Page 19 of The Eternal Mirror (Lucifer’s Mirror #3)

Another Midnight Meeting

K haosti!

His name rips me out of sleep like a blade to the chest.

It echoes in my skull, rattling around behind my eyes like a bad dream with sharp teeth. My chest feels too tight, as if someone’s taken a blowtorch to my heart and is now prodding the coals.

The bond’s awake.

Burning.

Alive.

It’s a leash and a lifeline all in one. Gods, I hate it. And I crave it.

And for one insane second, I swear he’s here. Not just alive. Close.

Then it fades. I’m left panting in the dark, sweat cooling on my skin, my heart thudding like it’s trying to punch its way out of my ribcage.

Fuck.

There’s a tap on the door, and I go still.

Then I throw back the covers and swing my legs over the edge of the bed.

The stone floor is cold against my bare feet.

Josh is curled up under a blanket on the other side of the bed.

Zayne’s sprawled across the sofa, boots kicked off, one arm over his eyes.

I don’t wake them.

This meeting was my idea. No point in dragging them into it.

I dress quickly—black shirt, pants, boots. I asked Khronus for some clothes, and he provided. Nothing flashy. Nothing that screams, “Hey, I might be a goddess.”

Another soft tap at the door.

I crack it open.

It’s Corvus. “They’re here,” he says. No greeting. Just those two words, low and sharp.

I nod and follow him down the corridor. We don’t speak. It’s too risky. Not that there’s anyone around this late, but Khronus has eyes everywhere. As we approach the door, he halts, and I come to a stop beside him. “How do we do this?” he asks. “You said you had a plan.”

I grin and then whisper the words of the spell...

“Veil the flesh and dim the light.

Hide me now from mortal sight. ”

A shimmer washes over me, and just like that, I’m gone. Don’t you love magic?

Corvus is staring at me—or rather where I was a moment before—with narrowed eyes. Then he gives a quick nod. “Stay close,” he mutters.

He walks purposefully toward the entrance. Two guards are stationed there. One of them scratches his neck and glances around as we pass. Some people are more sensitive to the presence of magic than others.

We’re crossing the courtyard now. The stars are bright above our heads, and the air is cool against my skin.

The palace gates loom ahead, tall and gleaming.

They’re closed, but Corvus leads the way to a small side gate.

He taps three times, and it opens, and we are outside the palace and into the city.

I make a mental note to test the mirror magic outside the palace walls before I go back. It would be good to know.

But right now, somewhere out here—the wolves are waiting.

I follow Corvus around the palace walls. We come to a burned-out building. “It was the old stables,” he says. “Khronus had them torched last year. They were harboring insurgents.”

The stone walls still stand, scorched and cracked, ivy crawling over the gaps like it’s trying to stitch the building back together. “I’ll leave you here,” Corvus says, and then he’s gone.

Inside, the air smells vaguely of smoke and ash. Four men stand in a loose semi-circle around a dead fire pit .

The one in front is tall, lean, and broad-shouldered. His hair is tied back, and his beard is scruffy. Scars mar his hands. His eyes flash silver when he catches my scent.

Guess the spell’s not quite airtight.

I drop it with a whisper.

They go still. One of them snarls—just softly—but the leader raises a hand and steps forward.

“You’re Amber,” he says.

“Yup.”

“You know the prince?”

“I do,” I say. “And Khaosti is alive.”

The man’s expression doesn’t change. “You got proof?”

“If I did,” I say, “I’d have brought him with me.”

“You don’t,” one of the others says. He’s short, broad, and built like a wall. “You’re guessing.”

I glare at him. “I don’t guess. We’re bonded mates. I feel him.”

A hush settles over them for long seconds. “Bonded mates?” the leader says. “That hasn’t been heard of in a long time.”

“Well, you’re hearing it now. And I’m telling you—Khaosti is definitely alive.”

Silence.

It stretches.

The tall one—definitely giving off alpha vibes—tilts his head. “I’m Ryke. Last loyal captain of the Wolfpack.”

I nod once. “Thanks for coming.”

“We didn’t come for you,” he says. “We came for him. You say he’s alive. Fine. We want to believe you. But words aren’t enough.”

“I’ll find him,” I say. “When I do, I’ll send word. Then you choose.”

Ryke studies me. “Do you know what he meant to us?”

“I know what he means to me.”

That lands. I see it in the flicker of something behind his eyes.

“He wouldn’t have run,” one of the others mutters. “Why isn’t he here?”

“He didn’t run,” I snap. “He stayed behind because if he’d come here, Khronus would’ve killed him. He gave me a shot at saving my brothers. You want to call that cowardice—go ahead. I call it strategy.”

Another silence.

Then Ryke speaks again. “You’ve got one week.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? And then what?”

“Then we disappear.”

To be honest, I don’t blame them. “I’ll take the week,” I say.

He nods. “We need to go. We have to get out of the city before dawn.”

I have an idea. “I can get you outside the city walls.” Without waiting for him to answer, I whisper the words of a mirror spell. The air shimmers, and a mirror forms. Yay, it works. They all take a step back.

“We can’t go to the Chamber. We’ve heard it’s guarded in case Khaosti returns.”

“Contrary to popular belief—mirrors don’t need the Chamber. That’s another of Khronus’s lies.”

“But—”

“Trust me.” He stares into my eyes, then nods again.

I stand back and watch as they disappear one by one. No goodbyes. Then I whisper another spell, and the mirror vanishes.

Which means if the need arises and we have to leave in a hurry, all I need to do is get us all out of the palace.

I wait a few seconds, then whisper my new favorite spell again. The world ripples around me. Invisible once more, I slip back through the gates, past the guards, and through the marble corridors of the palace.

Back in our rooms, Zayne lies on the bed, his arms wrapped around Josh, whose face is streaked with tears. Neither of them stirs as I settle onto the sofa and try to get comfortable.

I stare up at the ceiling.

Where are you, Khaos?

Part of me hopes he never comes here; he would complicate an already complicated situation. If Khronus gets his hands on him, he will just be one more hostage for my good behavior. If Khronus doesn’t kill him on sight.

But hoping doesn’t get you anywhere. I know Khaos will come for me. So my best bet is to get out of here before that happens. And then, go find him.

There are just a few things I need to do first.