After I had glanced around his cave, Kade shrugged. “It suits me. When I spend all day in the wild vastness of sea and storms, it’s soothing to be surrounded by stone.” Kade settled on the cot, sitting cross-legged and peered into the glass.

A heartbeat later, he yelped in surprise and fumbled the ball. I suppressed a giggle, but couldn’t stop the smirk.

“I suppose the first time you heard a voice in your head you were unperturbed?” he asked in annoyance.

The smile dropped from my lips. “I don’t have the magical ability to hear thoughts.”

“I don’t, either, but Zitora does. As long as you have magic, you should be able to hear her.”

“I can’t.” I turned away before I could see his pity. The Masters could communicate with every magician in Sitia. Except me. Even people with only one trick could hear the Masters’ call. Except me.

“Since the test was a success, I’d better go help Zitora saddle the horses.” I ducked to leave.

“But you can hear the orb’s call,” Kade said to my back.

The orb’s song pierced my heart. I jerked, turning around. Kade had uncovered the sphere.

“What does it say to you?” he asked.

I concentrated. The orb’s song pulsed in time with the sea and hummed in tune with the wind. Among the melody moaned a name. The same name that haunted my dreams last night. “Kaya.”

Kade froze in horror. He stared at me with such intensity I stepped back.

“My sister’s name,” he said as if every word pained him.

“You have a sister?”

“Had. She died. Killed by one of the flawed orbs.”

7

GRIEF WELLED IN Kade’s eyes. The obvious pain of his sister’s death still ripping his insides like a broken knife. I remembered the weeks after my sister Tula had died. The pain would only dull with time.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I know—”

“You know nothing.” Kade spat the words out. “Please spare me the empty and banal responses of sympathy. They are meaningless.”

I wanted to correct him, but from his reaction I knew he wasn’t ready to hear it.

Kade grabbed my shoulders and dragged me close. “Did Raiden tell you her name? Hope that I would confess my woes to you?” He dug his fingers into my skin.

“No one told me. Let go. You’re hurting me.”

“Did Master Cowan pull the information from my head?”

I wished I had one of my sais so I could knock sense into him. “She would never intrude on your private thoughts. The orb told me. Let go now!” I brought my arms up between his and swept them out to the side, breaking his hold on my shoulders.

He stumbled back and I pushed him farther away with my foot. He landed on his cot. At least I had paid attention in self-defense class. Another skill learned from my four years at the Keep. Yippee for me.

“Do you have water in your ears? What part of ‘let go’ didn’t you understand?” I scolded, reverting into my really-annoyed-older-sister mode.

When anger flamed in Kade’s eyes, I realized I dealt with a grown man and Stormdancer. He could probably order the wind to suck me out of the cave and drop me onto the beach far below. Big difference from fighting with my younger brother, Ahir, whose only talent was to pester me to distraction.

“Opal,” Zitora called from below.

I glanced over the edge.

“We need to hurry. I want to reach The Flats by sunset.”

My thoughts lingered on Kade and his orb as I helped Zitora saddle the horses and pack the bags. Varun and Kade arrived with full backpacks and I tied their sleeping rolls onto the saddles. Since they didn’t have any horses, we would share mounts to Thunder Valley. I eyed Kade’s pack with trepidation. He had taken his orb and its muted voice reached me even through the leather.

Soon the whole Stormdance team milled around, waiting to say goodbye.

Raiden gave us a few instructions. “If you’re not back here in eighteen days, then don’t bother. We’re clearing out on day nineteen.”

“If the storm pattern changes, don’t hesitate to leave sooner. Just send me a message,” Kade said.

“Will do.” Raiden scanned the sky.

“We’ll keep the kiln hot,” Indra said.

After all the goodbyes and thank yous, we led the horses up The Cliffs. The ascent felt easier. Perhaps because I tended to look up instead of down.

We reached The Flats without any problems. As soon as we were rested, Zitora mounted Sudi. “Varun, you’ll ride with me. Kade, you’re with Opal.”

When no one moved, Zitora ordered, “Let’s go. I want to get in a few more miles before we stop for the night.”

I don’t know why I thought Zitora and I would share a mount, but it appeared the men had assumed the same thing. They glanced at each other. Varun shrugged. He shouldered his pack and swung up behind Zitora.

Quartz bumped my arm with her nose. If horses could laugh, I had the feeling she would be chuckling.

Kade grabbed Quartz’s reins. “Should I?” he asked.

“No. She’s my horse. I’ll take them.”

“Suit yourself.”

I hopped into the saddle and Kade settled in behind me. It was a tight fit. I tried not to think about his legs pressed against mine, and about where my backside was nestled. Strong arms wrapped around my waist. I was suddenly glad he couldn’t see my flushed face. His chest molded to my back and the orb’s song grew louder. Its energy vibrated in my heart.