Xantha and Poppy ran down the steps, both in their gaudiest clothes, Poppy carrying a cape painted with peacock feathers. They waved goodbye to Keth and blew kisses to Glaki, who blew them back. For Tris Poppy had a scowl. Xantha only fluttered her fingers in a wave and called, long, Koria Respectability.

Tris watched them run out to the street. says that like its an insult,she commented.

her, it is. What lessons havent we done?demanded Keth.

Tris looked up at the sky. thought we might talk about lightning a bit.

Keth too looked up. The clouds were lower, fatter and the dark grey of thunderheads.

no,said Keth, turning pale. no. No, no, no, no.

Asked Glaki.

Keth told her. He gently removed Chime from the girls fingers, setting the dragon on the lip of the well. Then he swung Glaki up on to his shoulders as the child whooped with glee. To Tris he said again, To Glaki he said, s see Aunt Ferouze and find out whats for supper.He trotted Glaki to the door in the passageway to the street. Opening it, he called, Ive got Glaki. He looked at Tris, repeated, and disappeared inside.

CHAPTER NINE

By the time K eth left Ferouze, the sky was covered with heavy masses of fast-moving grey clouds. He had delayed going to his room as long as he could, first by helping the old woman to feed Glaki, then by telling the girl a story until she fell asleep. Only after that did he gather his courage and go out into the courtyard. There was no sign of Tris, Little Bear, or Chime. Keth knew he should be relieved that she was gone; instead he was puzzled. He was starting to get some idea of what she was like. She wasn t the sort to just go away.

He was also dissatisfied with himself. Why hadnt she made him face the storm? He thrust that idea clean out of his mind. It was just another of the bits of folly that had entered his thoughts after hed been struck by lightning. Instead he told himself that Tris had finally seen it was futile to argue with him.

With another wary look at the sky, Keth climbed the stair. It would pour at any time. Probably Tris had returned to Jumshidas to dance in it, or something. He hoped that the yaskedasi had found indoor work. This storm felt like a big one.

He slid his key into the lock on his door and turned it. The door was locked. Frowning, Keth turned the key in the opposite direction. The door opened. He didnt like that. Had he left the room un locked all day? Yali would never steal from him, but he didnt trust Poppy or the male yaskedasi who lived at Ferouzes. How could he be so stupid as to forget to lock up?

When he entered the room he found that hed also left the shutters open. He swore: i f it had rained in the day, his sketches for designs would have got soaked. Then he registered movement beside his door. It was the dog. Tris sat on his stool. A flash at the corner of his other eye drew his gaze to Chime, who sat atop the pile of his ske tches.

Found it open and you just walked in?he demanded. Somehow he was not as surprised to find her there as he should have been.

said Tris, smoothing out her skirts. breezes found the one with your magic in it, and I picked the lock.She held up a pair of hairpins.

Whatever he had expected her to say, that was not it. picked a lock.

Tris tucked the pins back into her braids. taught me. He said I had a gift for locks. Its high praise, coming from him. Not that your lock was much of a challenge.

Little Bear came over, wagging his tail. Keth scratched his ears. Bear. Good boy.To Tris, in a less affectionate tone, he said, let yourself in, let yourself out.

she replied as a gust rammed through the open window. on. Were going up to the roof.Chime gave off a high, singing note that rose and fell as sparks popped in her eyes.

Keth shivered. He could smell rain on the wind. told you, no. Just because theres a storm coming doesnt mean Im going to play in it.

Tris removed her spectacles and rubbed her nose. Im not asking you to play.Her voice was surprisingly gentle and reasonable. I need to show you something.

Dont need to be shown anything.Keth folded his arms over his chest. He hoped she couldnt see that he was shaking. in a storm, anyway.

you do.This time her voice was even gentler; that same kindness was in her level grey eyes. Now she scared him. She wasnt kind. as long as you fear lightning, youll fear your power. It doesn t have to be that way. Youre not the same fellow who got struck beside the Syth. I can prove it to you.

He shook his head stubbornly, though he couldnt have said what he was denying or refusing. Outside, the tiniest growl of thunder rolled through the greenish air. His skin rippled with gooseflesh.

Tris took a deep breath and tried again. youll learn magic, but only to the point where it starts to scare you. Is that it? How far will that get you? Magic doesnt respond to orders like this far and no further. The more you do, the better you get, so the more power you have. If you dont keep ahead of it if you dont learn how to release it safely it will find its own ways to come out. You really dont want that to happen.

Keth shook his head again, his heart thudding in his chest. What she said had the unpleasant feel of truth. For all her fiery temperament, she wasn t the dramatic sort who liked to exaggerate. She was irritating, but she was also forthright. And when she spoke of magic, somehow the things she said carried more weight than the pronouncements of his mage uncles. She was fourteen and difficult, but when it came to magic, she seemed as much a master of her craft as Niko or Jumshida, and even more than Dema.

Tris went to the window, turning her face up to the blast of the rising wind. The two thin braids she wore loose on either side of her head fluttered wildly.

Chime flew over to hover in front of Keth as she made a chinking sound. Once she got his attention, she flew to the door and back, as if in invitation. She wanted Keth to go outside.