The MirrorMasters

by Lora Palmer

  Jenny frowned, still looking unconvinced. "Well, don't worry about it. I'm sure they won't find anything. Not in time, anyway." She slung an arm around me. "Come on. Let's get ready for the bash."

  "Yeah, you girls take forever to get ready," Kevin teased. "I'll help Brian finish up here."

  We girls headed to the bathroom, retrieving our knee-length, strapless dresses and silver pumps from the coat closet on the way.

  "I can't believe I let you talk me into wearing these," Jenny complained to Kara, eyeing her jewel-studded stiletto heels warily.

  Dressed and ready, with curling irons and makeup left behind on the sitting room counter, we made our grand entrance. Out in the second floor banquet hall, the party was just getting underway. Redemption was introducing their first song, and students and their families were beginning to arrive.

  "This is it," I whispered to my best friends. The bash signaled the beginning of the end of my time on Earth. Now that this moment had arrived, it finally sank in. Kara reached over to grasp my hand reassuringly.

  Brian came over, stopping to stare as he caught sight of me. I blushed as his gaze lingered. He finally shook his head as though to shake himself from a spell, then leaned in close to kiss my cheek.

  "Wow — you look beautiful," he said, his voice low and husky in my ear.

  "Let's grab a bite to eat. We should check out all the awesome munchies David made for us," Kara suggested.

  "And Brian," I reminded her. "Don't forget, he made the desserts."

  To my amazement, Brian and David actually gave each other a triumphant fist bump. It was nice to see them getting along.

  Soon, the guys had returned with platefuls of sandwiches, pasta salad, David's famous chicken dish, fruit, and cheese with crackers. Friends and parents stopped by to visit, lingering briefly to chat before moving on to mingle or supervise the crowd. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, and the festive sounds of chatting and laughter rang through the hall, even over the strains of music from the band.

  "All right, everyone! It's dance contest time!" Nick, the leader of Redemption, declared into the microphone after the band had finished their first set. "Everyone up on the dance floor!"

  Of course, not everyone chose to participate, but Brian encouraged our table to get up. Over the week, his father had taught us a variety of Jantyrian dances. One in particular was a group dance in the style of the old Renaissance dances here on Earth, and Brian thought it would be a perfect time to practice. It was in keeping with the otherworldly fairytale theme. As the group took center stage out on the dance floor, we soon had others clearing space for us and gathering around to watch.

  * * *

  As I glanced across the room after the dance, Erik Drake stood on the edge of the crowd beside Brian’s father, whispering something to him. The noise of the cheering crowd faded away, and Nick’s voice announcing us as the winners of the dance contest seemed muted and meaningless. I couldn’t believe it. He’d come to the party? His piercing glare and predatory smirk, so familiar, froze me in place. Yet my mind screamed at me to flee. In that moment, the memory I'd been suppressing broke through, and a flashback of myself at two years old played in my mind. Tear-streaked and trembling, I was edging away from him, toward a mirror, toward safety, while he loomed over me. Shock jolted my senses, turned my insides to ice. He’d been the one to chase me to Earth!

  * * *

  I stood in the Hall of Mirrors, the throne room. My parents weren't around — they were in a council meeting. I'd been tempted to sneak away from Serena because I was curious about what went on at the meetings. It wouldn't do me any good, though. A guard posted outside the door shooed me off last time I'd tried to watch a council meeting, and he would tell Mommy and Daddy if I tried again. So instead, I contented myself with playing here. But Erik burst in and withdrew a white crystal orb from beneath his cloak. His slow approach and predatory smirk sent goosebumps rippling up my arms. Serena didn’t move. Why wouldn’t she move? He pressed the crystal to Serena's forehead, and in a blinding flash of light, the woman slumped to the marble tiled floor. The sound, a sharp smack, echoed throughout the chamber.

  Screaming in protest, I retreated behind a group of potted plants that were interspersed throughout the mirrored room. I pulled my knees up to my chest as I sat, crying and sniffling. Terror shook my tiny limbs and scattered my thoughts. He would hurt me, too, if he caught me. Maybe I should run.

  He advanced on me, and I lashed out at him, using my power instinctively to toss him across the room. Taken by surprise — not having expected such an attack from one so young — he landed hard on the unforgiving floor. I searched the nearest mirrored panel for a safe place to go far, far away from him, sparing one sad glance at Serena. She wasn't moving. Placing one palm against the glass, I found myself gazing into a bright, sunny beach far different from any I would find on Jantyr. Erik got up and started toward me again, and I stepped through to that beach scene, hoping the man wouldn't be able to follow.

  * * *

  When I came out of the memory, I was gripping Brian's hand. "Are you okay?" he asked me.

  I glanced down, hesitant to tell him. He didn’t need a reminder of how his uncle murdered his mother, especially not tonight. Not with Erik here. I didn’t know how Brian had managed to last this long in the same room with him and not rip out Erik’s throat. What if revealing the story broke Brian’s resolve?

  Brian must have detected something in my expression and understood. "I need to know," he whispered.

  "I saw it, what he did to your mom...," I explained the story briefly on our way over.

  Brian didn’t speak. His hands clenched and his mouth twisted into a hard, crooked line. Raw grief, hatred, and fury like I’d never seen before shone from his narrowed eyes as he glared at Erik. The air around him crackled painfully with that emotion, raising the hairs on my arms.

  "When we get to Jantyr," Brian said finally, his voice low, dangerous, "I’m going to do to him what he did to my mother."

  I had little time to ponder this, because we had reached our families.

  "Ah, Brian," Caleb said. "Team Jantyr did an excellent job with the dance. I'm proud of you all."

  "Yeah, thanks, Dad," Brian bit out. With a curt nod, he threw the balcony door open. "I need some fresh air." I moved to follow, but he shook his head. He needed to be alone. The door slammed shut behind him with a clang.

  "Beautiful dancing out there, honey," Mom said, hugging me. "And you were terrific, too, David. You definitely got your talent from your father."

  "Thanks, Mom."

  A pang in my heart, I stared at the floor, where chandelier light reflected in gleaming marble. Her words reminded me I was different from them and didn’t fully belong, no matter how hard I tried, because I wasn’t of their blood. I pushed the thought down but wondered what traits I might have inherited from my birth parents. Maybe I looked like my birth mom, or maybe my gift of song had come from my birth father.

  "You both danced well," Dad said. At this unexpected praise, David clapped him on the arm in a rare moment of affection. Things might be turning around in their relationship.

  "You all did," Mrs. Taylor added, joining the group. "So, um — I’m not sure how much of this wild story is true, but —" Here, she let out a high titter and shook her head. "Anyway, because Leah is like another daughter to me, and I feel a certain responsibility to look out for her safety, I must ask. I hear tomorrow is the big day. If Leah is planning to go — somewhere — I want to see where my daughter’s best friend will be going if you can point out the star to me, or show me...an image. Something."

  "So everyone knows about this?" Erik asked, for some reason fixing Jenny with a piercing gaze. His jaw clenched. "We might as well announce it to the whole gathering."

  "Enough," Caleb said, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder. To the others, he said, "I will show you, but I cannot use my data pad in public."

  "We have a telescope outside on the balc
ony," David suggested. "It's a refractor. Most people use it to check out ships, but it's great for stargazing."

  As the group stepped outside, leaving the air conditioned building, we found a beautiful night awaiting us with cloudless skies and a gentle breeze. By this point it was nearing quarter-past-nine, and the brightest stars were becoming visible. Brian stood at the other end of the balcony, leaning against the railing, shoulders hunched and head tilted up toward the stars.

  "So, Leah, tell me. How did you enjoy your time in this world?" Erik asked.

  "It became my home," I replied. "And I love my life here."

  "Yet you're coming back with us voluntarily?"

  "Apparently I'm the only one who has a chance of fixing the mess you've unleashed before it destroys Jantyr."

  "Destroy? No, it wouldn't. There is no magic that powerful," Erik scoffed.

  "You had no idea what you unleashed, did you? If it isn't stopped, it will destroy the entire galaxy," I stated flatly. While Caleb aligned the finderscope using the moon and explained to the other parents which star Jantyr belonged to, I filled Erik in on how devastating the disasters had already become, and the three signs that would herald Jantyr's destruction if it could not be stopped in time. Eyebrows knit together and fists clenched, Erik appeared enraged and actually concerned as he digested this information. "I guess Aedalina didn't tell you."

  Jenny pulled me away from his glare. I noticed that his gaze had now shifted to her.

  "What did you say to him?" Jenny asked with a chuckle.

  "I gave him a little reality check. Can you imagine, he had no idea the disasters could end up destroying their world if they aren’t stopped?"

  "Do you see those three bright stars in the shape of a triangle out over the horizon, above eye level? You call them Deneb, Vega, and Altair. The star halfway between Vega and Altair and slightly to the left, inside the triangle, is the one Jantyr orbits," Caleb said.

  "Albireo? In Cygnus?" Dad said, blinking in surprise. "Amazing."

  "That's always been my favorite double star," I murmured. "Whenever I'd look up at the night sky in the summer, it was the one I was always drawn to." How had I known this double star of blue and gold had been the one to shine on my original home?

  "Guys, do you smell something burning?" Kara asked suddenly, sniffing the air.

  Everyone else did the same, and my eyes widened. Kara was right. "Yeah, I do!" I said, worry making my insides clench. "It smells awful, like maybe a nearby building is on fire."

  The others nodded in agreement. It wasn't a pleasant or homey scent, like a cookout or a beach bonfire on a chill evening. No, this was the horrid smell of burnt chemicals and scorched metal.

  "Folks, the party's over. There's a fire at the social services agency, and we need everyone to clear out of the danger zone." Police Chief Jacobs's commanding voice caught the attention of all the partygoers outside on the balcony.

  I gasped. "Melinda's still there! She was working late tonight. Did she get out all right?"

  "I'm afraid nobody exited the building. We were hoping there wasn't anyone inside," he replied, then narrowed his eyes at me. "How did you know she was working late?"

  "She mentioned it earlier," I said vaguely, feeling faint. I didn't believe the fire was a coincidence.

  Someone must have known that Melinda was there and wanted to ensure my file couldn't be subpoenaed. My gaze shifted to Erik, and I narrowed my eyes. I wanted to ask him if he was responsible for the fire — his smug, challenging expression indicated that he was — but Caleb put a hand on my shoulder and gave a subtle shake of his head. With a glare, I turned away and ran from the group. My only thought now was to try to save Melinda. Pushing through the crowd, I raced to the bathroom. My friends fell in step right behind me, followed by the parents and Police Chief Jacobs.

  "Guard the door," I directed Jenny, who had reached the bathroom door a split second after me. I turned the knob and only managed to open the door a fraction before Jenny tugged the door closed again.

  "No, Leah! You can't risk doing what you're thinking." Jenny grabbed my wrist in an effort to stop me.

  "I'll be fine. Please, help me." Beseeching, I lifted my eyes to meet Jenny's. Jenny frowned, but soon nodded and let me go. I slipped into the restroom just in time and locked the door behind me. At first, I glanced around to scope out the area and saw nobody, but decided I was past the point of caring who else was in here. Turning around, I froze in astonishment to find Jenny inside with me. "I thought you were going to wait outside. How did you get in? I locked the door."

  Jenny's lips curved into a mysterious smirk. She waved one of her hairpins in her hand, as though indicating she'd picked the lock. "I have a few tricks of my own. Don't worry. They won't be bothering us."

  Already, persistent knocking shook the bathroom door as the others tried to get inside. Wasting no time, I moved to the opposite end of the sitting room, where a full-length cheval mirror rested against the wall. I stood in front of the mirror, raising one hand to the cool glass.

  "Be careful, Leah. This is dangerous," Jenny said, coming to stand behind me. Our eyes met in the mirror.

  "Fine, but I have to try to save Melinda." Closing my eyes, I took deep breaths to calm my frantic mind so I could focus. When I opened them, I concentrated on the social services agency. I drummed my fingertips on the wood frame of the mirror, whispering, "Come on, come on..." until the agency lobby finally rippled into view.

  Trapped by flame, Melinda had collapsed in the center of the room, coughing and choking. She tried to crawl, but soon seemed to wilt. There was no way she'd make it through the flames to the door. She wouldn't even last long enough to be saved by the fire department, not unless they had already arrived. But where were they? No sign of firefighters, or even water coming in through the window from a firetruck outside, could be seen. Melinda needed help, now!

  "Don't, Leah. It's too hot. You'll be burned up getting to her," Jenny urged, but I shook my head. I had to try. Pushing apart the ripples in the glass to open a portal large enough for Melinda to escape through, I focused on the space right by her. Melinda stared at me in shock and pleading, opening her mouth to speak. No words came out.

  As I reached through and grabbed hold of Melinda's hands, the fire moved too fast, inching further up the walls and, without warning, flashing across the ceiling above. I pulled Melinda toward me, but to no avail. Her leg was caught on her desk, and I couldn't get her free. Nothing I tried worked. Now, the flames were becoming unbearable, and my arm nearly got burned reaching close to the desk in an effort to disentangle Melinda. The searing heat shrieked over my skin, worse than reaching into an oven.

  Melinda's coughing weakened, and she lay unmoving. Seeing this, I wasn't sure Melinda was even yet alive. Still, I wouldn't give up. But then, ceiling creaked and crumbled above me. I made one last valiant effort to wrench Melinda free of her desk, but Jenny pulled me back, practically tackling me to the ground as smoke and heat filled the room around us.

  I pushed my way up to a seated position and gazed at the wreckage on the other side of the mirror. The flames now covered Melinda.

  "No!" I screamed, fighting Jenny to reach through the portal again in the slim hope that Melinda could still be saved.

  "It's too late," Jenny said firmly, wrapping her arms around me.

  As I stared in wide-eyed horror at the flames consuming Melinda, a sob caught in my throat. I could hear Melinda's screams, and it took everything I had not to start screaming myself. How was Melinda alive, much less conscious? Surely she should at least have mercifully succumbed to the smoke before the flames ever reached her. Finally, the screams stopped. There was nothing left of Melinda but a blackened husk that had once been a body. Retching, I stumbled to my feet and barely made it to the nearest bathroom sink in time.

  "There was nothing you could have done," Jenny whispered, rubbing my back in soothing circles. How was she not as shaken as I was by what we'd just witnessed? I couldn't c
ontrol the profuse shaking of my body. Too much in shock to even speak, I could only manage to rinse my mouth with badly trembling hands.

  Then, the door opened. I never knew how it happened. Maybe they'd summoned the manager to bring the key, or maybe the police chief had a nifty lock-picker, or it might even have been one of the Drakes using their abilities. The first in, Brian was followed by his father and uncle, then the police chief and my parents. Brian took one look at my tear-streaked face and knew how it had turned out. He was already crossing the room to pull me into his arms, his warmth and strong presence a balm to my grieving soul.

  "Just what is going on here?" Police Chief Jacobs demanded, taking in the sight of me sweaty, grimy, and singed with the smell of smoke lingering in the air. His gaze traveled down to the floor, where he noted ash and soot in front of the mirror.

  "Well, not only is her friend's life at risk, she's losing any connection she possibly had to her past," Jenny explained smoothly.

  "Yes, Miss Taylor, but that doesn't explain the smell of smoke and all that ash and soot on the floor by the mirror."

  "My daughter is obviously upset," Dad stepped in. "This is not the time to talk to her. We're going home now," he said, his tone conveying that he would hear no challenge on this point. "Do what you need to do, Jacobs, but if you need to talk to my daughter, it will wait until tomorrow."

  Mom, meanwhile, pulled me, reluctant and shell-shocked, into her arms. "Do let us know if you hear anything about Melinda," she instructed the police chief.

  By then, I could hardly form words and instead remained silent. My face was pale in the mirror, and my body still had not stopped trembling.

  "Honey, you're shaking," Mom observed in concern, feeling my forehead. Dad wrapped his arm around me on the other side, a final hug. We caught our breath together, leaving much unsaid. It would hurt too much to speak. When I pulled away, they escorted the police chief out, paying no attention to whatever he might have said to them.