The Mirror's Gaze

by Rae D. Magdon

  Larna bristled, and I could sense her spike of anger. "She willna touch you again. I will tear out her throat before she is even getting close."

  "You'll have your chance. We flew over the Queen's second army on the way here, and I'm certain she's rejoined them. At the rate they were moving, I would expect them just after nightfall."

  "Then we should be hurrying." With one last regretful look at Kera's body, Larna turned away from the carnage and started off toward the nearest group of rebellion soldiers, several hundred yards away. They were not engaged in any fighting, and instead, most of them appeared to be staring up at the sky, watching the dragons soaring overhead. "This is the calm before the storm," Larna said. "The dragons saved us, but we dinna have the numbers to be fighting a second army out in the open, and not at close quarters, unless we are wanting to be burned as well."

  I took in my surroundings more closely. Up close, Kalmarin’s high white walls seemed even taller than I had thought. "Then we need a way into the city itself. If we kill the Queen and her guards, we can use the fortress to defend ourselves."

  Larna gave me a small smile. "Aye. But first, we find Jett Bahari, and you will be having your shoulder looked at."

  "And your side."

  "And my side, but while we go, tell me, was that really your friend Ellie I was seeing on the biggest dragon's back? How did she talk such a beast into carrying her?"

  I drew in a long breath. I was grateful for the sound of Larna's voice, and a subject to distract me from the corpses and piles of burnt ash. "I'm not sure you would believe me if I told you."

  Chapter Three

  Taken from the verbal accounts of Ailynn Gothel, edited by Lady Eleanor Kingsclere

  "RAISA!" MY LOVER'S NAME burst from my lips as soon as my feet hit the ground. Cate was off like a flash, diving into the thick of the fray, but I ran in the opposite direction, toward the pillars of smoke on the other side of the field. Where there was smoke, there were sure to be humans. I knew I would find Raisa tending to the wounded.

  Raisa. Tuathe. The word summoned heat within me, and I lashed out with spitting tongues of flame. I was a storm of fire and air, tearing apart everything in my way. Unholy shrieks pierced my ears, and twisting grey bodies crumbled around me, but I didn't stop or even slow down. I had a promise to keep, a family to find and protect.

  Even the shadowkin couldn't stand before me. Their giant steps shook the ground, but in my desperation, I could move the earth. I didn't even need my Words of Power to split the ground and send jagged faults racing toward their feet. The beasts came thundering down, and I continued blazing a trail forward.

  I fought for what felt like an eternity. I fought until my hands were a raw mess and my entire body dripped with sweat and clouds of dust and smog followed me wherever I went. I stumbled, choking, blinking back hissing tears, burning everything in my path. Eventually, I didn't even have to summon the fire myself. The dragons above me swooped down, breathing over the battlefield, and I fed their flames, building them higher and higher. My entire world was fire and ash. I was unstoppable.

  At last, I saw a smudge in the distance. A cluster of tents came into view a bit further on, just past a ragged line of warriors. They had no formation, and as I drew closer, I saw that they weren't one band, but three. Tall liarre archers fired volley after volley into the oncoming horde, standing over the fallen bodies of their comrades. The dwellyn cleaved out a safe space for them, blades dripping with black blood. Human warriors fought with everything they had, wielding torches and spears and sometimes their bare hands. But the horde was falling back, scattering like flies.

  As Mogra's creatures fell and flames cleansed the trembling earth, a chanting cry went up, and they began fighting even harder. "Fel'rionsa! Sha, Fel'rionsa!"

  Fire…what? At first I thought they were talking about the dragons soaring overhead, but as I drew closer, the cheering grew louder. The beleaguered army was shouting for me. When I arrived, I was almost swallowed up by those left standing. My light died out, and I might have been swept away if a familiar figure hadn't curled around me.

  "I see you've picked up a new nickname," Hassa said, dropping to his knees amidst the carnage. "Get on, Fire Princess. I'll take you to Raisa."

  The sound of Raisa's name shook me out of my stupor. I hopped onto his back, allowing him to carry me through the crowd. "Where is she, Hassa? Is she all right?"

  "Thanks to you and those dragons. Mogra's forces were waiting for us. Our line was about to fall before you arrived. The pocket of kerak you just wiped out have been keeping us pinned down here for hours."

  My eyes caught a familiar flash of golden hair, and my friend's words faded out. I swung my leg over his side and hopped to the ground before he could stop, falling into a sprint despite my exhaustion. Raisa's face was covered in dirt and what looked like smears of someone else's blood, but she smiled when she saw me, and my heart cracked right down the middle.

  "Ailynn!"

  I didn't call her name back. Instead, I rushed into her arms, tears of relief streaming down my cheeks. I held her close, letting my blistered hands roaming across her back despite the pain, but I could find no injuries. She was alive, breathing and laughing in my arms, and the heavy weight I had carried with me ever since leaving the rebel camp suddenly lifted. "Tuathe. Are you all right? The twins? Did you—"

  "I'm fine," she panted, cupping my face in her palms and forcing me to gaze into her eyes. "We're fine. I might not know as much about healing as you, but I've been making myself useful. What about you?"

  "I…I'm fine," I stammered. "I'm sorry we didn't get here sooner. I tried—"

  "You and your friend Ellie's dragons got here just in time," another voice said. I glanced left to see Jinale approaching, her quiver nearly empty, sucking on the last of her arrows.

  "Jinale!" I said, sighing with relief. "I'm so glad to see you. But I wasn't trying to—"

  "It doesn't matter what you were trying to do." Rufas stood beside her, his face and fur streaked with war paint and his axe dripping with black gore. He wore a nasty gash on his side, and it was still bleeding freely. "Another few minutes, and we would have been wiped out. You've done our people a service, Fel'Rionsa. One we won't forget." To my complete and utter shock, he dropped to his knees. "When you go to slay the witch, it would be my honor to carry you."

  I gaped. Aside from riding Hassa, who had become my close friend, and the times Jinale had carried Raisa because of her pregnancy, I had never seen another liarre offer to carry a human. I had been told that it was considered an incredibly demeaning act among their people, and the fact that Rufas was offering, a liarre who seemed to care little for Amendyr and its people, was almost impossible to believe.

  I stammered, groping for some kind of grateful response, but thankfully, I was saved from embarrassment by a loud whoosh coming from overhead. All of us looked to the sky, and a great shape descended through the clouded air, wings extended and long neck arched toward the sun. As it drew closer, I recognized Feradith. Her golden scales gleamed, and everyone began to shout and point as she came in for a landing.

  "Maker," Raisa gasped, staring just as eagerly as everyone else. "It's enormous! Are all the other dragons as large as this one?" She peered up, craning her neck even further. "And is that Ellie riding it?"

  I nodded. "It's Eggmother Eleanor now. Apparently, Feredith thinks she's our leader."

  Raisa shook her head, her face still transformed with awe. "If that's what the giant dragon thinks, I'm not going to argue."

  Both of us watched as Feradith gave a graceful dip, allowing Ellie to climb down from her neck. Ellie's eyes landed on us almost immediately, and she waved, hurrying over with her skirts in her hands. "Ailynn, Raisa, I'm so glad I found you. Most of the first army is gone, and the survivors have retreated back inside the gates. None of our people could get through in time, but we're safe for the moment."

  "No, we aren't," I insisted. "You saw that second army. It's twic
e as big as the one we fought here, and Luciana's probably marching right at the front. We need to find Jett Bahari and warn him."

  "Agreed," Jinale said. "Hassa, take over here. Rufas and I need to find Rachari and convene for a war meeting." She gazed at the high white walls of Kalmarin, gleaming past the fading smoke. "If we don't get past those walls, that second army will wipe us out, dragons or no dragons."

  ***

  "Actually," Raisa said, gazing around Jett Bahari's tent, "I have an idea about that, too."

  As one, the members of the war council turned toward her. Jett Bahari and Jett Markku gave her identical attentive looks, the latter bearing a fresh slash across one side of his cheek. Obviously, he had run afoul of a kerak sometime during the slaughter. Cate and Larna remained side by side, listening quietly, arms linked. Ellie stood nearby, distant enough to give them space, but close enough for Cate to translate if she had trouble understanding the discussion. Lok and Ulig had been joined by a third dwellyn, a female I had never met before with jewel-twined tusks and a blade strapped across her back. Next to them were the three liarre, and to my delight, even Rufas was gazing at Raisa with an expression of grudging respect.

  "Your idea to bring the dragons seems to be working well enough, Raisa," he said, addressing her by name and with more civility than I had ever heard him use before. Apparently, the liarre Raisa had healed and my display on the battlefield had finally won him over. "What do you have for us this time?"

  Raisa's chin tilted up with well-deserved pride. I squeezed her fingers a little tighter, running my thumb over her knuckles. Since our reunion, we hadn't been out of each other's sight, and rarely were we out of each other's touch.

  "We already know what we have to do," she said, addressing the rest of the group. "We need to breach the walls of Kalmarin and storm the palace before the Queen's second army arrives. Getting into the city should be easy now that the dragons are here, but breaking into the palace won't be so simple. It's built straight into the cliff, and it's bound to be heavily guarded, not just by the undead, but by the Queen's human forces."

  "Why not use the dragons for that as well?" Rachari asked, tail lashing back and forth. "Surely they're big enough to break down some walls."

  "Feradith and her Great Flight can try," Raisa said, "but just in case, I have a back-up plan. One that will keep the palace standing.”

  I braced myself. Raisa’s plans were always brilliant, but they had often proved to be dangerous as well over the past several months. I doubted I would entirely approve of whatever she had in mind.

  “Several of Amendyr's old stories describe a series of catacombs beneath the palace, including the original legend of Umbra and Feradith. If we do manage to break in, I guarantee that's where the Queen will go. Those cliffs have to be full of limestone caves and tunnels. Why shouldn't we use them first?"

  I breathed a sigh of relief. That didn’t sound quite so crazy as setting off in search of dragons. In fact, I couldn’t help smiling with pride at her cleverness. Ulig's bushy beard spread as he smiled too, and Lok's eyes lit up. "I like the way you think, Raisa. Inda, can you find us a way in?"

  The unfamiliar dwellyn's velvet grey cheeks dimpled with a confident smile. "I can't believe you're even asking. If the dragons can get us past those walls, my people will have us inside the palace by nightfall."

  "It has to be before nightfall," I said, remembering what I had seen on our flight from the Rengast Mountains. "The second army is coming, and it's enormous. If they catch us before we get in, with the losses we've taken, we're done for."

  "Then we need to get in fast and hole up," Rufas said. "The first army already wiped out over half our forces, and every soldier we lose is another body Mogra can use to make more of her abominations."

  "Has anyone seen the witch?" Jett Bahari scanned our faces for an answer. "According to the reports Jett Markku collected from the survivors, she didn't even show her face."

  "She wouldn't," I muttered, mostly to myself. Mogra was dangerous, clever, but not particularly brave. She preferred to create things to do her killing for her instead of handling the job herself. "But, believe me I'm going to find her. And when I do, she won't be able to use any more of our dead."

  "There's another reason we need to go in through the catacombs," Cate said, speaking up before an awkward pause could settle over us. "In my visions of Umbra's mirror, the Queen was always surrounded by darkness and stone walls. I suspect she's keeping it underground, below the palace itself, perhaps even in the place where Umbra drained Feradith's hatchling. If we can find it and destroy it, we would be destroying the source of her power."

  "Then it's decided," Jett Bahari said, folding his arms. "The bulk of our army will breach the city walls with the help of Eleanor's dragons. Hopefully, we can fortify ourselves inside before the second army arrives. Meanwhile, a smaller group will gain entry to the palace itself through the cliff tunnels."

  "Very well," Inda agreed. "My people won't let you down."

  "Aye, and nor will mine," Larna said. "You'll be needing trained warriors, ones with good noses who are after seeing in the dark."

  "If you and our people are going, I'm going with you," Cate said. For a moment, she and Larna shared a silent look. "If we meet Mogra inside, so be it. I'm not afraid of her, or anyone else."

  She turned toward me, and my heart clenched in my chest. I knew what Cate was waiting for, and this time, I did not throw a tantrum or protest. There was no fight left in me. I would simply have to trust Raisa and I would be lucky enough to escape this battle with our lives one last time. "I'm with you, too. Mogra is my responsibility. I need to end this, once and for all."

  "You won't be alone, Fire Princess," Jinale said. "Rufas and I will oversee this expedition personally."

  "Will you?" Rachari gazed at Rufas, whiskers twitching with what I realized was her version of a smile. "That is a welcome surprise. I'll make sure our army meets you both on the other side."

  The others continued talking for a few moments longer, but my attention wavered. Instead, I stared down at Raisa's hand, still clasped in mine. "Promise me something," I whispered, after a quick check to make sure we weren't the center of attention.

  "Anything," Raisa mouthed back, gazing into my eyes.

  "Go with Ellie and Eggmother Feradith. She'll protect you. Apparently, dragons have a soft spot for expectant mothers."

  Raisa sighed, squeezing my hand. "I suppose I can't turn down the chance to speak with a dragon. She does speak to us mere mortals, doesn't she? Not just druids?"

  "Oh, she speaks extensively. And in the third person."

  Raisa snorted, but I saw a hint of a smile creep onto her face. "Ailynn, promise me something, too?"

  "Anything."

  "Come back alive."

  I took a deep, steadying breath. "I will. I always do."

  Chapter Four

  Taken from the diary of Lady Eleanor Kingsclere

  "YOUR PLAN IS A good one, Eggmother Eleanor," Feradith said, her large horned head looming high over mine. She lay twisted into a great golden coil just beyond the tents, and the tip of her tail lashed restlessly from side to side, almost like a cat's. Her translucent wings remained tucked close against her body, but her scales still reflected the low sunlight, radiating warmth. "It is clever to hide within the walls of the city before Umbra's army comes. The Great Flight will burn them to ash while they are trapped outside, without the fear of devouring your army as well."

  I bit my tongue, deciding it was best not to tell her that it hadn't precisely been my plan. If we were going to succeed, we needed her full cooperation, and for reasons I still didn't fully understand, Feradith seemed to respect me far more than Jett Bahari or any of the liarre representatives. The dwellyn kept an even greater distance, and rightfully so, if my memory served me. Serian translations of Amendyrri fairytales weren't always accurate, but I supposed the parts about dwarves disliking dragons were true.

  "How long do you think it
will take for your workers to carry us over the walls?" I asked instead. "Could they do it by nightfall? We only have a few more hours."

  "Well before," Feradith said. "Feradith has sent scouts to fly over the city. It has been abandoned. If any of Umbra's creatures remain inside, they have retreated into the palace to protect him and the humans he controls. This is merely a matter of transportation."

  "Then we should get started." My voice trailed off when I realized that Feradith was no longer looking at me.

  Her shining, reflective eyes had fixed on a point slightly further on, and I turned to see a small figure hurrying toward us. Neva was making her way over, a familiar furry bundle bouncing in her arms. When she noticed I had spotted her, she shifted Jessith over to one arm and started waving.

  "Go to your young one," Feradith said, in a kinder voice than I had ever heard her use. "I will see that my Flight begins preparations. We have some time left."

  "Thank you," I told her, surprised by her informal speech, but grateful for the reprieve. The entire day had been a whirlwind, and a moment to check on Neva was exactly what I needed. I started back toward the tents, meeting her halfway. She seemed surprisingly cheerful despite our grim surroundings, and I hoped she hadn't seen too much of the battle from high in the air.

  "Here," she said, holding out Jessith and offering her to me. "Take her. She missed you."

  "How do you know?" I asked, scooping the cat into my arms. Jessith's whiskers twitched, but I could tell she was pleased, and the raspy purr didn't escape my notice.

  Neva shrugged. "Because I missed you."

  "You saw me less than an hour ago. That's hardly enough time to miss me."

  Neva cast her eyes to the ground. "Well, I guess I mean I'm going to miss you, after all this."