Eva and Sten kept their four crew members in a tight circle.

“How many more of these mages are there?” Sten asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m out of charge. And, there are still beasts.” With her benign staff, Eva bludgeoned a monster, until it unsummoned.

“You were right. We should have gone for the mages sooner,” Sten lamented.

“Lesson learned.” Eva raised her staff to a puppet.

The puppet turned and walked away. Eva lowered her staff. All the puppets wandered the field.

“Did they just get bored?” Sten asked.

“No, Alastronia must be dead.” Eva searched the battleground. She wore her bafflement in full view. She didn’t find Alastronia’s body, but she did see mages stream from the castle. “We have help. Finally.”

Around Eva, the crew sighed.

“Keep fighting until they get to us,” Sten said. “We still have all these monsters to clean up.”

“But, no more will be summoned.” Eva separated from the group and twirled her staff in search of the mages. She felt safe to leave the crew on their own while the mages raced to their aid.

Camellia searched through cultists’ things and listened to the aftermath.

On a crate of medicine, Rooks sat. “So, we had a spy. Iruedian, I’m guessing,” she spoke into her com. Rooks sighed and listened.

Castles explained the situation as it had occurred from the Bardiche’s point of view. Castles had captured a cultist from the hull of Bardiche and questioned the man. The cultist alluded to the addition of a spy.

Naturally, all of the team members who attended the ball found themselves under suspicion. In an effort to find the cultist, Inez and Eder dispelled enchantments designed to change a person’s appearance. They didn’t uncover the spy.

Then, the Ferrans tried a complex spell designed to find individuals who recently had a change of heart. They singled out three: one Ponk, one Groazan, and one Tagtrumian. The Ponk man turned out to be struggling between two lovers. They confirmed his story by calling all the way to Groaza and then some. The Groazan found himself caught between two business deals, one of which he’d recently chosen. They also confirmed his story with a call to Groaza. The Tagtrumian had no excuse, and after some questioning, he had some choice words about the greatness of Ah’nee’thit.

Rooks nodded along. “Not a spy. A new recruit. Was he infected?”

“No,” Castles replied.

Rooks looked at Camellia. “They can just change your mind? In one night?”

For some reason, Camellia felt that the Commander addressed her. She wondered about the implication that cultists could be made overnight, but she said nothing.

Castles finished her report, and Rooks put down her com.

The Commander turned to Meladee. “Well, I got my first taste of a magical battle.”

Meladee leaned against the shuttle, arms crossed. “Damn chaotic.”

“Yeah, it was.” Rooks put her hands on her knees and stood up. “Thanks for the rescue, by the way.”

Meladee shrugged. “She was my problem. Just cleaning up my mess.” Meladee had burned that bridge, once and for all.

Rooks brushed dirt from her uniform. “I also want to thank you, Camellia. You contributed more than I expected.”

Camellia nodded once. She accepted the compliment in silence. Camellia resumed her search for something useful. She thumbed through leaves of paper, left by the cultists.

“Anything?” Adalhard asked, joining the group.

“Just some ritualized greetings and...campaign posters.” Camellia held a poster, well-designed, that framed Adalhard’s person. She wanted to keep it but worried it might upset him.

“Camellia,” Rooks said. “Tell me more about that mirror you used on Alastronia.”

Adalhard perked up and stared hard at Camellia. Cernunnos also walked over and stopped to listen. They’d been studying their Ganden.

“The mirror...its…”

Meladee and Eva stood nearby. They knew of the mirror, but of course, they wouldn’t help explain it. They barely understood it.

“Can we see it?” Cernunnos asked.

“No!” Camellia shook her head with vigor. “No, if you we look at it, we’ll…”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Get trapped in a dream,” Rooks finished for her.

The conversation took place half in Groazan, half in Ganden. Cernunnos and Adalhard spoke Groazan but caught enough Ganden to question Camellia. Likewise, Rooks spoke Ganden but kept up with the Groazan. Camellia could hide her problem from no one.

Rooks continued, “A dream of our own making. Isn’t that what you said?”

Camellia nodded.

“And, you have to solve problems to wake up. Afterwards, there are nightmares and hallucinations to deal with.” Rooks crossed her arms and paced. “What is this mirror?”

Everyone listened and waited, rapt for Camellia to explain the mysterious object. Rooks had done the hard part for her – the beginning.

Camellia found it in herself to say more. “It’s a small, flat piece of obsidian rock, cut into a circle. A single ring of Volanter symbols has been etched onto one side and painted in blue. I don’t know what the mirror is for, but I know what it does.”

“Obsidian Mirror?” Cernunnos muttered. “That sounds vaguely familiar.”

“You might have read about it,” Camellia said. “I found a small article concerning it, in a book on occult artifacts. A very short article.” Camellia still sat on the ground with the cultists’ papers. She looked at her lap.

“Obsidian Mirror, and it’s Volanter?” Adalhard’s boots came into view. He stood by Camellia.

Camellia looked up. Adalhard stroked his chin. He didn’t look her way.

Cernunnos’ eyes widened. “I remember.” He looked at Adalhard and speaking fast in Groazan, he said, “They’re a kind of dark artifact. A few centuries ago, they were used for torture of criminals and testing of heroes. Throughout southern Ponk and down towards the equator. Groaza had one, oh, I want to say two thousand years ago. It features in a legend about a hero, who wanted to be punished for letting down his people.”

Adalhard knelt beside Camellia. “Where did you get this thing?”

“Someone gave it to Sorin – as a gift. I found it unopened many years ago,” Camellia said.

“And you’ve looked at it?” Adalhard still spoke fast Groazan.

Rooks and her crew watched the conversation, and Camellia suspected that Rooks said nothing because she understood more than she let on.

“Oh yes. Many times.” Camellia stared into the distance. Her eyes snapped back to Adalhard’s. “But not anymore. Not in a long while.”

“Give me that mirror,” Adalhard ordered. He held out his hand.

Camellia’s lips parted, and she felt her eyes go wide. “I don’t have it with me.”

“When we get back on the Bardiche then.”

Camellia felt a strong desire to protect the mirror. She felt she couldn’t give it to Adalhard. In the past battle, she could have used it against Alastronia. If Meladee hadn’t shown up, Rooks would be dead; Camellia would be a priestess. How could Camellia hand such a useful, if dangerous, object to someone else and never have it again? How could she know that Adalhard or the others wouldn’t look?

Cernunnos also knelt. He looked ready to pounce. “Is this mirror the ‘drug’ that made you draw on your wall?”

Rooks frowned, not understanding the language, the reference, or both.

Camellia’s mouth dropped open. She wished she hadn’t told Cernunnos that bit of information. “Yes,” she said, in a soft voice.

“Oh, Adalhard get that mirror,” Cernunnos goaded.

“You bet I will.”

Camellia stood up. “No. I can’t give it to you…not yet.”

“Is it on the Bardiche?” Adalhard asked.

Camellia needed to lie, but would Eva and Meladee back her up. She glanced at her friends.

Eva feigned disinterest, or perhaps, she lived it. Camellia couldn’t tell. Meladee cleaned her nails. She acted as if the whole conversation were casual.

“I don’t have it on the Bardiche. I have it hidden somewhere.” Camellia looked Adalhard in the eyes.

He stared back.

Cernunnos held up a finger. “Ah, but you used it on Alastronia. So, you had it with you before you left Iruedim.” Cernunnos spread his hands. “What did you do with it when you got back?”

Camellia wilted. She would not get away with this lie.

Rooks put a hand on Camellia’s shoulder. “Why do they want the mirror? I’ve missed some of this.”

Camellia opened her mouth to speak.

In fair Ganden, Cernunnos said, “It’s a tool used for torture and self-harm. Camellia shouldn’t have it. It’s dangerous.”

Rooks’ eyes narrowed. She nodded. “Self-harm. Camellia, if you have the mirror, it’s okay. Just give it to us.”

Camellia gaped. She looked between Rooks, Cernunnos, and Adalhard. Rooks seemed calm and firm. Adalhard’s eyes filled with fiery determination, and Cernunnos crossed his arms, looking a little like her father when he wanted to be stern. She tried to find some words to object.

Meladee stepped in. “Come on. It’s not that bad. Camellia’s like an expert mirror-gazer. And, you know what…it’s a damn good weapon when you’re cornered.”

Eva joined the group as well. “She won’t use it. She hasn’t used it in our presence, despite using it on Alastronia. Let her keep it. There is no self-control issue here.”

Camellia stood a little straighter. “That’s right. There isn’t.”

Rooks held up a hand. “Here’s a compromise. We’ll put it in a locker on Bardiche and figure out its ownership later. For now, we get ready to leave.”

“I can agree to that,” Adalhard said.

Cernunnos nodded shortly.

Camellia bowed her head and finally nodded.

While Rooks and her crew prepared the shuttle, Adalhard came close.

“Camellia. No more mirror.” He reached for her hand.

Camellia drew back. “Didn’t you hear? I haven’t looked into the mirror for years.”

Adalhard nodded. “That’s good. But, why do you want to keep it so bad?”

Camellia didn’t answer. She just looked at him sideways, feeling weary.

“Camellia.” Adalhard’s tone hardened. “Something that makes you sick should not be treated as a toy.”

“I know. I have never treated it as a toy.” But, that was a lie.

Camellia could feel his eyes, but she didn’t look into them. One of her worst fears had come to pass. Everyone knew one of her darkest secrets.

“I don’t understand why you would expose yourself to that thing, but I suppose it has something to do with growing up in that house.” Adalhard spoke somewhat to himself.

Camellia heard every word. She sighed. She didn’t understand why she looked at it either.

She knew the mirror had made her bad situation worse. The fact that she could always get free and then wait for the nightmares to fade was a testament to her...Camellia didn’t know what it was a testament to, but she could safely say that strength was not the appropriate concept.

“Still want to see more of me?” Camellia whispered at his shoulder.

“Yes, I do,” Adalhard answered, with determination.

Camellia looked up and smiled.

“Call me Florian. No one in the AAH calls me that.”

“Florian,” Camellia repeated quietly. “I hope that isn’t a subtle prelude to a review by committee.”

“What?”

“No one in the AAH calls you that. Wouldn’t it follow that I may no longer be in the AAH?”

Adalhard paled. “No. I just meant that I would like you to use my first name.”

Camellia smiled half-heartedly. “Sorry. I’ll use it. At least, I’ll try to remember.”

She would remember that, and hopefully, he would forget what he had been about to ask her earlier. They could discuss Cernunnos another time, or maybe never. Maybe, Camellia should take Cernunnos’ gift and run with it. She’d thrown the mirror in her own way. Why throw more?