Sea Glass

23

MY SINGLE LIFESAVING SKILL BLOCKED, I WAS…OUTMANEUVERED, outsmarted and outwitted. I would like to say they cheated, but that would be if they played fair. In this situation, no rules applied. However, all was not lost, as I had my own surprise.

Ulrick searched me for weapons, removing my sais, lock picks and glass creatures.

“She has a switchblade tucked into the small of her back,” Tricky said. He stood next to Ulrick with his three goons flanking him. I recognized Boar, Len and Aubin from the attack on The Flats.

Ulrick confiscated the weapon.

“Now what?” Boar asked.

“We should kill her,” Tricky said.

“Don’t be foolish,” Ulrick admonished. “Until we have our own, her messengers are going to make us rich and her blood will make us powerful.”

“She’s dangerous,” Tricky said.

“Not anymore.” Ulrick held out his arms, showing the network of black tattoos. “We’re all protected.”

But Tricky shook his head. “We thought we had her before. Devlen and Crafty lost their powers, and I ended up in an Ixian prison. Bleed her dry now before her Stormdancer boyfriend shows up and blows the place to splinters.”

“No one knows she’s here. We’ll wait for Gressa’s orders. Until then, lock her in the basement,” Ulrick said.

Aubin and Len glanced at Tricky. He nodded. I staggered as Ulrick’s magic released me. They each grabbed one of my arms.

“We’ll go with you,” Tricky said, gesturing to Boar. “She’s been training.”

They dragged me down a flight of stairs. I wished I could fight four men and would have at least tried except I knew Tricky’s magic would paralyze me in an instant.

The basement was all concrete, cinder block and thick wooden doors. A whole row of them—five in all. Tricky pushed the third door open. Aubin and Len shoved me into darkness. I landed hard on the floor.

“Should we chain her?” Len asked.

“Not yet,” Tricky said. He slammed the door shut.

A muted snap of the lock sounded, then nothing. The weak light under the door faded and disappeared. Complete blackness surrounded me.

I remained on the ground, letting various emotions roll through me. Imagining myself as a piece of sea glass caught in the tide, I swayed with each wave. Panic. Fear. Despair. Anger. Chagrin. Hope. Determination.

When I calmed, I pushed all the negative thoughts away and concentrated on the positive. One—Janco would help me. Two—I wasn’t chained. Exploring with my hands, I discovered the room contained a sleeping mat, a chamber pot and chains—four short lengths with cuffs at the ends and attached to the wall. I pulled hard, hanging my weight on a chain. It didn’t move.

I touched every inch of the room within reach and found nothing more, not even a window. The door’s hinges were on the outside and the door lacked a knob. My fingers felt a keyhole—positive number three. I paused to thank Janco before reaching for my shirt’s hem. Another set of lock picks hid inside.

Sitting back on my heels, I hesitated. Both Ulrick’s and Tricky’s magic would sense me. They knew I was here, but could they determine my distance? I didn’t know. What if they posted guards? I doubted one of Tricky’s goons stood in the darkness, but someone could be watching the door at the top of the steps. Only one way to find out.

I extracted my diamond pick and tension wrench with care. No sense leaving a gaping hole as evidence. The lock had a large number of pins; hurrying only hindered my efforts. Time passed. Sweat ran. The pins slipped.

A tremble of relief washed through me as the cylinder finally turned and the door opened. I waited for a cry of alarm, but when nothing happened, I returned my picks and felt my way into the corridor.

At the bottom of the stairs, I paused. Why did Tricky choose the third door and not the one closest to the steps? I tried all the doors. The first and second were locked, but the others swung open. I debated: picking the locks would take more time, but I couldn’t leave people here. Or could I? If I escaped and met up with Janco, we could return with help. Unless Ulrick moved everyone while I tried to convince the authorities. Considering my record, I doubted anyone would believe me.

I crouched next to the first door. “Hello? Anyone there?” I whispered through the crack underneath. Nothing. “Hey. Are you awake?” I called a little louder.

Shuffling noises, then a frightened female voice asked, “Who’s there?”

“My name is Opal. I was a prisoner here, as well. I just escaped. Who are you?”

“Faith Moon, First Adviser to Councilor Moon.”

First? Then I realized she was the former adviser, and one of the main people who’d conspired against Tama. A dilemma. She was supposed to be here.

“Hello? Are you still there? Please help us,” she pleaded.

“Us? Is someone with you?” I asked.

“Yes. Councilor Moon is locked in the room next to mine.”

The poor girl had lost her mind. Tama’s sister Akako must be in the second room. I thought fast. “I’m going to get help for you both. I’ll be back.”

“No! The authorities won’t help you. Come back! Are you there? Everyone believes Tama is safe at the Councilor’s Hall, but she isn’t there. Hello? She’s trapped in Akako’s body.” Sobs emanated.

I felt as if I’d been slammed flat by a heavy slab of marble. My lungs refused to work as shock gripped my entire being.

“Are you there? Please answer!”

Her harsh cry pierced my paralysis. “I’m here.”

“Thank fate!”

“Calm down, you’re getting loud.”

Faith sucked in a few gulps. In a low, intense voice, she continued, “I know it sounds insane, but you’ve got to believe me. Akako and a magician did…something to Tama’s blood and they switched…bodies.”

“I believe you.”

She gasped in surprise. I understood all too well. Before she could say more, I told her my plan to check the door at the top of the steps. If no one guarded the door, I would come back and free her and Tama. No way would I leave them behind.

“Can you unlock cuffs? They’ve chained her to the wall,” she said.

“Why?”

“To punish her. She tried to escape.” Pride filled her voice.

“Why didn’t Akako kill her?”

“She has information they need. They killed all her other supporters. I’m alive for only one reason. To ensure she cooperates.”

With that gruesome image in my mind, I crept up the stairs, feeling for the door. I counted fourteen steps before I touched the wood. The knob turned without a creak and I pushed. Unlocked, it swung open. No cry of alarm sounded.

I waited. Darkness pressed on the windows. When I was satisfied, I returned. The lock on Faith’s door resisted, but with more time than I could afford, I popped it, figuring out the trick to keep the pins aligned. Tama’s lock popped within seconds.

Faith quickly explained to Tama as I worked on the Councilor’s cuffs. The woman sagged in my arms when I finished. She whispered a thank-you in my ear before straightening.

“Let’s go,” Tama said.

We held hands, forming a line. I led the women to the steps. At the top, I instructed them to run as soon as we left the building. The presence of three people would no doubt alert Ulrick and Tricky, who, I hoped, slept on the second floor, since I hadn’t seen bedrooms on the first level.

“Faster is better,” I whispered. “If we get separated, meet up behind the Dolomite Inn’s stables.”

They nodded in determination.

It was a real shame we didn’t even make it to the door. Tricky and his men poured from the shadows, creating a barrier between us and freedom.

“I thought you were smart,” Tricky said to me. “Then again, you probably didn’t realize just how much power I’ve amassed since our last encounter. Your blood has given me a boost, and I’m well on my way to Master level.” He gestured to his men. Boar and Len grabbed Faith and Tama. They dragged the women back toward the stairs. Faith’s cries pierced me.

“You would have gotten farther without them,” Tricky said.

I shrugged, projecting nonchalance even though my heart crawled up my throat. Janco was being smart. If he tried to rescue me, Tricky would have him, too.

“Not much farther,” Tricky added. “As soon as you touched the basement door I knew. I’ll give you extra kudos for popping all those locks. I guess Ulrick didn’t do a proper search.” His gaze swept my body.

Oh no.

Boar and Len returned.

“You boys go to bed. I’ll see to our guest.” Tricky advanced.

The goons leered, made rude comments and left.

Not good.

“Time for a proper search. Take off your clothes.”

No way. I bumped into a gaffer’s bench. Scrambling around it, I kept backing up. He continued to advance until I hit a wall.

He stopped inches from me. “Last time. Strip.”

I fumbled with my shirt, yanking out the lock picks. “Here.” I thrust them at him. “They’re all I have. Honest!”

“Excuse me if I don’t trust you.” He reached for my collar.

I knocked his arm away. Big mistake. His magic wrapped around me, holding me immobile. He ripped my shirt open, then tore my undershirt off. His hot hands burned my skin as he pretended to search my upper body for weapons.

“Sir?” Aubin said from behind him.

He stopped. “It better be important.”

“You should wait for instructions from the Councilor before…harming her. Her cooperation is critical.”

He laughed. Tugging at my pants, he said, “This will ensure her cooperation. After I’m done, she’ll do anything I ask.”

“You just need to wait a day at most. The Councilor and Gressa may be upset.”

“I don’t care. Go away.”

Satisfied with the ensuing silence, he pulled my pants down to my knees. I strained, wanting to scream when he touched my leg, but I was unable to make any noise.

Then he lurched forward as a horrible thud sounded. Bouncing off me, he dropped to the floor. His magic released its hold on me.

Janco held a blowpipe. “Come on.”

I yanked my pants up and wrapped the remains of my shirt around my chest. “Are you insane? There are powerful magicians here.”

“Which is why we’re leaving.”

We ran from the building and headed toward the woods. And slammed into an invisible barrier. It knocked us backward.

“You Sitians with your magic,” Janco said in exasperation.

He helped me to my feet. We turned around. Ulrick, Len and Boar approached. Janco pulled a pipe from his pocket and loaded a dart. But before he could aim, the pipe flew from his grasp.

“Damn Sitians.” Janco drew his sword, but Ulrick raised his hand. The weapon sailed from his grip to Ulrick.

“Damn magicians,” Janco cursed.

Regret pushed out my fear. I shouldn’t have asked Janco to help me. Ulrick reached us. He pointed Janco’s sword at the Ixian. “Who are you?” When Janco refused to answer, Ulrick poked him in the chest with the sword’s point.

Janco cringed but remained silent. Ulrick turned to Len. “Did you know he was hanging around?”

“No,” Len said.

Ulrick cursed. “Who are you working for? Who knows you’re here?” He jabbed Janco twice.

Even though blood soaked his tunic, Janco kept quiet. I recognized his demeanor. He had shut down, displaying no emotion. He had done the same thing when Ox’s whip caught him.

“Check his pockets,” Ulrick ordered.

Len and Boar frisked him. They piled an impressive number of weapons on the ground.

“He’s an Ixian,” Boar said.

“We should kill him,” Len said.

“Not yet. Once Tricky is conscious, he can extract all the information we need from his mind. Take him down to the holding cells for now. Chain him up. I’m not taking any chances. You.” Ulrick pointed to me with the sword. “Come.”

No choice. I followed Ulrick back inside while Boar and Len escorted Janco to the basement. We entered an office on the ground floor.

Ulrick found a pair of gray coveralls and tossed them at me. “Change your clothes.”

“Here? Now?”

“Yes. I don’t want any more surprises.” He sat behind the desk. “You’ve been full of them, Opal. Picking locks, finding this place, escaping twice, and now your friend.” He ran his fingers through his hair. It had grown longer since our encounter in Ognap. “If you hadn’t been such a pain in the ass, I would be proud.”

“Those escape attempts failed and now a man’s life is in danger. Real inspiring,” I said.

“You’re stalling. Get changed or I’ll make you.”

I turned my back to him and put on the baggy coverall. It was sized for a man. I piled my clothes. No real loss, since I gave the last of my picks to Tricky. If I lived through this, I would have to conceal more weapons on my person. Big if.

When I finished, I met his gaze. Those blue eyes appraised me with cold calculation, which was better than lust. With his increase of blood magic, his soul now matched Devlen’s body and seeing him no longer shocked me. I wondered if Devlen’s soul had also transformed.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“I miss Ulrick. The real Ulrick who wanted to assign a battalion of guards to protect me.”

“That lovesick puppy dog?” He spat the words out. “Good riddance to him.” Ulrick leaned back in his chair. “I guess I should thank you. If it wasn’t for your rejection, I’d still be that weak whiner.”

Wonderful. Another screwup courtesy of Opal. Lives ruined while you wait. How many people had I harmed so far? Too many to count. “I made a mess of things.”

“Yep. Sit down.”

I plopped in the chair in front of his desk. Talking to him was better than being locked in the dark.

“Who’s your friend?” he asked.

I saw no reason to lie and wanted to spare Janco from being interrogated with magic. “An Ixian named Janco. He’s working for me. No one knows he’s here.”

He huffed in amusement. “Right. I shouldn’t have bothered. No worries. Tricky is very good at reading minds.” He appraised me. “You know what’s going to happen next. Don’t you?”

“You’ll take my blood and force me to make messengers for Gressa.”

“Force how?”

I stared at him. “You need ideas?”

He laughed. “Guess not. Although you could tell me which one would be most effective?”

“No.”

“Why don’t we skip it. You know you’ll give in. You might have changed, but you still care.”

“I don’t care,” I said. “Not anymore. Everyone has either lied, betrayed or hurt me.”

“If you didn’t care then why did you spend all that extra time rescuing Tama and Faith?”

“Because I thought I’d use them. Put them in the line of fire so I could escape.” I swept my hand out as if dismissing their deaths as an unfortunate side effect.

“Nice try. If I really believed that, I’d try to recruit you.” He tapped his fingers on the desk as he considered. “You know Gressa will send Devlen.”

Instinctively, I shuddered.

“He doesn’t need to threaten the ladies or your Ixian friend to get you to cooperate.”

“I know.”

“Then why endure the torture?” Ulrick’s curiosity seemed genuine.

My reasons faded when exposed to logic. I had been producing the glass messengers for Gressa for the last half season. Why would this be different? Because then I thought I had control and now I wouldn’t? But I really wasn’t in charge. This whole mess with Ulrick and Gressa went deeper than I imagined. I had deluded myself into thinking I could beat them at their own game.

“How about a deal?” I asked.

He raised his eyebrows, inviting me to continue.

“I’ll make the messengers for you, if you don’t kill Tama, Faith or Janco.”

“Janco’s too dangerous to keep alive,” Ulrick said. “Unless…”

“I’ll bite. Unless what?” I braced for the ultimatum.

“We’ve reached a dead end with blood magic. Devlen claims he doesn’t know any more. We need guidance from one of the Warpers you imprisoned.”

I laughed. “Couldn’t you come up with something original? Devlen tried it before and it didn’t work. This greed for magical power will only get you killed. Look at Roze Featherstone. She was a Master Magician, the strongest of the strong. Even adding to her power, she still failed. There are too many others to stop you.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I’d made a gigantic mistake. Colossal. If I had felt guilty before, it was a mere scratch compared to what I had set into motion. At least when I screwed up, I triggered major disasters. No sense doing things halfway.

With numb horror, I watched as Ulrick’s expression went from concern to contemplative as he chased the logic.

“You’re right. The Master Magicians and Yelena would eventually get in our way.” Ulrick smiled. “Unless…”

I kept quiet. No sense helping him.

“Unless, we neutralize them. Which would be impossible if we didn’t have you.”