Read Storm Glass for Free Online

tended to agree with Kade. At least Raiden used Zitora’s title.
      “Tell us what’s been happening,” Zitora said.
      Raiden explained about the orbs shattering. “…when the energy is captured inside, the Stormdancer seals the orb with a rubber stopper and we transport the orb to one of our factories. But with these new orbs, as soon as they are sealed the energy bursts through them, sending shards of glass out with killer speed. We lost two Stormdancers.”
      The three glassblowers seemed to sink down into themselves. Their guilt and pain piercing them as lethally as the glass debris had penetrated the Stormdancers.
      “What is different with these orbs?” Zitora asked.
      “Nothing!” Roused from his misery, Nodin jumped to his feet. “We’ve been following Father’s methods exactly. Same recipe. Same temperature. Same equipment.”
      “How do you make them?” she asked.
      Nodin began a lecture on glassmaking. I stopped him after a few sentences.
      “Better to show me exactly what your father did to make the orbs,” I said.
      They led me outside and up the trail.
      “We make all the orbs before the two stormy seasons,” Nodin explained.
      Out in the sunlight, the tight curls of his short black hair shone. The three siblings all had the same color of hair. Indra had pulled her shoulder-length curls into a ponytail and Varun had twisted his longer hair into rows of braids tight against his head.
      “We’ll have to relight the fire,” Varun said.
      “You let it go out?” I asked in amazement. Getting the kiln heated to the proper temperature could take days.
      “We finished the orbs for the cooling season storms,” Indra snapped. “We were in the process of shutting it down until next year.”
      “Is there another kiln nearby?” I asked.
      Varun barked out a short laugh. “No. Nothing is nearby. We bring all our supplies when we arrive for the storm season.”
      “We’re wasting time.” Indra glanced out to sea. Her brothers copied her. They seemed to be scenting the wind, judging the air. “Not much time left before the big storms hit. Our expert wants to see how we make the orbs. Let’s get to work.”
      The kiln was housed in a large cave tucked behind a shale wall, protected from the wind and high water. A chimney had been drilled through the ceiling to vent the heat and smoke.
      The glassmakers moved as one, reminding me of my family. While the brothers shoveled white coal, Indra gathered driftwood from a stack. Wood was easier to light than coal, but once a hot fire burned, more coal would be added.
      Indra’s little jab at me hurt, but I didn’t want to stand there and do nothing. “Can I help?” I asked her.
      I translated her grunt for assent. I collected wood. When we had a pile, the brothers made a lattice of branches. Nodin pulled out flint. Interesting how none of the three could light the fire with magic. I couldn’t, either, but I had assumed a Stormdancer could. I glanced around. Kade wasn’t in sight.
      Zitora, though, hovered nearby with Raiden. She halted Nodin’s efforts. With the smallest of frowns, she lit the branches. When she looked away, the fire died down to a respectable burn.
      “Can you keep the fire hot?” I asked her.
      “How long?”
      “Long enough for the coals to ignite?”
      She nodded and once again the flames intensified.
      A purse of appreciation settled on Nodin’s lips. “One benefit to having a Master Magician around.”
      “And she’s good in a fight, too.” I winked at her.
      “Time to add the sand,” Indra said.
      The sand, soda ash and lime had been premixed and loaded onto a wheeled cart which had been parked in the back of the cave. Indra held a large metal bowl and a trowel. She paused before filling it. “How much?” she asked.
      “Enough for two orbs,” I said.
      She scooped sand. I grabbed a fistful of the mixture and carried