Page 9 of The Study of Storms and Magic
He stopped Smoke on instinct, sensing the center of the storm heading directly for them. “This is the spot.”
Heli dismounted and strode away from them. If she accidentally overfilled an orb, it would shatter and kill her and anyone nearby. Zethan covered Thunder and Smoke with their blankets.
When all the horses were cared for, Annika and Endre approached him. “I understand now why spotting a snow cat in these conditions is impossible,” Endre said. “How much danger are we in from the predators?”
“Not much. They hunker down in their dens when a storm comes through,” Zethan said.
“How do they know a storm is coming?”
“I suspect they sense it. Probably like I do, but without the magic.”
Annika looked at him. “Do animals have magic?”
“The only animals known to use magic are the Sandseed bred horses. Their gust-of-wind gait is magical but can only be accessed in the Avibian Plains.”
In the distance, Heli pulled an orb and a large rubber stopper from her pack. She whistled, signaling she was ready.
“It’s go time.” Zethan tugged the storm’s center closer. The snow fell harder. It became difficult to see Heli through the white curtain. He held his hand up to his forehead to shield his eyes.
Heli cradled the orb with her left arm and raised her right hand, which held the stopper. A sphere of calm surrounded her, shielding her from the snow and wind.
“Is she stormdancing?” Annika asked him.
“Yes.”
Suddenly, the snowflakes around them parted, improving visibility. Confused, Zethan checked the storm. Had Heli harvested all of its energy already?
“Apparently, I can influence snowflakes,” Zo said. She held out her gloved hand, revealing a snowball. “Well, these ones as they’re pretty wet. I’m not sure about the ones that come in with the blizzards. They might be too frozen for me to manipulate.”
He glanced around. The four of them stood in a snow free bubble—the reverse of a snow globe. Their cloaks wouldn’t get soaked. Zethan swirled his finger in the air. “Is this you?”
“Yes. And it’s not that draining.”
“Sweet. Itoldyou that coming along was a good idea.”
She hit him with her snowball.
“Game on!” He scooped up a handful of snow. They relived their childhood. Squealing, ducking, and running, they enjoyed an epic snowball fight that Endre and Annika couldn’t help but join.
Even while dodging the various white missiles—no fair Zo had dead accurate aim—Zethan monitored the storm. After Heli filled a third orb, he called a truce and whistled. If she took too much energy the storm would dissipate. While snow was a nuisance, it brought fresh water to the northern Military Districts of Ixia.
Heli joined them. “What do you think about stormdancing?” she asked Annika.
“Frankly, it didn’t look like you or Zethan did anything. Zohav kept the snowflakes off of us.”
Heli reached into her pack and withdrew a filled orb. She showed it to Annika and Endre. Iridescent energy swirled inside. “What about now?”
Fascinated, they stared at the mini maelstrom trapped in the glass sphere. Colors twirled and twisted, and waves ofluminescence crashed. Bubbles grew and popped as if the energy inside had come to a roiling boil.
“Wow,” Endre said. His voice a bare whisper of awe. “No wonder you’re so careful with the orbs.”
“It’s difficult to believe that the power of the storm can be captured and collected inside a small glass container,” Annika said.
“Without magic, it would be impossible,” Heli said. She tucked the orb back into her pack. “I use magic to harvest the energy, and Helen, our glassblower, uses a secret sand recipe for the glass, which is stronger than it looks. We treat it as if it were delicate in order not to become complacent.”
“And Zethan?”
“He directs the storms so we can easily reach them.” Heli met his gaze. “He’s been a game changer. We’ve collected more energy each storm season than we’ve ever had before.”
