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The Ancient Mirror

Grace

It’s here, shimmering in front of me. The Veil . I’ve never been this close before. It undulates and glimmers a silver that rivals a sparkling diamond. Its magnificent color makes me think of life, but I know it emulates death. It’s singing to me, inviting me in, calling me closer. I’m going to die, and this time it will be final.

A guard shoves me forward, and I trip on the long white gown they forced onto me, landing in the wet, squelching mud on my hands and knees. I don’t get up right away. Instead, I let my head fall forward, my ghostly hair framing my view. I stare at the way the mud encloses my hand. The vibrant green of each blade of grass tickling my wrist. I bathe in the feel of the wind caressing my face and slithering through my hair. The chill in the air pebbles my skin; I embrace it. I embrace all of it.

“Stand traitor and walk through,” booms the King’s Priest spitefully.

A silent tear slips down my face. This is it. I let my fingers grasp the mud into a fist. This is actually it. My vision blurs from the tears welling in my eyes. It’s silent behind me, only the waves crashing against dark boulders among the sea sound around me. Another drop of salty tears lands on my hand.

No, I will not cry. Not for them.

I stand, not bothering to wipe off my hands. I spin to face them. The guards behind me hold pointed spears aimed at me. Ready to strike me down and throw me over. If I don’t go on my own accord, they will force me. The King’s Priest watches me raptly. He holds a full moon emblem in his pale shriveled hands, donning his full white cloak and elegant robes. I look past them to see the people of the village watching me. They hold each other close like I may attack them, fear plain in their eyes. These are the very same people that I saw every day. My family grew up with them. I walked through the market with them, I bought from their stalls, I grew up with their children. Fallon had sold them our fish and gone out to sea with them. Evie had made them their swords and bartered with them. And for what? Evie and Fallon hang on the cold hard wall, and I am being forced to my death through the Veil.

No . It was not them, was it? Where is she?

I scan the crowd closely, looking for her. That coward, how she dared to say she loved us. She did this to her own kin! I cared for her, every damn day. I saved her—there, hiding among the others. My mother. She’s crying and holding herself, watching me. How dare she mourn me when this is her doing. Fury rises inside me. My mother, who bathed and cared for me. My mother, who fed and clothed me. My mother, who loved and cherished me. My mother, who betrayed and killed me. I hate her.

“I curse you,” I whisper, staring at my mom.

“What was that child?” calls the King’s Priest.

“I curse you!” I scream with venom. “I hope this Veil falls and swallows you all!”

“Enough!” shouts the King’s Priest. “Guards!”

Armored guards bearing the silver moon emblem start to inch forward, prodding me toward the Veil with their sharp spears.

“This is on you, Mother. This is your doing. I hope you love living with what you’ve done to us forever.”

“Go. Now. Begone!” bellows the King’s Priest, waving the gleaming emblem at me.

I square my shoulders and raise my chin. I slap at the sharp spear urging me forward, holding my stance and demanding audience with the priest as I let wrath show through my cold eyes.

“You’ve made a vital mistake, King’s Priest,” I goad.

He laughs dryly. “And what could that possibly be, my cursed child?”

“You took away my only weakness,” I answer.

He laughs harder. I understand why he laughs, he is the King’s Priest, and I am some urchin child on the other end of his spears. My time is limited as I’m forced to my death. The thing is, as I look at him chortling, his chin doubling in his laughter, I feel such intense hatred. I know one cannot possibly die without quenching such revenge. I will not die until his eyes bead out of his head with shock as I slice him open. I will be the one cackling in the end.

I let him finish laughing before I speak. “You’ve destroyed my life, Priest, and killed the only people I cared about. You took my heart and placed, in turn, a seed of rotting hatred. The only purpose I have left in my despondent life now is revenge,” I call to him matter-of-factly. “You can send me across the Veil, but I refuse to die, not without sticking a dagger through your shriveled black heart and feeling your warm blood spray across my face.” I smile sweetly at him as his face grows concerned.

“Get this wretched girl away from me,” he shouts, holding his moon emblem to the sky. “You are sick, child!”

A metal spear stabs into my freezing thigh, but I refuse to cry out. I clench my teeth as the burning pain only fuels my anger. I will never cower to a man again. I will bite my tongue off and choke on my own blood before I show my weakness. I keep my eyes on him while I bare my teeth, swallowing my pain. I give one last look to the villagers and my mother, disgust and hatred filling me. I vow my vengeance and turn my back on him with my pride intact. I walk at my own pace to the Veil.

My feet squish along the mud in the grass, and the mist clings to my face. I walk slowly, but I no longer fear her; in fact, I welcome her. I would have no regrets if it weren’t for my brother and Evie getting dragged down with me. My thoughts are with them while I close the distance. I watch as my silver siren comes closer to me with every step until I’m right there in front of it.

Up close to the Veil, I can see all the different swirls of silver, gleaming and playing. It’s radiant and so mesmerizing to watch, I can’t look away. My soul yearns to cross through. The waves start to stir and churn, crashing onto the rocky landing, spraying me with cold seawater. Thunder sounds off across the sky, and lightning strikes above, flashing us with an electrifying light. I lift my hand to the wall of grey and see it mirrored in the reflection of the Veil. I breathe a deep breath and let it out, watching as it crosses into the Veil, instead of reflecting off the wall. It gives me chills, shivering my body to the bone.

I reach my hand directly across from the silver sea and feel an extreme coolness radiate off of it. My death will be cold, again . I start to hyperventilate and pull my hand away. I take a step back but pause as I catch my reflection in the silver mirror. My face is tanned with dirt, clean streaks running down my cheeks from the path of my tears. My button nose is red from the frosty coastal air. My thin lips chapped and cracked from dehydration. I have been beaten and worn down by life, continuously tested. My energy sucked from my body, leaving me questioning my will to live. I’m angry, furious with what life has dealt me. I want to give up; it would be so easy.

But maybe I don’t want easy.

I want to live, and if that means taking the wrath of life’s heat, I will burn in her flames. I square my shoulders and puff out my pale chest, inhaling the salty cold air deep within my lungs, freezing my core.

I reach out with my mud-stained fingers and touch the Veil’s wavering blanket gently. I let my fingertips go through, playing with the Veil. She’s as soft as silk and so warm . My Gods, if all of Fallon’s embraces and Dad’s fatherly love could combine, it could not hold a candle to the warmth I feel now coming from the Veil. I push my hand in further; its touch sends a burst of heat down my arm like electricity and fills me with a sense of belonging.

I hear a deep distant voice calling to me from inside the Veil, barely a whisper. “Grace.”

I pause.

“Come, Grace.”

There is someone in there. “Dad? Is that you?” I whisper back but hear no answer. Thrill thunders in my heart. Pa is calling me to come to him. It has been him this whole time calling me to the Veil. I take a small step toward the Veil, gazing upon it once more .

I steel myself before I whisper, “I’m coming, Dad.”

Whatever happens walking through this Veil now, I know for certain it will not be my death. And I will come back. I will see this through. I made a promise. I look behind me and see an ocean of frigid stares watching me. I turn back to the Veil, determined. I take a breath and walk in, darkness enveloping me in its warm cocoon.