“Was the glassmaker a male or female?”
“Does it matter?”
I shrugged. “It just fills in the blanks a little more.”
“I believe it was a he. However, if memory serves me right, he had five daughters and trained all of them in the art of glassmaking, too.”
“Ah, so you come from a long line of glass artisans.”
She smiled. “Just as you come from a long line of killers.”
I didn’t find that as smile-worthy. “Right.”
“So, now you understand how old this mirror is, but not what makes it special.”
“Is it the frame?” I guessed, interrupting her. Doc had mentioned something once about that not being a normal mirror after talking about the frame and its markings.
“Violet, how much coffee have you had this morning?”
I grimaced. “I gulped down a full cup of straight-up black coffee before coming out here.” At the shake of her head, I said, “What? It was a late night, remember?”
I’d told her about what had happened at Piggly Wiggly in Lead as soon as I’d burst through the door earlier.
“It’s not just the frame,” she said, setting it back down onto the bar stool. “There are elements mixed into the mirror that your great-grandmother told me about. She mentioned two in particular, which I confirmed to be true with a high-powered microscope that belongs to an old friend of mine from Santa Fe who’s a gemologist.”
“Gemologist? You mean there are pieces of gems in it? Not just the silver and mercury or whatever else they used back then to make mirrors?”
“Yes. There are trace amounts of quartz and rubies.”
“I know you had a microscope, but how can you see trace amounts?”
“Many gems have impurities present that show up under a black light, including rubies and quartz.” She tapped the glass. “This mirror is infused with powers. A ruby is said to protect the bearer of the gem from physical harm.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“Nope. You can look it up for yourself. Rubies represent the fire element and are said to keep evil entities and other such negative energies away from the gem bearer.”
“So, it’s a protective mirror.”
“That’s right, but it also has grains of clear quartz infused in the glass—quartz also shows up under black light.”
“What does quartz do?”
“Since ancient times, quartz has been a source of energy and healing. If you look closely at quartz, it’s prismatic. It has all the colors of the spectrum. That’s why it’s been considered the ‘perfect jewel’ for centuries.” She pointed at the star-shaped suncatcher hanging in the window.
The sun wasn’t out today so the usual rainbow of colors was absent, but I nodded anyway. I thought of the many times I’d stared, mesmerized, at the kaleidoscope of color it splashed on the walls of her workshop.
She looked into the mirror. “It’s believed that quartz can amplify energy, focus it, and channel it into etheric realms. It helps to open pathways to the other side, giving strength to those who use the crystal.”
“So, you’re saying that this mirror can protect and empower someone.”
“Yes.”
“That sounds exactly like what I could use to catch the lidérc.”
Half of her face creased. “Maybe in the right hands, but maybe not in the wrong ones.”
“How do I know which mine are?” I asked, looking down at my palms.
“You won’t until you try to use it.”
“But if it’s been passed down through our family line it should work for me, don’t you think?”
“What I do or do not think will not keep you alive when facing off with the lidérc.”
“You could really use some schooling on your bedside manner.”
“Let me tell you about the frame.” She ran her fingers over the symbols that were etched down the right side of the frame. “This is far older than the mirror itself. The two were fused together after the mirror was made. It was your great-grandmother’s belief that the fusion was done to strengthen the properties of both mirror and frame.”
She touched the symbol near the top right. “This is Mercury, which typically represents the mind.” She looked up at me. “It can also be used to mean a state that can transcend death.
“These symbols here represent the four elements—fire, water, air, and earth.” She indicated the four corners and the different triangle symbols there. “While you can’t find them on the periodic table, alchemists believe they have both significant powers and the ability to create new elements.”
“Are those numbers?” I asked, pointing at what sort of looked like a 4 and a 7, only they were crooked and blended partially into the other symbols.
“Yes. Four can represent many things, such as the four elements or the cardinal points. Seven is often used to represent the seven planetary bodies.”
“Only seven? Did they have something against Pluto, too?”
“Keep in mind that the planetary bodies in alchemy are different than what we consider planets these days. There was the moon, Mercury, Venus, the sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.” She raised a finger. “However, the number seven can also represent the seven stages of transformation, which begins with death and concludes in rebirth.”
“In other words, four and seven aren’t just lucky numbers, and I should hold off on buying lottery tickets.”
“Correct, smartypants.” She poked me in the side, making me flinch and laugh. “Throughout history, alchemy was often blended with numerology to show deeper concepts that were mysterious and complex.” Her forehead creased. “I’ve studied the symbols all over this mirror frame in great detail over the years. The problem I’ve had in fully understanding all that it could be capable of in light of what you’re facing now is that symbolism can be perceived not only differently depending on the original artist’s intentions, but also it can be multi-layered with several levels of meaning.”
I blew out a breath. “I think I’m going to need more coffee if you go too much deeper into this.” I tapped on two of the symbols I knew well.
