Given the long-term plans the Chosen have set in motion, it wouldn’t be at all surprising that they planted an artifact six years ago. But that almost certainly means it’s not Evariste’s mirror, because he was moved recently. However…when Severin sent Odette to tell us about the Snow Queen’s mirror and that it had been shipped north to Mullberg, didn’t she say the entry that recorded its movement was several years old?
“I think the deterioration of her health,” Snow White continued, “which, while slight, was noted by our staff—is an indication that the mirror—an artifact—started to inflict its magic on her.”
Marzell rubbed his chin as he listened to Snow White, then shifted his gaze to Angelique—likely looking for confirmation.
“The timeline works better,” Angelique said. “Six years is an impossible timeline for a rogue mage to hold, but an artifact would keep at it. If it really is an artifact, that also explains the ancient spell placed on Snow White, as all artifacts were forged long ago—most of them well before the time of Verglas’ Snow Queen. Usually an artifact would affect people much faster, but it seems plausible Faina held out longer than most.”
But if that’s so, how does Evariste work into all of this? Obviously he’s being used—there’s no way even an artifact as old as that mirror could create teleportation magic without Evariste, even if it did twist it slightly.
And obviously Evariste was in a different mirror—or he wouldn’t have been moved north recently. So how did the mirror use his magic? Unless…?
When Angelique had used the tracking spell, the magic she’d encountered was so terrible and draining.
Maybe that was the mirror?
Angelique’s joy in Snow White’s revival faltered, and her smile slipped.
Was he transferred to the Snow Queen’s mirror, and that’s what he’s living in now? How is he surviving?
“She did!” Snow White said, interrupting Angelique’s rapidly darkening thoughts.
Angelique guiltily looked from Snow White to the warriors, trying to remember the thread of the conversation.
Thankfully, Snow White explained herself. “After I bit the apple, Faina—or the mirror speaking through Faina—complained about the years she had resisted. I think it meant to ruin us sooner, but Faina fought it off.”
Wendal adjusted his spectacles. “I agree this seems like a possibility. But only if you know for certain the mirror is an ancient artifact.”
“I don’t know how many artifacts exist, so I cannot say for sure,” Snow White nibbled on her lip. “But the more I think it over, the more I am certain the mirror is somehow involved. Before I left Glitzern, when she nearly hurt me, I saw her talk to the mirror—not to her reflection in the mirror, but to the mirror itself.” Snow White pinched her eyes shut. “I think she even asked it a question.”
The Seven Warriors looked thoughtful, and Angelique knew she could let it go—they believed enough in Snow White to act upon it.
But Snow White deserves to know she’s right. I may not be entirely correct that Evariste was moved into the Snow Queen’s mirror, and that it is that particular mirror behind all of this, but she’s right. This is not the work of a black mage.
Angelique took a deep breath. “It’s the mirror.”
Snow White blinked. “How do you know?”
Angelique tossed the starfire she’d been holding since she and Fritz first inspected Snow White on top of her satchel to buy her time while she thought.
I wish she had not asked that. How much do I tell her? How much time do we have—particularly if we want to attack Faina and capture the mirror before the Chosen get wind of our plans and swoop off with it? Especially now that Marzell informed Lord Trubsinn?
“I can’t say if your mirror is a rare artifact or not, but after seeing the magic Faina used yesterday, I can promise with nearly absolute certainty: it is the mirror,” Angelique finally said.
“Can you further explain that?” Gregori asked. “You didn’t know it was a mirror before Snow White brought this up.”
Curse it—why must this group be the first band that doesn’t instantly believe what I say and ask me to fix everything?
Angel pinched the bridge of her nose. “Yes, it’s my failing. I didn’t notice the signs and connect them until Snow White brought it up. I can’t really explain it more than that, but knowing what I know, having followed a trail for years…If we can get that mirror out of Glitzern and Juwel, I am certain we can free Faina.”
Snow White left Fritz’s protective hovering and peered outside at the sky—which was still dark with night but had the faintest blush of dawn already lightening the sky. “We should send a message to Lord Vitkovci and the others. It’s early enough we could still meet today, couldn’t we?” Snow White asked, a wide smile on her face.
Angelique flicked her eyes at Marzell. And now all the political trouble comes home to roost.
Marzell sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “About the other lords…we need to talk.”
For Angelique, time passed both unbelievably slowly and so rapidly she could barely breathe.
She wanted to march on Glitzern immediately and rip Evariste away from the Snow Queen’s mirror—if that indeed was the artifact the Chosen had planted.
But an invasion of one wasn’t likely to work. And Angelique was determined to finally free Evariste, so she made herself remain with Snow White, who—hours after she woke up, when the world was barely pink with dawn—rode out to meet with the lords who had originally agreed to help invade Glitzern.
Unfortunately, the lords balked and told Snow White that her grandfather, Lord Trubsinn, was scheduled to arrive that day.
Which meant if they wanted to save Faina, they needed to march immediately, and the lords refused to do so.
…Until Snow White’s love for her stepmother combined with her deep knowledge of her country, and she verbally ripped the lords to pieces, shyness and all. With a brilliant bit of politicking, Snow White had the lords following her commands—not Marzell’s—and doing as she ordered, which was why that afternoon, mere hours before Lord Trubsinn was estimated to arrive with his troops according to scouts, Angelique, the Seven Warriors, and the four lords/Snow White’s new henchmen discreetly infiltrated Juwel, making their way to Glitzern Palace.
They came in waves, each making their way to specific meet-up points.
Angelique was charged with meeting Snow White and the Seven Warriors at a side entrance of Glitzern, where Snow White would notify the palace guards and tell them to secretly give access to the four Mullberg lords and their troops.
But before Snow White could do that, they had to escape notice on their way to the palace.
Angelique, far more certain of her infiltration skills than she had been a few months ago, volunteered to travel by herself.
But halfway to the palace, as she made her way up the streets of Juwel (pausing occasionally to barter for herbs and buy a bite of food), Angelique ducked up a darkened alleyway. She climbed a stone wall made of loose stones that made the climb far more exciting than she wanted and shimmied her way onto the roof of a stable attached to an inn.
She hadn’t volunteered to go alone out of the goodness of her heart, after all.