Mirror Realm

by Jenn Nixon

  After landing in the woods near the trailer, Zorin tucked his wings and walked the rest of the way, foregoing a hunt, able to rely on the caster’s powers to keep him nourished. He tapped lightly on the trailer door before opening it and peeking inside. Rune ducked around the curtain and smiled.

  Got some wild boar. Cooked, sorry.

  Zorin smirked, shut the door behind, and glanced over his head. “Perhaps later, I’m not hungry at the moment. Where’s Cyndra?”

  She went to drop off the food to her friend and his father, said something about killing birds with stones?

  “Kill two birds with one stone, basically doing two things with singular effort.”

  Ah, talking to Milo and the food. Got it. Rune shrugged. Cyndra said she had some books, but they all look like they’re for kids.

  “I have some from her room packed, are you taking anything?”

  Rune blushed, shrugged, and glanced toward the far wall. Promise you won’t laugh?

  “Of course not,” Zorin said, tilting his head.

  The music box. It’s silly, it only plays three tunes and they’re terrible…it just reminds me of my guardians.

  “If Cyndra does get solar panels for the island, I am sure I can find something to play music in the abandoned houses.” Zorin leaned against the counter. “Have you contacted them?”

  Rune nodded his head. First thing I did here. What do you think about this Jack guy?

  “He is genuine, Rune. He may not have more information about the mirror prison, but…” Zorin rubbed the back of his neck. “Casters are meant to be with other casters. Community is part of our tradition, something I turned away from after I lost my parents. The last group I turned to belonged to Mergan and you see the results. So, do not trust blindly or cast him aside lightly.”

  At least we don’t have to convince Cyndra to let him come with us while we get to know him. I’m glad one of us remembers.

  Zorin pressed his lips together.

  What? Rune tilted his head. You’re thinking something.

  “I just worry that Mergan is involved. First, she hijacks Cyndra’s dreams then the boy sees me and Jack shows up. I don’t normally enjoy coincidences.”

  Survivor brain, Zorin. Think like a caster, how you might feel knowing there’s something inside you that you don’t understand, can’t access or explain. Maybe Cyndra settled here because she subconsciously remembered the island. Maybe Jack lived in the south and came here because he was drawn to Cyndra, searching for that sense of community.

  “I see your point,” Zorin said, watching the light outside the trailer start to fade.

  And she was right. I do feel like shit. Rune frowned. After everything she and Pristy went through as kids…we didn’t have much, but it was lots more than she had or even has right now and still she offers me anything I want.

  “Her kindness is unmatched. I…” Zorin felt her fire seep into the trailer, heating his skin, tempting his promise. His gaze went to the door, instantly meeting her eyes when she walked in. Hearing her heart beating faster, watching her cheeks darken, Zorin breathed in deeply and pushed the wrapped food closer to Rune, who smiled and waved at his friend.

  I went for the barbeque. They had boar. Probably still warm.

  “Ooh, good, really in the mood for protein.” She approached the counter, made quick eye contact with them both before unwrapping her meal. “I had to argue with Freddie, the kids’ dad, for like half an hour to make him keep the food.”

  “Why?” Zorin lifted his brow.

  “Freddie doesn’t like handouts, thinks if his family can’t earn it he shouldn’t have it.”

  Sounds familiar. Rune smirked.

  “Survival skill, from the early days when it was really bad here. Favors and charity meant you owed people and when they collected it wasn’t always pretty,” Cyndra said, pressing a shaking hand against her thigh. Zorin didn’t dare alter the strength of his siphon, but he watched her, carefully. She went silent, picked at the barbeque, while Rune walked over with the music box, and set it on the counter. She glanced up. He smiled. “That’s what you want?”

  Rune signed yes.

  “It’s yours,” she said then glanced back. “If you see anything you’d like…”

  “Thank you,” Zorin replied with the dip of his head and turned to the shelves, pretending to look. He didn’t want to take anything from Cyndra except the fire and energy growing inside her body. As he rounded the last shelf, she sighed happily and crinkled the foil into a ball, tossing it over the counter.

  “So good,” she said through a yawn.

  I’m sure I can find something to do if you want to take a nap, Rune offered.

  Cyndra shook her head. “Since we’re taking a train, I think we should pack the boat. Besides, I’m itching to stretch my legs.”

  Sensing the half-truth, Zorin approached the duo, trying to catch her eye and failing again. He spoke instead. “I’ll take the chair and backpack. Perhaps make a second trip if needed.”

  She glanced around, shaking her head. “One should be fine. I don’t want the mattress or dresser. Nightstand is trash. Just the stuff from my kitchen area and rest of my clothes. Everything else is back at the lighthouse. Feel like going for a walk?”

  Rune nodded, much to his chagrin.

  “Let me shut the doors, I’ll meet you out back.”

  Keeping to his promise, Zorin picked up the duffle bag full of old cooking items and mismatched utensils, hating to see how much everyone suffered after the flare. He followed Rune into the sleeping room and swung the backpack over his shoulder. “Can you carry the chair outside?”

  Sure.

  Zorin exited the trailer and waited. He wanted to be in the air before Cyndra arrived, put more distance between them. Ease the temptations they both continued to feel being so near one another.

  After collecting the chair from Rune, he extended his wings and gazed at the roof of the trailer.

  She’s stalling so you may as well go. See you later, Rune projected while he shrugged.

  Zorin nodded, jumped onto the trailer, and then took to the air without looking back, awkwardly holding the meager pieces of Cyndra’s life in his hands. He soared over the treetops, heading back the way they came, hoping when he saw her again they were both calmer. Perhaps enough to talk about their plan once they arrived in the Southzone, to keep them both focused on the task instead of each other.

  He tucked the backpack in the floor storage compartment of the boat so it wouldn’t get wet should it rain while they were gone then set the rocking chair in the hollow between the only two seats on the boat. According to Cyndra, most of the humans stayed away from this part of the coast having been one of the more heavily radiated spots after the flare. Trusting her knowledge of the Eastzone, Zorin hopped onto the dock, watching the last of the sun fade from the sky.

  Following a path back to the woods, Zorin searched for a thick enough tree to hold his weight, then took off into the air once more, enjoying the flight much more without the cumbersome items he carried.

  Aware Rune and Cyndra were only halfway through their walk to the boat, Zorin circled back toward the coast, catching a glimpse of the lighthouse in the distance. As he leaned his wings sideways to swing back to the woods, a burst of Cyndra’s fire filled his chest, warming his skin. He tucked his wings and followed her pull, trying to ignore the urge to strengthen his siphon.

  When he neared a clearing among the trees and sensed her energy entering the mix, every muscle tightened beneath his skin. He landed with a hard thud to see Cyndra walking in front of Rune, casually swirling her hands and by extension her powers in the air.

  “What are you doing?”

  She stopped with a sharp jerk and blinked at him. “Huh?”

  Zorin stepped closer and whispered through grit teeth. “Are you tempting me, Cyndra?”

  “No,” she spat, balling her hands into tight fists while shaking her head and trying to walk around him. He wouldn’t da
re touch her, so he blocked her path and ignored Rune as he ran closer. When her cheeks darkened and body shook, she stared into his eyes. “I just needed it out, you know why.”

  “Perhaps a warning next time,” Zorin grunted, narrowing his gaze. Didn’t she know the strength of her powers by now?

  Cyndra spun around as Rune neared. How far is the boat?

  “Less than half a mile,” Zorin replied and stared at the back of her head since she refused to meet his eyes again. “Enjoy the rest of your walk. I will meet you—”

  “Told you,” Cyndra sighed, ripping her sai from the belt. Her tight fist and weapon caught fire instantly.

  Guess they’re not all gone. Rune already had a knife in each hand.

  Zorin realized the ulterior motive, but didn’t feel sick or sense any tainted power. “Soulless?”

  Cyndra moved between him and the trees behind her. “You don’t sense them?”

  “No.” Zorin frowned, extending his wings, ready to fight.

  Instead of materializing out of thin air, three soulless emerged from the trees shifting like Mergan, moving twice as fast as normal in a zigzag pattern. They paused at the same time and stood in a straight line with the same angry expressions on their cloudy pale faces.

  Cyndra tilted her head and lifted her hand to Rune, who was about to toss his knife. When she took a step closer, every cell in Zorin’s body vibrated.

  “Where are they?” the middle soulless said, raspy and strained.

  “Who?” Cyndra asked, facing her left palm away from the soulless and toward Zorin, releasing her energy just for him.

  “Our shadows.”

  Zorin absorbed her power through their agreed upon siphon and nothing more, no matter how much he wanted otherwise.

  Shadows? Rune blinked.

  “The mirror-wraiths?”

  “Yes.” The first woman frowned. “She promised. They can bring us in.”

  “I’m sorry, Mergan lied to you. They only bring in casters, Becca already tried.”

  “Tell us where they are!” The third said, lifting his hands, opening his dark siphon, and targeting Rune.

  The first two disappeared, popping up behind Cyndra.

  Zorin dashed forward, slicing upward with his wing, catching the shoulders of both men. Cyndra spun and shot her flare, hitting one while Rune’s knife slashed through the air, slamming into the second’s chest.

  Behind you, Rune warned, reaching for another weapon from his belt.

  The drain of the soulless froze him in place before he could defend himself.

  “No!” Cyndra sprinted past him, and directed her energycasting hand at the woman, sending her crashing into a ghostwood tree.

  “We’ll always find you. We’ll never stop hunting you, shadow or not.” The third stared at Cyndra while the other smirked and lifted his hands.

  “And I’ll never stop dusting you,” Cyndra barked, letting the fire spark to life and spread along the entire right side of her body. When she lifted her hand, the flames shot forward, crackling the soulless apart in a split-second.

  Rune chased a male soulless into a narrow clearing, shielding his body with the flaming casterguard, much larger than Zorin had ever seen it, and stretched out his left hand, making the ground rumble and vines twist around the man’s ankles.

  Zorin targeted the final attacker who had her sights on Cyndra. “To your left!”

  Cyndra spun, directing her energy and missing her target.

  He bolted forward when the orange and greenish light of the dark siphon spilled from Cyndra’s fingertips.

  “Cyndra!”

  Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as the flames sprang back to life encasing the entire right side of her body. When she made a fist, the fire flared high into the air and blasted off her, dusting the final two soulless.

  She fell to her knees.

  Zorin dashed over to see her smiling. He frowned, trying to ignore the shiver riding his spine. All her power was gone.

  Chapter 7

  For the first time in weeks, Cyndra felt powerless, completely drained of her fire and energy. Between Zorin and the soulless, she had nothing left. The sensation, though odd, didn’t weaken her to the point of paralysis, which was a plus. Wiping her brow, she glanced back to the concerned faces of Rune and Zorin.

  “What?”

  Zorin rubbed his chin. “You didn’t notice?”

  Do you feel different? Rune grinned.

  “Yeah, I do…why?”

  “Your entire right side was covered in flames before you flared out.”

  “No way,” Cyndra replied, glancing down at her hand. “You think I mastered fire? Is that possible?”

  “Unknown. You are the only adult casters to awaken to my knowledge.”

  Rune happily shrugged. How do you feel?

  “Honestly? Like I don’t have powers, feels like it’s all gone,” Cyndra said, looking over to Zorin. “Is that normal?”

  He shook his head offering nothing more.

  Cyndra rolled her eyes, walked over to her duffle bag, picked it up and returned to the path heading toward the boat. Rune, right at her side and smiling, easily lifted her spirits. Thinking it was best to pick up the pace, she kept the chit-chat to a minimum until they reached the flatter landscape of the coastline.

  “Anyone have any guesses?”

  “About?” Zorin grumbled from behind.

  “Where the wraiths are?”

  Cyndra? Jack’s projected voice echoed through her head. She paused, turning back toward the direction of the village.

  Rune brushed his hand against hers. What is it?

  “Jack,” Cyndra said, sensing Zorin’s energy instantly change when the caster jogged out of the woods with a troubled expression.

  “Is everything okay?” He slowed, looking from face to face. “Might not be as strong as you two yet, but our bond is strengthening rapidly.”

  “Soulless,” Zorin replied, making Jack frown. “Consider yourself lucky not to run into them.”

  “Since I haven’t remembered my lessons, and with practicing in the village impractical, I’ve rarely used my elements.”

  “Do you know your second?” Cyndra asked, anything to turn the conversation.

  “Earth, just like Rune,” Jack answered.

  Really?

  Jack nodded. “Not many of us from what I remember.”

  “And fewer masters,” Zorin added. “I’m happy to take the rest to the boat while you head back.”

  Rune happily nodded as he glanced over to Cyndra. She shrugged and handed him her bag, offering a weak smile, wishing he’d stay since she felt so out of sorts.

  “You came here on a boat? Damn that’s cool,” Jack said.

  You’re going to come back to the island with us, right?

  “One thing at a time,” Cyndra said, chuckling. “Let’s get to the SZ and look for Tulli first.”

  Rune shrugged. I think it’s where we’re meant to be, Cyndra. I can’t change that feeling.

  “I know,” she replied and glanced back to Zorin, who wasn’t there anymore. She sighed, trying to keep everything off her face as she retraced her steps back to the trailer.

  “How did you guys reconnect?” Jack asked, walking beside Rune, glimpsing back every so often. Cyndra let Rune tell the story, adding a few details from her point of view, bringing them up to the fight with Mergan in the tower.

  She created these spears in her hands, tossed Zorin and I around like paper. Then she knocked me out. Rune averted his eyes sideways.

  “I was fighting her and without thinking, I put my hands together and created this blast of power, knocked her out, and tried to contain my elements, but they were too strong so I got to a safe distance…” Cyndra shook her head, hating reliving that moment, knowing it could have been her last. “My energy shielded me from the blast, I guess, that’s when I figured out I was a siphon too.”

  “You’re from one of the strongest and oldest caster lines, Cyndr
a. It’s probably why the journal was entrusted to you,” Jack said, glancing over at Rune. “All of us protected by Silvio were children of original caster families, or so we were taught.”

  Cyndra slowed when she reached the clearing behind her trailer. Her powers still hadn’t returned and the exhaustion didn’t help. Although she was anxious to talk to Jack more, the train ride to the Southzone left them plenty of time to get reacquainted. Faking a yawn to speed up the goodbye, she neared the trailer seeing Rune smirk over at her.

  What do you guys have around here for breakfast? Rune asked. Cyndra and I are early birds, so…

  “Always depends, but options are better on Friday, happy to meet you in the market after I see Kyle off,” Jack said, beaming with as much joy as Rune usually did.

  “Sounds great,” Cyndra said, unlatching the door handle.

  Jack stayed on the side of the trailer and lifted his hand, still grinning. “Pleasant evening, casters.”

  Same to you, Rune chuckled.

  Cyndra smiled and reached out to squeeze his fingers once before vanishing inside the trailer with Rune. He turned on the lights and walked into the trade shop. She glanced around the mostly barren room and sighed, this was her last night here.

  “It’s still early you don’t have to stick around.”

  I’m just as tired as you, Rune said, glancing back from the counter.

  “Well, there’s plenty of room on my mattress, but I warn you it’s not much better than sleeping on the floor.” Cyndra kicked off her boots and emptied her pockets, setting her money on the table she was leaving behind and crawled onto the bed.

  Rune moved to the other side and stayed as close to the edge as possible, amusing Cyndra slightly. She rolled, facing the back of the trailer and tucked her hands beneath her head since she packed her only pillow. Shutting her eyes, Cyndra realized just how tired she was and drifted off instantly.