Court of Nightmares and Ruin

Chapter 31

The Mirror

Are people born wicked, or was wickedness thrust upon them? For me, I believed I was evil from the very first breath I breathed. I watched through the mirror in the Night Realm as Kohl mourned his precious fated mate. Their mate bond had been destroyed; try as they might, they would never get it back.

I cackled like a villainous witch because, let's be honest, that's what I am. My plan had taken years, but finally, it was coming together. The pieces were coming together like a well-thought-out puzzle. Every piece had its place.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall..." I heard the enchantment that summoned me to another realm.

That particular puzzle piece had outlived her usefulness, but I had to go where I was summoned. I cursed under my breath as I looked at Kohl one more time.

"I'll be with you soon." I blew him a kiss, and he looked up, his eyes scanning his surroundings like a predator, ready to pounce at any second.

I wanted to stay longer to witness his torture in person, but the enchanted mirror pulled until I could no longer stay. I appeared almost instantly in the mirror in the Winter Realm, where a very distraught Grimhilde paced the floor.

"What happened!" she screeched and came dangerously close to the mirror.

"Icelyn is supposed to be dead. I gave her the apple, just like you told me to do! I risked my life for nothing! I barely made it out of the Night Realm in one piece. You lied to me!"

"It is a known fact that a fae cannot lie. I said... with this apple, you could kill her, not that the apple would kill her. You should pay better attention." I smiled viciously at her. She was of little import anymore, so I no longer needed to coddle her.

"You deceitful bitch!" She banged her fist against the mirror's glass.

"Careful, dear, you know what I am cable of."

Honestly, I was not cable of anything at this point. I had withered away to nothing but bones and patches of skin. I depleted all of my magic with that last cloaking spell to get her into the Night Realm, but it was worth it.

"You just sit here and pretend as if nothing has happened. I'll take care of things from here." I transported myself back to Night Realm before she could further irritate me with probing questions.

I paused at the mirror's edge, careful not to be seen by the inhabitants on the other side. As predicted, Kohl was giving that poor little brown-haired human hell.

"But I'm telling you the truth, Kohl. I had not even returned to the kitchen to get Icelyn's tray when all the commotion broke out. So I don't understand why you accuse me of giving Icelyn some poisoned apple."

The little human, who I believed they called Jen, crossed her arms over her chest in defiance as tears gathered in her eyes. Kohl stood there assessing her like the big, sexy male beast that he was. He didn't know what to believe. Kohl gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him, and I inched closer to the mirror's edge.

"I've never known you to lie to me, Jen, but I also cannot deny what my own eyes saw. You are to stay far away from Icelyn until I can get to the bottom of this. If you do not, I will deal with you myself."

"But...Kohl..."

He stormed out of the room, and the little human flung herself on her bed and wept.

I threw up a glamour so she couldn't see what I really looked like and walked to the center of the mirror.

"You poor unfortunate soul."

She startled and looked up from the pillow her face had been buried in. She looked at me like she could hardly believe her eyes.

"Who...who are you?" she stammered as she stood from the bed but never came closer. Smart little human.

"I am a mirror fairy. I saw your agony, and I came to offer my help."

A mirror fairy, of all the absurdness, but this mortal would likely believe anything I said. She walked a little closer. Apparently, she was a fool.

"How can you help?"

"I heard your argument with the King. Apparently, you are to blame for what happened to the queen of the Night Realm."

"That's not true. I would never hurt Icelyn. She is my friend."

"And as her friend, you want to help her, right?"

She hesitated but finally walked closer, now only a foot from the mirror.

"More than anything."

That's what I was hoping you would say.

"You are in luck then, my dear. I know of a way to restore your friend to her former glory." Jen looked skeptical but observed me as I continued.

"There is a book, a very powerful book. With it, you will be able to reverse the spell that was cast upon your friend..." I paused for a dramatic climax, and she took the bait.

"How do I find this book?"

I smiled to myself; I had her hooked. "It is very far away in a perilous world...the mortal realm."

"That shouldn't be a problem. I am a mortal, just tell me where it is, and I will get it."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. The book is sealed by a very ancient, powerful magic."

"Then how do I get it?" she asks curiously now.

"There is a fable of night and day. When the night is over, the day breaks, and when the day ends, the night is born anew."

"I don't understand." She shook her head.

In truth, neither did I, but I was sure it had to do with the two powerful males that had entrapped me here in the first place...Kohl and Leon.

"The Day Realm and the Night Realm," I supplied the answer for her and watched as her face fell.

"It's her only hope. You must get the King of the Day Realm and the King of the Night Realm to retrieve the book. This is the location of the book." I held out a piece of paper to her, and she looked at it strangely.

"Just reach in and take it. I can't leave my mirror, but you can reach inside." She hesitated, contemplating if she should believe me or not.

"Don't worry, I don't bite."

Often. I left that part out as she timidly reached inside and pulled the map from my hand.

"I'll do it. For Icelyn. I don't know how, but I'll get that book."

"Make sure you bring it back to the fae realm. Its magic will not work in the mortal realm. That's why it has been banished there." I watched as Jen tucked the map I gave her into her shirt and walked out of the room with determination.

"That's right, my little puppet, go get me that book."