Ibin chuckled. Nos remained stoically silent.
“Serrik’s imprisonment has many layers,” Ibin explained. “Some physical, some…more abstract.”
“Abstract.” Ava kicked at a pebble that skittered across the impossible floor. “Like ‘modern art’ abstract or ‘reality is an illusion’ abstract?”
“More like ‘multi-dimensional chess where the pieces are concepts and the board is a probability’ abstract,” Ibin replied cheerfully.
“Awesome. Thanks for clearing that up.”
The path ahead of them split into three. One led through what looked like a doorway made of broken mirrors. Another descended into what might have been a doorway of water or might have been liquid sky. The third door seemed normal—which, okay, sure, made it immediately a little suspicious, but didn’t look like it was going to drown her or cut her to ribbons. So, it had that going for it.
“Which way?” Ava asked.
Nos and Ibin exchanged glances.
“The mirrors,” Nos said.
“The water,” Ibin said at the exact same time, before she sighed. “All three paths connect on the other side. We simply have to go through—this is just about what we endure to get there.”
Great. Just great. “Endure. Whodesignedthis place? What kind of lunatic, sociopathic, murderous psychopath puts things like this”—she gestured at the doors—“anywhere where they have to be fuckingendured?”
Nos looked far too pleased with himself when he said the answer. “Serrik.”
Ava stared. “What.”
Ibin let out a groan. “He designed this prison. But not for himself. It’s—I don’t know the whole story. I don’t think any of us do. Can we just move on? Please?”
“He built this place to punish those who were sent here, Ava. This is a place to beendured.”Nos folded his arms over his chest. “Now. Choose what suffering you will inflict upon us.”
God fuckingdamn it,she hated everything about this place. “Awesome.Awesome.Why do I have to choose?”
“Because this is your fault. So you should be to blame for whatever it is.” Nos smiled the most friendly expression she’d seen him wear. Namely, because it was entirely sarcastic.
She would really hate Nos if she didn’t agree with him half the time. “Fine. Fine! Whatever. I vote for door number three. The one that doesn’t look like it’ll shred me or drown me.” She pointed.
“That,” Nos said gravely, “would be a mistake.”
She stared at the completely normal-looking door. “Because? The safe-thing-is-deadly trope?”
“In the Web,” Ibin explained, “the more dangerous paths are the ones that look to be the safer choice, yes.”
“That issocliché.” Placing her hand over her eyes, she groaned. “Have you people read a book from the last century? Seriously? What’s next? One door tells the truth, the other tells lies? So, the most dangerous option is always the answer?”
“Not necessarily.” Nos’s voice was dry as dust. “But suspicion is warranted when something appears…convenient.”
“Fine!” She looked between the mirrors and the water. Whatever. “Eenie, meenie, miney, sliced-to-ribbons-or-drowned.”
Ava took a step toward the mirror door. Serrik was behind a broken mirror, right? That felt like a good clue. But that might also be tooconvenient.
Stupid fae.
“Careful,” Ibin warned. “The mirrors show truth. Not everyone appreciates that.”
“Noted,” Ava muttered, but kept going. “I love watching the greatest hits of my life’s most embarrassing moments played back to me. That’s what these things are generally about, right?”
As they approached, she could see her reflection multiplied into infinity by the broken glass. But it wasn'ther—not exactly.In one shard, she was older. In another, she had that tattoo from Book’s illustration. In another, she was covered in blood.
In one disturbing fragment, she was standing beside Serrik, his hand on her shoulder, both of them smiling. In another, she was tearing his heart out with her bare hands.
