Mirror Gate

by Jeff Wheeler

  Cettie hadn’t shared her experience with anyone. It felt private. Something not to be shared lightly. “You went looking for me?”

  “Of course,” he answered. “Well, I should give this to you now. Before all the commotion starts.”

  A single piccolo started up, beginning the opening notes of the song “Sky Ship’s Cook.” The tune was as familiar to her as any of the others. It was a lively dance.

  “Oh?” she asked.

  From behind his back, Adam brought out a small worn book, one she had seen him studying. It was small enough to fit in her hand.

  “I don’t have much,” he said with a sigh. “But this one has always been my favorite. It’s a book of plants and birds. There are little sketches in it to help identify the different breeds. It’s a little shabby, but it means something to me. I wondered if I might give it to you while I’m gone? I’ve scrawled some notes in the margins. It’s silly, I know, but it pained me to have it tossed out as rubbish. Would you keep it for me?”

  Her throat went tight as he handed it to her. She stared at the little gray binding, the corners bent slightly. Some of the pages were loose. There was something sticking out from the middle of the book. This was something precious to him, and he’d given it to her. As she took it, their fingers touched.

  “I would be honored,” she stammered, feeling her cheeks growing very hot.

  “Thank you, Cettie. There’s Anna. I must go. I’ll look for you.”

  She nodded, giving him a hopeful smile as she watched him hurry to meet Anna. She didn’t feel any jealousy as she watched them start to dance. How could she when she held something so precious in her hands? Then she gazed down at the book and flipped through a few pages. She recognized his handwriting, of course, and could imagine him sitting against a tree, observing a wren in the branches and writing what he saw. The sketches were done well and had different symbols of measurement and facts about the various creatures he’d observed. Oh, it was wonderful. The best of gifts. Poking out from the middle of the book was a sprig of lavender that he’d smashed into the page, flattening it. She brought it to her nose and smelled it, along with the scent of the old pages. For a moment, she thought the floor was spinning.

  Then she carried the book over to Fitzroy and Lady Maren. Stephen had already stomped off in the distance.

  “I wish Sera were here,” Cettie said, glancing at the rows of dancers whooping and clapping in time to the music. “She liked this song.”

  “She’ll be at Pavenham Sky soon,” Fitzroy said. “She misses you dearly.”

  “I don’t know when I’ll see her again,” Cettie sighed. “I imagine I wouldn’t be very welcome there.”

  Fitzroy pursed his lips. “Well, there are other places you are more than welcome.”

  “Tell her, Brant,” Maren said, nudging him. “You’ve waited too long.”

  Cettie looked at them curiously.

  Fitzroy gave her a tender look. “As you know, I have tried these last four years to adopt you. Your deed is paid off, so you have no obligation to anyone. But adoption is another matter, as you know. Sloan and Teitelbaum are still working the case. Even though we aren’t your actual parents, we feel as strong of a connection to you as we do to our other children. It pleases us to hear you call us Mother and Father. Well, I should just get to the point. Cettie, we’ve decided to name you the keeper of the house of Fog Willows.”

  Cettie stared at them both in shock and surprise. She was only sixteen. It was unheard of that someone so young be given such a responsibility. It was a position of enormous trust, one that usually had to be proven over years of faithful service.

  “B-but Mrs. Harding,” Cettie said, her voice trembling.

  “Took the position knowing full well that it would be temporary,” Maren said, smiling. “And she misses her family very much.” She cupped Cettie’s cheek. “You are incredibly strong with the Medium, Cettie. Stronger than I am. And I’ll be there to teach you and to help you. Once Brant gives you the key, you will be empowered to act as if you were him. The estate will obey you in all things.” She then linked arms with Fitzroy. “It will be a good experience for you regardless. A sign to others that you are trusted implicitly. It will raise you in society.”

  Cettie’s eyes pricked with tears, and she rushed forward and embraced both of them, feeling so grateful for their love and their willingness to defy tradition. Feeling so grateful they’d given her a chance. Again. She nearly dropped Adam’s book but kept her fingers firm on its binding.

  “I don’t know what to say,” Cettie said.

  “Tell us you won’t accept Mrs. Romrell’s offer to become a governess,” Fitzroy said with a smile. “I told you that I had something else in mind for you. And it will give me peace of mind when I’m away from home.”

  Cettie pulled back, realizing there was another source of Stephen’s anger. “Stephen knows.”

  Maren glanced at Fitzroy first and then nodded. “He’s not pleased. We have tried to teach him that he must earn Fog Willows. It won’t just be given to him. We are giving him an opportunity to prove himself elsewhere, and he sees it as an injustice.” She was about to say something else but stopped and shook her head.

  “What?” Cettie pressed.

  Fitzroy was about to speak, but Lady Maren made a gesture to silence him.

  “She should know, Maren. He suggested sending you to Dolcoath instead. It was petty and unjust of him to say that. A few years of real work will be good for that young man. It will temper his character. If he had taken any of the martial classes when he was studying here, beyond the required few, he may have been conscripted too. But poetry and dancing wouldn’t serve the Ministry of War very well. He’s luckier than he knows.” His eyes trailed off, lost in sad memories.

  “I will miss you, Father,” Cettie said, giving him another hug. He patted her shoulders.

  “We will also rely on you to keep storm glasses going. The information they provide will prove essential during a conflict. And you understand them better than anyone. Some will try to steal the idea while I am gone. You must safeguard it.”

  “I will,” she promised.

  “We knew we could count on you,” Maren said. “We love you, Cettie.” Then she looked up at her husband. “If they start ‘Genny’s Market,’ you must dance with me.”

  He bowed to his wife, a pleased smile on his mouth. It was one of Cettie’s favorites too.

  She felt the sudden urge to tell them about her experience in the woods. It came as just a little nudge, a little push, the kind she was learning to heed. The song finished, and everyone clapped. It was time to exchange partners.

  “Something happened to me the other day,” Cettie said as the noise of the room intensified. “The day of the Test.” She quickly related her experience to them. They looked concerned as she told her story. But then she related her vision of the strange battle she had witnessed off the coast of Dahomey. Fitzroy’s eyes widened with surprise at that part. He was stunned by it.

  Cettie bit her lip, gazing at him, wondering why her words had affected him so.

  He pitched his voice lower, even though there was a ruckus among the cheerful students as they began to assemble again for another dance.

  “Cettie. There was a battle fought yesterday at the ruins of Dochte Abbey in Dahomey. Just like in your vision. It is where one of the mirror gates between the worlds is located. It is a state secret you couldn’t have known.” His voice throbbed with concern, with wonderment. He looked at his wife, who looked equally transfixed by the news.

  “Is she . . . ?” Maren whispered in awe.

  Fitzroy nodded slowly. “I think she may be.”

  Someone approached to ask Cettie to dance. She turned, her emotions awash with the implications of their unspoken words. But she was eager to dance with Adam. She wanted to spend every moment possible with him before he was gone. Before he was taken away on a sky ship into battles far away.

  It was Mr. Skrelling. />
  “If you please, Miss Cettie?” he asked, extending his hand.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  One of my favorite TED talks was given by Amy Cuddy. It was from that talk that I heard the term “imposter syndrome” for the first time. While I don’t think she invented it, her powerful talk has made me think a lot about the little voices in our heads that whisper negative thoughts. I don’t know anyone who has not felt them.

  I have found similar anecdotes from my own life, from books, and from the lives of others I know. I struggled with them, especially one Christmastime years ago after self-publishing the Legends of Muirwood trilogy. I felt tempted to quit trying to be a writer. Who was I to write books? Who would ever want to read them? I resisted the strong urge to quit and moved forward with more determination. Just a few months later, I was contacted by 47North, and the rest, as they say, is history.

  As I’ve read many books on a variety of topics, I have seen the theme of imposter syndrome throughout. I’ve seen it in the eyes and heard it in the voices of other writers. I felt it at my job at Intel.

  It is my hope that this book and this series will provide courage for someone to face their fear and attempt to live their dreams. Fear holds so many people back. A question I have been asked and like to ask others is “What would you dare to do if you knew you couldn’t fail?”

  I am living my dream right now. Every one of us who tries to live our dreams is met with setbacks and failure that make us want to quit. I hope that something in the stories of Sera and Cettie will inspire you to challenge those persistent negative thoughts. There is a wonderful piece of wisdom that Aslan passes on to Lucy in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: “Courage, dear heart.” This is a quote I’ve always remembered, one that has helped me during many dark times. It is as appropriate in Narnia as it is in our world. And other worlds too.

  Courage, dear heart.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Life is full of rises and valleys. Sometimes it feels like a roller coaster. Things always change. I’d like to acknowledge Courtney Miller, from Amazon Publishing. As of this writing, she’s well into her new job at Amazon, but she was instrumental in bringing The Queen’s Poisoner into the Kindle First program, which really catapulted my career. She’s a wonderful person, too, and I’m grateful to have worked with her. As always, I have a great team whose candid and insightful feedback helps make my books shine. To Jason and Angela and Wanda—I couldn’t do this without you. To my first readers who suffer through withdrawals and emotional distress while reading or waiting for the next batch of chapters, thank you for your sacrifices and endurance. These include Emily, Isabelle, Shannon, Robin, Travis, Sunil, and Dan. Your words of encouragement and years of support are appreciated.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Photo © 2016 Mica Sloan

  Jeff Wheeler is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Kingfountain Series as well as the Muirwood and Mirrowen novels. He took an early retirement from his career at Intel in 2014 to write full-time. He is a husband, father of five, and devout member of his church. He lives in the Rocky Mountains and is the founder of Deep Magic: The E-zine of Clean Fantasy and Science Fiction. Find out more about Deep Magic at www.deepmagic.co, and visit Jeff’s many worlds at jeff-wheeler.com.