of sand. I bumped into Quinn. He gave me a wild grin and
thrust glass into my hands. An orb.
“We’re doing it, Opal,” he shouted. “Fighting together!”
Even outnumbered, Galen had magic and the skills to
defend himself. He had cleared a space around him. From
my position, I had a good view despite being boxed in by
Bloodroses.
The mob shifted and I stumbled. A strong arm encircled
my waist, steadying me.
Devlen pointed to the orb in my hands. “Can you drain
him?”
I shook my head no.
“How about a null shield?”
Frustrated, I grabbed Quinn’s arm. Can you hear me?
He blinked in surprise. “Yes.”
Tell Devlen I can’t erect a null shield, but you can.
“I can’t. I don’t know how!”
I’ll help you. We can only do this together. All of us.
“But my magic is weak and it only sticks to glass.”
Stick it to that glass ball you made and use the black diamonds for a power boost.
“Oh. Okay.” He plowed through the crowd.
“Where is he going?” Devlen asked.
I waved him off, too tired to explain with gestures. Ex-
haustion tugged and I sagged against Devlen. Galen must be
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tapping my power to protect against the Bloodroses, and to
keep Valek trapped.
“He’s big and bad, but don’t get me mad,” Janco sang
out.
I glanced over at Galen. He fought Janco. The Ixian had
donned a null shield jacket and had found a sword. Their
swords clashed with a clang and I noticed Janco held his
weapon with two hands. It was Valek’s broadsword. Why
hadn’t Ari taken it? He could wield it one-handed.
But then Janco attacked with a f lurry of strikes. Even with
the heavy sword, his speed was impressive. Too bad Galen was
the better swordsman. The match wouldn’t last long. I willed
Quinn to hurry.
The young magician’s feet pounded on the sand. He wasn’t
even out of breath. We found a quiet spot away from the
crowd. I sat cross-legged in the sand and Quinn plopped next
to me. Loophole number one—Galen never told me not to
help Quinn.
Touching his arm, I said, Hold the glass in one hand and the diamonds in the other. Since he had worked with glass, I used his experience to explain how to build a shield. It had worked
for me. I hoped it would for him.
Using the power in the diamonds, expand the bubble so it’s big enough to fit a man and attach it to the ball like you had applied the heat earlier.
“And almost fried the entire clan.”
You didn’t. Focus!
Quinn was quick to catch on and after a couple heart-
stopping mistakes, he erected a shield.
Do you have good aim? I asked Quinn.
“How
far?”
No closer than that dune we stood on. Any nearer and he would feel you coming.
“No.”
Ask Devlen.
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Quinn relayed my question.
“I’m not accurate at that distance,” Devlen said.
We returned to the dune and I searched the crowd. Unable
to get to Galen, the Bloodroses watched the match and kept
the noise level high. Valek could do it if he wasn’t trapped.
Ari and Janco exchanged places in one sweet move that they
had to have practiced before. Ari had also donned a null shield jacket. He slashed and cut with one hand, trying to get close
enough to use his strength to his advantage. Nic and Janco
stood together, encouraging Ari. Janco’s arms and torso sported multiple cuts and he breathed heavily.
Kade and Heli watched the fight, staying out of the way. I
still couldn’t break the null shield around them. Eve hovered
nearby.
Eve! She could kill a f ly on the wall with her knife.
Tell Devlen to send Eve over to us, and then stay there. He’ll only have a second to knock Galen out. Does he have Curare?
“No Curare,” Devlen said after Quinn explained. “Our
weapons and supplies were confiscated by Galen’s men.”
Devlen lifted my chin and kissed me before releasing his
hold. I hung on to Quinn as Devlen weaved his way toward
Eve. Ari kept Galen busy, but blood streaked down his face
from a cut above his eye. Janco gave Nic his jacket and I would have laughed at the way the fabric strained over Nic’s broad
chest if the circumstances were different.
Nic stepped next to Ari and grabbed the sword, freeing Ari
to retreat. Nic wasn’t as strong as Ari nor as fast as Janco, but he had a certain finesse and he wasn’t tired from fighting two
other opponents. Teamwork at its best.
Galen sucked more of my energy. If it wasn’t for Quinn’s
support, I would have buckled. By this time, Devlen had
reached Eve. She didn’t hesitate, plunging into the crowd.
When she joined us on the dune, she asked, “What do you
need?”
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407
Quinn handed her the ball, filling her in on the plan.
She hefted it, testing its weight. “One chance, right? Near
his feet? Do or die?”
“Yes.”
Eve smiled. “I like a challenge.” She lobbed the glass. Sun-
light glinted off its surface as it sailed through the air. It landed a foot short.
I felt the thud in my chest. Out of ideas, I watched the fight
with numb dread. Devlen donned Ari’s jacket and switched
places with Nic. I had forgotten how adept he was with a
sword. His smooth and sure movements f lowed with dead
precision. I could appreciate his skill now that he fought on
my team. Devlen used an effective combination of speed,
strength and tactics, forcing Galen to take one step back. And
into range of the null shield!
But Galen still had his weapon and needed to be unarmed.
Using a last resort move, Devlen blocked Galen’s sword with
his body and trapped it against his torso with an arm. He
yelled, “Now!”
Nic, Ari and Janco moved, rushing Galen together. Ari and
Janco seized his arms and Nic punched him in the face. Galen
crumpled. If I had any energy I would have jumped for joy.
The crowd cheered.
Eve and Quinn helped me down to my friends. Even though
Galen was unconscious, his orders to me still applied and I
couldn’t speak. But the null shield around Valek had dissipated.
I could drop the one around the Stormdancers. The Bloodroses
no longer needed help.
We gathered near Galen. Nic, Janco and Ari slapped each
other on the back and discussed the fight in an excited play-
by-play. Boys.
But Devlen remained on the sand, gasping for air. Galen’s
sword wedged between his arm and side. I knelt next to him.
Color leaked from his face as fast as the blood gushed from his
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torso. The blade had sliced deep into his ribs and had pierced
a lung.
He reached for me. “Opal…love…you.” Devlen passed out.
I grabbed the sword, intent on pulling it from Devlen’s torso, but Valek stopped me. The joviality di
ed as the others realized one of our teammates was injured.
“Can you heal him?” Valek asked me.
I shook my head. My energy had been depleted. I cast about
for a solution. Come on, Opal, use your brain!
Quinn! I latched onto his ankle. I need charged diamonds.
He opened his hand. “These are the only ones and they’re
spent.”
The super messengers?
“If there’re any here, they’d be in Walsh’s office. Locked
in the safe, but I don’t know the combination.”
Take Janco. He’ll open it.
“Which one is Janco?” Quinn asked.
“The handsome gent with the superior safecracking skills,”
Janco said.
Quinn turned to Valek. I would have laughed at Janco’s out-
raged expression, but Devlen’s blood soaked the sand, making
a puddle.
I shook my hands in impatience.
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“Lead on, Puppy Dog,” Janco said. “I fear time is an
issue.”
They bolted for the office building. Valek studied the
darkening sky and began organizing the Bloodroses, setting
watches for the night. They dispersed. Nic and Ari carried
Galen into the half-burned dining room. I motioned, making
sure they understood that he had to be kept unconscious.
Eve followed them, bringing the glass ball, but she soon
returned with a wad of towels. We packed them around Dev-
len’s wound. I held his hand, willing him to live.
What would I do if they couldn’t find a messenger? Quinn’s
power wasn’t enough to even seal a cut. Would Kade and
Heli be willing to help? They had kept their distance. I met
Kade’s gaze. Anger and pain f lared and he looked away. Did
I have the gall to ask him? To save Devlen’s life, I would do
anything.
Valek returned. He sat next to me and said, “Since you can’t
talk, let me tell you a story.”
Eve seemed a bit awed by Valek. She asked, “Should I
go?”
“No need. You already know most of this.” He squirmed
into a more comfortable position. “Devlen was well aware of
Galen’s eavesdropping on our plans to rescue you. In fact, he
purposely kept them on the surface of his thoughts. We had
another way to free you. Easier by far. Quicker. We would
have been gone from this horrid place days ago. I liked that
one very much. But it included only you and Galen, and
would have kept the status quo. The Bloodroses would have
continued to be passive sheep.” Valek shrugged. “If they give
him the power, they’re equally at fault.”
I would have argued the point, but Valek continued.
“Devlen wished to guide them. To help them help them-
selves. He claimed it was what you would do. He understood
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411
the risks were significantly higher and reduced the chance
of success. Counting on people who have been repressed for
decades isn’t a sound tactic. But he convinced everyone it was
the right thing to do. Even me. Don’t tell anyone.” He pushed
his sleeves up, showing me his forearms. Tiny cuts crisscrossed his skin. “I never thought I would be sick of teaching knife
fighting.” He paused. “Is it a knife if it’s made of glass?”
I made a slicing gesture across my throat.
“Yes, it does have a deadly sharp edge. No worries about
it dulling with use, either. Just with it shattering.” He mused, staring off into the distance.
I nudged him.
“Oh yes. And the moral to this story is Devlen is good
people. I’m always leery around the so-called reformed, but I
trusted Devlen with my life and my team’s lives and he came
through.”
But not without paying a price. How high? Too high in
my mind if he died, but I was sure Valek would see it as one
life given in exchange for seven—or rather an entire clan’s
lives—a bargain.
Devlen struggled to breathe. I hovered over him, not know-
ing what to do. Should I ask Kade and Heli? A shout cut
through my panic. My name. I glanced up in time to see Janco
running full out.
He skidded to a stop. “Is this what you’re looking for?”
Opening his hand, he revealed a bottle of ink.
I punched him in the leg.
“Ow! That’s payback for letting us all believe you were
dead.” He dropped a super messenger into my lap.
Magic f lowed through me, energizing me.
Valek grabbed the sword’s hilt. “Ready?”
I nodded and he yanked. The injury was extensive, but I
ignored the jagged f lesh and broken bones. Concentrating on
repairing the damage, I gathered magic and pretended I fixed
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a glass statue. I drained the messenger dry, healing him until
nothing was left but a nasty purple scar along his torso.
Too tired to stand, I snuggled next to Devlen in the warm
sand, letting the day’s heat soak into my bones. Truly happy
for the first time in seasons.
The next few days ran together. We were moved to one of
the cottages to recuperate. Valek poured endless amounts of
Leif ’s teas down our throats. Devlen had lost a lot of blood and needed to drink the one that tasted like dirty wash water.
“You can laugh. You don’t have to drink this stuff,” Devlen complained.
I grunted and pointed to my cup. My tea smelled like moldy
mushrooms. I sipped. Compared to the slimy seaweed Mother
forced on me, it was actually quite good. I glanced at my
nightstand. Mother had visited, bringing me a single purple
f lower in a white vase and a dose of moon potion in a sealed
vial. I had set both aside for now.
“Where did Valek get all these potions?” Devlen asked.
“From Leif,” Valek said from the doorway. “Are you feeling
well enough to discuss what must be done with Galen?”
I picked up a tablet and wrote: No need to discuss. We drain him dry and kill him.
“I thought you couldn’t siphon his magic,” Devlen said.
I slid from the bed and reached under it. Pulling the orb
He understood. “Are they filled with your blood?” he
asked.
I
nodded.
“Are you sure?”
I tapped on the tablet, circling drain him dry and kill him.
“What’s going on?” Valek asked.
Devlen
explained.
Valek met my gaze. “Is this what you want?”
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I wrote yes on the paper in big capital letters.
“Sounds like a plan,” Valek said.
Claiming prior experience, Devlen offered to inject my
blood into Galen. He wobbled a bit when he stood, but he
shooed away my efforts to help him change clothes. I handed
him the syringes.
“Are you sure?” he asked for the tenth time.
I pushed him toward the door.
“Okay. I believe you.” He kissed me and followed Valek.
I changed, as well, and visited the small stable. Quartz’s
happi
ness at seeing me almost knocked me over. I had been
avoiding her since I was bound to Galen, trying to hide my
shame and the taint of him.
Feeding her a handful of peppermints, I scratched behind
her ears.
Fire Lady smell good.
Really?
Smell Changed Man.
Devlen’s image filled her mind.
Do you like him? I asked.
A series of her favorite things f lashed, including Devlen.
Even before? When he was mean?
He needed herd. Our herd. Changed Man.
Interesting. I found a currycomb and groomed her. Just
being with her helped me deal with those last days as Galen’s
slave. I mulled over Quartz’s comments.
Who is in our herd? I asked.
Loving images f loated one after another. Me, Devlen, Kade,
Valek, Yelena, Irys, Ari, Janco, Nic, Eve, Leif, Mara, my par-
ents, my brother, Heli, Ulrick, Fisk, Pazia, Quinn, Reema,
Teegan and all the Sandseed horses.
Big herd, I said.
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Good. She nudged my stomach with her nose. Make bigger.
Plenty of room.
I
laughed.
“I haven’t heard that sound in a long time,” Kade said from
behind me.
Stormy Sea Man. Quartz turned to nuzzle his ear.
Stormy Sea? Who came up with that one?
Smell like rough sea. Offended, she f licked me with her tail.
Certain I would see anger and betrayal and pain all caused
by me, I met Kade’s gaze with reluctance. His sad acceptance
shot right to my heart and I bawled. Big racking sobs shook
my entire body. A distant corner of my mind wondered, why
now? I had stayed dry-eyed and stoic through the horrors of
Galen, yet Kade’s understanding unhinged me.
He held me while I soaked his tunic. Eventually the sobs
dwindled and the rock in my throat dissolved.
“I know I’m being unfair by coming here when you can’t
talk,” Kade said.
I shook my head no. Pointing to my chest, I tried to tell
him if anyone had been unfair it was me.
He held my hands so I couldn’t gesture. “Listen. Even before
I found out about you and Devlen, I realized we couldn’t be
together. Now brace yourself, I’m going to use a weather
analogy.”
I
groaned.
He quirked a smile. “You’re all energy and excitement and
then you blow away. Being with you is like being on the
coast, dancing in the storms. Breathless activity, followed by