And a mirror.
It is not a magical object, of course, simply a full-length looking glass set in an oval oak frame. I assume it is a reminder—a way for me to admire my transformed face and body.
He visits me, bringing little gifts—flowers from the garden, a book of poems, a delicate puff pastry, filled with raspberry cream.
I know what he is doing. I know what he wants.
What I want is not so clear.
“Varna, this is foolishness.” Sten stands behind me as I stare out the tower window.
I do not turn around. “No, it is not.”
He moves closer, until he can wrap his arms around me. “It makes no sense for you to remain here, so far from me, over a little misunderstanding.”
Although I long to melt into his arms, I stiffen my spine at his touch. “You wanted to imprison my sister and my friend. You have murdered innocents in the most horrible way possible, and not blinked an eye. You would destroy anyone who stood in the way of your ambitions, even me.”
“Not true.” He kisses the back of my neck. “I would never harm you.”
“Just everyone around me.”
“Does that matter so much?” He turns me around in his arms, until I am forced to face him. “We could leave now. Take the mirror and disappear. Create a new life, just you and me.”
“No.” I lean away from him. “I suppose you could force me to go with you, if you wished. Why not do so?”
He looks over my shoulder and stares at the scene displayed in the window.
I know what he sees. Troops are massing on the beach and the cliffs. In the forest, blue banners indicate the emperor’s camp, while ships sail along the horizon, one fleet preparing to face the other. Not yet engaged in battle, but soon.
“It would mean nothing if I forced you to go. If you insist on opposing me, we will stay here, whatever comes.”
“And die together?”
“If necessary.”
I sigh. “You need not do this. Take the mirror and go. I will stay. Perhaps my friends will secure my safety before it is too late.”
Sten takes my face in his hands. “You know I can’t do that. I chose you. Transformed you as a weapon in my war against Dulcia. Used you for my own purposes. Then learned your true worth. Now ... ”
I tilt my head and study his face. “Now?”
He shakes his head. “It is too late. I suspect you no longer care for me, not as you once might have, but I cannot abandon you.”
“You could burn down two villages and an Opera House, but abandoning me is beyond the pale?”
“Those were not things I wanted to do. I was forced by circumstances ... ”
“Nonsense.” I place my fingers against his lips. “We choose. I forgot that for a time, among other things. Now I’ve come back to my right mind, and I know we can always choose. Oh, it might mean bad things will happen to us—disapproval, disgrace, even death—but we have that power, Sten. To do what we know is right and best. No matter the consequences.”
He pulls me close and buries his face in my hair. “Please do not do this. We could have everything. Not just wealth and power, but all the things I’ve never known—companionship, joy, and even love.”
“Love?” I push him back, my palms pressed against his chest. “Are you saying you love me? Do you even know what that is?”
“I know how I feel.”
“That is desire, not love. If you loved me, you would allow me to leave this tower.”
Anger flashes in Sten’s eyes. “To run back to your village? To Erik Stahl?”
“If that is what made me happy, yes.”
He shakes his head. “It would not. I do not believe you know yourself as well as you think, Varna Lund.”
“You are in no position to determine that. What do you love, Sten Rask? This face and figure? The power you gave me? A woman you formed from a foolish girl? Because I think this transformation is what you love, if anything. Not me. Not the real Varna Lund, who’s merely a villager who wants to help others. A plain girl who dreams of alleviating suffering, not gowns and dances. An ordinary woman who only wants to live a life that matters.”
“I know you. I told Erik Stahl that, and I meant it.”
“You know a lie. This is not me. This is your creation. That is what you love.”
“No, it is you who are mistaken, my dear. You have allowed your self-doubt to cloud your mind.” Sten releases me and strides away. At the door, he turns, casting me one last look. “I do love you, the real you. What will it take for you to believe me, Varna?”
“A sacrifice,” I say, turning my head so I cannot see him leave.
AS THE DAYS PASS, NOTHING changes except the movement of troops outside my window. I don’t know what they are waiting for—what signal will cause the battle to erupt. I have no idea how long it will be before they swarm the castle, before one side or the other breaks through Sten’s protective spells.
I hope it will be our soldiers, but it will probably be the emperor’s troops, aided by his lover, the Lady Dulcia. I have prepared myself for that eventuality. The window in the tower is not wide enough for me to crawl through, but I study the stones and ancient mortar and know, if necessary, I can break it open. My wooden chair will do the trick. Of course, once that’s accomplished, the only thing I can do is jump to my death.
Still, it is a better option than placing my life in Lady Dulcia’s hands. I know this without a doubt.
Sten has not returned to the tower since our last conversation. I suppose he has given up on me. Perhaps he has already fled, leaving me to my fate. No, Varna, you know he’s still here. Waiting. You can sense it, despite the spell he’s cast to dampen your magic.
I lean against the stones surrounding the window and dangle one hand outside. It comforts me to feel the sun warm my hand and the air caress my fingers.
Dropping my hand, I encounter a bump. I look down. A green vine climbs over the sill and burrows its tendrils into the cracks between the stones.
I lean against the window and look down. A web of vines covers the tower, reaching from the foundation to my window. The vines interlace to form a living ladder.
There is only one person who could create such a thing. I scan the bottom of the tower, where it connects with the terrace, for any sign of Sephia.
I do spy a red head, but it is not the enchantress.
“Erik!” I press my face against the narrow opening.
He gazes up at me and raises a hand as he climbs the vines.
Oh, Erik, why are you here? Placing yourself in danger, once again, for me?
I know why. It breaks my heart, yet warms it at the same time.
I grab the chair and slam it against the window. Mortar flies in all directions. I hit the wall repeatedly, until I can pry a stone loose. I toss it to the floor and use my fingernails to dig out one stone, then another, and another.
My fingers bleed and it doesn’t matter. Not at all. Erik reaches the window, now open wide. I throw my arms around him and help him crawl into the tower.
We tumble onto the floor, still wrapped in each other’s arms.
“Well, hello, Varna.” He kisses me.
I allow the kiss, hoping it will ignite my own passion. But although it is enjoyable, it does not.
What is wrong with you, Varna? Erik is a handsome and intelligent young man, with an undeniable core of goodness. You’ve looked at him with desire before. What is different now?
I know, but will not admit it, not even to myself.
Erik pulls away from me. Lifting his body to a sitting position, he stares at me, his cheeks almost as bright as his hair. “Sorry, I’m just glad you are still alive, and safe, and ... Well, not still attached to that sorcerer, to tell you the truth.”
I sit up and face him. “No need to apologize. I’m actually quite flattered. But, happy reunions aside, don’t you think we’d better get out of here? I can’t vouch for our safety otherwise.”
Erik stands an
d helps me to my feet. “We must climb down. Do you still have on breeches under your skirt?”
“I doubt that’s important at this point.” I tuck up my skirts and my petticoat, exposing a bit of leg between my stockings and my pantaloons. “Are you going to be able to control yourself if you glimpse some skin?”
Erik’s eyes have gone very wide. “I think I can manage.”
“Good. Now, who descends first?”
“I do. So I can provide some support if you slip.”
“Or I can send both of us crashing onto the flagstones.” I take a deep breath. “All right, let’s make the attempt. Whatever happens, it is better than staying here.”
Erik nods and kisses my cheek before he climbs out the window.
Clinging to the vines, he makes his descent. I follow him, not looking down. Concentrating, I move hand over hand, my slippered feet feeling for the next sturdy rung of the vine ladder.
Erik reaches the terrace and drops down. “You must jump the last little bit.” He holds up his arms. “But I am right here.”
I release my grip, allowing my body to tumble into his arms. I know he won’t let me fall.
“About time.” Kai and Thyra walk out of the shadows.
Sephia steps up beside them. “We must act quickly. According to Erik, the mirror is just inside those doors. We need to gain entrance and destroy it, then leave before Rask is aware of our presence.”
I wobble slightly as Erik places me on my feet. He puts an arm around me and I lean against him. “Where are the others? And how did you get up here?” I look out over the terrace. “There’s no way up or down, unless one can fly.”
Sephia smiles. “Bae carried us, two at a time. He is waiting, hidden in the woods outside the front gates. As for Gerda and Anders, they are safe with some allies in a nearby village.”
“Luki watches over them,” Thyra says. “So they are well protected.”
“Good.” I glance up at Erik. “Sten is still here, somewhere. I can sense it.”
“All the more reason to move swiftly,” Sephia says, with a sharp look at me. “We cannot allow the mirror to fall into the hands of the emperor, or his concubine.”
The glass doors to the drawing room swing open. “I must correct you.” The Lady Dulcia strolls onto the terrace, holding her peacock fan against her breast. “I may be the emperor’s lover, but I am certainly no concubine.” She flicks open her fan and languidly waves it before her face.
In the drawing room, Sten thrusts the scepter at the mirror, and instead of breaking, the glass gives way, like water. Sten yanks the scepter free and crosses the terrace to stand behind Lady Dulcia. From the set of his jaw and the look in his eyes, I can tell he isn’t moving under his own volition.
“You should leave.” Sephia straightens to her full height.
“Or what? You will drown me in roses? No, I do not think you can stand against me. Against Sten, perhaps, but not me.”
Sten clutches the scepter. I wonder why he needs it, especially infused with the mirror’s magic. Perhaps he intends to burn us all to cinders, if his mentor demands it. I stare into his tortured eyes.
Fight her, Sten. Not just to save me and my friends, but also to save yourself. Break her hold on you, now and forever.
“My apprentice thought he could keep the mirror from me, but of course he was mistaken. Such a naughty boy, although he has his uses.” Dulcia slaps Sten on the arm with her fan. “Go, take out some of this country’s troops, would you, my pet?”
He shuffles to the edge of the terrace, his face a mask of agony.
“This is not necessary.” Thyra step forward to confront the sorceress. “Take the mirror and go. Do not kill innocent men to prove a point.”
“Innocent?” Lady Dulcia’s delicately arched eyebrows lift. “They are the enemy.”
Thyra stares her down. “They are my countrymen.”
“Which means you are my enemy as well. Be very careful, little girl, who you choose to confront. Besides, I know your story, Thyra Winther. I suppose you would wish me to carry off the mirror. Smashing it, as some of your friends are inclined to do, might kill you, yes?”
From the play of emotions on Thyra’s face, I can tell she wishes she still possessed all the powers of the Snow Queen. “That is of no consequence. I will shatter it with my own hands if necessary. I simply wish to prevent more needless deaths.”
“How noble of you, but”—Dulcia taps Thyra’s rigid arm with the fan—“I scarcely think you have any right to the moral high ground. I have it on good authority that, as the Snow Queen, you allowed at least one innocent to die.”
“That scarcely places us in the same circle of hell. Besides, I deeply regret my actions, while you seem to have no compunction about murdering any number of people. I suspect you forced Sten Rask to destroy the Opera House and those villages, just as you are controlling him now.”
“Why, yes. Because he is my creature. He must do as I say.” Dulcia tilts her head, studying Thyra for a moment. “You will not be killed by the mirror’s destruction, by the way. That much I know. So you need not fear. Yet, seeing such courage and resolve, perhaps I have overlooked a possible ally. I could use another apprentice, since Sten has failed me so miserably. Yes, perhaps you possess a will strong enough to help me wield the mirror. What do you say, Thyra Winther? You have tasted power before. Will you join me? Together we could achieve more than you ever dreamt of.”
Thyra’s eyes glitter like diamonds. “I would kill myself first.”
“If that is your answer, you must allow me that privilege.” Dulcia flings up her right arm, throwing Thyra and Kai to the ground.
Sephia rushes forward to kneel beside them. “You are insane.” Her eyes shoot daggers at the sorceress. “I will not battle you now, for fear of the harm that might befall my friends, but I promise I will find you one day, and make you pay for this.”
Lady Dulcia laughs. “I am terrified. Truly.” She swishes her fan and strolls over to Sten. “Now, my pet, you see those little figures in the green uniforms? The ones with the gold and emerald banners? Take out that regiment for me, would you?”
Sten raises the scepter above his head. Lowering his arm, he points it in the direction Dulcia indicates with her fan.
“No!” shouts Erik. I grab his arm and hold him back.
In the moment Sten flicks his wrist, I glimpse his slight correction. It’s a movement that buckles his knees and drops him onto the flagstones.
An arc of blue flame pierces the sky, soaring high before descending like a falling star. A terrible explosion rattles the woods, and fire and smoke obliterate one section of the gathered battalions.
“What have you done?” shrieks Dulcia. She grips the balustrade, staring out over the chaotic landscape. “You missed. I said the green and gold banners, not the blue. You hit the emperor’s camp, and have undoubtedly killed him, along with his elite guard.”
Sten struggles to his feet. Leaning against the railing, he allows the scepter to dangle from his fingers. He offers his mentor his most dazzling smile.
“On the contrary, my lady. I did not miss. I hit my target.”
Chapter Thirty-One: Sacrifice
I HOLD MY BREATH, AWAITING Lady Dulcia’s next move. It’s doubtful I can stop her, but I am determined to try. I move closer to Sephia. She stands beside Thyra and Kai, who’ve risen to their feet with their arms wrapped around one another.
“Can we do anything?” I ask her, keeping my voice low.
Sephia lays a finger to her lips and shakes her head as her voice fills my mind. She is too powerful, Varna. We would simply enflame her anger, and place our friends in more danger. We must wait for the right moment and use cunning, not magic.
I nod my understanding, even though my thoughts won’t stop racing. She will kill him.
Sephia looks at me, lifting her eyebrows.
I know what she’s thinking, although she sends no more mental messages. She wonders why I care what happens to S
ten Rask.
No, she knows, Varna. That pitying expression—yes, she understands only too well.
Erik slides sideways to join our group as Lady Dulcia focuses on Sten.
“You ungrateful cur.” Her once sweet voice is curdled as sour milk. “Do you know what you have done?”
“Yes.” He brushes his dark hair away from his forehead with one hand. “If all went well, I have killed your lover and sent his troops scurrying like ants fleeing a smashed anthill.”
“You have also shattered my plans for our future.”
“Our future? Did we have one?” Sten’s voice slips into a familiar bantering tone.
Dulcia steps closer to her former apprentice. She’s tiny compared to him, but her size is deceptive. Power radiates off her in shimmering waves.
“You and I and the mirror. Nothing could stand against us. Why do you think I seduced the emperor? For love?” Dulcia’s laughter rings like silver bells. “That stupid, egotistical, fool? Nonsense. I was using him. I promised to help him conquer all the lands he could hold with his armies, while I waited for his sickly wife to die. Of course, I had plans to hurry that process along.” She slides her delicate fingers through the shining fall of her hair. “Then, once he married me and made me his empress, the emperor would meet with a tragic accident. It would not be anything too obvious. Perhaps a tumble from his horse.”
Sten’s lips curl in distaste. “Orchestrated by your magic, of course.”
Dulcia shrugs. “Or yours. The end result would be the same.”
“Not the blame, however.”
“And that matters? Really, you have become pathetic. I scarcely recognize you.”
Sten bows from the waist. “I take that as a compliment, my lady.”
“You think because you hold the mirror you can defy me?” The mask slips from Lady Dulcia’s face. Her skin pulls tight, hard and pale as a skull, and her eyes blaze like heated coals.
“It is in my possession, and thus must answer to my magic, not yours.” Sten’s voice is as cold as his mentor’s face. “You can try to take it from me, but I will burn us both to cinders before I allow you to succeed.”
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