by M. J. Putney
There! She felt his excitement kindle as he discovered the portal he’d been seeking. Northern France, as Nick had hoped.
The mirror blazed with consuming fire. Dear God, Nick’s excitement and desire to rescue his stranger had triggered it and they were being drawn through!
A hard hand clamped on her arm and then she was in the maelstrom, torn to pieces, disintegrating.…
Her last conscious thought was Damn you, Nick Rainford!
* * *
Cynthia gasped and retreated involuntarily as the mirror blazed silver, then turned night-black and sucked in Tory and Nick. Allarde, too. He’d leaped forward to catch Tory’s arm as the mirror came to life. Instead of saving her, he’d vanished into the portal with them.
“Nick is a damned fool for going through!” Jack swore, his hands knotting into fists. “He shouldn’t have taken Tory. She hated the idea of another mirror passage!”
“I doubt it was deliberate.” Elspeth’s hand was pressed to her chest and she didn’t look as imperturbable as usual. “The mirror energy was so intense that it might have only needed a thought to trigger it.”
“Allarde should stop being so blasted heroic!” Cynthia snapped, her fear turning to anger. “Now he’s gone, too. But I suppose it’s another lesson in mirror magic. Anyone touching the wizard who opens the portal is going for a ride.”
“I wonder where they are,” Jack said. “And when. If there are several mirror portals, they could be anywhere.”
“Let’s wait and see if they return soon,” Elspeth suggested. “Or at least send us a message.” Looking tired, she slid gracefully down the wall to sit while she waited.
Cynthia had always hated the mirror, and now she hated it more. “What if they can’t find their way back? Do we have to try to follow them?”
“Not if there’s no clue where they are,” Jack said. “Whoever built the mirrors probably placed them in concealed locations like the Labyrinth. Even if they end up in some strange place, they should be safe enough until they can return home. They’re all clever, powerful mages.”
“I hope you’re right.” Cynthia stared at the energy-charged space that held the mirror, wishing there was something she could do. But her trips through the mirror had half killed her, so she wasn’t qualified to help.
Jack wrapped an arm around Cynthia’s shoulders, snugging her close to his side. “If you want to fill the time while we wait, you can fight with me. You always seem to enjoy that.”
For an instant Cynthia leaned against him, grateful for his warm strength. Then she jerked away, not wanting to give him the wrong idea. “At least you weren’t stupid enough to go through the mirror, too. I half expected you to follow the others.”
His lips twitched. “I may be stupid, but I’m not that stupid.”
As the minutes dragged, Cynthia paced the end of the corridor, keeping her distance from the mirror. How long should they wait? Not that there was any point in returning to her empty room. She’d never be able to sleep.
The mirror flared and a stone appeared, dropping to the floor and rolling close to Elspeth. She caught it up and swiftly scanned the paper tied around it. “It’s from Allarde. He says they’re safe, but not sure of when and where they are. They’ll probably have to wait a day or two before Nick recovers enough for another passage. Tory thinks she can bring them back here safely.”
“Thank heaven!” Cynthia pursed her lips. “But we’ll have to make sure the school authorities won’t wonder where Tory and Allarde are. I can say that Tory has caught the same cold I had. Since I’m over it, I can take her food. I’ll ask Miss Wheaton to verify that Tory is unwell but not seriously ill.”
“Allarde will have to be declared ill also.” Elspeth frowned. “We’ll have to get word to Mr. Stephens in the morning. He can talk to Allarde’s roommate, Halliwell. But we won’t be able to maintain the pretense for very long.”
“It was easier for me during the holidays when almost no one was here,” Cynthia agreed. “There will be another meeting of the Irregulars in two nights. If we haven’t heard anything from them by then, we can take action.”
What sort of action, she had no idea.
CHAPTER 20
Tory landed on an unfamiliar stony floor in total darkness. Not the chalk tunnels of Lackland. She groaned as she pushed herself to a sitting position and wondered where and when she was.
“Tory, are you here?” It was Allarde’s voice, tense with concern.
“Justin?” she asked in disbelief.
She created a wavery mage light that showed that he had also come through the mirror and landed about a yard away. He was leaning on one arm and looking around. When he saw Tory, he scooped her onto his lap, crushing her close. “Thank God you’re all right! What just happened?”
She clung to his familiar strong, lean body. This was not the time to remember that they were no longer a couple. His warm embrace was the surest thing in a scrambled world. “Nick found the portal he was looking for, and his excitement triggered the mirror so we were drawn through,” she explained. “How did you get here?”
“When I saw the mirror shimmer into sight, I grabbed your arm to pull you back,” he said ruefully. “Instead, I was yanked through with you.”
She made herself pull away, wishing he hadn’t tried to catch her. Knowing that he could never be less than protective. Glad he was here. In his eyes, she saw a similar jumble of feelings as he released her.
“Where is Nick?” She looked around and saw irregular stone walls with moisture dripping in several places. They were in a natural cave whose floor had been smoothed for safe walking. A faint draft suggested that there was an exit not far away.
At the edge of the ring of mage light, Nick was sprawled on the ground, his face as pale as death. “Nick!”
She pulled away from Allarde and crawled over to Nick. His skin was cold and clammy, but she felt a pulse in his throat. “He’s alive,” she said. “But taking a second trip through the mirror so soon has been a tremendous strain.”
Allarde straightened Nick out so he was lying on his back. “Can you manage some hearth witchery to warm him?”
“I’ll see if I have any power left.” She took Nick’s hand and concentrated on warming him. It took most of her available energy, but she managed to channel heat into him and also warm a bubble of air around her and Allarde. Nick regained color and his breathing grew stronger, though he didn’t awaken.
“The warmth feels good.” Allarde rolled up his coat and tucked it under Nick’s head. “Do you have any idea where we are? And when?”
“My best guess would be northern France in 1940 since Nick became excited when he found the portal. But I don’t really know,” she admitted. “We could be at that portal in our time, or a different portal altogether.”
“Can you take us back where we came from?”
She closed her eyes and tried to recall every detail of the passage that had brought them here. “I think so, but we can’t go through the mirror again until Nick has had time to recover. He might not be able to survive a third passage so soon. We should wait at least a couple of days, I think.”
“I agree, but we should send a message back. Do you think you can reach Lackland at the right time?”
She reached deep and managed to summon the dregs of her power. “Perhaps. It’s worth trying so everyone doesn’t worry.”
Allarde pulled a pencil and piece of paper from an inside pocket. After neatly printing a short message, he produced a piece of thin cord from another inside pocket and tied the message to an apple-sized rock. “I said that we’re all right, but we won’t return right away because we need recovery time.”
Wearily Tory got to her feet. “Are you always equipped to send mirror messages?”
His eyes twinkled. “Yes.”
Tory weighed the rock in her hand. The mirror wasn’t visible, but its fierce energy blazed only a few yards away. She carefully touched the mirror with her own magic, then concentrate
d on the time and place she’d just left.
When she felt that the correct route was clear in her mind, she tossed the stone. The mirror flared silver for an instant, then turned night-black as it swallowed the stone. “With luck, that will reassure everyone.”
Turning, she continued, “I’d like to get farther away from the mirror energy. It’s not comfortable to be so close. Can we can move Nick if we work together?”
Allarde nodded. “First let me do some exploring.” He created a mage light. “I’ll only be gone for a few minutes.”
Tory suppressed the craven impulse to beg him not to go. “I suppose it’s too much to hope that you’ll find food in your explorations. I’m starving.”
“Going through the mirror certainly gives one an appetite,” he said ruefully. “Once we have an idea where and when we are, I’ll go foraging.”
As he set off in the opposite direction from the mirror, Tory curled up by Nick, resting a hand on his shoulder to maintain warmth. She tried not to think how good it had felt to have Allarde’s arms around her again.
She failed.
Allarde returned after a few minutes. “The cave curves and splits into several tunnels before it opens up on a wooded hillside. There are some tight places and they’re all bespelled to keep people from seeing this branch of the cave. The outside opening is also spelled. Some powerful mages have done their best to make sure no one finds this mirror by accident.”
“Any signs that animals use the cave as a den?”
“The spells seem to keep them away.” Allarde studied Nick, who was breathing well but still unconscious. “If I take his arms and you take his feet, we can move him farther from the mirror.”
Tory took hold of Nick’s ankles while Allarde grasped under his arms, taking most of the weight. Even so, Nick was heavy. They moved cautiously toward the entrance to the cave, doing their best not to bang their sleeping burden into a wall.
After a slow ten minutes, they reached a decent-sized chamber with a noticeable breeze. Lowering Nick gently, Allarde said, “The entrance is just around the bend in that passage, so this room will make a good headquarters.”
After they settled Nick on the floor, Tory studied his energy field. “He’s close to waking up.” She moved to the entrance of the cave. The night was pleasantly cool. That would fit with early autumn, which was the time Nick had left from. The woods were too thick to see any distance. There were no signs of human habitation.
When Allarde joined her, she said, “There’s no way to tell what year we’re in.”
“1804 or 1940 seem most likely since we have connections to both years. But we could have landed in a completely different time period.”
“That is not an encouraging thought!”
“Wait.” He caught his breath. “Can you hear that?”
There was a distant mechanical hum. It was growing louder. Louder. Louder. She guessed, “Airplanes?”
“Yes.” He listened for a long minute. “German bombers. It’s likely that we landed in autumn 1940, Nick’s departure time.”
Tory felt chilled. “We’re back in a war zone.”
“I’m sorry you’re here,” Allarde said quietly. “You didn’t want to come.”
She gave a twisted smile. “Life doesn’t always give us what we want.”
“I’ll go on a scouting expedition. With luck, I’ll find a village and information about where we are. And food.”
“Can you find your way back here in the dark?” she asked. “We could be many miles from anywhere.”
“My sense of direction is good, and I speak German as well as French. I should be able to manage,” he said reassuringly.
“I didn’t realize you spoke German. That could be useful.”
“The royal court still has many ties to Hanover and the other German states, so my father thought I should be able speak the language,” Allarde explained. “Time to venture out. I’ll aim to be back before dawn.”
“Whenever that is.” Tory rubbed her arms, feeling the chill. “Be careful. This is much more dangerous than my first trip through the mirror. At least I was in England. If this is Nazi-occupied France, it’s very dangerous out there.”
He gave a ghost of a smile. “My foretelling ability is minor, but it usually warns me if I’m in danger. I don’t feel any at the moment. I have my stealth stone, so it’s likely no one will even notice me.”
“Your danger instinct must have been overworked at Dunkirk,” she said, trying to make her voice light.
“It burned like a Guy Fawkes bonfire. But not this time.” He disappeared into the woods within half a dozen steps. The German bombers were overhead now, dozens of engines flooding the sky with throbbing menace.
Chilled in a way hearth magic couldn’t touch, she returned to the cave. Nick was shifting restlessly, so she sat beside him and took his hand. “Nick, can you hear me?”
“Tory?” His voice was rusty with uncertainty. “I made it to your time?”
“Yes, and then you hauled Allarde and me back through the mirror,” she said wryly. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I was flattened by a convoy of lorries.” His gaze moved around the unfamiliar surroundings. “Where the devil are we?”
“We don’t know. Allarde has gone in search of information and provisions. Since German bombers just flew over, we might be in France as you hoped to be.”
He groaned. “It’s coming back to me. Lord, this is my fault, isn’t it? You and I were trying to map the mirror portals to see if there was one in northern France. When I found one I just knew was right, Wham! The portal pulled us through before I knew what was happening.” His brow furrowed. “But how did Allarde get here?”
“When he saw that the portal was opening, he tried to pull me back. Instead he was dragged through with us.”
“He must want to thrash me,” Nick muttered.
“I’m the one who wants to thrash you,” she said tartly. “Allarde and Jack volunteered to come through the mirror. I wanted never to travel through it again.”
He sighed. “I’m really sorry, Tory. I didn’t want to risk anyone else in this mad quest of mine. It’s a beastly return after all you’ve done for me.”
She studied his tired face. “If Dr. Weiss can help create a medicine that does what you said, this is worth it.”
“You can go home right now,” he said earnestly. “I’ll be all right.”
“It’s too late. I’m part of this mad scheme now.” Unfortunately.
As Nick closed his eyes with exhaustion, Tory made a fervent mental wish that they would be able to rescue Dr. Weiss and get away safely and soon. But one didn’t have to be a foreteller to know that they wouldn’t be that lucky.
CHAPTER 21
Since Tory and Nick were exhausted from the mirror passage, they dozed off while waiting for Allarde to return. Tory set the hearth-witch spell to keep them warm.
Even though resting against the wall wasn’t comfortable, she felt stronger when she came awake. Quietly she asked, “How are you doing?”
“Better.” Nick covered a yawn. “Still night, I see.”
“Dawn can’t be too far off.” Tory stretched her stiff muscles. “I hope Allarde finds some food. I’m ready to go outside and gnaw on a tree. You must be even hungrier since you went through the mirror twice within an hour.”
“Ravenous, but you Irregulars fed me well after the first mirror passage.” Nick sat up against the opposite wall and dug into a jacket pocket. “I was so tired that I didn’t remember earlier that I’d brought some food to help me recover.” He pulled out a small crinkly bag. “Want some chocolate digestive biscuits?”
“Nick!” She grabbed the packet and ripped it open. “I may forgive you for bringing me here after all. How many of these do you want?”
“I think I packed six, so two for me.”
After checking the number of biscuits, she gave a pair to Nick, and put two aside for Allarde. She ate her own two slowly, nipping off s
mall bits to savor the taste and make them last longer. The flat, chocolate iced cakes were one of the unexpected pleasures she’d discovered in 1940. “You’d better put Allarde’s share away,” she said as she licked the last crumbs from her fingertips. “I’m not sure I trust myself around them.”
“I don’t, either.” Nick put the diminished packet back in his pocket. “I should have brought more food.”
Wanting distraction from the remaining biscuits, not to mention the fact that Allarde was off exploring an occupied country where his clothing would get him noticed and his Englishness could get him shot, she said, “Tell me more about what has been happening with the war since we left in June. Not well, from what you said.”
“Hitler has eaten up more small countries,” Nick said, looking older than his years. “He’s trying to bomb Britain back to the Stone Age, and now Italy has declared war on us. Germany, Italy, and Japan have just signed a treaty declaring themselves to be the Axis powers, as if the world revolves around them.”
“Japan?” Tory’s brow furrowed as she tried to place the name. “Where is that? Near India?”
“Japan is a group of islands off China. They’re ruthless and have a powerful military that they’ve used to conquer their neighbors. They’re formidable allies for Germany and Italy.”
Tory absorbed that. “Your war is getting bigger and bigger.”
“Half the world is already fighting,” Nick said grimly. “Everyone on the south coast can see daily dogfights between the RAF and the Luftwaffe. Fishermen from Lackland have pulled RAF pilots out of the channel, and a German pilot was captured by a farmer with a pitchfork within two miles of our house.”
“It sounds dreadful!” Tory bit her lip, ill with the knowledge that the war she’d seen at Dunkirk had moved to England. “So the RAF, the Royal Navy, and the English Channel are all that stand between Britain and being conquered?”
