“What?”
“It’s what that boy whispered in my ear. He did it all to wipe out the pig-runs and tree-sprites and cement his rule, Sharon.” Tears swelled in his eyes. “And he’s not stopping with Tuat.”
“What do you mean, not stopping with—”
The Golems cracked as Baba struggled to break free.
“I don’t have enough strength to fight Baba so I’m going to bring this mountain down on us both.”
“Khaba...” Sharon could only stand and look on as the ground shook and the rocks tumbled down from the ceiling.
“Save my people. Stop Simon. Stop the ice. I’m begging you. Whatever it takes. Save my world.”
Sharon nodded.
“Promise me.”
“I promise,” she said.
Khaba grinned. “Farewell then, dragon slayer.” He let go of Baba’s tail and formed a triangle with his hands.
Large slabs of stone ripped from the ground, forming a pyramid over Sharon, shielding her from the falling rocks.
The last thing Sharon saw, as the boulders fell and the slabs of stone connected with one another and blocked out the light, a towering giant of a man with bronze skin, dark piercing eyes, and long black hair that draped his broad shoulders, nodding a farewell.
CHAPTER 32
Down the Rabbit Hole
PURPLE FLOWERS LIT HER WAY. They sprouted from the grass with each step, blossoming before Sharon’s eyes, lighting the path up the hill. A single golden oak tree rested on top of the hill. A murder of crows gathered on every branch, following her every step with ghost eyes. Millions of stars sprinkled in the night, twinkling like shimmering gold dust. A wooden swing swayed from a tree branch in the cool night breeze.
The Crow Boy held the ropes tight as he rocked back and forth. He was naked and his bare skin was moonlight pale. He was more than just skinny—starved and emaciated—and Sharon could count the bumps of his spine protruding from his back.
She climbed the hill and stepped to his side.
He did not glance her way but looked to the stars, his ink-black hair dripping oil droplets onto the purple flowers.
“I keep on finding myself having to thank you,” said Sharon as she rested her fingers against the thick spiraling rope of the swing. “And I keep on finding myself without the right words to say.” She took a moment to gather her thoughts. “I want to say things will get better. I want to promise you that I can right whatever wrong that’s been done to you. But the truth is, I’m just as scared as you. The future is uncertain. And it terrifies me.” She glanced back at her angelic wings. “Some guardian angel I turned out to be. I’m no hero either. I couldn’t save anyone. Gabriel, Dew-paw, Khaba, Michelle, Sofiel...”
The Crow Boy placed his hand over hers.
She wrapped her fingers around his and locked eyes with him, peering into his golden eyes.
“But even if I can’t save everyone,” said Sharon. “You can be damn sure I’m going to find a way to return you to your former self. Or I’m gonna die trying. That I can promise you.” She focused her mind’s eye and her wings shined with vibrant light. The wings shrunk and shriveled, disappearing into her back. “It’s time I stopped pretending and started being.” The third eye upon her forehead closed. “It’s time I became the woman I was destined to be.”
“Thank you, Kevin,” she said, smiling. “For being my guiding light in the darkness.”
He returned her smile and the light poured in.
***
The dust settled, the rocks fell silent, and Sharon awoke with a choking cough.
“Are you alright?” asked Dew-paw as he pushed the slab of stone aside, letting the sunlight pour in.
“Yes...” she answered, gathering her breath. “I think so... thanks to Khaba.”
“I searched everywhere for him but...”
Her gaze strayed from his and he got his answer.
She clenched her fist around her crystal. “He died saving me...” Despite everything that’s happened, despite gaining this new power, I’m still just a damsel in distress. Maybe Rage was right back then… I never wanted power, because I was afraid… But now that I have a little… All I can think about is how many lives I could have saved if I only had more.
“He saved me too.” Dew-paw nursed his broken arm as grief filled his face. “My brother died a hero.”
Her eyes met his again. “What about the others? Did he save them all?”
“The same slabs of stone formed around me and the others before the mountain came down. Khaba’s last heroic act.”
Sharon scanned ahead of the settling dust and spotted Michelle on her hands and knees, whispering to herself.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” Michelle told herself.
“But to answer your question,” said Dew-paw, pointing ahead. “No, not all of us were saved.”
“Gabriel...” Sofiel, now in her human form, hunched over a man with a powerful chest and shoulders, a hard chin full of stubble, and tousled brown hair.
His eyes were blue and his face handsome with a lingering wolf-like presence. But his body was a train wreck. His skin red and purple and pale.
Sofiel’s hands were hovering over his chest, forming a circle of blue energy. “Stay with me. Come on.” Her voice was full of panic.
“...Sofiel,” Gabriel whispered, his voice faint and near inaudible.
“I’m here,” said Sofiel.
“That’s enough.”
Tears streamed down her face. “Stop talking.”
“Gabriel.” Sharon ran to Sofiel and knelt down to Gabriel’s side. “How is he?”
Sofiel shook her head. “He’s lost too much blood.”
Sharon rested her left hand over Sofiel’s, her crystal clutched in her right fist. “Use my power.”
“Power isn’t the issue. There’s too much damage. There’s just too much...”
Sharon locked eyes with Sofiel. “We can try.”
Sofiel nodded, focused her mind, and channeled Sharon’s power.
The blue circle doubled in size.
“It’s all right.” Gabriel’s eyes were dim.
“The hell it is,” Sofiel yelled back.
Gabriel’s lips parted. “Sofiel...”
“I won’t lose you. I refuse.”
He placed his hand over hers. “Stop.”
“I can’t. I won’t. Never.” Tears streamed down her face and fell on Sharon’s hands. She was breaking down after so many years, her calm monk-like demeanor shattered. “I love you. You hear me? I love you.”
Sharon held the air in her lungs.
Sofiel’s hair started to change color, a red hue bleeding through each silver lock and dyeing them deep crimson. Her eyes shined like a couple of rubies in two pools of milk.
Extreme emotion. In that moment, Sharon remembered Sofiel’s words. Extreme emotion can dilute the purity and change the color of your soul’s energy, permanently. Only now did she truly understand Gabriel’s reluctance. The risk of love was as great as any hate. Sofiel was becoming an Emo-sha before her eyes and she could do nothing but watch. Did you know this would happen, Rage? Did you really plan it all out so meticulously? Michelle’s been driven mad. Khaba sacrificed himself. Baba’s dead and soon Gabriel will be too. And now Sofiel’s going to turn and I’ll have lost another friend. You’ve won, Rage. And we—I—lost. Damn it, is this what it feels like to be powerless? Does it always hurt so much? If only—
“If only I had Rage’s power,” said Sofiel as she fell into a trance, a drug like high.
Sharon’s eyes widened.
“All I need is more power,” Sofiel chanted with a delirious fury, her crystal burning red. “If I had more power I could save you. I could save everyone. I could—”
Gabriel placed his hands over both cheeks of Sofiel’s face. “Please, Sofiel, you have to stop.”
Sofiel’s trembling slowed. She locked eyes with him.
“I won’t have you turn into one of the
m over me,” he told her.
Sofiel rested her hand over his and closed her eyes.
“Just let me go.”
Sofiel calmed herself, taking in a deep breath and exhaling. The red faded from her eyes and the silver returned in her hair. Her crystal glowed blue once more.
“Sharon,” Gabriel whispered, turning his gaze her direction.
“Yes?” asked Sharon.
“You have so much power within you. But with great power will come the temptation to use it. Don’t let the cruelty of this world harden your heart and cloud your eyes.”
“I won’t.” Tears fell from Sharon’s eyes. “I promise.”
“You will find uniting people far more difficult than slaying dragons. But don’t lose hope. Never lose hope.”
Sharon nodded.
“I leave you to find the answer I couldn’t.” He turned back to Sofiel and placed both hands over her cheeks once more and pulled her in for the first and last kiss. “Till we meet again, my love... in another... life...”
And so, Sofiel tasted Gabriel’s last breath.
Sharon found herself a loss for words. She glanced Sofiel’s way and saw that she was holding back a flood of grief and tears and she knew she had to do the same. She wiped her own tears away with her sleeve.
The wind picked up, carrying white flower petals from the surrounding tree along for the ride.
Sharon snatched a small flower from the air and placed it upon Gabriel’s chest.
“Is he dead?” asked Michelle, shooting them a glance.
“Yes,” said Sharon. “Are you satisfied now?”
“I don’t understand,” replied Michelle. “How can you mourn for him after what he did?”
“All life is precious,” Sharon answered.
She stared down at the hand he had grabbed onto to pull her up and over the edge of the cliff. “Why did he save me?”
“All life is precious, even yours. That’s what he believed.”
Michelle looked away. “It wasn’t supposed to end like this.”
“It’s not the end,” said Sharon as a shadow moved over her. She looked up, spotting Joy hovering in the sky above her.
Joy gave out a whistle as he surveyed the destruction. “Whoa, now that was some cave in.” He floated down and landed a few feet from Sharon. “Looks like all the gods finally kicked the bucket.” His eyes went from Gabriel’s still body to a mourning Sofiel. “Well, three out of four ain’t bad.”
Sharon leaped to her feet, charged him, and grabbed him by the scruff of his collar. “Bastard.” She formed a fist with her other hand and cocked her arm back.
“Easy.” Joy raised both hands in a show of surrender. “You wouldn’t hit an unarmed man, would you?”
Sharon relaxed her fist. “Fantasizing about it.” She let him go with a shove.
Joy straightened his collar. “No use shedding tears over spilled milk.”
“Are you even capable of tears anymore?”
“You talk as if that was a bad thing.” He circled her.
“What kind of person are you?”
“I’m the kind who’s reached true enlightenment, care to join me?”
“Is that what you really think? No, you’re just another sick lunatic with delusions of grandeur.”
“We all have our faults.” He shrugged. “Your fault was not taking Sofiel’s mirror home when you had the chance. Now it’s buried underneath a mountain of rock. What a shame.”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, Joy, but I’m not going anywhere. Not until I put a stop to whatever you and Rage are planning.”
“Speaking of delusions of grandeur.”
“So, did you just come to gloat or did you come to take me to Rage?” Sharon rolled up her sleeves. “Well, I hope you came expecting a fight.”
“Don’t make me laugh, sweet cakes,” He levitated a few feet into the air and performed a mocking bow. “I don’t work for Rage. Nope. Not even Morrie for that matter. No, I’m working for Simon. Always have. And Simon has requested your presence. So, I suggest you come quietly.”
“Simon?” Sofiel rose to her feet as she heard his name. “That’s why you are here? What does Simon—?”
“This doesn’t concern you, Sofiel,” replied Joy. “Go back to babysitting your plants. And pray Rage goes on believing you died in the cave in.”
“I keep hearing that name,” said Sharon. “What exactly does Simon have to do with all of this?”
Joy extended his hand with a grin. “Come with me and you just might find out.”
“One second.” Sharon turned from Joy and walked back to Sofiel.
“You don’t really intend on going with him, do you?” asked Sofiel.
“I need answers. And this Simon might just have them.”
“Simon...” Sofiel shook her head and whispered to herself. “Just how far have you fallen?”
“I intend to find out.” Sharon stepped to Dew-paw’s side. “It’s time we ended this war.”
“But how?” asked Dew-paw. “Without Khaba my people are leaderless. Although I was his brother... I’m no god. Too many will challenge my claim. There will be strife among ourselves let alone with the other races.”
“Then you’ll need a leader.” She turned from Dew-paw. “Michelle?”
Michelle rose to her feet. “Me?”
“You think you’ll be up to the task?” asked Sharon. “Gabriel saved your life for a reason. Maybe this is it.”
“Her?” Dew-paw scoffed. “She’s just some girl.”
Sharon shook her head. “She’s strong.”
“Regardless, the council will never accept her. She has no claim.”
“I have a claim,” said Michelle, straightening her posture.
“Bah—you have no title.”
“You’re wrong,” said Michelle as she held up Solomon’s golden mask. “I am the Queen of Tuat.”
Dew-paw staggered back “Solomon’s...”
“I am his widow.” She raised the mask over her face. “His heir.”
“Even if you are who you claim to be...” Dew-paw steadied himself. “The pig-runs hated Solomon almost as much as Simon.”
“Almost might be the difference we need,” said Sharon.
“Maybe...” Dew-paw scratched his chin. “She will gain some human support as well—if we can muster forces away from Simon. If. But many pig-runs will never trust humans again.”
“Khaba was human,” noted Sharon.
“That was different,” said Dew-paw. “He was raised by pig-runs.”
“And I have lived among them for many years,” said Michelle. “I am no outsider.”
“Will it be enough?” asked Sharon.
Dew-paw shrugged. “It’s a tossup at best.”
“For now, I’ll take what I can get. Michelle, you and Dew-paw go to the pig-runs and make your case. Tell them what happened here. Tell them Khaba’s dream. Tell them... there’s a new Mirror Guardian in town. And she’s on their side.”
Sofiel stepped to Sharon. “Here then, it’s about time you looked the part.” Sofiel took off her white cloak with blue linings and wrapped it around Sharon. “Now to make it official.” She gestured to Sharon with an open palm.
Sharon placed her blue crystal in Sofiel’s hand.
Sofiel took the crystal and fastened it to a silver chain. “Kneel.”
Sharon did as she was told and fell to one knee.
“Sharon Ashcraft, I anoint the, and entrust the, with the guidance and protection of all the peoples of Tuat.” Sofiel tied the silver necklace around Sharon’s neck. “Now rise, Guardian of the Mirrors.”
Sharon rose, opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself short.
“Something’s on your mind,” said Sofiel, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Tell me, please.”
“Remember when I told you I believed everything has been orchestrated?” asked Sharon.
“Yes.”
“Well, I think I know who the conductor is.”
“What do you mean? I thought Rage was—”
“No. He’s just another pawn. We all are. Just pieces on the board. Pawns in a grander game than any of us can imagine.”
“Then who? Simon?”
Sharon shook her head. “There’s something in the mirrors. Something bigger than the both of us. Something ancient and evil. Real genuine evil. I need to know more. About Simon, the ice, this Undead Bride... about the crow. I need to find out the truth.”
“The truth is everything you think you know is a lie,” Joy blurted out, with too much enthusiasm. “You see, reality is just like an onion, you have to peel back the layers to get to the truth. Only through the unveiling of lies can enlightenment come.”
Sharon was taken aback. It was her own cynicism being reflected back at her. As much as she wanted to hate Joy, she couldn’t deny it any more. We’re the same. No, we were once the same. He took another path I could have just as easily taken.
“But there is always that risk.”
“Risk?” Sharon asked.
“That everything is a lie!” Joy broke out into a laughing fit. “That the very nature of reality is just a series of lies stacked upon one another, endlessly piling up like a steaming heap of bullshit. Illusions upon delusions. Fantasy within fantasy. Pure absolute insanity.”
“What made you this way?” asked Sharon. “Who hurt you, Jeff?”
“I’m incapable of feeling pain.”
“That’s a lie. Anyone can see you’re suffering.”
“Enlightened beings are beyond suffering.”
“I’m going to find a way to help you, Jeff. I’m going to save you.”
“So, you really want to know the ‘truth’?”
Sharon walked up to him. “Yes.”
“You still think there’s such a thing?”
“Yes.”
He offered up his hand. “Then you’ll just have to follow me down the rabbit hole.”
The crow glided down from the sky and perched himself on Sharon’s shoulder, giving out a rude, defiant caw.
Sharon pet the crow’s head and stroked his jet-black feathers. “I know only two truths to be absolute. One, there is great evil here on Tuat. And two, I am its opponent.” She locked eyes with the crow. “You ready, Kevin?”
The Crow Behind the Mirror_Book One of the Mirror Wars Page 33