Page 146 of The Eternal Mirror
“I’ll go see what’s happening,” Khaos says.
I nod and then look at them—all watching me.
“I have an army at your command,” Thanouq says. “Just say the word, and they will come through.”
“That’s a sweet thought, but I don’t think an army will help.”
At the same time, my mind is spinning with ideas, ways to get through this, but I’ve been here before, and as far as I can tell, nothing has changed. Or has it?
I turn to Selene. “Are you here to help?”
“The mirror is complete. The splinter has returned, and it is whole once more.”
“So you could have a rest now. Or you could turn your mind to something useful—like killing Khronus.”
“I told you. I cannot kill him.”
“Because of the vow you made after you killed your bonded mate?” I ask, taking another bite of bread and chewing.
“Yes, but we were no longer bonded,” she replies, a faraway look in her eyes. “Vortex severed the bond. He planned to leave me behind, to go through the mirror alone. I told myself that I killed him to save this world. But in fact, I killed him out of anger and hurt—mostly anger.
“Hmm, a woman scorned.”
“When I realized what I had done—not killing Vortex but breaking the mirror—I vowed I would not kill another.”
“Just how did you kill him?”
“I stabbed him through the heart with my horn.”
Zayne winces at that. I might have threatened him with my pointy horn a time or two.
“It’s fatal even to one of the first gods,” Selene concludes.
“So I could kill Khronus that way?” Except it’s not killing him that’s the problem; it’s getting through the magic that protects him. “Can you break through his wards?”
“No, they are powered by dark magic. My magic is of celestial fire, and they repel each other.”
So, I’ve noticed. That’s not good. Something occurs to me. “Didn’t you bestow some of Vortex's powers on Khaos to help me? Could he break through the wards?”
She shakes her head. “He received the ability to wield the dark flame and his power to shift, but not his magic. That went back to the mirror when Vortex perished.”
Crap. I pace a few steps and then back. I’m no better off.
The problem is, as soon as I feel better, I don’t want to die. And anyway, dying would hardly serve a purpose now that the people I was trying to save are all here. I look at my little group of family and friends. “I don’t suppose I could persuade you all to go back where you came from?”
They just stare at me blankly. I’m guessing that’s a no.
“Just why did you bring them here?” I ask Selene.
“Because I suspected that you planned to destroy the Mirror and, with it, this world. I killed my love to stop that, but I find myself strangely reluctant to kill you.”
“Not that I’d let you.” I make a mental note not to get too close to that pointy horn of hers.
She smiles. “I presumed you would reconsider that plan of action if I brought your loved ones here.”
“You are such a complete manipulative bitch,” I say. She doesn’t disagree. Then I shrug. “Anyway, it was a wasted effort. I’d already decided not to destroy the Mirror. I’m not a megalomaniac murderer.” Zayne snorts. I cast him a dark look. “Though I might make an exception in certain cases.”
“What were you going to do?” Zayne asks.
