“Here.” I reached for it, remembering how brittle they felt in my hands. Sure enough, I broke one in half.

A whoosh of air, a huff and a flash and one brown-colored spider stood in the middle of my father’s desk. Its body as big as two of my father’s fists put together and eight thin legs spread out close to the edge.

I jumped to my feet, wanting to back away.

“Relax.”

The creature remained in place as if waiting. The door opened behind me and even the night breeze didn’t disturb the spider.

“Ulrick, don’t come any closer,” Father ordered. “Opal, what did you do after you stepped on the glass?”

I replayed the series of panicked events in my mind. “I ran to Mara. Stood there like a complete simpleton. And…” I closed my eyes for a moment. “And my next thought was the need to suck the venom from Mara. But the spider came and…”

“Did your bidding,” Father said.

“A big leap in logic,” Ulrick said from the doorway.

“Easy to find out. Opal, tell the spider to climb to the ceiling.”

“With my thoughts or my voice?”

“We can try both. How many glass spiders do you have?”

I shuddered. “Hundreds.” Drawing in a deep breath and feeling a little silly, I ordered the spider to climb.

It leaped to the wall and scurried to the ceiling. When it arrived, it disappeared. For the first time ever, magic responded to my wishes. A strange sensation swept over me and I felt weightless. I dropped into a chair and clutched the armrests to keep from fainting.

“Hmm. Once and done,” my father mused. “I wonder if the first spider would have followed you around until you gave it an order. Only one—”

“Way to find out,” Ulrick said. “I’ll fetch more spiders. Where are they?”

I told him, then snapped the remaining one. This time I ordered the spider with my mind. The results were the same.

A couple hours after midnight, my father was finally satisfied with our experiments. The spiders were indeed real to the touch. They had sharp teeth and they would perform a task then vanish. They would listen only to me. I guessed when I had transformed Tricky’s magic into spiders I had become the owner. Although Tricky might be able to direct the spiders, too. And, since the only way to find out would involve him, I wasn’t going to confirm the possibility.

All those history classes I had taken never mentioned the ability to transform magic into a physical object. And it wasn’t static. It moved, obeyed commands and disappeared. Did the magic dissipate when the spider finished its job? Or did the power return to Tricky?

My sluggish thoughts swirled in my head as if my mind had melted. No answers formed, just an endless loop of speculation. I dragged my exhausted body to my room. Leif dozed in a chair next to my sister’s bed. Mara slept so still, I had to watch the rise and fall of her chest before I could relax. Leif roused. He drew me out into the hallway.

“What’s been going on? I smelled magic.”

As quick and succinct as possible, I explained about the spiders.

“That’s amazing! You have a whole army of helpers. You don’t have to feed them or care for them. The possibilities are endless!”

Only Leif would think of food. I was too tired to share his enthusiasm. “Leif, go to bed. I’m here now if Mara needs anything.”

He gnawed his lip. “Are you sure?”

“Of course, she’s my sister.”

He hugged me. “Thanks, Opal. You saved her life.”

“Inadvertently.”

“Doesn’t matter how. She lives. That matters.”

By the time I woke, the morning was almost gone. My family and Ulrick sat around the dining room table, eating a late breakfast. Mara remained pale and Leif hovered over her. Questions about the lifesaving spider shot from everyone’s lips as soon as they spotted me. Father enlightened them about my spiders, and I asked them to please keep the information quiet.

“Why?” Ulrick asked. “If it were me, I’d want everybody to know what I could do.”

“But I don’t know if I can duplicate the magic and get the same results. Best to wait until we have discovered everything about it.”

Ulrick remained unconvinced.

“It’s a logical strategy,” Leif said. “One that could save her life.”

“How?” Ulrick asked.

Leif glanced at my mother before speaking. “If, for example, someone was after Opal. If the person knows what she can do with her magic, they would have a way to counter it. If no one knows about her skill with the glass spiders, then she will be able to surprise them if she’s attacked.”

“Good point,” Ulrick said.

“No. It’s an excellent point. Those who brag and boast might cause problems, but they’re easy to counter. It’s the quiet ones who are deadly.”

I considered Leif’s words as Ulrick and I visited the equipment suppliers Father suggested. My instinct to keep a few magical incidents quiet had been correct. Although, I realized I shouldn’t rely on my instincts as much. Working with Zitora, I’d been unwillingly involved with criminals. Thinking my actions through and approaching a situation with a strategy in mind would be prudent.

Over the next two days, Ulrick and I had ordered all the necessary supplies. We prepared to leave the following morning. Mara would be coming with us. Leif didn’t want to leave her behind, and once the Keep’s glass workshop was operational, there would be plenty for her to do. My mother was thrilled. I could see by the glint in her eyes, she viewed Mara’s move as the next step toward grandchildren.