The Mirror's Gaze

by Rae D. Magdon

  Neva didn't respond. She remained limp in my arms, still and unmoving.

  "Neva!" I stretched her body out across the ground, but her eyes didn't even flutter. Belle and the dwellyn hurried over to her, crouching down beside me.

  "She isn't…she isn't dead, is she?" Belle asked, struggling to even form the words.

  Lok checked her pulse, placing two fingers under her chin. "No. I feel a heartbeat, and she's still breathing." Neva's chest rose and fell, although only barely. Her face seemed almost peaceful, as if she was fast asleep.

  I scanned her body, checking for any injuries, but I found none. "I don't see any blood," I said, with increasing hope. "Maybe she's just unconscious?"

  A frown crossed Lok's face. "No, I feel something. Maybe an enchantment? It's very faint." She looked at Ulig, who nodded. He glanced over at the mirror, and I understood what he was thinking.

  "But the mirror is broken,” I said. “Belle destroyed it, didn't she?"

  Lok shrugged. "It seems so, but this is beyond my knowledge. She doesn't seem to be in immediate danger, but I'll need a second opinion, and we should get her proper medical attention."

  "Ailynn," Belle said at once. "If anyone can help Neva, it's her."

  "I'll get her," I said, already rising to my feet. "She has to be somewhere down there." I peered over the edge of the battlements, and thankfully, the swarming creatures below seemed to be gone. The only figures I saw within the city were humans, and they didn't appear to be fighting. "It looks safe. I'm going to find her."

  "I'll come with you," Belle said, but I shook my head.

  "No. Stay with Neva, in case she wakes up." Both of us shared a look, somehow knowing Neva wouldn't wake, but Belle didn't protest any longer.

  "Be careful," she whispered.

  "I will." With one last embrace, I left the battlements to go in search of Ailynn, grateful to see that the first pale rays of the sun were following me. Day had broken at last.

  I reached the bottom of the wall and Stinky was there waiting for me. He wagged his tail and thumped his giant front paws on the ground, letting out a hopeful, booming bark. Once he realized his mistress was not with me, however, the noise turned into a low whine. He hung his enormous head, and if I had been able to reach, I might have tried to scratch his ears.

  "Don't worry," I told him, gazing back up over my shoulder. "She's still in one piece, and so are you." I decided to take it as a good sign. Since Stinky hadn't disappeared with the rest of the undead, that meant Neva's powers were still strong enough to keep him alive. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too difficult for Ailynn to bring her out of the magical sleep. "Can you help me find Ailynn?" It probably wouldn't be wise to travel through the wreckage of the city alone anyway.

  Stinky tilted his head, as if he had understood, but then something else caught his attention. He raised his nose to the air, sniffing the wind. I looked up as well, just in time to see a dark shadow pass overhead. The weak shimmer of dull grey sunlight that had begun to peek over the walls seemed to brighten, and I caught a flash of brilliant gold as Feradith circled high above us. She swooped low, preparing to come in for a landing. Stinky and I skidded back to get out of her way. The ground shuddered slightly as she touched down, and her long tail lashed behind her like a gleaming whip as her translucent wings glittered.

  "The aura of this place has changed, Eggmother Eleanor," Feradith said, peering down at me with wide, burnished eyes. Something in me interpreted the look on her reptilian face as one of immense satisfaction. "Feradith can no longer feel Umbra's presence, and his creatures are gone. Has justice been served?"

  I bowed my head. "Yes, Eggmother Feradith. Umbra is gone. Your hatchling has been avenged."

  "And what of yours?" Feradith asked. "Will she take her place as ruler of this kingdom now?"

  My heart sank. I had some hope, more than before, but I needed to find Ailynn quickly. "She’s injured. Asleep. I need to find a healer."

  Feradith did not question me further. "Come up," she said, lowering her bulk closer to the ground. "Feradith will help you find your healer and save your hatchling."

  She did not need to coax me. I climbed onto her back, sitting behind the joints of her great wings and holding on tight. Once I was settled, she launched into the air, flying low over the smoldering wreckage of the battlefield. Many of the buildings had been burned, but in the new light of day, I saw that not all had fallen. In the distance, the castle was still standing. "Head further into the city," I called to Feradith, pointing to where I saw smoke and a mass of figures and tents. I suspected that I would find Ailynn there, working in the middle of the mess.

  Chapter Nine

  Taken from the verbal accounts of Ailynn Gothel, edited by Lady Eleanor Kingsclere

  BY THE TIME JETHRO and I clambered out of the charred pit, the streets above were quiet. Corpses and piles of ash littered the ground, and I saw no signs of movement amidst the smoldering ruins. I surveyed the damage, but most of the fallen appeared to be Mogra's creatures. The dragons had done their work well.

  "Seems like most of the fighting's stopped," Jethro said, hefting his axe onto his shoulder. "Do you think it's over?"

  "It's over in this part of the city.” I gazed back sadly at the giant crater Mogra had left behind. "Did killing her bring you some peace, Jethro?"

  "Yes, but perhaps I should have asked you that question. Would it have brought you peace?"

  "I kept telling myself over and over that killing her was my responsibility, but if murder is a responsibility, I don't want it. Maybe that sounds foolish in the middle of a war."

  Jethro shook his head. "You did what needed to be done, Ailynn. No one could have asked more of you."

  With a long sigh, I turned, staring down the street. I had hoped Mogra's death would bring me some kind of closure, but instead, there was a strange hollowness in my chest. I didn't feel as though I had accomplished anything particularly brave, or heroic, or righteous. I had, as Jethro said, done what needed to be done, and my anger rapidly faded into grief.

  "I miss her," I whispered, blinking away tears. "Even with all the horrible things she did."

  Jethro nodded, placing one of his giant hands on my shoulder. "I miss my wife."

  It wasn't a statement meant to make me feel guilty, but one of empathy. He had lost someone important to him, too. He had watched a member of his family transform into something savage and horrible. I suspected he understood all too well how I felt.

  "I guess we should leave," I said after a long time. "There's nothing more for us here."

  Jethro removed his hand. "No, there isn't."

  We took to the street together, making our way toward the front gate. As we moved through the city, we saw more clusters of people—several were injured, but to my relief, they didn't appear to be fighting. Healers had already started helping the wounded, and there didn't appear to be any remaining enemies. I reached inside myself, trying to summon what little remained of my strength. I can be of use here. We're going to need all the healers possible.

  "Ailynn!"

  A familiar voice called my name, and for the first time, something other than fury and sadness rushed in to fill the empty place inside me. I lifted my head, turning in time to see Raisa running toward me. Her golden braid streamed behind her, and her arms were already outstretched. I rushed to meet her, falling into them and holding her tight. "Tuathe," I gasped, burying my face in her shoulder. "Are you—"

  "All right?” Raisa interrupted. “Your clothes are half burned off!"

  I hadn't even noticed. Come to think of it, my arms had felt a little cold. My sleeves had probably caught fire sometime during the struggle. "I'm fine," I told her, swaying her lightly back and forth without letting go. "What about you? What happened?"

  "I think it's over." She seemed to shake herself, sliding out of my arms despite my attempts to keep her close. "Ailynn, you need to come with me. We found Cate and Larna near the walls, and neither of them are doing well." />
  My happiness faded in an instant. "Show me."

  Raisa took my hand, guiding me to a small cluster of tents and stretchers. "We don't have many supplies," she said with worry in her voice.

  "Then I'll have to make do with what we've got."

  She stopped beside one of the stretchers, and I helped her to her knees before sinking onto my own. Cate lay flat on her back, in her wyr form instead of her human one, fur matted with black blood and eyes glazed over. Her shoulder was a raw, bloody mess, and her breathing sounded shallow and strained.

  "Ailynn," she said, blinking when she saw me. "Is—"

  "Don't talk," I told her. "Mogra is gone."

  The edges of her muzzle twitched in what could have been the canine version of a smile. "So is Luciana."

  I suddenly understood. Cate's body was fighting against more of the poison that had prevented her shoulder from healing. "Then relax. Your fight is over.” I turned toward Raisa. “Hand me some comfrey and lavender. I need to make her another poultice."

  Cate lifted her head. "Larna," she said, gazing at me with a sense of urgency. "Larna first. She saved me."

  It was then that I noticed a second stretcher beside hers. Larna's black fur made her harder to see in the darkness, but as I crawled to the foot of the pallets, I saw she was even worse off. Her eyes were closed, and when I laid my hands on her body, I could feel heat radiating from her fur. "All right," I said, partially to keep Cate from moving. "Larna first. Has she been unconscious this whole time?"

  "Yes."

  "Here," Raisa said, passing over a basket. "Show me what to do, and I'll help Cate."

  For the next several minutes, the two of us worked in tandem. I offered instructions, and Raisa copied me. "Mogra should have given you lessons too when we were growing up," I told her as I finished with Larna's second poultice. "You have some talent for this."

  "I've had to pick up a few things. How does that feel, Cate?"

  Cate let out a low sigh. "Better. Larna?"

  I looked down at my patient. She still hadn't stirred, but her breathing was a little easier. "I don't know, Cate. She's a little cooler, but we'll have to wait."

  "Don't let her die, Ailynn," Cate said, gazing at me with tortured eyes. She reached out into the empty space beside her, groping weakly until she found Larna's hand with hers. "I need her."

  I nodded. I couldn't give Cate the promise she wanted, but I would do everything I could. I understood her agony all too well.

  ***

  The remainder of the night passed quickly, and what little was left faded into an early grey morning faster than I expected. I worked through my weariness, desperate to keep Larna and Cate alive. Through it all, Raisa stayed close by my side. She was my strength, and her mere presence was enough to keep me going. I had just let out a jaw-cracking yawn as I finished changing Larna's poultice yet again when someone set a light hand on top of my shoulder. I blinked and turned, expecting Raisa, but instead, I saw another familiar face.

  "Ellie?" I asked, surprised she had found us at all. Only a short time had passed since the end of the battle, and everything around us was still mostly in chaos. "It's good to see you. Are Belladonna and the princess all right?"

  Ellie gave me a weak, tired smile. "It's good to see you alive and well too, Ailynn. Feradith had a hard time finding you.”

  “Feradith?”

  She pointed up, and I glanced up in time to see a large, glittering golden shape soaring away toward the main gates. The thought that I had been working too long crossed my mind. If I had missed something as large as a dragon, I probably needed some water and a bite to eat at least.

  “Belle is fine and I don’t think Neva is in immediate danger. I’ll explain in a moment." Ellie dropped to her knees beside me, peering over the pallets. "How are they? Please tell me they're only resting."

  "They're still fighting off the poison, but they're both better than before," I told her. "Cate was awake when I first saw her. If it gives you any comfort, she told me she gave Luciana a painful end."

  Ellie sighed, shoulders sagging in relief. "I knew she would. She made a prediction about it years ago." She ran her hand over Cate's forehead, stroking her short fur, gazing down at her and Larna's joined hands. "I'm sorry to pull you away from them, but we need someone with magical abilities to look at Neva.”

  I was on my feet in an instant, grabbing for my basket. "Show me."

  "She isn't injured, but she's fallen in some kind of magical coma," Ellie said as she led the way. "Umbra tried to possess her through the Queen's mirror, but the spell was interrupted. She fainted, and since then, we haven't been able to wake her up."

  My heart sank. It seemed that while I had been busy fighting Mogra, the Queen's evil plan had come to pass after all. "I'm sorry. If I had known sooner."

  "You might still be able to help," Ellie said, gesturing for me to climb a set of stairs. We had arrived at the walls, and I could see distant figures waiting for us atop the battlements.

  I wasn't so certain. Whatever had happened to Neva sounded like the product of necromancy, and that area of magic was well outside my area of expertise. "What about the magic mirror?" I asked as we ascended the stairs. "What became of it?"

  For a brief moment, a look of satisfaction crossed Ellie’s face. "Belle happened to it. Dwellyn swords are excellent for breaking enchantments." I sensed there was more to the story, but I didn't ask. It was enough to know that she and Belladonna had stopped the evil Queen from releasing Umbra's spirit.

  At last, we reached top of the battlements. A small crowd waited for us; Lok and Ulig and their seven followers, Jett Bahari, Doran, Rachari, and last of all, Belladonna. She knelt on the ground beside the princess, hovering closely over her.

  “News travels fast,” Ellie said, glancing at them in surprise. “I guess it took me longer to find you than I thought.”

  "Ailynn," Rachari said, taking notice of me first. "Thank goodness you're here. Can you tell us what happened inside the palace? We haven't heard from any other survivors."

  Weight descended over my shoulders once more. If they hadn't heard from survivors that meant almost everyone in the cave had been slaughtered to provide us with an escape. Jinale, the Farseer pack, the dwellyn.

  "Ailynn can explain later," Jett Bahari said. "Let her look at Princess Neva first."

  "It's all right," I said, bracing myself for the guilt to flare up again. "I'm sorry, Rachari. Jinale and most of your warriors didn't make it out of the cave. An army of Mogra's wyr found us in the caverns. Rufas, he carried me all the way out of the palace. When we caught up with Mogra, I'm afraid I couldn't protect him."

  Rachari gave a slow blink of her slitted eyes. "Then he died as brave as he lived. For all our disagreements, I never doubted him. Tell me you killed the witch, Ailynn. He deserves that and more."

  I nodded. "Mogra is finished. Your people didn't sacrifice themselves for nothing."

  Doran stepped forward, placing one of his hands on my arm in a gesture of comfort. "It's time for the dead to rest, Acha. You should see to the princess. She might not need to join them."

  As I looked into his eyes, my own welled with tears. I wanted to tell him that I had allowed Jethro to strike the final blow, but I knew it could wait. He was right—Neva needed to take precedence over my confusing grief. After gripping his hand back, I knelt beside Belladonna and Lok, joining the dwellyn in their protective circle.

  "How long has she been like this?" I stared down at Neva's face. She didn't seem to be feverish, or in any pain. Her expression was almost peaceful, although her eyes were closed.

  "Since just before sunrise," Lok said. "I've done what I can for her, but I'm afraid this is beyond my knowledge, even after examining the mirror." She gestured a small distance away, where several broken shards of glass lay inside a warped golden frame.

  I focused, but I couldn't sense the hum of magic coming from the remains of the mirror. Whatever monster had lived inside it was gone. I
pressed my fingers to Neva's neck instead, checking her pulse. It beat steadily beneath my touch, and her chest rose and fell in an even rhythm.

  "You can see this isn't a natural sleep," Lok insisted. "Please, tell me what you feel."

  I concentrated again, this time on the princess. A faint pulse of magic swirled around her, but it seemed old and distant, like a spell that had weakened and faded long ago. "It's strange," I said, brow furrowing. "There are traces of an enchantment, but something else, too."

  "You sense it, too," Lok said, giving me a nod. "That's why I wanted a second professional opinion."

  “What does that mean, Ailynn?” Belladonna asked, fear crossing her face. "Please, tell me you can do something to help her." She gazed down at the sleeping girl, stroking the side of her face. Ellie came to stand beside her, resting both hands on the back of her shoulders.

  "I'm sorry," she said as Belladonna struggled. "We've both come to care for her a great deal."

  They hadn't needed to tell me. I could see the devastation in their faces, and I understood what it meant. I ached to tell them that I could help, but in all honesty, I had no idea how. Neva's sickness was magical, not physical, and there was no sign of its source. "I promise to try," I said, with all the determination I had left. "She seems stable, so it should be safe to move her. I suggest we bring her down to camp and set her up somewhere more comfortable."

  "Right. Of course." Belladonna seemed relieved to be given a helpful task. She slid one of her arms beneath Neva's shoulders and the other beneath her knees, cradling the girl in her arms. Belladonna was a tall woman, and her sword training had broadened her shoulders slightly, and Neva looked incredibly small against her chest. "Where should I take her?"

  "Perhaps to Larna and Cate," Ellie suggested. "We can see to all three of them at once."

  I nodded, granting my permission.

  "We come," Ulig said when he saw the gesture. "Our princess."