Charley whisks her auburn hair into a high pony, cinches it. Red wisps border her face like thin flames. “Ready to get whipped?”
I flex my fingers and then fist them at my sides, my right arm tingling as it has been. The pain seems to be getting worse. Could I have a pinched nerve? Maybe I’d better see the Physic after this session, get some muscle balm or something.
“Did you hear me?” Charley repeats.
I offer no response. Keep the opponent in the dark. Don’t let her know my next move. Ebony’s instructions from the past few days replay over and over. It can’t be as difficult as it seems. My song lives inside me. Problem is my heart is torn, my love divided. How can I ignite my Calling when I’m this confused?
Charley paces away. Stretches both arms over her head, intertwining her fingers and facing her palms skyward.
Streak exits the training square drawn on the deck with chalk. I’m left to face Charley alone. Great. Why do I get the feeling she’ll be the fiercer opponent?
A cold sweat dampens my hairline. I roll my neck and shoulders, hop from foot to foot like I’ve seen boxers do in movies. Except I’m no Ali or Million Dollar Baby. Why didn’t I bother to attend a single sports event at school? Maybe I could’ve learned a thing or two.
Charley begins to morph. Unlike Wren, she doesn’t bother stripping before taking on her Mask form. Her crimson hair lengthens, sprouts from her exposed hands and feet. Her face. The wetsuit she wears stretches with her new shape. She pounces onto all fours, her nose lengthening into a snout, her eyes widening and darkening, almost black. The red wolf in Charley’s place snarls, canines bared. She licks her chops, focusing on me—dinner. We’re in the middle of the ocean, and I’m facing a hungry wolf with nowhere to go. Peachy.
The crew inhales a collective breath.
My knees shake and I work to steady my breathing.
She prowls, spittle dripping from what looks almost like a grin.
I back away. Glance toward Streak. Then over to Ebony.
Her dark eyes narrow and she gives the slightest nod, as if she’s trying to communicate something.
My eyes widen in response. Hello, a little help here. Mirror walking with the song inside was one thing, because mirror walking I’ve done. My Amulet wasn’t difficult to master because anyone can imagine a wall. But how do I morph into a Mask when I don’t even know what my Mask is? If I had my voice, I’d command the wolf to her knees. Difficult to do when she. Can’t. Hear. Me.
Ebony inclines her head toward Charley.
Charley creeps closer.
I close my eyes and run Queen Ember’s “Mirror Theory” through my mind. It’s memorized. Permanent. I scan every word and line. Picture them. “Conveys traits relating to . . . the other seven Callings . . . Strengths may manifest all at once, or over time.”
Can I use the Shield in me to attack? But what match is a kick or a punch for those glistening white teeth? What else? Think!
And then he’s there. In the corner of my vision. I turn my head just as Ky steps to the railing on the upper deck. His gaze penetrates my nerves, causing them to burst and dissipate.
“You’re a Mirror. You’re stronger than she is.” I hear him, clear as day, just like all the other times.
Charley’s so close I can smell her stale dog-breath. She crouches. Growls.
I have only seconds. No space to think or breathe. I look to Ky and something expands deep within.
I’m a Mirror. Every Calling will manifest itself. I just have to draw it out.
My center warms as if ignited. The Verity? I haven’t felt it since the coronation. The sensation of calm overcoming me now is like hearing a classical masterpiece for the first time. I latch onto it for fear its music will end. What brought it back to life?
Ky’s face takes over my mind.
No, not what. Who?
At first I try to push Ky away, replace him with Joshua’s image. But when I do, the warmth grows cold. So I let Ky in. He shoves and presses, and I let him stay. Something in me releases and my feet lift off the ground. There’s the sensation of shrinking, like I’m folding in on myself. Throat constricts. Stomach tightens. My eyes snap open. The world has gone dark. I’m suffocating. A heaviness surrounds me and I heave, move, wiggle to break free of this black cage.
And then I do. I feel so light, like for the first time I’m free of a weight that has been holding me back my entire life. I glance down. My clothes lie in a heap several feet below, and I have the sudden urge to cover myself. But then I see their faces. Streak’s broad grin, his shoulders shaking with a chuckle. Charley, returned to her human form, beaming. The rest of the crew’s expressions are sprinkled with mixtures of awe and shock, and some even look impressed. And Ky, trying to hide it but unable to withhold the slightest smirk for my sake. What are they all staring at?
I’m moving farther and farther away, carried by my arms or the slight breeze in the ocean air, I can’t tell. It’s crisper here. Clearer. I’m over the water and my stomach drops, but my body remains airborne. And then I see it. My reflection. But I’m not me, not the me I’ve always known anyway. Instead I’m the Mask within, the one I didn’t truly believe existed until this moment.
For eighteen years I’ve only ever felt like a caterpillar, trapped in this awkward, clumsy body with a hideous mark on my face. But now . . . now I see what I was meant to be all along.
A butterfly.
TWENTY-NINE
Joshua
The wish part of the tale was accurate, but the legend never mentioned anything about paying for it. Then again, nothing is ever free. Least of all a wish from the Fairy Queen, especially when her name is Isabeau Archer.
“A deal with the Troll was necessary to secure what is required to detach Eliyana from your less-than-adequate brother.”
My right eye twitches and I rub it, ignoring the voice that seems to speak from the shadows. A combination of problems could cause these hallucinations. I’m not getting enough sleep, or any for that matter, and I’m stressed. My Ever blood has gone mortal, weakening the natural strength I’ve always been accustomed to. I only recently learned I have a brother. Finally, the weight of the Reflections and Callings falls to me. A strange voice is simply a figment of my wearied mind.
Or is it?
I sit up, reach over, and tug on my boots. No use lying here if I’ll not be gaining rest. Standing, I survey my surroundings. Dai Island isn’t much to look at with its slick, rocky terrain and want for trees. No one would ever guess a Fairy Fountain is hidden in its core.
I’d heard of Fairy Fountains but had never experienced one. According to Isabeau, they’re easy to find if one knows where to look. Each Fountain is connected to all the others throughout the Reflections. They’re like Thresholds. The difference is you must obtain permission from the Fairy Queen to pass through their territories.
Isabeau controls the pathways between Fountains and sent us on a direct route to the Fairy Fountain of the Fourth—a hidden lagoon in a pocket cave beneath Dai Island, which is where we are now. It’s one of five islands surrounding the Fourth’s main Island of Tecre.
How much longer until daybreak? If it were up to me, I’d have already crossed to the main island for reconnaissance. If this rose is so valued, it won’t be sitting out in the open, and the Fourth’s center is full of nooks and crannies. I’ve been here but once before, during my first year of Guardian training. It was Jonathan who brought me, in fact.