Through the Mirrah Read online

  “You okay?” Ash asked, looking at her in the mirror.

  “Yeah.” She wiped the sweat from her face and read the inscription.

  The mirror rippled and dissolved, revealing a cubby. A matte black egg the size of a football sat inside.

  Aideen stuffed the pendant into her back pocket and lifted the egg—its leathery texture rough against her hands—and examined it. The mirror reappeared.

  “Ash, look at this.” She returned to the door and crouched next to him. “What kind of egg do you think it is?”

  “Turkey. Is that from the mirror?”

  Aideen nodded. “Why do you think it was there?”

  “Someone’s hiding it,” he said. “I can’t imagine why.”

  “Well, we have the pendant now. We can get out of here.”

  “They’re still out there,” he said. “I can’t tell what they’re doing. We’ll have to wait.”

  Aideen took up her previous position across the door from Ash and ran her fingers over the eggshell. “It’s hard to believe this is a real egg. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  The voices in the hall got louder again. Ash put his hand up to keep Aideen from speaking. The voices faded, and Ash opened the door to peer down the hall.

  “They’re headed back to the elevator.”

  Ash and Aideen crept from the room and followed the voices—two guards—down the hall. After the guards rounded the corner to the guard station, Ash hurried to the turn and pressed against the wall. Aideen caught up and they listened to the guards’ chatter. Ash poked his head around the corner.

  “Hey!” It sounded like a guard spotted them.

  Ash whispered without turning his head. “They have me. I’ll try to hold them off. Hide until they’re gone, then get yourself out of here.”

  He stepped around the corner, hands up.

  “I got lost. Today’s my first day, and—”

  “Nobody belongs on this floor,” the guard who’d shouted said.

  Aideen backed up, afraid she’d be caught if she turned around. Afraid to make any noise.

  “Are you alone?” a new voice, which must belong to the other guard, asked.

  Aideen turned and ran tiptoe back to the bedroom. She eased the door shut, leaned against the wall behind it, and caught her breath.

  It’s okay. If they believe his first day story . . .

  She waited for what felt like eons to make sure there wouldn’t be anyone out there when she left the room. She’d get out of here, as Ash said, and she and Sterling would wait to see if he got out on his own.

  Does he broadcast? Aideen pictured him in her mind. Ash, can you hear me?

  Nothing.

  He’ll be fine. They don’t know him as Refuse. Aideen pinched her shirt and peeled it from her clammy skin. When did it get so hot in there? Ash will get out on his own and meet up with Sterling and me. I better hurry, so I don’t miss the train.

  Aideen opened the door and listened. Hearing nothing, she crept back to where Ash was discovered. She crouched and looked around the corner. All clear.

  She hurried to the stairwell door and eased it open, listening for anyone on the stairs. Still no sign of anyone. She wasn’t usually that lucky. Her stomach twisted and her heart beat double time.

  As she climbed the stairs, the door to the roof opened. Aideen froze halfway up the flight, holding the egg behind her back. Her hand shook, threatening to drop the egg. Not now. A nurse walked through and started down the stairs before seeing Aideen.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I, uh—” Aideen felt sweat dripping on her brow.

  “Nox called a guard meeting. You should be in the cafeteria.”

  Nox? What is she doing calling meetings at Jay Ridge?

  “Yeah, uh . . . she wanted me to check the roof door. She thought it was unlocked.”

  The nurse stopped next to Aideen and eyed her. “Of course it was. I was feeding the Turkeys. She’d know that.”

  “I should check it anyway, you know, so I can say I checked as she asked. Then I’ll head right to the meeting.”

  The nurse shook their head and mumbled something about ‘arrogant guards’ as they continued down the stairs.

  Aideen’s legs thawed but trembled as she hurried to the roof door. Grasping the door handle, she took a deep breath. The egg weighed heavy in her other hand. If the Turkeys were eating, she may get to the train unnoticed, but she couldn’t take any chances. Not after jinxing herself.

  They’d try to save one of their own if I were clumsy enough to drop the egg, right?

  Not eager to question her plan further, she pushed open the door and didn’t slow to make sure it closed behind her. She raced across the roof. A few Turkeys looked up at her and she threw the egg at them, not stopping until she got to the edge. She looked to make sure she was in the right place, then leaped off the roof.

  THE TRAIN PULLED OUT of the station as Aideen fell. She landed feet first in a crouch and thrust herself forward into a roll. She missed her footing and slid toward the edge of the train car’s roof. Holding her breath, Aideen grasped for anything to stop her from going over the edge. The roof met the siding at a small lip. Aideen clutched at this with clammy hands and clawed her way back up.

  She scrambled to the center of the roof, breathing heavy, and stayed low to avoid losing her balance. After checking to be sure the pendant was still in her pocket, she crawled to the end of the car and peered over the edge. Metal rungs welded into the siding formed a ladder leading to the door into the car itself.

  Aideen wiped her sweaty hands on her pants and shimmied around on her stomach, stretching her foot to the first rung. She closed her eyes and climbed down until her foot couldn’t find another rung, then opened her eyes.

  Three silhouettes appeared in the desert ahead of the train: three horses, one with a rider. Sterling. It was time to disembark.

  I dunno what ‘D’Nal Harrim’ means, but they should have called it ‘Deja Vu.’

  She threw herself off the side of the speeding train, hitting the ashy ground and rolling away from the tracks. Bruised, but not outright injured, Aideen stood on shaky, weak legs.

  “Where’s Ash?” Sterling asked.

  “They caught him after we found the pendant. It sounded like they believed his story about it being his first day, but I don’t think he can broadcast. I don’t know if he’s still okay.”

  “We could—uh oh.” Sterling pointed behind Aideen. “Waiting’s out.”

  Aideen looked over her shoulder and saw the Dark Man on a Turkey leading two others towards them. After a failed attempt to climb onto her horse, Sterling slid from his, threw her onto the back of hers, and leaped back onto his. Aideen grabbed the makeshift reins but lurched as the horse sprung into motion. She leaned forward and held the horse’s neck as they raced across the desert at a gallop.

  IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE the Turkeys caught up with them. One Turkey swooped and snapped at Sterling. He cried out and tumbled from his horse. Another Turkey snatched at Aideen with its claws. It caught her shirt and lifted her from her horse.

  Aideen struggled and dropped from the Turkey’s grasp as the horse sped away to the east. She pushed herself off the ground and felt a twinge between her shoulders. The Turkey’s talons must have broken skin.

  She looked for Sterling. The three Turkeys were circling him as he regained his footing, holding one shoulder. Blood streamed from under his hand.

  “Sterling!”

  She sprang to her feet, causing her stomach to lurch. Willing the feeling to pass, she pulled the gun from her hip holster and shot two of the Turkeys. One dropped immediately, bleeding from its face; the other stumbled, a hole through one wing. Aideen aimed the gun at the third as it closed in on Sterling. Her hand shook. The Dark Man swung his arm down onto hers and knocked the gun to the ground. She turned toward him, and he punched her in the gut.

  She staggered as she dry-heaved and fell. A Turkey screeched.

&
nbsp; Sterling?

  Don’t worry about me, he thought. I’ve got the Turkeys.

  Aideen clambered to her feet. Sweat glued her shirt to her back as she glared at the Dark Man.

  “You’ve got some nerve showing your face to me after shoving me off a cliff from behind like a coward.”

  The Dark Man laughed. “And yet you survived. What’s your secret?”

  “I didn’t let it preoccupy me.” Aideen emphasized ‘occupy’ and the Dark Man rewarded her by flinching.

  “Imuhn,” he muttered. “That bird will whore himself out to anyone.”

  “Let’s see who leaves who for dead this time.” Heart racing, Aideen crouched low and pounced at the Dark Man.

  The Dark Man knocked her down and stood over her.

  “Not as easy as before, is it? I’ve gotten stronger.”

  Aideen came to a crouch as two gunshots rang out.

  “When have you had time to work out?” She leaped at him, grasping at his throat.

  He knocked her hands aside, laughing. “I don’t need to work out. The poison makes me stronger.”

  “They poison you, too?” She re-positioned herself, shaky fists up.

  “I have my own supply.” He lunged at her.

  Aideen frowned as she ducked and spun around behind him. Her head kept spinning.

  “Aideen!”

  Sterling, stepping around the bodies of the other two Turkeys, tossed the gun to her. She caught it, but the Dark Man knocked it out of her hands before she could take aim. They both scrambled, grabbing it at the same time. The gun went off.

  Please, God. Or Ostrich. Don’t let it have hit Sterling.

  She turned on her side and kicked at the Dark Man, aiming for between his legs but getting his thigh. He yanked the gun out of her hands and rolled away.

  Aideen scrambled into a crouch and the Dark Man stood. There was nowhere for her to take cover. He lifted the gun and swung it toward Sterling. Sterling dove behind a Turkey carcass as the Dark Man discharged the gun at him. Aideen screamed.

  She reached for the pendant in her pocket, intending to throw it at the Dark Man’s head, but it was gone. Frozen, sweat pouring down her face and heart beating a mile a minute, she watched the Dark Man throw the unloaded gun away and march toward her. Where was the pendant? If not to throw at him, to destroy it and keep her end of the bargain with Imuhn. Rooted to the spot on weak legs, she stared at the Dark Man as he strode to within an arm’s length of her.

  What do I do?

  Cut him off, the Ostrich’s thoughts entered her head.

  Aideen came to life, lurching to the side as the Dark Man grabbed for her. She didn’t know what the Ostrich meant, or how she knew what was going on, but she had sounded calm and confident. The Ostrich seemed to think Aideen had a shot.

  I’ll do my best. What else was she going to do?

  “Aideen! The pendant!” Sterling pointed to somewhere behind the Dark Man.

  The Dark Man turned to see where Sterling was pointing and made a dive for it. He was on his feet again by the time Aideen made it to him. She landed a kick between his legs and he dropped the stone.

  As he doubled over, Aideen glimpsed what looked like IV tubing at the back of his neck. Cut him off.

  She smiled and grabbed it, yanking a needle out of his neck. He yelped.

  “What the hell?” Aideen pulled the tube out of the Dark Man’s coat, causing a nauseating, but familiar black liquid to leak out.

  The Dark Man lunged at her, reaching for the tube. She whipped it around his neck, holding both ends and pulling tight.

  He flung his weight against her, and they both hit the ground. He punched her in the face and scrambled off her as her hands flew to her nose. Blood streamed down her face, dotting the earth in crimson red.

  She flipped over and set her feet under her. The Dark Man sprang at her as she did the same. She kept low and knocked him down.

  As he dropped, Aideen scrambled for the tubing and fell on him. The Dark Man’s eyes widened, and he reached up to strangle her. Pinned to the ground, he couldn’t keep a hold as she leaned away from his grip. Aideen slapped at him with the tube, and he grabbed her wrist. She strained against his resistance, but he twisted her arm to the side. Reaching up with his other hand, he grabbed his hat and pulled it off.

  The wig came with it, and Aideen was looking down at herself.

  Chapter Eleven

  You wouldn’t kill yourself, would you?” The Dark Man, looking up at Aideen from a mirror image of herself, couldn’t cover the hint of fear in his voice with his gruffness.

  A flash of panic gripped her. Was she hallucinating? Maybe she was getting the DTs. Maybe she was delirious, and was really laying in the sand, being torn apart by the Turkey’s razor-sharp beaks.

  Sterling called her name and she snapped out of it. She recalled the living room scene outside Jay Ridge after her first escape.

  “It’s just an illusion.”

  Without questioning how it worked, Aideen bit the leathery fingers clenched around her wrist and wrenched free. As he pulled his hand back, she wrapped the tube around his throat and yanked it as tight as she could.

  She watched as the life drained from her own eyes, and the body beneath her began to convulse. As it stilled, Aideen’s mirror image dissolved into the features of the Dark Man.

  “Just an illusion.” Aideen dropped the ends of the tube and rose, turning to Sterling.

  He stood over the Turkeys’ bodies, speechless as blood soaked his left sleeve. She walked toward him, stooping to pick up the pendant.

  Sterling reached into his pocket and handed Aideen a handkerchief. She mopped up the blood on her face, then looked down at the bloody cloth in her hand. She teetered as her legs threatened to give out.

  Sterling reached for her, but she held up her hand. “Your shoulder . . .”

  “I’ll be okay. It’s not too deep.”

  “What do we do now?” Aideen put a hand to the scrape between her shoulders and looked at her fingers. Not much blood; that was something.

  “When the Dark Man doesn’t return with the pendant, the Trappers will come after us in full force. We need to destroy the pendant and get you home.”

  “We can’t leave Ash.”

  “If they knew to come after you, they’ve figured out who he is. It’s not safe to go back.”

  Aideen’s legs went weak again, and she let Sterling support her weight.

  “The Frog Pond is the closest place we’d be safe,” Sterling said. “For a little while, anyway. But it’s a couple of miles away. Do you think you can manage it?”

  “I’d rather not be caught standing over all these bodies.”

  For the first time in a long time, a man took Aideen to a bar.

  AIDEEN AND STERLING ENTERED the Frog Pond and approached the bar. People looked up from their glasses and booed. Aideen had already forgotten she was in uniform. Suddenly, she couldn’t wait to change.

  “When did they start letting traitors in here?” someone shouted.

  The bartender looked at Aideen and called back to the patrons.

  “She’s not one of them.” They went to Aideen and Sterling. “The Ostrich knows why you’re dressed like that, though.”

  They bent down and brought out a gojoos and the first aid kit.

  “I can’t do a thing with that nose.” They handed her the gojoos then turned to Sterling. “I’m glad to see you escaped the prison tower. I can do something with this shoulder. Shirt off.”

  Sterling pulled his undershirt over his head, rewarding Aideen with an eyeful of his lean, muscular torso.

  Not the time.

  Sterling brought the bartender up to speed on events as they bandaged his shoulder.

  “That’s horrible. What are you going to do?”

  “Do you think any of your customers would help?” Aideen asked.

  “What did you have in mind?” The bartender put the kit away and cleaned up the counter.

  “It�
�s not a great plan. Not everyone will make it back from Jay Ridge . . . But if enough Alks join me, and they’re rowdy enough, more guards would be called to help keep everyone in line. I could sneak away and find Ash. We’ll try to get everyone out again, but if I’m not fast enough, a few people may end up in cells before I can get to them.”

  “That’s a horrible plan,” Sterling said. “You can’t go back, risking your life and everyone else’s.”

  “Ash doesn’t have much time. Besides, the only way I’m not dead is if I go home, which I’m not doing with Ash still in trouble. I’m the reason he’s even in this mess.”

  “Even if you’re the reason, it doesn’t mean—”

  “Hold on,” the bartender interrupted. “Let’s ask them what they think.” They waved to the bar patrons. “Hey, folks! Anyone interested in messing with some Jay Ridge guards to help break a friend out of prison?”

  A few people grumbled and turned back to their drinks. A few jumped up and cheered. Several more seemed to consider it before nodding.

  “I don’t like this,” Sterling said. “That’s not anywhere near enough people for a rowdy crowd. And you know I can’t help you.”

  “Look,” Aideen muttered, turning to him. “Either I’m the Prophesied One, and this all works out, or I die getting Ash back. He seems to be the leader of the surviving Refuse from the Bo. Without Ash, do you think the others will be very motivated to fight?”

  “You’re insane.”

  “I’ve been called worse.” She handed him the pendant. “Keep this safe for me.”

  “How are you all going to escape?” He stuffed the pendant into his pocket. “Even with the horses, we couldn’t outrun the Turkeys.”

  “We’ll go through the south woods. The Turkeys won’t be able to get us through the trees.”

  “But it’ll slow you down. The Trappers will catch you. What if you make it to the craglands?”