Storm Glass (24 page)

  “We don’t need to waste the money. With a little extra work, we can do it ourselves.”

  “You risk being cheated or hiring an unskilled craftsman. The Helper’s Guild knows all the best merchants.”

  “I’m
sure
they do. I wonder what percentage they get
paid
by the best merchants. Twenty percent of the amount of business they bring in?”

  Ulrick’s cynicism surprised me. I never would have thought the guild would be dishonest. And why not? Just as there were deceitful merchants, there could be corrupt guild members. Zitora warned me to be careful and not get cheated.

  “You’re too nice, Opal. One day, someone is going to take advantage of you. Best to let me handle all the negotiations with suppliers. Come on.”

  He strode into the heart of the market, but I didn’t follow him. Letting Ulrick make the decisions and be responsible for the outcome was an easy way to dodge my responsibility. But Zitora assigned me with this task. If I could escape from a group of rogues, I could handle ordering equipment for a glass studio. I grew up in a glass factory. I knew every inch, every procedure and every tool. The same could be said of Ulrick. A tinge of doubt touched my mind. I suppressed it with sudden-foolish?-determination.

  I hovered on the edge of the market, creasing my forehead with uncertainty. As expected, a young girl appeared by my side.

  “Lovely Lady, can I help you?” she asked.

  Fresh faced with hopeful kindness radiating from her brown eyes, it was hard to believe this ten-year-old member of the Helper’s Guild could be capable of deceiving me. But the possibility stained my thoughts.

  “I want to hire Fisk,” I said.

  She shook her head. “He is very busy. Clients hire him
weeks
in advance. I’ve been working here for years. I can get you the best prices. Fisk trained me himself.”

  Her adult words contrasted with her youthful appearance. Keeping a smile from reaching my lips, I assured her that I wasn’t worried about her skills. In fact, it was hard for me not to hire her on the spot. I collected my resolve and pushed past my reluctance. “My friend, Liaison Yelena Zaltana, told me to hire him.”

  “Lovely Yelena is your friend?” She peered at me with suspicion. “What is your name?”

  When I told her, she instructed me to wait and disappeared into the crowd.

  Shoppers ebbed and flowed. Ulrick returned, looking for me. A scowl etched on his face.

  “Why didn’t you follow me?” he demanded.

  My voice locked for an instant, and I wondered if his ire was from concern or annoyance. I reached for the list clutched in Ulrick’s fist. Tugging at the paper, I met his gaze. “You’re helping
me
with this project. I’m hiring a guild member. Wait.” I held up a hand. “You’re right to be cautious, so I’m insuring we get the best and most trusted member.”

  Ulrick released the paper, but his scowl deepened. “You shouldn’t be alone.”

  “The market is filled with people.”

  “Doesn’t matter. In fact, it’s easier to disappear in a crowd.”

  The girl returned with a young man.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Fisk said.

  He had grown since I last saw him. An inch taller than me, his lean frame was all arms and legs. But intelligence and confidence radiated from his movements. Only fourteen years old, Fisk was the founder and leader of the Helper’s Guild.

  “Thanks for coming,” I said. “I need your expertise.”

  “One condition,” he said with a smile.

  “Besides your payment?”

  “Of course.
That
goes without saying.”

  “What’s your condition?”

  “That you deliver a message to Yelena for me.”

  It seemed a simple request. One he could do on his own. “She’s on a mission.” I hedged.

  “I know. But my message is too important to wait until she comes back from Moon lands. And you have the needed connections to get the information sent via those wonderful glass messengers of yours.”

  Understanding dawned. “You know about them?”

  “Of course.” He winked.

  “I’ll try to send her a message.” Another thought occurred. “How did you know Yelena was going to the Moon Clan?”

  A mischievous grin spread. “To quote my mother, ‘I see all, hear all and know all.’”

  Ulrick huffed in disbelief. He crossed his arms, attempting to intimidate the youth. But Fisk had grown up on the streets. His neat appearance and fine quality tunic and pants gave him the look of a pampered teen, but the cold calculation in his eyes as he studied Ulrick revealed his hard childhood.

  “Obviously, you’re new to the Keep,” Fisk said. He turned to me. “A glassmaker from Booruby. Can he make magic glass?”

  “That’s none of your business,” Ulrick said.

  “We don’t know yet,” I said.

  Ulrick shot me a betrayed look.

  “Then there’s hope he may be of use.” Fisk gestured to the young girl. She had stood beside him without uttering a word. “Jayella, help my client this afternoon. Madam Uriy wants to buy a pearl necklace for her granddaughter. Do not spend more than two golds. Anything above that price is robbery. Try to get one gold and ten silvers. That’s a fair price.”

  She nodded and disappeared into the crowded market with a lithe grace.

  “My best apprentice,” Fisk said. “She uses her sincerity and innocence to get her way when haggling for prices. In another five years, she’ll have merchants tripping over themselves to make her happy.” He seemed to relish the prospect.

  “It’s deceitful,” Ulrick said. “Using a young girl to coerce the merchants. She should be in school.”

  “She should,” Fisk agreed. “Of course, if she was in school, she would starve to death. Her parents abandoned her when she was four. No money for food or school clothes, survival was her only choice. And it isn’t deceitful. Greedy merchants prey on the unwary. We make sure they charge an honest profit.”

  “For a price.” Ulrick’s posture was tight with tension.

  “Exactly! Our clients are well aware of the cost of our services up front. And no one is forcing them to hire us.” Fisk smiled as if he and Ulrick had come to an agreement. “Now, Lovely Opal, what can I do for you today?”

  I showed him my list of supplies. He wrinkled his forehead in concentration for a moment.

  “I know a woodworker from Owl’s Hill. He’s new, but does fine work and the best part is he’s still hungry for clients. His prices are reasonable. And he’s fast. Come on.”

  Fisk led us through the market. His popularity evident by the number of people who called his name and waved. Various members of the guild would appear by his side for advice before scampering off on unknown missions. He guided us to the woodworker, and then to a blacksmith. In one afternoon, we had commissioned several pieces of equipment. More progress than even I expected.

  Ulrick stayed sullen. Pouting or annoyed or suspicious, I couldn’t tell. I paid Fisk for his time, arranging to meet the following afternoon.

  “We’ll finish your list tomorrow,” Fisk said. He slipped a folded paper into my hand.

  I placed the note into my cloak’s pocket, remembering my promise to send a message to Yelena for Fisk. If Ulrick saw the motion, he didn’t mention it.

  On our way back to the Keep, I said, “Once we order all the items, we can leave for Booruby. Did you bring a horse with you?”

  “No.”

  “The Stable Master probably has a few extra horses. Do you know how to ride?”

  “Yes. But it doesn’t matter,” he said in a rush. “I’m not going to Booruby with you.”

  “Why not?”

  “You don’t need me.” He increased his pace.

  I hurried after him. “Look, if this is about Fisk-”

  “It’s not. You were right about him. It’s just…” He stopped in midstride. “I told my family I was never coming back to Booruby again.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  Ulrick raked a hand through his short hair. “I was angry. My mother insisted I was on a fool’s errand. She predicted the Masters would send me home soon after I arrived. She griped about having to find a temporary worker. I lost my temper. Told her to hire a permanent employee because no matter what the Masters said, I wasn’t coming back.”

  I tried to put myself in his place. My family had always supported me. They had made a fuss over my glass animals even though they couldn’t see the glow. No doubt my life would have gone in a different direction if they hadn’t encouraged me.

  “That’s a hard promise to keep,” I said. “If you become a glass magician, you might be sent to Booruby for a mission.”

  Surprise flashed. “I hadn’t considered that possibility. I guess I’m trying to keep from getting my hopes up, but returning to my hometown on a mission for a Master Magician would be different than returning a failure.”

  Hadn’t I worried about the same thing? I understood his dilemma. “You don’t need to come with me. My father will be happy to help.” And here I was, running home to him again. But my list was bound to have a few essential items missing, and I would need a second opinion. Since my father had constructed eight kilns, he was the best person to consult.

  Uncertainty lingered in my stomach. What about Sir and his gang? Or Blue Eyes? They hadn’t been caught. I was safe in the Keep. Or was I?

  I glanced at Ulrick’s long shadow cast by the sinking sun. Tricky had convinced me he was Master Cowan. He could easily sneak inside. And I would be fair game on the road to Booruby. I wrapped my fingers around the handles of my sais. Searching the area near me, I looked for Tricky’s shadow. An armed escort to Booruby wouldn’t be enough against the magician. Perhaps Zitora would want to come along.

  We continued toward the Keep. I jumped at every noise.

  “Opal, what’s wrong?” Ulrick asked.

  “Just my overactive imagination.” Although I wondered where the line was between caution and paranoia. I hated the feeling of unsettled worry creeping along my spine, and the burning conviction of Tricky watching me, waiting for a moment to attack. I promised myself Ulrick’s warning about being taken advantage of wouldn’t come to pass. But those promises were difficult to keep, and I had been exploited before. Alea used me as a weapon. I shivered and forced the horrid memory from my mind.

  Ulrick must have sensed my distress. “Did you see Sir or Tricky?”

  “No.” Thank fate.

  “You should really stay inside the Keep. It’s safer.”

  “I know, but I won’t hide. I’ll take precautions and be vigilant,” I vowed.

  He kept quiet for a few blocks. “I can’t tell you what to do. But I’m pretty good with a sword. I’ll make sure to have it with me when we’re together.” He linked his arm in mine, pulling me closer to him.

  The warmth of his body and the heat of his touch traveled along my skin. All unpleasant thoughts leaked away as I enjoyed his solid presence.

  All too soon, we arrived at the Keep. Despite being dinnertime, Zitora still worked in her room in the administration building. Here she presented her public face, and her bare office lacked the softness of her tower home. A few sterile paintings of bridges hung on the walls, parchment and ink littered her desk and a handful of lonely books leaned against each other on the single shelf. Two empty chairs faced her desk.

  We settled in the seats, reporting the day’s progress and my plans to travel to Booruby for the remaining supplies.

  “Very good,” she said. “I’ll see who we can get to escort you south.”

  Disappointment dragged on my shoulders. “Can you come? My mother’s apple cobbler is worth the trip.”

  “Tempting, but I can’t leave right now. There’s too much going on.”

  Her comment reminded me about this morning’s discussion on the Moon Clan and Fisk’s note. I pulled the paper from the pocket of my cloak. “I have a message for Yelena from Fisk.”

  Zitora turned to Ulrick. “Go and have dinner before the dining hall closes.”

  “What about Opal?” he asked.

  “She has a riding lesson with the Stable Master.”

  “She shouldn’t be alone.”

  “She’s perfectly safe inside the Keep.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course. We assigned an extra magician at the gate.”

  I listened to them argue over my safety as if I wasn’t in the room. With so many magicians around, I knew I only had to scream and help would be mere steps away. My confidence in this plan lasted until I remembered Alea had entered the Keep without trouble. And we had left without any problems.

  Before I could fret, I applied logic to her ease in my kidnapping. She had Ferde’s help, who, at the time, had Master-level magical power. Alea also had my full cooperation.

  Ulrick and Zitora arrived at an agreement, although I didn’t know the exact details. He said he would meet me later at the stables, and left. Once he was gone, Zitora took Fisk’s note and read it. She frowned. Not good news.