The desk dwarfed the blonde woman sitting behind it. She wrinkled her nose in disdain, but waved us toward the far door, saying, “She’s expecting you.”
I turned to my guard. “I thought you said I was being questioned by the First Adviser.”
“This is the FA’s office,” he said. “All our officials have offices befitting their stations.”
I suppressed a whistle. If this was the FA’s, what did Councilor Moon’s look like?
The interior office was as ornate as the reception area and twice as big. In the far right corner loomed another expansive desk and another woman. She faced the large windows with her back to us. Sunlight highlighted her straight black hair and a feeling of familiarity tugged deep within me.
Stained-glass sun catchers refracted the sunlight, causing bright pinpricks of color to dot the walls and ceiling. Distinct glass vases decorated her neat desk.
“Gressa,” I said.
Ulrick’s sister turned around. Her resemblance to Ulrick was uncanny. Her long, graceful limbs, strong jaw, prominent cheekbones and eyes the color of grass on a sunny day matched his. Except this time, instead of being drawn to her because of the similarity, I was wary. Since Devlen switched bodies, seeing even a likeness of Ulrick’s face triggered a flinch.
She studied me with a cold, unwelcoming expression for a moment, then gestured toward a chair. “Sit down.”
I perched on the edge of an overstuffed maroon chair. She dismissed the guards to wait in the outer office without ordering them to unlock the manacles binding my wrists. At least she could have told them to remove my cloak. I sweated in the warm room.
Gressa picked up a glass letter opener and tapped it on her desk. “Why did you break into my factory?”
“I needed to talk to you.”
“You could have sent me a message.”
“I thought you might be in hiding.”
“Really?” Her thin arched eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Why?”
“Because of making the fake diamonds and helping the Councilor’s sister.”
“Oh, that.” She waved her hand in the air as if her past was as insignificant as the dust motes floating in the sunlight. “Obviously, it worked out. I offered my services and my knowledge of Akako’s plans to Councilor Moon. After Akako was arrested, the Councilor offered me a position on her staff.”
“Akako?”
Gressa sighed with dramatics. “The Councilor’s sister.”
That explained why Yelena and Irys left Fulgor, but didn’t address the tension and worry emanating from the town’s citizens. Perhaps it was due to Gressa being the First Adviser—the second most powerful position in the Clan. No doubt she would use her status for her own advantage.
She played with the letter opener. The clear glass handle tapered to a thin, flat blade. The edge had been sharpened with a grinding wheel. “What was so important you wouldn’t take no as an answer, scaring my workers?”
“It’s about Ulrick.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but her demeanor turned colder. “Were you planning to explain why you had him arrested?”
“Yes, and to explain about...” How best to state the situation? I considered my words with care. “Ulrick has been tricked—”
“I know.”
“You do?”
“Of course. He’s been tricked into falling in love with you. And now you’re claiming he’s really someone else. Oh, please.” She jabbed the letter opener into the air. “You have no proof.”
I closed my mouth. I knew this would be difficult, but I hadn’t expected such hostility. “Have you talked to the Council?”
“Yes. They said you’ve disobeyed direct orders, and I should send you to the Citadel in chains if I have to.”
“Have you communicated with Master Cowan?”
She leaned forward. “At length. Even she is doubtful.”
Icy tendrils wrapped around my heart. Goose bumps prickled my sweaty skin. “But Janco and Kade can vouch for me.”
“An Ixian and a missing Stormdancer?” She laughed. “I thought you were smarter than that.”
“Kade’s not missing. He stayed behind to calm the blizzards for the Ixians.”
“Are you talking about the same Ixians whose Commander murders magicians, and has declared using magic within his territory illegal and punishable by death? Do you know how ridiculous your story sounds? Are you delusional?”
I drew in a breath. “Talk to Ulrick. Ask him to blow you a vase. Devlen may have read Ulrick’s memories, but he can’t duplicate the skill learned from years of working with molten glass. You grew up with him. Spend an hour with him and you’ll know he’s not your brother.”
“There you go, Opal. Now you’re thinking rationally. Except for one thing.”
By the wicked delight flaming in her eyes, I knew this wouldn’t go my way.
“I already had a long conversation with my brother. Your claims are a complete fabrication.”
I hated it when I was right.
* * *
My guards escorted me to a “guest” room in the Councilor’s Hall. With no windows, a small bed and one chair, the room felt tighter than my cell. The door closed behind me with a thump and the lock clicked shut, casting me into darkness. At least the guards had removed my manacles. I rubbed my sore wrists, then felt for the bed. My eyes adjusted as I lay there. Weak candlelight flickered through the cracks around the door.
Gressa had informed me Councilor Moon wanted to talk to me before they escorted me home. She had just returned from the Citadel. Again I berated myself for not taking advantage of my time with Janco and learning how to pick a lock. He would be free in no time. I wondered how long he would wait for me at the stable. Even though escaping would be horrible in my I’m-really-a-good-person defense, my determination to find Ulrick still burned strong.
Janco and I had hit a dead end in our search for Ulrick in Fulgor. If an opportunity to escape happened and I was successful, I would head to Ognap. Devlen had provided the dubious information, but it was better than doing nothing. Every day that passed meant another day the stain of blood magic would spread.
Time dripped. Each second hung as if it were on the end of an icicle, fattening until it grew too big to hold on. Then splat—another second gone. A preview of my future once I returned to the Citadel.
When two guards arrived to guide me to the Councilor’s office, I didn’t complain about the manacles.
As expected, her office suite made Gressa’s seem ordinary in comparison. Instead of one assistant in the reception room, three women and two men bustled about. Soldiers stood at attention on each side of the double doors. They nodded to my companions. We entered the Councilor’s office.
The ceiling was two stories above my head. Thin stained-glass windows spanned the walls from top to bottom on my left and right. The room was long and narrow. We passed an oval conference table and a sitting area with couches and armchairs. Straight ahead a huge U-shaped desk had been pushed against a picture window with the opening toward me. The Councilor seemed to prefer to face the view while working.
“Councilor Tama,” my guard said.
The woman raised a hand, signaling us to wait. After a moment, she stood and approached us. With the late-afternoon sun behind her, her long blond hair appeared almost white.
Her smile died when she glanced at me. “Lieutenant, please release her.” The Councilor’s words were polite, but her tone said now. When the manacles came off, she said, “Leave us.”
“She could be a danger to you,” the lieutenant said.
Tama studied me. I suppressed the urge to squirm. She wore a white silk V-neck tunic embroidered with black half-moon shapes over a long skirt made from the same material. Delicate black leather sandals with silver crescents adorne
d her feet. My plain soiled clothes, bedraggled hair and muddy boots seemed an insult in comparison.
“Go wait by the door.” She shooed them away. “Come. Sit.” Tama pointed to a chair behind one of the long wooden tables of her desk.
I smoothed my hair, tucking the wild strands behind my ears before I complied.
“You don’t look like a troublemaker,” Tama said. She perched on the edge of the table. Her light blue eyes sparked with amusement.
I marveled at her pale skin. Her thin lips and tiny upturned nose resembled the Ixian people who lived near the northern ice sheet and not the darker skin tones of Sitia. She was also younger than I expected. I guessed her age to be around thirty.
“I’m not here to cause trouble, Councilor Moon,” I said in my most sincere voice. “I’m here because—”
“I know why you came to Fulgor. And I know you’ve accused Gressa’s brother of being a Daviian Warper in disguise. I read the order for your return before I signed it.”
I had forgotten about the message from the Council.
She watched my expression. “Do you even realize the panic you caused in the Council chambers by not obeying the order?”
“I...” This time I squirmed.
“Master Magician Zitora Cowan defended you when the news of your unusual kidnapping reached the Council. We weren’t happy about the rumors coming from Ixia, but she was able to convince us of your integrity up until you failed to appear. Did you even think about Zitora before you decided to dash off to Fulgor?”
“I...” I slumped in my seat.
“I didn’t think so.”
Tama Moon’s gaze rested on me and visions of being scolded by my mother rose. I refrained from hanging my head.
She crossed her arms. “Your claim about Ulrick was hard to believe before, but now it is impossible.”
“Why? The Warpers used blood magic in the past, they—”
“Gressa has vouched for him. She is his sister.”
“And she has admitted to helping your sister try to oust you. She can’t be trusted.” A subtle tightening of her posture and the increase of the tension in her arms warned me I had said the wrong thing.
“I trust her.” A slight tremor of anger touched her voice.
I chose my next words with the utmost care. “I realize it is my word against theirs. I’m not lying, Councilor Moon. Please send a message to Yelena Zaltana and ask her to come back to Fulgor. She will be able to confirm my claims.”
“The Soulfinder is in Ixia right now, dealing with the mess you left behind.”
The protest died in my throat. It wouldn’t help my case.
The Councilor settled in her chair. Piles of paper rested on the desk between us. She leaned forward, placing her elbows on the edge. “Opal, you’re lucky I’m in Fulgor to attend to town business. I can give you a bit of advice. When you return to the Citadel, the Council will be hostile, but you have quite a bit of leverage.”
“Leverage?”
Tama nodded as if expecting my confusion. “Gressa said you had no clue. Think for a moment. What invaluable service do you and only you provide?”
So focused on finding Ulrick, I needed more than a moment to understand. “My glass messengers.”
“Correct. Do you realize how vital they’ve become to Sitia? To the Council? Almost instant communication with people far away. What used to take days now takes minutes. And only you can trap the magic inside them.”
Unfortunately, I couldn’t use them. Magicians with strong mental communication skills could “talk” to another magician through my messengers despite the distance as long as each held one in their hands. With use, the magic was depleted and a new one was needed.
The Councilor huffed. “That’s your leverage. If the Sitian Council and Master Magicians decide to lock you away in the Keep’s cells, then who is going to make more of those messengers?”
“We’ve been searching for another student.”
“Pah!” She flung her hand out. “No one right now is able to duplicate your talent. And they’ve become so crucial to the Council and Sitia, the Councilors would agree to anything you ask to keep them in production.”
“Oh! You mean, I could ask to be released or else I won’t make more.”
“Exactly! Now think about what you could do on a grander scale.”
“Why?”
She sighed. “Opal, what are your plans once you graduate from the Keep?”
Visit my family and Kade, but I didn’t think she referred to the short term. “I haven’t really thought about it yet.”
She gawked at me as if I were an idiot. I rushed to add, “It’s been a busy two seasons.”
Pressing her fingertips into her temples, she closed her eyes for a few seconds. “You’re sweet, Opal. Even with me encouraging you, you still can’t even contemplate selfish behavior.” Her posture relaxed and she leaned back in her chair. “I’m going to give you a hypothetical situation. And I’m telling you this, not as Councilor Moon, but as Tama Moon, the businesswoman.
“Let’s say I’m you in your current predicament. I would tell the Council and the Master Magicians to back off if they want more glass messengers. Then I would build a factory right here in Fulgor because I hear Moon Clan’s Councilor is partial to free enterprise. And I would sell my messengers to the magicians.”
“But...” I clamped down on reminding her about the Council’s fears.
“It wouldn’t be easy. The Master Magicians would worry about you, and send someone to bring you back to the Citadel where they could keep an eye on you. Frankly, I’m surprised the Masters even let you out at all. If you’re killed...” She paused.
“It won’t work. They won’t just send ‘someone,’ they’ll send a Master Magician and a whole platoon of soldiers. Besides, where would I get the money to build a factory?”
Her eyebrows rose a fraction and her lips curved into a small, knowing smile.
“Who told you?” I asked.
“Who do you think?”
“Devlen.”
“Ulrick,” she corrected. “He told his sister all about your new siphoning skills. The ones you didn’t tell Master Cowan about. The ones that will protect you against an attack from a master-level magician. The ones that transform magic into diamonds. You can build a whole city with the diamonds hidden in your saddlebags.”
I had wanted to tell Zitora in person. The Council already knew I could transform magic into objects like spiders and bees, but I’d waited to tell them the whole story. Better to hear the news from me and see my honesty, my willingness to cooperate—I stifled a wild laugh. Guess I ruined that image by disobeying their orders.
Councilor Moon waited for me to process her comments. The whole conversation with her felt unreal. She acted as if she wasn’t a member of the Council.
“Why are you telling me all this? Aren’t you afraid?”
“I’m not afraid of you. I have no magic for you to take, what can you do?”
I pulled a glass bee from the pocket of my cloak. Holding it between my finger and thumb, I showed it to her. “I could kill you before your guards could even react.”
“All right. Go ahead.” She laughed at my expression. “I know you won’t do it unless your life is in danger, or the life of someone you love. You’re a good person. I’m not scared of you, but I know the Council will lock you away, too terrified to see you as an asset. And I’m afraid you would let them!”
She drew a deep breath. “My opinions are in the minority. That’s why I’m trying to get you to think about your future. Really think about it. You have such potential, and Gressa is willing to support you. I would need to remain uninvolved to keep the other Councilors happy. And there is no reason they need to be told about your new skills—only a few people know and we c
an keep quiet. Show up at the Citadel, tell the Council what you intend to do and come back.”
Tama’s argument had merit. Kade had also suggested I keep the information to myself. The notion tempted me, but I couldn’t lie to the Council. If I trusted them and the Master Magicians to govern Sitia in a way that kept us all safe, then I would trust them to make the right decision regarding my own role in Sitia’s future.
Councilor Moon should have the same trust in the government, especially since she was a major part of it. Perhaps her selfish attitude had been the reason her sister, Akako, had wanted to overthrow her.
I opened my mouth.
“Don’t say anything right now,” she said. “You’re scheduled to leave for the Citadel tomorrow morning. You’ll have four travel days. Promise me you’ll think about it?”
I agreed, but as I was escorted back to the tiny “guest” room, I knew my decision wouldn’t change. After all, I’ve had, since I left Kade in the north, almost twenty-six days to contemplate all the pros and cons. Like Tama said, I was a good person. I would do the right thing.
But it didn’t mean I would do it now. Once I reached the Citadel, the chances of helping Ulrick would disappear. The guards hadn’t manacled my wrists. My cloak remained wrapped around my shoulders. I clutched a glass spider in each fist, waiting for the perfect opportunity to surprise my guards and run away.
Unfortunately, people filled the hallways, rushing to finish their last tasks before going home. Shoved and locked back into the room, I rested on the bed. Later tonight, when the Councilor’s Hall was empty, I would see if my spiders knew how to pick a lock. If not, there were other ways to trick the guards into opening my door.
I fell asleep plotting my escape.
* * *
A metallic snap invaded my dreams. Faint torchlight surrounded the figure of a man in the doorway. I sat up and prepared to crush the spiders in my palms.