Page 124 of The Eternal Mirror
I’ve already spelled the mirror to Valandria. I’ve set it up so they will come out in the courtyard of Thanouq’s headquarters in Zandar Aurion. It ripples in the courtyard like a gleaming tear in reality. Everyone is gathered around it, packs slung over shoulders, as they carry out final weapons checks, and talk in hushed murmurs that don’t quite reach me.
Thanouq will take them in. Find them a purpose. There’s a lot to rebuild on Valandria after the war. And it will have a chance now that Lucifer is gone.
Hopefully Khronus will be on his way out soon.
I stand to one side, pretending to check the mirror, really just trying to hold it together. Khaos is sitting on the stone steps, keeping his distance. He’s even worse at goodbyes than I am.
Because this is goodbye. I doubt I will see any of them again.
Josh is pale and quiet, as if he knows something big is going down but is too scared to ask what. He comes to me, Grimlet perched on his shoulder, and I hug him hard. I don’t want to let him go. Finally, I have to, and he looks up at me.
“Are you okay, Amber?” he asks.
“Absolutely not,” I say. “But I’m good at faking it.”
He smiles, faint but real. “You’ll come after us?”
“Of course.”
I reach into my pocket and pull out two little coins etched with stars that I found in a drawer in the house. Some things here seem real. I press one of them into his hand. “For good luck,” I say. “And a reminder of me, until I get there.” I hold mine up. “I have one too, and I’ll look at it and think of you every night until I join you.”
“Thanks Amber, you’re the best sister ever.” Then he hugs me tight and turns away before either of us gets weepy.
Grimlet flutters to my shoulder. “I stay,” he says firmly. “You need me.”
I shake my head. “I do. But Josh needs you more. And someone has to keep Zayne from doing anything epically stupid.”
Grimlet huffs. “That is a full-time job.” But he presses his forehead to mine for a second. “You are my pretty witch.”
“Shut up before I cry,” I whisper, and he snuffles and flies to Josh.
Zayne’s next. He stands in front of me, arms folded, eyes narrowed. “You could change your mind and come with us. Just leave it all behind. See what happens.”
“I wish. But he’d come after us. This ends here.”
He exhales hard. “Fucking martyr. Always looking for a world to save.”
Or destroy?“You’re welcome.”
I think he’s going to say something else, but then he shakes his head. He grabs me in a fierce hug and mutters, “Don’t die, princess.”
“No promises.”
He lets go, then turns and doesn’t look back. As they step through the mirror, I whisper a spell.
“Mirror bright and silver true,
Guard the ones I send with you.
Keep them safe through storm and flame—
And let them live beyond my name.”
Laura and Jack next. I get a hug from Jack but just a wary look from Laura. I think she blames me for getting Killian involved in this. She and Zayne are sleeping together, so she’s a potential sister—or would be, if things were different. Though I don’t think things are serious for Zayne. It’s hard to get serious when your last girlfriend was gutted and left to die in a pool of blood. But maybe the sex helps keep the other stuff at bay.
Maybe I should have thought of that before I pushed Khaosti away. My eyes are drawn to him. Then away. Then back, because Ryke is giving him a hug—not something you see every day.Wonders will never cease. The Wolfpack didn’t want to go. I’m not sure how Khaosti persuaded them, but he did. Ryke gives me a nod as he passes. I don’t think he likes me much. He thinks I’ve stolen Khaosti’s affections.
They disappear into the mirror.
