“Now, now.” The countess waves her hand dismissively. “We mustn’t show favoritism.” Before she ascends the palace steps, she adds, “Welcome to Tecre Island, Your Majesty.” The “Your Majesty” part is almost a whisper, clearly meant for my ears alone. “Or as you may have heard it called in your Reflection—Atlantis.” Wait, what? “I do hope you enjoy your stay.”
Atlantis. As in lost city of? I.e., myth? A.k.a. legend? Empire that doesn’t exist?
Now I’ve seen everything.
Atlantis. Just wow.
One of the Fourth’s Guardians—Zane, no doubt—flanks my right side, takes my arm, and confiscates my weapon. His grip is firm but gentle, an unexpected reprieve. His right arm bears a band tattoo shaped like rolling waves, and above the band the words “Greatest However Is Water” are inked in deep blue.
“The Fourth’s Guardian tattoo and mantra,” Ky relays in my mind. “They hold a deep reverence for water here as Thresholds are sourced by the Verity.”
I nod my internal understanding and return my attention to the Guardian in charge. Zane’s shiny bald head and apologetic smile remind me of Kuna, as many things do these days. It was this way when I thought I lost Mom too. I saw her everywhere, in everything.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to come with me.” The regret in his rumbling accent is unmistakable. He shrugs.
At least I got one of the nice guys. I’m too tired to be pushed and shoved.
With clear effort Ky rises and stands on Zane’s other side. The Guardian takes his arm, urges us both forward. One, two . . . ten paces and I’m inches from Joshua. It takes every ounce of courage I have not to shy away from his brooding gaze.
“Can I have a minute?” I ask Zane.
He nods but makes no move to give us privacy.
I don’t really need it. The only thing I have to say to him right now isn’t for my sake. “The girl.” I jerk my head in Khloe’s direction. She stands on the island across the bridge. Watching. Waiting. “She’s just a kid.” Joshua doesn’t need to know Khloe is Ky’s sister. “I may not have been a prisoner, but she was.” The lie comes easily, rolling off my tongue. I only hope Khloe is smart enough to catch on to my plan. “Watch out for her?”
Joshua doesn’t make eye contact. His jaw works. “Of course.”
Exhale. I glance between Joshua and Gage. Gage and Joshua. “Working with the enemy now?”
Joshua avoids my gaze. His silence is answer enough.
Now for the hard part. I slip Joshua’s ring off my finger and push it into his palm. “I can’t wear this. Not now.”
He flinches. Tucks both hands into his pockets.
My own coldness stings, but what does he expect? How can I marry a man who would go to such lengths? Who would hurt innocents just to get to me? Who would lie about his own darkness but allow Ky to be imprisoned for the exact same thing? I almost remove my treble clef–heart necklace, too, but can’t quite bring myself to do it. This necklace is a sober reminder of what I’m leaving behind.
The stony look in Joshua’s eyes takes me back to a day last November. “I. Do. Not. Love. You,” he’d said.
It was a lie then, one spoken to protect me. If I asked how he feels today, would I receive the same answer? More importantly, would it affect me the same way it did then? Would my heart break in two, or would I feel a weight lift?
As Zane leads us away, the most terrifying realization of all hits me full force.
I have no idea.
I peek over my shoulder one last time. Joshua doesn’t watch me leave. Doesn’t say good-bye. And I have no clue if the ache inside is for him or for me. Because even though no words are uttered, it feels like a good-bye. An ending. A permanent, irrevocable change.
A single tear escapes, blurs my vision for a moment. But no more follow. I have no more to give.
THIRTY-FOUR
How Blind I’ve Been
The uneven, stony shore blends into smooth, sandstone-paved ground. We approach the palace but don’t enter. My breath hitches as we pass it by. At the crest of the marble steps, situated between the engraved columns, are two towering doors that appear to be made of broken seashells. The mosaic glitters and winks as the sun peers between clouds overhead. Above the doors the words “Palace of Sonsosk” are etched into a marble plaque. Like the Second Reflection, the Fourth is a blend of worlds new and old. Ancient Greece meets beach resort.
Too bad this is anything but a vacation.
Zane leads us around the palace’s side. Ky and I bump elbows as we fall in line behind him. We’re both still completely soaked, clothes sticking to skin in odd places. Not so different from the first time we passed through a Threshold together, but somehow a thousand Reflections away.
Odd how much he’s changed. Or maybe he hasn’t. Maybe what’s altered is my perspective. Perhaps now I’m seeing him as he is. Not just the reflection of him, as seen through jaded eyes, but the real Ky. The Ky he’s always been.
I’m sorry.
“Don’t be.” He elbows my side. Half smiles.
No, I think, hoping he hears my remorse. I’ve spent my life hating that all people saw was my birthmark. They took one look at me and put me in a category and never took the time to really see me for me.
“You still don’t get it.” He shakes his head. “You think people need to look past your mirrormark to see you. But your mark is a part of you. Love isn’t about ignoring the pieces we don’t like. It’s about accepting the complete and beautiful whole. See yourself as I see you. Inside and out.”
I’m speechless—thoughtless. Ky . . .
Before I can think my response, my attention is lured elsewhere. The clouds thin and the sun blares high overhead. I shade my eyes and blink. Smaller buildings dot the area on all sides, as attractive as the palace with their marble steps and engraved columns, but not nearly as grand. I do a 360 and glimpse the palace in the distance. How long have we been walking?
We navigate the buildings—homes?—turning right here, left there. Then we’re standing in a marketplace square and, beyond the homes, a main road stretches along a canal. An arrow sign that reads “Rahkerlion Canal” points toward it. Merchants sell wares and shopkeepers dust stoops. Children run and chase and laugh. Women with swaddled babies chat and sway.
It reminds me of—
The Haven. And I see this place is, in a way, just another Reflection. Another version of my world. Somewhere beyond the rainbow. Except I’m no Dorothy and this isn’t Oz. We’re prisoners, wide awake with no hope of discovering this has all been a dream. Things worked out in the end with Jasyn. This time, I’m not so sure.
I want to get a closer look, to experience this new world and compare and contrast the similarities and differences, but this isn’t a welcome tour. Zane bears a sharp right, leading us down an abandoned alley. The scent in the air shifts from freshly salted to dank and mildew tainted. Our path is so narrow we walk in a straight line now, me sandwiched between Zane and Ky.
A glance up reveals our presence here hasn’t gone unnoticed. More than one curtain flutters in the windows above, fingers curled around cloth as onlookers peer down at us from their shadowed dwellings.