Page 105 of The Eternal Mirror
She’s trying to save her. She’s giving everything she has.
I know it won’t be enough. The witches were marked for death from the moment my father took them in. But this death is on me. I captured Hella when she ran. All she wanted was her freedom and I took that from her. I handed her over to my father. I didn’t ask why. I just followed orders. Because I didn’t care.
I almost wish I still didn’t care.
Hella’s eyes flutter. She says something—I can’t hear what.
Then nothing.
Amber’s hands fall still.
Silence.
The glow fades.
And I see it happen. Feel it. The moment she breaks. Not loudly. Not dramatically. She just...shuts off. Like a candle with no wick left.
She lets go of Hella’s hand. No tears. No words. And then she collapses in on herself. And I step forward and scoop her up in my arms and she curls against my chest.
Behind me, people murmur. Someone starts crying. I think it’s Sheela. Or maybe Josh.
“Build the pyre,” I order as I walk away.
I hope it is the last.
But I suspect many more will die before this is over.
Chapter 38
When the Mirror Shatters
I’m broken.
But for a moment, with his strong arms wrapped around me and his steady heartbeat beneath my cheek, the darkness encasing my soul loosens its grip. He lowers me to the bed, and I cling to him. Then I remember I’m supposed to be keeping my distance, and I loosen my fingers and let him go.
He strokes my hair.
“Go to sleep,” he murmurs. “I’ll keep you safe.”
I remember his brother, Khendril, saying the same thing to me a lifetime ago. That turned out really well. He died. But I feel like I haven’t slept for days, and there’s nothing to stay awake for now; they’re all dead. The words echo inside me like a curse I’m too tired to outrun. So, I close my eyes, and sleep pulls me under.
I feel the buzz of something sharp behind my eyes—
—and now I’m here.
The Chamber of Mirrors.
Except it’s not right.
The mirrors are dim, clouded, and cracked. Light leaks from the fractures in thin silver ribbons, curling like smoke. The floor feels...soft, almost spongy, as if I’m standing on something alive. And above me, the stars are flickering—like candles about to go out.
Selene appears all at once. No drama. No wind. No flashes of silver light. Just there. She looks less than immaculate—hair tangled, skin ashen, dress hanging off one shoulder.
“Finally,” she breathes. “You came.”
“Didn’t exactly schedule it,” I mutter. “What’s going on?”
She turns in a slow circle, arms wide, as if to show me everything.
