“You’ll still have your glass magic. Despite what Devlen told you, your own magic stays with your soul. The added magic you have now is from blood magic, which I haven’t even explained to you yet. It’s—”
“Another one of your secrets? No more, Opal. I’m done with you.” He turned away.
I leaped to my feet, grabbed his arm and pushed his sleeve to his elbow, exposing the tattoos. “Blood has been mixed with the ink. It’s the real reason you have more power. It’s illegal.”
He yanked his arm free. “I don’t care. I have magic and I have freedom. You can’t force me to go to Fulgor.”
“Yes, I can.”
“How?” He crossed his arms and straightened to his full height.
“I can drain your magic, leaving you with nothing.” I bluffed. I wasn’t sure if I could steal blood magic. Tricky had kept his, but it was my blood, not another’s. And I didn’t know how it all worked.
He laughed. “You don’t have an orb with you.”
I picked up the shot glass. “Any glass will work.” Another bluff.
He knocked the glass from my grip. It shattered on the floor.
“Oops. Nice try, Opal.”
“I don’t have to be close to you. I can pull your magic from a distance.”
He appeared unimpressed. “A few feet? A mile?” He shrugged. “I can sense you from that distance. Besides, I have no intention of letting you get that close.” His gaze hardened and an invisible force pushed me into my seat. “I have my own defenses.”
“There are other ways to counter you.”
“But first you have to find me.”
The tavern owner appeared by his side. “Something wrong?”
“Yes,” Ulrick said. “She’s causing trouble. Call the authorities and have her arrested for drunk-and-disorderly conduct.” He slipped the man a coin.
“Yes, sir.”
Ulrick strode to the door, but I couldn’t stand until he left.
The owner remained next to the table. He blocked my way. “Can I get you a drink while you’re waiting?”
“No thanks. I’m leaving.” I stepped around him and encountered two tank-size men with flat expressions. My sais would probably bend around their large shaved heads. Sighing, I returned to the table. “I’ll have a glass of wine.”
The owner inclined his head as if to say, “Wise move,” and headed toward the bar. He spoke with a young man who then sprinted from the tavern. Probably to report to the town’s security force. With the two musclemen hovering nearby, I stayed in my seat. Digging two handfuls of my little glass spiders from the pockets of my cloak, I kept them hidden in my palms. I waited for the perfect moment.
When a server passed me carrying a full tray, I tripped her. The poor girl flew forward and the mugs of ale splashed all over the next table. Amid cries of dismay, I crushed the spiders in my hand, hoping no one noticed the huffs of air and the flashes.
About a dozen spiders appeared on the table. “Crawl all around the tavern,” I ordered, sending them a mental image of what I needed them to do. They scurried to obey. I smiled. Handy little guys.
Shrill shrieks and screams followed gasps of horror as the spiders dashed and scuttled through and over the tavern’s patrons, providing me with an excellent distraction. I left without trouble and, after a fruitless search of Ognap for Ulrick, I returned to the Tourmaline Inn.
While waiting for Janco to return, I reviewed my conversation with Ulrick. The whole encounter felt surreal, and not as I expected. His reaction to me had been justified, but his desire to remain in Devlen’s body must be part of the addictive nature of the blood magic. Yeah, right, Opal. Better to blame blood magic than to blame yourself. Or Ulrick.
Devlen claimed the exchange had been mutual, but Ulrick hadn’t been given all the facts. Plus, the magical persuasion made the whole endeavor suspect. I would need to track Ulrick down and capture him somehow. Perhaps Janco would have a few ideas on how to accomplish that.
Then what? Escort him to Yelena? She was the only person who could corroborate my story. Janco’s word didn’t count, as far as the Sitians were concerned.
I stretched out on the bed, but sleep eluded me. My thoughts whirled out of my control, matching my life. If I was caught by the Council now, they wouldn’t hesitate to lock me in the Keep’s cells. Better to stay free and sort this mess out on my own.
The bang of a door woke me from a light doze.
Janco rushed into the room. “Wake up! We need to leave. Now!” He shoved my stuff into my bag.
I pushed up to my elbow. “Why?”
“The local guards have been…ah…alerted to our presence.”
Hopping out of bed, I grabbed my clothes. “How?”
“Minor…miscalculation. I’ll explain later. Move!”
I tossed my saddlebags over my shoulder and followed him into the inn’s hallway. He skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs. Janco put a finger to his lips as Carleen’s irritated voice reached us.
“…indecent hour. My customers won’t be happy.”
The glow from a lantern brightened the staircase. We backed away as Carleen and a large group of soldiers mounted the steps.
8
AS THE SOLDIERS STORMED UP THE STAIRS, JANCO AND I BACKPEDALED to his room. He locked the door.
“Do we pelt them with pillows when they break in?” I asked.
“Cute.” He crossed to the window and opened the shutters. “I hope you’re not afraid of heights.”
“You first.”
He hung a leg out and turned so his stomach rested on the sill. “Watch the landing—there’s a puddle about a foot to the left.” Janco dropped from sight.
Fists pounded on the door and a loud voice ordered me to open up. All the incentive I needed. I tossed my saddlebags toward the right side of the window, then followed Janco’s example and lowered myself down. Hanging by my hands, I let go. After a second of stomach-buzzing free fall, I hit the ground hard.
Voices shouted from above. A figure leaned from the window. Janco grabbed my hand and yanked me to my feet.
“Come on. Come on.” He pulled me down the alley.
Dark shapes appeared ahead of us. Janco changed directions, whipping me around. He stopped. More soldiers blocked the other end.
“How important is it to stay free?” he asked.
“Important, but not enough to seriously hurt anyone.”
He nodded and pulled his sword. “Choose an opponent and rush him,” he instructed. “Don’t stop. Use your momentum to break through the barricade and keep going. Step on the person if you have to. Just keep going.”
He charged the line of soldiers, yelling a battle cry. I kept pace beside him. They flinched back. Interesting strategy.
Hindered by my saddlebags, I couldn’t grab my sais. Instead, I palmed a few spiders. When we drew close, I crushed them. The flash helped to confuse the soldiers, and I ordered the spiders to bite their hands. It’s hard not to drop your weapon when a large eight-legged creature sinks its teeth into you.
I rammed my free shoulder into a man who swatted at his clothes. He rocked back and I spun around him, stumbling for a heart-cramping moment.
Yelps of pain and cries of confusion surrounded me, but I listened to Janco’s instructions and kept going. We broke through the line. Janco flashed me a huge grin and a thumbs-up.
We ran through dark streets and stayed in the shadows. My bags kept sliding down my arm, throwing me off my stride. The weight dragged on me and my chest heaved with the effort to suck in air.
“Horses?” I huffed.
“Being watched.” Janco sprinted with ease. He wasn’t even out of breath. “You need to get more exercise.”
“And…you need…to not…make…miscalculations.”
“And ruin the fun?”
I glared, but it failed to diminish his obvious glee in being pursued by a pack of soldiers.
We zigzagged through Ognap until I lost my sense of direction and we lost the most dogged pursuer. My companion moved as if seeing the surrounding buildings with a second sight.