In Venice, magic is not unusual. Merle is apprenticed to a magic mirror maker, and Serafin—a boy who was once a master thief—works for a weaver of magic cloth. Merle and Serafin are used to the mermaids who live in the canals of the city and to the guards who patrol the streets on living stone lions. Merle herself possesses something magical: a mirror whose surface is water. She can reach her whole arm into it and never get wet. But Venice is under siege by the Egyptian Empire; its terrifying mummy warriors are waiting to strike. All that protects the Venetians is the Flowing Queen. Nobody knows who or what she is—only that her power flows through the canals and keeps the Egyptians at bay. When Merle and Serafin overhear a plot to capture the Flowing Queen, they are catapulted into desperate danger. They must do everything they can to rescue the Queen and save the city—even if it means getting help from the Ancient Traitor himself.

When they emerge from Hell, Merle, her friend Junipa who has mirrors for eyes, and Vermithrax the flying stone lion find themselves in Egypt. Of course the Flowing Queen is with them as well, since Merle swallowed her back in Venice. There is something very wrong in Egypt--it is freezing cold, and everything is covered in snow. Winter is here, looking for his lost love, Summer. And another creature is here as well--Seth, the highest of the Horus priests. Betrayed by the pharaoh and his sphinx henchmen, Seth is seeking revenge. Together they travel to the Iron Eye, the vast fortress of the sphinxes.But what does the Flowing Queen want Merle to do there? Meanwhile Serafin, the master thief, the beautiful sphinx Lalapeya, and Eft, the mermaid, are also headed for Egypt. They are traveling underwater, in a submarine piloted by pirates. Serafin is not sure what they can do to the fight the pharaoh, but he knows surrender is not an option. Egypt has captured and enslaved his beloved Venice, and he and the others must fight the empire no matter what the cost. But the final battle will not be one that Serafin has even imagined--and the cost will be high indeed.

Merle and her friends Junipa, with mirrors for eyes, and Serafin, a rakish master thief, live in enchanted Venice under Egyptian occupation, and are swept into a dangerous mission to face their destinies.

Deadly magic and malice threaten Merle and Serafin in this breathtaking sequel to The Water Mirror. Merle -- carrying the mysterious Flowing Queen within her -- and Vermithrax, the winged stone lion, are flying into Hell. They are looking for help in freeing Venice from the invading Egyptian pharaoh and his mummy warriors. But some truly nightmarish surprises await them as they travel to the center of Hell and encounter its sinister ruler -- Lord Light. Serafin remains in Venice, where the gorgeous sphinx Lalapeya recruits him into a plot to assassinate the pharaoh. But does Lalapeya really believe a small group of boys can outwit the cunning sphinx commanders and kill the most powerful man on earth? Betrayal lurks in unexpected places, and startling revelations occur as Merle and Serafin learn that evil takes many shapes in the astonishing world of Dark Reflections.

A dance instructor sees Reflections of herself in a talented student—and of the love she can embrace with the student’s father—in this passionate novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. Lindsay Dunne has devoted her whole life to ballet, pushing herself and her students to achieve the perfect beauty the craft requires. She loves her career, helping ballerinas grace the stage, and has never found her lack of a loving relationship to be a sacrifice. Until she meets Seth Bannion, the guardian of Lindsay’s most gifted protégé. An architect with his own ideas of the girl’s potential, Seth challenges Lindsay’s tutoring, opening her eyes to the possibilities of a future beyond dance—and opening her heart to the possibilities of love.

A Classic Novel of Adventure in Time and Alternate Worlds by a Best-Selling Master of Science Fiction¾Plus Stories Set in the Same Universe by David Weber, Harry Turtledove, Walter John Williams, Jane Lindskold, John Maddox Roberts and More Top Writers. Mike Gabrielis brother Tom had mysteriously disappeared after gaining pos- session of a priceless Aztec artifact. Mike sets out to find his brother, never suspecting that he is about to be shuttled back and forth in time, and between alternate universes. The descendants of the Incas plan to keep Pizarro and his conquistadors from overthrowing their ancestors empire. In spite of Mikes sympathy for their cause, if he helps them he may wipe out the world he was born into, and himself along with it. In addition to Fred Saberhagens classic novel The Mask of the Sun, seven top writers have contributed stories set in the same universe, including NY Times best-selling authors David Weber and Harry Turtledove. expanding on Fred Saberhagens concept in this volume of exciting alternate history adventure. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).