have the patience and Mara … Mara is more interested in Leif than glass right now.”
We shared a laugh. Even though Mara had been pursued by every young man in the Cowan lands, only Yelena’s brother, Leif, had caught her attention. But since he was a powerful magician and worked at the Keep, they hardly had any time together. I wondered if Aydan still needed an apprentice. Mara could move to the Citadel and live near the Keep. She would be closer to Leif. And to me.
My humor leaked away. Back at the Keep, I knew no one missed me.
My mother worked in the kitchen. The delightful smell of bread stew permeated the air. Following the scent, I found my mother stirring a large pot. She greeted me with a peck on the cheek.
“Mara told me you were here. What took you so long? Your mother isn’t important enough to say hello to?”
I rushed to apologize. “We had—”
“Urgent business with Jaymes,” Zitora said.
Before she could lay on the guilt about not introducing her, I said, “Master Cowan, this is my mother, Vyncenza.”
My mother perked up at hearing Zitora’s title and launched into gracious host mode. “Opal, go get the good dishes from the cupboard and set the table. Use the fancy Jewelrose tablecloth, and make sure to put out enough silverware.” She clucked over my appearance.
“Better get washed first and put on decent clothes!” She shooed me from the kitchen.
Her offers of every liquid beverage to Zitora reached me as I ascended the stairs. My mother wouldn’t be happy until the magician was seated with a drink and snack in hand.
The house had four bedrooms. Tula and I had shared a room. Only seven seasons apart in age, most who met us for the first time had thought we were twins. I entered the room. Tula’s grief flag hung suspended over her bed and I wondered how long Mother would keep it there.
Zitora and Yelena had sewn the white silk banner. They decorated it with animal shapes surrounding a single blade of grass with a drop of dew hanging from the tip. Honeysuckles were sewn along the border of the flag. It was a representation of Tula’s life and personality. A customary endeavor, making a flag for the deceased and flying it from the highest pole, to release the person’s soul to the sky. Then the flag was used to cover the soul’s most precious possessions in order to keep them from returning to earth to retrieve them. After a few years, most people removed the flag and gifted the items.
I had missed Tula’s flag-raising ceremony while a prisoner of Alea. Sitting on her bed, I ran my hand over the quilt. Last time I had seen my sister, she was in the Keep’s infirmary, recovering from being raped and tortured by Ferde Daviian. Alea—another one of those cursed Daviians—had promised Tula would live if I cooperated with her.
Curling up on Tula’s bed, I shuddered as a fresh wave of grief crashed into me. Alea had taken me to the Daviian Plateau, pricked me with Curare and left me paralyzed and alone for hours in her tent. And then he came.
No. I would not think about him.
I concentrated on Tula. My ordeal was nothing compared to hers. When I had finally been freed, I learned Ferde strangled her to death and stole her soul. Two weeks gone before I even knew about it. Two weeks a captive for nothing. She died anyway.
“Opal, are you done? The table won’t set itself,” my mother’s voice called.
I wiped tears from my cheeks as I hurried to wash and change. My thoughts turned to Kade’s grief over his sister, and I remembered thinking about how time would dull his pain. Which was true, but I had forgotten about the occasional knife of grief that stabbed you without warning.
I was mortified during most of dinner. Ahir and my mother were intent on telling embarrassing stories about me to Zitora. The Magician seemed to enjoy them and laughed, but I wanted to hide under the table.
“… naked and soapy from a bath, Opal goes streaking toward the factory, intent on telling her father about her toy duck. Well …” Mother paused for maximum impact. “She crashes right into him and he spills a bowlful of sand on her head! I cleaned sand from every nook and cranny in her body. For months!”
I cut through the peals of laughter. “Do you think I should check on Father? Won’t his dinner get cold?”
“Leave your father alone for now. You know how he gets when he’s working in his lab. Dinner will keep.”
I sighed. One avenue of escape thwarted.
Before my mother could launch into another humiliating story, I asked Zitora about her family.
Her humor faded. “I don’t remember my parents. My older sister raised me. We are ten years apart.”
Mara made sympathetic noises. “Sisters are great. I wish I saw mine more often.” She gave me a pointed stare.
Perhaps I would tell her about Aydan’s glass factory in the Citadel.
“Sometimes I wish mine would get lost,” Ahir joked.
“Mine is lost,” Zitora said in a quiet voice.
“What do you mean?” Mother asked.
“When the magicians came, they said I had strong magical powers and should be Keep trained. She escorted me to the Keep and left. I haven’t seen or heard from her since.”
Gasps of horror ringed the table. Zitora shook her head through the barrage of questions from my mother and sister, and waved away Ahir’s apology.
“I searched for years,” Zitora said. “Chased every possible lead, visited every infirmary in Sitia, and viewed every unidentified corpse. Either she doesn’t want to be found or she’s dead and buried.” The Magician said the words with a flat tone as if she could no longer produce any emotions about her sister’s fate. Or she had exhausted her emotions.
“Why wouldn’t she want to be found?” Mother asked.
“Perhaps she wanted to start a new life,” Mara said. She rose from her seat and cleared the table.
“Perhaps someone is holding her against her will.” I suppressed a shudder; better to be dead and buried.
“Perhaps she was jealous of me. I don’t know anymore. I’ve thought about it for the last ten years and nothing feels right.” Zitora stood. Her chair scraped along the floor with a loud squeal. “Here.” She grabbed the dirty plates from Mara. “I’ll wash.”
Mother jumped from her seat with amazing speed. “Oh, no you don’t.” She hurried after Zitora, disappearing into the kitchen.
Mara, Ahir and I looked at each other.
“Who do you think will win?” Mara asked. “A Master Magician or Mother?”
I considered. “If you could call washing dishes winning, I’d bet money on Mother.”
“As much as it pains me to say this, I’d have to agree with Opal.” Ahir wrinkled his nose in mock distaste.
Sure enough Zitora returned from the
