Read Online Glasswrights' Progress by Mindy L Klasky - Free Book Online Page B

passing really did make her feel better, she reminded herself. Breathe deeply. Again. They would gain the shore eventually.
    Rani forced herself to watch the ocean-water split open by the boat’s prow. The craft created an ever-changing wake, a constantly emerging pattern that Rani could never hope to capture in the stained glass that had been her work, that remained her dream. The sea leaped and swirled like billows of white lace, like the fine garments of the delicate wardrobe that Rani had eschewed in King Halaravilli’s court.
    Squinting into the froth, Rani could make out dark shapes that skipped across the ship’s wake. At first, she could not decipher what she was seeing – there were only dark shadows against the white, white water. Then, Rani cried out in surprise.
    The shadows were fish!
    Almost against her will, Rani found herself smiling. The giant fish leaped over the boat’s wake, skipping on top of the water and then diving deep beneath the craft. The morning sun glistened on their sleek bodies, reflecting off their black and white flanks. When Rani leaned out over the prow, she could see that each fish had a long nose; each appeared to grin at his fellows as the creatures slipped through the boat’s feathery wake.
    â€œLook!” Rani exclaimed to Mair, but before the Touched girl could step up to the prow, Prince Bashanorandi strode forward, pushing his way to the point of the ship’s deck. Rani had long since stopped being startled when the prince materialized from nowhere on the ship. Besides, she was so taken with the playful beasts that she was willing to set aside her anger momentarily.
    â€œBashanorandi.” She nodded in greeting. Since the violence on the hillside, she had been careful to give Bashi his full name.
    Mair was not so forgiving, though. The Touched girl shifted her arm in its sling, wincing at the pain as the ship chopped its way through a particularly high wave. “Your Highness,” she gritted through set teeth. “Rai, I beg your pardon,” she said, pointedly turning her back on the prince. “I’m going below deck for a rest. The air is not as fresh up here as I had hoped.”
    Rani stared after her friend, her jaw loose as she watched Bashi register the insult. What was Mair thinking? How could she dare be so rude to Bashi when he commanded the troops that held them captive? Even as Rani admired Mair’s courage, she shook her head in despair. It would do no good to anger Bashi now. Not when he held the only key to their bonds. Not when he was the one who would decide if they would go forward into unknown lands or back to the comfort of the City.
    Prince Bashanorandi stared after the Touched girl with a look of true hatred in his eyes. “You’d do well to stay away from that one, Ranita Glasswright.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Rani exclaimed, momentarily forgetting that Bashi called her by her guild name out of mockery. “She’s my friend!”
    â€œShe’s no friend to anyone but herself. She’s Touched. You know they can’t be trusted.”
    â€œShe’s the only family I have, Bashanorandi.” Rani’s anger was stirred by the prince’s superior tone. “Surely you haven’t forgotten how difficult it is to live without family.”
    The jibe was a deep one. Rani had lost her family two years ago, but the fault had not been her own. Her brother had dragged her mother and father and all her siblings into the king’s dungeons, and not one had emerged alive. But that was different from Bashanorandi’s loss. Rani’s family had only been accused of being traitors. In truth, her family had been innocent victims.
    â€œI forget nothing, Ranita Glasswright.” Bashi managed to keep his tone steady, even casual, but Rani saw the pulse that beat strong in his throat.
    This time, Rani registered the cruel teasing of her guild name; she heard the