Page 44 of Wicked Prince of Mirrors
The words sounded chillingly familiar.
“One sorcerer came with me to vouch for my sanity, if the time to return ever came. He was always curious about magic and its dark effects. He told me that there was a way I could rid myself of the negative effects of Mirror Magic, a way to split my soul in two and get rid of my darkness. My shadow self.”
A sliver of ice-cold fear went through me. The truth settled into the corners of my mind, a creeping, terrible truth. But I wanted to hear him confirm my thoughts, I wanted him to say the truth out loud. “And you succeeded.”
“I did, but you know that already.”
“It was Rydlin, wasn’t it? Even though he’s not Everminati?”
“He’s not, he’s more human than anything else, but yes, he helped me split myself in two, and the monster who haunts the realm is—me. My Shadow Self. All darkness and evil. It feeds off wickedness, blood, and most of all magic. It seeks a soul to cleave itself to, another vessel to corrupt. It’s still out there, growing stronger.”
My lower lip trembled. “Why didn’t you tell me, earlier? Will it happen to me too? What about the other beasts, where did they come from?”
“You’re afraid of me,” he said.
“I’m not . . . afraid. I did not understand. I’d been fed lies but now I know the truth. You and Rydlin came through the portal to find a way to split yourself in two, and then, how did you intend on destroying your shadow self?”
“We intended to banish it into the mirrorverse, the in between, a place of mist and shadows. Starved of magic it would fester and die.”
“But you were interrupted by the revolt.”
“I told Rydlin to lock me in the mirrorverse, I thought I’d find my way back home, but the monster escaped, so did the beasts from other realms. And, you know the rest. I was trapped.”
“What was it like?”
He looked away, nostrils flaring. “It’s a place worthy of monsters.”
I studied him, suddenly seeing him in a different light. He had been a Wicked Prince a long time ago, but now he was someone new, someone trying to make amends for the past, to fix his mistakes, and he’dendured horrors to do so. Fear had faded long ago but now respect surged to the forefront. “What do we do now? How do we find out what happened to magic?”
Methrin glanced at the open doors and lowered his voice. “We will discuss another time. Tonight all laws are lifted, all barriers are broken. We celebrate my homecoming but in the morning, everything will change.”
“But Lyra and I are under your protection?”
He cocked his head at me. “You are, but Lyra, she’s not completely human nor completely Everminati.”
My eyes widened. How had I missed it? Of course, she was Rydlin’s daughter, which meant she had his blood, and she, too, was somethingother. I wondered what she’d say if I asked her to confirm, what excuse she’d give for not telling me. Although it hadn’t come up, and it was plain that I was a human princess with magic. No one trusted me.
I pushed away my hurt feelings, because what would it change? “Give me one honest answer. Why are you helping me?”
“All my answers have been honest,” Methrin said, his tone gentle.
I watched his long fingers play with the skirt of my gown and an ache filled me. “You’ve given me pieces of the truth, but not the complete story. I understand that you don’t trust me, I haven’t proven myself. But give me this one answer. Why?”
Methrin went still. “Because I see myself in you,” he whispered. “You are royalty, curious and strong, yet Mirror Magic has changed your life. There are manyways you could have handled the transition, but your willingness to learn, to listen, to understand the lies you’ve been told speak volumes. You’ve crossed worlds at my word alone. You’ve trusted me without cause.”
He covered my hand with his own. “I will help you avoid a fate like my own. It might be the only thing I do that redeems my soul.”
My breath caught and I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.
The Wicked Prince of Mirrors was wicked no more.
I sat frozen under his spell and the fears of the night drifted away. In that moment we were one-minded, closer than ever. Part of it felt right even though the situation was wrong. I wondered if I’d finally found who my soul desired.
I wasn’t sure who moved first, it felt natural, the way we leaned toward each other and the air ghosted around us, drawing us closer. My pulse throbbed, and when his lips met mine, soft, tender, everything melted away. His fingers cupped the back of my head, twisting through my hair as his lips moved, testing, tempting, then gaining surety as I opened myself to him.
My lips parted, welcoming his caress as I pressed against him, the tenderness of the kiss deepening into a heated passion. I tilted my head, a soft moan escaping as I tasted him and he tasted me, an even balance of give and take. A kiss that had been long in coming, pent up desire rising to the surface, banishing all self-control.
I closed my eyes, giving into the delightful sensations that washed over me, the delicate feelings so fragile,so new. I’d never felt like this before, never wanted a kiss so badly.
