Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle #1) - Jay Kristoff Page 0,130
key. Focusing on training. Leaving pettiness to the petty. Seemingly bored by Mia’s lack of spine, the redhead focused more of her attentions on Carlotta, who responded with her customary deadpan wit and dead-eyed stare.
Jessamine, however, wasn’t the only one who noticed Mia’s new resolve.
The mornlesson was Truths, but as Mia mooched into the hall with Ash and Lotti by her side, she noticed the great ironwood benches were pushed against the far walls, and much of the arkemical equipment had been stowed away. Spiderkiller stood in the room’s center, pouches of differing colors in her hands.
“Acolytes,” the Shahiid nodded. “Please gather behind me.”
The group obeyed, forming a semicircle at the Shahiid’s back.
“We have spent the last few months covering the creation of arkemical toxins, and the application thereof. But arkemy is not simply venomcraft, and it can assist you in your vocations as more than a simple tool of death.”
Spiderkiller reached into a black leather pouch, produced a small globe, no bigger than her thumbnail. It was perfectly smooth, buffed to a high gloss.
“Wyrdglass,” she explained. “Arkemical vapors, held in a solid state by a process of my own creation. A sharp physical jolt will disrupt this process, restoring the compound to its gaseous state, but unlike cruder vapor-based weaponry, wyrdglass leaves no trace. No shards or stoppers to know you were there. The glass itself is the compound.”
The Shahiid passed the globe around the assembled acolytes. It was heavier than Mia expected, cool to the touch.
“I have developed a number of varieties,” Spiderkiller offered. “The first is onyx.”
The Shahiid hurled a fistful of the black globes at the floor. They struck with a dozen tiny pops, and in a heartbeat, a thick cloud of swirling smoke was rising from the stone. It was oily, heavy as fog, and black as the night above the Sky Altar.
“Useful for diversions and conducting defensive maneuvers.”
Spiderkiller reached into another pouch, fished out three white wyrdglass globes and hurled them against the far wall. Again, the globes burst into a heavy smoke, sinking slowly to the floor. Mia found it hard to believe so much vapor could be condensed into something so small.
“Pearl for toxins. Most commonly sedatives such as Swoon, though I have crafted more lethal variants from aspira. And finally,” the Shahiid produced a globe of red wyrdglass, and flashed an uncharacteristic smile. “Ruby. A personal favorite.”
Spiderkiller hurled the globe at another wall, and with a crackling boom, a sphere of white-hot fire bloomed against the stone. The acolytes flinched, eyes wide, staring at the fist-sized chunk that had been taken out of the granite.
“Capable of perforating plate armor, and pulverizing the flesh within.”
Spiderkiller handed a bunch of the onyx wyrdglass globes to the acolytes, motioned at the far wall.
“Now. You try.”
Smiling to each other, the acolytes stepped up and began hurling the wyrdglass at the stone. Dozens of small pops rang out in the hall, black smoke rising at the far end of the room. Spiderkiller gave Hush and Tric a ruby globe each, black lips curling as bright explosions tore the air. Once the smoke cleared, the acolytes sat at their benches and Spiderkiller turned to the charboard, explaining wyrdglass’s basic properties.
Mia was furiously scribbling notes when Ash whispered in her ear.
“So. Question.”
“It’s not the one about where babes come from, is it?” Mia muttered. “Because I don’t think our friendship is ready for that.”
“Why are you eating Red’s shit?”
Mia paused in her scribbling, glanced up from her notes.
“I’m not eating anyone’s shit,” she whispered.
“She’s beating you like a training dummy in Songs. Yesterturn she near knocked you off your feet in the Sky Altar, and when she chewed at you, you just turned away.”
Mia looked across the hall to Jessamine, working alongside Diamo. The redhead flashed Mia a smile as toxic as anything Spiderkiller had yet brewed.
“It’s not like you, Corvere.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Bollocks.”
Mia glanced to Spiderkiller, who was still working at the charboard.
“She…”
Mia chewed her lip. Looked to Ashlinn. She didn’t like asking for help. Didn’t like needing anybody. But Ash was a decent sort, despite her habit of filching anything that wasn’t bolted to the floor. And it wasn’t like she was bleating to the Ministry about it …
“She stole the Trinity.”
Ash blinked in confusion.
“From Mouser’s hall,” Mia hissed. “The medallion that made me puke my guts up that turn he dressed as a priest.”
Ash raised one eyebrow. “You told me that was some bad herring, Corvere.”
“Aye, well, it was nice of you to pretend to believe me.”