Leif and Yelena didn’t notice; they stared at her bat flying overhead.
I now knew Valek had been crazy enough to swim through the pool. He probably thought no one else would brave the cold water. He had been wrong.
The bat landed on Yelena’s shoulder. She glanced at the rear wall. “There’s another tunnel.”
Leif groaned, but followed his sister. I shoved the prison deep into my pocket and hurried after them. After traversing two chutes and three caverns, we came to a dead end. None of the other chambers contained crystals, and there was no sign of real diamonds.
Through the thin fabric of my pants the prison’s heat jabbed me as if searching for a weak spot. I should give it to Valek so he could find a better hiding place. A sudden possessiveness welled. The prison was mine.
“Can we go now? My feet are numb,” Leif said.
We retraced our steps and once again stood in the crystal chamber.
“Let’s hurry.” Leif pointed to the pool.
I hesitated, fighting the desire to stay silent. This was too important. Yelena needed to know about the Warper. I tried to speak. A jolt of fire sliced up my body and stabbed into my head. I fell to my knees, pressing my fingertips into my temples. The man wouldn’t let me talk.
Yelena’s voice sounded. Her hand on my back. His desire burned my thoughts.
Break the glass and release the pain, he ordered. Now!
My hand closed on the glass. Normally so strong a material, I knew I could reduce it to powder in my fist. No one else could. The magic within the glass responded to me. Heady mix of power within my palm. To no longer be afraid. Exactly what I wanted.
Crush it. Be powerful. In control.
My fingers tightened. Yelena’s presence reminded me of a time I had held a Curare-laced dart and jabbed it into her arm.
Do it. Together we will have more power than her.
I yanked the prison from my pocket. Energy sizzled along my skin. One hard squeeze of my hand, and the pain would disappear.
Obey me.
Those words cut through my fog of misery and confusion. Different voice. Same words. Words I would never forget. I thrust the prison into Yelena’s hands.
Unbroken.
The blazing pain remained; caused by shame over what I had almost done and knowledge that these glass prisons would haunt me until I died. I huddled on the floor, hot and miserable.
Yelena’s touch on my forehead cooled the maelstrom. Her energy revived my spirit.
“What’s going on?” Leif asked.
“It’s better you don’t know,” Yelena said. “Go on through the pool, we’ll be there in a minute.”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot I’m just here to light fires,” Leif grumbled, but dived into the water.
Yelena held out the glass prison. “When did you know this was here?”
I told her about the dreams. “I have a general idea where the others are, too.” I searched her expression. “Didn’t you know?”
“I knew as soon as we entered the cave.” She paused and chewed on her lower lip as if debating what she should tell me. “I’ve been hanging around Valek too long. I heard the Warper’s pleas, but wanted to see what you would do.”
“But...but I almost crushed the glass and released him.”
“You didn’t.”
“But what if I did? He has Master-level powers.”
“Then I would have another problem to deal with.”
“That was a big risk.”
“Actually, I wasn’t worried. I trusted you, Opal.”
If the Warper hadn’t said those two words, I would have freed him. “You shouldn’t. Because when you sent those evil souls to the glass, they traveled through me. I think a piece of them stayed with me. Sometimes I feel my thoughts and actions aren’t mine.”
Yelena placed her hand flat on my chest and closed her eyes. After a moment, she stepped back. “We all have thoughts we’re not proud of. I’ve done a couple things I wish I hadn’t. I can assure you there are no remnants of those souls within you.”
“But they call to me.”
“Your other glass animals call to you.”
“That’s different.”
Yelena said nothing.
“I sense emotions from my animals. I hear voices and feel pain with the prisons.”
“Have you been dealing with this for the past four years?” Yelena asked.
The answer surprised me. “No. I started having the vivid dreams...” After my trip to the Stormdance lands. After I had connected with Kade through the orb. “Around the middle of the cooling season. Around the time I discovered a few new...things I could do with my magic.” I explained about the spiders, but not about Kade.
“The new abilities could have set off a chain reaction. Your magic is linked to glass and perhaps in increasing your powers you expanded your connection to your other creations.”
I guessed it was possible.
“Or there could be another reason altogether. In this case, I would say dealing with the problem is more important right now than figuring it out. You must not tell anyone you know where the prisons are. This one will be hidden again. Stay away from the others lest you be tempted.” She smiled. “The next trapped soul might offer you warmth and dry clothes. Then we’d be in trouble.”
I released a shaky breath. “You’re right. I’d do anything for a warm fire.”
She cringed. “Not me. I tend to avoid fires.” She shivered. “I’m more tempted by a piece of apple cake.”
“You sound like Leif.” But my stomach rumbled in agreement. We didn’t waste any more time. The trip back through the chilly water wasn’t as bad, perhaps because I knew a dry cloak waited on the other side.
Kade helped me out of the pool. His hand pulsed hot against my icy skin. Soothing warmth spread from where he had touched me. My body felt bruised and battered, and the sudden desire to wrap myself in his arms coursed through me. I pushed the notion away, knowing he would reject me.
What a night. I couldn’t wait to leave the cave. Staying far away from the prisons was an excellent idea, but how do I avoid the nightmares? What if I encountered another, stronger Warper? Would I be able to resist freeing him if Yelena wasn’t by my side?
Yelena and Leif crawled through the tunnel toward the cave’s exit. Kade and I waited for the all clear signal.
“Something’s wrong,” Kade said. He helped me wrap my cloak around my shoulders. “You hold yourself as if you’ve ingested Brittle Talc.”
I smiled, remembering our conversation on The Cliffs. “Now you’re using glassmaking analogies. If you hang around me too much, you’ll be spouting glassmaking lingo like a gaffer.”
He gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to his chest. “Then I’d better go.”
Kade joked, but the thought of him leaving felt as if I had dived into the cave’s pool again. Without thought, I stepped closer to him. He stiffened.
I moved away, letting my blood turn into ice.
“Did something happen in the cavern?” he asked.
“No. I’m just cold. You know what cold does to metal.”
“You’re not made of metal.”
Right now, I wished I was.
* * *
We returned to Fulgor an hour before dawn. Kade had rented a room in the Good Inn near the center of the town. In the Councillor’s guest quarters, Leif shared a room with Ulrick, and I had the other bedroom. A living area with a marble hearth separated the three rooms. Leif immediately roused the dying embers of the fire into a full blaze.
“Ahh... I’m sleeping here.” He pulled the couch closer.
“Get changed first,” I said. “Or you’ll soak the cushions.”
I entered my room. My still-damp shirt clun
g to my body and my hair had dried into a tangled knot. Clean, dry clothes felt like the finest silk against my skin. I wrestled with a comb, but put it down when a knock sounded.
Yelena stood at the door. “Do you have those samples from the cave? I want to show them to Irys.”
I stepped back, opening the door wider. “I put them in my pocket.”
As I dug for the crystals, Yelena wandered around my room.
“Opal?”
I grabbed the crystals and joined her. She had stopped by my saddlebags. One of the pouches gaped open.
Yelena pointed to the orb visible through the gap. “What is that?”
Her voice sounded odd and I guessed she heard the magic’s song. I had grown so used to the melody, I no longer muffled it. “It’s a Stormdancer orb. A storm’s essence is inside. Kade wanted me to keep it safe.” I shrugged. “I didn’t feel right leaving it behind.”
She turned to me in shock. I almost stepped back.
“Can you hear it?” I asked.
“Hear it? Can’t you see her?”
I knew who Yelena meant. “No. I only hear her name. She’s Kade’s sister. Kaya died while he harvested a storm.”
“Her soul is trapped inside that orb. She must be freed.”
26
Yelena moved toward the orb.
“No. Wait.” I stepped in front of her. I stood about three inches taller than her, but I knew she possessed the power to move me aside.
“Why?” she asked.
“It’s Kade’s orb. He asked me to keep it safe.”
“Does he know his sister is trapped inside?”
I thought back. “On an unconscious level he does. He’s kept it with him since she died. But I doubt he knows her actual soul is there.”
“She should be released so she can find joy in the sky.”
“Is Kaya unhappy?”
“Let’s ask her.”
She grabbed my hand before I could say a word. The room swirled and spun as color drained, leaving gray in its wake. The furniture faded away. The walls curved around us and transformed into glass.
We stood inside the orb. My second trip, but this time Kaya didn’t form from sand granules. She waited for us—a ghost with a sad smile, her resemblance to Kade unmistakable. Her short brown hair was streaked blond by the sun.
Yelena asked her if she wanted to go to the sky.
“I would love to go to the sky, but you can’t set me free, Soulfinder,” Kaya said. “Only my brother can.”
Frowning, Yelena’s forehead crinkled with effort as she reached toward Kaya.
“That’s a first,” Yelena said. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, I’ve met a few...interesting souls in the past four years.”
I remembered Leif’s translation of Yelena-speak, and interesting meant dangerous. “I didn’t know souls could be treacherous.”
“The ones who belong in the fire world are. They always fight.” She placed her hands on her hips. “We’ll have a talk with your brother.”
Kaya sighed. “I tried to tell him I was here, but he thinks I’m with the storms.”
“What does he have to do to free her?” I asked Yelena.
“Pull out the stopper.”
“Then why can’t we do that now?”
The Soulfinder smiled. “I know you’ve discovered more uses for your power, but do you really think you can control the force of the storm? I know I can’t.”
“Point taken. How about another Stormdancer?”
“No,” Kaya said. “Kade needs to free me.”
* * *
Lost in a blizzard, I yelled Kade’s name. My feet were frozen. I dragged them along as the wind whipped me with icy pellets.
“Opal, wake up.” Ulrick’s harsh voice woke me from another nightmare.
I shivered under my blankets.
His frown softened. He sat on the edge of the bed. “Another one?”
I nodded.
“The cave of lights?”
“No. I don’t think I’ll dream of that one again.”
“Why not?” His eyes held an intensity. Yelena had told me to keep my knowledge of the prison’s location a secret.
“Because we were there last night. And I found...”
“What?” He leaned closer to me.
“Gypsum crystals. A possible ingredient for the fake diamonds.”
“Makes sense, but what about this new nightmare?”
“Being lost in the cold. You know how much I hate the cold.” I shuddered.
But he wouldn’t let the subject drop. “You called for that Stormdancer.”
The real reason for his frown. “Kade’s my friend, Ulrick. I have friends. I have family. They’re all part of my life. Besides, dreams are strange. You can’t get upset over them.” Trying to listen to my own advice, I stretched and yawned. “What time is it?”
“Almost dinnertime, but we’re having a meeting in Yelena’s office. She wants everyone there.”
“Leif won’t be happy.”
“He’s bringing a snack.”
* * *
I eyed Leif’s slice of cake with envy as I listened to Yelena. Ulrick sat next to me on the couch, and Master Jewelrose lounged in the other armchair. Kade wasn’t there. According to Yelena, he wasn’t at the inn so the messenger left a note.
Yelena preferred to pace around the office as she talked. “We’ll have to pick up Chun’s trail again to see where he delivers the crystals. And we still don’t know where the real diamonds are coming from.”
“We’ll set a watch at the cave,” Master Jewelrose said. “Hopefully he’ll come back for more supplies.”
“Have you figured out what the crystals are?” I asked.
“Yes. You were right. They’re gypsum crystals of high quality. The first ever found in Sitia.” The Master Magician seemed pleased. “And I’m guessing Councillor Moon’s team of surveyors found this cave and instead of reporting the find to the Councillor, told the Councillor’s sister.”
“So the question remains, what else have they discovered?” Leif asked between bites.
“What’s the plan?” I asked.
“You and Ulrick go back to the Citadel. Mr. Lune may return with your real diamonds and you need to be there to purchase them,” Yelena said. “Leif helps me with tracking down the surveyors and Irys stays here and babysits the Councillor.”
“Why do I have to babysit?”
Yelena laughed. “Imagine you’re the Councillor. Who would you rather have watching your back—a Master Magician or a scary Soulfinder with an Ixian boyfriend?”
With no way to dispute her, Master Jewelrose conceded the point, but she wasn’t happy about it. She left the room to attend to her “babysitting” duties.
“What about Kade?” Yelena asked me. “Do you think he wants to help us?”
“He’s tracking down a group of troublemakers,” I said. “I’m guessing after we talk with him, he’ll want to continue searching for them.”
“You two aren’t planning to gang up on him, are you?” Leif asked. “Because that’s not fair.”
I shook my head, glancing at Ulrick. He had remained quiet during the meeting and I wondered if he felt left out.
The rest of the time we made arrangements for our assigned tasks.
“If we discover any questionable gemstones, I’ll send them to the Citadel with Leif,” Yelena said to me.
“Yippee. I’ve been promoted from fire lighter to delivery boy. I’ll write a letter home to Mother. She’ll be so pleased.” Leif ducked his sister’s swing.
* * *
As we returned to our rooms, Ulrick’s gloom continued. I thought about our trip back to the Keep. Now that these nightmares in
vaded my sleep, Ulrick would be alarmed. I understood the need to keep certain secrets, but this one could ruin our relationship. By not confiding in him, I wasn’t being honest with him. I pulled him into my bedroom and closed the door.
His shock was almost comical, until I realized I hadn’t been alone with him in a long time.
“Sit down. I need to talk to you.” I gestured to the only place to sit—the bed.
“What’s wrong?” Ulrick held my hand in his. “You’re not telling me everything.” His gaze bored into me. “How can I trust you to make the right choices, if you don’t trust me?”
“This is big. Telling you could make you a target.”
He refused to back down. Just being with me endangered him, so I explained about finding the glass prison.
“What did you do with it?” he asked.
“Gave it to Yelena.”
“Wow. It must have been difficult to turn down all that magic.”
“It was painful. But an increase in power is an increase in responsibility.” I thought of Zitora’s warning about being considered a threat. “I already hurt Pazia, killed the storm thief leader and almost released a Warper. I don’t need any more complications.”
“At least the prison is no longer a problem.”
When I didn’t agree, he asked, “Or is it?”
“The trapped souls haunt my dreams. I think all I need to do is get close to another prison and I’ll be able to find it.”
“We’ll stay away from them and I’ll ask Leif to brew you a sleeping potion.” He pulled me down next to him. “And here I was afraid you were leaving me for that Stormdancer.”
That Stormdancer had no desire to be with me. Mara’s advice, make him forget about his troubles sounded in my mind.
I leaned forward and kissed him. His surprise didn’t last long. He kissed me back with passion, wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. For a while, I forgot all my problems.
When his hands tugged at my shirt, I pulled away. Another of Mara’s comments floated in my mind—I’ve seen turtles mate faster. But I couldn’t continue. I wasn’t ready.
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