What happened? I asked Kaya.

The net…has a null shield intertwined with the ropes.

A null shield blocks magic. The Sandseeds used it and Leif could create one, but I’ve never heard of it being tied into a net. It didn’t matter how. All I cared about was Kade. Would they kill him?

Kaya interrupted my growing panic. Help him, she said.

How?

You’re smart, Opal. You’ll figure it out.

Where is he?

Northern Ixia. Kaya severed our connection.

Urgency grew in my heart. I had to rescue him. Because if I didn’t help him then…What? This time I didn’t shy away from the answer. If I didn’t find him, I would regret it for the rest of my life. There, I admitted it to myself, but I knew not to hold any romantic notions of us riding off into the sunset.

I shook Ulrick awake. He sat up in alarm, grabbing his sword. “What happened?”

“Kade’s in trouble. We have to help him.”

Annoyed, he asked, “How do you know? Another dream?”

“No. From Kade’s orb. I told you I was keeping it safe.”

“But you didn’t tell me you were bringing it along.”

“Doesn’t matter. Kade’s in trouble.”

“Send a message to his clan, I’m sure they can send another dancer.”

“No time. We’re in the Krystal lands and can interview sand suppliers. He must have gotten a lead on where Sir and Tal are—”

“Opal, we’re not helping him.” Ulrick stood. “He’s a grown man and a Stormdancer. He can take care of himself. We’re expected in Mica.”

“You don’t have to come, but I’m going to try and find out where he is. I can’t just send a message.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t want to be with me anymore?” His tone was flat and curious.

“That’s not it. I enjoy being with you, it’s just he’s introuble.”

“Enjoy? How about love, Opal? Do you love me?”

“This has nothing to do with us. You don’t understand. I won’t let them hurt him.”

Ulrick laughed. Not the reaction I expected.

“What a useless statement, ‘I won’t let them hurt him.’ They’ll do whatever they please to him whether you let them or not. Frankly, I hope they kill him.”

My outrage froze on my lips. This was all wrong. When he lit the lantern, I stared at his shadow. It matched.

“You have no clue, but you’re really not in a position to rescue anybody, including yourself.” He stepped toward me.

His eyes blazed with blue fire.

“Now do you understand?”

“No.” The truth. I didn’t understand. His shadow matched his body. He lived in the Keep for weeks. Led me around the dance floor. Shared my bed.

“You will. Because you’re my little glass finder, who’s going to help me find my imprisoned mentor so I can complete the Kirakawa ritual.”

Logic shattered into fragments. My mind reduced to admiring the pretty pieces floating around my head. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t put them together into a reasonable picture.

“Do you submit?”

Realization crushed my confusion. Familiar words from the wrong face. Blue-eyed Devlen had disguised himself as Ulrick.

28

“HOW…WHAT…WHY…” I stared at Ulrick—Devlen. His eye color returned to the vibrant green of Ulrick’s. He looked the same. I touched his arm—the one not holding the sword. It felt the same. He even smelled the same.

Laughing at my confusion, he said, “Blood magic with a twist.”

“But you don’t have any tattoos.” The Daviian Warpers had gained their power by using blood magic and the Kirakawa ritual. By injecting the blood of their victims into their skin, they increased their magical power. As a Warper ascended through the levels of the ritual, he would be able to trap the victim’s soul and inject it into himself. At that point, he would have enough power to equal a Master Magician.

However, Yelena stopped the Warpers, pulling the trapped souls from them and reducing their powers. The Warpers who knew the final steps of the Kirakawa ritual were imprisoned in glass to keep them from communicating with anyone else.

“But all the Warpers were caught and executed by the Council.” My mind still couldn’t accept his claims.

“Not all the Warpers died. I hid and waited, biding my time. I learned how to use blood magic. Learned it so well, I was able to exchange my blood with another and switch souls.” Devlen pointed to his…Ulrick’s body. “For such a complete exchange there is no magic to detect. I can live in the Keep. And as long as I avoid the Soulfinder, I don’t need to worry.”

I had to close my eyes to understand. Devlen’s soul was in Ulrick’s body and vice versa. “Where is Ulrick?”

“He is a…guest of mine. Safe and sound. For now.”

I opened my eyes. For now! Fury replaced numbed shock and I reached for his neck, intent on strangling him. But he grabbed my wrists and yanked me close.

“Now, now. You weren’t this feisty before.”

Before? I had fought him with my sais in the alley, and protected Zitora from him during the ambush with Sir.

He peered at me. “Maybe this will remind you.” He adjusted his grip on my right wrist, and pressed his finger into the soft part of my forearm.