Page 55 of The Eternal Mirror
God, was that only last night? It seems like a lifetime ago. So much has happened. I'm finding it hard to get the image of Yasmin out of my mind. All that suffering for so long. The helplessness in her expression. The wish for death as the only good alternative to her continuing existence.
Iwillsave her.
As soon as I'm inside the stables, I whisper the spell to reverse the invisibility, and we're back.
Josh is grinning. “That was so cool,” he says. “You're the best sister ever, Amber.”
“Hey, what about me?” Zayne asks.
“You're the best brother—except when you're a scary monster.”
He shrugs, and the guilt returns. I doubt he’ll ever lose it, which is sad because it wasn’t his fault. “Yeah. Sorry about that,” he mutters.
“Doesn't matter. I know it wasn't you.”
“Okay. Let's get away from here.”
If I get this right, then we should emerge from the mirror close to the location of the rebel camp. But not too close, as then we’d probably be taken down by the sentries. It’s a little more difficult if you don’t actually know the place you’re heading to.
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall—try not to fuck this up at all.
Mirror, mirror, don't be slow; take us where we need to go.”
The mirror appears—simple, beautiful, and uncracked. And it's shimmering with magic.
“Go on, go through,” I say.
Zayne looks at me with a hint of suspicion. “You’ll follow us? You swear?”
“Of course.”
“Don’t you fucking lie to me, Amber.”
I draw a cross on my heart. “I swear. I’ll be right behind you.”
He nods, jaw clenched tight, then he takes Josh’s hand and urges him through the mirror. Josh disappears. Zayne looks back over his shoulder. I'm not sure he completely trusts me, but then he steps through.
This is it.
One step, and I’m gone—for now.
But despite my promise, I hesitate, doubts crashing through my mind. What if I don't make it back in time? What if Yasmin dies still chained to that cursed mirror?
In the end, my promise to Zayne is louder, and I step forward and through the mirror.
The mirror is new, strong, and shiny, and it spits me out on the other side, but I'm getting so used to this that I keep my feet. Zayne and Josh have already moved out of the way. They've been through the mirrors before and know that's the sensible option if you’re expecting company.
I stop abruptly because I can sense something.
Or should I say—someone?
And just like that, I’m not sure I should have come.
Chapter 19
What Took You So Long?
The second I step through the mirror, I come to a complete halt.
