Sea Glass

4

CONFUSION REIGNED. BETWEEN THE TOWN’S GUARDS AND THE factory workers, we were overwhelmed. Janco and I admitted defeat and surrendered our weapons. Explanations about why we had forced our way into Gressa’s glass factory fell on deaf ears. It was obvious we didn’t belong there. As we were led to the guards’ headquarters, I hoped we would get a chance to tell our side of the story.

However, once we arrived at the station, we were stripped of our possessions, dumped into adjoining cells and left. The metallic clang of the lock echoed in my ears with a sickening familiarity. I counted the number of times I had been imprisoned and had to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Janco asked.

Three of the cell’s walls were stone, but iron bars lined the door and front wall, allowing me to talk with Janco. “Just thinking about how this time is a legitimate arrest versus some of my other incarcerations.”

“Ah, yes. I’m sure we’ll be charged with trespassing, breaking and entering and attempted armed robbery. They’ll probably add in resisting arrest and disorderly conduct for good measure.”

“Sounds like you’ve had experience.”

“Knowledge learned from my misspent youth. You gotta love the disorderly-conduct charge. It covers a wide range of behaviors, and, to my mother’s horror, I was determined to test the boundaries.” Humor laced his voice. “Speaking of bad behavior, I think I’ll wait until dark to pick the locks.”

“But they searched you and confiscated your picks.”

He laughed. “Let me tell you a story about a beautiful seamstress in Ixia. Dilana has a fine hand with needle and thread and a fine smile, too—all warm and caring. Although she found my request to be a bit…odd, she acquiesced. With her clever stitchery, she has sewn lock picks into all my clothing. They’re just a ripped seam away.”

“I’m glad you’re using your knowledge for good.”

“My mother’s ecstatic, and my new position earns enough money to pay for her hair dye.” He tsked. “Poor woman went gray at a very young age.”

Poor woman indeed.

“We should be here overnight,” Janco said. “The guards know who you are and are probably contacting the magicians at the Citadel as we speak. If they decide not to press charges, we’ll probably be escorted there. I don’t think the Council will trust me again to bring you home.”

“Who would press charges?” I asked.

“Gressa owns the factory, so it would be up to her.” He paused. “I thought you said she was a fugitive.”

“She was. Something must have happened.” I considered. Gressa had been helping Councilor Moon’s sister by crafting realistic yet fake diamonds from glass. The sister had been selling these fakes to finance her efforts to overthrow the Councilor.

The Sitian Council would honor a new Moon Councilor if she had gained her position through legitimate channels. The Moon Clan had a matriarchal government. The Councilor’s oldest daughter inherited the position, but there had been times in the past when the Moon Clan’s citizens had believed another sister was a better candidate for the job. They would stage a coup, and install their chosen with little to no bloodshed. The Council viewed this as the will of the people and accepted the new Councilor.

However, if the efforts to usurp the present Councilor originated from the dissatisfied sister, and if she used illegal means to purchase weapons and bribe the townspeople, then the Council wouldn’t accept her and they would help the ousted woman regain her rightful position.

Master Magician Irys Jewelrose and Yelena had been in Fulgor to keep an eye on developments, to learn who led the unrest and to protect the Councilor. She had been convinced she was targeted for assassination, an illegal act according to the Sitian Council.

Irys’s signature on my order to return to the Citadel meant she was no longer here. The crisis must have been averted. Otherwise, if the sister had gained power, the Council would have interfered. However, neither option felt right to me.

“Do you feel the…unease in the townspeople?” I asked Janco. “Or is it just my imagination?”

“It’s not your imagination. The people around here are as tight as bowstrings. I could probably play a tune if I brushed up against enough of them.”

“What about your interaction with the guards?”

“Wary and watchful. But that’s typical behavior. I’m surprised by how civil they’ve been to me, considering I’m Ixian.”

“It’s because we don’t automatically assume you’re a vile magician intent on harm like you Ixians do when meeting a Sitian.”

Janco harrumphed. “I don’t assume that.”

“No?” Doubt colored my voice.

“I assume you’re a vile magician.”

“There’s no difference.”

“Yes, there is. I don’t assume your intentions are harmful. I know no matter what your intentions are, magic causes harm to someone somewhere at some time.”

“Oh, that’s right. You’re the expert on Sitians. You should have been the one appointed liaison between Ixia and Sitia instead of Yelena. Unless it’s because the Commander and the Council have at least a crumb of intelligence between them.”

“Nasty, Opal. I must have hit a nerve. Perhaps it was my ‘magic causes harm’ remark. You have plenty of experience with that.”

“Shut up.”

“As you wish.”

I brooded in silence. Dozens of examples of positive results from using magic popped into my mind. Stormdancers tamed killer storms, healers saved lives, Story Weavers helped people and my glass messengers sped up communications between the clans. All good.

My thoughts drifted and without a window in my cell, I lost track of the time. I slept on the single piece of furniture in the room—a hard metal ledge. The jangle of keys woke me. A door slammed and two guards appeared in front of my cell.

“Come on,” the guard on the left ordered. He unlocked my door.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“You’re wanted for questioning.” He swung the bars wide.

His word choice failed to hearten me. “By whom?”

“Councilor Moon’s First Adviser. Turn around.”

I hesitated and his partner stepped inside. The larger man held a pair of manacles.

Holding my hands up, I said, “They’re not necessary. I’ll cooperate.”

“Good to know,” the man with the cuffs said. “Turn around.”

He loomed over me and I wondered if towns sought bullies to hire as guards on purpose or were they naturally drawn to the job. Or perhaps the mean disposition was a side effect of the position. If I had to deal with guarding criminals all day, I would probably be surly, too.

“It’s really not—hey!”

He spun me around and pushed me against the wall. Before I could draw another breath, my wrists were shackled together behind my back.

“Sorry. Orders.” He pulled me toward the door.

He didn’t sound sorry. I tripped over the threshold and the other man steadied me before I fell into the corridor. I glanced at Janco’s cell. He stood near the door.

“What about my companion?” I asked.

“The Ixian…” The guard’s mouth twisted as if he had a piece of gristle stuck between his teeth. “Stays here.”

“But I’ll be bored and lonely without her,” Janco said.

“Not my problem. I have my—”

“Orders.” Janco rolled his eyes. “Now I know where all the truly brainless Sitians can be found. Right here with all the wimpy Sitians.”

The bully stepped toward his cell.

“Nic, stop,” the guard warned. “He’s trying to bait you.”

“Listen to your friend, Nicky.” Janco smirked. “He’s going to save you from major embarrassment. You’ll never live down getting beaten by an Ixian.” He made shooing motions with his hand. “Now run along like a good little puppy dog.”

I bit my lip to keep from smiling as I remembered a lesson learned from Yelena’s brother Leif. Never underestimate the power of the pest.

Nic’s body tightened, and a slight tremor traveled through his muscles as if he fought the desire to strike out. He turned his back on Janco and strode down the corridor. An impressive display of restraint.

Disappointment creased Janco’s face.

Before the other guard could move, I said, “If you get too bored, think of a better ending to your quartz story. The rock-glowing-in-the-moonlight part didn’t make any sense. And having a meeting at midnight is such a cliché.”

“But that’s my favorite part,” Janco whined.

“Come on.” The guard wrapped his thick hand around my upper arm and led me down the corridor.

I glanced back at Janco and met his gaze. He nodded, signaling he understood my hint. If I didn’t return tonight, he would escape and meet me at Quartz and Moonlight’s stable around midnight. I smiled at the irony.

Of course, my plan included my own escape—a more doubtful prospect. The next time Janco and I had a few minutes together, I would ask him to show me how to pick a lock. It was a skill I hadn’t needed before my apprentice year at the Magician’s Keep, but, by the way trouble kept finding me these past two seasons, my lack of knowledge could be fatal.

The Masters should add lock picking to the Keep’s curriculum, but then again it could backfire on them. The Keep’s cells were warded against any magical escape, but I didn’t know how they protected against mundane methods. Guess I would know the answer in time. I shuddered, thinking about how upset the Council would be when I finally returned.

My escort believed I was cold, and he wrapped my cloak around my shoulders. Nic joined us as we exited the station and walked across the street to the Councilor’s Hall. The white dome of the expansive building could be seen from most places in the city. Fulgor was the capital of the Moon Clan’s lands, and housed all the government and military buildings for the Clan. Constructed from white marble streaked with green veins, the walls reflected the early-morning sunlight.

Wedged between the two guards, I could only glance at the quiet streets before we entered the Hall. There my companions handed me over to the Hall’s guards.

The lobby’s black-and-white tiles reminded me of a huge chessboard. I marveled at the glass chandelier hanging down from the dome high above the lobby.

Even though I had seen it before, the chandelier’s delicate ice-blue panels and snowflake pattern still awed me. And Gressa had designed and crafted the piece when she was only fifteen. Unfortunately, her ego matched her talent.

My new attendants led me up the grand staircase to the first floor and down a long hallway that ended in ornate double doors guarded by two soldiers. They opened the door without uttering a word and ushered us into a huge reception room. Padded leather armchairs lined the walls, books rested on dark mahogany tables and a vast ebony desk filled the center and almost blocked the door on the far wall. My boots sunk into the plush carpet and I worried about leaving dirt on the pale pink floral design.

The desk dwarfed the blond woman sitting behind it. She wrinkled her nose in disdain, but waved us toward the far door, saying, “She’s expecting you.”

I turned to my guard. “I thought you said I was being questioned by the First Adviser.”

“This is the FA’s office,” he said. “All our officials have offices befitting their stations.”

I suppressed a whistle. If this was the FA’s, what did Councilor Moon’s look like?

The interior office was as ornate as the reception area and twice as big. In the far right corner loomed another expansive desk and another woman. She faced the large windows with her back to us. Sunlight highlighted her straight black hair and a feeling of familiarity tugged deep within me.

Stained-glass sun catchers refracted the sunlight, causing bright pinpricks of color to dot the walls and ceiling. Distinct glass vases decorated her neat desk.

“Gressa,” I said.

Ulrick’s sister turned around. Her resemblance to Ulrick was uncanny. Her long, graceful limbs, strong jaw, prominent cheekbones and eyes the color of grass on a sunny day matched his. Except this time, instead of being drawn to her because of the similarity, I was wary. Since Devlen switched bodies, seeing even a likeness of Ulrick’s face triggered a flinch.

She studied me with a cold, unwelcoming expression for a moment, then gestured toward a chair. “Sit down.”

I perched on the edge of an overstuffed maroon chair. She dismissed the guards to wait in the outer office without ordering them to unlock the manacles binding my wrists. At least she could have told them to remove my cloak. I sweated in the warm room.

Gressa picked up a glass letter opener and tapped it on her desk. “Why did you break into my factory?”

“I needed to talk to you.”

“You could have sent me a message.”

“I thought you might be in hiding.”

“Really?” Her thin arched eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Why?”

“Because of making the fake diamonds and helping the Councilor’s sister.”

“Oh, that.” She waved her hand in the air as if her past was as insignificant as the dust motes floating in the sunlight. “Obviously, it worked out. I offered my services and my knowledge of Akako’s plans to Councilor Moon. After Akako was arrested, the Councilor offered me a position on her staff.”

“Akako?”

Gressa sighed with dramatics. “The Councilor’s sister.”

That explained why Yelena and Irys left Fulgor, but didn’t address the tension and worry emanating from the town’s citizens. Perhaps it was due to Gressa being the First Adviser—the second most powerful position in the Clan. No doubt she would use her status for her own advantage.

She played with the letter opener. The clear glass handle tapered to a thin, flat blade. The edge had been sharpened with a grinding wheel. “What was so important you wouldn’t take no as an answer, scaring my workers?”

“It’s about Ulrick.”

I didn’t think it was possible, but her demeanor turned colder. “Were you planning to explain why you had him arrested?”

“Yes, and to explain about…” How best to state the situation? I considered my words with care. “Ulrick has been tricked—”

“I know.”

“You do?”

“Of course. He’s been tricked into falling in love with you. And now you’re claiming he’s really someone else. Oh, please.” She jabbed the letter opener into the air. “You have no proof.”

I closed my mouth. I knew this would be difficult, but I hadn’t expected such hostility. “Have you talked to the Council?”

“Yes. They said you’ve disobeyed direct orders, and I should send you to the Citadel in chains if I have to.”

“Have you communicated with Master Cowan?”

She leaned forward. “At length. Even she is doubtful.”

Icy tendrils wrapped around my heart. Goose bumps prickled my sweaty skin. “But Janco and Kade can vouch for me.”

“An Ixian and a missing Stormdancer?” She laughed. “I thought you were smarter than that.”

“Kade’s not missing. He stayed behind to calm the blizzards for the Ixians.”

“Are you talking about the same Ixians whose Commander murders magicians, and has declared using magic within his territory illegal and punishable by death? Do you know how ridiculous your story sounds? Are you delusional?”

I drew in a breath. “Talk to Ulrick. Ask him to blow you a vase. Devlen may have read Ulrick’s memories, but he can’t duplicate the skill learned from years of working with molten glass. You grew up with him. Spend an hour with him and you’ll know he’s not your brother.”

“There you go, Opal. Now you’re thinking rationally. Except for one thing.”

By the wicked delight flaming in her eyes, I knew this wouldn’t go my way.

“I already had a long conversation with my brother. Your claims are a complete fabrication.”

I hated it when I was right.

My guards escorted me to a “guest” room in the Councilor’s Hall. With no windows, a small bed and one chair, the room felt tighter than my cell. The door closed behind me with a thump and the lock clicked shut, casting me into darkness. At least the guards had removed my manacles. I rubbed my sore wrists, then felt for the bed. My eyes adjusted as I lay there. Weak candlelight flickered through the cracks around the door.

Gressa had informed me Councilor Moon wanted to talk to me before they escorted me home. She had just returned from the Citadel. Again I berated myself for not taking advantage of my time with Janco and learning how to pick a lock. He would be free in no time. I wondered how long he would wait for me at the stable. Even though escaping would be horrible in my I’m-really-a-good-person defense, my determination to find Ulrick still burned strong.

Janco and I had hit a dead end in our search for Ulrick in Fulgor. If an opportunity to escape happened and I was successful, I would head to Ognap. Devlen had provided the dubious information, but it was better than doing nothing. Every day that passed meant another day the stain of blood magic would spread.

Time dripped. Each second hung as if it were on the end of an icicle, fattening until it grew too big to hold on. Then splat—another second gone. A preview of my future once I returned to the Citadel.

When two guards arrived to guide me to the Councilor’s office, I didn’t complain about the manacles.

As expected, her office suite made Gressa’s seem ordinary in comparison. Instead of one assistant in the reception room, three women and two men bustled about. Soldiers stood at attention on each side of the double doors. They nodded to my companions. We entered the Councilor’s office.

The ceiling was two stories above my head. Thin stained-glass windows spanned the walls from top to bottom on my left and right. The room was long and narrow. We passed an oval conference table and a sitting area with couches and armchairs. Straight ahead a huge U-shaped desk had been pushed against a picture window with the opening toward me. The Councilor seemed to prefer to face the view while working.

“Councilor Tama,” my guard said.

The woman raised a hand, signaling us to wait. After a moment, she stood and approached us. With the late-afternoon sun behind her, her long blond hair appeared almost white.

Her smile died when she glanced at me. “Lieutenant, please release her.” The Councilor’s words were polite, but her tone said now. When the manacles came off, she said, “Leave us.”

“She could be a danger to you,” the lieutenant said.

Tama studied me. I suppressed the urge to squirm. She wore a white silk V-neck tunic embroidered with black half-moon shapes over a long skirt made from the same material. Delicate black leather sandals with silver crescents adorned her feet. My plain soiled clothes, bedraggled hair and muddy boots seemed an insult in comparison.

“Go wait by the door.” She shooed them away. “Come. Sit.” Tama pointed to a chair behind one of the long wooden tables of her desk.

I smoothed my hair, tucking the wild strands behind my ears before I complied.

“You don’t look like a troublemaker,” Tama said. She perched on the edge of the table. Her light blue eyes sparked with amusement.

I marveled at her pale skin. Her thin lips and tiny upturned nose resembled the Ixian people who lived near the northern ice sheet and not the darker skin tones of Sitia. She was also younger than I expected. I guessed her age to be around thirty.

“I’m not here to cause trouble, Councilor Moon,” I said in my most sincere voice. “I’m here because—”

“I know why you came to Fulgor. And I know you’ve accused Gressa’s brother of being a Daviian Warper in disguise. I read the order for your return before I signed it.”

I had forgotten about the message from the Council.

She watched my expression. “Do you even realize the panic you caused in the Council chambers by not obeying the order?”

“I…” This time I squirmed.

“Master Magician Zitora Cowan defended you when the news of your unusual kidnapping reached the Council. We weren’t happy about the rumors coming from Ixia, but she was able to convince us of your integrity up until you failed to appear. Did you even think about Zitora before you decided to dash off to Fulgor?”

“I…” I slumped in my seat.

“I didn’t think so.”

Tama Moon’s gaze rested on me and visions of being scolded by my mother rose. I refrained from hanging my head.

She crossed her arms. “Your claim about Ulrick was hard to believe before, but now it is impossible.”

“Why? The Warpers used blood magic in the past, they—”

“Gressa has vouched for him. She is his sister.”

“And she has admitted to helping your sister try to oust you. She can’t be trusted.” A subtle tightening of her posture and the increase of the tension in her arms warned me I had said the wrong thing.

“I trust her.” A slight tremor of anger touched her voice.

I chose my next words with the utmost care. “I realize it is my word against theirs. I’m not lying, Councilor Moon. Please send a message to Yelena Zaltana and ask her to come back to Fulgor. She will be able to confirm my claims.”

“The Soulfinder is in Ixia right now, dealing with the mess you left behind.”

The protest died in my throat. It wouldn’t help my case.

The Councilor settled in her chair. Piles of paper rested on the desk between us. She leaned forward, placing her elbows on the edge. “Opal, you’re lucky I’m in Fulgor to attend to town business. I can give you a bit of advice. When you return to the Citadel, the Council will be hostile, but you have quite a bit of leverage.”

“Leverage?”

Tama nodded as if expecting my confusion. “Gressa said you had no clue. Think for a moment. What invaluable service do you and only you provide?”

So focused on finding Ulrick, I needed more than a moment to understand. “My glass messengers.”

“Correct. Do you realize how vital they’ve become to Sitia? To the Council? Almost instant communication with people far away. What used to take days now takes minutes. And only you can trap the magic inside them.”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t use them. Magicians with strong mental communication skills could “talk” to another magician through my messengers despite the distance as long as each held one in their hands. With use, the magic was depleted and a new one was needed.

The Councilor huffed. “That’s your leverage. If the Sitian Council and Master Magicians decide to lock you away in the Keep’s cells, then who is going to make more of those messengers?”

“We’ve been searching for another student.”

“Pah!” She flung her hand out. “No one right now is able to duplicate your talent. And they’ve become so crucial to the Council and Sitia, the Councilors would agree to anything you ask to keep them in production.”

“Oh! You mean, I could ask to be released or else I won’t make more.”

“Exactly! Now think about what you could do on a grander scale.”

“Why?”

She sighed. “Opal, what are your plans once you graduate from the Keep?”

Visit my family and Kade, but I didn’t think she referred to the short term. “I haven’t really thought about it yet.”

She gawked at me as if I were an idiot. I rushed to add, “It’s been a busy two seasons.”

Pressing her fingertips into her temples, she closed her eyes for a few seconds. “You’re sweet, Opal. Even with me encouraging you, you still can’t even contemplate selfish behavior.” Her posture relaxed and she leaned back in her chair. “I’m going to give you a hypothetical situation. And I’m telling you this, not as Councilor Moon, but as Tama Moon, the businesswoman.

“Let’s say I’m you in your current predicament. I would tell the Council and the Master Magicians to back off if they want more glass messengers. Then I would build a factory right here in Fulgor because I hear Moon Clan’s Councilor is partial to free enterprise. And I would sell my messengers to the magicians.”

“But…” I clamped down on reminding her about the Council’s fears.

“It wouldn’t be easy. The Master Magicians would worry about you, and send someone to bring you back to the Citadel where they could keep an eye on you. Frankly, I’m surprised the Masters even let you out at all. If you’re killed…” She paused.

“It won’t work. They won’t just send ‘someone,’ they’ll send a Master Magician and a whole platoon of soldiers. Besides, where would I get the money to build a factory?”

Her eyebrows rose a fraction and her lips curved into a small, knowing smile.

“Who told you?” I asked.

“Who do you think?”

“Devlen.”

“Ulrick,” she corrected. “He told his sister all about your new siphoning skills. The ones you didn’t tell Master Cowan about. The ones that will protect you against an attack from a master-level magician. The ones that transform magic into diamonds. You can build a whole city with the diamonds hidden in your saddlebags.”

I had wanted to tell Zitora in person. The Council already knew I could transform magic into objects like spiders and bees, but I’d waited to tell them the whole story. Better to hear the news from me and see my honesty, my willingness to cooperate—I stifled a wild laugh. Guess I ruined that image by disobeying their orders.

Councilor Moon waited for me to process her comments. The whole conversation with her felt unreal. She acted as if she wasn’t a member of the Council.

“Why are you telling me all this? Aren’t you afraid?”

“I’m not afraid of you. I have no magic for you to take, what can you do?”

I pulled a glass bee from the pocket of my cloak. Holding it between my finger and thumb, I showed it to her. “I could kill you before your guards could even react.”

“All right. Go ahead.” She laughed at my expression. “I know you won’t do it unless your life is in danger, or the life of someone you love. You’re a good person. I’m not scared of you, but I know the Council will lock you away, too terrified to see you as an asset. And I’m afraid you would let them!”

She drew a deep breath. “My opinions are in the minority. That’s why I’m trying to get you to think about your future. Really think about it. You have such potential, and Gressa is willing to support you. I would need to remain uninvolved to keep the other Councilors happy. And there is no reason they need to be told about your new skills—only a few people know and we can keep quiet. Show up at the Citadel, tell the Council what you intend to do and come back.”

Tama’s argument had merit. Kade had also suggested I keep the information to myself. The notion tempted me, but I couldn’t lie to the Council. If I trusted them and the Master Magicians to govern Sitia in a way that kept us all safe, then I would trust them to make the right decision regarding my own role in Sitia’s future.

Councilor Moon should have the same trust in the government, especially since she was a major part of it. Perhaps her selfish attitude had been the reason her sister, Akako, had wanted to overthrow her.

I opened my mouth.

“Don’t say anything right now,” she said. “You’re scheduled to leave for the Citadel tomorrow morning. You’ll have four travel days. Promise me you’ll think about it?”

I agreed, but as I was escorted back to the tiny “guest” room, I knew my decision wouldn’t change. After all, I’ve had, since I left Kade in the north, almost twenty-six days to contemplate all the pros and cons. Like Tama said, I was a good person. I would do the right thing.

But it didn’t mean I would do it now. Once I reached the Citadel, the chances of helping Ulrick would disappear. The guards hadn’t manacled my wrists. My cloak remained wrapped around my shoulders. I clutched a glass spider in each fist, waiting for the perfect opportunity to surprise my guards and run away.

Unfortunately, people filled the hallways, rushing to finish their last tasks before going home. Shoved and locked back into the room, I rested on the bed. Later tonight, when the Councilor’s Hall was empty, I would see if my spiders knew how to pick a lock. If not, there were other ways to trick the guards into opening my door.

I fell asleep plotting my escape.

A metallic snap invaded my dreams. Faint torchlight surrounded the figure of a man in the doorway. I sat up and prepared to crush the spiders in my palms.

“Come on,” Devlen said with an urgent whisper.

I wilted. My spiders wouldn’t work on him.

“You are not safe here.” He hissed.

“Safer than with you,” I said.

He muttered an oath, grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet. His hand slid to my wrist as his fingertips found the pressure points. I braced as the memory of incredible pain replayed in my mind. Not again.

“Hell.” Devlen released me. “Follow me or go on your own. Just do not stay here.” He turned, peeked out into the hallway and strode away.