Sea Glass

9

PAIN RADIATED FROM MY LEFT SHOULDER, SHOOTING DOWN MY arm and ringing my neck. Legs appeared, voices queried and my vision blurred. Hands helped me to stand and I stumbled until an arm wrapped around me. Supported, I lurched to the infirmary with no real memory of the trip.

Healer Hayes’s mouth moved, but I didn’t understand his words. My sister squeezed my hand. I blinked at her in surprise. Nice of her to come along, I opened my mouth to thank her, but Healer Hayes touched the arrow’s shaft and my world turned black.

An insistent poking jabbed my shoulder, each thrust a painful burning spike as if a hot needle gouged my skin. I swatted my torturer with my right hand because my left arm was stuck.

“Stop it, Opal, or I’ll tie down your other arm,” Healer Hayes said.

I peered at him through slits in my eyelids. He fussed with white bandages stained red.

“It hurts.”

“The arrow head went deep, damaging tissue, muscle and bone. I hope you’ll regain use of your left arm.”

I gaped at him. The pain was a mere inconvenience compared with the prospect of a useless arm. How would I work with glass?

“There.” He finished wrapping my shoulder and helped prop a few pillows behind my head. “Are you hungry?”

My stomach felt as if I had swallowed a bucket of sand. “No.”

He sprinkled a white powder into a glass and poured water over it. Handing it to me, he said, “Drink this for the pain, and make sure you consume plenty of liquids today. Tomorrow you will eat.” He set the water pitcher down on the wooden table by my bed.

“How long will I have to stay?” The utilitarian room reminded me of when my sister Tula had been murdered over five years ago. She had been so close to a full physical recovery when her attacker returned to the infirmary to finish the job.

“Until I say you can go.” He patted my hand. “You’re going to need your full strength to face the Council.”

His reminder inflamed my injury. I gulped a few mouthfuls of the bitter water. When he left the room, a guard outside the door moved aside to let him pass. Great. I tried to laugh but it hurt too much. Of all the scenarios I had imagined about my return, being shot by an arrow hadn’t been one of them.

I dozed off and on. Without a window in my room, I couldn’t tell the time. Mara’s strident voice pierced the fog of my thoughts.

“…her sister and if you don’t let me in, I’m going to—”

Her threat was cut off by Hayes’s soothing voice. Then the door flew open and Mara swept into the room laden with a basketful of…stuff. Hayes was two feet behind her. She demanded a prognosis, firing questions at Hayes until she was satisfied.

“Right now, rest is the—” he tried.

“She’ll get plenty of rest,” Mara assured him. “I’ll make sure of that.” She shooed him out the door, then unpacked books, a blanket, biscuits and the glass fox Tula had crafted for my birthday. Mara placed the fox on the table and bustled about with the other items. I studied the little guy. I’d never been able to achieve the same exquisite details with my animals. Those lifelike touches made Tula’s statues sought by collectors.

“Leif sent Yelena a message to return. Healer Hayes is a dear, but you need her healing powers to fix that shoulder,” Mara said.

“Mara—”

“I have given Zitora strict orders that you not be questioned unless I’m there.”

“But—”

“And I’ve sent a message to Mother and Father. The more supporters you have around you the better.”

I gaped at her as if she’d grown wings. “Wow, you have changed. You’re more—”

“What?” She crossed her arms, waiting. She had pulled her long, curly hair into a bun, exposing more of her heart-shaped face.

“Bossy.”

She sighed. “I had to be. You disappeared and no one would tell me what was going on. I badgered Zitora until she caved. But then she still only gave me vague snippets of information.” Frustration laced her voice. She paced in the small room. “I wanted to help you, but I didn’t know where you were.” Mara halted and glared at me. “It was a nightmare for me, a repeat of when Tula was kidnapped. I didn’t want to stand around waiting to be told you had died, but I was forced to. Just like with Tula.”

The truth of her words hit me. I had been so focused on finding Ulrick, I hadn’t even thought about her. “I’m sorry I caused you so much grief. It was very inconsiderate. But you shouldn’t have bothered Yelena, and this is the busy season for Mother and Father.”

“Nonsense. Strength in numbers, my dear.” And just like that she forgave me.

She settled on the single chair by my bedside, wriggling into a comfortable position. Her intention to stay clear, Mara laid a warm hand on my forehead. “No fever for now. Good. Go to sleep, Opal. I’ll be here to watch over you.”

My protest died on my lips. When Tula had been recovering from Ferde’s assault, Mara had stayed home to work in the factory with our brother, Ahir, while I was whisked to the Citadel by Master Jewelrose. Yelena had wanted my help in “waking” Tula. Her trauma had been so severe, her mind had retreated to a fond memory. With Yelena, I traveled through her thoughts and convinced her to return to consciousness.

Tula and I had always been close. Being about eighteen months apart in age, we had been inseparable. We either idolized Mara or were jealous of her. She was the oldest and could do no wrong, acting more like a mother than a sibling. Her beauty and the constant flock of admirers didn’t help our feelings. Our brother received attention because he was the baby.

As I drifted to sleep, I realized Tula and my actions growing up had isolated Mara. I promised I would try to rectify the relationship.

Janco’s complaints woke me. “Bout time. I’ve been here for an hour.”

I cracked an eye open. Janco lounged in the chair with his feet propped on my bed.

“Can’t leave you for one night.” He tsked. “Shot by friendly fire. It sucks to be you.”

“How nice of you to spare my feelings. Any other little joyful nuggets you care to comment on?”

“Sheesh, you’re grumpy in the morning.” He sulked.

“Where’s Mara?”

“Probably sleeping. I gave the poor woman a break—she’s been here for two days straight.”

Two days already. I rolled my shoulder—all I could do with my left arm wrapped tight to my body. Darts of pain radiated.

“I don’t blame her for wanting to stay with you. That was a heck of a homecoming even for the Creepy Keepy.” He brightened a bit. “But she trusts me. She wouldn’t let anyone else stay with you.”

“She’s being a bit overprotective,” I said.

“With good reason. Leif’s been running interference for you, but the Council demanded you report to them tomorrow.” He dropped his feet and sat up. Wincing, he rubbed his side. “Yelena’s here already. We had an early workout, but she’s planning on seeing you later this morning.”

My stomach flipped with mixed emotions. Happy Yelena had arrived and terrified about the Council session.

Healer Hayes entered the room and shooed Janco out so he could change my bandage. He frowned and hemmed as he worked.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him.

“It’s healing. But it’s slow.” His lips pressed together as if he chewed on a thought. “You need to know why.”

My heart beat a faster rhythm. The news had to be bad. I waited as he struggled to find the right words.

“I couldn’t use magic to heal you,” he said.

“Why not?”

“The Masters have erected a null shield around you. No one can work magic through a shield, so your shoulder will have to heal on its own. Sorry.”

I didn’t have the energy to be upset. It wasn’t a surprise. It felt more like a betrayal. I’ve been living in the Keep for five years, working with the Masters on various projects and risking my life. Couldn’t they even give me the benefit of the doubt?

“And sorry about this.” Hayes sliced my bound arm free.

Pain exploded as the weight of my arm dragged on my shoulder. He worked fast and placed my elbow into a sling, but not fast enough to prevent tears from flooding my vision.

He brushed my hair from my eyes when he finished. “How about some good news?” He smiled. “You can go back to your own quarters this afternoon.”

I worried when Yelena didn’t visit, but, as promised, Hayes discharged me. My return to my own quarters should have been a relief, except for my entourage. Two guards, Mara and Janco followed me to my rooms.

Mara fussed about, opened the shutters, changed the linens and dusted. Janco sat on the couch and muttered about the audacity of the guards who remained outside my door.

The apprentice quarters were all identical—a bedroom and living area with a stone hearth. One simple armchair and small couch faced the fireplace on the left side of the room. A wooden table and two chairs occupied the right side of the room, and the bedroom contained a single bed, an armoire and a desk.

“Where are my saddlebags?” I asked Mara.

She stopped for a moment as if deciding. “Confiscated along with your cloak. Sorry, I tried to reason with them.”

I fumed silently and it was a respite when Mara and Janco finally left. Pacing my rooms, I wanted to…What? My shoulder throbbed. I couldn’t work with glass. Zitora hadn’t visited me. I’d been ordered to remain in my quarters until my hearing tomorrow.

The Council session would be my chance to prove myself. I rummaged around my desk for parchment and ink. Good thing I wrote with my right hand. Sitting, I detailed everything that had happened, including conversations. Tama Moon’s hypothetical situation of using my talents as leverage didn’t seem so wrong to me now.

Reviewing the talk with Tama, I realized the actions of the Master Magicians were extreme. If they didn’t know about my ability to siphon magic, then why would Zitora and Irys bring an armed guard with them to the glass shop? Why did they have a null shield around me? Because they knew. And there was only one logical person who could have told them. Councilor Tama Moon.

After a sleepless night caused by worry—where was Yelena?—and pain—the whole left side of my body ached—I reported to the Council as instructed, entering the cavernous great hall in the Council Building. I apologized to the eleven Council members and three Master Magicians for not following a direct order. I attempted to explain my actions, but from their hostility, I knew they had formed their own conclusions and nothing I said would change their minds.

I expected the harsh reprimand. I expected the fear and the comments on my character or lack thereof. I anticipated the disbelief about the Warpers and the blood magic.

What I failed to expect was Zitora and Yelena’s silence, and Councilor Tama Moon’s ruthless undermining of my credibility.

Tama claimed, “Ulrick was working undercover to infiltrate the illegal operations on the northern ice sheet. And to save the Stormdancer.” Her voice resonated with authority in the vast room. “Opal was unaware of this, so her reactions to Ulrick’s cover story would be genuine. Unfortunately, he played his role too well, and she is unable to believe the real story.”

As the silence in the great hall thickened until it clung to my sweaty skin like syrup, I glanced at Yelena and Zitora, appealing to them to correct Tama, to leap to my defense, to do…something. Anything.

Zitora stood. “Councilor Moon speaks the truth.”