Page 67 of The Eternal Mirror
Take me back but not to death.”
“Very optimistic,” Khaosti mutters.
“Always.”
The air ripples. Light shivers. The mirror forms.
I don’t look at him. But as I step toward the glass, his fingers brush mine. Just once. Light. Intentional. I don’t pull away.
That’s the worst part.
“Okay,” I say, my voice tight. “Let’s go see your dad.”
A beat. A breath.
“I’m thinking he’s going to be pretty fucking pissed.”
Chapter 22
Pain is Temporary. Rage is Forever.
The mirror spits me out in the burned-out stables outside the palace walls. Khaosti is right behind me. Without a word, I lead the way out, and for a moment, I just stand there, staring up at the jagged silhouette of the palace in the bright morning sunlight.
I used to think this place was beautiful—in a monstrous sort of way. But now the towers look like claws scraping the sky, and the stone hums with dark magic.
Khaosti steps up beside me, silent—close enough that the heat of him brushes my skin. The bond pulses around my heart: steady and warm—and infuriatingly comforting.
I can’t afford to feel comfortable right now.
“It’s got to look as though I’m going in alone,” I say.
He tenses, but he doesn’t argue. Not yet.
“So I’m putting an invisibility spell on you,” I continue, keeping my voice level. I’d considered layering on the spell to stop the beastmaster thing, but I’m not sure I have the strength or the concentration to maintain both at once. So invisibility takes priority. “That means no one will see you. No one will sense you—at least I hope. But you have to promise me something.”
He turns to face me fully. “Amber—”
I hold up a hand. “This is not negotiable. When we’re in there, you don’t do anything to make yourself known unless I am literally about to die. And I mean bleeding-out, last-breath, end-of-the-fucking-line dying.”
His mouth tightens. “That’s not a promise I can make.”
“You have to.” I put my hand on his arm, feeling tingles run through me. “We both know that this is not going to be a painless process. But I’m tough. I can take a lot.”
“I can’t stand to see you hurt.”
“Well, learn,” I snap. “Look, I’m not keen on the idea myself. And I’ll avoid it if I can. But as I said—I think your father is going to be a little unhappy with me, and he’s not known for his self-restraint.”
Note to self:Just stay away from the roof.
He takes a breath, letting it out slowly. “Just tell me why. Tell me you have a plan.”
I sort of have a plan. But maybe I should be a bit more positive. “I do. But if you do something reckless, and he finds you—if he even senses you—then I lose everything. I lose you; I losethe plan; I lose the people I came back to save.” I pause, swallowing the ache rising in my throat. “So you stay alive, and you stay hidden. Until I say otherwise.”
A long silence. I suspect Khaosti is not used to taking orders. Finally, he nods. He’s not happy, but thankfully he agrees.
“Fine,” he says. “But if you fall, I burn this place to the ground.”
I look at him—really look at him—and my heart squeezes painfully. “Deal,” I whisper.
