The Mirror Sliver Read online

  “Did you check the others?” The voice of Lug brought her out of her thoughts. He was walking toward her.

  “Was someone else injured?”

  “Maybe the leprechaun? But I’m not for certain. Have you checked on Ned and Thomas?”

  “I looked at them when we first got to shore. They’re both fine. But I’ll look after Lamfada. Keltrain was hurt, too.” Miranda could see Lily hovering above the leprechaun. His small frame was bent in tiredness. He ran his fingers through his red hair and Miranda could see that they were shaking. There were cuts on his hands and face. He dabbed at them with a small handkerchief, making a face at the splinters he pulled from his skin. He soon took his boots off and turned them upside down, freeing the leather of saltwater. He smiled a small grin at Lily as she sank slowly to the ground, kneeling on the sand. Miranda and Lug walked over to them.

  “Are you okay?” Miranda asked. She took a piece of her cloak and dabbed at the blood that trickled down her forehead. “DaGon says I should help with any wounds.”

  “Aye, lassie. Probably just as good as ya.” He pointed at her head. “Just a little bump on me tired body. Nothin’ I haven’t seen before. Mind ya, though, that Wurm coulda made a meal out of us.”

  “I’ve just a small cut. Lug’s arm is worse. It’s deep and all. And I don’t have the skill to sew it or anything. I’m afraid if it’s not tended to, it’ll get worse.”

  “You did fine. I’ll be all right,” Lug said quietly, patting her arm.

  “We be needin’ to get to the interior of the island soon. This chill be gettin’ worse as the sun sets and those who be followin’ evil will be lookin’ for us,” Lamfada stated to the wizard when Keltrain moved closer.

  “We’ve landed farther down the coast than I expected. I don’t think going into the interior at this point is a good idea, my friend,” Keltrain replied. “We’re all too weary.”

  “Do you know where we are, then?” DaGon asked. He added another piece of wood to the fire.

  “Somewhere north of where Lismort lies. Too far north of Crag Cairn, I think. I wanted to land in the cove you spotted the night you came here. Before we departed Partholon. I’d hoped to hide the ship for our return there. But now I don’t know how we’ll get out of here.”

  “If I be a guessin’ leprechaun, I be sure ya find a way, wizard.”

  “I appreciate your confidence in me. At this moment, I seem to be lacking any of that.”

  Miranda was beginning to wonder if this place was going to be her grave. She frowned. How would they get out here if they didn’t have a ship?

  “So where do we go from here?” DaGon asked. “If we’re too far north.”

  “If I remember the ancient roads from Lismort, there will be a small byway that will take us there. The most difficult part of our journey will be making our way to the fortress. Uthal’s dragon has probably already alerted him to our presence and I’m sure that it won’t be long until the warlock unleashes the Slaugh or even the Brollachan, or whatever else to hunt us down.”

  “Even more reason we need to be leavin’ the shore,” Lamfada stated.

  Keltrain didn’t acknowledge the statement. “I shouldn’t have been so naïve. With the kidnapped children from Earth here on the island, his security measures would be tight. There’s no doubt that he’s ready to begin the forgotten spell. I haven’t seen Locien, Uthal’s black wurm, since the old days. Uthal must have positioned him to attack any ships approaching and to make sure no one gets to shore.”

  Miranda sat down next to Lug and pulled her cloak tighter around her body as she listened to the wizard. It still held some of its magic and kept her warm. She felt Lug’s arm slip around behind her.

  “He’s reaching for old alliances. And maybe new ones. We’ve got to be very cautious, my friends. There are probably things out there that have been set in place specifically to kill.”

  Miranda shivered. The wizard’s words drove home the peril they all faced. She looked at Sonya, her feline body wrapped in a tight cocoon of wool. The wounds she suffered when they were at the port in Partholon were deep. What had happened to her? The medicine Keltrain gave her the day before was still in her system. Miranda wished in a small way that she could trade places with the cat and be oblivious to the danger they all stood in.

  A movement caught her eye and she saw in the distance two figures approaching the small camp. It was Thomas and Ned. Keltrain had sent them earlier to walk along the shoreline to see if any of the ship’s supplies had washed up.

  “The lads be returnin’,” Lamfada said. He pointed with his thumb in their direction.

  Miranda smiled slightly when she saw the leprechaun dangling one of his socks in front of the fire. It started to steam and emit a rather foul odor.

  “Perhaps they had success in locating some food,” Lily whispered. She gently fluttered beside Miranda.

  “Aye, wee lass. I hear me innards talkin’. We all be needin’ some nourishment about now.” Lamfada fluttered his other sock in front the fire.

  Miranda stood up as the boys grew near. The smell from the leprechaun’s socks was beginning to make her sick. She waited for her cousins. She could see apprehension on both of their faces. Ned, the younger of the two, quickly knelt by the fire and extended his hands to the warmth, while Thomas stood next to Keltrain. Neither of them looked at her.

  “There’s a lot of wreckage,” Thomas finally said to the wizard. “But Ned and I didn’t come across anything useful.”

  Keltrain nodded. “We’re going to have to chance camping here tonight. I’ll use the green flames of the leprechauns. Once the night comes, it’ll keep us warm but not be as noticeable as DaGon’s fire. Hopefully, in the morning, we’ll have some luck. But if nothing washes up on shore that would be useful to us…well…we’re put in an undesirable predicament.” He sighed heavily. “In the morning, you and Ned venture out again. Maybe by that time, more wreckage will have come ashore.”

  “Perhaps your pockets will have what we need,” Ned said. “Your pockets had lots of things.”

  Miranda saw a brief smile from the wizard as he patted the shoulder of the young boy. “My pockets are limited. When I pull out something to use, it must be replaced. All my supplies that I shrunk to fit in them are low. I’ve got nothing to replace them with. My magic is thin at this moment. I’m very sorry.”

  Ned hung his head. “It was just a thought,” he murmured.

  “Under normal circumstances, a very good thought. But now, we must rely on material things and not magical things.” The wizard’s voice was solemn.

  Thomas walked over to Miranda. He touched her wound. “Gee whiz, cuz. You need to take care of that.”

  “It’ll be okay. It stopped bleeding and all. Besides, Lug’s cut is worse.”

  “Miranda has been an excellent healer,” Lug said before Thomas could respond. “I’m all right. No need to worry over me.”

  “Well, ya know, gee, I promised Matt…” The words caught in Thomas’ throat. “I promised him I would watch over all of you, should anything happen to him. I’ve not done a very good job of that.”

  “But I’m the Sword Champion. You’re supposed to be my responsibility,” she replied quietly.

  “I think we’re each other’s responsibility.” Thomas crossed his arms. “I keep thinkin’ back to the morning after we slept in the library at the old Fomorian Keep. Ya wanna hear somethin’ weird? Matt told me before we left there that he had been havin’ these nightmares. Ever since we came through the portal. He said there had been something black chasing him. And that night, in his dream, it almost caught him. Gee. Do ya think he knew something was going to happen to him?”

  Miranda’s brow creased as she sat back down beside Lug. She didn’t want to believe that Matt knew about his demise. “Maybe. I think he tried to tell me about the nightmares, too. But I just brushed it off and all. I should’ve listened.”

  “Dwelling in the past doesn’t help the future.” DaGon snorted
. “The Morrigana will claim his spirit. And he’ll be freed from the war that is about to consume Green Isle. At least he’s safe from that demon, Uthal.”

  “As my mother would say, things do happen for a reason. Not that I’m making light of Matt’s loss. But there is a higher power that works in our lives. That’s just the way we always look at things,” Lug said softly.

  “But now we’re one less,” Lily interjected. “An important person for this quest is now missing, my dears. If we hold to the truth of Keltrain’s prophecy, he should have been here to stand beside Miranda when she confronted the warlock. That was the legend. The one that’s been told for thousands of years. Four young people from Earth will conquer Uthal and defeat him forever.”

  “There’s still hope for help. The captain and his troops,” Keltrain stated. “He did promise me that he would gather men and meet us at Lismort. The Nuada Findi are very true to their word. Hopefully they made it safely and we’ll have more to add to our numbers.”

  “But it’s not the legendary four,” Lilly retorted. “How could the prophecy be wrong?”

  Everyone remained quiet at the question. No one could provide an answer, least of all, the wizard.

  “One thing be sure. Bein’ without no supplies, means we be sittin’ ducks,” Lamfada finally said. “I may be doubtin’ our chances of meetin’ up with the capt’in. Especially if we don’t be findin’ any food.”

  “Then we must have faith that something will wash up on shore,” Miranda replied. She glanced at Sonya, still sleeping under the brush. “I don’t want to think that we’ve come this far for nothing. Remember we’re on a quest to rescue those children that were kidnapped. And destroy Uthal. I can’t believe that all of Keltrain’s prophecies are wrong.”

  The group grew quiet again. Miranda took a deep breath. She fought back the emotions that welled within her. When the sun dipped below the horizon completely and hid behind the grey veil of thunderclouds in the distance, she kept still. She watched and listened, until all her companions had fallen asleep.

  When she grew certain that no one was awake, she pulled the Sword of Balorn from its sheath and held it upright. She allowed the metal to flash in the firelight. It gave her goosebumps when she looked at the ancient etchings on the weapon. Wrapping her hand around the hilt, she could feel the magic begin to fill her. It glowed through the mark on her palm. She looked at it and saw the emblem. Its resemblance to a symbol she noticed at the tombs was unmistakable. It was her connection to the spirits of the ancient Fomorians, this mark. Her heart reacted to the memories imprinted on her consciousness of both happiness and terror. The recollections replayed often when she didn’t guard herself. The mental pictures of the dark spell Uthal used to consume the Fomorians, sinking their great land on Earth into the sea brought with them heavy feelings. Their collective thoughts created a desire in her to swiftly obliterate the evil that lie waiting in its prison in the mirror. It was their memories that kept her from turning away from her task.

  She touched the silken ribbons that had been braided through her hair and remembered the gift of the Water Wraiths. ‘For memory’ they told her, ‘keep these for memory.’ Miranda vowed that she would always remember and never forget what the spirits showed her. Nor would she forget the sacrifice of Matt, her compassion for him burning into a silent rage against Uthal. She knew what she had felt earlier was true. He had died. The connection she held during the remaining journey here had diminished and was replaced with something new. If it was the last thing she did before dying herself, she would destroy the warlock and all that he represented.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Weary and wet, Urcias staggered out of the sea and onto the volcanic shore of Black Isle. Dragging his steed by the reins, he forced the horse out of the cold waves and onto the sand. Warmth, a distinct contrast to the frigidness of the water, tickled his forehead. He reached up and touched his skin. Pulling his hand down, he saw blood smeared across his fingertips. Dazed, he suddenly bent over and heaved salt water. The motion, automatic and without his control, took over his body.

  The wildness of the water had churned men and animals in several different directions. It spit many on the cliffs and rocks, dashing the life from their bodies. After his command to abandon ship, the Wurm finished crushing the vessel, taking it down under the surface of the dark ocean. Far more didn’t even have a chance to escape before it disappeared beneath the swells.

  Now, alone with his horse, he searched for signs of survivors. A sound behind him caused him to look up and he saw a sodden Rufus waving from atop a boulder. In no time the lieutenant found his way down to where Urcias stood.

  “Are ya all right, Captain?” he asked when he finally reached Urcias.

  “I’ll be fine. Just drank a lot of salt water.” Urcias checked his horse for injuries, careful to lift the animal's legs gently. Small cuts and abrasions lined the lower extremities, but he noted nothing deep. “Have you seen anyone else?”

  “No sir. No one.”

  “We need to get warm or we’ll suffer from a fate we don’t wish. Help me find wood. Perhaps the smoke will be a signal to those still wandering the shore.”

  The men quickly found shelter beyond the reach of the waves. As the flames of their small fire leaped to life, the two knelt before it, absorbing its comfort.

  “How far do you think we are from Lismort?” Rufus asked.

  “I’ve lost my bearings slightly. But I believe if we head that way,” Urcias replied, pointing to the left, “we should make it by tomorrow evening.”

  Rufus nodded. “I wish I hadn't lost my horse. A giant swell separated us and it was dashed against the cliffs. It’ll take longer for us to travel if we have to share yours.”

  “It’s fine. I don’t mind.” Urcias poked at the flames, listening to the sea’s voice. The sound couldn’t drown out the memory of the men and horses’ screams. He agonized over the loss of so many lives.

  The lieutenant had grown silent. In a few moments, he burst out, “Sir? I don’t want you to be angry with me, but…I gotta tell you somethin’.”

  “What are you talking about? Why would I be angry with you? You had nothing to do with this attack. This is my fault for not taking more precaution in our approach.”

  “It’s just… well, it’s just…” Rufus fought with his words. “Captain, I…”

  “What is it? Rufus? I know that look. What’s wrong?”

  “Something bad. You might not wanna hear it. If you should know, it’s about Queen Adalay.”

  Urcias frowned. “What about Adalay?”

  Rufus was silent for another moment. “Sir? She made me promise not to tell you.”

  “Tell me what? You’ve thoroughly confused me.”

  “She was aboard the vessel,” he finally said.

  “What?” Urcias jumped to his feet in disbelief.

  “The Queen was with us. She really did make me promise not to tell you. I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. But you know how she is.”

  The captain stood trembling. Adalay was on board the ship. The ship that was now at the bottom of the sea along with most of its passengers.

  “She made me swear an oath. The Senate dethroned her for sending us here to fight against Uthal. They tried to take her crown and make her marry one of the Senators. They likened it to treason. Imagine? They said that about her.” Rufus wrung his hands. “She knew you wouldn't allow her to stay, so she hid in the ranks. I’d check in on her the last couple of days.”

  “Rufus, if she was on the ship…” Urcias’ voice faded. He couldn’t bring himself to utter the words. Climbing on his horse, he raced back toward the sea cliffs. His heart tore at the thought of his beloved queen lying face down in water. Or worse, at the bottom of the ocean with the ship.

  Searching the sand and shallows, he went through the wreckage that was now washing up on the beach. At several instances, he stopped at a body floating and his heart missed a beat. Carefully he approached, looking for Adal
ay’s golden hair, and then felt guilt when he was relieved to see the dark hair of a soldier or crewman. It was sunset by the time he made it back to Rufus and the fire. He could see several of his men had gathered with the lieutenant.

  “Any sign of her?” Rufus asked, quickly standing.

  “None,” Urcias replied quietly, climbing off his horse. He hid his grief behind a wall and remained silent as he tied his horse to a tree.

  “We managed to retrieve some supplies and found some horses. Captain?” Ditred, a short, stocky man, his head bandaged from a wound suffered as the ship splintered, rose as Urcias drew closer to the fire.

  “Who else is here?” Urcias asked as he strained to see the faces of the few who stood around the blaze.

  Rufus pointed as he called out the names. “Ditred, Papella, Thyssen, Christos, Ortho and Zuya.”

  “Eight. Only eight of us made it out, of all who were aboard the ship?” Urcias drew a weary sigh.

  “There may be others. This black shore runs for miles in both directions,” Rufus stated.

  “I did find something of interest for you, Captain.” Thyssen, a slender, dark-haired man with blue eyes, stepped around the flame and handed Urcias an arrow. “Evidence that we aren’t the only ones on this side of Black Isle.”

  Urcias examined the shaft. “Yes. I recognize the tribal colors. This is from a border elf. Probably from the town of Kille Cael. The question we should be asking ourselves is why he’s so far from home. Those of Kille Cael are Erulisse’s assassins.”

  “Which means that we aren’t the only ones trying to stand against Uthal on his own ground.” Thyssen held out his hand for the arrow.

  “Well, if the elf is here, then it gives me hope that the wizard and his companions are here, too.”

  “Captain? I knew many of those men who died today. I don’t relish having to go back to Nuada Findi to tell their kinfolk,” Christos remarked. He rubbed the top of his bald head thoughtfully.