, and Kade with... With what? I didn’t have an answer.

  Ulrick and I returned to the glass shop. Mara was giving Pazia a tour of the small shop. I explained to Pazia about the experiment, and showed her the glass orbs and spiders.

  “We want to recreate the attack and see if I can defend myself again,” I said.

  As she considered my request, the annoyance faded and genuine interest glowed in her eyes, making Ulrick suspicious. I believed if she offered to fetch us a drink he would still be unhappy.

  “Do you want me to conjure spiders?” she asked me.

  “How about something a little less creepy?”

  “Snakes?”

  “No!” Mara and I said together in horror.

  Pazia rolled her eyes. “Puppies?”

  “Butterflies,” I suggested.

  “I’m good, but not powerful enough to make butterflies menacing. Try again.”

  “Bees?”

  “Better.”

  “What type of bee?” Ulrick asked.

  “I’ll decide. Opal wouldn’t get to choose if a magician were really after her. Better if she’s surprised. Ready?”

  I picked one of our orbs, and held it between my hands. Pazia concentrated. The lines of her neck pulled taut as she gathered power.

  A low hum sounded. I exchanged glances with Mara. She heard the sound, too. The steady drone increased in volume until the room vibrated with the noise.

  “What the—” Ulrick batted at the air near his head.

  At first, a few bees blazed by my head. I jumped back as another green-and-black bee flew by my ear. Mara cried out, swatting at her skirt.

  A finger of ice brushed my spine when I recognized the Greenblade bees. All six inches of the hairy insect were striped with green and brown. Impossible to spot in their home forests, they attacked with relish and pumped lethal quantities of venom into their victims. Fortunately they lived deep in the Greenblade Clan’s forest and only awoke to mate every three years.

  “Anytime now, Opal,” Ulrick said. He ducked to avoid a cloud of them. One landed on his shoulder and plunged its stinger into his upper arm. He grunted in pain.

  Mara raced around the room, yelling. The air was thick with bees, many more than the spiders. A blanket of insects covered Ulrick. A twinge of doubt squeezed my stomach, but I concentrated on the orb. It waited as if interested in the commotion yet content to just watch. I rolled it between my palms, imagining it on the end of a blowpipe. Pulling the buzz closer to me, I channeled the magic into the glass sphere.

  One ping, then another. Soon the ringing of glass dominated. The soun
d echoed in my heart and continued for a long time. Bees disappeared, and more were created. Because of the sheer numbers, it felt like years before Ulrick’s body was uncovered and the swarm around Mara was gone. Finally, all grew quiet.

  My muscles strained to hold the full orb. I placed it on a table and a handful of the contents spilled. Trapped inside glass, miniature Greenblade bees sparkled. A success, but at what cost? I glanced at the others.

  Ulrick moved closer to see the glass bees. Sweat soaked his tunic, but no other sign of the attack was visible. Mara’s disheveled hair stuck out in all directions, and she panted, winded from her exertions. Pazia had slumped to the ground.

  Mara bent over her.

  I joined her. “Is she okay?” I asked.

  “I think she fainted.”

  Her skin lacked color.

  Mara settled on the ground and gently placed the magician’s head in her lap. “Should we take her to the infirmary? Maybe we should send for a healer.”

  “Oh for sand’s sake, just throw water on her.” Ulrick picked up a bucket.

  “Wait.” I grabbed the pail from him. “She hasn’t been overcome by the heat like in a glass factory. She might have exhausted her magic. Throwing water on her might just make her wet.”

  When Zitora had used all her energy, she’d slept until her energy was restored. I dipped my fingers into the cold water and rubbed it on Pazia’s forehead. No reaction. “We should have a healer look at her just in case.”

  Mara, worried and upset, left her in my care while she fetched a healer. She returned with Healer Hayes and Zitora. We followed as they carried her to the infirmary on the first floor of the administration building.

  “She used her magic to create an illusion,” I told Zitora. The four of us stood around Pazia’s bed. “I didn’t think it would be such a big drain on her energy.”

  “It shouldn’t. For a few younger students, they would be tired, but not Pazia. Something else must be wrong.”

  “If there is, I can’t find it,” Healer Hayes said. His hand pressed against Pazia’s forehead. “She has all the classic signs of exhaustion. We should let her rest and she should be fine.”