Sea Glass

Peter saddled Quartz, but Devlen placed my saddlebags on Moonlight along with Janco’s sword. Great.

He thanked the stable owner. “Now we can get home and help my father plow.”

My panic must have reached my face. Peter touched my shoulder. “Don’t worry too much. Your father’ll be mad, but I’m sure he’ll forgive you in time. Daughters hold a special place in their hearts. I know.”

I tried to convince him of my honesty, but his stern frown warned me he’d had enough. Quartz felt my fear, but she nuzzled me as if to say, “Snap out of it.” She snorted with impatience. Her desire for action was evident, but I remained on the ground, declaring I would wait for the authorities to arrive.

Peter glanced at Devlen. “I have rope and leather ties.”

“No.” The mere thought of being tied to the saddle horrified me. I’d rather be free so I could escape as soon as we were out of sight. I mounted Quartz, feeling dazed over the speed with which my situation had changed.

Peter handed her reins to Devlen on Moonlight. With a final wave, he clicked and we left at a trot. I waited until the woods obscured the stable, then reached to unbuckle Quartz’s bridle. The bone-jarring gait made it difficult to keep my balance. I almost fell. Not that I would care, falling and running was plan B.

“What are you doing?” Devlen asked. He stopped the horses.

“Enjoying the scenery.”

“You have spent too much time with that annoying Ixian. Sarcasm does not suit you.” He dismounted.

“And being a doormat does?” I swung my leg over, preparing to slide down and bolt.

He pulled the sheath with my sais from the saddlebags. “No. You already proved you are not a doormat when you drained me, Tricky and Crafty of our magic. After I recovered from my surprise, I was quite proud of you.”

“Proud?” Not the feeling I expected.

“Yes. What you did was ruthless and smart. You did not hesitate. Much better than the whimpering little girl at our first meeting.”

I bit down on another sarcastic remark. I had been fourteen and a prisoner. He had tortured me—justified whimpering.

Devlen strode toward me with the sheathed sais. I planned my next move. But instead of pulling the weapons and threatening me, he shoved the sheath and Quartz’s reins at me.

“Here. Go. Do what you want.” He returned to Moonlight and mounted.

I clutched the weapons to my chest.

He spun his horse around and laughed at my confusion. “Did you think I was going to drag you to a remote cabin so I can reclaim my magic from your blood?”

“Yes.” Before I siphoned Devlen’s Warper powers, he had used blood magic to help Tricky regain a bit of his magic by injecting my blood into Tricky’s skin.

Good thing Tricky was incarcerated in an Ixian jail. And even better, Devlen didn’t know he was protected by my blood. He was the only magician impervious to my glass magic.

“Ten days ago, I would have. But I am getting used to being without magic, and do not miss the hunger for more power that had consumed me. Right now, I am more intrigued.”

Again, not what I expected. “Okay, I’ll bite. Intrigued about what?”

“About your reaction when you find Ulrick.”

“That’s no mystery. I’ll be happy.”

“Even when he tells you he does not want to be saved?” He considered. “And his reaction after I inform him about our intimacies should be interesting. He cares for you and he will be upset you did not notice the change.”

I suppressed the urge to correct him. Ulrick’s behavior and attitude had changed, but I thought it was due to seeing his sister, Gressa. Her self-absorption and over-the-top ego caused him to realize how his own maudlin demeanor was being perceived as self-pity by those around him. It had made sense, and I liked his new confidence and boldness. Which could be why I didn’t question the change. And why Devlen kept returning to the subject.

Focusing on the situation at hand, I pulled my sais.

Devlen smiled. “What are you planning?”

“Take you back to the stable, and rescue my friend.”

“That would not go well in your I-am-the-good-one defense with Peter. Besides, we have already proven your sais are no match for my sword.”

He had a point. Last time we fought, he maneuvered past my defenses with ease, slicing my arms and legs until I was dizzy with exhaustion. If I returned to the stables, Peter would probably lock me up until the city guards arrived. But I couldn’t let Devlen escape, either.

He watched my face. “Guess you are stuck with me.”

Until I could recapture him. “Where are you going?”

“To Fulgor to find Ulrick.”

Caught off guard, I paused, letting his words sink in. “Don’t you already know where he is? You said—”

“I lied. At the time, I wanted you to think I held him. More incentive for you to obey me. After we switched bodies, he went one way and I went another. I keep telling you he consented to the exchange, but you refuse to believe me.”

“You’ve just admitted to lying, and you wonder why I don’t trust you.”

He threw his hands up. “I guess finding him will end the argument. We need to hurry, though. I figure we have a day at most before your annoying Ixian is tracking us.” Devlen spurred Moonlight into a gallop.

Lacking another option, I urged Quartz to follow.

Well after midnight, we stopped to rest for a few hours. Devlen had kept to the northern Featherstone forests, avoiding populated areas. Which was good and bad for me. Our passage through the trees left a clear trail for Janco to track, yet the isolation set my nerves on edge. He was armed. Granted, my glass spiders and bees were in my saddlebags on Moonlight, but I wouldn’t use the bees, and the spiders were more effective when my opponent was surprised.

We collected firewood, and Devlen cooked a simple bread stew.

“We will need more supplies.” He handed me a bowl of the steaming liquid.

I sniffed the contents.

He laughed. “You think I poisoned it.”

“You could have put in a sleeping potion or goo-goo juice.”

Devlen shook his head as if he couldn’t believe my stupidity. I realized he had plenty of chances to escape or…what? Capture me? Why bother when I’m following him like a lost puppy?

Yet I flinched every time he moved, grabbed the hilts of my sais when he came too close and jerked when he said my name. I almost wanted him to attack so I didn’t have to wait and worry anymore. Sleep would be impossible.

“We will leave at dawn and make a stop at the border market.” Devlen unrolled his sleeping mat and squirmed into a comfortable position.

The small market was located on the borderline between the Moon and Featherstone clans. At our current travel rate, I estimated we would arrive at Fulgor in two days.

Devlen’s breathing slowed. I contemplated rearresting him. He said he wanted to go to Fulgor, but he could have been lying. Perhaps I could grab his sword. The weapon lay in its sheath beside him. His hand rested on the hilt. I decided to make the attempt.

I waited an hour, hoping he would relax into a deeper slumber. Seizing the tip of the scabbard, I inched his sword away from him. He moved in a heartbeat, snatching my wrist and yanking me forward. I sprawled in an ungainly heap next to him.

“Opal, you should know better after all those nights we spent sleeping side by side.” He released my wrist and snaked his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him. “I missed this.”

I stiffened. “You would. Let me go.”

“I do not miss the times after you knew who I was, but before. You did enjoy yourself.”

Those memories were tainted with his deception. It was difficult for me to recall them without feeling the fool, without feeling embarrassed and humiliated. If I removed him and concentrated on the time spent as being with Ulrick, then I could agree. But there was the doubt, too. Did I know in an instinctive way that he wasn’t really Ulrick?

“I did,” I said. “But what happened after has ruined any joy.”

His muscles tightened for a moment. “I am sorry to have caused you pain. It was difficult for me to be so cruel, but I was obsessed and needed your help. I happen to be very good at finding those pressure points, and, if you think about it, there is no lasting damage. Once the pressure is released the pain stops. No bruises, no broken bones and no wounds to get infected.”

“Should I be glad you tortured me that way?” Sarcasm spiked my words. I jerked away.

He sighed. “No. Just trying to explain.”

“Don’t bother. It’s bad enough you tricked me and wanted to use me to find your mentor, but you planned to give me to Sir and Namir’s men. I don’t think they would have been as considerate as you and go for the no-lasting-damage torture.” I shuddered, remembering Shen’s hungry eyes and possessive touch.

“An empty threat. I hoped you would decide to stay with me and learn about blood magic once we freed my mentor.”

I laughed. “Wouldn’t happen.”

“Why not? I will admit blood magic has a horrible history and reputation. But it does not have to be ill used. The blood I collected was freely given. I did not kill anyone to obtain it, nor did anyone die.”

Creative lies. I didn’t think he had it in him. “And the Kirakawa ritual…?”

“Would have been my first unwilling sacrifice.”

“Uh-huh. So I’m to believe you never killed anyone.”

He pushed up to his elbow. “No. I have been in battles and have defended myself. Even you cannot make that claim.”

True. By my command, one of my bees had killed the leader of a gang of robbers, and two of Namir’s men died at Icefaren station when I’d rescued Kade and stolen Devlen and Crafty’s magic.

“But you still want to finish the Kirakawa, which is illegal and immoral. And requires you to release your mentor, who was imprisoned for a very good reason.” Agroup of Daviian Warpers had used the Kirakawa ritual to boost their magical power so they could counter the Master Magicians. They’d almost gained control of Sitia.

The desire to rid Sitia of all knowledge of blood magic pulsed through my body.

He lay back, stretching out on his mat. “My priorities have changed.” He stared at me. “I would rather focus on other things for now.”

“Like what?”

“You.”

Chapter 3

THE TINY SMUDGE of light brightened, pushing the deep blackness of night away. While Devlen had slept, I transferred my bags to my saddle, tucking a few spiders and bees into my cloak and pants pockets. I couldn’t use them against Devlen, but they could be useful for other situations.

Devlen awoke refreshed. I wished I could say the same. My single uneasy hour of sleep had been fraught with disturbing dreams of being hunted.

We packed our meager supplies and headed east. If Devlen had noticed my late-night efforts, he gave no sign of it. The morning air held a crisp scent of pine. No clouds tainted the bright sky. Except for my companion, the day promised to be a perfect one for travel.

I would have ridden right by the border market if I had been alone. The scattering of stalls and tables matched the brownish-gray color of the forest. Customers dressed in plain tunics and pants dyed in various earth tones shopped. It was as if the people had no desire to clash with their surroundings.

I fingered my new charcoal-gray cloak. Trading the Ixian one I had worn for this one, I’d also swapped the uniform Devlen had given me to wear while in Ixia. My cream-colored tunic and dark brown linen pants were suitably nondescript. In fact, with my brown leather boots, brown eyes and hair, I fit right in. My sister Mara’s voice sounded in my mind, correcting me: Golden-brown hair, Opal. Look at those streaks of gold. And: Mother named you for your eyes. Black opals are so elegant and reflect the light.

I smiled, thinking about my younger brother’s comments: Mud brown and poop brown. Poor Opal, after Mother had Mara and Tula there was nothing pretty left. My reply was to mention how deficient he was in intelligence, launching us into an argument with no winner.

Longing to see them erased my grin.

“How much money do you have?” Devlen asked. He dismounted and tied Moonlight to a nearby tree.

“Not much.” I rummaged in my pack and found a few coins. Janco carried the bulk of the money.

“I will buy jerky and cheese, and you can get the bread.”

We split up to purchase the food. A feeling of oddness settled on my shoulders. I felt as if I should seek help from the locals. Yet I knew any claims about my bizarre situation would be met with disbelief. Devlen’s sweet-talking skills would negate any sympathy.

Fulgor would be the same. To prove my story, the authorities would have to contact Zitora for confirmation. She would alert them to my status. I almost laughed at the irony of trying to get Devlen arrested and instead being the one locked up.

The best plan would be to find Ulrick and then bring him and Devlen to Yelena. She could switch their souls back to their right bodies. Devlen would then be incarcerated, I would report to the Citadel as ordered and Ulrick…? Could do whatever he wanted.

Guilt squeezed my stomach. Ulrick and I had a relationship before Devlen interrupted. But now I had Kade, and just the thought of the Stormdancer caused a hurricane to blow around my insides. I would have to tell Ulrick about Kade.

Devlen and I packed the items into our bags and mounted. After spending another sleepless night in the open, we arrived at Fulgor late the next afternoon.

Sitting across the table from Devlen, I felt unsettled. He had done nothing to alarm me, but the atmosphere in the Weir Inn’s common room seemed charged. The normal buzz of conversation was muted as if the others were afraid of being overheard.

I glanced around. Town guards sat at tables and leaned against the bar. More than usual or was I just ultra-aware of them because of my situation?

I questioned Devlen on Ulrick. “Where did you leave him?”

“We parted company at the Tulip Inn on the western edge of town.”

He stuck to his story and I had no way to force the truth from him. “I’ll play along. Did he say where he planned to go?”

“I suggested he find a mentor to teach him how to use his new powers and to increase them.”

“With blood magic?”

“Of course. You cannot add to your magical abilities otherwise.”

I considered my own history with magic. At first, I had thought I possessed one trick—to capture magic inside my glass animals. But when Kade exhausted himself filling orbs with storm energy, I joined my essence with him and helped contain the lethal might of the tempest. Then I discovered the skill to harvest another’s magic.

“Your magic was always there, Opal. You lacked the confidence and the knowledge to fully use it.”

“You can read my mind?”

“No. Your face. Your expressions are easy to read. Despite your adventures with the sinister side of life, you remain an open and kind person.”

I would call them my misadventures.

Devlen relaxed against the back of his chair. “You do not agree. Just because you are smarter and more cautious now, you are not jaded and suspicious. When you meet someone, you think the best of them until they prove you wrong. It is refreshing and a little frustrating, especially in Ulrick’s case. He has not proven you wrong.”

“Mind games and sweet talk. You’re very good at those. You only know me through Ulrick’s memories.”

“And you have forgotten I was born a Sandseed and learned how to control my magic from the Story Weavers. Just because I chose to leave my clan to be a Warper does not mean I have forgotten my training. When I had magic, I scanned each person I touched. If they resonated with me, I had full access to the story threads of their life. Past, present and future.” He leaned closer. “You resonated deep within me. More than any other.”

He played with my emotions, conning me. I pushed aside his insinuations about knowing my life story. Focusing on the original topic, I asked, “Who would Ulrick seek out to teach him? According to the Sitian Council, all the Warpers are dead.”

Devlen propped his elbows onto the table and rested his chin on his hands. “Why are you asking me questions when you do not believe my answers?”

“Perhaps I’m hoping you’ll slip up and tell me the truth.”

He huffed. “Okay, fine. I told Ulrick there were three other Warpers who had escaped. They might have moved on, but two were living in Ognap and the other was somewhere near Bloodgood lands. I assume Ulrick would head east to Ognap. If the two Warpers are still there, he would find them.”

“How?”

“By their smell.” Seeing my confusion, he added, “It is not discernible by regular people or magicians. Only Warpers can smell it. Handy for a number of things, especially for finding spies in our midst.”

Ulrick could be in Ognap by now. If he was, then it would prove Devlen’s claims that Ulrick agreed to the switch. If he found the other Warpers, then they’re all together and I would have to deal with three powerful magicians. But it would also mean I could drain and neutralize three more blood magicians. Which was fine with me. The sooner the better.

Before, Ulrick’s skills were limited—his glass vases also trapped magic within them, but the magic transferred emotions rather than thoughts. Could he still use his own magic? Or had it remained with his body? I asked Devlen.

“No. Besides not knowing how to blow glass, all my own magic stayed with my soul.”

“How does blood magic work?” I asked.

Devlen sipped his ale. “Everyone has a soul. Therefore, everyone has magic. But not all can access the power source and use their magic potential. Only magicians can link their magic to the blanket of power.”

“I know all this. I studied at the Magician’s Keep for the past five years.”

“Humor me.” His finger traced the wood grain on the table. “Blood magic binds a person’s soul magic to his blood. It attaches energy to a physical substance. After the binding is achieved, blood can be drawn from the person and injected into another. The Warpers would mix the blood with tattoo ink and inject it into the skin.”

Devlen rubbed his arm as if remembering the prick of pain. “For the first level of the Kirakawa ritual, only a small amount is needed. The blood gives the Warper a boost of magic, and instead of drawing a thin thread of power from the blanket, he could pull a thicker strand. If the blood…donor is not a magician, the boost is weaker than blood from a magician.”

His gaze trapped mine. “This is where it becomes interesting. If the person receiving the blood is not a magician and the donor is not a magician, nothing happens. But if the nonmagical person injects blood from a magician, he gains the ability to connect with the power source. He becomes a magician. Think about it. Everyone could be a magician. Everyone would be equal. What is wrong with that?”

A persuasive argument, except for the one thing. “But it’s addicting. No one stops at the first level. The first few levels are benign, but once you get to level nine—”

“Ten is when the killings begin. And at level twelve the heart’s blood is harvested from the chambers of a heart. The final step reaps the most potent magic. Because the heart is where the soul resides.”

I shuddered, remembering the bloodstained sand at the Magician’s Keep. Sudden pride at my deeds during the Warper battle flared. Those who knew how to perform the last two levels of the Kirakawa had been imprisoned in my glass animals and hidden. Devlen had hoped to use me to find his captured mentor and finish the Kirakawa.

“What level were you on?” I asked.

“Eight.”

The word hung between us like a dark cloud. I pondered his explanation and encountered an anomaly. “The magic blood is injected into your skin, but when you switched bodies with Ulrick the tattoos didn’t go with you.”

“Correct. The extra magic stayed with my body. When I entered Ulrick’s, I only carried my original magic, which was strong.” He tapped his mug on the table. “Interesting. The addiction clung to me even when I swapped bodies.”

Horrifying was closer to the truth. If Devlen switched back to his body, he would have access to magic again and Ulrick would still be addicted.

He touched my hand. I recoiled. “When you stole my magic, you took away my greed for power. You could do the same for Ulrick.”

Ulrick had been frustrated with his limited magical abilities. To render him without any magic at all would be devastating. “I’m not sure he would want me to.”

“Does not matter what he wants. If you do not drain him, he will desire more magic and he has learned how to acquire it.”

With blood magic. “How could you say it doesn’t have to be ill used? Eventually anyone using it will advance to a point where he needs to kill in order to satisfy the hunger.”

“The desire to increase your power does not influence what you choose to do with your magic. Once acquired, I could do good things like heal and help others with it. The Daviian Warpers believed Sitia needed stronger leadership. They used their powers to overthrow the Council because they felt Ixia was on the verge of invading us, and the current Council would be ineffective in repelling them.”

“They were wrong.”

Devlen shrugged. “For now. Ixia’s Commander could always change his mind.”

“I can’t get past the fact of having to murder another to finish the ritual.”

He considered. “You could find someone on the edge of dying and take his soul right before he passes.”

“But then you deny him eternal peace in the sky.”

“Only if he was headed to the sky. What if the fire world claimed him? Given the choice of eternal pain or helping another, I have no doubt he would choose to stay.”

I almost agreed to the benefits of his scenario before I realized he had used his golden tongue to twist his words again. And I had fallen for it. Again.

His gaze slid pass me and a wry smile touched his lips. “Such a good boy. Right on time.”

I turned. Janco and four Sitian guards hustled toward us.

Devlen spread his hands wide, showing he was unarmed, but his attention never left me. “I enjoyed our conversation.”

Two guards rushed him. They jerked him to his feet and slammed him face-first onto the table. He offered no resistance despite being armed with Janco’s sword, which Janco wasted no time in reclaiming. Frisked and manacled, Devlen was pulled upright. The amused smile remained on his now-bloody lips.

All the patrons in the room stared at the spectacle. The other town soldiers watched with interest, but didn’t attempt to help their colleagues. Probably off duty.

“See you later,” Devlen said as the guards escorted him from the inn.

Janco remained behind. He turned a worried expression my way. “Are you all right?”

“Fine. How about you?” I gestured to his face and neck. Angry welts and scabs striped his skin.

He rubbed his arm. “Lousy whip. Took me by surprise. Knocked my sword right out of my hand.” His eyes, though, gleamed with appreciation. “Nasty weapon. I can’t wait to try it out on Ari.”

Janco’s partner, Ari, was twice as broad. Powerful and smart, Ari wouldn’t be easy to beat.

“Just don’t let him catch the whip. If he grabs it, you’re done.” I righted the mugs on the table and sat.

Plopping into the opposite chair, Janco winced.

“Do you want to go to a healer?” I asked.

He was quick to respond. “No. Absolutely not. I’m fine.” He waved down a server and ordered a meal. Moving with care, he leaned back. “Okay, spill.”

I filled him in on what had happened the past two days.

“You didn’t believe a word he said. Right?” Janco asked.

“Of course. I know better.” I tried to sound convincing, but wondered if the effort was for Janco’s benefit or mine.