The Study Series Bundle

by Maria V. Snyder

  “Alive and well,” I said.

  “Back to his old self?”

  I hesitated, but I wouldn’t let Moon Man change the subject. “He’s fine. Continue your story.”

  “Helping you drained all my energy and I needed to rest for a while,” Moon Man said. “Marrok tracked the Vermin to the Illiais Market and then north to the city of Booruby. It is a thriving place and we lost the Vermin’s trail. Too many people.”

  He shuddered. The motion reminded me of Leif’s claim that Moon Man was claustrophobic. The city was the complete opposite of the wide open space of his home in the Avibian Plains. Located at the northern tip of the Cowan Clan’s lands, Booruby’s eastern side bordered the plains, and was too far for my magic to reach.

  “Where are the others?” Leif asked.

  “We rented a room at one of the inns. I left Tauno and Marrok there to hunt down any information about the Daviians while I rejoined you.”

  Leif looked around the campsite. “How, exactly, did you get here?”

  Moon Man grinned. “A secret Story Weaver power.”

  “You used the moonlight,” I said.

  He beamed his approval. “I came through the shadow world. Moonlight reveals the world of shadows, allowing access.”

  “Is that where you showed me the story of my life?” I asked, remembering the dark plain that had transformed into visions of my childhood.

  “Yes. It is a place where I unravel story threads to help others learn from their past as they weave their future.”

  “Is it a physical place?” I had been there twice. The second time Moon Man had brought Leif and me to untangle our knots of hostility and anger toward each other. Each time, though, I had felt intangible, as if my body had turned into smoke.

  “It exists in the shadows of our world.”

  “Can anyone with magical powers get into the shadow world?”

  “So far, only Story Weavers have the ability. But I am waiting to see if there is another who is brave enough to claim that gift.” His eyes met mine, and I caught a glimpse of shadows. I looked away.

  Breaking the silence, Leif said, “However you arrived, you still need to work on your transportation skills. Maybe next time you can bring some clothes along with you.”

  Leif and I bought Moon Man a tan-colored tunic and pants, and we purchased supplies for the trip. Packing the saddlebags, I readied the horses. Moon Man would ride Garnet until we reached Booruby.

  We went north, taking a well-used path through the forest. I scanned our surroundings with my magic, but thought the odds of being ambushed remained low because of all the other caravans and travelers crowding the trail. Leif also used his magic to smell the intentions of the Vermin, but he couldn’t discern anything.

  Once we reached Booruby, we would find the others and decide our next move. I brooded over the fact we had lost the Vermin and worried about which direction Cahil and Ferde had gone. Back to the plains or plateau? Or engaging in another scheme to gain power?

  Ferde had kidnapped Tula from her home in Booruby. His only victim found alive, Tula had been sent to the Magician’s Keep. I healed her body and found her soul only to lose both to Ferde. Guilt welled in my throat. His freedom ate at my heart.

  I tightened my grip on the reins, causing Kiki to snort in agitation.

  Sorry. I relaxed. I was thinking about Ferde and Cahil.

  Peppermint Man like apple, Kiki said, referring to Cahil.

  Why do you say that? I knew Kiki loved apples.

  He black apple. No one wants.

  I saw an image of rotting apples on the ground.

  Bad. But good come.

  Kiki showed how the seeds inside grew roots and became a tree after the apple decayed. Are you saying a good thing might come from Peppermint Man? Or if he dies, it would be beneficial?

  Yes.

  Cryptic horse advice? Well now I could die happy—I’d heard it all.

  Two days later, we reached Booruby. Clusters of wooden and stone houses marked the outskirts of the city. The forest thinned. And the clear air fogged to a haze of smoke, coal dust and sawdust that hovered over the main street’s buildings. The thick air assaulted us with the smells of garbage mixed with human waste. People bustled along the walkways and wagons full of goods choked the roads. Stores and stands had been wedged between factories and business offices.

  Moon Man’s alarmed face showed his discomfort as we maneuvered our horses through the crowded streets. He led us to the Three Ghosts Inn. The stone-faced building leaned its narrow four-story height against its neighbor. Through a tight alley, we led the horses to an empty stable just big enough to hold six horses.

  The stalls were clean and had fresh straw and water. A stable boy soon joined us as we took off the horses’ saddles. The quiet boy helped us groom and feed them. He shot me a shy smile when I tipped him.

  We had passed a number of inns on our way into the city. “Why this inn?” I asked Moon Man as we carried our bags through the alley.

  “I liked the name. Although…” He paused as if deep in thought.

  “Although?” I prompted.

  “I have not encountered the three ghosts. Perhaps you will have better luck.”

  I laughed. “You don’t really believe in ghosts?”

  Moon Man stopped and I bumped into him. He turned around, revealing his shocked expression. “How can you not? They are lost souls. You can help them find their way. Like you did for Reyad.”

  I put a hand out to steady myself. “Reyad was…” The man I had killed in Ixia. The reason I had been awaiting execution before Valek offered me the food taster’s job. “How did you—”

  “Story Weaver, remember? I know all the threads that are woven into your life.”

  “But I thought his ghost had been my imagination. A manifestation of my fears. Why haven’t I seen any others? If I can help them, why aren’t they all around me?”

  “Perhaps they are and you do not wish to see them.”

  “This is weird,” Leif said.

  I agreed with him. My skin crawled with goose bumps, imagining being surrounded by invisible ghosts.

  “I could teach—”

  “Let’s get inside.” I cut off Moon Man’s offer. Of all the things I wished he would teach me, seeing ghosts wasn’t high on my list.

  “Yes, let’s. I’m hungry.” Leif patted his stomach.

  We entered into a common area. Wooden tables and long benches scarred with hard use lined the slender room. A fire crackled in the stone hearth, but the area was empty.

  “Dinner’s a few hours off,” a woman said. She leaned from a doorway near the back wall. Spotting Moon Man, she smiled and walked toward us. “Mr. Moon! I’m so glad you’re back. Your friends left this morning, but I suspect they’ll be coming back for dinner. Mr. Tauno loves my vegetable stew.”

  The woman’s steel-gray hair was pulled back into a bun. Small wisps of hair framed her oval face. Her fair skin caused me to wonder if she was a refugee from Ixia. When the Commander had launched his campaign to take over Ixia, many Ixians fled to Sitia before the Commander closed the border.

  The innkeeper scanned Leif and me with bright intelligence in her sky-blue eyes. Her gaze lingered on my hands before returning to Moon Man.

  “Will you be needing another room?” she asked.

  “Yes. Mrs. Floranne, this is Yelena and Leif.”

  She wiped her hands on her apron before shaking our hands. “I’ll be showing you to your rooms, then.”

  We followed her up the stairs. Stopping on the third floor, she led us down the slim hallway. She opened the second door on the left.

  “This’ll be Miss Yelena’s room. Will Mr. Leif be staying with you, Mr. Moon, or do you need another room?”

  Sweat beaded Moon Man’s face and he glanced around the tight hallway as if seeking a way out.

  “Leif can stay with me,” I said, spotting two beds inside the tiny room.

  Disapproval radiated from Mrs. Floran
ne’s stiff demeanor, but before she could comment I added, “He’s my brother.”

  Her face softened and she relaxed. “I’ll be ringing the bell when dinner’s ready. Don’t be late.” She left us alone.

  Leif stifled a giggle. “Interesting place you found here, Mr. Moon.”

  “If Leif had been my lover instead of my brother, would she have let us stay together?”

  “I do not know,” Moon Man said.

  “Perhaps the ghosts dislike improper behavior,” Leif said, laughing.

  Moon Man went to his room down the hall to check if Tauno or Marrok had left us a message. I mulled over Leif’s comment as we put our few belongings on the beds.

  “Is it considered improper if Valek and I…? You know.”

  “Yelena,” Leif said with mock indignation. “Don’t tell me you and Valek—”

  “Just answer the question.”

  “Some clans like the Bloodgood Clan are very strict and require a couple to be married before living together. Others, like the Zaltanas, prefer a couple to marry, but don’t get upset if they’re not. Then there are the Sandseeds who don’t even believe in marriage. They just do what they want.” He spread his arms wide. “With their aversion to wearing clothes, I don’t understand why the Sandseed Clan isn’t overrun with children.”

  “We are careful with our seeds of life,” Moon Man said from the doorway. “I did not find a note. Do you want to take a walk through the city? I need…” His gaze traveled around the room. “It is better for me outside.”

  Leif licked his lips. “I don’t know. I don’t want to miss dinner. That vegetable stew’ll be smelling good.”

  “Do not worry. We will hear the bell. The entire city knows when the Three Ghosts Inn is having dinner.”

  We left the inn and wandered through the streets. I used my magic at different locations to find a sign of the Vermin, but there were just too many people around. Their thoughts and emotions crashed against me, and I blocked them out to avoid being overwhelmed. Leif, too, was inundated with smells. We searched the city and listened for any snippets of information.

  A sparkle drew my gaze. Rows and rows of glass animals were displayed inside a store window. The beautiful jewel colors of the statues radiated as if a fire had been captured within their cores. They reminded me of Tula. She had sculpted animals with glass from her family’s factory. Had she created these animals? Was this her family’s store?

  I peered through the window but couldn’t see past the display. Should I go in and ask? Perhaps her family wouldn’t want to see me again. Considering what had happened to Tula and her sister, Opal, I wouldn’t blame them for hating me. After all, the only reason Opal had been kidnapped after Tula had died had been to exchange her life for mine. At the time, I had thought Ferde held Opal, but it had been Alea Daviian, seeking revenge for the death of her brother, Mogkan. Another man whose death I had been part of.

  In Ixia, Mogkan had been power-hungry. He had taken control of not only Commander Ambrose’s mind, but the minds of thirty innocent people. He deserved to die, but Alea had failed to see it my way, and now she was also dead. I sighed. I should stay far away from Opal and her family.

  Death followed me. And perhaps ghosts as well? Was Alea or Mogkan’s ghost haunting me? I held my hands out and turned in a circle, spinning my arms. Nothing.

  Leif and Moon Man were engaged in a debate half a block away. I stepped toward them.

  “Yelena!” a voice called from behind.

  A woman carrying a small crate hustled along the sidewalk. A white kerchief covered her hair, and, even though soot smudged her face and hands, I recognized Opal’s bright smile and I couldn’t resist giving her a quick hug.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I have some business.” Before she could ask what kind, I hurried on. “Is this your family’s store?” I pointed to the glass shop.

  “Oh no. Our factory is on the east side of town, practically in the plains. We sell our glassware through a bunch of stores in Booruby. You have to come visit us!” She twisted her hands together. “That is, if you want to.” She averted her face. “I mean after what I did…”

  Opal yanked her focus from the ground and met mine with a sudden intensity. The shy, uncertain girl who had come to the Keep transformed in front of my eyes. “Let me make it up to you. You will come visit.”

  “You did nothing wrong,” I said with conviction. “You have nothing to make up for.”

  “But I pricked you with Curare!”

  “Alea forced you. And I must admit, that was a pretty good trick.” I had thought once Opal was freed, the danger was gone. A near fatal mistake.

  “But—”

  “You can’t let the past ruin your future. Let’s call it even and start anew.”

  “Agreed. Can you come to dinner this evening?” she asked. Then her mouth dropped in shock and she stepped back.

  Moon Man loomed behind me, blocking the sunlight.

  “You’ll not be missing dinner,” Leif said, copying Mrs. Floranne’s lilt.

  Opal relaxed a bit when she saw Leif. “You can come too. And…your friend?”

  I understood Opal’s fear. At first glance, Moon Man resembled Ferde. But Opal had only gotten a brief glimpse of Ferde through her sister’s memories so she could not really compare the two. I introduced her to the Story Weaver.

  “I think I should wait for Tauno and Marrok to return,” Moon Man said. “You and Leif go. I will see you later tonight.”

  Moon Man raised his eyebrows, giving me a signal. I opened my mind to him.

  Perhaps her family will have some information about the Vermin. Ask them.

  Yes, sir, I replied.

  He flashed me a smile before he left. Opal hurried into the store to finish her deliveries. While Leif and I waited for her, I returned to examining the glass animal statues in the window. Leif joined me.

  “Look at how they glow!” he said. “Which one would you pick? The snake?”

  “No. I’ve had my fill of snakes. I like the horse, but the eyes are the wrong color. They should be blue.”

  Leif laughed. “You’re biased. I’d buy the tree leopard. The detail is amazing. I wonder how the artist is able to get the leopard’s green and yellow pattern just right.”

  “The pattern is inside.” Opal exited the store. “There’s a thin layer of clear glass on the outside.”

  “Did Tula make these?” I asked.

  Sadness welled in her eyes. She blinked back tears. “No. Tula’s are too precious to sell.”

  “Opal, I’m—”

  “Don’t say it,” she said. “Starting anew, remember?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Let’s go.” Opal led the way.

  I worried the girl’s parents wouldn’t be so forgiving, but they greeted us warmly. Their house and glass factory had been built on the edge of the city, surrounded on three sides by the Avibian Plains. The location explained why Ferde had chosen Tula. Keeping the kilns hot, Tula had been in the factory all night alone where no one could witness her abduction.

  Opal guided us on a tour of her family’s business and we met her remaining sister, Mara, and her younger brother, Ahir. The promised meal consisted of beef stew served in a bowl made of bread.

  “Less to wash,” Opal’s mother, Vyncenza, said with a grin.

  Leif sat next to Mara and flirted with her. He even joined her in the kitchen to help clean up. I couldn’t blame him, the beautiful loose curls of her golden-brown hair hung past her shoulders. Kindness radiated from big tawny eyes, and she listened to Leif’s tales with rapt attention.

  While the others cleared the table, Opal’s father, Jaymes, regaled me with stories about his business and his family.

  “…she wasn’t paying attention and set fire to her mother’s apron! It was another four seasons before we would let Tula handle a punty iron again.” He laughed and launched into another one.

  When he had run out of anecdote
s, I asked him about news from Booruby.

  “The Cowan elders are always arguing about how many trees to cut down, and now they want to start taxing the sand I import for my glassware.” He tsked over the prospect. “Rumors about the other clans have always been good fodder for the gossips. This year’s is about those Daviians. Everyone’s worried about them, but the magicians have Tula’s killer in jail and I’m sure the Sandseeds will take care of the rest. They always do.”

  I agreed, but my mind snagged on the fact that he still believed that Ferde was locked away. Not good. Why hadn’t the Council informed the populace? Probably to avoid frightening them. Ferde was still weak, and they had hoped to recapture him by now. Should I tell Jaymes? He had two other daughters. The people should also be told about the Vermin’s Kirakawa ritual. They could help find the Vermin and keep their families protected. But would they panic and hinder our efforts instead?

  It was a difficult choice to make on my own and the benefits of having a Council to vote on important issues became clearer to me. No one member could be held responsible for a bad judgment.

  Delaying a decision, I asked him if his children still worked alone at night.

  “No. No. I work the entire night shift. We’ve learned our lesson and won’t be caught unaware again.”

  “Good. Keep vigilant. The Cowan Clan leaders are right to be worried about the Daviians.”

  Opal returned, giggling. Water splotched her long skirt and she tucked a few stray strands of damp hair back under her kerchief.

  “Water fight,” she said. And before her father could scold, she added, “Mama started it!”

  He sighed but didn’t appear to be too upset. Opal grabbed my hand, wanting to give me a tour of the house. The room she shared with her sister resided on the second floor of the stone house. The air smelled of honeysuckles. Hanging over the one empty bed was Tula’s grief flag. The white silk banner had been part of her funeral ceremony. The Sitians believed that once raised, the flag released Tula’s soul into the sky. Having freed Tula’s soul from Ferde, I knew the Sitian custom just helped comfort the families.