not the only one taking a risk. For all I know you could be working with the Sitian authorities.”
“The same could be said of you.” The saleswoman regarded me as if she were assessing the quality of a gemstone. “What’s your name?”
“Opal Cowan.” I couldn’t think of any reason to lie and any hesitation would increase her suspicion.
She cocked her head to the side. “The glass magician. No wonder you spotted the fakes.” She gestured to Pazia. “This is what you’re doing now? Making sure your friend doesn’t get conned? I thought the Master Magicians would have something better for you to do.”
“I’m still in school.”
The saleswoman nodded as if she understood. “All right. My supplier is delivering stones in the next couple of days. I’ll ask him about your request and we’ll see what we can do for you. Stop back in four days. Come to the rear door before the lamplighters get to the lanterns in the alley.”
“Thank you …?” I stopped, realizing I didn’t know her name.
“Elita Jewelrose.”
Elita escorted us to the back entrance of her store. In the alley we heard the click of multiple locks. Pazia and I walked to the Keep. The hour had grown late. Only a few people hustled along the empty streets. For a while the silence hung heavy between us.
A few blocks from the Keep, Pazia said in a churlish tone, “You can try to tell everyone I was surprised by the men who attacked us, and I was completely sucked in by the saleswoman. But no one will believe you.” She was right.
I laughed. “You can pretend all you want, but without me you would be wearing a gaudy piece of glass on your finger. I know it and you know it. I don’t need to tell anyone else.”
“You don’t have anyone to tell anyway. You think you’re so much better than the rest of us—we’re not worth your time.”
I stopped. “Hold on. You’re the one who thinks she’s so powerful and special.”
“No. I don’t think. I know. I am more powerful than all my classmates and teachers. But I treat everyone equally. I’ve made friends.”
“Equally? What a laugh. You’ve been nasty to me since the first day!”
“That’s because you thought you were too good for us. All you did was help the Soulfinder imprison the Warpers and you were lavished with special attention. And for what?” Pazia rounded on me. “One deed. One trick. No other talents and you just admitted to being a betrayer. You don’t deserve to be a student at the Keep. You’ve been given a free ride. And you didn’t even have the decency to be humble about your good fortune. No. You expected it and expected everyone to fawn over you. Well, I wasn’t going to do it.” With a grunt of disgust, Pazia strode up the street.
I hurried after her. My thoughts swirled in my mind. I didn’t act as if I deserved special treatment. What did she expect me to do? Leave the Keep? She slowed and I almost ran into her.
“Seems you have someone fooled by your noble routine.” Pazia pointed to a dark shape.
A person waited by the Keep’s gates. As we came closer, his features and agitation grew clearer. I steeled myself for the unavoidable lecture.
Ulrick shot Pazia a sharp look. “You trust her to keep you safe?”
Agitated by Pazia’s accusations, I clamped down on a sarcastic reply. “I’m here aren’t I? Why are you here?” I immediately regretted my harsh tone when he looked at me as if I had slapped him.
“It’s late. I was concerned when you didn’t return for dinner. Guess I shouldn’t have bothered.” He turned on his heel and stormed into the Keep.
Pazia smirked. “You’re going to drive him away, too, and prove my point about you.”
Her comment was one too many. My emotions knotted and I could no longer think straight. “Shut up, Pazia. You think you have me all figured out. You have no idea. Let’s just keep focused on the task at hand.” I headed for the administration building and didn’t bother to note if she followed me or not.
Zitora waited in her office. Two lanterns burned on her desk.
She sprang from her seat the moment she saw us. “Why have you been gone so long?”
We alternated in telling her about our day. Pazia reported our findings in a factual manner, omitting the reason for Bex and Bloody Lip’s attack.
“So all the black market diamonds are fakes? Interesting and surprising,” Zitora said. “Any guesses as to why?”
“Elita mentioned having to keep up with her client’s demands,” I said. “Perhaps the illegal diamond seller is working both sides of the street. Sell real stones to the jewelers who can tell the difference and sell fakes to the black market dealers who can’t.”
“A good scam,” Pazia agreed. “One that would pull in a ton of money.”
“But do all the legitimate jewelers sell these illegal stones?” Zitora asked.
Her comment reminded me about Elita’s agent. He and Egg knew we were searching for real diamonds. “Elita knows about the fakes. We don’t have any information about the other jewelers.”
“Then we should find out.” Zitora settled into her chair. “You and Pazia keep your appointment with Elita. We’ll set up a watch on Elita’s back door to see if we can spot her diamond supplier.”
A good plan. Yet I felt we had overlooked something vital. I reviewed the events of the day, searching for loopholes. “Fisk.”
Zitora glanced up from her desk. “Fisk?”
“We told him the black market diamonds are fakes. He planned to spread the word.”
“Which might scare away the supplier,” Pazia said.
“Go. Find Fisk. Make sure he keeps quiet,” Zitora ordered.
“Now?” Pazia glanced at the darkness pressed against the window.
“Yes.”
We hurried from Zitora’s office.
“Take off your jewelry,” Pazia said. “This time we don’t want to attract attention.”
“Do you know where Fisk is?” I pulled the ruby bracelets from my arm, unpinned the brooch and shoved them into my pocket. My hair clips followed.
“He lives above the Guild’s headquarters with his family. Come on, I have an early class tomorrow.”
We arrived at Fisk’s place without incident. Fortunately he was home and joined us in the Guild’s common room. We explained what happened with Elita.
“She’s well respected. It’s hard to believe she’s selling contraband,” Fisk said.
“Have you heard any rumors about
