“Don’t worry, I’ll be at the Council’s interrogation to lend my support. I just don’t like staying in the Creepy Keepy. Too many magicians.” He shuddered, then waved goodbye.
I eyed the guarded gate. Would the guards detain me or let me through? I leaned my head against Quartz. The task of proving my good intentions and my word loomed before me like the Emerald Mountains. An impossible summit with unknown and potentially dangerous terrain on the other side.
Summoning my nerve, I mounted Quartz. Moonlight followed us as we approached the Keep’s gate. A small barrier had been drawn across the entrance. Easy to jump if we wanted.
I laughed at the guard’s shocked expression. The magician on duty blinked at me several times.
“Hello, Cole.” I waved to the magician. “If she’s awake, could you tell Master Cowan I’m back, please? Tell her I’ll see to the horses before I report in to her office. Jerrod, can you move the barrier, please?” I used Janco’s advice to act as if I were in charge.
It worked. Jerrod rushed to lift the gate.
“Thank you.” I urged Quartz forward.
Zitora’s office was located on the second floor of the Keep’s administration building, which was straight across from the entrance gate. Built with peach-and-yellow blocks of marble, the smooth walls appeared dull in the torchlight. Right now the Master Magician would be either in her office or in her tower. Four massive towers had been built at each corner of the Keep’s square-shaped campus. A two-story-high marble wall connected them and marked the Keep’s borders. Zitora’s tower occupied the northeast corner of the Keep.
I bypassed the administration building. Catty-corner to the back of the admin on each side were the two guest quarters. Directly behind it was the dining hall, where all the students, staff and magicians had their meals. A few lanterns glowed from the massive kitchen’s windows.
Quartz trod through the formal gardens located in the center of the Keep’s grounds. She liked to rub against the lilac bushes. Usually I steered her away from the grass, otherwise the gardeners would yell at us, but at this time of night they were asleep. A few students hustled between buildings, paying us no attention.
The apprentice wings curved around the garden on each side. From above, they resembled parentheses. My quarters were at the end of the east wing, next to the east guesthouse. The desire to crawl into my own bed tugged at my heart. I suppressed it along with all my other wishes. They lumped together and sat in my stomach like a wad of sour cheese.
We passed the amber-colored statue that marked the spot Yelena had defeated the Fire Warper. Many magicians had died during the Warper Battle. It was the place where I had worked with molten glass, rendering the prisons. Yelena used her Soulfinder abilities to send the Warpers’ souls through me and into the glass. And just like my other glass creations, I remained connected to those evil souls. They haunted my nightmares.
I yanked my unpleasant thoughts to the present. The memorial statue had been carved to resemble flames from a campfire. In the sunlight, the yellowish-orange colors flickered as if real. It sat atop a gold-colored pedestal. Plaques hung on each of the four rectangular sides. The front plaque listed the names of those who had died. A side plaque listed the names of the defenders, including Valek, Ari and Janco, as well as the Sitians who had helped. I smiled, remembering Leif complaining that he was listed second to last.
The one on the back recited the danger of craving magic and warned of how the best intentions could have disastrous results. Yelena Liana Zaltana’s name and title filled the final side and below hers, in smaller letters, was my name. Opal Cowan, glass magician. We were credited with defeating the Daviian Vermin and the Fire Warper they had released.
I had protested when they installed the statue. My part in the battle was minor compared to most, but Yelena had turned and looked at me with those beautiful green eyes.
“Opal,” she said, placing a hand on my arm. “Without you, I would not be here. I would be existing in the underworld, spending an eternity guarding those evil souls. I made sure your name was with mine.”
I hadn’t been able to argue with her logic. My nightmares didn’t occur every night and were worth enduring to have her here with us.
The bathhouse beyond the formal garden was the identical size and shape of the dining hall. My skin itched and I smelled like a horse. I added another wish to my growing list, trying to ignore the stiff feel of dried sweat on my shirt.
The small pasture occupied the back section of the Keep. Situated between the stables and the glass shop, it was used for limited grazing. Quartz headed left without being signaled. She knew where the fresh water, clean straw and sweet hay could be found. And the Stable Master’s famous milk oats.
Glad the Stable Master was asleep, I rubbed both horses down, fed and watered them before treating them to his homemade milk oats. They both trotted to their stalls. Quartz sighed with sleepy pleasure as I secured the door. She fell asleep before I left the stable.
The hulking dark presence of Third Magician’s Keep tower pressed down on me. I should go straight to Zitora’s office in the administration building, but a warm glow from the east side of the pasture beckoned me. The distinct crisp smell of burning white coal filled the air, drawing me near. Light beamed from the windows of the glass shop. I would just poke my head in for a second, see who manned the kiln and make sure all was well with the equipment.
Entering the glass shop, I paused. I soaked in the roar of the kiln, standing still until I felt the rumble deep in my bones. Dropping my saddlebags, I shrugged off my cloak and tossed it to the side. I let the heat press against my skin like a comforting blanket. Home.
Piecov, a first-year student, bent over a table, writing on a piece of paper. He startled when I called his name.
“Opal, you scared me!” He rushed to me with his arms wide. Wrapping me in a hug, he squeezed. “Thank fate you’re back. We missed you, and your sister has turned into a tyrant.”
“A tyrant?” I cocked a dubious eyebrow. My beautiful sister Mara made honey seem bitter in comparison. She was incapable of being mean. Jealous? Who, me?
“She’s worried sick about you and has been grumping at us for months. You should have sent her a message,” Piecov admonished. “We’ve been hearing a ton of crazy rumors about you and Ulrick and about a Stormdancer and a Warper. What’s been going on?”
I slumped on a stool. It would take days for me to explain everything. Piecov was right; I should have sent Mara a message once I returned to Ixia and decided to disobey the Council’s orders.
“It’s a long story. I’ll fill you in later. Where is Mara? Is she still staying in the east guest quarters?”
“No. She’s living with Leif in the staff quarters.”
Good news. Perhaps they decided to make a formal commitment. Our mother would be thrilled over the possibility of grandchildren.
“Do you want me to fetch her?” Piecov asked.
“No. Don’t bother her.” I inspected the equipment as Piecov launched into what the glass artists had been doing since I left over forty-two days ago.
“You should see Pazia’s newest project. She made a bowl and ringed the edge with diamonds.”
“It sounds gorgeous.” I adjusted a valve, thinking about the significant expense of the diamonds. Imported from Ixia, they were of limited quantity. I jerked, remembering diamonds stored magical energy and could be used by magicians to boost their power. Perhaps Pazia attempted to augment her small magic with the bowl.
Then another thought rocked me. Buried and hidden in my cloak and saddlebags were enough diamonds to fill a foot-wide orb. What would happen if I placed a charged diamond in one of my glass messengers? Would another magician be able to recharge the magic inside the glass?
Besides being the only person who could trap magic in glass, the other limit to my messengers was their short lifespan. Once the magic was used, it no longer worked. But what if it could be used over and over again? I would lose my leverage. No longer be indispensable.