Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror

by Rachel R. Smith

  "I was afraid to wake you, but I was also afraid that you wouldn't wake up. When it got dark, I was afraid to light the candles because they might still be watching us from outside. I was too scared to sit here in the dark though." Tears streamed down Desta's cheeks as she babbled.

  Shea threw her arms around her daughter and stroked her hair. The stress of the day was clearly wearing on her too. "There's nothing to worry about now. I am sure that they are long gone, and we'll be fine as long as we obey her command to keep her visit a secret." She forced herself to sound upbeat. Shae would do anything she had to do in order to comfort her daughter right now. Getting back to a semblance of normality might help. "Why don't you return to your room and rest while I make some dinner. You haven't had anything to eat since breakfast have you?"

  “I guess it is past dinner time,” Desta replied, her eyes still watery and wide.

  Shae put her hands on the girl’s shoulders and guided Desta to the door of her room. After tucking Desta into her bed, Shea returned to her own room and snapped the curtains shut. She did the same for each window she passed on her way to the kitchen. Still, she felt a prickling sensation on the back of her neck as if she were being watched though she knew it was unlikely. It was truly fortunate that she had sent the message to Niamh as early as she had, for there would have been no opportunity to do so now. She silently wished Erik a speedy journey as she prepared a pot of oatmeal. It wasn’t a typical dinner food, but it would be easy on the stomach.

  The curtains had already been closed in Desta's room by the time Shae returned, carrying a tray with a bottle of maple syrup and two bowls of oatmeal. Desta had already gotten out of bed and was at her desk where she dabbed at a book with the edge of a blanket. The book was still waterlogged from the spill earlier in the day. Shae's stomach sank when she realized exactly which book it was. Her dismay wasn’t because the book was particularly valuable but rather because it was a family heirloom. The leather cover was tattered and worn and bits had flaked away, but Shae had always taken care to ensure that the crystal embedded in the spine had somehow remained in place.

  Shae waited numbly while Desta removed the crystal from its hole in the binding and carefully dried it as well. With a dismayed groan, Desta opened the cover to find that the water had soaked the first few pages as well. Despite her gentle care, the sodden fabric of the interior cover peeled back more and more with every dab.

  "You have some explaining to do," Shae said. "I assume that you must have been snooping in my room when I found you in there earlier today. While I am extremely grateful that Echidna and her men couldn’t find my notebook, why wasn’t it in the drawer?"

  Desta swallowed, uncertain how to answer without getting into trouble. Her uncanny luck seemed to have evaporated completely today. She bit her lip nervously. The best option seemed to be to fess up to everything and hope for the best. Things really can't get much worse at this point anyway, she thought.

  "I could tell you were upset this morning when you woke me. Since you had sent a message so early, I figured it must have been a dream that had troubled you, and I was curious. I went into your room to read your notebook while you were outside,” Desta said, hanging her head. “I didn't hear you come in until the last minute so I hurriedly tossed the notebook into the drawer just before you opened the door. I noticed it made a strange, rattling noise. I thought maybe the nightstand had finally broken, but it looked fine. I don't know what could have happened to your notebook after that. It should have been in the drawer."

  "I'll be right back," Shae said. She went to her bedroom and searched the drawers herself. The top drawer was completely empty though there was now a gap between the back and the bottom of the drawer that she hadn’t noticed before. On a hunch, Shae lifted up the night table itself. As she lifted it, the notebook slid out from behind the drawers. The rattle Desta had heard must have been the book slipping through the gap and falling behind the drawer. What were the chances of that happening? She returned to Desta's room with the notebook in hand.

  "I can't believe you would sneak into my room and read my notebook! But I suppose that today it saved us both from a great deal of trouble." Shae stopped her lecture prematurely as she realized Desta was not paying attention.

  "Mother, you need to see this." Desta's voice was filled with amazement as she rapidly scanned the handwritten words that had been revealed when the paper cover had peeled away.

  "Don’t tell me if it’s ruined. I don't want to know," Shae said. She crossed the room to the desk anyway.

  "Just look," Desta insisted.

  Shae looked over Desta's shoulder, bracing herself for smeared ink and torn paper. Instead, she was immediately taken in by the hidden words which had now been revealed. She read them out loud. "In the time of King Gared, the seer Argia had a vision. Her vision was recorded and hidden within the covers of six books, where it will remain concealed until the time when it is meant to be read. When that time arrives, the cover of this book will become soaked with water, and these writings will be revealed.” Shae glanced up and shared an astonished look with Desta.

  Shae continued to read, her voice filled with awe. “The first part of the vision is as follows: One day Renatus will be divided into two nations, each equal, but opposite. In the days of this new world, the Destroyer of Peace will assume power. His ambition is to guide the future of the entire land. That fate belongs not to him, but instead to the One that will finish the work that King Gared started.

  “The Destroyer is a creator by nature, and he fosters prosperity with his skill and vision. His ambition grows to consume him and blinds him to the betrayal perpetrated by those he trusts most. The Destroyer will slay the Peaceful Ruler and claim her throne. In doing so, he will set the events in motion that will ultimately result in both kingdoms becoming nothing more than a memory.

  “The Destroyer will fulfill his wish to rule Renatus, and even the memory of the Peaceful Ruler will be erased. But there is still One who can alter the course of the future. That person, the One who is no more, the One who has become another, the One who was seen before, the Reflection, will appear from the shadows.”

  Shae skimmed the remaining text. The rest of the note went on to say that the crystal embedded in the binding would identify the One described in the prophecy by glowing when they held it. Below the note were diagrams for some sort of machine. The diagrams had also been divided into six parts. The note said that the machine would be able to decode books that had been stored inside the accompanying crystals. Shae couldn’t fathom how a book would fit inside a crystal, let alone multiple books. But, if the note really dated from the time of the legendary King Gared, she supposed anything was possible.

  “This is unbelievable,” Desta said. “How could they have known back then that I would spill a glass of water on this book?”

  Shae didn’t respond right away. There was almost too much information to take in, and her thoughts were focused on other parts of the prophecy. She finally said, “The Destroyer of Peace described here must be King Casimer. This prophecy and my dream both warn that he will attack the Royal Family.”

  “Doesn’t this mean that Erik isn’t going make it with your message in time?” Desta asked.

  “Even if Erik isn’t able to deliver the warning in time, it seems there may be someone who can stop Casimer, after all,” Shae finally answered. “We need to find the next book and figure out who the One is that this prophecy describes.”

  Chapter 5

  Late Again

  The tolling of the morning bell and the gentle, constant creaking of the fans in the river were the first sounds Nerissa heard when she woke on the morning of the masquerade. For a few moments, she blinked out at the world with bleary eyes that were loath to take in the brilliant sunlight that filtered through the gauzy curtains covering the windows. A disquieting sensation tugged vaguely at the back of her mind like a storm cloud barely viewable on the horizon. It was a nervous feeling but not the sort of n
ervousness that came with excitement or eager anticipation. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was like a feeling of...apprehension. Tugging the blankets back up over her chin, she wriggled further beneath the blankets and tried to figure out the cause. After several minutes of consideration—and nearly falling back to sleep—nothing came to mind. Truthfully, few things did this early in the morning. Perhaps it was a lingering worry from her conversation with Tao the previous evening about the shattering crystals. She hadn't found that particularly alarming at the time though. Shattering crystals weren’t necessarily a bad omen after all. Nerissa thought back, but she couldn't recall any of her dreams from that night. One of them must have been a nightmare that had faded to the edges of her memory. That seemed the most logical explanation.

  Heaving a sigh of resignation, she mustered her resolve and threw back the covers. There was little use in dwelling on a bad dream, especially when there were far too many things to do and far too little time to do them. She couldn’t linger in bed any longer regardless of how much she would have liked to do so. Bare feet contacted the cold stone floor as she reluctantly slid from the bed, causing her to hop hastily from one foot to the other while lazily rubbing her eyes. The drowsy daily ritual was interrupted by an odd crunching sensation underfoot. An uneasy knot settled into her stomach. Nerissa knew what she was stepping on before looking down. Powdered bits, too fine to even be called shards, clung to her toes and the ball of her foot. The storm cloud in the back of her mind rumbled ominously.

  Which crystal had shattered? She looked at her nightstand, dismayed to find that both the lumpy light-blue water-water crystal and the pillar-like fire-metal crystal that normally sat there had shattered. Portions of their remnants were still on the stand while the remainder had blown off onto the floor. There was no visibly apparent reason for them to have broken. Even if Nerissa had knocked them off the table in her sleep, the fall to the floor would have cracked or split them at most. A fall wouldn’t reduce either stone to the piles of glimmering powder they now were.

  Not wanting to call attention to the occurrence by summoning one of the maids, Nerissa glanced ruefully around the room for something suitable to use to clean up the mess. It was then that she saw the state of the other crystals. Or rather, she saw what used to be the other crystals. She hissed an utterance under her breath not at all befitting an Heiress. Every one in sight had been reduced to powder at some point during the night. Nerissa stalked across the room, no longer caring about the cold floor. She snatched the silk pouch containing the crystal Tao had given her the night before. As soon as it was in her hands, she knew that there was no need to open it. There was no heavy lump inside the sachet. Even the newest gem in her collection had shattered. The knot in Nerissa’s stomach exploded into a mass of quivering butterflies as the storm cloud rumbled once more.

  She sank down into the vanity chair, consumed with trying to puzzle out the meaning of this phenomenon. Facets in the red gemstone eye of the Phoenix flashed in the sunlight as Nerissa absently twisted her ring, too deep in thought to notice the sparkle. A moment later, her pondering was interrupted by a soft rapping on the door. Without waiting for a response from within, a woman peered around the edge of the opening door.

  "Good! You're already awake!" she called out cheerily as she entered the room. Nerissa's mother, Rica, the Blood of Chiyo, was tall and slender like her daughter. Despite her age, not a single gray hair was present in the waves of golden-brown hair that were currently pulled into an elegant twist at the base of her neck. Merely the tiniest of crow's feet dared to mar her smooth complexion. Sky-blue gems matching her gown glimmered from her ears, cut and faceted into glittering teardrop shapes. Her mother was not only beautiful but also strong willed, even tempered, wise, and fair. She was known to be resolute once a decision was made but flexible when the situation required it. Rica glided across the room, with a dignified stature that Nerissa hoped she would be able to match one day.

  Nerissa shrank back into the tiny chair, drawing away from Rica's early morning exuberance like a shadow shrinking away from the light. It was bewildering how her mother could be so energetic at this time of day. Nerissa herself was more naturally suited to late night hours. It was yet another trait she had inherited from her father.

  Rica floated across the room with the grace of a much younger woman, flinging open the windows and tying back the curtains. The edges of the curtains fluttered in the crisp morning air.

  "Do you really have to do that," Nerissa groaned, covering her eyes as unfiltered light flooded into the room.

  "Of course! You wouldn’t be able to see your costume properly in the dark," Rica chirped. She clapped her hands together twice and one of the handmaids scurried in from the hall carrying two garment bags. One was small, and the other was so large that it draped across her outspread arms.

  Rica smiled brightly, lifting the larger bag from the maid's arms. "These just arrived! I was so excited that I couldn't wait to show you." The maid set the smaller bag on the bed and hurried back to the door. She curtsied briefly before departing. Nerissa supposed that everyone must be in a hurry today. But did they have to start doing it so early in the morning?

  Rica's eyes twinkled as she untied the fasteners on the large bag. She unveiled the dress inside with a flourish. The body of the gown was shining white silk. A stylized, stencil-like phoenix was embroidered with black thread so that it wrapped around the dress in a spiral from the skirt to the bodice. It really was beautiful. It must have taken the dressmaker and her seamstresses weeks of labor to complete. Nerissa felt a small pang of guilt for not sharing her mother's excitement.

  "It's a lovely dress, Mother," Nerissa began. She chose her words carefully as she watched her mother's smile widened. "But isn't this supposed to be a costume?"

  "Of course it is!" Rica laughed, "The matching mask is in here." She reached into the smaller bag, peeling away layers of tissue before handing the mask to Nerissa.

  The mask was half-black, half-white with intricate gold embellishments framing the upper portion. Long black and white ribbons intermixed with strands of gold beads swung from each side. Nerissa turned it over in her hands. She was somewhat surprised—and greatly relieved—to see that the mask, at least, did not have a phoenix tattooed on its face. "Are your dress and mask the same?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

  "Of course not." Rica's brow furrowed the way that it always did when she thought Nerissa was acting silly. "The phoenix on mine is different. They match our rings."

  "I see. Distinctly different," Nerissa mumbled without looking up from the mask.

  “I thought the design was quite clever,” Rica replied. Her daughter’s derision did not go unnoticed, but Nerissa’s lack of enthusiasm had no effect on her merriment. She lifted the dress from the bed and strode across the room to hang it in the wardrobe.

  "So they have all shattered in here too," Rica said after closing the wardrobe doors.

  "What do you mean?" Nerissa asked.

  "The Principle Housekeeper reported this morning that every one of the decorative crystals in the Manor had shattered sometime overnight. She could see no apparent cause. Certainly no one within the Manor would have done such a thing, and there's no way anyone from the outside could have gotten in here undetected. It’s a mysterious phenomenon, I have to admit." Rica paused thoughtfully, but her face was unreadable. "Her primary concern was that my jewelry may also have been affected, but it was not."

  Nerissa's brows knitted together. She turned and opened the vanity drawer that held her small, personal collection of jewelry. Unlike Rica, Nerissa preferred that her gems be left rough, uncut, and unfaceted to display their natural beauty. Not a single piece in the drawer remained intact.

  "At least we seem to have found a common thread," Rica said, peering over her shoulder.

  Nerissa's eyes met those of her mother. "The ones that have been cut and shaped are not affected."

  Rica's face was again un
readable. "You should stop by and share this information with Tao. Perhaps she can offer some insight."

  Nerissa frowned. Tao's area of expertise was a bit of a sore subject between Nerissa and her mother. Neither of her parents held the study of crystals and their usage in high regard. Rica considered it barely a step above astrology or telling fortunes with cards. Even Tao's most useful inventions only worked for some people. That inconsistency was the main factor influencing why Rica disregarded their study. The other contributor was that her mother was one of those for whom crystals did not work. Nerissa sympathized. It was difficult to believe in something that you couldn’t replicate with your own hands, but that was no reason to disregard the use of them entirely. Requesting Tao's insight in this circumstance was indicative of the level of her mother’s concern.

  "I doubt I will have the opportunity before tomorrow," Nerissa replied.

  "That will be fine as well, I’m sure..." Rica's voice trailed off as a soft breeze washed through the room, carrying with it a musical tinkling from the direction of the balcony doors. Above the doors hung Nerissa's precious spirit chimes, still swaying and sparkling merrily in the gentle current of air. They were completely whole. "Well, those are obviously not as fragile as they appear."

  "Few things are exactly what they appear to be," Nerissa smiled. Rica's comment had referred to her objection to purchasing the chimes in the first place. When Nerissa had been much younger, she had begged her parents to buy them for her. Rica had initially refused to do so because of their delicate appearance. Spirit crystals were rare, and their price reflected that rarity. These seven slender points dangled from wires as fine as hair. It looked like even the most gentle breeze could damage them. Nerissa's father had convinced Rica to change her mind, upon Nerissa's promise to take “extra-special” care of them. In truth, the stones were deceptively robust. Once, they had fallen from the ceiling and Nerissa had thought they would be ruined, yet they somehow survived the incident undamaged.