Page 18 of Lucifer's Mirror

She releases me, then picks up the steaming bowl at her feet and holds it out. The sweet smell fills my nostrils and seeps into my mind. I place my hands in the water, and the pain fades away as though it never existed. At the same time, the rest of my aches and pains vanish. I lift my hands; they’re clean and whole. I look up into her face. “Are you a doctor?” I ask.

She smiles. “No, I’m a witch.”

Of course, you are.The words hover on the edge of my tongue, but I bite them back. On the off chance this isn’t a dream, I’d better start watching what I say. So I don’t say anything at all.

I glance at Zayne. He already seems better. The pallor has gone from his skin, and he looks like he’s sleeping rather than unconscious. I heave a huge sigh of relief, and a little of the guilt that was clogging my heart dissipates. He’s alive and I’ll worry about the other thing later. I’m not even sure it’s real. Time will tell.

“What did you find?” Khaos asks. He’s talking to the “witch” and ignoring me like I’m not there. It’s rude.

She closes her eyes and breathes in deeply. “Nothing.”

“So she’s human?” From the tone of his voice, it doesn’t sound as though Khaosti has a high opinion of lowly humans.

She shrugs. “There’s something, but it’s buried so deep I can’t reach it. And I’ve never heard of that before. What’s the story?”

My ears perk up at this. Am I going to learn something interesting at last?

“Not a lot,” Khaosti replies. “I was told to take her to the Crone.”

Who told him? And who is the Crone? I have so many questions that I don’t know what to ask first. Still, I have an idea he won’t answer anyway. I don’t think Khaosti trusts me.

Sheela looks up sharply. “Did this come from Khendril?”

At the sound of the name, something resonates inside me. Did I know this person? I concentrate on the name, but the feeling seeps away, and I grit my teeth in frustration.

Khaosti gives a short nod.

Her eyes flash, and a flush tinges her cheeks. “He’s a traitor, Khaos. You need to accept that. He betrayed us. Abandoned his post. Look at everything that’s happened since. Look at what happened to you. That was his fault.”

“He’s my brother. I have to believe he had his reasons for whatever he did. And I want to know what they were.” He runs a hand through his short hair. “His last contact with me was to tell me to find her.” He nods in my direction. “Keep her safe. Take her to the Crone.”

I latch onto the ‘keep her safe’ bit. That’s good news.

“The Crone is nothing but a legend,” Sheela says. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Khaos?”

He snorts. “I have no fucking clue. But I also have no choice. For some reason—” He nods in my direction. “—sheholds all the answers.” His gaze drops down over my body, then back up to my face. “I just need to find the best way to pry them out of her.”

Chapter 10

Answers Anyone?

Iholdtheanswers?

That’s unfortunate. I was seriously hoping that someone was going to tell me what the freaking answers are. Now it looks like they don’t know.

I glance from one to the other. They both stare back with those penetrating golden eyes, as though they can see inside me.

The witch and the freaking werewolf.

Could my life get any weirder?

I don’t think I want the answer tothatquestion.

But really, things could be much, much worse. I’m alive. Zayne is alive. Those things didn’t drag me away to God knows where. And Khaosti is at least going to help me find some answers. It’s not what I was expecting—but then, really who would expect this?—when I dreamed of finding my family and uncovering my past. But it is something.

If I’m totally honest, now that the immediate danger seems to be over, it’s actually freaking mind-blowing. Werewolves and witches and who knows what else. And I’m not sure what was in that water, but I feel invigorated. More alive than I’ve ever felt before.

“I’ll see you out,” Khaosti says to Sheela. “You can catch me up on what’s been happening.”