sparks of anger shooting from his captivating eyes.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” A wave of heat flushed. I blamed the sensation on a lingering effect of the diamond and not on the mental image of Ulrick’s strong arms wrapping around me.
She laughed, knowing I lied.
I tried not to blush when I left Zitora’s office and spotted Ulrick waiting. He fell into step beside me as we headed toward the glass shop.
“What did she say?” he asked, once we were away from the administration building.
I decided to stick to the truth as much as possible. “She’s sending me on another mission.”
“And?”
“I’m going to be busy this afternoon, so you’ll have to work without me. And don’t worry,” I rushed to add, “I’ll be with a very powerful magician.”
“Can you tell me what the mission is?”
“Sorry, no.”
“I was right. Secret magician stuff.”
“You were right, but the way you say it …”
“Flippant? Irreverent?” he asked.
“Like it’s a big joke, something to sneer at.”
He increased his stride, staring straight ahead. I hurried to keep up.
Just when I thought the subject of my mission had dropped, Ulrick said, “I’m jealous. I want to be involved.” He swept his arm through the air, indicating the people around us. “I want to be a magician helping Sitia. Making your assignment a joke is so I won’t feel …” His hands flicked as he gathered his thoughts as if they were molten glass. “So I won’t feel left out. Growing up, I was always left out. The six-year age gap between me and my older brother was too big and, since my glassmaking skills were limited, I was excluded from many family activities.” He drew in a deep breath. “I shouldn’t vent my frustration on you. At least allow me to escort you to the meeting site.”
His story echoed my years at the Keep as the odd woman out. Sympathizing with Ulrick, I agreed.
It was too early for my rendezvous with Fisk so we wandered through the Citadel, stopping on occasion so I could explain the significance of a statue or fountain we discovered. Surrounded by the white marble wall, the interior of the rectangular Citadel had six districts, each with its own personality. The Keep occupied the entire northeast district.
With the market in the center position between two areas, the north and south districts mirrored each other. Comprised mostly of businesses, warehouses and factories, the buildings and streets arched around the market and radiated out like rings around a bull’s eye. A confusing grid of narrow streets and dead ends could be found in the northwest and southwest residential districts. The labyrinth was a direct result of accommodating the Citadel’s growing population.
The southeast district contained a number of administrative buildings and Council Hall, as well as the posh residencies of the Councillors. The Unity Fountain was also located in the southeast. By the time we arrived, Fisk was already there. He waited with his apprentice Jayella.
Ulrick ignored the others to admire the fountain. Surrounded by waterspouts, an immense dark green sphere with holes rested on a pedestal. The jade sphere had been mined from the Emerald Mountains as a solid block. Inside the sphere were ten other spheres; each one smaller than the next. If the carving was sawed in half, the cross section would resemble a tree’s growth rings. All the layers had been carved from the one stone—through the holes and from the outside in.
“Unbelievable,” Ulrick said. “I’ve learned about this. Each sphere represents one of the Sitian clans, but it’s more impressive than I imagined. The craftsmanship to carve this …”
“Five years of hard work,” Fisk said. “A celebration of the clans uniting.” He cocked his head to the side, considering. “Interesting. If one of the spheres inside would crack, the others would hold it together.” Fisk met my gaze, and I wondered if there was a hidden meaning in his words.
“We need to keep our appointment,” Fisk said to Ulrick.
“Keep Opal safe,” he ordered, frowning. “Your business will suffer if rumors about a client being harmed in your care surfaced.”
The friendly softness in Fisk’s demeanor hardened. “Are you threatening me?”
No answer.
“You know nothing about my business or about me. Do you?”
Again no answer, just a stubborn set to Ulrick’s jaw.
“In that case, your insult was inadvertent and due to ignorance. Opal, when you have time, please educate this man about loyalty and honor. Come.” He turned and strode from the fountain’s plaza.
I sensed Ulrick’s molten anger, but couldn’t mollify him now. I hurried after Fisk. He led me down an unremarkable side street. About halfway, he turned into a narrow alley. The alley’s sole purpose appeared to be providing a shortcut to the next street, but Fisk disappeared. When I reached the same spot, I found a tight alcove. To a casual observer, it looked like a dead end. But near the back was a small door. We had to walk down a few steps and bend over to get inside the building.
“Guild headquarters. We don’t like too many people to know where we are. Although—” he moved around the large room, lighting lanterns “—now that we’re getting older, we’ll need to get a bigger door.”
As the light illuminated the room, I noticed several desks, a chalkboard and maps hanging from the walls. A detailed layout of the market spanned an entire wall. Letters and a few easy mathematics problems were written on the chalkboard.
Fisk noticed my interest. “We teach the younger members how to read and do simple math. Also about money. What items cost and how to make change. Speaking of change, you need to get dressed. I have clothes laid out in the back room.” He pointed to the far wall.
“What about Pazia? Wasn’t she supposed—”
The headquarters’ door opened. Pazia stepped through and closed it behind her. “Supposed to meet you at the fountain?”
“Did you read my thoughts?” I demanded.
“I had to make sure there were no surprises in here. And no, I wasn’t planning on meeting you at the fountain. I know my way here. This isn’t the first time I’ve worked with Fisk on a mission for the Masters.”
Her dig touched the weak spot in my heart, being deemed unworthy to participate in important missions. But not anymore. I found a measure of comfort in my present situation, amazing given the circumstances.
“Why aren’t you dressed yet?” She sighed dramatically. “Bad enough I have to work with you. The least you could do is be ready on time.” Shrugging off her cloak, she flung it onto one of the desks. The material of Pazia’s clothes had been woven with an expensive linen-and-silk blended thread. Her tailor’s efforts enhanced her slim waist and petite stature. She pulled her long golden hair up and clamped it in place with a jeweled clip.
I
