Now if she could just figure out how to use it to get out of her prison...
As if answering her thoughts, a small hole appeared in the ice, growing bit by bit as she stared at it with open-mouthed surprise.
Had she managed to create an escape with her magic simply by thinking about it?
But then she shook off the fanciful thought and paid closer attention to the faint shadows moving on the other side of the ice.
As the hole grew, it was easy to recognize the Mirror King, even before she saw his face.
Fear and fury warred for supremacy. She wanted to unleash her newly tamed power on him. She wanted to dive through the widening hole and run far and fast away from here. Away from him.
But she knew both options would be futile.
So Myra waited and hoarded her power. Biding her time and watching for an opening that offered some slim hope of escape.
She did, however, stand up. No matter what else happened, she would face the Mirror King on her feet.
Her righteous certainty, however, wavered when the Mirror King’s visage grinned at her through the growing hole in the ice.
Alone with the monster who'd haunted her nightmares, Myra fought for breath as fear choked her.
But she wasn't alone.
Sterling, Helena, even Theodoric. They may not be here with her, but she had no doubt they were coming. That they believed in her.
If she didn't believe in herself, didn't fight for herself this time, then she'd be letting them down.
Squaring her shoulders, Myra lifted her chin and confronted the Mirror King the second he stepped into the cell. Refusing to give him any more control.
"Why did you bring me here?" Myra demanded. "What do you want with me?"
"I thought it was obvious, my dear. I want to know why you're special. What it is about you that allowed the transformation to succeed. And then I'm going to use that knowledge over and over again until I have an army of drakes completely under my control."
The Mirror King walked forward as he spoke not stopping until he stood right in front of her. She wanted to run, to duck her head, to turn away. But she held her ground and kept her head high despite the fear and disgust twisting her stomach.
"And, of course, I'm a sentimentalist," he added, sounding sickeningly affectionate. "You are my first. When the time comes, you'll lead my unbeatable army against any who refuse to bow to my rule."
He reached out, stroking the back of his hand along her chin. Shuddering with disgust at his words as much as his touch, Myra jerked her head away, stumbling to the side. Out of his reach.
And consequently getting a clear view of the hole in the ice. He'd only brought one Troll with him. Underestimating her yet again. The Troll stood directly in front of the door in order to block any escape attempt.
Which was precisely where she needed it to be.
"Now, now, my dear. Don't be like that..." The Mirror King continued to chide her, but Myra was no longer listening.
This might be her only chance. Hoping the element of surprise would buy her a few extra seconds, she jumped past the Mirror King, breaking into a run the second her feet hit the floor.
"I'll never be your pawn," she snarled and unleashed the same wave of force she'd just been practicing.
The Troll went flying, landing hard enough to stun him. Myra didn't dare glance back as she rushed for the opening. She could only hope the Mirror King was in the same state.
As she set the first foot outside the prison, however, her whole body jerked to a stop.
"You don't really have a say in the matter, my dear," the Mirror King said as her body twisted and stepped back into the cell.
He remained untouched and unmoved exactly where she left him, looking no more than slightly miffed. Then he tilted his head, fingertips touching his icy crown and a smile curled his lips.
"It seems your friends are right on time. And I really want them to understand just how futile it is to stand in my way. Having you by my side while I test the Mirror on them one by one ought to make them realize the error of their ways."
He tapped his mouth thoughtfully, but his eyes glittered with a cruel light.
"I wonder what will happen to the wolf-shifter when the magic of the Mirror tries to change him? Perhaps that's what went wrong with the unfortunate chimeras."
Horror choked off the air in Myra's throat as she remembered the terrible things she'd heard of the chimera remains found on the mountain. The poor, mutated bodies left twisted and unrecognizable by the Mirror King's experiments.
She couldn't let that happen to Sterling.
Power rose up, a slippery wave of metallic ribbon. Myra couldn't hold onto it enough to free her body, but she managed to push furious words past her lips.
"No! I won't let you do that to them."
For just a second, the Mirror King looked as startled by her outburst as she was.
Then he scowled, hand curling into a claw. "That's enough of that from you."
An icy wind whipped through her and something dark and hard twisted in her mind. Swift and impenetrable, the hazy blankness overwhelmed her again. Leaving behind nothing but blind obedience.
The Mirror King studied her motionless, emotionless body before nodding in approval. Then he swept past her without looking back.
Myra's feet fell into step behind him.
He led her along twisting turning passages until they stepped inside the brightly lit Mirror Chamber.
Myra followed where Mirror King directed. Placing herself a few feet to the left of the Mirror, hands folded primly in front of her, eyes up and staring straight ahead at the arched cavern entrance.
Time was meaningless. She stood motionless and unblinking. Unthinking. Feeling nothing.
Eventually the empty stillness of the cavern was interrupted by four men and a woman rushing through the archway.
She heard the shouts flying around the cave, but it meant nothing to her.
Until green eyes locked on hers and the whisper of a name slipped beneath the ice.
Sterling.
With the name, a faint crack formed in the blankness surrounding her.
The memories of pain and anger, trust and conviction, hope and love began to seep through.
Slowly filling the emptiness that held her at bay.
Chapter Eighteen
THE SECOND STERLING rushed into the Mirror Cavern, his senses locked onto Myra. She stood like a statue near the Mirror.
Unmoving.
Her heartbeat was slow and even, as if she slept with her eyes open.
Even her scent lacked emotion, muted and blank and empty.
On the opposite side of the Mirror, the Mirror King stood smug and amused. Unfazed by the men and woman who had invaded the deepest reaches of his lair.
The strange wind of the cavern shifted slightly, whistling softly. And for a moment, the Mirror glowed. Knowing now what that meant, Sterling was glad they were far enough back not to be touched by the light.
Around Sterling, the others spread out in a loose formation. Jelverck and Kaile to his left. Theodoric his right. Helena protected behind the curved barrier of bodies they provided.
A tingle of magic sparked behind them as the Healer used a relic to seal the archway they'd come through. Just because they'd stepped into the Mirror King's trap, it didn't mean they had to play by his rules. With the only door into the cavern blocked, they didn't have to worry about watching their backs.
"Welcome, welcome." The Mirror King spread his arms wide in mockery, forcing Sterling to tear his eyes away from Myra. "So nice to have company. I was expecting you a little earlier to be honest."
"Let Myra go," Sterling growled, stepping forward, sword in his hand.
"Or what?" the Mirror King asked, sounding bored and barely interested. "Will you make me regret it? Make me pay? Please."
He waved his hand, fingers wiggling slightly, and spiky balls of i
ce exploded from the floor around Sterling's feet like an upside-down rain of hail. The projectiles hit him in a dozen places, his leathers protected him from the worse of it. He was bruised but not cut.
And from the bitter odor of wolfsbane now hanging in the air, he needed to be very careful to keep it that way.
Helena pushed through the wall of self-appointed bodyguards to check him over.
"It's fine," Sterling assured, trying to shift his body between the Healer and the Mirror King. "Nothing broke the skin. There's no danger."
"If it’s danger you want, it’s danger you'll get," the Mirror King sneered, rattling his bracelet of magic ominously. "I've just begun to play."
Helena wheeled around to face him, her feral snarl of fury shocking in its intensity.
"Play? Is that what this is to you? Just a game?"
The Mirror King froze, shocked by her unexpected anger. But he recovered quickly, flashing a taunting grin.
"Life is a game, my dear. If you're not playing to win, then you'll lose every time."
Theodoric tried to grab the Healer, to pull her back to safety, but she neatly sidestepped him and stalked closer to the Mirror King.
"Is it a game to steal children?" Helena demanded. "To traumatize them? To experiment on innocents? To leave families grieving and desperately wondering what happened to their loved one?"
"Sometimes a pawn or two need to be sacrificed to ensure victory," the Mirror King answered with a shrug.
"They're not pawns, you monster!" Angry tears slipped down her cheeks and she took another step closer. "Where are they? What happens to the ones who don't come home?"
A new, bleak fragrance of distress distracted Sterling from the Mirror King's answer. Because the scent came from Myra.
She still stared, unblinkingly straight ahead. But her pulse beat faster and a faint flicker of awareness dawned in her eyes.
She was fighting whatever compulsion the Mirror King had her under.
There wasn't a doubt in Sterling's mind she would win.
But only if the Mirror King stayed oblivious to her struggle.
So Sterling forced himself not to react. Not to show any hint of hope. Not to risk betraying her.
"Where's my brother?" Helena's demand shook through the room with raw pain that no one could have ignored. "What did you do to him? He was only a baby when he was Taken."
"Baby?" the Mirror King repeated with outrage, actually looking affronted by the accusation. "I didn't take any baby. Magic potential is too immature in anyone under seven to interact with the Mirror. A baby would be a waste of my time. The only reason I bother with children at all is because their magic is more malleable before they get set in their ways."
It surprised Sterling that there was no hint or suggestion of deception in the Mirror King's scent. But Helena was far too lost in her rage and her grief to believe him. And Sterling missed the chain of a relic held in her clenched fist until she raised it in the air and whispered a single word.
Ozone filled the cavern, and a dozen bolts of lightning struck the ground all around the Mirror King.
The raw power forced Sterling back a step or two, blinking afterimages from his eyes.
But the Mirror King remained where he'd stood. Untouched. Unsinged. Unharmed.
All amusement fled from his expression, replaced by a mask of twisted madness as he stormed toward Helena with murderous intent.
Sterling started to rush forward, but knew he was too far away to defend her.
They all were.
Until a sharp crack echoed from the walls and Kaile's platinum-furred wolf form leapt in front of Helena with teeth bared.
The Mirror King reared back and stopped abruptly, just beyond reach of claw or fang.
"You know what, my dear? I think perhaps you're right, after all. Playtime is over." He flicked his hand carelessly and a grinding noise filled the cavern.
Ground trembling under his feet, Sterling braced himself and searched for the coming danger.
At first, he found nothing that should make the Mirror King look so smug and self-satisfied. Nothing to explain the world shaking around them.
Then he noticed a seam appear in the rock wall halfway around the cavern. As he watched, it widened slowly to show glimpses of white fur and muscle packed in behind it and eager for a fight.
Kaile herded Helena back until she was settled behind Theodoric and Jelverck with the shield on the archway shimmering at her back. Then the wolf set himself for the battle.
The first Troll rushed out as soon as the opening was wide enough to squeeze through. Understanding how quickly the situation was spinning out of control, Sterling turned to lock eyes with Helena urgently. "Try to break the crown. As long as he has control of the Trolls, he has the advantage."
"I don't think any of the magic artifacts I brought are strong enough," she admitted, dropping her eyes.
"Do your best," he asked grimly, then straightened to face the oncoming enemy.
But the sword in his hand felt unwieldy. And the last time he'd fought in this cavern, his blade had been all but useless against the Trolls.
Sheathing his weapon, Sterling followed Kaile's lead and let the wolf take over. Then he dove at the nearest Troll, razor-sharp teeth bared and claws finding their target.
***
Myra dripped back into herself, bit by bit as the fight unfolded in front of her.
The attacking Trolls backed Sterling and the others up against the archway of the Mirror Chamber. The coruscating shield magic stretched across the opening both protecting and trapping the group.
Theodoric and Jelverck stood shoulder to shoulder, creating an impenetrable wall in front of Helena. Protected, the Healer unleashed the magic of relics and spells one after another. Hurting, distracting, and confusing the Trolls enough to keep them off balance and give the others enough room to fight.
The wolves, streaks of light and dark silver, darted in and out of the heavier, bulkier Troll bodies.
But it was Sterling's iron-gray form that captivated Myra. He'd been relaxed and soft the last time she'd seen it. Comfortable and comforting in the quiet security of her snow-bound cottage.
In motion, he was awe-inspiring beauty. A mesmerizing mix of ferocious grace and lethal strength. Twisting and leaping, ducking and fighting. He moved with precision and deadly intent while avoiding every swipe and stomp aimed his way.
Myra's attention remained riveted on his every move. Until a blue-marked Troll grazed sticky, poisoned tipped claws over Sterling, ruffling his fur and barely missing the skin beneath. Reminding her of the damage he'd endured from wolfsbane before.
This time, though, Myra was stuck.
Unable to move. Unable to do a single thing to help Sterling.
But she was able to think.
And she refused to stop fighting the Mirror King's hold on her.
Myra forced her focus inward, struggling to regain control of her body. She reached for the metallic stream of power inside of her, straining towards it until she brushed against the cool taste of magic.
And when her foot shifted an inch, a swell of pride and hope and confidence swept through her. After a lifetime spent hiding, certain she couldn't protect herself, it was exhilarating to find she had the power to change her own destiny.
She stretched out again, more determined than ever to fight her way free. This time, the magic seemed to reach for Myra in return. Power flared through her until her second foot shifted, following the path of the first before the connection faded. Resolutely, she reached again.
Each attempt was slightly easier than the one before. Certainty and growing confidence pushed her closer and closer until she felt like she stood on the precipice. Ready to dive in and let her magic flood through her.
"Helena!"
Theodoric's surprised cry jerked Myra's attention from her fight, terrified and expecting to see the Healer falling beneath enemy hands.
/> But Helena still stood tall and strong behind Jelverck and Theodoric.
Only, Myra had never seen her like this. Head thrown back, a musical chant streaming from her lips, she held a dagger in front of her with one hand. And the other hand was wrapped tightly around the blade. Dark red drops of blood slipped out of her grip as the mantra swelled to a crescendo.
The final note still echoed in the cavern when a ball of white-hot fire burst to life. It cut through the air with a scorching whistle, aimed unerringly at the Mirror King.
He stepped to the side and raised his bracelet, but this time his magic didn't protect the Mirror King. His evasion, however, aided him slightly as the fireball hit his head with a glancing blow.
For a moment, blue-white flames wreathed the Mirror King's crown. Another flick of his wrist snuffed them out with a fine layer of frost.
"Please," the Mirror King laughed. "Your pitiful magic is no match for—"
A loud pop reverberated through the cavern and cut off his gloating cackle. The entire room stopped moving to stare as his crown split in two and started to tumble off his head.
With a cry, the Mirror King's fingers flew to the coronet, both hands desperately trying to keep it in place.
Like a child holding onto its bonnet in the gusting winds of spring.
Still struggling with the fractured crown, the Mirror King began to scream nearly incoherent orders.
Because, while some Trolls had resumed fighting, many broke ranks and fled out of the Mirror Chamber's secret passage.
The Mirror King's hold on them as broken as his useless crown.
And a few turned their backs on the fight to stalk towards their former master with hatred and vengeance burning in their eyes.
The Mirror King screamed again as they closed in on him, gesturing wildly with one hand until a shield sprang up around him. The other hand still desperately tried to hold together the crown.
With his attention fractured in so many directions, Myra forced her own focus back to freeing herself and redoubled her efforts.
Myra pulled in every bit of magic she could grasp, prying at the layer of nothingness that besieged her mind. Until something snapped inside of her, like a chain breaking free and falling uselessly to her feet.
The Snow Wolf (Wolves Ever After Book 1) Page 13
