Coward,the voice inside me purred.
I’mno soldier.Iwas never meant for this.
So, you will just let them die, those who have fought to defend you when you least deserved it?
Shutup.Iclawed at my chest likeIcould pullthat voice right out of me, and she just purred harder.WhatwasIsupposed to do?
Icrawled over to the far railing again to look through the scope without popping my head up.Thecohort in the city was being overwhelmed.They’dbeen pushed back against the city wall with no way toward the castle.TheGoldenArmyonly had a slight advantage.Theyhad the higher ground but not overwhelming numbers.IsawAvlynlead another charge, gaining nothing.Allthey needed was something small, something to turn the tide.Ihad never been in a battle, but years of listening toHadeon’smen drone on and on about their victories told me that even the smallest action could change the course of a fight.Ileaned back against the lighthouse lantern, looking up at the sky.
Itwas the clearest dayIhad seen in all my time inXyr.Itwas like the sun had come out to fight as well.Ihid under the shade of the small roof that covered the lantern.
WhatcouldIpossibly do?
Thevoice inside me didn’t answer.Shewas never there whenIneeded her.Tearswelled in my eyes, and a different voice rose in my head instead.Thevoice of my mother.
Pallas,Iraised you to be a woman with at least half a brain.Wouldyou use it for once?She’dbeen scolding me for failing to properly translate the late scholarEustemas’ work on glyphic moderation of enchantments.Shehadn’t meant it as encouragement.Buttoday, nearly five hundred years later, it sparked an idea.
Ilooked up at the great mirror behind the lantern in the lighthouse and then up at the sun above me.Therewas no wayIcould do this without being seen by the soldiers below.Hell,Ididn’t even know ifIcould do it at all.Iwas done being a coward.Thelittle voice inside me purred.
Iwasn’t strong likeAvlynorTori, butIwas still fae.Igrabbed the wheel underneath the lantern and pushed it withall my strength.Itbarely budged.Ilet out an aggravated growl, throwing my shoulder against the wheel.Itdid nothing but send a deep, aching throb through me.
Adark shadow crawled over the edge of the tower.Ithrew myself down, looking for anythingIcould use to defend myself when it was on me.Afriendly chittering sound came fromSpinneras he ran his mandibles through my hair.
“Don’tscare me like that!”Hegave a small, dejected chirp before looking over at the mirror.
“Helpme?”Hechirped again and seemed to flex his legs before pressing his body into the other side of the wheel whileIpushed from the front.
Slowly, the mirror turned, the ancient gears gave a terrible screech as we moved them.Theygave way, and the mirror faced the city.
Iheard a great crash at the bottom of the tower, and my body froze up.
“Mylady, are you alright?”Idared glance down withSpinner.LieutenantKaleosandRaulawere staring up at me.Shininggolden armor littered the ground behind them with pools of red spreading beneath them.Idecided to not look too closely.
“Yes.I’malright, come up here and help me!”
Theylooked at each other, wary.
“Mylady, we are to see you out of the city and join the others.”Godsdammit,Avlyn.
“Ifyou want to turn the tide of this fight, you will get up here and help me.”
Theylooked at each other again, and thenRaulayanked the door to the tower off its hinges before disappearing inside.Iheard their feet pounding up the stairs.Asthey emerged from below,Ibellowed, “Helpme get the roof off this thing!”
“Mylady, what ar—”Kaleosstarted, andIsaw him shudderas he looked atSpinner.Thecreature gave a menacing chitter, and the poor man went pale.
“Don’ttease him,Spinner.Ineed their help.”Couldspiders pout?Ifso, he did.
Theyhesitated for one moment more beforeKaleosdrew his sword and swung it through the wooden column supporting the roof.Itjust happened to be the one furthest away fromSpinner.Rauladid the same.Theyknocked out all of them untilRaulahad to stop the whole thing from coming down on our heads and tossed it off the side of the tower with a loud crash.
Iclimbed up on top of the wheel, holding the mirror, and grabbed the top edge.Thesun was directly overhead, which was about the bestIcould ask for.Iyanked with all my strength, and it didn’t budge.
“Helpme!”
“We’llwarp the mirror,”Kaleoscommented, dumbfounded.Raula’sface lit up with a tusky grin.
“That’sthe idea,Lieutenant.”
Themirror was made of metal, and slowly, ever so slowly,Ifelt it give under our strength, bending back so that the sun could fall directly on its surface.
