by Kay L. Ling
It was no surprise that everyone was too excited to sleep. Lana undressed, crawled into her bedroll, and lay awake listening to the quiet conversations circulating through the dorm. Most revolved around S being moved from the castle. The breghlin seemed genuinely glad she was gone, and several said they hoped that destroying the throne had destroyed the monsters as well.
Lana kept still and let them talk, and it seemed they had forgotten she was there. But Tina Ann, always the most outspoken of the group, finally asked her if she knew who would be on the Amulet Team. At the party, Elias had announced that he and Jules would assemble an exploration team consisting of humans, gnomes, and breghlin. The team would leave in a few days.
“I’d like to go,” Lana said, “but I can’t leave my own world that long, and I know Franklin would like to, but someone has to stay and run Shadowglade. So, it looks like Elias and Jules will be the only human representatives, and I have no idea which gnomes and breghlin they plan to take.”
She felt sorry for Franklin. She’d overheard him talking to Elias and Jules, and the longing in his voice had been unmistakable as they discussed carts, maraku, and provisions.
“I go, if they let me,” said Tina Ann. “Males be worthless fer lookin’ after theyselves. Best they has someone to cook an’ make raaka.”
Lana had assumed the team would be all male since they’d be in close quarters for days or weeks, not to mention sleeping in the same tent. Still, female representation would be a good idea.
“I’ll put in a good word for you,” Lana said, and Tina Ann gave her an excited grin.
There were no other volunteers in the group, but they were all supportive of Tina Ann.
“She be good to have along,” Maggie Ann said. “Ern’t no one knows more about which bugs and plants be safe to eat.”
Lana doubted the team would be reduced to eating bugs, but she nodded and smiled.
“An’ nobody tells better stories,” Patty Ann said. “So they won’t get bored at night.”
The group continued to expound on Tina Ann’s many accomplishments, and Lana smiled in amusement. If Tina Ann left, she wasn’t sure how the others would get along without her. It had been clear from the first night Lana had stayed in the dorm that Tina Ann was a leader and mediator, intervening in fights and settling disputes.
When conversation finally died away and the breghlin fell asleep, Lana lay awake thinking how dull it would be without Jules and Elias. She would come on weekends as always. Franklin would need a hand, and she could help with the ongoing research in S’s libraries, but with Elias gone, there would be no gem lessons. Why was it that whenever they were about to study native gemstones, a new interruption came up?
She could study a bit on her own, but for the most part, she would need to confine herself to Fair Lands gems, which were far less impressive than the gems here. Spending time here had increased her ability to draw power from them, and better still, she could infuse their powers—something she couldn’t do at home, and that made them more useful. After infusing them, physical contact was optional, but it strengthened the effects.
Susan was coming over this week for more gem lessons, and Lana had to be careful. Revealing the full extent of her own abilities would raise questions she didn’t want to answer.
The breghlin were gone by the time Lana woke. She glanced at her watch and grimaced when she saw it was nearly seven thirty. The clan leaders intended to have an early breakfast and start for home. They might already be gone.
Sure enough, by the time she reached the dining room, servers were clearing away the dishes. Eliza Ann announced in a self-important tone that the clan leaders had left, and Franklin, Elias, and Jules were in a meeting.
Lana sat brooding silently. They hadn’t invited her to the meeting, but why should they? She wouldn’t be joining the expedition. Loving adventure as she did, she wished she could see more of Ahmonell, especially now that the blight had ended and the land was healing. Dry streambeds had turned into gurgling streams, plants were poking through parched ground, and wildflowers and groundcovers were spreading to new areas.
The team would drive on old mining roads through ancient forests and fog-shrouded valleys. They would pass historic battle sites and the ruins of long-deserted villages. She’d give anything to go. Instead, she’d be working in the jewelry store. It was exciting to think she’d be taking over ownership soon, but it wasn’t on a par with exploring Ahmonell.
Eliza Ann brought Lana two kinds of bread and a pot of raaka, and then bustled away. Lana was staring morosely into her cup, wishing for coffee, when Tyla came in.
“Someone else got up late,” said Tyla cheerfully. She sat down next to Lana, poured a cup of raaka, and took a sip. “Nice jewelry. You’re wearing blue and white for a change.”
Lana looked down. “It’s just topaz, but I like it.” The matching bracelet and ring had been a gift from her parents, and she really should wear the set more often. Blue and white gems alternated in the sterling bracelet. The ring had a center blue stone flanked by white ones.
Tyla reached for a slice of bread. “After breakfast, I’m meeting my family outside. We’re raking gems from the bonfire. I should be out there already, but I had to find someone to watch Eemie. Do you want to come?”
Lana perked up at the invitation. It would be fun, and she had no idea how long the men would be in their meeting.
“Sure. Maybe we’ll find some rare and exciting gems.”
“I hope so. Elias said he’d come check on us when he gets out of his meeting.”
Lana finished her breakfast, went to get her hooded jacket, and met Tyla outside.
The weather was cool with a light breeze, perfect for working outdoors. Lana wore khaki pants and a brown short-sleeve top. If the wind picked up, her jacket might come in handy to protect her hair and clothing from ash.
When they arrived at the bonfire, work was well underway. Tyla’s husband, Lant, a brawny, black-haired gnome, was shoveling ash into a large, square sieve. Tyla’s cousin, Ezek, kneeling on the ground, shook the sieve looking for gems. Ezek wore a piece of cloth over his nose and mouth so he wouldn’t breath in the ash, but his brown hair was coated, and so was his clothing. Tyla’s older sister Arenia was raking. She stopped occasionally to tap charred lumps, dislodging more gems.
Lant looked up. “You get to sort the gems. Elias says he’ll go through them later, but for now, just separate them by color. Everything you need is here.” He drew a grimy sleeve across his forehead and pointed to a group of bowls.
Lana and Tyla went over to the bowls, and Lana picked up a pair of gloves. “What’s the deal with the gloves? Are we supposed to wear these so we’re not touching the Dark gems?”
“Must be,” Tyla said, kneeling and putting on a pair before reaching into the bowl. “These aren’t all Dark, are they?”
Lana knelt beside her and grabbed a handful. “Hopefully not. I’d like to find some we can use.” There were faceted gems and smooth cabochons, some ten to twenty carats, some much larger, in every conceivable color. She had touched Dark gems while switching gems on S’s spell book. Putting her bare finger on a malevolent gem had given her an unpleasant, queasy sensation. That was bad enough; she couldn’t imagine drawing their powers.
With a look of wary fascination, Tyla examined the gems in her palm.
Lana said, “There aren’t any malevolent gems in my world, so when Elias first came here, I can see why he was tempted to experiment with them. He didn’t know just how dangerous they were, or that they can change you.”
Tyla’s expression shifted to a worried frown. She sorted her handful hastily and then wiped her gloved hands on the grass.
Clouds of dust rose as Ezek shook ash through the sieve. He turned his head to avoid the dust, despite having the cloth around his face.
Lant stepped back, coughing. “I hope we’re almost done. How are you coming over there, Arenia?”
At first, Lana had thought they’d given Are
nia the hard job—raking gems from the ashes—but now she could see that job wasn’t so bad after all.
“Not bad.” Arenia set down the rake and used a shovel to smash some charred lumps she had dragged off into the grass. “Lots of gems in these,” she said, kneeling to get a better look. “This one looks interesting. Come here and bring me some gloves.”
Everyone hurried over. The one she showed them was a huge, translucent red gem with color-change properties. In bright light it was distinctly red, but if you blocked the sun by bending over it, it was bluish-purple.
Arenia picked it up and turned it this way and that, murmuring in delight, and then handed it to Tyla. The sisters looked very much alike, Lana thought, as she watched them kneeling side by side. Both had expressive brown eyes, high cheekbones, and slightly pointed chins.
A voice from behind the group called, “Find anything interesting?” Tyla nearly dropped the gem.
Lana turned to see Jules, Elias, and Franklin coming toward them.
“Maybe so,” Arenia said. “Come have a look.”
“It’s beautiful, whatever it is,” Lana said, wondering if it was rare. Would he know what it was?
Tyla stood, the gem in her gloved hands, and the men crowded around her.
“It’s huge,” Franklin said. “How many carats is that, Elias?”
“Without knowing its density, it’s hard to say. Perhaps forty or fifty.” Elias held out his hand for the gem and Tyla gave it to him, but she looked concerned. “It’s not dangerous. It doesn’t have dark powers,” he said, seeing her expression.
“What is it, and what does it do?” Jules asked.
“It’s called color change simbioryte.” Elias held it in his left hand and shaded it with his right. “It’s red in bright light and blue in shade.”
“We noticed that,” Lana said. “We have color change sapphires and garnets at home. This is similar, right?”
Elias smiled. “Well yes, it’s similar in appearance. But can your garnets and sapphires do this?” He picked up the shovel, stood it in front of him, and touched the gem to the handle. Immediately, the shovel began to turn a translucent red, and the gem began to take on the size and shape of the shovel. He removed the gem and let the transformation play out. In a moment, he held two shovels. The original had returned to its normal color and appearance, and the simbioryte shovel was an exact duplicate.
Lana was speechless.
“Now that’s a handy trick,” Jules said in a low, awed voice.
The gnomes looked at one another in amazement and Tyla said, “This must be a rare gem.”
“Yes, simbiorytes are quite rare, but I have a few,” Elias said.
“How long will the transformation last?” Franklin asked. He touched the duplicate shovel as if wanting to prove to himself it was real.
The simbioryte shovel immediately began to shrink and turn red, and when it had reverted to its gem state, Elias held it out on his palm. “If I hadn’t initiated its return to gem form it would have remained a shovel a while longer. How long? That’s determined by two factors: the mass of the transformed object and the strength of the user’s gem powers.”
“Can I try?” Jules asked.
“Certainly.”
Jules took the gem, and then picked up the wire mesh sieve. When he touched the gem to the sieve nothing happened immediately, and Lana wondered whether he would be able to replicate Elias’s results. But after a moment the sieve began to turn red, the gem started to expand, and before long he held an exact copy of the sieve. He smiled in triumph.
“Very good,” Elias said calmly, as if it had been no great feat. “Now turn it back.” He looked around the group. “Who would like to try it next?” His eyes fell on Tyla and Arenia.
Tyla shook her head, blushing, and Arenia muttered, “Maybe later.”
Sometimes, trying a new gem power in front of Elias made Lana nervous, so she understood their reluctance.
When the duplicate sieve had reverted to simbioryte, Jules handed the gem to Lana. “Go ahead. You’re not shy.”
Elias handed her the shovel. Standing it in front of her, she touched the gem to the handle. The transformation began immediately and went without a hitch.
“Yay!” she cried, allowing herself a moment of self-congratulations. She watched the original shovel fade from red back to its original color.
And then something totally unexpected happened.
The original shovel disintegrated into a pile of dust.
She was so stunned she couldn’t speak. Elias looked equally shocked.
“What the—” Jules breathed softly.
The gnomes backed away as if afraid they might disintegrate too.
“Well, that’s a first.” Elias stroked his beard and scowled. “Can you turn the simbioryte shovel back to a gem?”
Her hands were trembling now. “I’ll try.” As she concentrated, the shovel began to shrink and turn red, and soon it was a gem again.
“What do you think happened?” Franklin asked Elias.
Elias thought for a moment, and Lana saw comprehension dawn on his face. “Give Jules the gem and let me see your right hand.”
She gave Jules the gem, then held out her hand, palm up.
“The other side.”
She turned it over. Sunlight glinted off her topaz ring.
“Ah,” Elias said meaningfully. “Just as I thought. Fair Lands gems.”
She pushed up her sleeve to reveal the matching bracelet. “Topaz made the shovel disintegrate?”
“It’s the only logical explanation. Apparently, simbioryte is one of those gems that produces an anomalous reaction if you combine it with the right Fair Lands gem—topaz in this case.”
“So, other Fair Lands gems wouldn’t make it do that?” Franklin asked.
“Probably not. In the days when I could still handle Fair Lands gems, I ran a number of tests. In most cases, native gems that are susceptible to anomalous reactions only react to one Fair Lands gem. Usually, the reaction creates a completely different but useful gem power.”
“Well, this wasn’t useful. It destroyed the original item.” Lana looked down at her destructive jewelry. “Can I try again with something besides a shovel to see if the same thing happens?”
Elias said, “If you like. You should also repeat the experiment by drawing power from other Fair Lands gems. That will prove whether topaz is the only gem that reacts with simbioryte.”
Lana frowned. “Wait a minute. I wasn’t even trying to draw topaz when the shovel disintegrated.”
“I think you subconsciously drew its powers to help you transform the shovel.”
Tyla and Arenia had been silent during this exchange and looked somewhat daunted by all the variables. Elias said to them, “I realize you’re shy in front of an audience, but I hope you’ll use the gem later. See if you can produce the normal transformation.”
“We will,” Tyla said. “Lana can supervise and we’ll try it with her topaz afterward.”
He smiled in amusement. “The three of you can practice to your heart’s content while I’m away, but try not to disintegrate anything rare and valuable. Perhaps you can practice on broken pottery.”
“Speaking of going away,” Lana said, “when are you leaving?”
“Tuesday morning if all goes well.”
“I’m going to miss you. But I suppose the sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll be back with news.”
Elias said to Tyla, “I have a few things to discuss with Lana. When you’re through sorting gems, bring the bowls to my office. Any gems that are safe to use will stay in the office, and I’ll take the rest to Strathweed.”
When Lana looked down at her hand, the ring sparkled innocently. After the mishap with the simbioryte, she wasn’t sure any gem was safe. She had just proven that some could produce dangerous effects even without dark powers.
Chapter 3
Elias sorted gems into trays that had numbered compartments while Lana and Jules took
notes. The ones he couldn’t identify went into a separate tray. The throne had contained rare varieties of both beneficial and malevolent gems as well as common gems with very useful abilities.
When he finished sorting, he showed Lana the equipment in his storage cabinet. She had already seen everything a couple weeks ago when she was poking around on her own, but it seemed best not to say that. The spell book lay on top. Elias said its good personality was dominant now and the book had been quite helpful lately. He had come into the office a few times and found it lecturing the recessive, evil personality, berating it for believing S’s lies.
“Read my logbooks and see which gem combinations I tried in the old days,” he told her. “If you want to experiment, start with those. It’s safer than trying untested combinations.”
“Safer but not as much fun,” she said. “I like to explore uncharted waters.”
“Well, don’t sail too far from shore while I’m away,” he cautioned as he sat down at his desk and she returned to her chair beside Jules. “As we’ve discussed, anomalous reactions are more likely to be strange than dangerous, but the fact is, we don’t know what we don’t know, so to speak. If you’re anything like me, I’m wasting my breath telling you not to experiment with new combinations, but your infused gem powers include foresight and intuition. Don’t ignore them.”
Naturally, Elias and Jules would worry about her while they were gone, but exploring Ahmonell had to be more dangerous than playing with gems in Elias’s office. “I won’t take any crazy risks. And if more clan leaders show up, or we’re swamped with requisitions at the Ministry offices, I won’t have much time for gem studies.”
“I hate to leave Franklin in charge of so much,” Elias said, frowning.
“We’re lucky he’s so dedicated,” Jules said.
“He’d love to go with you, and so would I, but I can’t leave the store that long. I’m lucky I can get here on weekends, and once I take over the store, it’s going to be even worse.”