JONATHAN FRAZER GLANCED up into the image’s eyes—and found himself looking at a nightmare.
How dare you taste her blood. She is mine! the beast roared.
Whip-like tendrils of hair shot out from the mirror, as if they were breaking the surface of a pond, and wrapped themselves around his head, holding it tight, pulling it to the glass.
The image’s mouth was opening and closing, her teeth lengthening, the upper incisors growing, gouging into the flesh of her chin, scoring through the flesh. Threads of thick dark saliva dripped onto her breasts. Her eyes were changing, the white disappearing, turning black, the pupils lengthening, becoming yellow and slit-like. The face became the mask of a beast, like a boar with curling tusks and leathery verminous skin. The mouth opened and opened and opened, drew back … and erupted through the mirror.
The forked tongue lashed at his eyes, destroying the retina, the lower jaws clamped into the flesh beneath his chin, the fangs in its upper jaw tore into the soft flesh behind his eyes and then it bit down, sheering off the whole front of his face.
* * *
THE BULLET SHATTERED the skylight, continued down, entered the crown of Frazer’s head and blew off most of the lower portion of his face, spattering gore across the glass. He was dead before he hit the floor.
Although another shot was unnecessary, Margaret Haaren calmly shot him in the back of the head as he lay on the floor. The bullet tore off what was left of his face.
EPILOGUE
STUART MILLER came up and stood beside Margaret Haaren, grinning broadly.
“What’s got you so happy?” she asked.
“The SWAT Commander is just about to throw a serious fit. You stole his limelight. He was in the middle of a speech about a considered response to this delicate situation when you blew Frazer’s head off.”
“He’d cut her throat,” she said tiredly, watching the paramedics carry out Helen on a stretcher. Light bulbs flashed. “He’d made a puncture in it and was drinking her blood like some vampire.”
“I’ve heard about that. The need for blood is some obscure medical condition, some deficiency,” Stuart Miller said mildly. “But the other stuff, the vampire stuff, the black magic rubbish is some sort of sex trip.” He jerked his thumb back over his shoulder. “We found some women’s clothing over there. Remember those street girls who ended up in the river? I’ll bet you my pension we’ve got ourselves a connection.”
“Good.” She handed across her gun. “Check this in for me will you? I’m going with the paramedics.”
“Give my regards to Helen? Tell her she’s a really lucky girl.”
“You can say that again.”
When Margaret had looked down into the room, she had immediately assumed that Frazer had cut her niece’s throat. But when the SWAT team had finally broken down the door, and got her out, the paramedics discovered that there was only a small nick in the side of her throat and that the girl was already beginning to open her eyes.
For one instant they’d stared at Margaret Haaren completely devoid of expression, and then a smile fixed itself to her lips.
“Hello Aunty.”
* * *
IN HER GLASS prison, Manny Frazer screamed and screamed and screamed …
AUTHOR’S NOTE
John Dee and Edward Kelly were real historical characters.
Dee, who was Queen Elizabeth’s spy, was also one of her closest advisors. He prepared regular horoscopes for her, and did choose the date of her coronation.
It is a matter of record that John Dee married twice: the name of his first wife is unknown, and she died or disappeared mysteriously after only one year of marriage.
Following the woman’s death, Queen Elizabeth visited Mortlake, home of John Dee, to view the marvelous mirror she had heard so much about, but she inexplicably refused to enter the house and insisted on viewing the mirror in the gardens.
Edward Kelley or Kelly’s real name was Talbott.
Dee’s own diaries record that he was advised by a young girl, called Madimi. He described her as “otherworldy” and there is no record of her birth or death.
The mirror, albeit in slightly smaller form than described here, exists to this day. Its face is kept perpetually covered with a black cloth.
BOOKS BY MICHAEL SCOTT
FROM TOM DOHERTY ASSOCIATES
Etruscans (with Morgan Llywelyn)
The Thirteen Hallows (with Colette Freedman)
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
MICHAEL SCOTT is the New York Times bestselling author of more than one hundred books for both adults and young adults. His work has been published in thirty-seven countries and translated into twenty languages. Scott lives in Dublin, Ireland. You can sign up for email updates here.
MELANIE RUTH ROSE has worked extensively in the entertainment industry throughout her career, completing numerous projects for the BBC, LWT, and ITV, and appearing on the West End stage. She lives in Los Angeles.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapte
r 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Books by Michael Scott
About the Authors
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously.
MIRROR IMAGE
Copyright © 2016 by Michael Scott and Melanie Ruth Rose
All rights reserved.
Cover photography by Trevillion Images
A Tor Book
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ISBN 978-0-7653-8522-2 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-7653-8561-1 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9780765385611
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First Edition: August 2016