“Leif, where is the shield’s boundary?” I asked.
“Past the fire.”
I handed the mesh bag to Heli. “Collect all the sea glass.”
She blinked at me as if I’d asked her to fly.
“Go on,” I urged. “Make sure you get them all.” I carried the little blue piece past the fire, bracing for the burning pain of magic. Nothing. Its magic was spent and it didn’t even sparkle as much as before. In fact, scratches marred the piece, rendering it ugly and ordinary. I put it into my pocket.
When Heli had gathered all the glass, she handed me the bag. Leif dropped the shield and the Stormdancers swayed in relief. Everyone suddenly found something to do, righting the chairs and cleaning up the mess made by the fight. No one wanted to talk about what happened, but we would have to.
Raiden stirred the fire, adding logs. Flames leaped toward the ceiling. I collapsed into a chair and Kade saw my wince of pain. He was beside me in an instant.
“Do you need a healer?” he asked.
“No.”
Leif poked me in the side. I yelped.
“How about you answer that question again?” Leif’s smug expression wilted as I glared at him. He hurried to his saddlebags.
Kade knelt next to me. “I pushed you down. I’m sorry—”
“Not your fault.” When tears flooded Heli’s eyes, I added, “Not anyone’s.”
“I’ll fetch a healer,” Kade said.
“I don’t need one. Does anyone else?” I asked.
No one spoke up. Leif returned with a variety of first-aid supplies. “If her ribs are broken, she’ll need a healer. But if they’re cracked, she can heal on her own without danger.” He sorted through his collection of herbs. “I’ll brew you a tea to help with the pain, but first I want to assess the damage.”
“Assess how?” I asked.
He gave me a grim smile, then turned to Kade. “Is there a private place where I can examine her?”
Despite my protests, Kade carried me to his cave. I grabbed the bag of sea glass, knowing better than to leave it behind.
After being tortured by Leif’s examination, he declared two ribs on my left side were indeed cracked. He wrapped a bandage tightly around my middle. I dressed as he hurried off to make tea and to check on the others. If the brew was anything like the horrid stuff he fed me after Tricky’s attempt to bleed me dry, I planned to dump it onto the ground.
Kade tucked me into his cot. He started a fire in the brazier, then promised to return after helping Leif. I squirmed, trying to find a comfortable position. A sharp point jabbed me in the leg and I remembered the blue piece. I pulled it out. Leaning over the cot and ignoring the pain, I opened the brazier’s door. In the firelight, I examined the glass. So much trouble for such a little thing.
The scratches seemed random until I flipped it over. It could either be my overactive imagination or someone had carved a letter into the glass.
Kade returned carrying a steaming cup. I showed him the glass before he could force me to swallow the tea. He flinched as if burned.
“Relax. This one is spent. No magic.”
He took the sea glass and handed me the mug. “Drink up.”
“Ugh.” The liquid smelled like a wet dog. “What do you think?” I pointed to the glass.
“I think you should drink your tea and go to sleep.”
“About the scratches?”
He waited.
“Fine. Look, I’m sipping.” I slurped loudly. As usual, Leif’s medicinal concoction tasted horrible.
Kade examined the piece in the firelight. “The markings on this side resemble the letter S.”
“I thought so! We should look at the others.”
“And go crazy again?” Kade asked.
My elation died. “Have you discussed the…incident with the others yet? Are they all right?”
“Minor injuries only. Leif applied poultices and dispensed tea. Everyone was so exhausted I sent them all to bed. We’ll discuss it in the morning.” He sat on the edge of the cot. “You know, the tea tastes worse when it’s cold.”
I downed another gulp. “You should go to bed, too.”
“I’ll sleep in the main cavern. I don’t want to bump your ribs.”
“No need to worry.” I scooted over.
“Opal, you should—”
“Finish my tea first. Good idea.” I drained the cup.
He still looked unconvinced.
“Please stay. The last two nights have been horrible.” First Tricky, then the sea glass. With all that had happened, I had forgotten about the wound on my arm. In fact, even the pain in my ribs had dissipated. Leif’s tea worked. I would thank him, but he would be obnoxious about it.
Kade slipped into the cot next to me. Once his arms wrapped around my waist, I fell asleep.
“I didn’t see anyone,” Heli said. She concentrated on the empty bowl in her lap, spinning it around. “I was in the middle of nowhere.”
The early-morning sunlight touched the horizon. The beach remained in The Cliffs’ shadow, casting twilight into the main cavern. Everyone gathered around the cook fire. And everyone avoided each other’s gaze.
My ribs ached, but I wasn’t about to ask Leif for more of his tea.
“A magician had charged the sea glass,” Kade said. “Either he scattered them on the beach for you to find, or they were deposited there by the current.”
“Why?” Heli asked. She sounded like a little girl.
“To sabotage us or as a joke,” Kade guessed.
“Heck of a cruel joke,” Raiden said.
“Maybe someone really wanted you to find them,” I said. “Maybe they were trying to send you a message.” I pulled out the blue piece.
Ten people flinched, including Kade, who should have known better.
“This one is safe,” I said, handing it to Leif. “Looks like someone scratched the letter S on it.”
Leif turned it over in his hands. “Why is it safe?”
I thought back. “When I touched it, it…sparked, waking me. After all the…craziness last night, it was the only piece not claimed.”
“Let’s assume you’re right and it’s a message,” Kade said. “How do we examine the other pieces without going insane with desire?”
“Opal can spark them,” Leif said. “In a place where we can’t see.”
It was a reasonable step in logic. However, I dreaded the prospect, remembering the burn and shock of pain from just one piece.
I pulled Leif aside. “Can you brew me more of your tea?”
“Which one?”
“The wet-dog one you gave me last night.”
“Are your ribs hurting?”
“Yes.” Which was the truth.
I returned to Kade’s cot and dumped the sea glass onto the blanket. A mug of Leif’s potion was within reach. Steeling myself, I drank the entire mug, then reached for the first piece.
By the time I finished, my numb hands could barely hold the glass. Pain burned along my skin from wrist to shoulders. My bones ached. I wrapped my arms around my waist and curled up on the cot.
Kade woke me with a hard shake. “Opal, what happened? We thought you’d be back by now.”
My body throbbed. My arms and hands tingled as if they’d fallen asleep.
“Is it your ribs?” he asked in alarm.
“Yes. No. Leif. Dog.” The room dimmed and Leif appeared next to Kade. A hot liquid burned my lips. I choked on the taste of dirt mixed with mint.
“Drink it. It’ll help you,” Leif said. “Trust me.”
I wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but the pain eased and I drifted into a relieved sleep.
The next time I opened my eyes, Kade hovered above me with an anxious expression.
“I’m fine,” I said, although I didn’t have any energy.
“You slept for two days. That’s not fine.”
“Two days? But the melt, the orbs…” I tried to sit up.
Kade held me down. “No. You are to stay in bed until Leif gives you permission to move.”
“Who made Leif boss?”
“I did when he saved your life.”
“Pah! I would have been fine.” I couldn’t believe Kade had fallen for Leif’s dramatics.
Kade sighed. “Opal, why didn’t you tell us?”