Shatterglass

Keth hurried to finish his shave and wiped his face. should be at home, in bed! Why did she come here?

her yourself,Tris said. ll be down shortly.

She stood at the top of the stairs, watching as Keth stumbled down the steps. His face had lit up. There was concern in his voice when hed asked about Yali. If he still had an arranged marriage back in Namorn, he ha d a problem, but that at least was not her affair. She walked to her own room, closed the door and sat on the bed. Carefully she took down two of her heavier lightning braids and began to draw a little of their power into her veins, to liven the tidal str ength. As she worked, she wondered what would happen to her when this dose of borrowed power was used up, then shook her head. Shed worry about that when it happened.

CHAPTER SIX

The cook surprised Keth by making breakfast for him after Yali left. First he said she didnt need to; when she insisted, he apologized for putting her to the extra work. A good-looking young fellow like you needs all the strength he can get, to chase off the hordes of girls who must be chasing you,she said with a wink. Keth la ughed for what felt like the first time in ages. He stayed in the kitchen while she cooked, talking to her about the news of the city and her children. She shooed him into the dining room when she finished, saying she had the marketing to do, then sat him at the table and ordered him to eat.

Keth was happy to do so: he was hungry. She had given him fresh flatbread, cheese and a dish of eggs cooked with cinnamon, cumin, cardamom and fermented barley brine. On his arrival in Tharios, he d tried eggs prepared this way and thought that, with so peculiar a combination of flavours, they werent fit for hogs to eat. Now it was one of his favourite Tharian foods.

He- hadnt been eating long when Tris came downstairs. She was accompanied by a just-fed Chime Keth could see the colouring agents for purple and blue glass in the dragon s belly. The girl looked odd, strangely awake for someone who had gone to bed well after midnight and risen not long after dawn, according to the cook. Tris poured herself a cup of tea and sat across from him.

your friend Yali all right?Tris asked as Chime curled around the teapot. was upset over you being taken up by the arurimi.

knows they dont pay truthsayers in Fifth District,Keth replied, carefully producing each word. His tongue seemed to get thicker when she was near. He couldn t make himself forget what she could produce from those thin braids on either side of her face. just wanted to know I was in one piece.He scooped up some eggs with a wedge of flatbread. didn t really believe they got a truthsayer because you told them to,he added. After hed chewed and swallowed, he continued, was there. Im not sure /believe it.

I was so polite,Tris replied with a razor-thin smile. Nomasdina was such a gentleman, giving way to a ladys wishes.

Keth blinked, startled. you just make a joke?he asked. Hed never thought she had a sense of humour. If she did, it was very dry.

hardly ever joke,Tris informed him, straight-faced as she sat at the table. steams up my spectacles.

Keth put down his spoon to give his full attention to her. For the first time it sank in that this odd girl two-thirds his age was to be his teacher. He had no idea who she was, apart from a heroic bad temp er, a hand for lightning, a claim to handle forces too big for any human to wield and a dislike of being baulked. She was gentle with tweezers and medicine. She loved Chime and her impossibly sized dog. The eyes behind those spectacles were uncomfortably sharp. She also took their new relationship more seriously than he did, which shamed him.

were stuck with each other,he said carefully.

She propped her chin on her hand, her smile crooked. we are. Do you think your cousin will let us do magic at Touchstone? Otherwise well have to find a glass mage who will give us a place to work. If you were younger, I wouldn t even try to have you do craftwork as you learn basic mage discipline, but we cant untangle the two now.

wont mind as long as I keep making glass for him. If we use a lot of materials, Ill have to find a way to pay him, though. He isnt rich.Keth sighed. He would have to stay in Tharios long after he d mastered his power, just to repay his cousin. Well, it cant be helped, he told himself. s go,he said, pushing back his chair. sooner we start, the sooner we catch the Ghost.

Tris stayed where she was, drumming her finger slightly on the table. Chime woke from her nap and looked from Keth to Tris. s not that easy,Tris said at last. -won t be creating any lightning globes today.

I will!he replied. Really, he thought, just because it took her a while to master her power doesnt mean it will be the same for me. Im an adult. She was - is - a child. Patiently he reminded her, I can meditate, I know I have magic now. All I need is practice.

if it were just a matter of glass magic, you would probably be right,she replied. re a journeyman in your guild. I concede your knowledge of glassmaking. But youve forgotten that small matter of lightning. It s tricky. It doesnt do what you expect. Magic itself is like lightning, only worse.

manage to work it pretty well,Keth said, frowning at her. For the first time in months he felt that control of his life was within his grasp, and here she was trying to muddle it.

Do you think I got so fast at throwing up protections?Tris asked. some unusual things happened to help me grip it better than most people ever learn to do. Those things wont happen for you. Dont expect to hand Dhaskoi Nomasdina a clear globe this evening.

The sooner we start, the sooner we know,he snapped, impatient. The gall of her, trying to patronize him! lets move, already.

He stalked out of the house, fuming, without looking to see if she kept up or not. She judged everything by herself and her little friends. Children learned by rote because it would be years before they understood the ideas behind the memorization. Hed seen it over and over with apprentices. Tris had to realize that an adult like Keth would make good progress, now that he knew what he dealt with.