“Good.”
The Light Weavers’ news must have crushed her. Her daughter was never coming back, even in the afterlife. I couldn’t bear to think about it. It was my fault. Why didn’t Isha or the others blame me? Looking at her, I saw my mother. When I had lost my memories, she had the same face. She would say things like 'where’s my little girl?' and ‘come back to me.' on a daily basis. It was worse when Grandpa died. He had the same look, waiting for me to remember him enough to stop hiding in terror behind my mother. He died with me calling him a stranger. My relatives all muttered against me.
This was just like back then. I wasn’t sure if I could forgive myself. Not for Grandpa, and not for Luna. I didn’t want to add any more guilt and regret to that list. Not when I saw Isha’s grief.
“Isha.”
She blinked away wetness. “Yes, dear?”
“I’m sorry.”
She looked shocked. “What for, dear?”
“For...” I couldn’t say it. If I kept mentioning Luna, it would only hurt her more. Here she was talking to the reason her daughter was killed, the one who took her body. Was it right for me to even apologize like this? I took a deep breath and looked at her, trying to force back my tears.
“I’m sorry for being such a burden. You've been nothing but kind to me. I'm sorry and thank you.”
She smiled and squeezed my arm. “It’s not a problem, Rayne. I would gladly help you. I see so much of my daughter in you. I'm sure, in other circumstances, I’d still be helping you both.”
I was shocked. She mentioned Luna with a smile on her face for the first time in forever. I couldn’t help but return her smile.
“Thank you again, Isha. I think I’m starting to feel a bit better.”
"I'm glad to hear it dear.” She squeezed my arm a final time, then nudged me. “Now, speaking of that, you might want to get back to Loic."
She held out a small looking glass. I took a deep breath. Instead of cringing, I forced myself to look for a second. There was Loic sitting by my bed. I felt the tight grasp on my heart that fear left me with, and I quickly looked away to calm down. Then I smiled. Seeing him made my fear nonexistent for a moment.
I laid down to go back to sleep, but then I heard Loic jolt up suddenly. Isha gasped and held me up. I looked at the glass again, my heart sinking a bit. Loic put a shield around me and surveyed the area. He was in danger! Tears and my shaking almost blurred the image out. Isha shielded my eyes from the mirror. I still peeked a bit, wanting to see if he was okay.
Shadows formed around Loic. He fought off most of them, but they kept coming. Nearly covering my room in a thick black ooze. Loic was forced back near me.
"Rayne, I don't know if you're listening,” he hissed. “But whatever you do, don't wake up."
With that, he took my body in his arms and ran from the room. Our view vanished.
I started feeling a darkness around me, like a large, icy cold hand. Isha jumped up. Chase came through a mirror, that was turned around on the other side of the Livingroom and ran over grabbing me, pulling me to a trap door that was under a rug in the main room.
"Stay in here Rayne. It's Rakesh. He's trying to find you on this side."
"But—" Loic was in danger!
"You won't be alone. Isha, come." Chase held his hand out to her, urging her to go through the trap door as well.
She shook her head. "No. If I'm gone, he will suspect us hiding. Just hide with her, Chase. I can handle him."
"But milady—"
"Chase, that's an order!"
Chase hesitated, then nodded. He pulled me into the trapdoor and hid me back behind some boxes hidden under the floorboards. This place was low to the ground, I had to crouch to fit. It seemed like an old storage room. I wondered how Isha stored anything in such a tiny house, this must have been it. Chase pushed me to a corner. A shadow passed ahead of me. As it passed, I could see through a crack that it was Isha approaching the door. Chase moved away from me. He found a notch and watched Isha from a safe point as well. Glass shattered outside. A creature growled.
My heart leaped in my throat.
"Must have been the reflection dome,” Chase whispered.” He's close,"
I had never been so scared. The stone began to heat up and I felt myself becoming warmer. I trembled and looked up to see a large shadow above me. Isha, stepping back. Chase looked more intense as each second passed. I wanted to scream but I kept silent, too scared to move. The shadow stopped, and he looked around.
"Ah, Isha. My, you look lovely as always."
"Rakesh, you traitorous bastard!" Isha stood to face the large shadow that entered the front door.
“You wound me with your greeting,” Rakesh growled. His tone was gruff yet had an air of superiority to it.
Isha stepped away from his shadow, her feet stomping down on the wood above us.
"What do you want? You already took my family away from me! What makes you remotely think you’d be welcome here?"
Rakesh laughed and stepped closer to her.
“What if I came for you, my queen? You must get lonely in this place. No husband to hold, no daughter to scold. Or maybe you miss the servants the most? Rumors did say you favored a certain knight back in his heyday.”
A certain knight? I glanced to Chase for just a second. My thoughts connecting the statement with how intently Chase was watching Isha.
He reached his hand out to her. “It wasn’t my main goal, but I would gladly take you back to that castle you loved. I can give you back what you miss most.” He snickered at his own proposition. Come with me and be MY queen. My skin crawled. “My only price would be to give me an heir of royal blood.” He added, making his intent for her clearer.
“Ekil lleh uoy retsnom!” Isha spat, backing away from him with every word.
Chase growled quietly. His fists tightened and teeth gritted. I heard ceramic crash above me. Dirt fell from the floorboards into my eyes. Isha must have thrown a potted plant at him. Rakesh’s stance didn’t change. He just laughed and brushed more dirt down.
“Feisty as always, aren’t we? Very un-queenly of you.”
“Nothing you could ever offer would change my mind. You stole my family from me. Our kingdom, our home—they’re all dead because of you! That is something that can never be forgiven or replaced!” Isha grew louder and angrier the more she spoke. She didn't even sound like the same woman I was just talking to.
"Ah, didn't you hear? Luna's back.” Rakesh chuckled. “Isn’t that wonderful? Her Original can reanimate her. Her soul taking over the lifeless princess like a puppeteer. Isn’t that joyous news?” Then he waited in silence for a moment. Isha was silent as well. He then snorted and continued. “No, such a shame. Wouldn't you love seeing your daughter again? Alive and annoying again. Too bad it’s only an illusion."
"That won't happen. You took her away from me you monster! You took my baby!"
Another crash indicated the loss of yet another plant. This time the dirt didn’t fall on me. From what I could see from below, Rakesh was now holding the de-potted fern. He caught it on fire in his hand, and it vanished. His composure never wavered.
"Ah, but I come with an offer. Where is Luna's body? Tell me and that seat back in the palace is yours again." Rakesh offered.
"Gone! We buried her!" Isha retorted.
"Lies!" Rakesh yelled.
I heard a thump, and Isha gasped. Chase’s eyes widened, but he stayed put, looking at me. I carefully shifted to see more clearly, but only noticed that Isha’s shadow changed against the wall.
Rakesh had her up in the air. I shuddered to think how he held her. The sounds she made me guess it was by her neck.
"I know you know where she is! You kept her body alive this long. Why would you bury her now?"
She huffed painfully. “we gave up. Twelve years was long enough, and she was gone.” Putting Isha’s words together made my heart sink.
That was far from what happen
ed. Isha giving up on Luna would be the last thing she would do. She would die first.
"Convenient story, but I have one way to tell.” Rakesh raised his voice. “Oh, Rayne! Are you here?"
Chase jumped. I covered my mouth and ducked down to avoid any movement.
"Luna's body just can't walk away without you. I know you're here. If you don't come out, then I'll just have to take Isha's life in exchange. Such a shame too. The last blood royal of Mirror Image seems almost poetic. The dawn of a new era."
I looked at Chase. His eyes begged me not to do anything. He found an old pipe and busted the seam of the pipe. Then he looked at his reflection in the water. gesturing me to stay low and quiet, he vanished in the water. I then heard Chase appear in the kitchen above me.
"Let her go, Rakesh!"
"Ah, the noble knight. Come to save your queen?” He paused and came to a sudden realization. “If you’re here, our princess should be near."
"No. I am sworn to protect the queen, as the sole survivor of the royal family. Now put her down!"
"So, the Original is not here. Hm. Wonder where she could be? My pets confirmed that the boy was protecting a husk. No, she must be here."
I heard Rakesh’s heavy footsteps, suggesting he still had Isha in his hand. Chase charged at him. With a large thump sound, he freed Isha. Then I saw his shadow through the floorboards as he flew across the room.
"Chase!" Isha yelled, her voice still raspy.
“I'm fine your Majesty. I beg of you, get to safety!"
Isha said nothing, and Rakesh laughed.
"I'm surprised you're even still alive with that stunt you pulled before. You shouldn't be able to leave your cursed museum. Tet enola hcuot em."
"You underestimate me, Rakesh! I didn't become the head of the guard with just my charm."
"Cocky as always, captain."
"I wish I’d taken your title from you long ago, lieutenant."
I jumped. Rakesh had been a high-ranked knight, working under Chase? No wonder he was strong, I thought. I kept my eyes peeled for Loic, but I knew he wouldn't come. he wouldn't leave me unprotected on the other side. Worry pinched my stomach. Loic was all alone there. Rakesh tapped his foot and the darkness grew. Chase growled, crouching over to protect Isha.
"My queen, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Chase".
"How touching.” Rakesh sneered. “I see how it is Queenie. I’m not a good enough replacement for Elijah, but he is? No matter. I will not ask again. Where is the girl?"
"Not here!" Isha angerly yelled.
"Then where?" Rakesh’s voice began to sound more like an animal’s growl as he ended his question.
"I won't say! I refuse to let you win again."
Rakesh growled. "I don't have time for this. Formless, search the house! Let no shadow go unexplored!"
Chase snorted, and Isha stood.
"Your Formless cannot go where there is no shadow!" She yelled.
Suddenly light filled the house, and Rakesh roared. I could sense his aura growing stronger, emanating from him like ice. He used his aura to create spikes around him, and they flew at every corner of the house. The wood above me cracked and splintered. I tried to move, to cover my eyes from the wood chips. A box behind me kept me from going far.
"Get out of my house. I will not allow you or your monsters to proceed any further!" Isha yelled as the light engulfed the entire hidden room.
With that, he vanished, and the light died down. Chase relaxed, and Isha sighed. I couldn't move. My body started to get cold, and my vision was blurring. Chase came down to me and froze. My head weakly tilted to make eye contact with him. That’s when I tasted blood in my mouth. Something was wrong, and it wasn’t the wood, breaking above me that did it. I looked and saw an aura spike through my chest. Was that what broke the wood? My feet slipped out from under me.
I could see Chase bending over me as I fell into darkness. he ran over to me as I fell, and my vision faded to black.
"Rayne! Oh god, Rayne!"
ELEVEN
♦
Between
I DIDN'T FEEL ANY transition this time. I was numb to any pressure. It was only when I opened my eyes that I noticed where I was. I was in-between, the waters around me seemed darker and deeper than before. Surrounded by nearly black waves on every side, no floor and no escape. No light to gravitate to. Small visions were flashing in my eyes at first. Visions from my bodies.
First, I saw Loic outrunning the Formless, holding me close in his arms. He holed up the museum, only to see blood coming from my mouth.
He clutched me tighter. "Rayne!? Rayne are you okay?"
Loic jostled me gently, trying to wake me.
"Rayne?" His voice was shaky.
He set my body down on the bed, locked the door, and ran through the mirror in the room. My view of him faded.
I then saw Chase putting my other body, Luna’s body, on the floor at Isha’s. Isha brushing her fingers through my hair, Chase examining the wound. His hand hovered over me like he was checking how to start removing the aura spike, that was still in my chest. The spike faded to darker and darker colors.
Isha pressed her lips together. "Chase, do something."
"I'm trying, Isha! I can't pull out the spike.” He grunted in frustration. “It'll only cause more damage if I do. I have to heal her as I remove it. Help me. Hold her down while I try to disperse the aura."
Isha held me down. There were tears in her eyes.
'She’s cold.' she mouthed. She recoiled from Luna’s body. I wanted to tell her I was watching, but I couldn't.
"Isha, focus. She's not lost yet. I can see she was protected a bit. We need to do this quickly.”
Chase looked over her way, seeing the panic building. He took her hand to get her attention.
“Niaga siht od tnac i.” Her voice quivered as she spoke.
Chase looked at her intently and tugged on her hand again.
“I won't lose her, you hear me. I need your help, Isha."
He looked at Isha intently, she wiped the tears from her eyes.
“All right.”
"When she wakes up, she may feel the pain from me removing this. The stone protected her heart and lungs, just enough. Keep her from moving if she does wake up before I’m finished.”
"Yes."
They began to remove the spike. Green magic surrounded his hands as he touched the spike. The magic he used looked like it was eating through the aura around the spike, making it smaller. My chest tingled. Looking down, I saw my body was detail-less and bare. My clothing wasn’t there, it made sense since my soul wouldn’t need clothes. Had it always been this way? Was this what my soul looked like? Pure white, and glowing. I looked closer and saw a crack starting at my chest, slowly being patched up. I looked to see some other small cracks along my skin that seemed to be patched with a line of gold. Were these from my old injuries? My shoulder was the second, most prominent one. Long-since healed but still here along with the memories of receiving it. The crack in my chest closed more, and the tingling feeling faded. I looked around seeing more of what everyone else was doing.
Chase gathered magic around his hand. As the magic touched my skin, the wound closed. Isha tried to wake me up, giving me light taps on the cheek. Loic then came through the mirror and knelt beside Luna’s body. His hand traced my jawline.
"Rayne! Rayne! What happened?"
"Rakesh was looking for her. We hid her below, but he used a spell that went through the house. It hit her from under the floor."
Loic cursed. "She's not awake on that side! If she's not here, where is she?"
"Rayne's not awake?” Chase’s focused on the spike jolted “Damn she must be in-between! She can't be there long, especially in her current state. We have to go after her."
"How? How do we do that?" Isha’s voice trembled
Loic set his jaw and looked back at Chase.
"I'll do i
t."
"Have you ever done this before Loic?"
"Yeah, when I was a kid.” He sighed. “I had to go in after Luna once. That’s the only time I've gotten deep in there. I've reached for Rayne before after she hit her head in the dance club. I thought she wouldn’t come out on her own. She didn’t get as far as Luna did back then but still… Somehow, I could feel where she was."
"Really? I've never heard of anyone actually going fully in the in-between." Isha sounded surprised.
"I'm sure I remember what I did, but we don't have any other choice."
"All right.” Chase nodded sharply. “Be careful. You just have to guide her soul back. I'll handle the rest from here."
Loic gathered aura around him and took a deep breath. Chase looked to Isha.
“Isha, get some silver glass. There should be some in the cupboard.”
She ran off and came back with a small vile of silver liquid. Loic grabbed it and tilted my face away from where he poured it on the wood floor. The silver liquid moved, climbing up my clothing. A mirror formed over my skin, turning it silver. He leaned forward, putting his head on my stomach and entered the mirror. I lost the view of the others. The water around me in the in-between shifted, and I began to feel cold again. I looked at my hand, seeing more cracks on my skin. Like broken glass. Did this happen to Luna? They said she didn't reach the afterlife. Did she shatter like this? Would that happen to me? Lost in this void between the worlds. Despite that I still smiled. If I was here, Rakesh could never get the stone, could he? I guess we would win either way.
Then resolve tightened within me. No, I couldn’t accept death. I needed to reach out. I needed to wake up on my own.
That’s what I was going to do.
I closed my eyes and reached up above me, attempting to swim up. Then I felt warm hands on my skin. The warmth surrounded me, and I felt at peace. Did I reach Loic? It didn't feel like his hands. This feeling was smaller. I wasn’t sure, but I felt like I was moved and passed from the small hands to another’s.
“Not yet... This isn't how it’s supposed to be. Ask them first,” A small distorted voice echoed, fading out seemingly in mid-sentence.
Glass Souls (Reflection Book 1) Page 31
