Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder Page A

power.”
      Except Zitora, everyone stared at my piece in confusion.
      “Are you sure?” Nodin asked. “No offense, but it looks like a beginner’s effort.”
      “I’ve trapped a thread of magic inside the ball,” I explained. “Only magicians can see the glow.”
      “No.” Tal tensed and scowled. “That can’t be right. I can’t see the glow.”
      “It’s been tested,” Zitora said. “And we’ve been using Opal’s glass animals to evaluate potential students for the Keep. If they can see the glow, we know they possess magical power.”
      “No.” A stubborn line formed along Tal’s jaw. His eyes held fear.
      “Tal.” Raiden placed a hand on the young man’s shoulders. “You tried to call the wind with no success. You’re past puberty-”
      “No!” Tal shrugged Raiden’s hand off. “My father…My sister…”
      “Strong Stormdancers, I know. Stormdancing is a rare gift, be thankful your sister-”
      “I have it, too. It’s just…late. It’s just like the stubble on my chin, I don’t have enough power right now, but it’ll come. I know.” He left in a huff.
      Raiden stared after him. We stood in an uncomfortable silence until an earsplitting crack of thunder announced the storm’s impending arrival. Donning thick leather gloves, Nodin picked up my orb and placed it into the annealer. Indra and Varun reorganized their tools.
      Another rumble sounded. “The horses?” I asked.
      “I’ll get them,” Raiden said. “Go down to the third level. That’s the storm cave where we keep all the necessary provisions.”
      Zitora hurried to help Raiden.
      I turned to go when Kade stopped me. He handed me his orb. The energy within it intensified. It pulsed and quivered, sending shooting pains along my arms.
      “Keep it safe,” he said.
      “Where are you going?”
      “Out.” He gestured to the sea.
      “Why? You don’t have an orb.”
      “I can still bleed off energy from the storm.”
      “To where?”
      He huffed with impatience. “Into the rocks.”
      Before I could question him further, Kade said, “Ask Raiden, he’ll explain it.” He jogged down the trail.
      The sea heaved and thrashed around the rocks all but obscuring them. Foamy spray whipped through the air. Yet wherever Kade stepped, the water smoothed and his hair stayed in place, not even bothered by a faint breeze.
      Zitora’s voice cut through the storm’s rage, calling me. I rushed to catch up to her as she led Sudi into a low cave. Although the horse ducked her head, it was a tight fit. The top of the opening scraped along Sudi’s back.
      Once inside, the cavern’s ceiling rose to twelve feet. The area was roomy, with horse stalls near the back and torches blazing along the walls. Cots and chairs had been set up, Zitora helped start a fire, and Raiden filled a pot with water.
      “You shouldn’t bring that in here,” Raiden said, pointing at the orb in my hands.
      “It would take a lot more than dropping it on the ground to break,” I said.
      “I know it takes a hard blow to shatter it, but I don’t want my people to start being careless with them. Every Stormdance Clan member knows to handle the orbs with the utmost care and I want to keep it that way. Would you want to risk losing a life?” When I didn’t answer, he said, “There is a reason for the fear.”
      Chagrined, I said, “I hadn’t thought about it that way.”
      “Next time, you might want to think before you act.”
      Chastised, I stared at the floor.
      “There is a reason for everything, Opal. You might not be able to figure it out, and time might have made us all forget it, but the reason is there all the same.” Raiden hung his pot over the fire. “Who’s hungry for clam stew?”
      Raiden gave everyone who said, “me” a bucket of clams to open. I carried the orb to a safe spot in the back, setting it down on a pile of blankets. My