Page 59 of Wicked Prince of Mirrors
Methrin kneeled in the very center. Alone. Head thrown back, eyes closed.
I watched him in reverence, in awe, and some lingering inkling reminded me that this was the Wicked Prince of the Everminati. Yet I was falling in love with him. I’d accidentally saved him and in exchange he’d saved me and given my life a purpose. I was more than a tool at my father’s beck and call, but someone who could be independent and use magic to save the people, regardless of what realm they hailed from.
Holding tight to that knowledge I pushed myself to my feet. I felt a strength within like I’d never felt before. Defeating a monster and fighting with Methrin was more than just an act, it was also symbolic of what was to come, a sign of leaving my past behind and fully stepping into my future.
I wasn’t afraid to face the darkness anymore, nor fearful of where my path would lead and what might or might not happen. At last I knew what I wanted and it was worth fighting for. If Methrin defeated the darkness, so could I.
And for once no foul voice whispered in my mind, nor did a shadow flicker on the edges of my vision. In that moment I was whole and free.
“There you are.” Lyra burst into the room just as I finished bathing. “I was worried sick, you were up there so long.”
“I’m back, I’m safe,” I said, wobbling as I reluctantly got out of the warm water.
Lyra grabbed a towel and wrapped it around me, then embraced me.
I leaned into her hug, grateful for a friend and still feeling weak from using magic, despite the hours that had passed.
Methrin and I had searched the temple without success. I felt bad because my strength ebbed and he practically had to carry me the entire time. However, the temple wasn’t large and several rooms had decaying bodies he wouldn’t allow me to see. When we finally finished, the guards were waiting for us with horses and they’d also secured lodging for us at an inn.
We rode back to the village and Methrin released me to bathe while he went to see how Lady Velune and Lord Pelgrin were doing. I was grateful for the chance to submerge myself in water and scrub the grit from my skin. Even though I hadn’t physically touched the beast, I still felt dirty from fighting, not to mention the days on the boat.
“This is worse than I imagined,” Lyra admitted, releasing me.
I finished drying off and pulled a simple dress over my head. All the clothing the Everminati wore appeared simple, yet as soon as I put on the dress, it molded to my body, the skirts shimmering as though stardust had been woven into the fabric. It was comfortable and made me feel effortlessly beautiful. “Are you sorry you came?” I asked, tugging the wet strands of my hair into a braid.
“Oh stop asking that, this is the most useful I’ve felt in years.”
I paused as the sudden warmth of kinship filled me. “Me too.” I hesitated, then plunged onward. “A beast had claimed the temple, Methrin called it a Destroyer and together we fought and killed it. I’m not a warrior, I’m not brave, but magic has given me something I never had before. A purpose.”
Lyra smiled at me. “Oh, Esmira.”
I wobbled and she rushed to my side again. “Magic.” I grimaced.
Lyra put her arm around me and escorted me to the door. “You need food and rest, then you’ll feel like yourself again. I want to hear everything.”
“What happened to you? How did you get away?”
Lyra opened the door and led me into a hall pooled with warm lights. In the distance came the sounds of laughter and talking, but Lyra moved in the opposite direction, speaking quietly.
“When we were attacked, I knew it was something large and angry, but it was so unexpected I wasn’t ready. By the time the carriage fell over, I’d only managed to target it, then spread that sensation of calmaround it. I believe that’s why it left without finishing the job, but it sounds like you and Prince Methrin did.”
I touched fingers to my throat. If the Destroyer had attacked the carriage, what had attacked me? Could it have been the shadow?Myshadow?
“We did and then . . . I believe Methrin did the ritual.”
“I saw it,” Lyra breathed, awe tinging her voice. “A cloud of white descended over the temple and hovered there for a long time. Everyone went outside to watch it. I’ve never heard such reverent silence.”
“What happens now?” I asked. “Did it work, has magic returned?”
“I don’t know.” Lyra opened a door. “But I hope something happens soon. Lord Pelgrin and Lady Velune could use a healer’s magic.”
We walked into the private chamber. The spacious room had a generous fireplace and a table covered with steaming food. My mouth watered and my stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten since morning. As I took a seat at the table, I noticed doors on either side of the fireplace, both of which were open.
Methrin appeared in one of the doorways, rolling up his sleeves. His hair was damp from bathing, and I found it impossible to look away from the way his open shirt hinted at his bare chest. A chest I’d been pressed up against not so long ago. A comfortable warmth filled me along with a yearning to be back in his arms.
When he saw us, his gaze lingered on me in a way that made me want to be devoured by his kisses. Again.
He smiled at me, a lightin his eyes that sent my heart aflutter. I smiled back, wishing we were alone so I could draw his head down and kiss him.
