Piecov complied.
“Does the song you hear match your mood?”
He considered for a moment. “Yes.”
She asked the others and they agreed. We strolled around the Keep’s campus and tested the vases on the other students. Even going so far as to interrupt an argument. In each instance, the student’s song reflected his or her mood. We also couldn’t find any other magician who could feel the vase’s vibrations. Not even Ulrick felt it—only me. Even when I held the vase with another, I couldn’t hear a song and the vase remained inert. We returned to the shop.
“A mood indicator,” Ulrick said in disgust. “And not even my moods, but others. A useless parlor trick!”
“I wouldn’t say useless,” I said. “You might be able to use the vases to interrogate criminals, find out if they feel guilty or are lying.”
“Not the job I hoped for.” He snatched a broom and swept the floor with hard strokes.
“We might still discover other uses for your pieces.” I straightened the workbenches, replacing the tools.
He didn’t comment as we finished cleaning up the shop. I understood his disappointment. Four years in the Keep had been one letdown after another for me. But the Keep’s instructors had been trying to teach me to use magic in the traditional ways. Only when I had been in dire situations did my other abilities manifest themselves. While I wouldn’t recommend that method, perhaps Ulrick would have other opportunities to find out more.
Before dinner, Ulrick, Mara and I stopped at the infirmary to ask Healer Hayes about Pazia. She was only slightly better. In the hallway, we encountered Zitora. The magician sent Ulrick and Mara on to dinner and asked me to accompany her to her office. Usually Ulrick would fuss about leaving me alone, but he shuffled after Mara without saying a word.
“What’s wrong with him?” Zitora asked as we climbed the stairs to the fourth floor.
“Difficult day.” I explained about his power.
“When I first met him, I didn’t think he had any. His magic may include only one trick, but it’s better than nothing.”
I kept quiet, remembering my own frustrations. Once you get a taste, sometimes it’s hard not to crave more.
“How’s Pazia’s progress with magic?” I asked instead.
“She’s regaining her strength little by little, but it’ll be a good week before we know about her magic.” Zitora stared at me with a pained expression. “Opal, if you have truly taken her ability to access the power source, the Sitian Council will view you as a threat.”
Her words failed to sink in. I expected her to tell me the Council was livid, upset, horrified or all three. Pazia had the potential to become another Master Magician. “A threat?”
“Think about it. You can strip magicians of their powers. What if you decide Master Bloodgood should not be First Magician anymore? Or you don’t want the Council to be in charge anymore. You can take everyone’s powers and build an army of glass creatures.”
It sounded like a fairy tale. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“Really? What if Bain Bloodgood attacks you and you suspect he is working with Sir?”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“No, it isn’t. The most powerful magician in Sitia attacks you with his magic. Will you die or use your magic to save yourself? Or if he attacks Mara or Ulrick? Will you save them?”
“What’s the reason?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
“So now you get to decide if the reason is good or bad? What if he has a very good reason, but you don’t know about it?”
“I…”
“See? With this new power, you could be a danger to Sitia.”
I bristled. “I could be an asset, if anyone would trust me.”
“Aha! But what have you done to earn this trust? You already robbed Sitia of Pazia’s considerable talent just by experimenting with your own.”
“We don’t know that for sure. Besides, she attacked me with an illusion. It might not work against another type of attack. And it was a genuine accident.”
“Could you drain a person’s power who isn’t attacking you?” Zitora asked.
“I don’t know.”
“That’s why the Council would consider you a threat.”
And I wouldn’t want to try another experiment and risk losing another magician. I had wished to do more with my magic, but this wasn’t what I desired.
“Is this why you wanted me to come to your office? Another lesson?”
“Part of the reason. And not quite a lesson. I want you to be prepared for the ramifications if Pazia doesn’t recover. The Council could incarcerate you in the Keep’s cells while they decide what to do with you. You remember how long the Council needed before they trusted Yelena and she saved them from the Daviian Warpers.”
I had thought I felt terrible before talking with Zitora. The air in the room pressed on my body, stuck in my throat and pounded in my ears, matching the tight compressions in my chest.
Locked in the Keep’s cells would be horrible. The special magical barrier wasn’t needed for me, unless someone wanted to rescue me. I imagined Kade trying to blow the door down and the loop of protective magic, channeling his energy to trap him.
All the Council needed to do was keep me away from glass orbs and Sitia should be safe. The thought of not being able to work with glass terrified me more than spending time in the Keep’s prison.
“But what about my messengers? If I’m in a cell, I can’t make them for the Council or for you.”
“The Council would have to decide how important they are. The magicians are used to having them so we would be the most…inconvenienced.” A slight smile touched her lips.
“Inconvenienced? So good to know how heartbroken you’d be.”
“And the Council would have to disband the messenger committee. Another inconvenience,” she teased.
“They put together a committee?”
“Yes.”
I imagined the endless political wrangling and debate that would occur and was glad all I would have to do is supply the messengers. That I could do without hurting anyone. “Is there another reason you wanted to talk to me?”
“I’ve received a message from Kade via Yelena. He’s made a few interesting discoveries in the Moon Clan lands and she would like you to join them.”
“Me? Why?”
“I don’t know the full details, but it has to do with the fake diamond merchant, Chun.”
“What about Mr. Lune? Did your magician track him?”
“Yes, but lost him at the border of Ixia.”
“At the Moon’s border?”
“No. At the Krystal Clan’s border.” Zitora slouched in her chair. “It seems the people selling the fakes and the real diamonds are not working together. I want you to follow the fake lead and I’ll have another magician watch the border, see where Mr. Lune goes when he comes back.” She rubbed her hands over her face. “I also think it’s a good idea for you to get away from the Citadel for a while.”
“Are you coming with me?”
“No. Irys and Yelena will both be there.”
“What about Ulrick? He’ll want to come.”
“That’s fine. Do you want me to assign a few soldiers to go with you?”
I hadn’t seen a sign of Tricky or Sir in weeks, but Ulrick’s warning about getting complacent echoed in my mind. I really didn’t want to travel with an armed escort. “How about Leif?”
“I can check his schedule. What if he can’t make it?”
“Then I guess we should have another guard along just in case.”
“Only one?”
“I’ve been practicing with my sais. Besides…”
Zitora waited.
“I can bring a handful of my glass spiders and bees along. Keep them in my pocket in case we’re ambushed.”
“Now you’re thinking.” Zitora moved a few papers on her desk. “You should leave in the morning. I’ll contact Leif
.”
“More secret magician stuff,” Ulrick said.
“It’s not…” I sighed, no sense arguing. “It’s not—”
“Important because I’m allowed to go?” His joke was weak, and he couldn’t maintain a light tone.
“We leave in the morning. You’ll need a horse. This time you might want to ask Stable Master about borrowing one.”
He rubbed his hands in anticipation. “If he won’t let me, I can steal Moonlight again and then placate the Stable Master with Avibian honey. Mara told me he loves the stuff.” He seemed determined to keep upbeat, but I knew by the tension in his body he still wasn’t happy.
I didn’t know how to make him feel better. No matter what I said, I knew it wouldn’t be right and could upset him further. He needed time to adapt, and to be content with what he could do.
Funny. I almost huffed. Funny because I was never content with my one trick, but now with the spiders and with Pazia still recovering, I wished for simpler times.
We packed for the trip, securing supplies and food. Hardly a word was spoken between us. I debated over taking Kade’s orb. It would be perfectly safe under my bed, but I had grown used to its humming presence at night, and the thought of leaving it behind caused my stomach to tighten.
It was late when I slipped into bed. I tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable spot. Strange dreams filled my brief snatches of sleep. Images of Pazia and Tricky, staring at me with dead and accusing eyes. I woke from one nightmare convinced Tricky stood over my bed. But no one was there.
Unable to return to sleep, I crept past Ulrick’s prone form on the couch and slipped outside. No sense waking him, I rationalized. My cloak’s pockets were filled with glass spiders and bees. I clutched a spider in my palm as I walked through the silent campus.
The glass shop’s welcoming hum greeted me. I entered into the dry warmth and relaxed. Piecov sat at the table, studying from a huge text. He jumped to his feet when he saw me.
“I just filled the kiln,” he said.
“Then why aren’t you back in bed?”
He shrugged and looked around. “I like it here. The first year’s barracks are crowded and noisy.”
I remembered the night sounds of so many people in one room. The snores, the homesick crying, the whispered conversations, giggles and sighs. The steady roar of the kiln would be considered peaceful in comparison.
“Maybe we should install a cot for those who have overnight shifts.”
“Great idea.” He peered at me for a moment. “Why are you here? The next feeding isn’t until dawn.”
“Feeding?”
He gave me a sheepish grin. “The kiln’s like a baby. Instead of giving it milk, we feed it coal.”
“Appropriate.”
His eyes still held a question.
“I couldn’t sleep,” I said.
He nodded as if he understood completely. “This place has a certain draw. Know what I mean?” Piecov gestured to the kiln.
“I do. There is such potential contained within the cauldron. A whole vat of melted glass just waiting to be gathered and spun into something…wonderful.”
“Yes!” He looked surprised by his outburst then ducked his head in embarrassment. “Well…I only made a lumpy paperweight so far.”
“I still have my very first paperweight.”
“You do?”
“I had to stand on a box to reach in with the punty rod. But I did everything myself. It resembled a squashed apple, but my parents were so proud of my creation I thought it was the best paperweight in the world.”
“I guess I’ll keep mine.”
“It’ll be a good gauge of how much you improve. When you become frustrated when a piece cracks or turns out wrong, you can look back at that paperweight and see just how far you’ve come.”
He brightened at the idea and I suggested we work the glass together. He made another paperweight and I helped him craft a swan. The items in the annealing oven had finished cooling. I removed them and put his new creations inside, marking the date and time on the door as I moved the oven next to the kiln.
Inspecting the finished pieces, I lined them along the table. Two of Ulrick’s vases popped in my hands. One of Mara’s bowls had cracked so I tossed it in the cullet barrel. The contents of the barrel would be added to the cauldron and remelted. Four of my glass animals survived the cooling process.
Among the four was a little dog sitting on his haunches. His ears perked forward as if he hoped for a treat. He glowed with magic and promise, reminding me of Piecov.
At dawn, another student arrived to feed the kilns. Piecov and I left. I brought the animals with me. Zitora needed them and I planned to drop them at her office before going back to my rooms. On the way, I stopped at the infirmary.
Healer Hayes was just leaving Pazia’s room.
“She’s regaining strength. We won’t know about her magic for a while,” he said.
“Can I visit?”
“As long as you don’t wake her.”
A lantern burned on the night table in her room. Turned down to the lowest setting, the feeble flame cast a weak light. She didn’t stir at the sound of my arrival. Nor when I sat in the chair beside her bed.
I remembered watching my brother, Ahir, sleep. Relaxed and innocent, masking the high energy, annoying and smart-assed boy underneath. Asleep, Pazia’s smooth beauty held a regal quality. Easy for me to imagine her a queen of the Cloud Mist Clan, needing no gems to augment her loveliness.
Underneath was another story. While she plagued me over the years, working the diamond mission had given me another perspective. Perhaps she was right. Maybe I was the one with the attitude and big chip on my shoulder. Maybe I nursed it. Clung to it and refused to see the positive. Maybe I had kept everyone at a distance, afraid to make a new friend. Afraid to care about someone, because I might lose them the way I had lost my sister, Tula. I probably had acted as Kade does now. Cold and aloof.
The realization shot through me like a crack zigzagging through glass. My loneliness had been my own fault. The blame rested solely within me. I gazed at the sleeping girl, wishing I could help her.
I left the little dog by her bedside. His hopeful demeanor might brighten the room. Before I left, she said my name. I braced for her recriminations, determined to listen to her.
She held the statue, examining it in the dim light. “For me?” she asked.
“Yes. Can you see the glow inside?” I waited. If she couldn’t then she had lost all her magic.
“Purple fire.”
I knelt beside her bed with relief. “Pazia, I’m so—”
“Shut up,” she said. “Don’t apologize.”
“But—”
“Didn’t you hear me? Are you a simpleton as well as talentless?”
I clamped my lips together. Her anger and hatred were justifiable.
“Don’t say another word. I had a lot of time to think about this. Losing my powers was my fault. Opal,” she warned, correctly reading my desire to contradict her, “I was sure I could beat you. I wanted to make your experiment a failure. You only stole what I offered. And I offered you everything.” She placed the dog on the nightstand. “My current state is the price for my conceit. Now we’re even.”
A few moments passed as I tried to comprehend her words. “Even?”
She closed her eyes. “Those accidents over the years weren’t due to your clumsiness or lack of magic. I am…was…responsible for all of them. I did it to torment you, and to prove to everyone that you didn’t deserve to be here.”
I laughed long and hard.
Pazia stared at me in disbelief. “You’re not upset?”
“This morning, I would have been. But I realized you were right about me. I kept my distance from everyone because I was afraid of getting too close. Plus I’m happy I didn’t cause all those accidents.”
“I still think you don’t belong here.”
“Even now?”
“Yes.”<
br />
“Guess I’ll just have to prove you wrong.”
Of course, Ulrick wasn’t happy I left without him. He thought my new abilities made me reckless. No sense contradicting him. Maybe having the spiders and bees with me added to my confidence.
We carried our saddlebags to the barn. Mara helped Leif saddle Rusalka.
“How’s my favorite glass wizard today?” Leif asked.
“Better now that you’re here.”
“Wouldn’t miss it. Besides, I haven’t seen my sister in a while. I need my danger fix.”
“You don’t really think Yelena’s in danger?” I asked.
“No. She’ll just use me as bait and cast me aside.” Leif sighed dramatically. “I’m so deprived of attention, I’ll take any little bit.”
“Leif, you’re being melodramatic. You’re very important,” Mara said.
She continued to fawn over him. Mara would be staying behind to run the glass shop. Ulrick searched for the Stable Master.
After several minutes of listening to Mara’s annoying praise, I said, “For sand’s sake, we won’t be gone long.”
“Oh hush!” Mara said. “I’ve had to work with you and Ulrick as you make moon eyes at each other all day. You can handle a few minutes of goodbyes.”
“Moon eyes! We kept a professional attitude in the shop at all times.”
Mara’s humor faded. “I know. Actually I would like to see more mooning with you two.”
“Spare me the advice. Please.”
But she wouldn’t listen.
“He’s gorgeous, Opal. Relax. Have fun. On your trip to the Moon lands take him into the woods one night and make him forget about all his troubles. Do you want a few pointers?”
“Mara!” I said.
Leif turned every shade of red. “Milk oats…ah…I’ll see if I can get…” He disappeared in a hurry.
“What?” Mara asked. “If you don’t need pointers, what’s stopping you?” When I didn’t answer she said, “It’s that Stormdancer, isn’t it?”
“His name is Kade, and it has nothing to do with him. We’re taking it slow.”
“Slow? I’ve seen turtles mate faster.”
“Mara, what’s gotten into you?”
She slid her foot forward. Just below the hem of her skirt, two red scabs still marked the snake’s bite on her ankle. “I had seconds to live. You know how people will say their life flashed in front of their eyes?”
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