Glory Alley and the Star Riders (The Glory Alley Series) (41 page)

“
The Elboni
be
pure.
” White Feather
said.
“
Nobody, not even a Wybbil can
directly
endure its power and live. Ye be
ing
Tullahn makes it even worse because
the
Elboni
’s magic
does not dwell with
in you.
”

“It dwells with everyone,” Needle pointed out.

“Aye, but in varying degrees, with Tullahns it barely registers.”

“Nevertheless,
”
Needle
replied, “
s
he sensed
the stone’s
sacredness
.
Such innate knowledge
be
a gift.
Perhaps her world be moving closer to the power than
predicted
.”

“Have ye seen
the
wars, violence, hatred
,
and suffering that exists here
?
I
quake
to think of
the
magic unleashed
in such a place.
”

“Regardless, l
et’s give
the
Rock Collector
every chance to return
what
s
he has stolen
before it’s too late
.”

“Too late for
whom
—
for
her
?
” He swept his arm at Glory. “Who cares about one obstinate Tullahn? If she doesn’t
comes to her senses
it will be too late for
the millions of inhabits of Wybb
.”

“What do you mean?”
Glory asked.

“We already explained how removing
the
Elboni from its pedestal brings great danger to all magic-based worlds.”

“And I told you about the danger to my family. The authorities on Tull
a
h want to split us apart. Our only hope is magic.”

The Wybbils shook their heads. “We already explained
the
magic cannot be manipulated that way.”

“
But what i
f I
should happen
find
your rock?” Glory
asked
timidly. “Could you arrange to
pay me back with
a wish?”

The
Wybbil
s stopped and their spines seemed to stiffen.

“Careful,” Needle said
.
“Words matter
.
Do not use th
at
word lightly.”

“
Yo
u mean
wish
?”

“Shhh!
”
Bone held his hands to his ears. “Stop saying it.”

“That’s right
,
”
Needle s
aid.
“Use it carefully.”

“Why—is it a swear word where you come from?”

“Of course not
.
”

“
In that case
—
w
ish, magical favor
, request—just
give me what I want
and I’ll call it whatever you like.”

“
Quit saying it!
”
Bone spoke through clenched teeth
.
“
You’ve got to be the most stubborn creature this side of the universe.”

“And the other
side as well
,” added White Feather
.

“I know, I know.”

A fierce screech sounded from somewhere above
.
Pathetic squealing followed
.
The
Wybbil
s spun in place, looking up at the trees
.
Bone held his bone to the air
.

“Battan!” he said with a flick of his wrist.

A small explosion like a firecracker followed
. From
the end of the bone a pure white saber sailed upward, spinning as it came back down to land firmly into Bone’s waiting hand.

“Whoa!
”
Glory
gasped. “How’d you do that?”

“Shh!
”
Bone admonished, ears pricked to the wind. “It’s still up there
.
”

Glory
snickered
as
the other two Wybbils hid behind Bone who
was swishing his sword around glancing nervously at the branches overhead
.

Up until now
,
she
had seen them as threatening. Now they were the
ones feeling
threatened
. In this perspective she realized
that
they i
f they got s
cared over
wild animals
,
even though they had
the
magic,
they weren’t invincible. Perhaps they could even be hurt
or killed
.
Seeing them afraid was
strangely
reassuring
.

“Calm down fellas
.
”
She laughed.
“It’s just a
bird
and I’m pretty sure Wybbils aren’t on its menu.”

“Then let’s get moving,” Bone said, pushing
Glory
along.
“When ye’ve been where we’ve been, and seen what we’ve seen, ye learn to expect the unexpected at every corner.”

“Can you guys die?”

“Of course,” Needle said.

“But
our
lifespans
be
longer than yours.”

“How
much
long
er
?”

“Barring a terrible accident, we live
f
ive
thousand years, no more, no less.”

“Wow. That
is
a long time.” She
twisted around to gaze at the remarkable weapon gleaming under Needle’s light
.
“How’d you make that sword come out of
the
rib
like that?”

Bone held up the rib bone
.
“Th
e
Thunderbone
. Through it substance
can be
created or destroyed.”

Glory
gazed on it wonder. “
You
guys
really are
magic
—aren’t ya
?”

“
Mere conduits we be.
”
Bone replied.

“
Only one thing’s magic in this universe
,” Needle said. “A
nd that be
the
Elboni
.
”

“Aye,” the other two
Wybbil
s replied.

White Feather pushed h
er
forward a second time
.
Glory
started walking again, but kept h
er
eyes on the sword, which appeared to be made of
the same substance as the
bone
.

She slowed to gawk
at
it
.
Bone scolded
with
a brow
crinkle
, then tossed his saber in the air
.
I
t came down
making a sizzling noise accompanied by tiny puffs of smoke, appearing to evaporate into the atmosphere.
As
s
he walked past the spot
where
the sword
had
disappeared the air felt
extra
warm there
.

“Incredible.”

“Aye,” White Feather agreed without offering explanation.

The wind picked up, whipping her hair around. She searched her coat pockets for something to tie it back. The list of conditions she’d been working on brushed her fingertips. Better leave it be. Fingers went to another pocket where she found a rubber band. Practiced hands quickly tied back her hair into a single ponytail.
N
o
body talked for several minutes
and
Glory
’s
mind
ran
a marathon as
s
he tried to keep tabs on every piece of new information
.

*
Wish
was a word to be avoided
.

*
Only the
Elboni
was magic, but somehow Wybbils could use it
.