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A Shattered Chalice	By : lucivaryaslana Category: A through F > The Black Jewel Trilogy Views: 1613 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Black Jewel Trilogy book series. They are the property of Anne Bishop. I do not make any money from this story .

Chapter List
- 1-A Shattered Chalice
- 2-Chapter One
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- 2
“Damn and blast” Tersa swore as she looked at the tangled remains of her web. She had no idea what had gone wrong with the weaving but she knew it shouldn’t have happened.

“I’ve warned you before Tersa what will happen if you rush things. Overconfidence is a vanity that we in the Hourglass cannot afford”

Tersa looked up from her web at her tutor Amelie, startled by the sudden interjection. Trying to look contrite, Tersa tried to bite her tongue against the rebuke.

“Yes Lady Amelie” she managed to say.

“Start the web again and this time try and pay attention” Amelie said exasperated at Tersa’s lack of attention “Surely you can put Alexander out of your mind for that long?”

Without waiting for an answer, Amelie turned away to another student who was still struggling with the very basics of constructing a web. Tersa bowed her head, trying to hide the insidious warmth creeping across her cheeks.

‘How can she say I wasn’t paying attention? I was!’

Beginning her web again, Tersa silently continued to rail against Amelie’s words.

‘She knows I’m the best they’ve had in centuries, she knows I wouldn’t make a simple mistake’

Looking up again, Tersa caught a small, malevolent smile playing across Alia’s face at the table across from her and knew what had gone wrong. Tersa sighed softly to herself. Sometimes you just couldn’t win no matter how much you tried to be nice to other people. She would be more than thankful when this lesson ended, at least then she could get away from that little sneak who seemed determined to do anything she could to get back at Tersa.

It seemed like an age had passed by the time Tersa had reconstructed her web and this time, just in case, she had placed a shield around it so that Alia couldn’t ruin it again. Smiling like a cat that got the cream, Tersa respectfully raised her hand to catch Amelie’s attention.

“Yes Tersa?” Amelie asked when she finally noticed Tersa’s hand.

“I’ve finished the web Lady Amelie”

Amelie walked around the table and began to inspect Tersa’s web, occasionally prodding a strand here and there and making occasional noises of approval as she did so.

“Not bad. Not bad at all” Amelie said when she had finished her inspection. “However, you should take a little more care when you hook the strands to the frame, a couple seem to be loose and I know you are more careful than that”

Tersa, despite the small criticism, smiled a little at the fact that her web had held up to inspection.

“Yes Lady Amelie” Tersa said trying to sound humble. It didn’t wash with Amelie who knew her wayward student all too well.

“You are dismissed for tonight Tersa" Lady Amelie said with an exasperated snort "But I expect you to read chapter seven of Hogarth’s Treatises by next week”

Tersa, elated by the chance to get away before the other girls, curtseyed to Amelie.

“Yes Lady Amelie” She said before gathering her things and leaving the workroom as fast as she could without seeming rude.

Stepping into the cool night air, Tersa was relieved that she wouldn’t have to face listening to Alia’s snide remarks as she stood with her friends. Tersa wasn’t a spiteful girl but there were times that she wished she was because darkness knew, Alia deserved payback if anybody did.

Pulling the neck of her cloak tighter to keep the chill out, Tersa turned away from the studio that housed the workroom for Hourglass apprentices and began to walk home.

****************

“BOO!!”

Tersa shrieked and immediately erected a shield before making a brilliant ball of witchlight.

“Who’s there?!” she shouted, ready to attack anything that so much as breathed in her direction. Stepping out from behind a tree, Alexander bowed his head and looked at her through his lashes.

“I’m sorry Tersa, I didn’t mean to scare you” he said

Tersa, more annoyed now than scared, shouted at him.

“What on earth was going through that mind of yours? Jumping out at people at night? I could’ve killed you, you ninny”

“I said I’m sorry” he mumbled, his face assuming a hangdog expression, “I didn’t realise you wouldn’t sense me.”

It was Tersa’s turn to colour up.

“I…I had other things on my mind” she stuttered

Alexander, in spite of himself, smiled at her with a leer.

“Anything interesting?” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Tersa laughed at him. “Not you if that’s what you’re thinking. Come on, you may as well walk me the rest of the way home now that you’re here”.

Linking her arm in his, they continued the walk to Tersa’s house. They walked in amiable silence a ways while Tersa gave him sideways glances. Alexander really was a handsome man all things considered. Dark brown hair, swept away from his face by the wind made him look a little wild, but then, that appealed to her and his beautiful green eyes were always dancing with laughter regardless of how grave a situation could be. The only thing that marred his appearance a little was a broken nose, a token from a schoolyard fight, but to Tersa, it made him look a little more rugged and enhanced his overall attractiveness.

“Darkness to Tersa…..Come in Tersa” Alexander said, waving his hand in front of her face.

She jumped back a little to avoid the hand. “What?”

“I said, would you like to go shopping again next week?” Alexander tried to stifle his laughter at her surprised expression.

“You still want to go shopping with me? After last time?”

Alexander put on his proudest expression. “I don’t care what you say, those bags were not too heavy. I could’ve carried those and more!” he boasted.

Tersa’s eyes narrowed as she struggled not to laugh. “Really? So red is the new fashion among Warlords is it? Or how about that wonderful shade of purple?”

“Ok I give in!” he laughed “They were a little heavy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to go shopping with you again”

Tersa smiled at him. “Alright then” she said “If you think you can handle it, I’d like to go shopping the day after tomorrow, I heard that there are some wonderful new dresses at Cynthia’s”

Having reached Tersa’s house, Alexander turned with a small groan.

“Cynthia’s? Again? You know if we go there all the shop assistants will stare again”

Tersa tried not to laugh but failed. “B…but you know you love all those simpering airheads paying attention to you” she managed to get out before laughter got the better of her.

“Humph!” he grumped “Maybe I should take you back to my favourite shop. Maybe we might bump into that fluttering little man who couldn’t get enough of your oh so graceful presence”

That shut Tersa up.

“Alright then, not Cynthia’s but that doesn’t mean you get out of carrying those bags!”

“It’s a date then” Alexander said before taking his leave of Tersa who spent the rest of the night smiling to herself as she pottered around her house.
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A Shattered Chalice