by Lisa E Parry
“Princess, what you did just now adds credence to our theory about travelling back - through mirrors. I’ve been researching the use of mirrors in Adhelm’s archives. Here, they are used quite frequently, but only by the most powerful sorcerers or sorceresses.” Nick looked pointedly at me. “Do you think you can do that?”
“Do any of those books tell us how?”
“No,” Nick answered. “I haven’t found that answer yet. It would seem the spell was only passed on by word of mouth from one sorcerer to another. Never written down. I guess that information in the wrong hands could be dangerous.” Obviously, he also hoped I would spontaneously know how to do it – considering I had surprised them on so many occasions in the past. It was the book of Magia Ater that had illustrated mirror travel for me, though.
The spell surfaced in my mind. I mentally shuffled through spells from the book. Darkness tinged the edge of my vision, so I closed my eyes to concentrate.
“I didn’t know you could do that.” I looked up at Dorian. “I thought spells only came to you when you needed them?”
My lips parted. He was right. Dorian had seen what I was doing in my mind. The action hadn’t even raised a flag with me. It should have. Had something changed? Why could I access those spells? I clenched my jaw. Avellana had been sifting through them. She was making them accessible for me – she wanted me to use them. No, leave me alone! I strode towards the balcony, hoping fresh air would penetrate the tightness in my chest. The silence in the room behind me was deafening.
After a few rejuvenating breaths of air that seemed cooler than when we first arrived here, I returned to my friends and sat back down on the bed. I bit my lip as I considered the monumental request. It took quite a few witches to open the portal to this world, but it was through a portal that already existed. It just needed activating. Could I create one myself? Portal and mirror? I gnawed on my lip. It would take a certain weaving of travel through space and dimension. I had never done that – just space. The best approach would be trial and error. But how would I know I was opening a portal to our own world? It was so far removed from us that I might not even open it in the right time or dimension.
With damning resignation, I knew who had the ability: Anarch. Another thought occurred to me. Avellana had taught Elfina how to create a portal. Elfina could do it.
My silence to Dorian’s question dragged on …
“Mel, your eyes are green. What are you thinking?” Viola’s voice cut into my thoughts. My vision sharpened as I came back to reality.
“Elfina can do it.”
“What? How do you know?” Dorian asked.
“She told me last night that Avellana had taught her. She visited our world a long time ago.”
“That’s fantastic news! I know she would do that for us – for you.”
I gave Dorian a dangerous look.
“Sorry,” Nick interrupted, “but I get the feeling that we’re missing something. Who are Elfina and Avellana? You know them well enough that they would be willing to send us back?”
Some kind of explanation was in order. “We don’t really have the time to explain it all. But in a nutshell; I was a sorceress called Avellana from this world – in a previous life. If you ask me, she was a nasty bitch that enjoyed torturing and killing people with Elfina. Elfina is Queen of Caster. That’s where we are now.”
Nick and Viola immediately talked over each other with questions, but I raised my hand. “Seriously, no time.”
“So, you’re just gonna info-dump on us and explain it all later?” Nick scowled at me.
Dorian cut in. “Melissa, soon everyone will know what you have done, and the King will not be happy that you have bailed out on him. Elfina might come here and retrieve you if she can travel through mirrors.”
“She can’t follow us.”
“She can if she knows how to read a person’s magic – the residue of your spell. She could follow the fading imprint you left.” Viola was right, as usual.
“Bugger.” I felt suddenly nervous that a very mad warrior queen would burst out of the mirror at any moment. I almost laughed at the image in my head – at which Dorian gave me an exasperated look.
“We’ve been researching something else…” Viola added, looking to Nick who nodded emphatically.
At that moment, a loud boom resonated throughout the room, shaking the floor beneath us. The glass in the mirror vibrated then cracked down the centre - sounding like ice cracking when dropped into warm water. Through the crack, a prism of light sparkled through. Nick pushed Viola behind him and Dorian stood in front of me on instinct.
The view in the mirror changed. There stood Queen Elfina in its reflection. I heard Nick and Viola gasp at the sight of her - and rightly so, given the image she projected. The queen’s red hair coiled around her as though it had a mind of its own and a delicate hue of light radiated from her pale skin. Her green eyes glowed menacingly as a sneer overtook her features - amber light exuding from her hands. She emerged through the mirror as though it were a normal doorway.
Her eyes caught mine. “You think you’re going to have all the fun without me? Think again. This war starts with us, so no running away. If you don’t step back through that mirror now then I will turn you into a banshee.” She smiled at her own words, but the menace was there, and I knew she was perfectly capable of following through with it. Avellana had been on the receiving end of that spell more than once. I heard laughter in my head. All the times I had accused Cheri of being a banshee and now Elfina was threatening to turn me into one. It made me laugh out loud. Everyone looked at me like I’d gone crazy. Hell, maybe I have!
With urgency, I asked Viola, “Do you have your magic back?” She shook her head, her sense of loss evident in her eyes.
“Don’t worry, we’ll work through it.” I turned to Nick. “Will you help tonight? Will Dayna come too?” The tremor in my voice betrayed my desperation. He nodded soberly. “Good. Bring your books with you.”
“Avellana, bring whomever you must, but do it before I turn another century old.” Elfina crossed her arms and tapped her foot petulantly. “I have much to discuss.”
“I am not Avellana!” I bellowed at the queen and stamped my foot. The floor cracked beneath it as a shockwave rippled through the room.
“Good. You haven’t mislaid your temper. You’ll need that.” Elfina smirked, unmoved. I sighed.
In the space of about an hour, we had Dayna and Ethan in the room with us. Denley, Aidan’s copper-haired personal guard, expressed his wish to join us. Word had spread of my return and my intentions. Before we knew it, young witches and warlocks were knocking on the door, along with their warriors. Dorian turned palace guards away, as they would be needed in Esentia if we failed.
Queen Elfina was in the process of activating the mirror when Anarch roared in my mind, “When the time comes, do not deny me!”
***
“Cheri, stand back,” Aidan warned as I patiently watched people slowly step through the mirror. Finally, the last to emerge was Melissa - dragged through by Dorian and Nick. My stomach somersaulted when I realised she was screaming. Fire blasted from her hands and we all took cover. Dorian and Nick were thrown across the room. Aidan pulled me back and pushed me behind Neil. Viola was already crouching behind him.
“Melissa!” I cried and ran to her. I knelt beside her thrashing body. She doesn’t deserve this! “Melissa, can you hear me?” My voice cracked as I tried to yell over the girl’s wailing. Green fireballs shot out of her hands again, but I dodged them. Queen Elfina approached and waved her hand over Melissa. With one last scream, she stopped flailing.
“What is it?” I managed to help her to her feet. My heart thudded in my chest. I was getting too old for this job.
Elfina murmured menacingly over my shoulder, “Anarch has marked her for himself.”
The girl was drenched in sweat and breathing raggedly. Crazed brown eyes found mine. “He said it was a taste of what is to come if I try
to run.” Melissa steadied herself on a bedpost.
I flinched when Melissa screamed out again. What I saw shocked me to the core and I would never forget it. Her soul wrenched free from her body. She fell forwards onto her hands and knees, but her spirit collapsed flat to the floor. In that moment, there were two of her. Dorian picked up her body before it crumpled. Her eyes were blank and staring. He checked for a pulse.
“Melissa…” he said tenderly. He looked from her body to her soul, clearly at a loss of what to do. Viola burst into tears and a shaking hand went to Dayna’s mouth to stop herself from doing the same. I would not make such an exhibition. I needed to focus. With Melissa in Dorian’s arms, I took an unsteady step back.
“Why is he torturing her?” Viola sobbed.
“He wants her in a weakened state,” Queen Elfina said plainly.
When Oliver appeared, I was the first to notice. He was different - more of a mourning soul than the happy one I had gotten to know. His shoulders curled inwards. Sorrow filled those glassy blue eyes, and that was when I knew.
He stepped closer and the crowd parted. Dorian moved Melissa away from her soul, stranded on the floor face down. Oliver hovered over her spirit, then took her into his arms. After turning her over, he gently patted her face to wake her. With no response, he shook her and she woke up with a gasp. Her spirit snapped back to her body and she took in a deep shuddering breath.
Oliver sagged with relief and Dorian buried his face in her hair. “Thank God.”
We all stood silently, having no words to describe what just happened - making sense of it was impossible. I rubbed at my temples. This episode was over. What would Anarch do to her when he had her in his castle?
I sluggishly regained my equilibrium. “King Aidan, Queen Elfina, I must speak with you immediately,” I announced shakily and guided them both outside. Before shutting the door, I yelled, “Will someone get a damned physician?!”
Chapter 18
I ushered the two rulers into an adjoining, unused room. On closing the door, I caught a glimpse of a guard running to fetch medical help. I took in a deep steadying breath and let it out slowly before turning to the royals. In all honesty, I didn’t know where to begin. However, before I could find my words, Elfina threw a fireball at an exquisite vase above the fireplace and obliterated it. Aidan and I flinched.
“Queen Elfina, please try to control your temper,” Aidan said whilst rubbing his brow.
A subdued red aura radiated from the fuming queen. She glared at Aidan. “The last person who requested that of me I turned into a goblin.” However, she let out a ragged breath and her aura, fed by magic, dissipated. She crossed her arms and turned to me with expectation. I addressed my question to them both.
“Do we have a plan?”
Aidan stepped forward. “My army is in place here in Caster. We will be joined by Oswyn’s forces near sundown. I believe we must postpone our march.” He glanced from me to Elfina. “We might uncover Anarch’s next move with Melissa in his custody. There is no point in storming his castle if his armies are stationed elsewhere.”
I nodded to Aidan, respecting him for not losing his wits. I gained strength from his solid resolve and turned to Elfina for her input. She raised her chin, “I must consult with my council to confirm a plan of action. If the king wishes to wait, then we shall wait. My army at his disposal.”
She paused and began to pace, her long dress swishing on the polished floor. “In the past, I have been more effective than most armies.” She shrugged her thick red hair behind a pointed ear, exuding self-importance. I almost rolled my eyes at the gesture.
Footsteps hurried along the corridor beyond the door. We were running out of time. I turned to King Aidan, “I request an audience with Stephanie, your majesty.” Aidan’s mouth opened to reply…
“Who is Stephanie?” Elfina asked.
“A traitor,” both Aidan and I said in unison. “She was in our company from my world,” I went on, “but disappointingly turned out to be a spy informing Anarch of our every move.” I clasped my hands together. “She is being held prisoner at Aidan’s castle. Can you please take me there through the …the …” I faltered, coming to terms with what Melissa and Elfina were capable of.
“Through the mirror?” Elfina finished for me with a wicked smile on her lips. Melissa probably wasn’t even aware of the implications of what she had done, but from the Queen’s sneer, I knew she certainly was. “So, tell me,” Elfina went on. “Does Melissa know that she can distort time? - that she can travel to realities other than her own? I have visited a number myself, but have found none as interesting as yours.” She said it in such an offhand fashion that I just stared at her. She had voiced my inner thoughts. I had read about the possibility of inter-dimensional travel, and knew why such an art had been banned in my world.
Something occurred to me then. “Anarch can also travel in that way.” I thought back to Dartmoor, “He distorts realities to overlap rather than create portals that anchor magic to a specific location.”
“Can Melissa do it?” Aidan asked.
“I don’t know. Melissa likes to defy the laws of nature at every turn, so I am going to assume that she can.” The thought was a little derailing, but it was a piece of information I had logged in the back of my mind.
“Of course she can!” Elfina exclaimed. “It was Avellana who taught me how.” She paced by an immaculately made four-poster bed to the window and looked out over the castle. Something was bothering her, but I would wait for her to reveal her troubling thoughts.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “We are getting a little off track.” I opened my eyes again for them to settle on Aidan. “May I see your prisoner? I need to ask her if she knows what Anarch plans to do with Melissa.”
“Of course,” Aidan nodded. His deep, blue eyes were sad. “I shall escort you.”
“I shall activate the mirror and go with you,” Elfina added, her back to us.
I took a deep breath. “And now for a matter that I hoped never to discuss, but we can’t avoid it in the circumstances.” The tone of my voice brought Elfina’s attention back to me and Aidan stepped a little closer. “What do we do if we need to subdue Melissa?” Silence met my words. “She is incredibly powerful. We need a plan to take her out if needs be.” I paused and took in a deep breath. “She is not stable, and I don’t think it will take much to push her over the edge. Maybe that is Anarch’s plan.”
“I had reached a similar conclusion,” Aidan added solemnly. I noticed a change in his posture: his shoulders slouched and his head hung in reflection. He had obviously come to like the girl and regard her highly. It was hard not to care for her when she persisted in saving everyone’s life. Perhaps in being a King and responsible for so many lives himself, he had found a kindred spirit in her. I couldn’t help but shake my head. It would be a sorry loss if we had to kill her - and through no fault of her own.
I heard the quick steps of Elfina’s approach. “I do not wish to take action against her. She has a good soul. Killing her is not an option.” Elfina strode purposefully closer, her hair lifted slightly to writhe around her like fire.
“Do not anger yourself. It would be a last resort,” I said stonily. I fought the urge to take a step back.
“How about this as a last resort? I will subdue her and take her to a place where Dargon and I will bring her back from insanity. Even if it means marooning her between worlds, where she can hurt no one.” With every word, Elfina became more imposing. She looked otherworldly and lethal. For the first time in a long time, I felt like fleeing. “In ‘the between’, she will be a menace only to herself and learn that lashing out will be futile. She will be in the black abyss of nothing and there I will be her last resort. We shall see if Anarch’s bond can reach her in a place that does not exist.”
Aidan swallowed, but he found his voice before I could recover mine. “By all means, if you have any hope for her, then do what you must to save her.” He rubbed the b
ack of his neck nervously, then touched the pommel of his broadsword strapped to his back for reassurance. It appeared that he too felt a little threatened by the queen.
I watched Elfina angrily pace the room with her hands on her hips and kick the corner of a beautiful rug to upturn it. When I considered the possibility of Elfina and Melissa standing side by side, I almost trembled. Surely, those two together could undo every world.
Stepping through the mirror was nerve-wracking. Elfina and I flanked King Aidan as we strode through his decadent palace. Servants and other nobles flinched at our presence. Menacing glares dominated our faces, and thanks to Elfina, our presence in that space was unquestionably ominous. Not only had we travelled hundreds of miles in mere seconds, but we also had the Queen of Caster keeping pace with us. Elfina’s flaming red hair rose around her and power crackled at her fingertips. King Aidan looked positively born into his gleaming armour. His broadsword shone at his back and his blood red cape, emblazoned with his coat of arms, flowed behind him. Understandably, anyone we came across scattered out of our way.
We made directly for the dungeons. As soon as the guards caught sight of our approach, their eyes popped open and they fell over themselves to unbar doors - hands shaking. They led us to Stephanie’s cell. I quietly gathered my bearings and dampened my simmering temper. Emotions would get in the way of work.
But she’s a traitor…
We stepped into a blanket of darkness, our eyes taking a few moments to adjust. The room was cold and dank. A small pool of light lit the centre of the room through an opening in the ceiling. Squeaking mice scuttled in and out of the corners and drops of water pattered on the wet floor. I turned my nose up at the smell. Archaic to the last.
“So, you have come. You’re too late.” Stephanie stepped into the pool of light and I was instantly at a loss for words. She was bruised and cut all over, but what shocked me the most was the face and body that matched the voice I had come to know so well. She was old, perhaps eighty, and her hair was grey and long. She stood with a stoop, her hands gnarled with a slight tremor.