two extra beds wedged in with Ahir’s. I recognized Leif ’s
saddlebags on one of them. Kade dropped his pack onto the
other. I showed him my room. It used to be mine and Tula’s.
A sudden sadness pierced my heart and I sank to my bed. Tula
would have loved planning for Mara’s wedding. She would
have been chosen as the Bride’s Maid of Honor and I would
have been happy to be a regular Bride’s Maid.
Kade moved around the beds, looking at my childhood
knickknacks, but there wasn’t much space. Two extra beds plus
Tula’s occupied the room. It appeared Mara would sleep in
Tula’s and we would have two more guests. That meant Mara’s
room was also being used for visitors. Despite her complaints
of all the extra work, my mother loved having a house full of
people. If she hadn’t married my father, she would probably
be a very contented innkeeper.
I sighed. Kade sat next to me and put his arm around my
shoulder. I leaned into him.
“Don’t worry. Your mother can’t stay mad at you forever,”
he said.
“She’ll make me suffer first. But that’s not it.”
“Then what is it?”
How to put my swirling thoughts into words? “After the
wedding, everyone has jobs to return to. You’re needed on
the coast. Mara and Leif will eventually return to the Magi-
cian’s Keep. Yelena, Valek and even Ari and Janco all have a
purpose. I don’t.”
“You’ve given up on finding your blood?”
“By now it could be anywhere. Finding it would be like
picking out one particular raindrop in a storm.”
“Don’t
start.”
I batted my eyes, faking innocence. “With what?”
“The defeated attitude. Ha! You thought I was going to say
the weather analogies. Didn’t you?”
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209
“Yeah.”
“Well it’s not as important as your attitude. You can’t give
up. This is something you need to do and I understand that.
Valek has his people searching. From all I’ve heard about them, success is likely.”
“There’s still nothing I can do, but wait.”
“Really?”
“I tried thinking of who hates me enough to want my
blood.”
“And?”
“No
luck.”
“You haven’t thought hard enough.”
“You sound like Valek!”
He acted as if I had given him a compliment.
“I hate Valek,” I said, but it didn’t burst his bubble.
“You just need to dig deep enough,” Kade said. “I can think
of two people who may be after you.”
“Ziven and Zetta, which are probably not their real names.”
I shook my head. “They were hired assassins. Gressa paid
them.”
“Paid them to do a job, which they failed to complete.”
Thanks to Kade’s quick thinking. If he hadn’t created that
cushion of air, I would have died. Remembering the attack,
I realized the assassins had put a great deal of faith in Kade.
“They were supposed to fail. It gave Akako a reason to have
guards watching me all the time.”
“Maybe they don’t like failing, and want to finish the
job?”
“But why take my blood? To use as bait? It’s not like I’m
in hiding. They should be able to find me.”
“It’s just a possibility. You need to think it through for the
various people you dealt with this last year, including Devlen.”
His arm tensed.
I glanced up at Kade, but he stared at the wall.
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“He has a good reason to hate you,” he said. “Cooperating
with the authorities and helping you could all be an act.”
Before my training with Valek, I would have conceded the
possibility, but not after. Plus he had plenty of opportunities to get to me before. No. Not Devlen.
“All right, I’ll dig deeper. Perhaps I’ll unearth a playmate
from long ago bent on revenge,” I said.
He relaxed. “From your mother’s stories, it’s a wonder you
lived through your childhood at all.”
ate.” Then a notion struck me. “Since I’m dead in a ditch,
maybe she won’t tell her embarrassing stories.”
Within an hour, I wished my mother would switch to the
humiliating stories. But no luck. Even though she continued
to ignore me, she told Kade about all the times poor dead
Opal had disappointed her.
When Leif arrived with the tablecloths, I ran from the
house. “Thank fate, you’re here! One more minute with that
woman…”
Leif chuckled. “Suck it up, Opal. You’re the one who de-
cided to show up late.”
“I didn’t decide…never mind.” The reasons would take too
long to explain.
“So how’s my favorite glass wizard…er…my favorite soon
to be sister-in-law?” he asked.
He had the decency to squirm when I didn’t answer.
“Well…er… Kade!” Leif rushed over to say hello.
Next to the tall Stormdancer, Leif seemed shorter than he
was. His stocky build was due to thick muscles and not fat.
What he lacked in speed he compensated with his strength
when he wielded his machete. Despite his tactless greeting, he
was dependable and grounded. A good man in a storm. Well…
not as good as Kade, because of the whole Stormdancing thing.
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211
But someone reliable to fight beside. Mara had found a mate
who suited her perfectly.
Leif ’s horse, Rusalka shifted her weight in impatience.
She was another fancy Sandseed horse. Her saddle bulged
with tablecloths. I untied the packages and removed her tack.
She nuzzled my ear before taking off to find Quartz and
Moonlight.
Leaving the saddle for Leif to put away, I carried the large
bundle of tablecloths into the house. Kade and Leif followed.
I dumped them on the kitchen table, and Mother tsked over
the wrinkled material.
She sighed. “If only poor dead Opal were here to iron
these.”
Shocked, Leif looked from my mother to me and back.
“Wow. That’s…that’s… Wow.”
Kade ginned. “Leif is speechless. Amazing. If only poor
dead Opal were here to enjoy it.”
I swatted him. “Don’t you start.” And before Leif could add
a comment, I ordered him outside. “Go, pick up your saddle
and take Kade with you.”
In high spirits, they left. They could be jolly. They didn’t have to iron a stack of linen tablecloths. My mother was
well aware of my aversion to ironing. I set up the board and
started the first of—no doubt, many—punishments from my
mother.
“What did you do to your hair?” Mara asked.
“Nice to see you, too,” I grumped. “I’m sure your hair
wouldn’t look any better after bending over a hot iron all af-
ternoon.” I eyed her golden curls. Even sweaty and dirty from
wo
rking in the glass factory with our father, she still looked
radiant.
I waited for the familiar tug of jealousy. My straight hair
and dark brown eyes were no comparison to her beauty. My
athletic build almost boylike next to her curves. However,
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the envy failed to poke me. Instead a sense of pride spread
through me. This lovely lady was my sister. I realized she had never made me feel ugly. It had always been my own lack of
confidence.
“I can still work with that length,” she said as if I hadn’t
just growled at her. “It won’t ruin my special surprise.”
I couldn’t stay annoyed with her for long. Never could. Be-
sides, all this preparation and work was for her and I shouldn’t be difficult. After I finished with the ironing, my mother set
the dining room table for supper. I helped with the silverware
and noticed she miscounted the place settings. One short. I
skidded to a halt when I realized she had done it on purpose.
Poor dead Opal didn’t need a plate.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I debated if I should just
eat in the kitchen. But I had endured much worse than my
mother’s cold shoulder, and I could get through the next few
days. I added another plate.
Ahir and my father arrived just as the hot dishes were ready
to be served. Their sense of timing never failed, and I won-
dered if they smelled dinner in the factory.
Details about the wedding dominated the conversation. I
embraced the comforting f low of voices, content to listen to
the plans and Leif ’s appreciative noises over the roasted duck.
It was delicious as always.
“…hope the weather holds out,” Mara said. “Rain would
turn the courtyard into a muddy mess and ruin our day.”
“We could have the wedding in the factory,” my father
offered. “I’ll move the gaffer’s benches—”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Jaymes,” Mother said. “I have more
of that oiled cloth. We’ll make sides like a tent and keep the
rain out.”
“Don’t worry about the weather,” Kade said. “You’ll have
a sunny day. I guarantee it.”
“Oh! I forgot!” Mara laughed.
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213
“You didn’t think I’d come without a wedding gift, did
you?” Kade asked.
“I knew you’d eventually be useful, Kade,” Leif joked. “We
could have used you that night the Storm Thieves ambushed
us. Remember, Opal?”
“Er…” I shot Leif a significant look, but he prattled on,
telling the story with relish. Already in trouble, he just dug me in deeper. My mother’s face paled as dismay filled her eyes. I
hadn’t told her about that night for two reasons. I didn’t want her to worry about me any more than she already did, and
wanted to avoid upsetting her by letting her know her young-
est daughter was capable of murder.
When Leif finished the story, my mother met my gaze for
the first time since I had arrived. I looked away. Her horror
and censure were too painful to bear.
Over the next four days, my mother not only ignored me,
but she avoided me, as well. I helped Mara when needed, and
showed Kade how to gather and work with molten glass since
we had the time now. Unlike during the storm seasons. He
proved to be a deft student.
Visitors and guests arrived, filling the house with laughter.
Cousins I hadn’t seen in years shared my room. We gossiped
late into the night. Many others stayed in the local inns and
stopped by during the day.
Yelena and Valek’s arrival created a buzz of excitement and
anxiety. I hugged Yelena in genuine delight, but when I pulled
away she held on to my arms and her green eyes drilled a hole
into me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
She shot Valek a nasty look before focusing on me again.
“You’re a much better liar, but you can’t fool me. What’s going on?”
“My mother’s mad at me for being late.” Now it was my
turn to glare at him. “It’s not a big deal.”
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“We’ll talk later,” she promised.
Unaffected by my sour mood, Valek greeted me with a
smile. He nodded at Kade, who entertained a gaggle of kids
with a tiny dust devil he had created. “And you were worried
he wouldn’t come.”
“He almost didn’t.”
Yelena pursed her lips. “I believe I haven’t been told the
whole story.”
“No time, love. I wasn’t going to waste my first night with
you in seasons on talk.”
She blushed, but his comment hit me like a physical force,
knocking me off my snit. He had spent so much time training
and helping me—time away from Yelena. It drove me crazy
how he f lipped from kind to killer and back again without
batting an eye.
They both watched me.
I returned Valek’s smile and changed the subject. “Were
you serious about your napkin-folding skills?”
“Yes.”
“Could you teach me? My mother would be thrilled.”
“When are the tables being set up?” he asked.
“Tonight.”
“Swans or f lowers?”
“Swans.”
“Consider it done.”
“But—”
“You have enough to do, Opal,” Yelena said. “We’ll talk
after the wedding.”
It sounded like an order. “Yes, sir.”
Hand in hand they went in search of my mother. She
squealed in delight and hugged them both. I wondered if
she would be as happy to see Valek if she connected him
to Ulrick’s death. A few of the local guests had mentioned
his murder. Everyone assumed another prisoner had done
the deed.
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215
* * *
When the sun rose on Mara and Leif ’s wedding day, it il-
luminated a brilliant blue and cloudless sky. No breeze stirred the tablecloths. According to Kade the morning chill would
burn off in a matter of hours. The ceremony was scheduled to
start in the early afternoon, followed by a meal and dancing.
Our houseguests ohhed and ahhed over the swan-shaped
napkins sitting on every plate. Speculation over the midnight
artist buzzed during breakfast. I kept quiet—it was more fun
to hear their inventive guesses.
Last-minute preparations were completed and the wedding
guests arrived. I retreated to my room to help Mara with her
gown. By the time I wove through all the people in the living
room and joined her, she already had the garment on.
She turned when I shut the door. I gasped.
“What’s wrong? Is there a stain?” Mara spun to the
mirror.
“Nothing’s wrong. You are perfect.”
She pished at me. “You need to zip me up, and I still have
to fix my hair.”
Mara continued with her list, but her actual words failed
to reach me. I had meant what I said, and I hadn’t been refer-
ring to her big beautiful eyes or heart-sha
ped face or gorgeous cream-colored silk gown.
She had captured joy in her heart and it shone from every
pore on her skin. A passion burned within her. I hoped it never died.
I zipped, primped, f luffed, pinned and brushed, fulfilling
my Maid of Honor duties.
When I finished, I examined my handiwork. “No one
is going to notice your dress. They’ll be captivated by your
eyes.”
Which she rolled. “Get dressed, Opal. Leif ’s Man of Honor
will be here to escort you soon.”
And then the mystery will be solved. Traditionally, the
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people chosen as the Maid and Man of Honor were kept secret.
I didn’t know why, and half the time everyone could guess.
Mara’s choice would not be a surprise to anyone sitting in the
courtyard below. Leif ’s though was harder to determine.
I hurried into my own gown. Mara fussed with my hair.
She tsked over the short length, but managed to sweep it up
into an elegant twist which she secured with a set of combs.
Sparks of green f lashed from the jewels in the combs. I leaned toward the mirror to see them better.
“They’re magnificent,” I said. “Are they—”
“Emeralds. Of course. Nothing but the best for my little
sis.” She kissed my cheek.
I gestured to my dress. “How did you know I’d wear
green?”
She gave me a don’t-be-stupid look. “Sisters, remember?
Besides it’s Tula’s favorite color.”
I had forgotten! How could I? I swallowed the knot in my
throat. “Thank you for the gift. I’m sorry I didn’t have time
to get you anything special.”
“You paid for the wedding. And by the stack of bills Mother
has collected, you might regret your generosity.”
“I won’t.” I had plenty of diamonds. More than enough,
even after I bought the factory.
“I’m not going to be able to get rid of you, am I?” I
asked.
“I’m family, Opal. And a colleague,” Valek said.
Which reminded me. “Have you found—”
“No business talk today. I promised Yelena.” His gaze swept
me. “Killer dress. I told you emerald was your color.”
“Yes. You were right.”
“Do you really think you need your switchblade?” Amuse-
ment sparked in his eyes.
“That
obvious?”
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217
“Only to me.” Valek extended his elbow, inviting me to
link my arm in his.
I wasn’t too surprised Leif chose Valek as his Man of Honor.