by Jeff Wheeler
They reached the garrison of Hawkington a few hours later. It was a coastal town, a military town, on the western shores. Huge hurricanes were perched in the sky overhead, and Cettie could see people walking the squat streets beneath them. There were sea ships in the harbor and soldiers patrolling the streets. It was a pretty little town with a church in the midst of a small center square. The zephyr, however, passed over all of this, floating just higher than the steeple of the church, and went to the wharves.
“My late husband and I used this port for trade with Kingfountain,” Lady Corinne said as the zephyr slowed and began to lower. “I own the warehouses you see on either side.”
Cettie had lost sight of the two tempests that had escorted them. The zephyr landed, and the pilot put down the gangplank again and waited as both women exited the craft. There was a lot of commotion on the docks as ships were loaded and unloaded.
“Where is the mirror gate?” Cettie asked.
Lady Corinne walked slightly ahead of her. “At the cliffs over there,” she said, not pointing but inclining her head. “This mirror gate is rather tall, which makes it good for trade. I have a ship ready to go as soon as we receive the signed contracts allowing us to use the mirror gate.”
Cettie had to move abruptly to avoid getting hit by a cart. Her senses were overloaded, and she distantly noticed some children playing with a stray dog by one of the buildings and the smell of fresh-baked bread wafting from a bakery. Her stomach rumbled with hunger. Lady Corinne escorted her to the ministry office and entered first. There were many crew members inside, arguing about getting this signature or that seal, growling at the people working at the desks to hurry along. Lady Corinne bypassed the line and went straight to the back room, where a man sat behind a desk covered in layers of papers.
“Ah, my lady,” he said, rising instantly from the desk, his annoyed look transforming to one of pleasure. He was an older man, and he mopped his nearly bald dome with a handkerchief.
“I’ve brought the young lady with me. We need to depart within the hour,” Lady Corinne said. “Do you have the contracts written up as I instructed?”
He winced. “I would, under any normal circumstance,” he said with an apologetic grimace. “But I cannot permit you both to cross.”
“Explain yourself, please,” Lady Corinne said, her voice firm but calm.
“I have orders from the prime minister himself,” said the man helplessly.
“Orders for what?” Lady Corinne asked. “Can no one use this mirror gate?”
The man shook his head. “Oh no, plenty are coming to and from Kingfountain and other worlds. The orders specifically bar the two of you from crossing.”
Cettie looked at the man in concern. “Do you know who I am?” she asked.
“Yes, you are Miss Cettie from Fog Willows, as Lady Corinne said, are you not?”
“I am,” Cettie answered, her worry intensifying.
The man shrugged. “The prime minister has specifically said that the two of you cannot pass. He said he would address you both when he returns. After the wedding.” He held up his hands. “There’s really nothing I can do about it. Good day.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
PERSUASION
Crestfallen at the rebuff, Cettie looked at Lady Corinne in concern. She could understand why Lady Corinne might have been forestalled, but why would Father forbid her from crossing a mirror gate? Was this because of the warning that Rand had sent through Admiral Hatch? Was Father trying to protect her, or was it something more? She felt a strong compulsion to see him, one that made her willing to disobey him, even though she normally never would. The news was too important. And perhaps he had some mistaken information as well?
Lady Corinne stepped closer to the desk. “You must understand that it is imperative for us to cross the mirror gate. We bear news that the prime minister must be informed about at once. Where are the contracts?”
The official winced, but his eyes darted to the left quarter of his desk. “I can’t help you, Lady Lawton. I wish that I could! I would lose my position if I obeyed you.”
“But why would the prime minister bar his own keeper from coming to him?” Lady Corinne said. “You must admit this is highly unusual.”
“Indeed. I wasn’t given the particulars, ma’am. I had already prepared the contracts in anticipation of your arrival, but I am afraid I cannot give them to you.”
Lady Corinne turned to Cettie, her face betraying a look of concern. “Can you think of a reason why he would bar you from coming?”
Cettie already felt rattled, and seeing the worry in Lady Corinne’s eyes made it worse. “I . . . can’t be sure,” she stammered in reply.
“I can think of a reason,” Lady Corinne said. “Perhaps he’s decided to allow the marriage to proceed in order to secure a lasting peace with Kingfountain.”
Cettie frowned. “He would not do that.”
“I did not think him capable of such subterfuge either, but what other reason could he have for preventing us both from going there? If we do not go immediately, we will be too late to stop it.” Lady Corinne’s eyes narrowed, and she looked at Cettie closely. “You are who I said you were. And you have the authority to cross a mirror gate on your own right.”
The official looked at them both with a perplexed expression. “I don’t understand what this is about. But I will not go against the prime minister’s orders.”
Lady Corinne did not look at him. Her eyes were fixed on Cettie. “Tell him,” she said. “Order him to give us the passage contracts.”
“But he doesn’t know,” Cettie said, her anguish growing.
“Then make him believe. You are a true Fitzempress. You always have been. These portals were created to obey you.”
As Lady Corinne spoke, a feeling of energy and power began to churn within Cettie. A conviction began to build, a certainty that surpassed reason alone. Her natural mother’s words made her realize that she had long lived beneath her potential. You are a Fitzempress. The assurance came as a whispering thought. In some ways, she felt she’d always known. Sera had struggled with the Mysteries for years because of who she really was . . . or rather wasn’t.
Trust your feelings. You must make him understand.
Cettie turned and faced the official. The feeling of strength and conviction grew inside her, and she saw him flinch in his seat, leaning back in his chair. Sweat dribbled down the side of his face.
“You must give us the passage contracts,” Cettie said, extending her hand.
A throb of power jolted through the room.
The man shuddered in his seat, looking as if he’d been running for a long time. He panted with effort and shook his head.
“I c-cannot!” he said in a strangled tone.
“I am the emperor’s daughter,” Cettie said firmly, feeling the truth of it ignite her veins with heat. “And you will.”
The feeling in the room was palpable. Cettie recognized it as the Mysteries and could not remember a time when she had felt it so powerfully. In the last few days, she had been beset by such weakness and darkness—such doubt. But this power was real, and she felt it wriggle into the mind of the official, overcoming his resistance and composure. He started to weep as he reached for a set of folded papers on his desk. His arm shook as he tried to hand them to her, his throat making choking noises. As soon as the papers were in Cettie’s hand, the man slumped onto the desk, sniveling and weeping.
Cettie felt a rhythm inside her. This time there was no discordance. It was powerful and it was strong and it vibrated within her core. But it left her feeling a little uneasy. She’d always been able to control Leerings, but this power felt different. Had it always lain dormant within her?
“Well done,” Lady Corinne said approvingly, and Cettie felt her cheeks flush with the praise.
Lady Corinne turned and left the room, leaving behind the weeping official. Cettie followed, savoring a renewed feeling of vigor. As they left the building, they st
arted back to the zephyr and found the pilot engaged in conversation with four dragoons. Cettie recognized the uniforms as the kind Rand wore. The pilot was arguing with them somewhat heatedly.
“More problems to overcome,” Lady Corinne said, glancing over her shoulder at Cettie.
As they approached, the pilot saw them and folded his arms defiantly. “Here she is now.”
“Lady Corinne,” one of them said, turning to face her. “I have orders to escort you back to Pavenham Sky.”
“On whose authority?” Lady Corinne said mildly.
“The prime minister,” he replied angrily.
“We are going to see the prime minister,” Lady Corinne answered. “He can arrest us himself if he desires. Now stand aside.”
“My lady, if you resist, we will take you into cus—”
His words stopped suddenly. In response to a subtle nod from Lady Corinne, the pilot had struck the edge of his hand into the man’s throat, choking off his words. The man sagged to his knees, and the pilot stepped forward and punched the next man in the ribs, so hard that Cettie heard a little cracking sound. The pilot did not even break a sweat as he incapacitated the third and fourth soldiers. When all the men lay groaning on the ground, contorted in their misery, he nodded to his mistress and gestured for them both to board the zephyr.
Cettie walked past the recumbent soldiers, completely disregarding them.
“I will take responsibility for disobeying your guardian,” Lady Corinne said to Cettie as they mounted the deck of the sky ship. “Whatever consequence that falls will fall solely on me. We must get to Kingfountain before the wedding happens.”
Cettie felt pity for the soldiers who had stopped them, but the conviction that they were doing the right thing, the only thing, still burned inside her. Once they were both seated in the zephyr, the pilot jumped on board and readied the sky ship, which rose quickly and headed toward the shore.
A shadow fell from overhead as a tempest maneuvered down from above to block their path.
“This is getting tiresome,” Lady Corinne said with a sigh. “Can you outrun it?”
“Of course, my lady,” said the pilot, gritting his teeth. “Hold fast.”
Cettie gripped one of the railing bars, as did Lady Corinne. The zephyr increased speed and banked away from the tempest, but Cettie saw another one lowering farther ahead. Her stomach lurched as the pilot angled the zephyr sharply, cutting around the first tempest toward the cliffs along the shore.
Then the mirror gate came into view. It was a high, narrow arch of rock, the apex so thin that if the zephyr had struck it, the whole thing would have collapsed. It looked like a giant bridge, though it was overgrown with greenery and made of broken stone rather than brick. It was tall enough for a ship to pass through, but the patch of water before it was empty. The only thing stopping them from entering was the tempest that had lowered to block the space.
The zephyr suddenly dropped, making Cettie gasp with fright. The pilot continued to increase his speed, and it seemed he would try to steer the zephyr through the gap beneath the tempest. If they struck the water at this speed, it would surely rip the zephyr apart. Fear and exhilaration battled within her.
“Can you make it?” Lady Corinne asked, her voice betraying concern.
“It will be close, ma’am,” said the pilot.
The other tempest had swung around to chase them, but it was hopeless. Zephyrs were naturally faster, and indeed, Cettie had never flown one this fast before. There was a groan from the timbers as the Leering within the craft compelled it to fly faster and faster.
Then Cettie had an idea of how she could help. As they approached the blockading tempest, she reached out with her thoughts and ordered its Control Leering to rise. Instantly, the captain of the sky ship countermanded her, determined to hold the ship’s position.
“Ma’am,” their pilot said worriedly.
“Their ship will move,” Corinne insisted. “I feel you trying, Cettie. Harder.”
Cettie gritted her teeth and increased her pressure to wrest control from the captain. Her power flared and the captain’s will crumpled beneath hers. Suddenly the tempest vaulted straight up, and she heard the cries of panic from the crew as their zephyr raced beneath it and plunged into the mirror gate.
Then Cettie went blind.
Cettie gripped the railing in terror as the zephyr bucked and bounced through some dark vortex. The explosion of magic that ripped her from one reality to another was cataclysmic and impossibly loud, and it so overwhelmed her senses that she couldn’t even scream in terror. It was no small feat of power that brought Cettie from her world to that of Kingfountain. She felt as puny as a ladybug crawling on the hand of a picnicker, suddenly aware it could be crushed by a mere flexing of the hand.
The darkness remained, but Cettie realized it wasn’t blindness. Her eyes were simply responding to the sudden absence of the sun. She felt wind on her face and could smell the conspicuous tang of sea air. The whorl of magic was over. They had crossed between the worlds.
Cettie hesitantly looked up and found the sky glittering with unknown stars and constellations, baffling in their unfamiliarity. She had always found comfort in the orderly march of the celestial lights in her world. But this was new and different. Excitement began to replace the throbbing fear in her gut.
The pilot maneuvered the craft steadily, seemingly comfortable with his knowledge of their destination. Lady Corinne sat with her hands folded in her lap, gazing overboard as if their escape had been of little significance.
“I didn’t think we’d cross in a zephyr,” Cettie said to her, brushing away some stray hairs that were bothering her nose.
“It’s preferred to cross in a regular boat,” came the reply. “Neither side wants to share their secrets with the other. But there is no way we would have made it through on a rowboat. Sometimes we’re forced to . . . improvise.”
“We are going to Kingfountain?” Cettie asked hopefully. “How far is it?”
“Not very far in a sky ship,” said Lady Corinne, giving her a fleeting smile. “You should rest. You look exhausted. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
“I want to see Father as soon as possible.”
A peculiar look crossed Lady Corinne’s face. “You call him . . . Father?”
“That is what he means to me,” Cettie said, wondering about that look. It had been a rare show of emotion for Lady Corinne. Was it envy? Was it disdain? It was so hard to read her, especially in the dark. The breeze was cool, and she felt herself starting to shiver now that the warmth from the noon sun—and the chase—had drained away.
“And you would do anything for him?” Lady Corinne asked softly.
“I would,” Cettie answered. “And there must be some other explanation for that official’s orders. I don’t believe my father would conceal the truth from Sera. Even if she were illegitimate, she would want to know the truth about her parentage.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.” Cettie could feel the doubt in her voice. But she knew her friend. And she knew the emperor had been trying to get Sera declared illegitimate for years. Her friend had never believed it. It would be painful for her to learn the truth.
“That makes her very different than most people. Most would rather conceal a scandal, at any cost. So much happens in the dark corners of our world, driven by shame or by guilt. People will willingly deceive others to save their reputation, which they esteem higher than their integrity.”
Cettie did not appreciate the cynical comment. You would know, she wanted to say, but she was always too kind to let her lesser thoughts spill out. She rubbed her hands together for warmth.
“Try and rest,” said Lady Corinne, reaching over and touching Cettie’s leg. “Tomorrow will be a difficult day. But it will come. The sun always rises just as the darkness falls.”
Cettie remembered how eager she’d been the first time she traveled by zephyr. She’d stayed awake and watched the scenery. Bu
t there was not much to look at here, just the undulating waves of the sea and some dark cliffs in the distance. There were no lights to show if any houses or dwellings were nearby.
“I’d rather stay alert. Where are we?” Cettie asked, digging her hands under her arms and squeezing down on them.
“Somewhere off the coast of Legault. Mirror gates can be anywhere the sea has carved away a natural bridge. Some of them are in the middle of nowhere. Like this one.”
Cettie’s eyes were getting heavier and heavier. She wished to stay awake for the journey, however, and she pinched herself. She wanted to complete her vigil before talking to Father.
“How long will we stay before we have to return through that mirror gate?” Cettie asked.
“The passage contract is for only a week. I don’t think our business will take that long. I hope your meeting with . . . your father goes well.”
“So do I,” Cettie replied.
There was a pause, and the silence made Cettie’s head swim with fatigue. She was so weary.
“Would you like something to drink?” Lady Corinne asked. “It might help you stay awake.”
“What do you have?” Cettie asked gratefully.
“Just a little tea. Valerianum tea. I think it will help.”
It didn’t. Shortly after sipping from the cup, she felt her eyelids grow even heavier. The last thing that passed through her mind before her eyes closed was the image of her father’s bleeding body from her vision.
Then a fog of sleep came over her, as unavoidable as the fog of the Fear Liath, and she remembered nothing else.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE EDGE OF GENEVAR
Cettie’s eyes slowly fluttered open, her lids feeling heavy. She could tell she was still in the zephyr because of the feeling of motion, but it was day now, and she’d fallen asleep despite her goal of maintaining the vigil. There was a foul taste in her mouth, the residue of some tea she barely remembered drinking.