Maria Snyder - Storm Glass

“Yes.”

I imagined the endless political wrangling and debate that would occur and was glad all I would have to do is supply the messengers. That I could do without hurting anyone. “Is there another reason you wanted to talk to me?”

“I’ve received a message from Kade via Yelena. He’s made a few interesting discoveries in the Moon Clan lands and she would like you to join them.”

“Me? Why?”

“I don’t know the full details, but it has to do with the fake diamond merchant, Chun.”

“What about Mr. Lune? Did your magician track him?”

“Yes, but lost him at the border of Ixia.”

“At the Moon’s border?”

“No. At the Krystal Clan’s border.” Zitora slouched in her chair. “It seems the people selling the fakes and the real diamonds are not working together. I want you to follow the fake lead and I’ll have another magician watch the border, see where Mr. Lune goes when he comes back.” She rubbed her hands over her face. “I also think it’s a good idea for you to get away from the Citadel for a while.”

“Are you coming with me?”

“No. Irys and Yelena will both be there.”

“What about Ulrick? He’ll want to come.”

“That’s fine. Do you want me to assign a few soldiers to go with you?”

I hadn’t seen a sign of Tricky or Sir in weeks, but Ulrick’s warning about getting complacent echoed in my mind. I really didn’t want to travel with an armed escort. “How about Leif?”

“I can check his schedule. What if he can’t make it?”

“Then I guess we should have another guard along just in case.”

“Only one?”

“I’ve been practicing with my sais. Besides…”

Zitora waited.

“I can bring a handful of my glass spiders and bees along. Keep them in my pocket in case we’re ambushed.”

“Now you’re thinking.” Zitora moved a few papers on her desk. “You should leave in the morning. I’ll contact Leif.”

“More secret magician stuff,” Ulrick said.

“It’s not…” I sighed, no sense arguing. “It’s not—”

“Important because I’m allowed to go?” His joke was weak, and he couldn’t maintain a light tone.

“We leave in the morning. You’ll need a horse. This time you might want to ask Stable Master about borrowing one.”

He rubbed his hands in anticipation. “If he won’t let me, I can steal Moonlight again and then placate the Stable Master with Avibian honey. Mara told me he loves the stuff.” He seemed determined to keep upbeat, but I knew by the tension in his body he still wasn’t happy.

I didn’t know how to make him feel better. No matter what I said, I knew it wouldn’t be right and could upset him further. He needed time to adapt, and to be content with what he could do.

Funny. I almost huffed. Funny because I was never content with my one trick, but now with the spiders and with Pazia still recovering, I wished for simpler times.

We packed for the trip, securing supplies and food. Hardly a word was spoken between us. I debated over taking Kade’s orb. It would be perfectly safe under my bed, but I had grown used to its humming presence at night, and the thought of leaving it behind caused my stomach to tighten.

It was late when I slipped into bed. I tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable spot. Strange dreams filled my brief snatches of sleep. Images of Pazia and Tricky, staring at me with dead and accusing eyes. I woke from one nightmare convinced Tricky stood over my bed. But no one was there.

Unable to return to sleep, I crept past Ulrick’s prone form on the couch and slipped outside. No sense waking him, I rationalized. My cloak’s pockets were filled with glass spiders and bees. I clutched a spider in my palm as I walked through the silent campus.

The glass shop’s welcoming hum greeted me. I entered into the dry warmth and relaxed. Piecov sat at the table, studying from a huge text. He jumped to his feet when he saw me.

“I just filled the kiln,” he said.

“Then why aren’t you back in bed?”

He shrugged and looked around. “I like it here. The first year’s barracks are crowded and noisy.”

I remembered the night sounds of so many people in one room. The snores, the homesick crying, the whispered conversations, giggles and sighs. The steady roar of the kiln would be considered peaceful in comparison.

“Maybe we should install a cot for those who have overnight shifts.”

“Great idea.” He peered at me for a moment. “Why are you here? The next feeding isn’t until dawn.”

“Feeding?”

He gave me a sheepish grin. “The kiln’s like a baby. Instead of giving it milk, we feed it coal.”

“Appropriate.”

His eyes still held a question.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I said.

He nodded as if he understood completely. “This place has a certain draw. Know what I mean?” Piecov gestured to the kiln.

“I do. There is such potential contained within the cauldron. A whole vat of melted glass just waiting to be gathered and spun into something…wonderful.”

“Yes!” He looked surprised by his outburst then ducked his head in embarrassment. “Well…I only made a lumpy paperweight so far.”

“I still have my very first paperweight.”

“You do?”

“I had to stand on a box to reach in with the punty rod. But I did everything myself. It resembled a squashed apple, but my parents were so proud of my creation I thought it was the best paperweight in the world.”

“I guess I’ll keep mine.”

“It’ll be a good gauge of how much you improve. When you become frustrated when a piece cracks or turns out wrong, you can look back at that paperweight and see just how far you’ve come.”

He brightened at the idea and I suggested we work the glass together. He made another paperweight and I helped him craft a swan. The items in the annealing oven had finished cooling. I removed them and put his new creations inside, marking the date and time on the door as I moved the oven next to the kiln.

Inspecting the finished pieces, I lined them along the table. Two of Ulrick’s vases popped in my hands. One of Mara’s bowls had cracked so I tossed it in the cullet barrel. The contents of the barrel would be added to the cauldron and remelted. Four of my glass animals survived the cooling process.

Among the four was a little dog sitting on his haunches. His ears perked forward as if he hoped for a treat. He glowed with magic and promise, reminding me of Piecov.

At dawn, another student arrived to feed the kilns. Piecov and I left. I brought the animals with me. Zitora needed them and I planned to drop them at her office before going back to my rooms. On the way, I stopped at the infirmary.

Healer Hayes was just leaving Pazia’s room.

“She’s regaining strength. We won’t know about her magic for a while,” he said.

“Can I visit?”

“As long as you don’t wake her.”

A lantern burned on the night table in her room. Turned down to the lowest setting, the feeble flame cast a weak light. She didn’t stir at the sound of my arrival. Nor when I sat in the chair beside her bed.

I remembered watching my brother, Ahir, sleep. Relaxed and innocent, masking the high energy, annoying and smart-assed boy underneath. Asleep, Pazia’s smooth beauty held a regal quality. Easy for me to imagine her a queen of the Cloud Mist Clan, needing no gems to augment her loveliness.

Underneath was another story. While she plagued me over the years, working the diamond mission had given me another perspective. Perhaps she was right. Maybe I was the one with the attitude and big chip on my shoulder. Maybe I nursed it. Clung to it and refused to see the positive. Maybe I had kept everyone at a distance, afraid to make a new friend. Afraid to care about someone, because I might lose them the way I had lost my sister, Tula. I probably had acted as Kade does now. Cold and aloof.