Silver Mirrors

by A. A. Aguirre

  The mechanical parts were old and rusted; it looked as if the smugglers who’d built this contraption had abandoned it years ago. With each jolt upward, Saskia whispered a nearly forgotten prayer. Her stomach felt as if it were filled with eels and oil, until she was barely holding on to the bile it contained.

  This is nothing like the deck of a ship.

  “How far are we from Eldheim?” Janus asked from behind her.

  She turned, grateful to have a reason to avoid the view that didn’t stem from her own unease. “Hard to say. Overland, no more than five miles. I don’t think any of us would’ve survived if we’d been in the water for too long.”

  “It was a hell of a ride,” he agreed. “I’m of a mind to have . . . words with the manager who sent us in, knowing he didn’t mean to let us out again.”

  “Don’t be an idiot. Those huge, heavy doors are all that’s keeping the salamanders out of Eldheim. If it weren’t warded, they’d have already melted through it.”

  “Magical bindings wear out,” Janus said. “I wonder if they have anyone to fortify them.”

  “Doubtful. Right now, there’s a war brewing on two fronts. Between the craggers getting ready for war and the elementals gone insane—”

  “Relax. I won’t beat up mine management.” He managed a smile through swollen lips.

  “Good to see you’ve learned some restraint.”

  At last. Wonder if she had anything to do with it. Her gaze cut to Inspector Ritsuko, who was standing close to Irahi. He was hauling mightily on the chains, levering them upward. He’d discarded his jacket to reveal a stained white shirt. It was ripped in places, showing glimpses of brown skin, and the taut pull of his muscles was obvious through the thin, damp fabric. When Saskia looked away, she felt . . . strange, as if she’d never seen him before.

  “It only took a lifetime and several beatings.” But Janus was watching his partner, too, and the intensity of his expression didn’t match the lightness of his tone.

  She didn’t want to think about . . . any of this. “Feels like we’ve bitten off more than we can chew this time.”

  “Just a bit. But Gunwood is always telling me I have a big mouth.”

  That surprised a laugh out of her. “Somehow I doubt that’s what he meant.”

  Bantering with Janus took her mind off the terrifying ascent, however, so she was startled when the platform stopped at last. Irahi and Kurtz affixed the chains to the rings driven into the rock, presumably for that purpose. There was a good-sized ledge here, along with crude steps hewn into the mountain itself. Irahi helped everyone past before beginning the climb. Saskia looked at Irahi with no small measure of concern.

  He’s tired as any of us, injured, and still he pulls us up to safety.

  While he was a strong man, he couldn’t continue like this indefinitely.

  By the time everyone reached the top of the cliff, the sun was sinking beyond the horizon. There were no signs of life anywhere on the rocky beach below, and Evans paced with low mutters of what he’d do to the money-grubbing bastards who’d cost his men their lives. Nobody tried to check his anger. She suspected they all understood how it felt to lose friends through factors beyond their control.

  At last, Evans settled enough to get his bearings. He jerked his head. “This way. If we push, we’ll reach Eldheim before the storm catches us.”

  Saskia whirled. And sure enough, dark clouds were gathering off the coast, localized enough that she suspected it wasn’t a natural thunderhead. That pause was enough to put her behind the others, however. She set off after them with quick steps. The path was rough, and nobody was in the mood to chat.

  • • •

  A COUPLE OF hours later, Janus stopped suddenly and signaled for everyone to get down. Now that she was paying attention, Saskia heard thunder in the distance. “The storm’s nearly on us. We don’t have time—”

  Janus looked over his shoulder and shushed her with a look. She shot him a glare, crawling to the top of the hill. The noise boomed again; she realized then that the sound was coming from the wrong direction. Saskia peered toward Eldheim.

  Several buildings along the edge of town had been demolished entirely. Clouds of dust rose from the rubble in a swirling haze. A massive boulder flew through the air in a wide arc, reminding her far too much of the creatures that had attacked them on the mountain path. It slammed into the street, rolling for a dozen yards before crashing into a wall—shattering it with a hard, cracking sound she’d mistaken for thunder.

  This can’t be what they were preparing for . . . the salamander said that the earth elementals were not part of their uprising.

  Four towering, shadowy figures advanced on the town from the valley below. One stopped and ripped a tree from the ground. The creature threw the improvised missile in an overhead throw, sending it crashing down on a barricade, scattering its defenders.

  “Where did those damned golems come from?” Evans rose to his knees for a better look. “It’s . . . craggers!” He scrambled to his feet, stumbling over Janus’s outstretched hand. “Those bastards brought fettered golems!”

  Saskia rose carefully. Judging from the number of torches weaving through the darkness, more than a hundred craggers were marching on Eldheim in a disorganized mob. A few fired into the air as they approached town; every now and then, they shouted something unintelligible. The defenders loosed scattered volleys from behind the barricades, but she could tell this wouldn’t last long.

  Too many of them are aiming at the golems. They might as well be hurling insults.

  “Hells and Winter. We can’t just watch.” Janus stood, dusting off his knees.

  She wanted to argue with him because they were armed only with the bits and bobs that had survived the waterlogging, essentially knives and the like. What are we supposed to do against so many?

  Evans pointed. “We’ll circle around, meet up with local forces. The walls haven’t been kept in the best repair over the years. That’ll cost the governor down the line, but in the meantime, we can use the chaos.”

  That was a saner plan than rushing the cragger army. Since Evans knew the area best, he took the lead. The darkness made it challenging to move over rugged terrain, but she managed. Fortunately, there was so much trouble near the main gates that it wasn’t a problem to slip along the perimeter until she spotted the crack in the walls. This one was narrow; Irahi had to turn sideways since his shoulders wouldn’t fit. Those golems could bring down these old fortifications with a few well-placed blows.

  “It’s a good thing the craggers don’t know this rock as well as I do,” Evans said.

  Kurtz gestured silently. Saskia turned in time to be slammed up against the wall by soldiers wearing Skarsgard colors. Her chin cracked on the stone as Evans swore.

  “Are you mad? We’re the least of your worries at the moment.”

  “You could be spies.”

  “We came out of the mines,” Inspector Ritsuko put in. “Take us to the foreman. He’ll vouch for us.”

  “Lies. Nothing’s come out of there in days. They’re all dead.”

  At that, Evans growled and broke free of the soldier’s hold. He punched the man square in the face, hard enough that Janus winced. The resultant crunch and spatter of blood left his target rocking on his feet. But immediately, four others grabbed Evans, shoving him against the wall, arms akimbo so he could neither struggle, nor reach his weapons.

  Spirits, we don’t have time for this.

  Evidently Janus was of the same mind. “He wasn’t joking. You have bigger problems.”

  As one, the group turned toward the administrative complex. Though it was some distance off, the fiery glow was unmistakable. After the encounter in the mine, Saskia would’ve recognized the sound anywhere.

  “The salamanders have broken out . . . we’ll be caught between the craggers and their golems and the fire elementals.”

  CHAPTER 22

  “THE WHOLE TOWN WILL BE DESTROYED,” RITSUKO SAID. “
We don’t have time to debate.”

  She hoped the guards had more common sense than this detainment suggested. Their leader stared off toward the administration complex, then took a step back. In the flickering shadows, he seemed alarmed. As well he might. The others were muttering amongst themselves in reaction to Miss Braelan’s words. If salamanders were on the loose in addition to the craggers at the gates, Eldheim might well be doomed.

  “We have to bottle the fire elementals,” Mikani said.

  “They sounded too angry to be willing to parley,” she answered.

  Miss Braelan nodded. “From what that salamander said, they want revenge, not peace.”

  There was a rumble of agreement, but she noticed that nobody looked too eager to take on the task. After their narrow escape from the mines, she didn’t want to engage the creatures either. Nobody ever tells you that adventures are exhausting, messy, and inconvenient. But there was no safety in the town this night, no quiet place to hide, and Ritsuko could never look herself in the eyes thereafter if she fled from her duty.

  “How do you propose we do that, then?” Irahi towered over the guards holding his arms, as if they could hold the big man should he choose to break free. “I’ve heard it takes hours of effort to bind even one salamander to an orb. We don’t have hours. Or orbs.”

  “It sounds as if you’ve the matter well in hand.” The guard cleared his throat. “I suspect we’re needed near the front, so we’ll leave you to it.”

  Ritsuko had seen cowardly men retreat before, but never with such military precision. They must have been frightened away by the brightening glow, fire spreading in town to the north. And obviously, that’s just where we’re heading.

  “Let’s go,” Mikani said. “Before we’re interrupted again.”

  Her partner hurried off, leaving the rest of them to follow. The streets were a mess, full of terrified townsfolk seeking safer shelters than what they could create with wood and barricades. Those won’t help a whole lot when the flames flicker outside. Homes were built of timber and stone, but enough of the former to present a problem now. Huge-eyed children stumbled along after their parents, towed by the hand as if there were anywhere they could go. Distant booms echoed from the east side of Eldheim, more evidence that the craggers were still pressing.

  They ran past more than one squadron of House Guards rushing from the main mine complex toward the sounds of struggle behind them. The crack of golem-tossed boulders punctuated shouted orders and cries of pain; Irahi seemed tempted to stop to lend aid when they ran past a group of people, covered in soot and grime, digging through a pile of rubble that had once been a home. But Mikani hurried along, and the doctor was forced to follow with a pained expression.

  As they neared the massive building carved out of the side of the mountain, the crowds thinned. Everyone must be hiding, fighting the craggers . . . or trying to keep the elementals from rushing out of the mines. A mixed group of Skarsgard and Magnus soldiers had erected a barricade at the foot of the stairs to the administration building. Gunfire and screams echoed from the building, with the occasional flare of flame lighting up the entrance in garish red and gold. The troops were clearly trying to contain the elemental threat.

  Doesn’t sound like the fight’s going well.

  “Glad to see you!” one of the men called.

  Ritsuko wondered how they’d feel if they knew a patrol had chosen to head in the opposite direction rather than deal with the danger here. Their group was so small that matters must be dire indeed within. She squared her shoulders, trying to brace for the horrors to come.

  “They think we’re reinforcements.” Evans sounded hoarse and tired.

  “Or insane. I’m leaning toward both.” Mikani led the way up the wide stone steps toward the main entrance.

  Inside, two full squads were pinned down behind metal shielding, with a half dozen elementals pressing. It was only a matter of time before the men on the other sides roasted alive. Already their hands were smoking inside their gloves, and the steel trembled beneath the repeated bursts of flame. So far, they hadn’t made much progress in driving the salamanders back. She didn’t like to think how many must’ve pushed past before the soldiers assembled and got the blockade in place.

  “This place is a conflagration waiting to happen,” Evans bit out.

  “This isn’t our fight, is it?” Kurtz said. “Those bastards left us to rot, sure enough. So if we were smart, we’d walk away.”

  Miss Braelan actually laughed. “You haven’t known Janus very long, have you?”

  Mikani shook his head. “Hand over the grenades, and you can run. We’re going in, and we’re saving those men if we can.”

  The miner handed his pack to Irahi. “I’ve got to find my family, maybe I can still get them out.” He paused to give Evans an awkward, one-armed hug, complete with backslapping, then he went back down the steps, head low, as if he felt some small shame at his decision.

  “Your inspirational speeches leave something to be desired, Mikani.” The doctor peered in the bag. “We have eight grenades left. What do you propose we do?”

  “Throw one now, and we bring half the building down on our heads.” Evans studied the pinned guards. “We’d likely all die trying to save them.”

  “Janus, while I understand your need for heroics, I’m not behind any scheme that ends in fiery death,” Miss Braelan said.

  “Are your wind spirits strong enough to do anything here?” Ritsuko asked.

  She guessed the answer was no, so the other woman didn’t surprise her when she shook her head after a brief hesitation. “Wind would only . . . agitate the situation, I’m afraid. Fire isn’t quelled by it.”

  The guards had set up at the first intersection of the hallways. Ritsuko imagined that the branching corridors didn’t lead to any exits, or the salamanders would already be moving off and not cooking the soldiers slowly. The House Guards fired standard ammunition when they could gather the strength—she could only guess how exhausted they must be—but it had no effect. Ferishers might have some defense against forces of nature, but their lore had been lost or intentionally buried. There was no time for research.

  “Do you know where these halls go?” she asked Evans.

  The man shrugged. “I know the tunnels like the back of my hand, but I never had reason to spend any time up here with management.” He spat the word like most men would “maggot.”

  “Where are the lavatories?”

  They all turned toward Miss Braelan.

  “Oh, bronze gods. Lavatories. Plumbing. Running water? No House overseer would share the facilities with the workers. They must have their own.”

  One of the soldiers turned with a sympathetic expression. “There are some down the hall and to the right, miss, but you’d be much better served to do it out of doors.”

  Ritsuko laughed. Trust a man to think a woman’s gentle biology couldn’t handle such a stressful situation and that Miss Braelan was in desperate need of the facilities. She swapped an amused look with her as the other woman raced past.

  Miss Braelan called over her shoulder, “I have a plan to get some help, hold the line.”

  Ritsuko followed, along with Mikani, Hu, and Evans. It required stepping past the shields, and soldiers shouted warnings as they sprinted, fire blasting the floor behind them. A few of the strikes sizzled the backs of her boots, and the white-hot flare of pain told Ritsuko she had been burned, but then the nerves went dead. She stumbled, pressing on as fast she could.

  No time to worry now. I hope she knows what she’s doing.

  A few of the smaller salamanders squeezed through the ravaged doors and gave chase, buying the soldiers some time. She thought the others were following, but there was no chance to look back. An instant of hesitation, and she’d be fried. More flames struck the walls, hissing and dying against the stone. So glad there’s not more wood in here. Miss Braelan kicked open the heavy door marked private, and the others charged in behind. This was hea
vy timber, but it was thick enough not to char.

  “I just need a few moments,” Miss Braelan said breathlessly. “Irahi, I need your help. The rest of you, hold it for me, if you can.”

  They were clearly in a luxurious lavatory designated for executive use. Everything was ornate stone and marble, gilded facets and shining mirrors. Ritsuko caught a glimpse of herself in the gaslight and shivered. I look like a shade or a wraith, all eyes and tangled hair. She turned gratefully and pressed all of her weight against the door, along with Mikani and Evans.

  Miss Braelan pointed at the sink, addressing Irahi. “Break it open. For this to work, I need water and lots of it.”

  Then she closed her eyes and her soft whisper told Ritsuko she was summoning her familiars. The creep of elemental energy prickled over her, raising the hair on the nape of her neck. Irahi grabbed the sink with both hands. The first salamander hit the door with a gout of flame on the other side, and the wood bowed and charred beneath her hands.

  • • •

  MIKANI PUSHED BACK as the wood smoldered, warm against his shoulder. With a loud screech of metal, Hu tore the copper sink free from the wall. A thin spray of water hissed from the twisted pipes. The big man grunted and pulled again, tearing the sink free. Water gushed out to splash on the floor in a cold rush. Hu dropped the sink and started tugging at the water tank over the water closet.

  Mikani shifted his weight when he slipped on the wet tiles. He could feel Saskia’s spirits gathering around her. They’re scared and worried for her, but not angry. There was more, but he couldn’t fully interpret the rush of alien emotion from the wind elementals. Water swirled and rose in a shimmering funnel at the center of the room as the sylphs gathered strength from Saskia’s low chant. The temperature dropped as the spirits gained power: Mikani’s breath puffed out in smoky wisps, and steam rolled off the door’s hinges.