Maria Snyder - Storm Glass

“Good thing I was traveling with Master Jewelrose,” Yelena said. “Otherwise, they would have stuck me in the basement, using a barrel for a seat and an old packing crate as a desk.”

Third Magician pished at Yelena. “She exaggerates.”

Kade lounged in one of the armchairs. His dusty boots matched his disheveled appearance. One elbow was propped and he rested his head in his hand. He said nothing. Master Jewelrose waved at us to sit down and sent Yelena for tea.

Ulrick coughed. He was the only one bothered by sending a Soulfinder for refreshments. Leif plopped on the couch, kicked off his muddy boots and put his feet on the table.

“We’ve come to a standstill,” Master Jewelrose said. “Councillor Moon’s sister is organizing a coup, but the Councillor refuses to believe us. She insists the Commander of Ixia has sent Valek here to assassinate her.” She leaned back in her chair. A few black strands of hair had escaped her tight bun. Dark smudges stood out under her emerald-colored eyes.

“Why is she convinced Ambrose is out to get her?” Leif asked.

“Ambrose?” Yelena raised a slender eyebrow. She carried a tray of tea and fruit. “You’re on a first name basis with the Commander now?”

“I usually call him Amby, but not in mixed company. Hey!” Leif caught the apple his sister threw at him.

They looked chastised after Master Jewelrose gave them a stern stare. Yelena retrieved a black statue from a desk in the corner. She handed it to me.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“You tell me.”

Carved into the shape of a dagger, the smooth statue glinted. “It’s not stone. Probably a type of high-quality glass. Just like those fake diamonds.” I turned the piece in my hands.

“What’s the significance?” Leif asked.

“It was found on Councillor Moon’s pillow. Her advisers warned it was a calling card from Valek, and she had been targeted for assassination,” Yelena said.

Before the Commander’s takeover of Ixia, Valek had assassinated the entire royal family. To make the job more interesting and challenging, he would leave one of his carvings on his victim’s bed to warn them.

“Valek doesn’t leave warnings anymore and, truthfully, if the Commander wrote an order for Councillor Moon’s assassination, she would be dead by now.”

Ulrick gaped at Yelena’s matter-of-fact tone.

“There has to be another reason the Councillor thinks the Commander is after her.” Leif reached for the dagger.

“The Councillor recently sent a team of specialists to search the Moon lands for diamond deposits. She believes the Commander wants to stop her before she finds any,” Yelena explained.

“Meanwhile, dear old sis is amassing arms and soldiers by selling fake diamonds?” Leif guessed.

“Right, but we had no proof. Until now.” She smiled at me. “Opal and Kade found the link between the sister and the fakes. Chun. Kade followed him straight to the mine.”

“It’s in a cave,” Kade said.

“What about the real diamonds? Any ideas on those?” Leif asked.

“Nothing substantial. Although…” I wondered if I should say more.

“Although?” Yelena prompted

“When I held the real diamonds, a vision entered my mind. It was cold with white all around.”

“Like a marble quarry?” Master Jewelrose asked.

“Perhaps.” I had assumed the white was snow, but it could be marble.

“So we still haven’t connected the real diamonds with the sister,” Yelena said.

“Does it matter?” Leif asked.

“Not for this case, but I would like to know where they’re coming from. Perhaps if Opal accompanies me and Kade to the cave, she can sense where the real diamonds are.”

Happy tones emanated from the dream voice in my mind. It had been quiet all day as if growing roots deep into my soul. An uneasy feeling rolled along my spine, and dread pulsed. Something waited for me in the cave.

“ARE YOU UPfor a trip to the cave?” Yelena asked.

“Sure,” I said.

“No,” Ulrick said.

“Don’t you think three magicians can keep her safe?” Yelena fixed Ulrick with her powerful stare. He blanched and quickly apologized.

“Three?” I asked her.

“Kade, Leif and me.”

“Me?” Leif squeaked. “Why me?”

“I need someone to light the torches. And Kade knows where to go.”

“What about Irys?” Leif asked.

“Someone needs to guard the Councillor at night. We don’t trust her people,” Master Jewelrose said.

“We’ll go tonight. Around midnight.”

“Tonight? We just arrived,” Leif whined.

Yelena frowned, then brightened as if she had a sudden idea. “Rest now and join us for a late dinner. I’ve made friends with the Councillor’s cook and I’ll ask him to make your favorite beef stew with garlic potatoes and apple cake for dessert.”

Leif’s petulance disappeared in an instant. “When’s dinner? Maybe I should grab a piece of cake now to tide me over for later. Which way is the kitchen?”

Yelena shooed us out the door. “Guest quarters are behind the Hall, next to the stables.”

As Leif, Kade and Ulrick headed out, I asked Yelena, “Friends with the cook?”

She gave me a conspiratorial smirk. “The Councillor is in danger. I don’t want her poisoned on my watch.”

“Leif, light the torch. There’s no one around,” Yelena said.

We crouched a few feet inside the mouth of a cave; inky blackness surrounded us as the wet smell of minerals filled my nose. The cave was located about an hour’s ride north of Fulgor. Kade had seen Chun enter and then exit carrying a bulging bag.

“I had to make a decision,” Kade had said during the ride north. “Either follow Chun or investigate the cave. I chose the cave, but didn’t get far without a light.”

“Any luck with the sand suppliers?” I asked.

“No. Although the Brubaker brothers offered me a discount on something called lightning strike?”

I laughed. “How much?”

“Twenty percent.”

“I would have haggled for thirty.”

“Excuse me, what is lightning strike?” Leif asked.

“When lightning strikes the sand, the heat melts the grains. When it cools, you can have a crude glass rod shaped like a lightning bolt. Its purpose is decorative. They must have guessed Kade was connected to the Stormdance Clan.”

Two torches blazed to life, pushing the darkness back. Shadows danced on the uneven walls of the cave and pebbles crunched under our boots. Leif peered at a small hole toward the back of the chamber with a dubious expression.

“I’m not squeezing. If I don’t fit, I’ll just wait for you,” he said.

“Relax. Once you go through that tunnel, the cave opens up,” Yelena said.

“Have you been here before?” I asked. The prospect of getting lost was unappealing.

“No. My friend told me.” A bat sat on her shoulder. “He agreed to scout for us.”

“Wonderful,” Leif muttered.

I really couldn’t say anything about a scouting bat. I claimed glass and spiders spoke to me, and diamonds gave me visions. Each person’s magic had their own quirks.

Yelena led the way with one torch. I followed. Leif held the other torch and Kade came last. We crawled through the narrow chute. As predicted, the tunnel widened until we could stand. I wiped the dirt from my hands as I looked around the small chamber.

My dream voice cut through my skull as if the person stood next to me and shouted in my ears. He wanted me to save him. Promised me more magical powers and whatever else I wanted. I tried to block the voice with my hands. It didn’t work.

Kade glanced at me with a question in his eyes. I waved his concern away. Nothing he or anyone could do about a voice in my head. If Yelena heard it, she would have said something. Ignoring it, I focused on the cavern. A few stalagmites ringed a pool of water. I couldn’t see another opening.