Glass Souls (Reflection Book 1)

by Clairisa Campbell

  "I know that look, Rayne. You’re okay. Chase wasn’t trying to trick you into staying; he just wanted the best for the situation. He has a talent for getting his way. Considering everything that happened, I’m sure he’d say anything to get you to stick around. Clever lie to your friend by the way. I never pegged you for the sneaky type.

  "It wasn’t..."

  He raised his eyebrows. I couldn’t deny it. I did, in the end, lie to Juliet.

  "I’m not that sneaky. Well, not normally." Even though it was just a little white lie, for her own good, I still felt horrible. "I hated doing that."

  "Smart move, keeping your friend out of all this."

  "That’s just it. What is all of this exactly? I was a kind of normal girl before this. What’s going to change?"

  He paused. " I can’t answer that, but Chase can. I came to get you. He wants to see you if you’re up for it."

  "Didn’t he want us to rest?"

  He looked confused. Then he chuckled.

  "Princess, it’s morning. You do realize that right?"

  I looked out the window and saw the sunlight coming in. How did I miss that? I barely remember falling asleep, and I didn’t have any nightmares. Nor did I go to the other world... again.

  How much time had actually passed?

  "Did I even sleep? I closed my eyes but..."

  "Yeah, you were sleeping. Actually, we’ve both been out at least a whole day, maybe two. Those herbs sometimes make time kind of weird. A few times they’ve taken me out for five days, when things got really bad. They do work well on wounds.” Loic shrugged. “Maybe it’s too safe.”

  "Too safe?" I froze, both in disbelief and awe.

  He cracked a smile. "Hard to believe right?” But Formless don’t normally get in. Chase has a magic barrier around the museum. Sometimes it fails if he doesn’t maintain it. but when he’s around the entire building is surrounded. Some of the surrounding lands get some protection as well."

  Was that why I didn’t have any nightmares?

  I didn’t remember having any dreams at all. It was strange, yet wonderful all at the same time. Elation swept over me. Warmth radiated through me and everything seemed new. Tears flowed over my smile.

  “I can't believe it."

  “Can’t believe what, Princess?"

  “That’s been the first night in twelve years I haven't had a nightmare."

  Loic’s face was shocked, but he said nothing. Almost like he was letting me enjoy my realization. I sighed, feeling refreshed. Looking down at my hands, I saw no trembling, no sweat. Nothing. It was almost too odd. There was peace now. Sweet blissful peace.

  Loic broke the quiet with a laugh. He looked directly at me, his smile as dumb looking as mine was. Was he happy for me, or was he mocking me? I didn’t know him well enough to tell yet.

  “So, are you ready for the day?” He asked.

  I moved a bit, shifting my arms testing my limits a bit. I could move a bit with no pain. It was sudden sounding, but I felt functional. I was still surprised we could move as much as we were in such a short time.

  “Can magic heal this fast? We were really hurt.” I asked without directly answering him.

  “Well, it’s more a combination of things. Chase’s magic is formidable but can only stabilize mass injuries. Lady Isha’s healing magic, however, is powerful beyond measure. She also enchants herbs making them work better and super-fast. Poisons that can be cured with a daily dose of herbs over months normally she can heal in a few days. She helped Chase with my wounds and worked on you specifically. I figured it was a gentleman’s code thing with Chase or something.”

  “Gentleman’s code?”

  “From what I saw, your clothes were destroyed. …Use your imagination.” He shrugged.

  Relief filled me. So that’s how I got into the dress then. Isha healed me. That made sense.

  “They worried about you a lot. My own magic ability helps me heal myself to an extent but since you’re an Original, you were a bit worse off.”

  “But how? Your injuries…” I shook my head. “The Formless had its claws in your back.”

  He grinned cockily. “Anything Isha can whip up my own magical ability can enhance it.”

  “So, healing in a day is normal?”

  “No. Neither of us are at a hundred percent yet, but we’re at least at a level where we can function. You’ll probably feel it all when you stand.”

  He walked over and offered his hand to me.

  “But at least we survived enough to walk down the stairs now. I’m going to guess Chase transported you up here?”

  I nodded. “How did he do that?”

  “That silver liquid. He set it up in here while Isha was finishing with us. The silver liquid works by reaching the nearest mirror to where it drops you off at. You can bypass a mirror by connecting two pools of liquid to act as portals. So, he set some down on his sofa and here on the bed. He did that all before he set you there as well. It’s a trick he’s used on me before, mostly when I’d get on his nerves as a kid.”

  “So, I blinked, and I was here.”

  “The beauty of using the liquid in the same world. Between worlds sends you in-between but when the portals are close by, you just kind of appear. Anyway, I’ll take you to Chase the old-fashioned way if you’re ready. I’m not a huge fan of setting up the liquid. Chase would make me scrub it from the floor anyway. Not something I enjoy dealing with.”

  “Okay. I’d like some answers about everything anyway.” I paused and continued. “Chase said I couldn’t hide from your world any longer so I guess I should see where I stand.”

  “You and me both.” He rolled his eyes slightly. “Chase has been keeping me in the dark too.”

  What did he mean by that? Well, I suppose the situation would be strange to anyone. Here he was, possibly hunting for those things only to see some girl confront him about something he saw as unimportant only to get dragged into his mess, then to have that girl connected to his princess. If I was in his shoes my first thought might be along the lines of what are we going to do with you now?

  What indeed? That’s what I wanted to know. After two attacks and this link being uncovered, the idea I could just take the ferry back home and get ready for morning classes was out of the question now.

  Loic waited, holding his hand out to me as I mused.

  I took Loic’s hand and he helped me to my feet. He was right about feeling everything when I stood. I felt heavy, my weight pulling on my wounds and injured arm. He braced me, wincing a bit himself as my hand held onto his shoulder.

  “Steady there princess.” He whispered.

  He waited for me to regain my footing. Once I became more stable the weight seemed to lessen and everything didn’t hurt as bad. He stepped forward and I followed him down the attic stairs and the hall. Oddly I only felt a bit sore. The burning and shooting pain were gone. Even my shoulder was feeling better.

  I had to get that herb recipe. The wonders it could do for a walking disaster like me!

  Before turning into Chase’s office, Loic turned to me and smiled, putting his arms behind his head.

  "By the way, thanks again for the save.”

  “You’re welcome, but I’m not sure what I did. We both still got hurt, and I was nearly eaten.”

  His expression turned serious. “You did something. You came for me, and you got Chase there eventually. You said we became human to you, and because you came, we are alive. You didn’t have to risk yourself like that, but you did.

  “I guess you’re right, but Chase said the Formless were gone before he arrived.” I laughed nervously. “you can’t seriously believe that I…beat them…”

  “Stranger things have happened.” He retorted.

  “Stranger than normal people destroying three monsters?”

  “Two.” He grumbled. “I did kill one before getting to you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Fine. A normal pe
rson using magic to destroy TWO huge monsters.”

  “Well considering your situation…” Loic stopped, his words trailing off into thought. He cleared his throat and continued. “Well, whatever it was that you did, let’s try to not have that happen again. All right?”

  His face pinched up, and his eyes narrowed. Stopping in place and crossing his arms. I was able to continue on my own, so it didn’t bother me that much to not have the support any longer. Was he annoyed with me? Maybe because of the Formless thing. I chuckled lightly, trying to hide it from him.

  “Why? Don’t you want to be saved by a girl again or something?”

  He stopped, and my heart sank. I had no intention of saying that out loud. Loic stepped in close to me, blocking my escape with his arm. My heart shuddered. His hand pressed into the wall by my face. I was pinned. I felt my skin chill as I stared at him.

  "No. I wouldn't want you to get hurt, Princess."

  My heart stopped as I looked into his eyes. The gold and brown beginning to get brighter making the mismatching colors all the more distinguished and intimidating.

  He kept calling me princess. Was he trying to get under my skin, or did it actually have to do with my connection with Luna?

  He kept his gaze locked on me. My stomach churned.

  “Now that I think of it,” he muttered.” Luna was gifted with magic. She could maybe fight Formless…”

  Was he seriously insinuating that I could have Lunas’ magic?

  “Perhaps you are Luna.”

  I stifled a groan. Not this again. I understand Isha being hopeful about getting her daughter back, but why was Loic saying it now? If he really thought I was Luna, why would he tease me? What kind of relationship did he have with her?

  If I was over in the other world in her body, would he attempt this? Or would having her face make him act differently?

  Clearly, he was looking for a clue. Something to tell him that I was the princess he lost. Was it because he blamed himself for what happened? Or was there another reason he desperately wanted her back so badly?

  I cleared my throat. "But I'm not your princess."

  "We don't know that yet."

  "What? You really think I'm Luna who lost her memory?” I scoffed. “It’s not possible at all. All I've ever known is on this side. I am Rayne Higgins. Nothing you say or want is going to change that."

  He scowled.

  I pushed back against him, but he held me still, putting his thumbs against my shoulders. Sure, I lost my memory as a kid. Sure, I still had problems with my past. But even with all of that, I knew who I was. I’d lost it once. I was never going to lose it again.

  "I say you're wrong,” he shot back. “Luna was too strong to just vanish!"

  “I’m not saying she just vanished. I'm just saying that I AM ME!"

  “But the possibility is there!"

  “I don’t really care if the possibility is there. It’s not the case.”

  “And how would you be able to tell? That’s the entire thing with amnesia. You lose all of that.”

  “And I got it all back!” I screamed at him. He wavered a bit. “You don’t understand. You wouldn’t understand. I lost everything. I was terrified. I didn’t recognize my own parents; I didn’t know my own name. I had nothing.” I gulped down tears. “My mother told me who I was every day, making sure I remembered my name even before I knew who she was. My name, my identity was all I had!”

  Loic’s face was filled with shock and anger, all melded together in one glare.

  “No one was as strong as Luna. She kept Mirror Image in peace.”

  “She was a child…”

  “She is our princess! She may have been a child then, but it was her existence that kept us from war. Her tours with Isha made us want to support the king. It was her smile that made me want to protect them, despite all he did. It was all her. ”

  His body tightened, and he started to tremble. Was he holding back tears or anger? I watched as his face shifted. Instead of baring his teeth, he gritted them and his lips downturned into a frown. Sorrow, frustration? that’s all I could read from him. I sighed and lowered my tone. I tried to maintain my firm stance, but I also tried to keep it from manifesting as anger. Yeah, I was angry at his accusation, sure I was positive that I was myself, but everything about him from his face to his stance showed desperation. He lost someone and was grasping to get them back. I could understand that. After a few breaths I managed a balance between confidence and empathy.

  “Even if she was strong, what makes you think I could be her?”

  “I don’t know. It’s just a hunch.”

  A hunch? I rolled my eyes, my calm evaporating with it. That was really why he was confronting me like this? He didn’t even have a solid reason for thinking this way.

  Loic sighed. “That magic I felt from you…it was…”

  Like hers? He didn’t have to say it. His strong princess would, of course, have had such magic. He had a hunch on our connection that was right, but this was beyond unbelievable. His eyes drilled into me, his two-toned stare burrowing in my memory.

  “Her magic was strong like that and so was she.”

  “Oh, and I’m not strong? Of course not. I'm too scared to even look in a mirror! Yeah, I get it. I'm just a weak, little, useless..." I stopped and sucked in a breath, fearing that I might cry. “Be mad at me for denying it but I am not Luna!"

  Loic fell silent. His hands flexed, and his lips curled. Finally, He let me go and backed up against the opposite wall. He looked away and kept silent.

  I sagged down, suddenly exhausted. Why did I yell at him? Sure, I had my own point of view, but I normally wouldn’t yell about it, especially not like that. Id usually shut down and cry when I was feeling defensive. Becoming a human turtle was a regular thing for me in the past. This time I felt like I had to defend my point.

  I saw Chase’s office. Right, I was here to get answers. I dragged myself off the wall and stumbled by Loic. He mumbled something under his breath, but I couldn’t catch what he said. I entered the office silently and closed the door as gently as possible behind me. Then I heard a cough and jumped. There stood Chase, leaning against the wall of his office.

  "You really can't blame him you know,” he said.

  He must have heard that entire thing.

  I folded my arms. “Why can’t I? He was being a jerk.”

  “He’s desperately hopeful. I’m sure Loic would give anything to change the past.”

  Change things? Saving Luna was the first thing that came to mind.

  I frowned. “What was he to her?”

  “He was her knight. The moment he joined the guard, he wanted to protect her. From what his father said he attended her birth ceremony and wanted to be her protector.

  Even at just five years old. Barely able to see over the crowd from his father shoulders.” Chase laughed. “Him declaring his loyalty to Luna was one reason I let him join to begin with.”

  So, Chase wasn’t related to Loic? They didn’t really look similar but the way they acted could have fooled anyone. The phrase ‘let him join’ made it seem like Chase was Loic’s’ commanding officer. That would kind of make sense. But there wasn’t the level of respect I would expect to see from a knight to a higher-ranking officer.

  “So, he lost Luna, and how he’s yelling at me for not being her?”

  Chase ran a hand through his hair. “Loic was her knight officially when Luna was captured. But off the record, he was nearly a brother to her. And like siblings, the elders’ actions affected the younger. Loic made mistakes. We all did then. And whether he wants to admit it or not, those mistakes led to her capture... If he wants to latch on to the idea that you could be Luna, let him, for now. Maybe letting him grasp even a little light is the best idea.”

  “And what do you think? Do you think I’m her?”

  “Me?” He looked away from me and shifted his cane to his side. “I think Luna is
gone.”

  His voice was cold. I felt the chill through my entire being.

  “I won’t lie. I would like to have her back as much as Loic does. But sometimes we don’t always get what we want. In my experience, desires being fulfilled is something that doesn’t happen nearly enough, especially these days. That is something he will learn, eventually.”

  He glanced towards me again, as defeated looking as Loic. His free hand slipped into his pockets and he mouthed some words I couldn’t hear.

  “I guess I see your point,” I muttered. If I had lost someone that important to me, I’d want them back by any means.

  The atmosphere was darker now. I told Loic he’d never understand what I had gone through. The reverse could also be said about me. I’d never understand what it meant losing someone who meant so much to me. Someone who I had devoted my life to protecting.

  I cleared my throat, wanting to change the conversation, "So, you wanted to see me, Chase?"

  "Yes. It seems those Formless were sent on an assassination attempt. One targeting you, Rayne."

  My jaw dropped. "Targeting me?"

  "Yes. Rakesh is on the move and his sightings lead me to believe he has discovered your connection to the princess. We have to keep you safe.”

  The door opened and Loic entered, slightly less angry than when I left him. He had a puzzled look on his face. Had he heard Chase’s statement?

  This place either had some thin doors, or these two had magic hearing.

  Loic shifted his hair behind his ears and pulled it back behind his neck.

  “He must have noticed the dome had been opened,” Loic looked away scratching his head.

  “That is a possibility,” Chase agreed.

  Loic glared at nothing in particular. I stood back. After some stagnant silence, I finally spoke up.

  “Why was Luna in that dome to begin with?”

  "It was a special burial site for members of the royal family. Isha and Loic made a barrier of healing around it. There were small signs of life when she was placed there, and that barrier kept her body healthy in case she ever woke up."