He snapped his fingers. “Smart girl, I knew I liked you for a reason. If Vasko found out what I’ve been doing…” He shuddered. “That’s why I triggered the cave-ins. If everyone thinks I’m dead and buried under tons of rubble, no one will search for me. And I’m free to pursue other interests.”
“Except I know.” A rush of cold fear swept through me. “I’m a casualty, too.”
“Yep. Otherwise your friends and family would tear Sitia apart looking for you. And they are way too powerful for my liking.”
“They’ll do it anyway. Unless there’s proof of my death.”
“The searchers will find your backpack and if they dig deep enough, they’ll find a crushed female corpse wearing your clothes. She’s approximately your age, size and weight and has the same hairstyle. Although I must admit, the short cut looked better on her.”
I closed my eyes, letting grief for the anonymous woman overcome me for a moment. Then I shoved it deep. I would need to focus. “Why bother with this elaborate ruse?”
“I’m tired of playing in Vasko’s sandbox. I’ve a new partner. He’s a simple man and only wants one thing in exchange for giving me control over the black diamonds and the super messengers.” Galen gazed at me as if appraising a vein for hidden gemstones. “Aren’t you going to ask?”
“Who is it?”
“Aren’t you curious what he wants?”
“No.”
“Ah, denial. Doesn’t matter, you’ll find out soon enough.” Galen pulled a dart from his coverall and approached me.
“You don’t need that,” I said, thinking fast. “I’m lost down here. I can’t run away.”
“Nice try, but I’ve a few tasks to finish before we go.” He jabbed the dart into my arm. As my head spun, he dropped the null shield. I sagged forward and he caught me.
“Believe it or not, you’re better off with me,” he whispered in my ear.
A pounding headache woke me. I kept my eyes closed, wishing I was immune to Finn’s…er…Galen’s sleeping drug, since the magic immunity didn’t do squat against him. Immobilized and lying on my back, I smelled the familiar aroma of damp minerals. Opening my eyes didn’t change a thing. Pure blackness surrounded me.
The rough floor scratched my back as I squirmed, but I couldn’t move my arms or legs, so he must have secured them. The crook of my right arm throbbed.
As the drug wore off a strange feeling of being satiated welled. Alarmed, I confirmed my coverall remained on. What had Galen done to me while I was unconscious? I yanked and pulled and tried to free my limbs, but the bands holding them down didn’t budge.
I waited. The damp air seeped into my skin, numbed my hands and caused bouts of uncontrolled shivers. Keeping my thoughts on the positive, I ignored the panic building in my dry throat.
My muscles stiffened and ached. Galen had a nasty sense of humor if he thought this was better than… What? Vasko using me as a test subject? Sounded bad, but what tore my heart was my family and friends believing I was dead. What if I never saw them again?
My biggest regret was not apologizing to my mother, not explaining everything to her and not taking her into my confidence. The reasons seemed petty now. I had wanted to save her from worry and grief, but the real truth was I wanted to save myself from the hassle of having to explain my actions to her and dealing with her reaction.
And I had pushed Kade away, too. Running off after my blood, I only thought of myself and no one else. At least now, he’d be free to find someone to settle down with. What about Devlen? Would he continue his rehabilitation? I hoped so.
My thoughts lingered on all the people who would be affected by my so-called demise. Not only my family, but Nic, Eve, Yelena, Ari, Janco and Valek. The list lengthened when I added, Tama, Faith, Reema, Teegan, Fisk and Zitora.
With all these people in my life, how could I whine about feeling empty? What a brat!
After an eternity of blackness, a glow pushed it back and then burned my eyes. Squinting, I peered at my surroundings. A small cave with one opening that led to a tunnel which housed the source of the growing brilliance. Boots crunched on loose stones, coming closer.
As the footsteps neared, I shut my eyes, pretending to be unconscious. The light shone on my face, stabbing straight through my closed eyelids. After a shuffling scrape, a clink sounded.
“Opal?” Galen asked. “I know you’re awake.”
“The light’s…too bright,” I said. Speaking took effort and my voice rasped as if I had gargled rocks. I thought longingly of the cup of water he had offered me before.
Metal rattled and the glow dimmed. I opened my eyes. The lantern had been placed as far away as possible in the meager space. Galen crouched down and lifted my head with one hand and tipped a canteen full of water to my mouth with the other. I gulped it down greedily, making a mess and not caring if it was poisoned or not. The water poured over my cracked lips and soothed my throat.
He pulled the bottle away and shrugged off his backpack. With a hand dipping inside the pack, he met my gaze. “I forgot to ask. How do you feel?”
“Do you want me to list my complaints? Or should I just roll it all into one big tale of woe?”
“Sarcasm aside. Do you feel like your old self?”
A little zing of… What? Fear, hope and panic zipped.
Galen withdrew a package wrapped in leather. With theatrically slow movements, he peeled the layers off. The vibrations reached me first, humming deep within my chest. He uncovered a glass tiger—one of mine! An inner fire glowed from its depths and the magic trapped inside sang to me, welcoming me. My heart squeezed with a moment of joy. Then despair crushed it. Even though my magic had returned, it wouldn’t do me a damn bit of good against Galen.
He had watched my face as he sprang his surprise. “You can thank me later.” Setting the tiger on the ground near my head, he reached into his pack and drew out a vial filled with a bright red liquid.
My blood?
He flourished it. “This isn’t what you think it is. I already injected all your blood back into you.” To emphasize his point, he touched the sore spot on the crook of my right arm. “This blood is mine.” Galen set it next to the glass tiger, then retrieved a couple syringes from his pack, lining them up in a neat row.
“I told you Vasko’s been experimenting with blood magic. He hasn’t discovered the perfect combination, yet, but his tests have produced a number of strange results. A few of them caused the complete opposite effect—test subjects who craved even more power.”
Questions formed, but they stuck to the roof of my mouth when Galen began rolling up my right sleeve past my elbow. He picked up one of the syringes and filled it with his blood. Then did the same for the second syringe.
“When you inject a magician’s blood directly into another magician’s bloodstream, it doubles the receiver’s power. It also quadruples the consequences.”
He tied a rope around my upper arm and rubbed a thumb over the crook of my arm.
Panic burst from my chest with one word. “No!” I thrashed and strained, channeling every bit of strength I had into breaking free. Nothing worked.
Galen didn’t have to wait long until exhaustion swept over me and I stilled. No food equaled no energy. Unable to watch him, I turned my head.
“You may be interested to note that injecting a magician’s blood into a regular person does nothing but make them stink of magic. They remain unable to access the power source.”
A prick of pain then pure fire raced through my arm. Another prick sent it rushing across my shoulders. I screamed when it engulfed my heart and magical energy consumed me as if I burned alive. Power flowed through my body, sending a healing wave. All my aches and pains disappeared. Strength returned and instinctively I knew I could pick Galen up and smash him into a wall.
The magic swirled around me, loose and messy and growing. I realized I had grabbed too much just like Teegan. Modifying my advice to him, I imagined the power as molten glass. I gathered it and returne
d it to the cauldron or rather the blanket of power. The effort left me shaking.
“Impressive,” Galen said. “You have excellent control. You must have learned something useful at the Keep after all.” Galen repacked his supplies. “With my blood, you have my skills as well as your own glass magic. I can move objects, heal and read people’s emotions enough so I know if someone is lying or not. And there might be a few hybrid powers with the mix.”
When he unlocked the cuffs holding me down, I puzzled over why he would give me such power, but after sorting through his explanation fear bloomed in my chest.
“You mentioned consequences,” I said. “What are they?”
He shouldered his pack and helped me to my feet. I wobbled as a dizzy spell threatened.
When I steadied, he grabbed the lantern. “I’ll tell you on the way.”
I followed him through the mines. We encountered no one. After we navigated a series of turns, he slowed so I could walk next to him. “There are four side effects to your current condition. One. You can’t harm me with your magic. Or, more accurately, our magic.”
Icy fingers stroked the back of my neck as I remembered Galen had injected his blood into me. A creepy sensation flowed over me as if a million ants crawled on my skin.
He tapped a finger on his chest. “Every beat of your heart mixes our blood together.”
I stopped. “I was hardly a threat to you before.”
“Remember when you insisted to Ulrick you wouldn’t be ruled by an addiction? That you were smart enough to avoid blood magic?”
“Yes.”
“Well.” He spread his hands wide. “You weren’t smart enough to avoid it. As for the question of addiction, time will tell. You feel fine now, but it won’t be long before you’re begging me to give you more power.”
“I—”
“That’s two consequences. Do you want to know the other two now or later?”
I leaned against the wall. “Now.”
“Brave girl. The third side effect is we’re connected. You can block your emotions from me by using magic, but each time you use our magic, our connection grows stronger. Eventually, you’ll be unable to resist my orders.” He smiled. “I’m looking forward to that one. Especially since right now you’re stronger than most magicians.”
Panic squeezed my insides. I panted with the effort to draw in a breath. The tunnel spun and Galen blurred. This was worse than being tortured. I reined in my swirling emotions. Think! Plan!
The obvious answers appeared first. Don’t use magic. Kill Galen. Find Yelena.
He laughed. “You can try to kill me, but you lack that killer instinct.” He resumed walking.
I fell behind, hoping distance would help dilute the connection.
“You should ask me about the last side effect before you get too far away from me,” Galen said over his shoulder.
“Why?” I demanded.
“The test subjects felt too ill when separated more than a few hundred feet from their creators.”
That one was hard to believe. In fact, the whole situation sounded ridiculous. I tried to suppress my fear and panic. I’d been in bad situations before. However, I couldn’t keep the thought—that if Galen told the truth, then I was truly screwed—from my mind.
“Fear, panic and was that a hint of acceptance at the end?” he asked.
Frustration boiled. “Would you stop that!”
“Make me.”
If I had any chance of escape, I had to block him. Unsure how to build a barrier, I envisioned a thick glass wall between my emotions and Galen’s.
He smirked. “The first link in the chain, binding you to me.”
“Why do this to me? You could have just dragged me along with you.”
“True, but your glass magic is valuable to me and my partner. And I’m aware of your history. You won’t use your magic because I ask nice or because I threaten you with bodily harm. I guess I could have kidnapped someone you cared for, but that would complicate things. This is a perfect solution. Once the chain is complete, you’ll be my…”
Galen pretended to be deep in thought. “What should I call you? My creation? My offspring? No, they suggest a fondness between us. My victim? My dupe? My servant? No, they’re not quite right. I think the best descriptor is my slave.”
“How many times did you practice that speech?” Sarcasm and fury sharpened my tone.
I spent the rest of the trip imagining all the ways I would kill him. The depth of my creativity surprised and inspired me.
We exited the mines and entered the dark forest surrounding Ognap. A half-moon peeked out between clouds as a warm breeze rustled the leaves. “How long—”
“Two days,” he said.
I considered escape as we hiked through the foothills. Soon the lanterns from Ognap flashed between the trees. When we reached the outskirts, I bolted for town.
Galen laughed and yelled that he would wait for me on the south road. I ignored him. Instead I debated if I should report Galen to the Ognap security forces or find Nic and Eve first. Potential power throbbed inside me. With this much magic, I could contact Yelena from here.
No. No magic. I headed toward the inn. The streets were deserted at this late hour. I hit the wall about four blocks from the Tourmaline Inn. Not an actual wall, but the…force that slammed into me caused me to stumble. It seized my body and yanked. I stepped back before I realized what I was doing. Concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, I managed to go two more steps. Sweat dripped from my brow and soaked my underclothes. The miner’s uniform’s rough fabric seemed to tighten around me.
My muscles trembled and I struggled to remain on my feet as bouts of nausea and dizziness rolled through me. Unable to go another inch, I searched the pockets of the coverall for some clue I could leave behind to let my friends know I was still alive. But my switchblade and lock picks were gone. No surprise. Instead, I called Quartz. Sinking to the ground, I rolled into a ball to wait.
When Quartz trotted into view, relief soothed. Her disappearance could be a clue for the others.
Fire Lady safe, she said in my mind with pleasure.
Shock at hearing her creamy voice inside my head dominated for a moment. I pulled it together and asked, Is that my horse name?
Yes.
Why?
Quartz was confused I needed to ask. Images of me gathering a molten slug of glass flashed in her mind. Control fire.
Her choice of words reminded me of Galen. I had used magic to contact her! Did I just imagine the sound of a click in my mind? Another link in the chain? How long was the chain?
Quartz nudged me with her nose. Smell different.
I wrapped my arms around her neck. Unwilling to break our bond, I asked, Good or bad smell?
Fire brighter.
I sensed that was a positive thing.
Smell not herd.
Which meant she smelled Galen’s magic and didn’t like it. In other words, both. Either way, I needed to stop using magic.
The need to be with Galen overcame me. I couldn’t resist any longer. In a fog, I mounted Quartz. Spurring her into a gallop, we chewed up the distance between me and Galen. With each stride the horrible pain subsided until I wilted in relief.
I met up with him on the south road. Galen sat on a brown horse with white socks. Her mane had been braided. The thin braids hung from her head to her shoulders.
“I didn’t think you’d reach the inn,” he said, then peered past my shoulders, seeking with his magic. “Good. You weren’t followed. I’d hate to leave dead bodies in our wake. Come on.” He urged his horse into a gallop, heading south.
We followed. The road snaked along the Emerald Mountains foothills and ended at the border of the Daviian Plateau. Small villages and other working mines dotted the area. A tiny town called Delip was located farther south, but nothing else of note. The Warpers had lived in the plateau before they invaded the Citadel. Perhaps a few still hid there.
When
the sun rose, we camped on the edge of the Avibian Plains, staying back far enough to avoid triggering the protection. Galen’s saddlebags were filled with supplies, and he even managed to obtain a set of my travel clothes. As he cooked stew, I changed behind Quartz, glad to be out of the miner’s coverall. I wadded it into a ball and stuffed it behind a bristle bush, leaving what I hoped was another clue.
Starving, I downed the meal without care and collapsed near the fire.
Nightmares plagued my sleep. I dreamed of Teegan and Reema. They cried for help; someone had set fire to their house. I reached and pulled magic, dousing the flames. But their clothes had ignited. The harsh scent of burned flesh spurred me to extinguish the fire on them and to send healing magic for their blisters.
The fire then traveled to Leif and my sister. Once they were safe, it spread to Councilor Moon and Faith. I kept the inferno at bay until I used all my energy. When I reached the point of exhaustion, the flames rushed in and engulfed me.
I jerked awake. My skin tingled and my bones felt as though they had been baked in an oven. Our campfire had gone out despite having plenty of wood. Fatigue weighed on me as if I hadn’t slept at all. The effort to get ready depleted the little strength I had left. Unable to resist the warm sunshine, I napped as we rode, trusting Quartz to keep me safe.
We kept close to the border of the plains as we headed south. Galen avoided the small towns in the foothills of the mountains. We traveled at night and slept in the morning.
By the fourth day of our trip, we reached a deserted section of the Cloud Mist’s lands. The flat land between the mountains and the Avibian Plains narrowed. In a couple days we would reach the Daviian Plateau.
When we stopped for a water break, I summoned the strength to ask Galen about our destination.
“You have enough information to figure it out on your own,” he said.
I had been concentrating on finding a way around our blood connection without success. Reviewing his comments from inside the mine, I pieced them together. He desired control over the black diamonds and super messengers. If the gems had been found in Vasko’s mine, then he wouldn’t have staged his own death. So my theory of the diamonds coming from the Bloodrose Clan was correct.
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