I squirmed under his continued scrutiny. “Aydan mentioned melt. Would you like to work the glass?”

“Could you show me how to make animal shapes? My mother always thought it was a waste of time.” He shrugged. “No money in it. But I’d like to learn.”

We worked together and, with my guidance, he made a swan. The piece didn’t resemble a first effort. Ulrick’s skills with the glass were impressive.

With the second animal, I gathered the molten glass onto the end of a blowpipe. When he finished shaping the legs and tail of a pig, I instructed him to blow through the pipe. The creature’s body expanded as it should. Although well crafted, the pig didn’t glow with magic. I didn’t mention the lack of power. What worked for me didn’t have to work for him, but my curiosity about how he inserted the magic into his pieces grew.

“Can you make one of your vases? One that sings?” I asked.

“No. I need a special sand mix. It’s your turn. I’d like to see you work your magic.”

Remembering his failure to see the inner glow in Zitora’s unicorn, I said, “You probably won’t be able to see it.”

“Maybe I just need to be here. What are you going to make?”

“I don’t know.”

He huffed. “You sound just like my sister. How can you not know?”

I shrugged.

“I have to have the image of my finished piece firmly in mind before I sit down at the bench. Otherwise I end up with a cold slug of glass.”

When I couldn’t provide the exact reason my method worked for me, he gathered the last of the melt. All distractions disappeared as I focused on rolling the pipe and shaping the glass. My mind open to the slight nuances in the glass, I used my tweezers and tugged until a shape formed. Then I blew magic into the piece. The core glowed as if on fire.

“I thought you said your speciality was animals,” Ulrick said.

“It is.” I considered the finished sculpture. Technically it was a living thing, but I had never made a seashell before. It twisted around a center point like a conch shell. “Interesting.”

“Crazy,” he teased. “Crack it off. I’ll put it next to mine in the annealing oven to cool.”

“Do you see the inner light?”

He hesitated for a heartbeat. “No.”

“So to you this is…”

“A lump of dull glass shaped like a shell. Sorry. Perhaps you should stick to animals.”

I waited to see if he would remember seeing Zitora’s unicorn. He frowned but didn’t mention it. I said the words for him. “Or perhaps not.”

“I didn’t say—”

“Don’t worry about it. My ego can handle it.”

“I know my ego wouldn’t. Otherwise I would have agreed with my mother and found another occupation instead of trying to prove her wrong.”

We cleaned up the work area and filled the kilns with Aydan’s special sand. Ulrick added enough coal to keep the fire hot for most of the night. Aydan would need to check on it overnight. By then, the sand mixture should melt and be ready in the morning.

When we finished, we headed toward the Keep. The lanterns along the main Citadel road cast a yellow softness on the hard marble walls of the buildings. Our footsteps echoed through the deserted street. I marveled over how much time had passed while Ulrick and I had worked.

Nighttime fears and apprehensions crawled along my skin. I checked Ulrick’s shadow, sighing with relief to see the shape matched my companion’s broad shoulders. I wondered if he knew how to defend himself. Like an idiot, I had left my sais back in my rooms. The need to protect myself still wasn’t instinctive in spite of my recent kidnapping. I had assumed Ulrick’s company was all I needed to stay safe.

“Why is seeing the inner glow so important?” Ulrick asked.

I explained about the magic trapped inside.

“If I can’t see it, then I’m not a magician.”

“I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. The Masters are just realizing there are a number of unusual magical abilities. If it hadn’t been for Yelena, my magic never would have been discovered and I wouldn’t be here.”

Ulrick looked at me in surprise. “You know Yelena Zaltana?”

“Yes.” I waited.

“What’s she like? Is she as powerful as the rumors say? As beautiful?”

I suppressed my annoyance. At least he wasn’t pumping me for information about my sister, and he hadn’t heard about my involvement with trapping the evil souls. I confirmed the rumors and told Ulrick a few details, including her commitment to Valek, the Ixian Chief of Intelligence.

“The most hated man in Sitia in love with the hero of Sitia. Wow. I’d bet the story of how they met would be fascinating.”

“It is.” Before he could ask for more information, I changed the subject. We discussed the best way to explore his magic glass until we reached the Keep.

The gates were locked, and the guards suspicious until I explained who we were. We didn’t see anyone walking around the Keep’s campus, but Ulrick insisted on escorting me to my quarters.

“You really don’t need—” I started.

“Nonsense. After what happened, you should have a battalion of guards with you at all times.”

“A battalion? Six-hundred men?”

“All right. A platoon then, and not a single soldier less.” He acted stern.

“I’m insulted, now. Only thirty men? I’m worth a cohort at least.”