Page 128 of Gilded Wicked Mirrors
But her friend’s lives were on the line. “Okay,” Quinn breathed. “I accept the cost.”
“Oh, goody.” Periwinkle clapped. “I think you’ll find thatyou’ll enjoy this.” Periwinkle smiled at Blood. “She’s grown up to be quite wonderful.”
“Yes, she has.” Blood’s voice was a warm embrace.
“The third Blood Mirror is in the Ruins District at the castle ruins.” Periwinkle clapped again. “Oh, today is a brilliant day!”
Forty-Three
Quinn strode out of the mirror, not feeling any different. A guttural sense of unease lingered but not much else. No new magic or horrible curses . . . yet.
Periwinkle said Quinn’s emotions would display externally so everyone could see them, but so far, nothing seemed amiss.
But dread sank like an anchor in her stomach as she took in the scene on the street. Countess Teagan, Jevon, and Emrys stood stoically in a line.
Something was wrong.
Emrys hadn’t gone into the mirror, which was strange given his sense of profound duty and desire to help.
“What’s wrong—”
“Quinn, is there a reason your hair and eyes are suddenly a dingy yellow?” Emrys cut her off, asking a question of his own.
“What?” Quinn stammered as she glanced down and noticed a strand of dirty blonde hair dangling from her head. “Oh, filthy mirrors.”
What was Periwinkle’s obsession with hair?
Just as the thought poured into her mind, Quinn’s fingernails morphed to a bright orange while all the color leached from herhair leaving it moon white. Quinn pulled out a mirror and watched as violet painted her irises.
Shechanged the colors of her nails, hair, and irises with her mixed emotions. Orange burned with surprise, white sank into terror, and blue danced with sorrow.
“Oh,filthy mirror,” Quinn cursed under her breath.
“I think it’s fascinating,” Giselle said, appearing at Quinn’s side.
“You don’t have to live with it.” Quinn’s hair and fingernails dimmed to the dark-somber-blue of her eyes.
“But I do have to watch it.” Giselle smiled, finding the situation far more amusing than she should. “Considering the other options were not feeling anything or giving up your soul, I think this was the better option.”
“The mirror cursed you?” Emrys stepped up, his fingers hovering like he was unsure if he should touch.
“Yes.” She sucked in a breath and stepped into his embrace.
His arms tightened around her as he rested his chin on her head. “Are you okay?”
She nodded into his shoulder.
“I hate to cut in . . .” Jevon coughed uncomfortably, tapping his fingers on his pants. “But what did the mirror tell you?”
“Oh, yes.” Quinn stepped out of the hug. “The third Blood Mirror is in the Ruins District.”
Emrys’s hand lingered on her shoulder tentatively. A muscle in his cheek ticked, and he looked like he’d swallowed glass.
“Then we should go find it before Seren can!” Jevon said.
“Yes, that sounds like a good enough plan,” Emrys said through his teeth. His hand was still on Quinn’s shoulder, and his eyes a deep ocean storm.
What’s wrong?She tried to send the thought through their minds, but she was still unsure how it worked. Her hair reverted to the dull, uneasy blonde color, her nails remaining midnight blue.
