Smoke and Mirrors (9)

House of Mirrors

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Cold. I was so, so cold.

The air around me felt like ice, and although I was warmer now than I had been when I first stepped outside the volcano, it still seeped into the very marrow of my bones.

I blinked groggily, the room around me clearing from the blurred fog it was in.

I'd never been here before.

Every ounce of the room was made of mirrors. Hanging chandeliers draped from tall, rippling mirrors that looked like water--or maybe they were only reflecting water from somewhere.

I sat up and realised that someone had placed me on a couch in the center of a giant living room.

--A living room covered with mirrors.

Reader, picture this. You just woke up, you have no idea where you are, and suddenly you see dozens of yourself staring at you from hundreds of points all over the room. It's a terrifying feeling, I assure you. Especially when you realise that this place could only belong to one man.

"You're awake."

I jumped and accidentally fell off the couch, my blanket tumbling with me as I landed on the cold, tile floor. I let out a yelp as my bare hands landed on the floor.

He snorted.

"Yeah"--I grimaced--"I'm awake." I looked up at his spot in a recliner across the room and warily pushed myself back onto the sofa. "You--you didn't kill me." But I didn't take my eyes off him nonetheless.

He nodded and stood. "You haven't given me your mother's secret yet."

I gulped. "Yeah." My eyes roved the room, which was reflecting every angle of our conversation--from the back of my head to the back of his.

"Speak. You're out of danger, and I'm listening."

Panic bubbled within me. If I told him, he'd become even more powerful, and I'd be dead meat. There would be no more reason to not kill me.

"Where's--uh--where is Shi?" I asked, wrapping the blanket back around my shoulders as if it would protect me from him. It was a very soft, cozy blanket. I was still cold though.

"You're trying to change the subject." He stood. "I could kill you here and now, you know."

"But you won't!" I stood as well. It made me feel less vulnerable. "Not until I tell you the secret."

He tilted his head for a moment, considering. "Alright, Tessa. I won’t kill you while you are under my ceiling.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. Then, I hoped he was better at keeping promises than he was at being kind.

"I need your word first," I hurriedly said, tightening the blanket around my shoulders in a pathetic attempt to hide my fear. "Promise me you won't kill me, and I'll tell you."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "I just did.”

“That wasn’t a full promise! Stating something and promising it are two different things.”

He said nothing.

I groaned. "Come on, I do not want to die. Please just promise me my life and we can work--"

"--Work something out? No. I am not risking the lives of thousands in an attempt to save the life of one. Especially you." He shook his head. "Everything was going fine until you came along. I should have finished the job the first time I saw you."

"You tried, remember?" I deadpanned.

"Well I should have done it faster."

I crossed my arms, slightly less cold now that my body had adjusted to the temperature.

“Why didn’t you kill me when I was unconscious? You had plenty of time. I mean, I was out for how long exactly?”

“Couple of hours." He turned away to watch a small, snowy owl in a cage in the room's corner. I was sure it was the one that had followed me home. "Do not think my postponement of your death was for you. I want your mother’s secret--which you seem to be unwilling to share--and trust me, if that is the case, then I can very easily end your life here and now."

“You promised. You can’t kill me here.”

He shook his head. “You will tell me.”

“Where’s Shi? Shouldn’t he be here?” I asked, trying to hedge the conversation.

“He’s in the next room. You can thank him for the reason you’re still alive right now.”

I folded my arms and stood. I definitely needed to thank Shi, but I also needed to figure out how I was going to get home. And figure out which place was considered my home now. I wasn’t sure that mom would be too happy with me for my decision to free Shi and Sterling.

The next room had just as many mirrors as the other did. In fact, there were so many, you could see if someone was coming towards you long before they ever entered the room. It was interesting watching odd angles of yourself walking into a room.

Three or four clocks surrounded Shi. He was staring off into what looked like nothingness, but when I walked into the room, the clocks all stopped. He blinked and looked at me. “Oh, Lady Tessa! I didn’t hear you come in.”

I smiled. “I just came in. I wanted to thank you for keeping Sterling from killing me.”

He returned my smile and brushed a white strand away from the black side of his hair. “Of course. What’s going on with him anyway? I know he’s afraid of the prophecy, but is it really that bad?”

I nodded. “He’s tried to kill me twice now. He’s afraid that I’ll wipe out his kingdom or whatever.” I tossed my hair over my shoulder. “Personally, I think he finds me irresistible and can’t think of any other way to get over me.”

Shi snorted. “I don’t know, the drool going down your face as Sterling carried you back here unconscious probably helped.”

I crossed my arms and tried not to let my embarrassment show. “Yeah, maybe.” I exhaled and dropped my arms. “Look, Sterling won’t let me go until I tell him a secret, but if I tell him, he’ll kill me instantly. I need you to help me--”

“Oh, Shi! It’s getting late. You should get back to your kingdom.” Sterling leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

Shi stood and nodded. “You’re right. I was actually just gathering enough time to leave when you two came in.” So that’s what all the clocks were for. Shi bowed. “It’s been lovely.”

Suddenly, he disappeared in a glimmer of light.

--Which left Sterling and I alone.

I swallowed and turned towards him. “So, uh, I’ll just be going too, okay?”

“Not so fast.” He stepped closer. “You need to tell me everything you know about your mother. You don’t understand how serious this is.”

I stepped back. “No thanks, I choose life!”

“Fine, I won’t kill you! But I need to know why your mother showed up as a Talentless. Your life for this information.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Really? You won’t kill me? Like, can I go back to living a normal life?”

He nodded. “Just tell me what her secret is.”

I cocked an eyebrow at him. “Why do you need the information so badly?”

“Because what your mother did should not have been possible, and could be an extreme hazard if the wrong people learn how to do it.”

I sniffed. “Fine. Just promise you won’t kill me.”

“I promise.”

I glanced sideways, as if someone else was here, listening. “She never let herself use her powers when she was little.”

He blinked. “That’s it?”

I nodded. “Yup. Now, I’m just gonna go, okay? Thanks for helping me recover. . .”

Suddenly, the mirrored floors seemed to liquidize and then harden again, locking my feet in place.

“Not so fast,” he said.

My heart started thudding in my chest. “But you promised! I get to live a normal life!”

“I promised I wouldn’t kill you. I didn’t, however, promise that I wouldn’t chain you up in my dungeons for the rest of your life. If I don’t have to worry about you, we won’t fall in love, and no-one dies. Problem solved.”

My jaw dropped. “You traitor! How could you?!” I pulled against the floor, but my feet wouldn’t budge. “I rescued you!”

“Correction. You used me to save Shi. Look, in the long run, you’ll thank me for this.”

Then the floor gave way, and the mirrors tugged me down to a prison cell below the room.