do would be worth it.
If I died, I would have died to save millions from torment, slavery, or death at Sarad Nukpana’s hands. I’d been telling myself all night that it’d be a good and noble death.
I’d never been more terrified in my life. I was almost sick with it.
There were easier and certainly less painful ways to commit suicide. The only upside to this whole thing was that we’d be leaving for Regor within the hour. That didn’t leave much time for me to imagine all the ways Sarad Nukpana, the Saghred, or the Reapers could kill me. The less time I had to ponder any of those, the better.
Leaving here within the hour, and arriving in Regor seconds after that.
I despised mirror magic, but I had to admit that it was a damned efficient way to get from one place to another.
To tell you the truth, I was scared to death of it. Partly because I didn’t understand how the finer points of the art worked. Stepping into one mirror and instantly walking out of another one hundreds or even thousands of miles away sure as hell wasn’t a parlor trick—and mirror mages knew it. Superior to everyone else was how the best of them saw themselves; though most felt that simple worship would suffice. I’d never met a humble mirror mage.
I did a last check of the pack I was taking with me. More weapons than anything else, small and easily concealed. What couldn’t be hidden was already strapped to me. I wasn’t taking much by way of clothes—one change of everything in case what I was wearing picked up a couple of unsightly bloodstains or sword slashes. It’d been my experience that running for your life was best done while carrying as little extraneous weight as possible.
I slung my small pack over my shoulder and opened the door.
Standing there, hand raised to knock, was one of the last people I expected.
Piaras Rivalin.
He was a tall young elf, with big brown eyes and dark brown curls that would have made him look perfectly at home painted on the ceiling of some fancy chapel. To the pair of Guardians posted outside my door, Piaras was an eighteen-year-old cadet in their order. To me he was the little brother I’d never had, but always wanted.
I’d known Piaras since he was twelve. The self-possessed young man standing in front of me had grown up fast over too short a period of time. No one had given him a choice, either. For the two of us, the past three months had been one deal-with-it-or-die moment right after another. Piaras had faced and fought things that would have sent most kids his age scrambling under their beds. To make it even worse, he was in nearly as much danger from Sarad Nukpana as I was. The bastard knew how much I loved Piaras; knew it and wouldn’t hesitate to use him to get to me.
Piaras’s dream had been to become a Guardian, and here he was in the uniform and armor of a cadet. In my opinion, he should have been on one of the ships trying to evacuate the other students from the island before the goblins invaded.
I stared up at him. “Come to see me off before you get your butt on an evac ship?”
“Yes and no.”
“‘Yes’ you’re getting on that ship, and ‘no’ you’re not here to see me off, right?”
“Reverse them.”
“Dammit, Piaras. I—”
“Paladin Eiliesor gave us all the choice. I chose to stay.”
“You should be on a ship.”
“I’m needed here.”
From most kids his age, those words would come off sounding stubborn. From Piaras, it was steadfast and decisive. I knew I wouldn’t be able to change his mind, but if he wasn’t going to be stubborn, I would.
I lowered my voice. “And
“Raine, I’ve already reported for duty—”
“Then un-report.” The vehemence in my voice surprised even me.
“You’re not un-reporting.” There was no accusation in his voice; he was simply stating a fact.
“Regor is the last place I want to go, but I don’t have a choice. You do.”
“You have a choice,” Piaras said. “You’re going because you couldn’t live with yourself if you didn’t go. You know you can help, so that’s what you’re going to do. Same with me. What I’d really like is to hide under my bed in the barracks, close my eyes, and have every last bit of this crap go away. But that’s not going to happen, so here I am.”
I glared at him. “You know you’re too young to be this smart, don’t you?”
Piaras flashed a smile that was probably making the coeds swoon. “It’s a burden I bear.”
“I’m sure I don’t want to know, but where are they sending you?”
“Here.”
I blinked. “What?”
“Sir Vegard ordered me to take his place as your bodyguard—”
As my bodyguard, Vegard Rolfgar had been shot, tortured, and attacked by demons; damned near dying from all of the above. He’d wanted to go with us to Regor, but Mychael had made him acting paladin instead and put him in charge of the evacuation.
With a life of their own, my fists went to my hips. “You are
Piaras grinned and held up a hand. “Vegard wants me to see you safely to the mirror room and then report back to him.” He stopped and half winced, the sudden embarrassment in his big eyes making him look like that awkward twelve-year-old again. “He ordered me to do one other thing.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And what is that?” Vegard was about to get more trouble from me than he’d have from any invading goblin army.
Piaras stepped forward. “Uh… he told me to give you this.”
Piaras hugged me. Hard. My feet left the floor somewhere in the process. I should’ve been grateful that Vegard had Piaras stand in for him; a hug like that from Vegard probably would’ve cracked a couple of my ribs. When Piaras showed no signs of letting go, I suddenly realized that hug wasn’t just from Vegard. I wrapped my arms around Piaras’s neck; my face buried against his shoulder and fiercely returned his hug. If I didn’t make it back, this could be the last time I’d ever see him. My eyes swam with sudden tears.
Piaras started to put me down.
“No, no. Wait.” I sniffed and tried for a smile. “I have something for… Vegard, too. Give him this.” I grabbed both sides of Piaras’s head and planted a big kiss on his forehead, and then hugged him again. That wasn’t just for Vegard, either.
The Guardians behind us snickered.
Piaras blushed to the tips of his pointed ears. “I’ll just tell him about it, if you don’t mind.” He picked up my pack where I’d dropped it to hug him. “I’ll get this.”
“Thank you.” I’d be carrying it myself soon enough, and who knew for how long, so I’d take help now while I could get it.
Every Guardian we passed on our way to the mirror room had somewhere to go and was moving fast. Either that or they were already there and standing guard. To a man, they had one thing in common—the same grim and determined expression. I didn’t know what was behind some of the doors being guarded, but I almost felt sorry for anyone who tried to find out.
I had to move just as fast to keep up with Piaras’s long strides. “After seeing me to the mirror room, what next?”
“Pardon?”
“Your orders. What are they?”
“Once you’re all safely through, I guard that mirror until you come back.”
“Guard?”
“If anyone tries to get into the mirror room who doesn’t belong, they’ll be taking a long nap and waking up in a small cell.”
Piaras could do it; I had no doubt—and neither did any of the hundred or so Guardians he’d accidently put to
