Storm Glass

19

I GROANED. Pazia detested me as much as I disliked her. It would be difficult to become a team and convince a black market diamond seller to reveal his source.

“What’s the problem?” Zitora asked.

“She thinks I’m worthless. A One-Trick Wonder,” I blurted.

“You’re not…” She paused. “Hearing it from me won’t change your perceptions. If you want to believe you’re a One-Trick Wonder, fine by me. Just don’t say it to me ever again. Understand?”

Stunned by her order, I drew in a breath before replying. “Yes, sir.”

“Good.” Zitora leaned forward in her chair. “You’re an adult now, Opal. In order to be successful with this mission, you’ll have to overcome your differences with Pazia. She’s a strong magician. Maybe a Master. I’m certain she will behave in a professional manner toward you, especially since you’re going to pretend you’re best friends when you meet the diamond sellers today.”

“Today?” Why did troublesome events have to happen so fast? Why couldn’t I digest the information first, and then spring into action?

“This afternoon you’re to meet with Fisk and Pazia at the Unity Fountain. Do you know where it is?”

“Yes.”

“Once there, Fisk’ll take you to a place to change and be briefed before he leads you to the seller. Do you have any questions?”

“Change into what?”

“Expensive clothes and obnoxious jewels. You’re supposed to be rich, too.”

“How will I tell if the diamonds are fake?”

Zitora opened her desk drawer and removed a small box. She handed it to me. “Open it.”

I lifted the red velvet-covered lid. Inside a diamond the size of my fingernail sparkled. Clear as glass, yet the light played deep within the stone, obscuring the red velvet behind it. I marveled at the reflections jumping from the many facets on the diamond.

“You can touch it.” Amusement colored her voice.

I pinched the diamond between my thumb and forefinger. Cold stabbed my finger pads and a brief image of snow-covered mountains filled my mind. Then heat seared my hand as the mental image transformed into burning mountains. A mere second later, the gem cooled to body temperature, and a slight vibration hummed against my skin.

My tongue stuck to dry teeth. I swallowed, and the hard motion scratched my throat. “Do you feel a…flash when you touch it?” I asked.

“Flash?”

“Feel cold through your fingers and get a mental image?”

“No. If I charged it with magic, I could feel the potential, but right now, it’s inert.” She studied me. “Does the flash mean you’ll be able to tell the difference?”

“Yes.” I closed the lid.

“Any other questions?” Zitora placed her hand on my shoulder. Her comforting gesture reminded me of Ulrick.

“What should I tell Ulrick?”

“Nothing about the diamonds. The fewer people who know, the better.”

“He’s not going to like the idea,” I said. Even though there was plenty for him to do in the glass shop. Equipment and supplies were being delivered every day. Soon the shop would be ready to use.

“You’re just going to have to convince him.” She smirked. “Good luck with that. He has an overdeveloped stubborn streak and has decided to be your protector. Ditching him will be your hardest task today.”

“Thanks.” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm from my voice.

Unaffected, Zitora’s smile grew wider. “He’s rather handsome when he’s mad. All those tight muscles, and those sparks of anger shooting from his captivating eyes.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” A wave of heat flushed. I blamed the sensation on a lingering effect of the diamond and not on the mental image of Ulrick’s strong arms wrapping around me.

She laughed, knowing I lied.

I tried not to blush when I left Zitora’s office and spotted Ulrick waiting. He fell into step beside me as we headed toward the glass shop.

“What did she say?” he asked, once we were away from the administration building.

I decided to stick to the truth as much as possible. “She’s sending me on another mission.”

“And?”

“I’m going to be busy this afternoon, so you’ll have to work without me. And don’t worry,” I rushed to add, “I’ll be with a very powerful magician.”

“Can you tell me what the mission is?”

“Sorry, no.”

“I was right. Secret magician stuff.”

“You were right, but the way you say it…”

“Flippant? Irreverent?” he asked.

“Like it’s a big joke, something to sneer at.”

He increased his stride, staring straight ahead. I hurried to keep up.

Just when I thought the subject of my mission had dropped, Ulrick said, “I’m jealous. I want to be involved.” He swept his arm through the air, indicating the people around us. “I want to be a magician helping Sitia. Making your assignment a joke is so I won’t feel…” His hands flicked as he gathered his thoughts as if they were molten glass. “So I won’t feel left out. Growing up, I was always left out. The six-year age gap between me and my older brother was too big and, since my glassmaking skills were limited, I was excluded from many family activities.” He drew in a deep breath. “I shouldn’t vent my frustration on you. At least allow me to escort you to the meeting site.”

His story echoed my years at the Keep as the odd woman out. Sympathizing with Ulrick, I agreed.

It was too early for my rendezvous with Fisk so we wandered through the Citadel, stopping on occasion so I could explain the significance of a statue or fountain we discovered. Surrounded by the white marble wall, the interior of the rectangular Citadel had six districts, each with its own personality. The Keep occupied the entire northeast district.

With the market in the center position between two areas, the north and south districts mirrored each other. Comprised mostly of businesses, warehouses and factories, the buildings and streets arched around the market and radiated out like rings around a bull’s eye. A confusing grid of narrow streets and dead ends could be found in the northwest and southwest residential districts. The labyrinth was a direct result of accommodating the Citadel’s growing population.

The southeast district contained a number of administrative buildings and Council Hall, as well as the posh residencies of the Councillors. The Unity Fountain was also located in the southeast. By the time we arrived, Fisk was already there. He waited with his apprentice Jayella.

Ulrick ignored the others to admire the fountain. Surrounded by waterspouts, an immense dark green sphere with holes rested on a pedestal. The jade sphere had been mined from the Emerald Mountains as a solid block. Inside the sphere were ten other spheres; each one smaller than the next. If the carving was sawed in half, the cross section would resemble a tree’s growth rings. All the layers had been carved from the one stone—through the holes and from the outside in.

“Unbelievable,” Ulrick said. “I’ve learned about this. Each sphere represents one of the Sitian clans, but it’s more impressive than I imagined. The craftsmanship to carve this…”

“Five years of hard work,” Fisk said. “A celebration of the clans uniting.” He cocked his head to the side, considering. “Interesting. If one of the spheres inside would crack, the others would hold it together.” Fisk met my gaze, and I wondered if there was a hidden meaning in his words.

“We need to keep our appointment,” Fisk said to Ulrick.

“Keep Opal safe,” he ordered, frowning. “Your business will suffer if rumors about a client being harmed in your care surfaced.”

The friendly softness in Fisk’s demeanor hardened. “Are you threatening me?”

No answer.

“You know nothing about my business or about me. Do you?”

Again no answer, just a stubborn set to Ulrick’s jaw.

“In that case, your insult was inadvertent and due to ignorance. Opal, when you have time, please educate this man about loyalty and honor. Come.” He turned and strode from the fountain’s plaza.

I sensed Ulrick’s molten anger, but couldn’t mollify him now. I hurried after Fisk. He led me down an unremarkable side street. About halfway, he turned into a narrow alley. The alley’s sole purpose appeared to be providing a shortcut to the next street, but Fisk disappeared. When I reached the same spot, I found a tight alcove. To a casual observer, it looked like a dead end. But near the back was a small door. We had to walk down a few steps and bend over to get inside the building.

“Guild headquarters. We don’t like too many people to know where we are. Although—” he moved around the large room, lighting lanterns “—now that we’re getting older, we’ll need to get a bigger door.”

As the light illuminated the room, I noticed several desks, a chalkboard and maps hanging from the walls. A detailed layout of the market spanned an entire wall. Letters and a few easy mathematics problems were written on the chalkboard.

Fisk noticed my interest. “We teach the younger members how to read and do simple math. Also about money. What items cost and how to make change. Speaking of change, you need to get dressed. I have clothes laid out in the back room.” He pointed to the far wall.

“What about Pazia? Wasn’t she supposed—”

The headquarters’ door opened. Pazia stepped through and closed it behind her. “Supposed to meet you at the fountain?”

“Did you read my thoughts?” I demanded.

“I had to make sure there were no surprises in here. And no, I wasn’t planning on meeting you at the fountain. I know my way here. This isn’t the first time I’ve worked with Fisk on a mission for the Masters.”

Her dig touched the weak spot in my heart, being deemed unworthy to participate in important missions. But not anymore. I found a measure of comfort in my present situation, amazing given the circumstances.

“Why aren’t you dressed yet?” She sighed dramatically. “Bad enough I have to work with you. The least you could do is be ready on time.” Shrugging off her cloak, she flung it onto one of the desks. The material of Pazia’s clothes had been woven with an expensive linen-and-silk blended thread. Her tailor’s efforts enhanced her slim waist and petite stature. She pulled her long golden hair up and clamped it in place with a jeweled clip.

I headed toward the back room, but her next words stopped me in midstride.

“Fisk, are you sure we need her? I grew up in the mines. I can spot a fake ruby at twenty paces. She can’t be trusted.”

“I trust her. Besides, rubies are not diamonds. And it would be suspicious for you to be alone. Rich ladies always go shopping in pairs.”

I tuned out her irritated reply as I entered the back room. On a small cot lay a beautiful indigo-colored blouse and black skirt made from the same material as Pazia’s clothes. I fingered the lace trim on the skirt. Fisk had even provided a pair of high-heeled shoes and an assortment of jewelry and hair clips.

Dressing as fast as possible, I squeezed a sapphire ring onto my finger, and covered my wrists with a distracting array of ruby-encrusted bracelets. The other gemstones throbbed when I touched them, but nowhere near the intensity of the diamond. I left my hair down. Just wearing the luxurious clothes and gemstones helped me to assume my role as Pazia’s friend. Of course her sneer of contempt quickly drove those feelings away when I joined them in the main room.

She huffed and pointed to a seat. “Sit.”

When I hesitated, she said, “I’m a professional, unlike you. I won’t hurt you.”

I ignored her reference to the burning incident and sat. She combed my hair and twisted a section into a knot at the back of my head.

“Clip,” she ordered.

I handed her one and she secured the knot.

“We are going to meet a number of diamond merchants. Fisk will introduce us, but won’t come with us to negotiate. As a rule, the Helper’s Guild avoids the black market. Since I’m a very good customer, he’ll bend the rules for me.” She pulled the rest of my hair back. “Clip.” When she finished, she examined the rest of my clothing. “Move the ring to your right hand, third finger if possible, and all the bracelets go on your left arm.”

As I complied, she continued her lecture. “I’ll do all the talking. Your role is to let me know which diamonds are real by simply agreeing with me. I’ll ask your opinion on a certain stone and you’ll either like it or not. If you don’t like it, I’ll know it’s a fake. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Try not to do or say anything to jeopardize our mission. I’m not as resourceful as Liaison Yelena.”

Another jab. Instead of bracing for the rest of the insinuation Pazia made whenever Yelena’s name was mentioned and ignoring it, I decided to beat her to the comment. “You’re right. You aren’t as powerful or as smart as Yelena. I never would have betrayed you the way I did the Soulfinder. You would have been dead in a heartbeat.”

“Then you admit it!” Her eyes lit with triumph despite my insult.

I shrugged, pretending nonchalance. “Facts are facts, Pazia. And it’s no big deal. If Yelena had felt so deceived, it’s doubtful she would still be my friend.” I turned away from her, not bothering to note her reaction. As I retrieved my cloak from the back room, I marveled over my bold comments. Did I believe them? I knew the truth of my actions and what had led me to them, and realized my guilt lay not in what I had done, but why I had done it. A step in the right direction? I hoped.

“That ratty thing won’t do.” Pazia eyed my cloak, appearing to be unaffected by my outburst.

“It’s all I have.” Plus my sais were nestled inside the lining, within easy reach.

She removed a jeweled peacock brooch from her cloak. Sapphires and emeralds decorated the feathers of the bird. Pazia pinned it onto my garment. “There. If anyone notices what’s under that beauty, we’ll joke you wear the cloak for sentimental reasons. Blushing would help. And don’t cover your clothes.”

I followed Pazia and Fisk from the Guild headquarters to the market. The black market sellers weren’t so bold to have stands, but their agents roamed the area, seeking customers. Fisk approached one man. Dressed as a farmer and acting as if he was in town for a shopping trip, the man regarded Fisk with surprise.

He scanned Pazia and me with suspicion. She kept her look of bored impatience. Quite an accomplishment and, knowing I couldn’t match her, I settled for appearing nonthreatening.

Too low for me to hear, Fisk and the agent talked for a moment and the conversation ended with a defeated shrug from Fisk, as if giving in.

The man eventually agreed and led us to a thin building one street away from the market. The four-story structure was wedged between a warehouse and a shoe factory. He opened the door into a receiving room, introduced us to another man inside and left.

“What can I do for you?” the new man asked us. He wore a well-made linen tunic cinched with a gold mesh belt. His brown pants complemented the tunic’s light sand color. A large emerald ring on his pinkie finger glinted in the sunlight.

“I want to see your diamonds,” Pazia demanded, stepping forward. “The bigger the better.”

“Why?”

“Does it matter?” She jingled a bulging leather pouch.

He flashed his teeth in delight. “No. Follow me.”

Toward the back of the building was a showroom without windows. Lanterns blazed, illuminating the glass cases filled with jewelry. I scanned the items. Bracelets, rings and necklaces sparkled with every color stone from precious to semi-precious. No diamonds.

The seller draped a black velvet cloth over the cases, disappeared behind the counter and retrieved a silk bag. He shook out an array of large diamonds, then arranged them on the velvet with tweezers.

“These are the biggest I have right now. But if you need a particular size, I can always order more.” He picked up a thumb-sized round stone and turned it so the candlelight would reflect off the facets.

Pazia seemed dazzled by the gem. She reached for it, but the man drew it back.

“Ten golds. That’s two golds cheaper than what you’d pay in jewelers’ circle. I’ll even give you a companion stone—” he pointed to a pea-sized diamond “—for free.” He launched into a hard sell.

Pazia shook her head, but eventually just interrupted him. “I’m not buying anything unless I can look at it closer.”

He placed the stone on the cloth near her. When she touched it, he frowned.

“Pretty.” She held it up to the light then handed it to me.

The man scowled, but she ignored him.

“What do you think?” she asked me.

I hefted the stone. While it scattered the light in a pleasing way, it didn’t flash. Glass. I placed it back on the counter and touched the others. The same.

“Pretty but ordinary,” I said. “You need a diamond with more pizazz.”

“I can order anything you want,” the seller offered.

“No thank you. I was hoping to find something today.” Pazia was quick to leave despite the man’s insistence.

Out in the street, I drew in a breath of fresh air. “Now what?”

“We find Fisk and another seller.”

The afternoon hours sped past in a blur. The showrooms all seemed identical; the sellers all had similar smooth personalities. Prices and incentives remained constant. And they all offered us glass. Exceptional glass of top quality that I haven’t seen before, but glass all the same. Not a real diamond to be found.

As the sun sank into the horizon, we entered the last shop. This time a man and woman teamed up to make the sale. The woman was effusive with her compliments to Pazia.

“Look how the diamond pendant lights up your gorgeous eyes,” the saleswoman said, holding a mirror for Pazia to see her reflection. “Why the green just comes alive doesn’t it?”

Pazia beamed, getting sucked in. The diamonds were all mounted in jewelry. The woman slid a huge marquise-cut stone onto Pazia’s right index finger.

“The ring will highlight your elegant hands. No one will be able to stop staring at you.”

Before the saleswoman could put any more jewelry on Pazia, I bent to examine the ring.

“I don’t like this setting,” I said. “Do you have any loose stones?”

The woman glanced at the man behind the counter. He withdrew a tray full of diamonds of various sizes and shapes. I touched each one with a finger, but again every one was beautifully cut and polished glass, which caused me to wonder who manufactured them. Without the magic flash, I would have been hard-pressed to call these fakes.

“I don’t like any of them,” I said.

Pazia pouted with disappointment.

The woman ramped up her sales pitch, disagreeing with me. “Look at her.” She pointed to me. “You probably picked out your friend’s clothes only to have her ruin your efforts with that tacky cloak. You, my dear, are a ray of sunlight who deserves to be glowing with diamonds. Don’t let her jealousy stop you. People will always be jealous of you. If you have it—flaunt it!”

The saleswoman was skilled. She had pegged Pazia’s personality and would soon have a sale.

“It’s getting late,” I said. “Your mentor at the Keep will be concerned. Why don’t you think it over and we can come back tomorrow.”

“Excellent idea,” the woman said. “I just hope you get here before Councillor Jewelrose’s wife tomorrow. She’s been eyeing that ring, and her birthday is today. The Councillor is so sweet. He always gives her gold to buy her own presents. She’s my most loyal customer.” She tsked, removing the ring from Pazia’s finger. “But I’m sure I’ll be able to find you something…”

A worried crease formed on Pazia’s forehead. I pulled on her arm, guiding her to the door. I waved with my other hand. “Thanks for the offer.”

The door opened before we reached it. Two men entered. They blocked our way. Swords hung from weapon belts. Apprehension slid down my spine, lumping in my guts.

“Your friend isn’t ready to leave,” the man on the left said with a slight lisp. His bottom lip had been cut. Blood-soaked threads from the stitches protruded from the wound.

“Yes, she is.” I nudged Pazia with an elbow. “Her mentor is waiting for her. You don’t want to make us late. Her mentor has powerful friends.” Come on, Pazia, I thought, say something, do something.

Bloody Lip stepped closer. “I’m sure her mentor will understand about the…delay. Our girl spent so much time helping you, I’m sure you don’t want to be rude by rushing off. In fact, we have a whole other room filled with…surprises. Bex, why don’t you show this lady—” he stabbed a finger in my direction “—the back room while her friend completes her purchase.”

Bex reached for me. I dropped all pretenses and yanked my sais from my cloak. Ramming the weapons’ knobs into the man’s solar plexus, I shouted, “Pazia, help me.”

The man gasped, but recovered fast. They both pulled their swords. The saleswoman brandished a knife. I remained close to the men, deflecting their blades toward the ground. Pazia stood immobile.

“Fire,” I yelled.

Finally she moved. Small flames erupted on the men’s shirts. The woman squealed. Chaos manifested into four pairs of flailing limbs, swatting at the growing fire on their clothes. The motion reminded me of the flesh-eating beetles Tricky had used to attack me. Suppressing a shudder, I grabbed Pazia’s hand and hauled her from the room.

I didn’t let go of her until we reached the market. We paused to catch our breath and I put my sais away.

Pazia’s flushed cheeks and the wild glint in her eyes meant either fear or excitement.

Fisk appeared at our side. “What happened?”

“They tried to use strong-arm tactics.” I tucked a few loose strands of hair behind my ear.

“Not good. Did they have the required items?”

“No. Except for Bloody Lip and Bex, they were just like the rest.”

Fisk considered. “I’ll spread the word to my clients about the fake diamonds, but the seller who used the swordsmen will be out of business by tomorrow.”

“I thought you didn’t work with black market dealers.”

“I don’t. But I’ll make sure they know about Bloody Lip and Bex. The other dealers don’t want customers to be afraid to buy from the black market. It’s bad for business. I’ve no doubt when the others are aware of the situation, it will be taken care of in record time.”

I mulled over the implications and decided I wouldn’t be upset to know Bloody Lip and Bex were run out of town. My thoughts then turned to the lack of real diamonds.

“Do you think the rogue Moon Clan faction is funding their activities by selling these fake stones?” I asked Fisk.

“Must be. We’ve run out of dealers to contact.”

“They looked so real,” Pazia said. “I almost…” She sighed.

“Someone is manufacturing them. Should we try and trace them back to the source?” I wondered if I could produce such high-quality glass. It would be an interesting challenge.

“I can take you back to one of the dealers you met with today,” Fisk said. “Perhaps he’ll tell you his source.”

“Let’s talk to Zitora first. See if she has any ideas.” I pulled my cloak tighter as an icy wind blew through the market, causing the lanterns along the street to pulse. A hint of moisture clung to the air with the promise of rain.

We agreed to meet tomorrow afternoon.

“Keep the clothes for now,” Fisk said, gesturing to my disguise. “And walk straight back to the Keep. The gossip is that two student magicians are looking to buy diamonds to enhance their magic. Play it up, so when you start asking for a big quantity of large diamonds no one is surprised.”

Pazia and I headed toward the Keep. She had been subdued since we escaped from Bloody Lip. A few people walked along the quiet Citadel streets. I wondered how Ulrick’s day had gone.

About a block before the Keep’s entrance, two men stepped from the shadows and approached us.