“I’m twenty, and Nodin didn’t warn me about the slippery rocks or the monster waves,” I said.

He shook his head. “All hope was gone until you held Kaya’s orb. Then you transformed before my eyes. When you have glass in your hands, you are confident and powerful. I knew then you would solve our problems.”

“Is that when…let me see if I remember it right…I ‘arrived in your life like an unwelcome hot-season squall’?” I asked.

“That line is golden. And you didn’t melt.” He tsked.

“Golden?”

“I’m a Stormdancer. The weather controls my life.”

Before he could launch into more weather analogies, I said, “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I can’t pinpoint an exact time, but when I heard you had been kidnapped by the traitor and his gang, I realized how much I cared for you.”

“I thought you came to the inn because you were worried about your Stormdancers.”

“I was. Tal had betrayed us. But the real reason was so I could see for myself that you were all right.”

My thoughts returned to that night. After dinner I had gone to the stable to check on Quartz. Kade followed me. We were alone, and his actions seemed as if he wanted to say something important, but we had talked about grief over our dead sisters. If he had confessed his feelings, I wouldn’t have gone with Ulrick, and Devlen wouldn’t have used Ulrick to get to me.

A useless train of thought. Devlen would have gotten to me regardless. His addiction to the blood magic would have driven him to find another way.

“How about you?” Kade ran his fingers along my arm.

“When you handed me Kaya’s orb.”

“I thought you were overcome by the orb’s song.”

“I was, but when you knelt next to me in concern…There was an energy…A spark.”

“Ah, yes.” He inched closer. “Drove me crazy.”

“Drove you away.”

“Not anymore.” He pulled me against him.

When Kade and I finally emerged from my rooms, the sun hovered above the horizon. I had missed my afternoon classes.

“Too late to go to the market?” Kade asked.

“Yes.”

“Food then?”

“Yes. I’m starving.”

After we ate, Kade tagged along as I reported for my riding lesson with the Stable Master. Quartz grazed in the pasture, but galloped to the fence as soon as she spotted me. Moonlight followed.

“Beautiful.” Kade stroked Moonlight’s neck. Named for the white moon on the all-black stallion’s face, the Sandseed horse’s gaze held intelligent curiosity.

“Figures,” the Stable Master grumped at Kade.

“Excuse me?” Kade kept a neutral tone, but a breeze stirred.

I introduced him to the Stable Master.

He glanced at Moonlight snuffling Kade’s shirt. “Stormdance Clan? Are you a—”

“Yes.”

“Figures!” Scowling, the Stable Master fed the horses his special milk oats.

“Do you have a problem with Stormdancers?” Kade asked him in the same flat tone.

“No, son. I’m having a problem with this spoiled-rotten horse.” He pointed a callused finger at Moonlight. “I tried to match him up with a few students, but he’s bucked everyone off. I thought he might be waiting for that Ixian fella or that glass fella to come back.”

“How do you know he won’t buck Kade off?” I asked.

The Stable Master just looked at me as if I were an idiot. Moonlight let Kade scratch him behind the ears. His whole body leaned toward the Stormdancer.

“Oh. That’s good then since we need to travel to The Cliffs and I wanted to ask you if we could borrow a horse.”

“Ask! Glory be! Someone’s actually gonna ask me this time?” The Stable Master clutched his heart. Then he disappeared into the barn and returned with a strange saddle. “Here.” He thrust it into my hands. “I want you to try a jumping saddle on Quartz.” He turned to Kade and hooked a thumb toward the stable. “If that brat of a horse allows you to saddle him, you can join us for practice jumps.”

Quartz and I finished a series of hurdles when Kade and Moonlight joined us in the training ring.

The Stable Master swore. “Lousy spoiled horse. Okay, let’s see what you can do with him.” He shouted instructions and put us through a grueling hour of jumping, trotting and turning maneuvers.

The horses’ coats gleamed with sweat by the time he ended the session. I peeled the fabric of my tunic away from my skin to help dry off as Kade and I walked the horses to cool them down.

“Phew! I used to think riding a horse was easy,” I said. “Watching a rider from the ground, it looks like the horse is doing all the work.”

Kade agreed. “I rode for travel purposes only. This felt different. As if I had a connection…like riding a wave. If you align your body just right, you can ride a wave to shore. It’s fun, but takes effort.”

“I’d rather ride a horse than a wave.” If Kade hadn’t saved me, my first encounter with the sea would have been my last.

“Sounds like I need to teach you how to surf.”

“How about I watch you from the beach?”

He laughed. “After the orbs are ready, I’ll take you to Sunfire Cove. It has gentle waves and no rocks. I did promise you a day on the beach.”