LITMIR.BIZ

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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 hadn’t noticed how uneven and jagged the rocks were, either. Waves crashed into them, sending spray high into the air. Water soon coated my skin and soaked my clothes. The rocks became slicker with each wave. I was glad I wore my brown boots, even though they filled with water; their thick soles helped me navigate the slippery and rutted outcrop. At one point I climbed over a few sharp boulders, and at another I leaped over a gap. The tight knocking of my heart warned my body to turn around and go back to the beach, but I was determined. Stupid?

      No. Determined. Until I reached a space too big to cross. Too big for me. Kade was three rocks farther out. Each separated by a large opening. Had he swam or jumped? It didn’t matter. All that mattered was he heard my shout.

      He spun around. And I wished I had waited on the beach. With an angry scowl, Kade moved. I would have marveled at his speed and grace as he flew over the gaps, except he aimed toward me.

      An errant wave knocked into me and I grabbed a rough edge to keep from falling. Pain laced my palm and blood welled.

      Kade stopped before spanning the space between our rocks. His mouth moved, but the wind snatched half of his words.

      “ …idiot … dangerous … go back!”

      I understood his intent and turned to retrace my steps. The waves grew in size and frequency. They hunted me, attacking when I was vulnerable.

      “Opal,” shouted Kade.

      I looked back in time to see a giant blue-green wall of water rushing toward me.

      The roar of the wind and sea ceased the moment the monster wave engulfed me. For one heartbeat, my world filled with gurgling sounds and foamy green light. Then the force of the crashing water slammed me into an unyielding object. The sea grabbed my limp body and tossed it about. Confusion dulled the pain until my forehead smacked into a jagged rock.

      My vision clouded with blood and saltwater. Kade and the outcrop grew smaller as the sea sucked me into her liquid embrace.

      5

      I TRIED TO SWIM. But each wave pushed me under and my waterlogged pants and boots dragged me down. I managed a few panicked gulps of air before the saltwater closed my throat.

      A sense of inevitability pervaded my body and I relaxed. The underwater half-light was a beautiful canvas for my memories. My sister Tula arrived to welcome me into the sky. I was surrounded by warmth and love.

      She frowned at me. “Silly girl. Take a breath. You’re surrounded by air.”

      I opened my mouth to argue and coughed out a lungful of water. My stomach heaved with the effort to expel the salty liquid. Once I regained my composure, I froze in amazement. I sat in the middle of a bubble of air. The blue-green walls appeared as solid as glass, but moved like water.

      Eventually my bubble floated to the surface of the sea. I bobbed in the waves, staying dry as land drew closer. Kade still stood on the rocks, but his eyes were closed and he held his arms straight out to the sides.

      Once I reached the shallow water, my bubble popped. I splashed back into the cold sea. The waves pushed as I crawled from the water and collapsed onto the sand. Soon voices wormed through my water-filled ears. A crowd had gathered.

      My sodden state was met with a mixture of emotions. Zitora was concerned and fluttered around me like a mother. The glassmakers smirked and tried to conceal their laughter. Raiden tsked and muttered under his breath about stupidity. Tal helped me to my feet and stayed beside me.

      “What made you go out there?” Zitora asked.

      “I wanted to talk to Kade. Nodin said I should go before dark.”

      A burst of chuckles escaped from the siblings. Raiden scowled at them. “Opal, you shouldn’t have listened to him. He was fooling with you.”

      “I didn’t know it would be so slick.” I shivered. The weak sun floated on the sea, painting a bright ribbon of red light along the waterline.

      “You three stop laughing.” He scolded the glassmakers. “If Kade hadn’t seen her, she would have drowned. Then no one would want to help us!”

      They sobered in an instant.

      “Sorry,” Nodin muttered before they shuffled away to check on the kiln.

      “Now you know to avoid climbing on the rocks.” Zitora smoothed my hair from my face and wiped sand off my cheek. “You’re bleeding.”

      Her finger traced a line of fire across my forehead. She repeated the gesture and the pain disappeared.

      “You’ll have a slight scar, but it could have been worse. You need to wash and change into dry clothes. There’s a freshwater pond behind the stables. Let me know if you have any other injuries.” Her eyes promised to question me further. Probably when we were alone. She left with Raiden to retrieve our saddlebags.

      Tal lingered. He kicked the sand. He peered past my shoulder then back to me. “Before you talk to Kade about what was so important, make sure you thank him first.”

      I glanced behind me. Kade reached the beach with a light hop. He walked toward us. “Thank him?”

      “For saving your life.”

      “Ahh … My bubble of air.”

      “A Stormdancer power.” Bitterness warped Tal’s words. He turned and hurried away.

      I wanted to chase after Tal, especially when Kade drew closer, but I waited for him. Cold fingers of air stroked my wet body, raising goose bumps on my skin.

      His wet tunic and pants clung to his muscular frame, but at least his angry scowl had turned into tired annoyance.

      I braced for his lecture.

      Instead he gave me a wry smile. “Don’t know why I

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