Directly south of the bed was an opening. I peeked inside, happy to see it was the relieving room. I went in and took care of my necessities. When I returned to the bedroom, I noticed a mirror hanging on the wall next to the bed. It wasn’t there a moment ago. “Where did you come from?” It was large and oval, framed in what looked like finely spun spider silk or icicles. Normally I wouldn’t bother with it. Mirrors were of no value to me. But for some reason I was drawn to this one. As soon as I peered into the strange glass, I understood. The reflection wasn’t mine, but that of a girl. A human. With ruby red lips and dark hair.
My mouth fell open in astonishment. Tugging in a deep breath, I turned from side to side, watching the girl in the mirror imitate me. I closed my eyes, sure I was seeing things, but when I opened them, she was still there, staring back, her eyes as wide as mine.
“Mirror, mirror made for me, whose reflection do I see?” I asked, watching the girl stand there, her lips unmoving though I spoke aloud.
“I’m Snow White,” the girl responded, her voice soft.
I stepped back, using my wings to move more quickly. The reflection spoke to me. Tentatively I went back. She was still there.
Slowly I moved my finger toward the glass, curious to see if it was solid. Her creamy, hairless finger moved in time with mine, as though she didn’t want to but didn’t have a choice. When our fingers met, she gasped.
“Silindra,” she said.
“How are you here with me?” I was shocked. I’d never seen this human before. In fact, I refused to entertain humans. I had nothing against them, but their existence meant little to me. Except for Gabriel, I thought, but I pushed that line of thinking away. Sharra had altered him. His body looked human, but he was no more human than I was.
The girl called Snow White leaned toward me. “I’m not sure, but I believe it was the Se—” She couldn’t finish the word. It seemed stuck in her throat.
“But you know what I am?”
“Yes.” She touched her throat as though worried about what had happened a moment ago. “I’ve heard stories about you.” She leaned back. “Your sister, Sharra, had a hunter mark me. I’m a vampire now.” Her words sounded sad, and I felt momentarily sorry for her. I knew Gabriel had similar feelings.
Was this reflection sent to me by Sharra? My sister’s magic was strong. Had she created this mirror as a way of luring me? A pang of longing shot through my chest. If I had a human body like Gabriel, then he and I could love each other fully—in every way physically. My body hungered to fulfill that desire, but no. I shook the thought away. I was an original, a true vampire, not some watered-down human version, like the girl whose reflection I saw. I would not be swayed by her or my lust for Gabriel, even if I did want him so badly, the craving caused my eyes to water. “No!” I slammed my fist into the mirror, shattering it.
Snow squealed. I heard it inside my head. Pieces of glass fell like sharp rain to the floor. A few shards hit my skin and bounced off; my body unharmed. Urgently, I searched for my satchel, but it was nowhere to be found. Had the elves stolen it?
I headed to the door. Devoran had better provide me the answers I needed, including what he did with my gem, or there would be war and I would be the one to start it. Before I could exit, the sound of tinkling glass made me turn. As I watched, the shattered mirror reassembled until it was whole. I knew if I looked into the mirror again, I wouldn’t see myself, but the girl. Snow White. With a growl, I pulled open the door.
“Devoran!” I shouted, surprised that I stepped out into the garden instead of a hallway within one of the crystal buildings. Strange, but there I was. Grass, soft like feathers, brushed against my bare feet. The unicorn Envy flicked her ears, watching me, her eyes keen with interest. “Have you seen Devoran?” I asked.
She nickered and came over, her head bent low as a sign of subjection and respect. When she stood in front of me, I touched her head, directly above the place where her horn grew.
“Rise, dear one.” I spoke softly, remembering the cruelty she endured and appreciative of the respect she showed.
“Devoran left Crystal City earlier today. I’m so sorry, apologetic, remorseful.” She bowed again, putting one hoofed leg behind the other.
I noticed the leg she stood on trembled and my anger subsided. A wave of sympathy for her filled my veins. “Please, Envy. You don’t need to bow to me. Rise. I insist.”
She did as I commanded.
“When will he be back?” I asked, carefully running my clawed hands through her delicate mane.
“I do not know. It seems there is trouble between the trolls and the elves near Ellavera Pass. He’s gone to make peace, return their harmony, rebuild an accord.” Her tail swished as she spoke.
The trolls and the elves were always at odds over one petty issue or another. “I appreciate your time.” I scanned the gardens. “Have you seen the pixilette I arrived with? Ryden.”
She shook her head, making her long, beautiful mane flip back and forth.
“Where is she?” I wondered aloud, crossing my arms as some of my irritation returned.
“I could help you look for her if you like. The pixilette drank a lot of watermelon juice. She’s probably sleeping it off, feeling woozy, hungover,” Envy said.
“You’re undoubtably right,” I said, smiling. Knowing Ryden, she overdid it and was snoring away somewhere in the trees. “Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.” We moved toward the table where I’d last seen my friend. As I came closer, a silver decanter appeared along with a goblet.
“You must be thirsty,” Envy said. “Why don’t you have a drink?”
“I am.” I poured the liquid that looked like blood into the goblet and drank until it was gone.
“Better?” Envy’s dark liquid eyes studied me with curiosity.
I still wanted more, but there wasn’t time. “Much.”
Together, we moved over to the orchard. A ruby red fruit grew in abundance in this section of the garden. Even though it was a different color than the green fruit I smelled yesterday, it held the same aroma. Gabriel’s blood.
“What does the garden smell like to you?” I asked, curious about whether or not she smelled blood.
She sniffed, her nose moving so that I wanted to reach out and touch its softness. Resisting, I clutched my hands at my sides.
“It smells of fresh clover, alfalfa, and Elisar apples.” She flicked her tail, angling her head toward the red fruit on a nearby tree.
“That’s what this is?” I touched one of them, admiring the luster of its skin.
She whinnied in response.
I picked the one I prized, holding it my hand by each end and down to Envy’s level. She took it in her teeth and began to eat.
“Have you seen a gem? It’s amber in color and shaped like a teardrop,” I said, watching her eat.
“Are you talking about the pretty, the lovely, the gorgeous one hanging from your neck?” Her head bobbed up and down.
I pressed a hand to my neck. It was there. “How?” I wondered aloud but knew Envy wouldn’t have the answer. Still, I was relieved. I removed it, eager to see the gem with my own eyes. Sure enough, the dragon’s soul swirled within just as before. But there was more. An outline of an elven eye seemed to bob inside as well, its silvery shape staring beyond what I could see. Devoran had given me the elven sight. He said there would be pain, but I hadn’t felt any. Unless I considered all I saw when I looked in the mirror and at Snow White. Had that been what he meant? I wrapped the gem in my fist and clasped it against my chest. There was only one way to find out. “As soon as we find Ryden, I need to be moving on. Can you let Devoran know I appreciate his help?” I spoke as I headed back toward my room.
She trotted along with me. “I will, Silindra. You have my word, my declaration, my bond.”
“Thank you.” I stopped, bending so we were face to face. “You are an amazing creature. Better than most I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Hold on to that.” The wo
rds seemed to have come from Snow White and not me, but I agreed with her. The unicorn was special.
“I’m honored, grateful, esteemed you think so. But where are you going now?” She nuzzled my face. Her whiskers tickled, and I smiled.
“I must go back into my room.” I hurried in that direction.
“I will keep searching, looking, hunting for Ryden, then.”
“That would be wonderful.”
She trotted back toward the trees and I went over to the place where I exited my room. From the outside, my room looked like a crystal cottage. It gleamed in the sunlight, shimmering with hundreds of rainbows. I stepped inside and went over to the mirror. Snow White looked back at me. “Are you stuck in the mirror?” I asked, getting to the point. I already knew the answer, but I asked anyway.
She shook her head.
“Did Sharra send you?”
“I don’t think so. I think this did.” She grasped the gem held by a chain that resembled the one around my neck. The difference was her gem was red, a deep crimson instead of yellow-gold.
I studied my necklace. “Where did you get that?” I indicated her necklace.
“It was given to me by Abernathy. It’s called the Seal—” she stopped as though she couldn’t tell me more. Though she tried to mouth the words, no sound came out and I couldn’t discern what she was saying.
“Are you somehow here to stop me from collecting the magic I’m trying to preserve?”
She gulped. “No,” she finally whispered. “I think I’m here to help. Somehow.”
I shook my head and noticed hers shook like mine. “Are you inside my head?” I already knew the answer. How it happened, I didn’t know.
“I am,” she said matter-of-factly.
Chapter 34
I had so many questions I wasn’t sure where to start. But I got the feeling Snow had more questions than I did. Peering closely, I watched her do the same. She wore a white dress. It was simple but elegant. The collar circled against her neck, accentuating the blood red of the gem. The sleeves of the dress were long, and her hair was turned under at the ends. A white ribbon was tied in a bow on top of her head. She looked very young.
“How old are you?” I finally asked.
“I’m sixteen, but I think I’m having a birthday soon.” She cleared her throat and I noticed she fought back tears.
“You think?” I asked simply, putting my hands to my hips.
She nodded. “I don’t belong in this time. Where I’m from I recently turned sixteen. Since I’ve been here with you, I keep getting these flashes of conversations from where I’m from and I’m hearing people I care about… One of them, Gabe, he said I had a birthday coming up, which would mean I’ve been away nearly a year.” She looked devastated. A tear ran down her cheek and, as though the feelings were my own, I felt an overwhelming agony.
In my mind I saw a flash of steel, heard the clips of conversation. Saw her in a beautiful dress. Watched her get bitten by a hunter. Saw her kiss a dark-haired boy who bore a striking resemblance to my Gabriel. (At least the girl had good taste in men.) She walked through a room full of magical creatures. Talked to a blonde human she called Cindy. I saw her mother; she was part elf, but this girl didn’t know it. The girl believed her mother was dead. There was a funeral. Her mother lay in a wooden box. Pixilettes I didn’t know visited her. This human girl was unusual, filled with magic, more than she realized. More even than her friend, the one she called Cindy. The withdrawn chayot, Oberon, fought the girl. A flash of red light…
I gasped. The visions vanished as quickly as they came. I took a deep breath. “Do you know why you’re here?”
She answered with a question of her own. “You’re trying to collect the seven magics?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“I think I’m supposed to be with you, help you in some way.” The girl moved back, wiping her wet cheeks with the backs of her hands.
“What time are you from?” I whispered, wishing I could take back the question. I didn’t want to know.
“Many, many years in the future.” Her voice sounded as scared as I felt, though I couldn’t believe it was possible. Fear wasn’t an emotion that plagued me.
A different time—that made no sense. I switched gears. “You heard what Abernathy said in the cave?”
“Yes.” Her lips pinched into a tight line. “I’ve heard all of it.”
I thought about kissing Gabriel and felt my cheeks get hot, but only for a moment. I hadn’t asked for the girl to hitch a ride in my mind. Until she was gone, she would have to deal. “Can I only see you in this mirror?”
“I don’t know.” Her voice was pained and anxious.
“It’s alright, Snow White,” I said, trying to bring comfort. “We’ll talk again soon. I need to find my precocious friend Ryden so we can be on our way. If that,” I pointed at her necklace, “brought you, perhaps once I complete the quest, you’ll be able to go back to your time.”
Something akin to deep sorrow changed her features and it looked like she would cry again. “Oh, Silindra. I’m so sorry.”
I didn’t understand what she meant, and I knew I didn’t want to know. It was better for life to happen without foreknowledge of what would be. Elven magic could produce such gifts of seeing into the future, but I never wanted to experience such nonsense for myself. “No need. It isn’t your fault you’re stuck in my head or that you’re from a different time. My guess is it isn’t even your fault you’re a human vampire.”
She gulped. “That isn’t what I meant exactly. See, G—”
I held up my hand to stop her. I really didn’t want to know. Before I could utter a word, Ryden flew into my room. “Silindra, I’m here!”
“Where have you been?” I asked, crossing my arms.
She shrugged, her teeny cream cheeks blossoming a deep shade of chartreuse. “Too much watermelon juice,” she said. “Sorry.”
“Humph. Well, I hope you’re refreshed and ready to go.” I lifted the mirror off the wall, deciding I would take it with me. It was much easier to talk to Snow White while I was looking at her. Better than trying to carry on a conversation inside my own mind. “Hang in there, Snow White,” I said, wiggling the mirror back and forth, but it vanished. “Figures.” As I spoke, my mind got hazy. This time I knew what was happening. Snow White pulled back to her time.
… “Happy birthday, Snow Angel. I… don’t know if you can hear me, but I love you. Daddy’s here. And when you wake, the two of us are going to catch up on daddy/daughter time. Okay, sweetheart?”
Chapter 35
She had a family waiting for her. I tucked that information away as I worked to bring the mirror back. No amount of my magic would make it appear. “If you can hear me, Snow White, I’ll figure out a way to bring the mirror back, but we’ve got to move on.”
I know. It’s okay. I heard her voice inside my head. That made me crazy and I didn’t like it, but at least she knew I knew she was in there.
Outside, I closed the door. “Ryden, let’s go. We need to find a…” I stopped and glanced at Envy. She stood a little way off, her tail swishing behind her, her bright eyes watching.
“You need the healing power of a unicorn horn, don’t you? Am I right, correct, assured?” Envy asked slowly.
“Yes, that’s right.” I took in her stubby nub of a unicorn horn—at the spot where her horn was trying to grow. “I planned to speak with Lorenze, the leader of the unicorns.”
Envy shook her mane. “No need. You can have mine as soon as it’s fully grown, developed, supplanted.”
I smiled. Meeting this sweet creature, seeing the way she loved so unconditionally, filled me with a joy I hadn’t experienced in a while. “Thank you, Envy, but I couldn’t ask that of you. Besides, I need it right away and yours isn’t fully grown. Thank you for your kind offer. It’s a pleasure to know you.”
She whinnied, stomping her foot as I headed back to where I came in—the waterfall. The closer I got, the lou
der the roar of the water. Mist splashed against my face. Once we were free of the elven city and back at the edge of the forest, Ryden and I would fly to the land of the unicorns. It would be a quick trip.
Ryden fluttered near my ear. “Where are you going to put the horn, anyway?”
That reminded me that my satchel was missing. It held more than my things. It was sentimental. Gabriel gave it to me. I didn’t respond. Ryden didn’t know the whole plan yet. She didn’t understand what I was doing. I would tell her, of course. I told her everything. But I hadn’t found an opportunity yet.
“Silindra, it’s my destiny, my fate, my calling, to do this.” Envy’s voice roared louder than the waterfall as she raced around and in front of us, blocking our way.
I looked at her, searching her kind, generous eyes. “It won’t work, dearest Envy.” I reached out to touch her emerging horn but resisted at the last moment. “Does it hurt very much?”
She shook her head. “Not at all, but I promise my horn will be ready very shortly, soon, swiftly.” Her long black lashes batted sweetly, but there was no denying the fervor in her voice. I appreciated her passion.
“Envy, I’ve lived a long time. For a couple of centuries, I even dwelled in the land of the unicorns. I know it takes years for a horn to regrow.” I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I would’ve done anything to keep her from more pain, but her horn couldn’t grow as quickly as I needed.
She whinnied, pounding the ground with her hoof. “If you’ll have faith in me, I promise, when the time comes, it’ll be ready, developed, complete.”
How could I tell this amazing creature no? I wouldn’t. It was impossible. It might take longer than I planned, but if Envy believed it was her destiny, I would honor her request. “Thank you so much, Envy. I’ll go to the trolls next then. I need to speak with them about their strength. On my way back, I’ll stop here and check on you.”
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