“I hate to interrupt,” said Javier, “but the guards are bound to come by eventually, and this may not be the time.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Think we could get up there?” Javier asked, pointing up.
The third-story balconies on this side of the villa opened onto rooms for somewhat-less-honored guests, or for the servants of more honored guests, depending on occupancy. Those rooms would certainly have mirrors, if not so large as the ones in the second-floor rooms. I had no idea if they would be big enough to fit through, but it was worth a try.
“If our large friend here can help us climb, maybe.”
I started to mime what we wanted to the mirror-geld, but it reared up and placed itself against the villa wall. The thumping of many hands taking its weight shook the building, and I winced. If the guards didn’t know where we were before, they did now.
Javier was already climbing hand over hand up the creature’s body. I joined him.
Halfway up, I heard a shout. I looked down, and saw the head of the Queen’s guard standing a good distance away, staring at us. My heart began thumping, and then I laughed out loud at myself. What was he going to do? Try to chop the mirror-geld to bits with his sword? It would be like trying to cut apart a hillside.
To give him credit, he tried. He lunged at the mirror-geld andhacked his sword down into its back. It thrashed in soundless agony, and I closed my eyes in terror as the hands holding me swayed back and forth.
When I opened them again, the lower half of the mirror-geld had twisted, and dozens of hands were slapping at the guard, trying to pull his sword away.
He can’t possibly win. This thing is the size of a dozen elephants.
Evidently he had the same thought, because he backed toward the door, then turned and ran. A moment later I was over the railing, and the mirror-geld hung there like an exhausted caterpillar.
“I’m sorry you’re hurt. Thank you,” I said. “I don’t know why you helped us, butthank you.”
A shrug rippled through it.
Then Javier grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside the room. “Quick,” he said. “Before he gets here.”
There was a mirror on the vanity, throwing a beam of light through the room. It was maybe two feet by eighteen inches, which was a flagrant display of wealth for glorified servant’s quarters. It didn’t look large enough to fit me, but I didn’t care. I stepped onto the chair, got my head and one shoulder through, and dragged myself out the rest of the way, my hips scraping the sides.
I tumbled headfirst onto the floor, acquiring what would probably be some spectacular bruises, but the tiles werewarm, gloriously warm. I wanted to stretch out and roll around on them.
The mirror gave birth to Javier a moment later, and it did look uncomfortably like birth. He did the same headfirst tumble I had, but managed to turn it into a shoulder roll and landed on his back with a thump. His breath hissed between his teeth, and I remembered the ribs. “You’ve got to go to a healer,” I said. “I mean the real healer, not me.”
“Yeah,” he said. “And tell everyone we haven’t died or run off.”
“That too.”
Neither of us moved. It was so warm, and there was so much color. Sunlight streamed through the thin slats in the shutters,and the tiles were red and orange with flecks of black, and the walls were white, and I wished that I could breathe in the colors or eat them or something.
“Look at us go,” I said, after a while.
“We do seem to be moving awfully quickly.” He groaned. “Enough, or we’re both going to fall asleep.”
“Sleep is everything I want in life.” I pushed myself to my elbows and looked over at him. He looked exhausted and disheveled, and I had a strong desire to kiss him. All I’d have to do was roll to one side and…Slow down. There’s a large gap betweendoesn’t find you repulsiveand kissing.
I tried to think unromantic thoughts. Fortunately one came immediately to mind. “Do you think Grayling made it out okay?”
“I’d be very surprised if he didn’t. He’s awfully smart for a…” Javier paused, then shook his head. “No, I still don’t think he’s a cat.”
I flailed my arms at him, and he changed the subject. “We need to get our story straight. People will have realized that we’re missing. You’ve been gone for at least a day, and I didn’t show up for duty last night.”
“Right. No rest for the wicked.” I pushed all thoughts of kissing aside and sat up. “So, what supposedly happened? Did I fall in an old well or something?”
“You were kidnapped by the poisoner,” Javier suggested, “and taken out into the desert. Hours away. You don’t think you could find it again.”
“How’d you find it?”
