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Josh gives me one last look and then he vanishes through the mirror as well. I’m on my own.

I sag as the strength goes out of me. Why did I insist on doing this alone?

Stiffening my spine, I stand up straight. I can do this.

Then I hear soft footsteps, and every muscle locks up tight.

Chapter 10

I Came. I Snuck. I Faceplanted

Iduck behind the nearest mirror and wait, my breath held. Now is the moment when I find out whether this will be a total fuck-up.

I hold myself still as whoever it is walks past, then I peer out from my hiding place. It’s Sheela, and she’s alone, as promised.

I remain quiet for a minute longer, listening for anyone else who might have followed her. Nothing. So far so good. I mean I sort of trust her. But she is related to Khronus who, by all accounts, is a complete bastard. And she is Khaosti’s cousin, who betrayed me to his father, even if he did choose me in the end. Obviously, treachery runs in the family.

Sheela’s steps have slowed, as though she can sense my presence. Finally, she comes to a halt and turns around, searching the room. I step out from behind the mirror. For long seconds we stare at each other, then she gives a small nod and walks towards me.

“You came,” she says. “I didn’t think you would.”

Well, that stings. “You came alone. I suspected you wouldn’t.”

She raises an eyebrow. “You thought I might betray you, and yet here you are. Clearly, you care about my cousin. Let’s hope that’s enough.” She holds out a bundle toward me. “Put this on.”

I take it and shake it out. It’s a cloak made of some sort of soft black material. With a hood. I throw it around my shoulders, fastening the cord at the front, and then pull the hood over my head so my face is obscured. And I’m ready to go.

“How far is it to the palace?” I ask.

“Maybe an hour if we’re not stopped. Come, we must go. I’ve timed this so we should reach the palace just as the meeting begins. It’s our best chance of getting in unobserved.”

Without waiting for an answer, she turns and heads back the way she came. I fall into step just behind her. Something occurs to me as I walk past all the mirrors. There are so many. “Is there not a mirror that connects to the palace?”

She glances back. “No. The mirrors do not function in the palace.”

“Really? Why?”

“I don’t know. But that’s been the case for as long as I can remember. Come.”

I go.

We finally exit through a door that doesn’t lead into another room of mirrors but out into the open, and I get my first sight of the city of Aurion, the capital of Astrali. The walls are about 500 feet from where we stand. From here it looks glorious, gleaming white in the starlight. A well-tended path leads fromthe Chamber to a gateway. The land in between is a mix of lawns and gardens with flowers that glow in the dim light. It makes me think of Zandor Aurion, the ruined city on Valandria, a land that has been at war for thousands of years. The terrain all around that city had been devoid of life, everything destroyed by shadow fire.

Sheela is already heading off, but she doesn’t go for the gate. Likely that would be guarded. Instead, she walks quickly to the right, weaving between the flower beds and circling the city. Soon the flower gardens give way to simple lawns and then to bare ground, and the land in front of the gleaming walls is cluttered with makeshift homes that are little more than lean-tos. I don’t see any people but there are signs that these hovels are homes to some. It’s a vast contrast to the gleaming city. Not so different than Earth then. I’d gotten the impression that Astrali was a land of plenty where the people all prospered.

I hurry to catch up with Sheela. “Who lives here?” I ask waving a hand toward the shacks.

She glances at me. “They are refugees who fled from the fighting in the north where the civil unrest is at its highest. Most are humans, descendants of those brought here long ago, from Earth or Valandria, to serve the Astralis. They are loyal to my uncle but…”

“But he’s a bastard who doesn’t give a shit.”

“My uncle says they should have stayed and fought for their land against the rebels.” She sighs. “It’s partly what the meeting is about—to decide what should be done about them.” She bites her lip. “I’ve heard rumors from the guards that there’s a plan to burn them out. Drive them back to where they came from. But they are mainly women with young children.”

“This is the civil war that Khaosti fought in?”

“Yes.” She doesn’t look like she wants to talk about it. “Come, we must hurry.”

I follow as she heads into the shanty town, weaving her way through the narrow streets. The place smells of piss and shit and ugh! Finally, up ahead I see where we must be heading; a small gate set in the wall. There are no buildings around it.