The explosion woke Damien from a deep sleep. He groaned and rolled over on his cot. Admiral McAllen had been kind enough to offer Damien a bunk for the duration of his stay. A faint glimmer of sunlight filtered through the barrack’s windows.

She was getting an early start again today. For the past two days his master had spent from sunup to sundown on a small island half a mile out in the bay with Master Shen and Sasha blasting those urns with everything they could muster.

Damien had offered to help yesterday. His soul force had fully recovered though his thoughts still swirled after going almost two days without sleep. The archmage had ordered him to rest. He’d shrugged and complied. If she wanted to blow off some steam blasting a pile of rocks and bird shit into gravel it was none of his business.

Unfortunately blowing off steam was all she was accomplishing. Those urns shrugged off everything the three sorcerers threw at them. When they’d returned last night, stooped over, soul force drained to almost nothing, Damien had caught a glimpse of the targets of their wrath. The black enamel hadn’t suffered so much as a scratch. He didn’t think blasting them would work, but one look at his master’s flat expression had convinced him of the wisdom of silence.

Damien dressed, picked up a sausage and biscuit sandwich at the mess hall, and headed outside. The brisk ocean breeze finished the job of waking him. He sighed. When they finally returned to the capital he’d miss the ocean breeze the most. Movement up on the fort wall caught his eye.

Salem was staring out over the ocean, her hair blowing. Poor girl. Not only had her sister abandoned her, she’d had to spend two hours alone with the archmage getting questioned. She hadn’t complained, not that it would have done any good. When the interview was over his master was satisfied that Salem didn’t pose a threat to the kingdom. As far as Damien knew she hadn’t spoken to Salem since.

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Damien flew up on the wall and landed beside her. “Morning. Did you have breakfast yet?”

She looked at him sideways through a veil of hair. “I wasn’t hungry.”

An explosion lit up the sky out by the island. Damien tore his sandwich in half. “Here. You should know I don’t share with just anyone.”

Salem smiled, accepted the biscuit, and took a bite. Another explosion echoed across the water. Further down on the docks a small crowd had gathered to watch the show.

“She’s certainly determined,” Salem said.

“I think stubborn is the word you’re looking for. I’m pretty sure it’s in the job description.”

She laughed softly, her heart not really in it. “You like her, your master?”

Damien swallowed the last of his sandwich and nodded. “She can be hard when necessary, but she has a kindness about her as well. I think we’re well matched. I hope she feels the same. At the very least she hasn’t complained about my efforts so far.”

“Our master wasn’t a kind man. He pushed us hard and punished the smallest failure. Maishi took the brunt of it, protecting me the best she could. I miss her so much.”

Damien put his arm around her. “I’m sorry.”

At noon the explosions stopped and the weary sorcerers flew back to the fort. Master Shen’s face was drawn and pale. Even his master and the high sorcerer looked done in. Damien met them in the courtyard with a pitcher of wine and glasses. Beside him Salem carried a platter of fried dumplings she swore were favorites in her village. She’d offered the first real smile since her sister flew off with David while they were cooking together.

Damien poured everyone a drink and Salem passed out the snacks. When everyone had drunk and eaten the archmage said, “We’re done. I can’t think of anything else to hit those thrice-damned urns with and the island’s smashed down to the waterline.”

“Where will we take them?” Damien asked.

“One’s going to The Tower, one to the vault under the castle, and the third I’m going to sink to the bottom of the ocean.”

“I can fly that one out while you guys are resting if you want,” Damien said.

“Apprentice, you read my mind. We’ll head out with the other two at first light.”