Maria Snyder - Storm Glass

“Ugh. What’s in here? Rocks?” Leif asked.

“Glass.”

He raised his thick eyebrows, prompting me to continue.

“A bunch of spiders and bees. An empty orb.” It also contained Kade’s orb, but I was reluctant to tell him.

“Empty?”

“For an emergency only.”

“Scary.”

“Believe me, I know.” If attacked, would I use the orb to drain another’s power? Maybe, if there was no other option. One thing I did know, if Tricky lost his power when I had channeled his magic, I would not regret that.

The night remained quiet. Leif woke me a few hours before dawn.

“Your turn. Try not to wake everyone this time,” he said, yawning.

I swatted him and headed outside to check on the horses.

The darkness pressed down. Moist air blew through the trees, rattling the dead leaves. The wind had extinguished three of the lanterns. Flames clutched the other lamps in desperation, flapping in resistance with each gust. Clouds blocked the moon. Once my eyes adjusted, I checked the stable. Quartz dozed, leaning against Rusalka. Moonlight came over and nuzzled my hand, looking for a treat. The three horses shared one large stall.

Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing to cause concern. So why did I feel watched? I circled the two buildings. An icy splat hit my forehead. I cried out in alarm and yanked my sais from my cloak. Another cold drop struck my cheek. Chagrined, I replaced my sais as the drizzle turned into a soaking rain fueled by the wind. I found a calm spot next to the shelter and pulled my hood over my head.

For the next two hours, I kept a diligent watch. The storm would be a great cover for anyone sneaking up. The wind swirled and diluted smells, moaning in sorrow. Why sorrow? The sound almost matched the keening emanating from Kade’s orb. As the storm approached, the orb’s song grew louder to me. No one else heard it, but Leif had remarked on sensing magic.

Kade told me the energy trapped inside the orb would get agitated when another storm came near. But the mournful sounds of the orb held no distress, just a lonely ache to be free.

My imagination no doubt. It tended to exaggerate emotions and see things that weren’t there. Just like the black shape slinking between shadows. Or the brief movement to my left—pure imagination. Right? I gripped the handles of my sais.

The storm raged for a moment, blocking out all sense of my surroundings. A sudden blast of wind extinguished the remaining lantern light.

Something struck me behind my knees. I fell forward as pain flared. Arms wrapped around me and a hand clamped over my mouth. Lifted off the ground, I yanked my sais from my cloak and blindly struck out. I was rewarded by one yelp before my arms were pinned.

I struggled. There had to be three or four of them. A sharp point jabbed the skin below my left ear.

“Quit fighting or I’ll shove my knife into your throat,” a man’s voice growled.

I STOPPED STRUGGLING.

“Smart choice,” the man said.

I didn’t recognize his voice, which gave me little comfort, considering my circumstances. The knife stayed against my throat, and the hand remained over my mouth. A wet dog smell emanated from him.

“I’ve got her. Go,” he ordered.

The men who held me put me down. They headed for the shelter. Leif and Ulrick slept within and I couldn’t warn them. Powerless, I counted five of them as they slipped inside. My own fear forgotten, I worried for my companions.

Although muted by the wind and rain, shouts, curses and the sounds of fighting reached me, I tensed. The knife dug deeper.

“Relax. It’ll all be over soon,” the man said.

The next few seconds moved as if we stood there for days. Five against two, but Leif had learned to fight from Valek. I cursed the storm’s wild winds. Otherwise the horses would have alerted us to the danger. And now the storm masked the noise of the attack, so the three horses huddled together without knowing the danger.

When one of the attackers signaled from the door, I knew Leif and Ulrick had lost.

“Told you. Let’s go.” He kept me with him as he guided me into the shelter.

Ulrick and Leif knelt by the hearth. Hands on their heads, various cuts bleeding on their arms and their spines stiff with anger.

Ulrick’s concern turned to relief when he saw me. “Are you all right?”

“No talking!” One of the four men guarding them hit Ulrick with the flat of his sword.

Ulrick winced with pain, but kept quiet. His helpless situation was all my fault. Leif was used to trouble, but not Ulrick. Mara’s comments replayed in my mind.

What if Ulrick died? her voice asked.

Guilt, of course, for bringing him along. Missing his smile and protective bearishness. Missing his company.

Regrets?

Wishing I hadn’t snapped at him in annoyance and had been more considerate. Wishing I had been a better guard.

Unkempt and wearing tattered clothes, the men kept their weapons pointed at Leif and Ulrick. The rain left clean streaks on the men’s dirty faces.

My captor released me, pushing me toward my friends. I stumbled.

“Take off your cloak.” He gestured with his knife. A long thin blade with my blood on its tip.

Confused and alarmed, I shrugged off the sodden garment, letting it plop to the ground.

“Search her,” the leader ordered.

The man who had signaled the all clear checked me for weapons. I recoiled at his rough touch, but he was fast. Declaring me clean, he pushed me down on my knees next to Leif. He didn’t miss anything. Everything I could use in my defense was in my cloak. If I was ever given a second chance, I wouldn’t be so stupid again.

“See what goodies you can find,” the leader said.

While two men kept guard, the others searched through our belongings. It finally dawned on me they might be robbers, and I actually began to hope they would take what they wanted and leave.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have much besides coins and weapons. Piling the goods in front of us, they puzzled over the glass orbs and spilled my glass spiders and bees on the floor. TheglasstreeleopardLeifusedtocommunicatewithothermagiciansdrewlaughsofderisionoverwhattheythoughtwasatoy.

The leader picked up one of the bees and examined it in the firelight. “What’s this?” he asked me.

“Don’t tell him,” Leif said.

I glanced at Leif. He looked worried. Too worried. He wanted the leader to think they were significant. I caught on.

“It’s gotta be important, boss. They don’t have anything else with them,” the Signal Man said.

The leader grabbed my hair, yanking me to my feet. He jabbed me with his knife’s point in the exact same spot as before. Pain blazed. “What is it?”

“Glass…decorations…worthless.” I held still.

“You want to die over a few trinkets?” He twisted the knife.

I cried out as fire ringed my throat.

“Stop,” Ulrick yelled. “Tell him.”

“Hurry up or I’m going to carve my initials deep into your smooth skin.”

“There are jewels…hidden inside.” I relaxed a bit as he pulled his knife away. Warm wetness flowed down my neck.

“The spiders?” he asked.

“Topaz,” I said.

“The bees?”

“Emeralds and onyx.”

“How do we get to them?”

“Don’t—” Leif tried, but a guard kicked him in the stomach.

The leader dragged his blade along my cheek, leaving a trail of pain.

“Break it,” I said as if he had forced it from me. I hoped this was what Leif wanted.

With greedy glints in their eyes, the leader and three of his men tried to snap the glass items in half.

“Only I can break them open,” I said.