The Malevolent Mirror

By Erin Evans

Book Two: Still searching for a way home, Morgan is finding her place in the kingdom of Truitonne. When the prince receives an odd marriage proposal from a neighboring land, he sends Morgan and Fenris to investigate the prospective bride, a cursed princess sleeping in a glass coffin. This time Morgan is better prepared to face the veiled evil, but even the powers of the Godmother might not be enough to defeat the ruthless and immortal Snow White.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Erin Evans
• Release date: Sep 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370965724

Erin Evans

Erin Evans is a stay-at-home mom of eight (!), wonderful, little children. When she's not chasing after children, changing diapers, teaching school, cooking, chauffeuring, or potty training, she is writing, playing drums at her church or crashed out dead asleep. In urban fantasy, she loves Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, and Kim Harrison. All time favorite authors would be Robin Hobb and Jasper Fforde. Jim Butcher's Codex Alera has become one of her favorite series. BOOKS: - In her first series, "The Rhine Maiden", Erin based her character Piper Cavanaugh on her own life, but decided to have pity on Piper and only gave her two kids to start off with. - Erin's latest work, the "Pernicious Princess Trilogy" is a take on twisted fairy tales. - Her other works include "Food For Love", a foodie romantic comedy with a twist.

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Book Two

by Erin Evans

Copyright 2014 by Erin Evans

Smashwords Edition

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She did not decay, but looked like she was asleep,

for she was still as white as snow and as red as blood

"Little Snow-White," by Joseph and Wilhelm Grimm

Chapter One

My boot slipped on the top of the mossy log as I hurtled over it. Back in my world I would have found it difficult to run a quarter mile. After almost a year of hard physical training though, my body had toughened into lean muscle and endurance. Still, racing through the dense forest terrain in the mountain foothills was not my idea of a good time.

I ducked under a low hanging branch and continued to run, drawing deep breaths in through my nose and expelling them through my mouth. If I was lucky, I would make it through this without an ankle sprain, or worse, a broken leg. I noticed a brush covered animal hole just in time to avoid plunging my foot into it and almost tripped on the edge of a half hidden root.

:Do you see it?: I asked mentally, not sparing the breath to yell the words. Not that yelling would do much good. Fenris was out of sight and most likely out of hearing range.

:No: came the reply, sounding impatient. He was angry and frustrated and those were never good emotions in a giant wolf.

I jumped a small creek that appeared out of nowhere and rolled to my feet on the other side. Dousing my boots in water would not help my speed or my mood.

This should have been an easy hunt. We had received news of the rat creature from reliable sources and it had only taken us four days to reach the village. That was when things started to go wrong.

Previously, the murderous beasts had been fairly simple to exterminate. Without their evil demon creator, Cinderella, directing them, they were stupid and predictable. Why she had felt the need to breed six-foot rat-men I would never know and, fortunately, she wasn’t around to ask. Decapitating her had put an end to all questions and answers and had saved the kingdom from her wicked reign.

It hadn’t been all good though. Killing the princess had freed the people, but had also loosed her rat creatures on the land. They were dumb animals, but vicious, and had a craving for human flesh, the younger the better.

The first one had surfaced near the castle and the prince had personally asked Fenris and me to deal with it. Well, he’d asked me, as the kingdom’s godmother, and assumed that my bound N’jeri would accompany me.

I didn’t think the time would ever be right to announce that not only was Fenris not bound to my magic, but he was also my best friend, and possibly the only one who really understood where I came from.

I’d spent a good part of my adult life being angry at my dad who had missed most of my childhood, chasing after fairytales. I’d always wanted to tell him how I felt, or maybe one day reconcile, but he’d made all that impossible. Grated, it wasn’t his fault that his murder had trapped me in an alternate realm, and without the magic sword he’d entrusted to my care, I would have died as well.

If I’d known the woman eating my father’s heart was Cinderella’s godmother, would that have stopped me from killing her? Probably not, but it was rather shocking to find that, in taking her life, I’d also gained her powers. Powers that I had no clue how to use.

My magic was weak and unpredictable and one of these days I really needed to do some serious practicing and training with it.

Not today, I muttered, one foot pounding after the next. I held Wilson, my father’s sword, lightly in my right hand, enjoying the feelings of eagerness that it sent sparking up my arm. Wilson had a mind of its own and it was usually a blood-thirsty one.

:What was that?: Fenris asked, catching my last thought.

:Nothing: I replied, embarrassed that my shielding had slipped enough for him to hear me.

There was a pointed silence that berated my incompetence.

One of the reasons Fenris and I excelled at hunting down the rat creatures was our mental link. Those who could wield magic could also communicate by telepathy, but it was a bad idea to yell your thoughts out to the world at large. You needed to shield your mind and only send to the person you wanted to speak with. The shielding also allowed us to coordinate a stealthy attack on the rat things and kill them before they bolted.

Maybe I had slipped up at the last village and sent an unguarded thought to Fenris that had maybe alerted the rat-creature to our presence and allowed it to escape. Maybe. Of course, I wouldn’t admit that in a million years. Which was about how long I felt that I had been running through the woods.

I was just getting ready to apologize when I caught sight of movement up ahead. It seemed that my second unshielded thought had spooked the rat-thing into running.

Aha! I yelled and mentally sent to Fenris, :Rat-man!: I breathlessly hummed some theme music as I poured on what felt like my last remnant of speed in order to catch up with the creature.

The first one had been emotionally hard to kill. They looked almost human, standing upright on two legs and using their hands like a person. They were covered in grey fur and had sharp, pointed noses with long whiskers and large rounded ears. All in all, they seemed like they could be intelligent and it felt wrong to kill something that had little choice in being what it was.

That was before I found the partially eaten remains of the second baby they had stolen and killed. After that I hunted them down without remorse.

This rat-creature was sneakier than the others and managed to evade me for longer than most. It had limited its diet to chickens and sheep and hadn’t yet attempted to kill a human, but if I didn’t finish it now it was only a matter of time before some little child would meet a gruesome end.

I was not going to let the thing get away from me, and reaching deep, I found a reserve of energy yet untapped. The distance between us was closing as the thing ran into a deep ravine that cut into the rocky mountainside.

The walls quickly rose above my head on either hand. The only vegetation was scraggly trees, stunted and twisted in the thin soil. The gap was narrowing and I could hear the echoing footsteps of the rat-thing ahead of me.

Bursting through a narrow gap, I stumbled into a small, rocky valley completely surrounded by perpendicular thirty-foot cliffs. More trees had managed to find root here, perhaps watered by the ugly looking pool of black water that filled the far end of the valley.

I looked around quickly, but I couldn’t spot the rat-creature. There was no way it had climbed out of here. You’d have to be a mountain goat with radioactive spider powers to scale these walls. No. It was still here somewhere. Hiding.

Wilson hummed in my hand, impatient at the delay in maiming and hacking at flesh.

Take it easy, I whispered to it.

I scanned the valley, turning slowly from one side to the other. The vegetation wasn’t that dense and the rat-creature should have been instantly visible. But it wasn’t.

:Fenris: I sent the wolf.

:You lost it: he accused me.

:I did not!: I protested. :I’ve got it exactly where I want it: That was true if I wanted it hidden and out of sight.

I walked forward carefully, checking even the tops of the wispy trees.

Come out, come out, wherever you are! I said quietly.

Still nothing.

I knew, logically, that the thing still had to be here. It was a dead end. The creature obviously hadn’t passed me on the way in, and climbing out was next to impossible. Therefore, and ergo, and what-have-you, it was still here.

I turned so my unprotected back was to the dark pool of water and I could see the entire valley in front of me. Quickly I lowered my shields.

Got you! I yelled both out loud and mentally.

I was hoping to spook the rat-creature into revealing itself and it worked.

Sort of.

It had been hiding in the water, holding its breath while I clomped around on the rocks. Now, with my surprise shout, it burst from the pool behind me, razor sharp claws shredding the back of my leather vest and biting into my skin.

My months of practice saved my life. Before my savaged nerve endings could scream at my brain, I had ducked and turned, swiping out with Wilson in a low arc that should have taken the creature apart at the knees.

It was too fast, but at least it was forced to leap away from me to avoid being sliced in half.

I sprang to my feet, feeling like the skin was hanging from my back in ribbons. The rat-man hissed at me, yellow teeth bared in a hideous snarl. It swiped a paw in my direction and I slashed with Wilson, trying to amputate the appendage.

The creature backed up, now having the high ground and a clear exit out of the valley. This was not going as planned. I scrambled up the loose rocks away from the water, my back throbbing in pain.

The rat-thing couldn’t decide whether to run or fight. It growled low, its naked tail twitching in indecision, water dripping from its soaked fur.

Don’t take it personally, I panted, trying to circle around it and block its escape, I’m just doing my job here.

It lunged at me, giving no warning, and my wild sword swipe missed it completely. It caught me with one arm and tackled me to the ground, teeth snapping centimeters from my face.

I shoved with my hands while tucking my feet up between us to kick out. The thing weighed considerably more than I did, and instead of flying off of me and across the valley, I barely managed to shift its weight.

I lost hold of Wilson in the struggle and we were locked in position, the rat-man snapping downwards towards my nose. I caught its neck with one hand and tried to squeeze. I could feel tendons shifting under my fingers but couldn’t gain enough purchase in the slick fur to cut off its airways. Now it was all I could do to hold its teeth away from me as it ground my injured back into the pebbles. It seemed to gain renewed strength from my whimpers of pain and fear.

"I am not going out this way," I hissed, gathering my muscles together for one last, final shove.

Giving it everything I had, and then some, I jerked upwards and kicked out at the same time. This was it. If I couldn’t get off the ground now it was all over.

The thing cried out in pain but didn’t budge, if anything my movement had allowed it to free one back paw which it now used to rake a line of fiery pain down my leg. Its claws caught in the top of my boot, but I could feel my thigh burning.

I quit trying to push it off, keeping my one hand around its neck, and flailing around with the other, hoping against hope that Wilson had landed somewhere within reach. Now would have been a good time for some Jedi powers, or just a nice large rock. All my fingers could find was pebble sized shale which I promptly scooped up and tried to throw in the rat-thing’s eyes. Since its eyes were inches from my own, I managed to blind both of us and almost choked inhaling the falling dust.

I knew I was dead. I could only hold this position for a few seconds more and then I would join the other mangled bodies I had seen, left behind by other ravenous rat-creatures.

I hope I give you indigestion, I panted angrily.

There was a rush of air and the sound of meaty impact as the rat-thing was torn away from me to go flying through the air. The motion sent me rolling to land with a muddy splash into the noxious water.

I heard snarling and a wet cracking sound as I slid in the muck trying to get back to my feet. When I finally wiped the slime from my eyes I saw Fenris, standing over the bloody remains of the rat-thing, its head half torn off and a deep gash in its stomach spilling pink entrails out onto the ground.

It had lost control of its bowels in death and an extremely unpleasant aroma filled the air.

I gagged. And I thought they smelled bad … on the outside! I gasped and collapsed to the ground in a fit of helpless laughter.

Minutes later, after I had gone from hilarity, to sobbing, to periodic sniffing, to just sitting quietly with my head on my knees and rocking myself back and forth, I felt a cold nose poke under my elbow.

:Are you okay?: Fenris asked gently.

No, I said, throwing my arm around his great furry neck and burying my face in his ruff. That was … awful.

:It had to be done: he reminded me.

I really hope that was the last one.

We sat there for a while, catching our breath, and with each passing second I became more aware of my lacerated back and the smell of the fetid water dripping from my clothes.

I smell, I announced at last.

Fenris sneezed. :Oh good: he said. :I didn’t want to be the one to point it out:

I gave him a playful shove. It’s all your fault, I said, levering myself up to my feet and looking around for Wilson.

:My fault!?:

Yes, I said with mock severity. If you hadn’t interfered I wouldn’t have been knocked into the pond.

:Interfered: he said in dangerously flat tones.

Interfered, I repeated, wincing as I bent to pick up my sword and checking its edge.

:That thing almost killed you: Fenris said with a snarl.

I waved an airy hand. Says you, I sniffed. I had it just where I wanted it, and then you had to come bursting in and steal my kill.

:Bursting – so help me, Morgan: Fenris jumped up to place his front paws on my shoulders, bending his head down to touch my nose.

Ow! Ow! Ow! I had to brace myself to keep from falling over backwards.

:If you ever … I don’t know what I would … please …:He couldn’t find the right words and settled for nipping gently at my nose. :You’ve got to be more careful!:

I knocked him off and gave him a quick vigorous rub on the top of his head, trying to ignore my aching back. Dog breath, I said affectionately.

:Pond stink: he retorted.

I wrinkled my nose in distaste. It’s pretty rank, I agreed.

Chapter Two

The sun was low in the sky when we finished burying the rat-creature under a mound of rocks and set off to give the good news to the village. The straps that held Wilson’s sheath across my back had been sliced through by the beast’s claws and I had to carry the sword in my hand, leaning more and more heavily upon it the further we traveled.

:It looks bad: Fenris told me worriedly.

It feels bad, I snipped, not in the best of moods.

:It smells bad: he said, breathing in deeply through his nose.

So you keep telling me, I griped.

:No. I mean, it smells infected: he said.

Great! I cried, throwing my hands up in the air and feeling waves of agony as the skin stretched and pulled. That’s all I need! Where’s a pharmacy when you need one?

:Let’s get you back to the village: Fenris said gently, nudging me on.

It’s bad enough that you can’t get a good cup of coffee here, I grumbled, feeling like the world was against me and life was extremely unfair, not to mention the lack of decent toiletries, or showers, or washing machines. But antibiotics? Those are kind of important!

:Uh-huh: Fenris said, sounded distracted. :You feel really warm:

I shivered. It’s cold, I frowned. And you’re not paying attention. I’m talking about antibiotics here.

Fenris started shoving me along from behind.

What’s the rush? I asked, stumbling. I doubt there’s any triple antibiotic cream at the village. Or sterile bandages. Or painkillers. Painkillers would be nice …

Through a haze I heard Fenris barking loudly and the sound of people coming through the woods towards us. Somehow, I was face down in the leaves with no memory of how I got there.

There was loud talking, more barking, and then gentle hands lifting me up as I drifted away from the pain and into peaceful oblivion.

***

I awoke slowly. I was lying on my stomach upon a narrow bed and could only see a carefully swept dirt floor. I turned my head to get a better look at my surroundings and grimaced as the skin pulled along my back.

Ow, I said faintly.

Fenris loomed in my vision, coming to his feet from where he had been lying half-hidden in the shadows of the room.

He let out a quiet yip and I heard someone approaching from the other side of the bed. I hoped they would come around to where my head was facing since I didn’t feel up to moving.

Are you awake, my lady? a woman’s voice asked gently.

Yes, I answered, running my tongue around my fuzzy teeth and wishing for an electric toothbrush.

I felt pressure as a hand started to unwrap the bandages I could now feel crisscrossing my back.

The beast’s claws did superficial damage to your back, my lady, the woman’s voice said.

Superficial! I snorted.

There are numerous shallow wounds and abrasions, she went on, sounding like someone who was used to dealing with recalcitrant patients, which have become infected, either from the creature’s claws or from your subsequent immersion in dirty water, I do not know.

See, I shot at Fenris, All your fault.

:Ha: he replied, but he sounded more worried than anything else.

A delicious cool feeling covered my skin as she began to smear a fragrant lotion over the cuts.

You should be fine in a couple of days, she went on, her movements deft and smooth.

I sighed in bliss as the pain disappeared and I began to feel warm and drowsy.

Thank you, I murmured as my eyelids closed and I drifted back to sleep.

***

I was ready to move on well before my back was. Nothing against bucolic village life, but if I had to lie on my stomach for one more hour I was going to go stark raving mad.

I’m feeling much better, I informed Giselle, the village healer. I had discovered that she dealt mostly with births and farming accidents, but her skills were more than adequate for infected cuts, no matter how numerous.

She pursed her lips together and carefully removed the bandages covering my back. I felt at a slight disadvantage since I was flat on my belly and had to twist my head to get a good look at her face.

It feels pretty much healed to me, I said louder, wishing it to be so. It still twinged when I made any sudden movement, but not enough to prevent me from heading back to civilization.

Fenris ghosted into the room and it was a credit to the healer that she hardly blanched at all. Three days in the village had shown people that, while the giant N’jeri might look like a monster, the godmother had him firmly under control and he was as harmless as a puppy.

:Harmless: Fenris said in sepulchral tones.

Relatively speaking, I assured him.

He flopped onto the ground with a huge sigh, taking up most of the available floor space. The healer moved gingerly out of the way and continued to study my skin.

Finally she gave a short nod. The infection appears to be gone, she said, and your temperature seems normal. One more day of rest.

But— I complained.

One more day, she said firmly in a no nonsense way.

I made a face into the mattress.

Usually she was in and out like she had a million places to be at once. Today she seemed to linger a bit, messing with the bandages, checking to see that I was drinking enough water, fiddling with the sheets on the bed.

Is there something I can help you with? I asked finally, getting the picture that she was working up the courage to say something. I tried to sit up and was instantly scolded back down.

She came around to the side of the bed I was facing and pulled up the one chair in the room. It was weird to be looking at someone sideways but it was better now that she was even with my line of sight.

I have a question, she said at last.

Go ahead, I encouraged her.

You are the godmother, she said slowly, stating the obvious, the irremovable torque circling my neck branding me for all to see.

Kind of, I acknowledged. People still didn’t believe that I had no clue what I was doing or what I even could do. I knew that I had gained all the previous godmother’s powers when I had killed her, but I didn’t know how to use any of them.

You could easily heal your own injuries, she said, eyes glued to the floor, yet you allow me to serve you. Her eyes flicked upwards to my face before darting away. What trouble is coming that you need to hoard your power?

I felt the fear radiating off of her and tried to look at things from her perspective. If a powerful witch or what-have-you needed to save strength to face something, then ordinary people had better be prepared and scared.

Fenris sent a mental smirk and settled down to see how I was going to explain my complete ineptitude.

I reached out my arm and squeezed the hand that was twisting the apron covering her lap.

I am the godmother, I said, having to grit my teeth as I admitted it, but I’m new at it.

She looked up in surprise.

I don’t know how to heal myself, I said. "I really do need your help and I am very grateful. If there is anything I can do to repay you, I am in your debt."

Giselle stared at me with an open mouth.

Really, I assured her. I don’t carry a lot of money with me, but I can send to the palace …

She shook her head fiercely. No, my lady. I am just … puzzled … how …?

How what? I asked.

:How can you be such an incompetent nincompoop and still be the godmother: Fenris translated smugly.

I frowned in his direction.

You truly do not know how to heal yourself? Giselle asked in disbelief.

No. I made a face. I know. It’s crazy. I’m the godmother. I’m supposed to be this big, bad, powerful witch and I’m not.

But … the N’jeri, Giselle said, still stunned. "You have bound him with your magic. You do know how to use magic!" She seemed happy to have proof that I wasn’t a complete moron.

Well, yeah, I said awkwardly. There is that.

Fenris snorted loudly.

Giselle stood, obviously thinking hard. I shall … return, she said slowly. You have given me much to ponder.

She disappeared out of my sight and I could hear her footsteps leaving the room.

Laugh it up fuzz-ball, I said, sticking my tongue out at Fenris.

:You have to admit: he said, nipping at a flea in his fur, :A magically powerful godmother who doesn’t know how to use magic is rather amusing:

I don’t have to admit anything, I sniffed, my nose in the air.

I lay there a few minutes more, listening to Fenris groom himself and decided that enough was enough. Slowly, so as not to break open any healing cuts, I lifted myself up on my arms and came to a sitting position on the bed.

:I don’t think you were given permission to do that yet: Fenris said, not stopping in his parasite hunt.

I’m the godmother, I said with a huff. I do what I want when I want.

:Mmmmhmm: Fenris said. :We’ll see what Giselle has to say about that when she gets back:

I gave him an evil grin. "I plan