Page 131 of Lucifer's Mirror
And just like magic, he’s gone.
Chapter 61
When I Get to Meet My Boyfriend’s Father... Ugh!
Icounttoten,slowly,in my head.
It does occur to me as I count that this could all be a cunning plot on Khaosti’s part to find the location of the mirror. But I don’t believe that, and as I hit ten, I take a deep breath and step through the mirror.
It’s like the first time, except I’m ready for the pull of it, and I land on my feet without even a stumble.
Here on the Astral Plane, it’s nighttime, but the sky above is filled with enough stars to light the chamber around me.
Khaosti is standing a few feet away. He nods to me, then continues his vigilance, eyes scanning the area. As far as I can tell, there’s no one here but us. Everything is quiet. There’s a strange throb to the air that I remember from last time. I recognize it now—magic. This place is steeped in magic. So much power concentrated in one place. It feels… good. More than good. My blood is singing in my veins.
“Go,” Khaosti murmurs. “Do what you need to do. I’ll watch your back.”
I nod and close my eyes for a second to center myself. I know exactly where I need to go. It’s the same feeling I had last time; something is drawing me forward. I give in to the sensation and allow it to guide my steps. As I head through a doorway, I’m vaguely aware of Khaosti behind me. Then I pass through another. The rooms look the same. But when I enter the third, although it appears identical, the feel of the magic changes from a languid throb to a pulsating urgency.
Lucifer’s Mirror is close.
I finally stop in front of one of the “dead” mirrors. The plain silver frame is tarnished, and the mirror itself is dull, the glass darkened to a black, non-reflective surface, as dense as obsidian. But that’s just an illusion.
I whisper a word, and the illusion shatters.
I bite back a scream and force myself to hold my ground, not to step back. Behind me, Khaosti swears softly.
Seven feet tall, the frame is black and ornately carved. A demon’s head hangs in the top center, its emerald-green eyes gleaming with malice. Wings of black metal sprout from the sides. For a second, I’m sure the thing is alive. Crimson flames burn brightly within the frame, but as I watch, they sputter and die, leaving only darkness.
My mother made this—she drew it out of her soul. What had she seen in her life that she could produce something like this?
I’m right in front of it, but there’s no reflection of me or of Khaosti, who’s standing close behind me. I reach out a hand, then snatch it back as the surface ripples, the center glowing crimson. Khaosti’s arms slide around me, pulling me against his chest, as though he can stop me from diving headfirst into Hell. His touch makes me feel safe. Like I’m his.
“Now what?” he whispers, as though the mirror might hear and take offense. Or maybe someone on the other side might be listening…
I don’t answer. Instead, I murmur the words of the relocation spell. For a second, nothing happens, and panic claws at my insides. If this doesn’t work, I don’t know what my next move will be. Then there’s a shimmer in the air. The mirror glows for a brief moment, and then it vanishes.
I sag against Khaosti, so he’s bearing my weight, holding me against him. I allow myself a few seconds of weakness, then I straighten. Time to get the hell out of here. Khaosti must think the same, as he grabs my hand, and we’re running through the rooms of mirrors.
We’re halfway back when I realize we’re not going to make it.
I slide to a halt, pulling Khaosti to a stop beside me.
I can sense a powerful energy approaching, pressing in on me. It’s like a force of nature.
“Shit,” Khaosti mutters.
Not good then. I presume I’m about to meet my new boyfriend’s father. I look around, searching for a way out. But we need to get back to the mirror we came through if we want to return to the cave.
I suspect that’s not going to happen.
Because that’s where the source of the energy is coming from. If I listen, I can hear footsteps now. More than one person, and they're heading straight for us. I look at Khaosti, hoping he has an idea of what to do next. For a brief second, I catch a hint of panic in his eyes that fills me with dread. I’ve seen him face off against a horde of monsters without a flicker of emotion. But the thought of meeting his father sends him into a panic.
He squares his shoulders, drops my hand, and urges me behind him.
I allow him to. I need to think. I wish I knew more magic. But all I’ve got right now is what my mother implanted in my mind to find and relocate the mirror and a few random spells. I search the mirrors around us, but most are dead, and I have no clue where the others will take us. All the same, it might be better to take the risk.
I try to recall what I know of Khaosti’s father. Nothing good. He throws people off roofs and can force them to shift. I might be about to come face to face with something I’ve been putting off dealing with.
