the fire hot?” I asked her.
“How long?”
“Long enough for the coals to ignite?”
She nodded and once again the flames intensified.
A purse of appreciation settled on Nodin’s lips. “One benefit to having a Master Magician around.”
“And she’s good in a fight, too.” I winked at her.
“Time to add the sand,” Indra said.
The sand, soda ash and lime had been premixed and loaded onto a wheeled cart which had been parked in the back of the cave. Indra held a large metal bowl and a trowel. She paused before filling it. “How much?” she asked.
“Enough for two orbs,” I said.
She scooped sand. I grabbed a fistful of the mixture and carried it into the sunlight. Once there, I let the grains fall through my fingers, inspecting them as they fell. Yellow and brown grains, large and coarse were mixed with small white grains. A number of red-tinted particles and a few black specks peppered the mix.
“Our family’s secret recipe,” Varun said as he joined me on the ledge.
I considered. “Forty percent local sand, forty percent from the Krystal Clan’s sand quarry, fifteen percent from the Bloodgood Clan’s red beach and five percent lava flakes.”
He opened his mouth in astonishment. Closed it. Then stuttered, “That’s…that’s… There’s no way… Who told you?” Suspicion tainted his voice.
“The mixture.” He didn’t brighten with understanding. I asked him, “What other glasswares do you manufacture?”
“None. Our sole job is to make the orbs and protect the recipe. Only my family and the lead Stormdancer know the percentages.” He clutched my arm. “You’re the first to figure it out. You can’t tell anyone.”
“Don’t worry.” I gently pried his hands off. “I won’t. I know how important it is. Growing up in a glass factory, my family made many different types of glasswares from drinking glasses to fancy bowls and custom vases. My father has hundreds of sand recipes for various colored glass, as well as glass with assorted qualities and clarities. Father delights in bringing home a new mix and making us guess the composition.” I smiled at the memory. Most fathers brought presents home for their children. Mine brought sand. My smile grew wider as I realized how excited my sisters and I had been when Father’s wagon was spotted in town, returning with a new batch of sand.
I brushed the sand from my fingers.
Varun gazed at me with frank curiosity. But before he could voice his question, Nodin joined us. “The coals are heating. We should have melt by dawn.”
Zitora’s magic had accelerated the process by a full day.
“Until then, let me show you the orbs we’ve made,” Nodin said.
I followed him along the cliff trail to a small cave high above the beach. We crouched down to step inside.
“Another protected cave. The wind doesn’t blow in here and the water never reaches this high.”
I peered over the edge. “How high does the water get?”
Nodin grinned. “Depends on the storm. The stronger the wind, the higher the water.”
He shuffled to the back of the cave and returned with a glass orb. He handed it to me. The sphere weighed as much as a healthy newborn baby. The orb had a small lip and opening, making the sphere resemble a fat coin purse.
“When the rubber stopper is inserted, it seals the energy inside,” Nodin explained.
“How do you release the energy without hurting anybody?”
He picked up a stopper. “There is a hole that goes about halfway through. See?” He poked a finger up to his knuckle in the one end. “A glass tube is inserted in this end and, when in place, a small hole is made that goes all the way through the rubber. The energy flows through the tube and into the machinery.”
I brought the orb closer to the sunlight and stroked the glass with my fingers. Smooth and translucent, the orb had a purple iridescent film on the outside as if it had been dipped in soap. As wide as the length of my forearm, it had no seams; the glass was blown into this shape. No bubbles or other flaws marked its surface.
It sat inert in my hands. No glow. No singing. No magic.
“Why glass?” I asked Nodin. “Why not metal or silver to contain the storm’s energy?”
“Only glass will work. I don’t know why.” Sadness blanketed his face. “Now even the glass won’t work.”
“Do you have one of the old orbs?”
Nodin stared at me as if deciding what he should tell me. Finally he said, “Kade keeps one in his sleeping quarters.” He scooted closer to the edge and hung his legs over. “It’s one of the smaller orbs. And it’s…full.” He swung his feet and looked down at the beach.
“So if the orb breaks…”
“Exactly.” Nodin spread his hands wide. “It would kill anyone standing or sleeping within ten feet.”
“Why keep it?”
“Don’t know. It’s a suicide waiting to happen.” He gestured to the sea. A single figure stood at the end of a rocky outcrop.
“Or it could be a strong desire for privacy.”
Nodin laughed. “It does guarantee him his own cave.”
We sat for a while in silence. Each contemplating our own thoughts.
“I’ll need to examine Kade’s orb,” I said.
“You’ll have to ask him.”
“Me? I thought…”
His brown eyes sparked with glee. “Yes, you. I’m beginning to like you, Opal. But not that much.” He grabbed the sphere and returned it to the back of the cave. “If you want to see Kade’s orb before dark, you better hurry. Once the sun dips below the sea, it turns black fast.”
I followed Nodin down to the beach. The sun hovered near the edge of the horizon, casting shadows along the water’s rippled surface.
“Good luck.” Nodin waved.
I wondered if Zitora should be the person to ask Kade about his orb. The Stormdancer didn’t have a lot of confidence in me. I tended to agree with him, but I knew I would try to discover the problem. It was too important and I wouldn’t feel right unless I made the effort.
The wind whipped hair into my eyes when I stepped out onto the black rocks. I pulled the leather tie from my messy ponytail and tried to recapture all the strands into a neater knot. Funny how I hadn’t noticed the wind on the beach. Calling to Kade had proven futile. My shouts drowned by the sea’s song.
I
