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Hugo’s reflection chuckled. “Yeah, but at least you love me.”

She pulled her head back. He tilted his, leaning in to meet and embraced with a kiss. Their lips pressed against each other in long, drawn out kisses. They only relinquished to take in a gulp of air and reposition their heads.

“Both of you do know I’m still here, right?” Hugo asked.

They paid no attention to him. Their hands explored eachother’s backs with gentle, sensuous touches, as if discovering something new. Hugo’s reflection slid both of his hands below her ass and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, interlocking their bodies as one. He pressed her against the wall of their reflected bathroom.

She stopped kissing him for a moment to smile a Cheshirish grin. Devious, illicit thoughts no doubt running through her mind. She shook her head a few times to allow her purple hair to go wild. Her eyes filled with a fiery passion of hunger and lust.

Hugo’s reflection titled his head forward, his eyes never breaking from hers. “Tell me all about your triple axel.”

She bit her lip as her Cheshire grin grew larger. She held it for a moment before her expression turned into a smolder with pursed lips. “Tell me all about how you’d score in the five hole.”

Hugo smacked the mirror frame with the back of his hand. “Can you two stop for like five seconds?” Hugo broke their intimate moment.

They both glared at him.

He continued, “Are we doing this or not?”

“Fine,” Alice said with a disapproving stare. She turned her attention back to Hugo’s reflection. “If anything happens to you, I swear I’ll raise you from the dead to kill you myself.”

“Deal,” Hugo’s reflection answered.

Their lips familiarized themselves once again.

“So . . . I’ll make the call?” Hugo asked.

The reflections ignored Hugo’s question and continued their sexual exploits.

“I’ll make the call.” He turned and proceeded out of the bathroom, wooden hockey stick in hand.

“Turn out the lights,” both reflections yelled.

Hugo stretched back in and flicked the switch.

“Wait,” Alice’s reflection said. “Leave it on. I want to melt into those icy blues.”

Without looking, Hugo once moreflicked the lights on.

Max stood up, her tail wagging, as Hugo returned from the bathroom—no bath time for her this evening.

Hugo left the bedroom and whistled. “Come on, Max. Give them their privacy.”

Max followed Hugo into the hallway, and Hugo shut the door.

Max bounded down the stairs in her usual unannounced race against Hugo to be the first one to arrive at the bottom. Hugo followed, but not in his usual bouncy stride. Each step was deliberate and slow. The harsh reality of the situation weighed on him like a suffocating blanket. He paused when he landed on the bottom step. His eyes focused on the wooden hockey stick clutched in his right hand.

This is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.

Max’s bark from the living room shook him from his trance. He went to investigate. Max turned in circles, trying to get the attention of Guinevere. The broomstick floated there, not fazed by the golden retriever’s attempt for attention. Max, still very much an impish puppy, maneuvered and danced around, trying to get the broomstick to play with her. It didn’t move.

Guinevere was quite different from Galahad’s childlike disposition.Galahad. The name drew Hugo’s attention to the top of Alice’s memory shrine bookcase. The remains of Galahad—Alice’s faithful horse, dog, broomstick—rested on a stand, giving it the appearance of being in mid-flight. Hugo’s breath quickened. Vivid images of the fateful evening flooded his mind, replaying the events leading to the broomstick’s demise at the hand of the anti-magick wand. Hugo closed his eyes and dropped his head, hoping to end the guilt for Galahad’s death.

This is all your fault. Galahad. The vampires. Having to move. It’s all your fault. You have to do it. You have to fix this.

Hugo opened his eyes and knelt. “Come here, Max. Come here, girl.”

Max, not finding a playing partner in the broomstick, gleefully nestled herself into the waiting arms of Hugo. She sat in front of him,her tail sweeping the hardwood floor, and tried to kiss Hugo. Hugo resisted a little, but allowed her to get in a few licks on his face. He hugged Max and squeezed her tightly.