Spy Glass Read online

  Praise for New York Times bestselling author

  Maria V. Snyder

  “This is one of those rare books that

  will keep readers dreaming long after they’ve read it.”

  — Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Poison Study

  “The rare sequel to live up to the promise of its predecessor,

  Magic Study is a wonderful combination of romance and fantasy.”

  — Audible.com Editor’s Pick: Best of 2006, Romance

  “Snyder delivers another excellent adventure,

  deftly balancing international and local hostilities

  against Yelena’s personal struggles.”

  — Publishers Weekly on Fire Study

  “With new magic and new people introduced in Storm Glass,

  Ms. Snyder has a fertile new landscape to mine for us.

  I cannot wait.”

  — Fallen Angel Reviews, a Recommended Read

  “A compelling new fantasy series.”

  — SFX magazine on Sea Glass

  “Inside Out surprised and touched me on so many levels.

  It’s a wonderful, thoughtful book full of vivid characters

  and a place—Inside—that is by turns alien

  and heartbreakingly familiar. Maria V. Snyder

  is one of my favorite authors, and she’s done it again!”

  — New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine

  Also by

  New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder

  POISON STUDY

  MAGIC STUDY

  FIRE STUDY

  STORM GLASS

  SEA GLASS

  SPY GLASS

  and from

  Harlequin Teen

  INSIDE OUT

  ®

  For Bob Mecoy, agent extraordinaire.

  Without your encouragement and frequent feedback

  on this one, it never would have been fi nished.

  Crouching in the darkness of the closet, I stilled as footsteps approached. My instincts screamed to run. I stared

  at the thin ribbon of light under the door, shadows of shoes

  paused. I silently urged them to walk away. All I wanted was

  one day of peace. One day. The knob turned. No luck. With

  a whoosh of fresh air, my hiding spot was exposed.

  “For sand’s sake, Opal, what are you doing in there?” my

  mother asked.

  I suppressed a sigh. The truth—hiding from her—wouldn’t

  help. “Looking for my boots?”

  Her scowl deepened as she pushed back a lock of graying

  hair. “They’re on your feet.”

  I straightened. “Oh…yes…well.”

  “Come. There are a thousand things we need to do, and

  you’re wasting time.” She shooed me through my room and

  downstairs to the kitchen. “Sit and read me the guest list while I cook lunch.”

  My gaze swept the long wooden table filled with paper,

  swatches of fabric, lace, sequins, sewing patterns and half-

  completed decorations—enough clutter to force us to eat in

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  Maria V. Snyder

  our formal dining room. I cursed my sister Mara under my

  breath. Before returning to work at the Magician’s Keep’s glass shop, Mara had asked our mother to plan her and Leif ’s wedding, trusting her with everything. Smart girl. She remained

  a safe five-day journey away from Mother’s all-consuming

  new passion.

  When I failed to sit at the table, she stabbed a spoon at the

  chair. “Guest list, Opal.”

  “You’ve been over it a hundred times.”

  “I want to be certain—”

  “You haven’t missed anyone. It’s perfect. Stop worrying.”

  She dried her hands on her apron. The stained white fabric

  covered her chest and long skirt. “Do you have something

  better to do? Did I interrupt your moping time?”

  “I’m not moping.” My voice whined. Not a good sign.

  “Resting, recuperating, moping, it’s all the same.” She

  hauled a kettle filled with water over to the glowing coals in

  the hearth.

  “No it isn’t. A lot has happened—”

  She pished at me. My own mother!

  “Stop wallowing in the past. What’s done is done. Focus

  on the future. We only have one hundred and fifty-three

  days until the wedding! Then it’s only a matter of time for

  grandchildren and maybe you and Kade…?”

  Yanking the chair out with a loud scrape, I plopped on it.

  I snatched the list from the pile and read names aloud as my

  mother continued to bustle about the kitchen. She had men-

  tioned Kade almost every day since I’d arrived. Sixty-three

  days of missing him, dodging her questions and being drafted

  to help with preparations for an event two and a half seasons

  away. How could one woman be so irritating? For a second I

  wished for another family. A sensible one without all this…

  stuff, like the Bloodrose Clan, living in austere isolation.

  “Opal, stop making that face.”

  I glanced over the list, but her back was to me. Long strands

  Spy Glass

  11

  of hair had sprung from the knot she had tied this morning.

  She rolled dough with quick efficiency.

  “How did you know?”

  “I’m your mother. I see all. Hear all. Know all.”

  I laughed. “If that’s true, then why do you ask me so many

  questions?” Ha. Got her!

  Her hands stilled. She turned to me. “Because you need to hear the answers.”

  My father’s arrival saved me from a retort I didn’t have. He

  filled the room with his large frame. Even though most of his

  short hair had turned gray, he still looked young. My brother,

  Ahir, bounded in behind him. A mirror image of our father

  except Ahir’s thick black hair brushed his shoulders.

  “Hey, mop top,” I said to Ahir.

  “What’s up, peanut?” He smirked.

  I used to tower over him, but now he was six inches taller

  than my own five-foot-seven-inch height.

  Before I could throw another insult at him, he handed me

  an aqua-green glass vase. “New recipe. Look at the clarity.

  Sharp.”

  I examined the glass in the sunlight. The cold crystal felt

  dead in my hands. No throb of potential. No song vibrated

  in my chest. Nothing. My glass magic was gone. Although

  painfully aware of my loss, a small part of me hoped to feel

  a spark every time I touched glass…only to be disappointed

  each time.

  “Working with this melt is pure joy,” Ahir said. “Let’s go

  over to the factory, I’ll gather a slug for you to try.”

  I gave him a tight smile, letting him know I saw through his

  blatant attempt to interest me in creating with glass again. But no magic equaled no passion. Before Yelena had uncovered my

  abilities, I hadn’t known about the magic. It had been masked

  by my desire to create. Now, the inert lump in my hand was

  just another reminder of my useless existence.

  “I think I’ll go for a ride instead.” Returning the vase to

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  Maria V. Snyder

  Ahir, I left the kitchen. My mother’s protests about missing

  lunch fol
lowed me to the shed.

  My family owned an eight-kiln glass factory, not horses.

  However, when I decided to stay for a while, my father cleaned

  out the shed, converting it into a temporary stable for Quartz.

  The small enclosure had room to hang my tack and saddle,

  and to give Quartz shelter from bad weather. Being a Sandseed

  horse, she preferred to graze in the Avibian Plains bordering

  our land.

  No one would dare bother a Sandseed horse in the plains.

  I scanned the tall grasses. They swayed with the wind. The

  reds, yellows and oranges of the cooling season had faded into

  the gray and brown dullness of the cold season. I shivered,

  thinking of the miserable weather yet to come. Believe it

  or not, I had been anticipating this time of year. The fierce

  storms on the coast had abated. Kade planned to spend a few

  weeks with me, until the Commander of Ixia had invited him

  to demonstrate his Stormdancing powers, taming the killer

  blizzards blowing from the Northern Ice Sheet.

  Kade had invited me along, except I hated the cold and

  would rather not be anywhere near the ice sheet. Plus what

  would I do there? I would have no job other than keeping

  Kade’s bed warm. Well… That wouldn’t be a chore at all. I

  smiled, but sobered. Despite my mother’s intentions, my one

  reason for being home wasn’t to help with Mara and Leif ’s

  wedding. I needed to make a decision.

  Unease twisted. My bad decisions outweighed my good

  ones by two to one. I had a thirty-three percent chance of

  getting it right. Dismissing those useless thoughts, I stepped

  into the plains to search for Quartz.

  After I traveled a hundred feet, magic pressed on my skin

  as if I pushed against a giant sponge. I waited for the pressure to dissipate as the protection determined I wasn’t a threat. It was usually suicidal to walk into the plains without permission from the Sandseed Clan. Their defensive magic would

  Spy Glass

  13

  confuse me, sending me into a panic, convinced I was lost.

  This time, my new immunity blocked the Sandseed’s magic. I

  could sense it, but it registered my presence as a magical void.

  Nice perks, yet…

  Without my glass magic, I felt as if a chunk of my soul had

  been sliced off. I had no regrets over my actions, sacrificing

  my powers had been the right choice. So if I wasn’t moping,

  then why the ache? Why did I feel trapped in the shadow

  world?

  All maudlin thoughts vanished when Quartz trotted into

  view. Considered a painted mare, her coat was a patchwork of

  white and auburn colors. The darker color covered her face,

  except for a white star between her soft brown eyes. Forgo-

  ing a saddle and bridle, I hopped onto her back and left my

  worries and Mother’s wedding plans far behind.

  Sitting in the living area later that evening, I addressed en-

  velopes. My mother had appealed to my ego by complimenting

  my handwriting and had bribed my stomach by baking my

  favorite pie—black raspberry.

  Warmth and light pulsed from the fireplace. I felt better

  after my ride with Quartz. Mother sat in her favorite chair,

  sewing Mara’s veil. Ahir sprawled on the f loor, snoring, and

  Father worked on bills. A true moment of family peace. And

  like all such moments, it was too good to stay true for long.

  A knock on our door broke the silence. Mother glanced at

  me in confusion, then brightened. “It’s the printer! He said

  he might be done with the invitations tonight, and I told him

  to bring them over right away.”

  Silk and lace filled her lap. Before she could untangle her-

  self, I offered to answer the door. I suppressed a sigh. If the invitations were indeed here, I would have to stuff them into

  the envelopes, sealing them with wax. A tiresome chore.

  I glanced through the peephole. Shadows covered the face

  of a man holding a bottle. Not the printer. He must be the

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  Maria V. Snyder

  local winemaker Mother commissioned to distill the special

  wedding wine. She spared no expense, and, for that, I was

  glad.

  When I had sacrificed my magic, the power had trans-

  formed into diamonds. The Sitian Council had returned them

  all to me, and I had plenty of money to pay for all the wedding expenses—my gift to Mara and Leif.

  I opened the door and froze in terror.

  Valek, the Commander of Ixia’s personal assassin, waited

  outside. Only one reason for Valek to be here.

  “Hello, Opal. Sorry for the surprise visit. Is this a bad time?”

  he asked with a pleasant tone and quizzical smile.

  It was always a bad time to die.

  I gaped at Valek. He stood on our front step within killing distance.

  “Opal.” My mother’s voice cut through my panic. “Don’t

  stand there like a simpleton. Invite your guest in.”

  I stuttered a few words and backed up with numb legs. His

  smile widened as my mother approached. The need to warn

  her lodged under my ribs. My body’s functions had discon-

  nected, scattering my thoughts.

  “You must be Opal’s mother,” Valek said. He shook her

  hand. “Your cooking skills are legendary, Mrs. Cowan. I

  wouldn’t be surprised if the Commander invites you to cook

  for him in Ixia.”

  The wrinkles on her face disappeared as she blushed, eras-

  ing years of worry and stress. “Please, call me Vyncenza,

  Mr…?”

  “Valek.” His name erupted from my mouth. “What are you

  doing here?”

  “Opal, don’t be rude.”

  “Mother, this is Valek.” I gestured. “The Comman-

  der’s—”

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  Maria V. Snyder

  “Security Chief,” he said. “And this is one of our finest

  vintages of Ixian Ice Wine.” He presented the bottle to my

  mother.

  “Thank you. This is my husband, Jaymes.”

  My father shook his hand. Ahir woke and jumped to his feet.

  He grinned at Valek in awe as he pumped his arm. The whole

  surreal scene swirled in front of my eyes like snowf lakes.

  “But, Mother. Valek is—”

  “Practically family. Come in. Come in. You must be

  hungry. Jaymes, open that cognac your brother sent us. Ahir,

  fetch our good glasses.” She escorted Valek to the couch and

  hustled off to the kitchen as Ahir and my father hurried to

  complete their tasks.

  Valek caught me staring. He smiled. “Relax, Opal. I’m not

  here on official duty.”

  My heart resumed beating. “Then why are you here?”

  “Since I’m practically family, I thought I should meet your

  parents.”

  A stretch of truth only my mother could believe. Valek was

  Yelena’s heart mate, and Yelena was Leif ’s sister; ergo, once

  Leif married Mara, Leif ’s family, including Valek, would be

  part of ours.

  “What’s

  the

  real reason?” I asked.

  “Later,” he said as my mother burst into the room carrying

  a tray loaded with food.

  My fa
ther poured drinks and everyone settled in for a cozy

  chat. I listened to the small talk in amazement. Valek’s infa-

  mous reputation didn’t seem to bother anyone but me. And I

  should know better. Why would the Commander order my

  assassination when it was well-known my glass magic was

  gone? Unless he knew about my immunity? Only one other

  person in the world could make the same claim. And he sat

  next to me, sipping my uncle’s cognac.

  But Yelena had promised not to tell anyone about my pro-

  tection. Besides Kade, Zitora and Leif, no one else knew. Not

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  17

  my parents or siblings or friends. Not Valek. I trusted Yelena.

  Then why was he here? No idea. I would have to wait.

  An eternity later, my mother finally stopped offering Valek

  our guest room when he promised to return the next day to

  tour the factory. I escorted him outside and down the lane to

  the gate.

  “Spill,” I ordered.

  Amusement f lashed in his blue eyes as a smile quirked,

  softening the sharp features of his face. His pale skin almost

  glowed in the moonlight, an obvious contrast to the mostly

  darker-skinned Sitians, including me. Wearing a nondescript

  short gray cloak and black pants, he didn’t quite blend in, but he didn’t stand out, either. I gathered from his lack of disguise he wasn’t working undercover.

  Valek scanned the empty street before he answered. “Yelena

  sent me to help you.”

  “Help me with what?”

  “No idea. All she said was you needed help. Are you on a

  mission for the Council?”

  I laughed. “No. Unless you consider wedding planning an

  act of espionage.”

  “Hmm… My napkin folding skills are renowned. I can

  make a swan in seconds.”

  “Don’t tell my mother or you’ll be folding napkins for

  days.”

  “Days?” Valek’s left eyebrow rose.

  “The guest list is up to five hundred names with more being

  added hourly.”

  “Sounds like quite the party. However it’s not the reason

  Yelena sent me.”

  I suspected why, but wanted to make sure. “What were her

  exact words?”

  “She said, ‘Opal needs your help.’”

  “That’s

  it?”

  He

  nodded.

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  Maria V. Snyder

  “You’ve traveled all this way without asking her for more