Page 37 of Wicked Prince of Mirrors
I yelped, dropping it.
Lyra grinned. “Sorry for laughing, it’s just?—”
I huffed. “You don’t have to apologize, I’m sure it was amusing.”
Cautiously, I kicked the bag to see if more of the creatures would hop out, then glanced around to see if Rydlin and Methrin had witnessed my embarrassment.They both stood a distance away, talking in front of the wood.
Lyra pointed. “They are waiting for us.”
I rolled up my bedroll, heart thumping in my throat. I certainly hadn’t missed traveling. Already I felt grimy from sleeping outside, and I was sure my hair was dew-damp and frizzy. No matter, the woods rose before me, eerie and haunting. Time was almost up.
It was much cooler under the canopy of trees. The scent of honeysuckle imbued the air with a note of sweetness. Bulbus trees with leafy boughs and giant roots stood like tree guardians, and woodland creatures scattered as we passed. We followed no path that I could see, yet Rydlin seemed to know exactly where he was going.
At last we came to a gaping opening surrounded by a mound of stones. Rydlin waved his staff. “We’ve reached the caves,” he announced.
As we walked toward them, a low growl vibrated the ground, and a massive beast stomped into our path. It walked on two tree-like legs, with two smaller ones held in front of its massive body. A sharp row of fangs hung out of its snout and blood from a fresh kill dripped down its teeth. With eyes on either side of its snout, I wasn’t sure it saw us until it roared.
A blast of rotten meat filled the air and it was Lyra who screamed as the beast lowered its head and charged. My fingertips tingled, and I flung out my hands, sending a shower of mirror shards into the creature’s throat.
It choked.
Swayed.
Fell.
All eyes turned to me as my trembling hands fell to my side. How had I done that? I hadn’t even thought about it, it just happened.
Lyra touched my arm, a pained smile on her face. “Thank you, Esmira.”
Rydlin leaned over the beast and poked at it. “Now that’s unusual. One of the predators. We must have disturbed its nest.”
“When was the last time you were here?” Methrin asked.
“I haven’t been back,” Rydlin said and disappeared into the cave.
Methrin’s face was tight with displeasure as he followed. “How do you know it’s still there? Unbroken?” he demanded. “Or that it’s the right mirror.”
I glanced at Lyra before following them inside, a lump of disappointment building. Methrin’s questions were reasonable but I assumed he’d asked them before we’d come all this way. Not now as we stepped into the coolness of the cave.
“Do you doubt me now?” Rydlin called back to Methrin. “The mirror is protected by magic and the symbols on it . . . you will recognize it when you see it.”
Rydlin chanted as he walked, causing glimmers of light to flash from his staff. The air became clearer and less resistant. I didn’t need Lyra to confirm that he was taking down his magical wards.
Finally, he paused in front of a narrow nook then slipped inside.
A moment later he poked out his head. “Come.”
Methrin followed him and Lyra gestured for me to go next. I slipped into the passage, two walls so close together it was almost impossible to move between without touching them.
I stepped down into a room with a pool, ivy growing along the walls and a shaft of light pouring in. There was nothing else there and for a moment I thought we had it all wrong until Methrin kneeled at the side of the pool. He peered down into it, then back up at Rydlin. “I see,” he said, voice low with reverence.
Lyra came through last. “Where is it, Father?”
Rydlin pointed to the pool with his staff, a pleased expression on his face.
“Esmira.” Methrin held out his hand.
Gathering my cloak, I kneeled beside him. Palms flat on the stone, I peered into the water, breath catching as it rippled. At the bottom of the shallow pool lay a mirror hewn into the stone. Symbols had been carved into the stone surrounding it, some similar to the symbols I’d seen in the palace. The water rippled and mist unfurled, beckoning me. My heart raced, and wordless whispers hummed at the back of my skull. An unnatural glow came from my fingertips.
