“This afternoon you’re to meet with Fisk and Pazia at the Unity Fountain. Do you know where it is?”

“Yes.”

“Once there, Fisk’ll take you to a place to change and be briefed before he leads you to the seller. Do you have any questions?”

“Change into what?”

“Expensive clothes and obnoxious jewels. You’re supposed to be rich, too.”

“How will I tell if the diamonds are fake?”

Zitora opened her desk drawer and removed a small box. She handed it to me. “Open it.”

I lifted the red velvet-covered lid. Inside a diamond the size of my fingernail sparkled. Clear as glass, yet the light played deep within the stone, obscuring the red velvet behind it. I marveled at the reflections jumping from the many facets on the diamond.

“You can touch it.” Amusement colored her voice.

I pinched the diamond between my thumb and forefinger. Cold stabbed my finger pads and a brief image of snow-covered mountains filled my mind. Then heat seared my hand as the mental image transformed into burning mountains. A mere second later, the gem cooled to body temperature, and a slight vibration hummed against my skin.

My tongue stuck to dry teeth. I swallowed, and the hard motion scratched my throat. “Do you feel a…flash when you touch it?” I asked.

“Flash?”

“Feel cold through your fingers and get a mental image?”

“No. If I charged it with magic, I could feel the potential, but right now, it’s inert.” She studied me. “Does the flash mean you’ll be able to tell the difference?”

“Yes.” I closed the lid.

“Any other questions?” Zitora placed her hand on my shoulder. Her comforting gesture reminded me of Ulrick.

“What should I tell Ulrick?”

“Nothing about the diamonds. The fewer people who know, the better.”

“He’s not going to like the idea,” I said. Even though there was plenty for him to do in the glass shop. Equipment and supplies were being delivered every day. Soon the shop would be ready to use.

“You’re just going to have to convince him.” She smirked. “Good luck with that. He has an overdeveloped stubborn streak and has decided to be your protector. Ditching him will be your hardest task today.”

“Thanks.” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm from my voice.

Unaffected, Zitora’s smile grew wider. “He’s rather handsome when he’s mad. All those tight muscles, and those sparks of anger shooting from his captivating eyes.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” A wave of heat flushed. I blamed the sensation on a lingering effect of the diamond and not on the mental image of Ulrick’s strong arms wrapping around me.

She laughed, knowing I lied.

I tried not to blush when I left Zitora’s office and spotted Ulrick waiting. He fell into step beside me as we headed toward the glass shop.

“What did she say?” he asked, once we were away from the administration building.

I decided to stick to the truth as much as possible. “She’s sending me on another mission.”

“And?”

“I’m going to be busy this afternoon, so you’ll have to work without me. And don’t worry,” I rushed to add, “I’ll be with a very powerful magician.”

“Can you tell me what the mission is?”

“Sorry, no.”

“I was right. Secret magician stuff.”

“You were right, but the way you say it…”

“Flippant? Irreverent?” he asked.

“Like it’s a big joke, something to sneer at.”

He increased his stride, staring straight ahead. I hurried to keep up.

Just when I thought the subject of my mission had dropped, Ulrick said, “I’m jealous. I want to be involved.” He swept his arm through the air, indicating the people around us. “I want to be a magician helping Sitia. Making your assignment a joke is so I won’t feel…” His hands flicked as he gathered his thoughts as if they were molten glass. “So I won’t feel left out. Growing up, I was always left out. The six-year age gap between me and my older brother was too big and, since my glassmaking skills were limited, I was excluded from many family activities.” He drew in a deep breath. “I shouldn’t vent my frustration on you. At least allow me to escort you to the meeting site.”

His story echoed my years at the Keep as the odd woman out. Sympathizing with Ulrick, I agreed.

It was too early for my rendezvous with Fisk so we wandered through the Citadel, stopping on occasion so I could explain the significance of a statue or fountain we discovered. Surrounded by the white marble wall, the interior of the rectangular Citadel had six districts, each with its own personality. The Keep occupied the entire northeast district.

With the market in the center position between two areas, the north and south districts mirrored each other. Comprised mostly of businesses, warehouses and factories, the buildings and streets arched around the market and radiated out like rings around a bull’s eye. A confusing grid of narrow streets and dead ends could be found in the northwest and southwest residential districts. The labyrinth was a direct result of accommodating the Citadel’s growing population.

The southeast district contained a number of administrative buildings and Council Hall, as well as the posh residencies of the Councillors. The Unity Fountain was also located in the southeast. By the time we arrived, Fisk was already there. He waited with his apprentice Jayella.