Page 22 of The Eternal Mirror (Lucifer’s Mirror #3)

The Exit Plan

I clap my hands. “Okay, you two deadbeats, it's time to go.”

Zayne stops pacing the room, restless energy radiating from him. He’s been pacing for the last half hour, and it’s been driving me crazy. Josh lifts his head from where he’s sitting on the edge of the bed, his legs swinging nervously.

“We’re really going?” Zayne asks, a frown deepening on his face. “You know, I thought you’d find a way out of it somehow.”

“Yeah, because I like it here so much,” I snap. Then I heave a sigh. “I promised you, didn’t I? So let’s go.”

I’ve replayed this decision a million times and ultimately decided that I won’t tell Zayne I plan to return here.

My priority is to get him and Josh somewhere safe.

After that, I’ll come back for everyone else: the witches and Winter’s brother.

Maybe I’m clinging to a save-the-world complex that I can’t shake off.

Perhaps my upbringing carved it into my soul so deeply that I’ll never escape, spending what’s likely a very short life trying to save others.

I really hope not.

“Thank you,” Zayne says. “You know it’s the right thing to do.”

“Of course it is,” I respond, but inside, a pang of guilt flickers like a candle in a storm. I push it away, knowing he’ll find out the truth soon enough.

I lead the way out of the room and down the corridor, my heart thumping in my chest. I worked out my route beforehand, every step meticulously planned.

I know exactly where Khronus is likely to be right now.

Corvus was kind enough to share that with me—he’s proved to be surprisingly helpful.

If this plan is going to work, Khronus must see what I’m about to conjure.

My little diversion might not end up being necessary, but better safe than sorry.

The more chaos below, the less likely anyone will notice us slipping away.

Finally, I guide us onto a balcony that looks out at the tower where Khronus spends much of his time—when he’s not in the dungeons. I can only guess it’s some sort of study-laboratory, a lair where he conjures up his sinister plots.

A light flickers in there, casting eerie shadows, and I catch sight of his silhouette moving restlessly before the window.

“So how are we doing this?” Zayne asks, breaking my concentration. I lift a hand to hush him, and he sighs, folding his arms over his chest and leaning heavily against the balustrade .

“Don’t fall over,” I say. “I’m not going to go down there and pick up the pieces.”

We’re perched high above the ground, nearly level with the tower.

Darkness has draped itself across the world, and the night sky twinkles with an infinite number of stars.

I close my eyes, feeling the pulse of magic around me, and begin to conjure the spell.

It has to be breathtaking. Then I whisper the words.

Zayne straightens, his eyes wide in awe as he gazes upward. “That’s amazing.”

I know. Flying through the sky above us is the perfect illusion of a jet-black alicorn, majestic and fierce.

I’ve never seen myself in this form, but I think I’ve done a striking job—hopefully enough to fool Khronus that I’m close by while we sneak out.

It glides close to the palace, then circles the tower, and I hear the uproar below as the soldiers spot it.

If they shoot at it, the illusion might shatter. But I don’t think Khronus wants me dead.

Below us, the soldiers are frozen in awe, mouths agape, scrambling in a chaotic frenzy, clearly uncertain of what to do. And then, like a dark omen, Khronus appears on the balcony of his tower—and now it’s time to act.

I slip back into the corridor, Zayne and Josh close behind me, Josh’s hand clasped in Zayne’s, as if he’s terrified of losing him. I turn to look at them both. “Look, before we do this next bit. I need to teach you a spell.”

“What sort of spell?” Zayne sounds suspicious .

“It’s a spell to break spells. I’m going to do something to us, but it just occurred to me that if anything happens to separate us, you might be stuck with what this spell does and that might be a little…inconvenient.”

He frowns. “Should we be worried?”

“No, it’s seriously cool. But not something you’d likely want to be stuck with forever. Okay, so here’s the spell, you need to memorize it…

Twist and tether, veil and bind—

Undo the spell and free the mind.”

I say it a couple more times, then get Zayne and Josh to speak it back. And we’re all good. “OK, now for the cool bit. And you’re really going to love this part.”

I take hold of Zayne’s hand and whisper the invisibility spell.

And just like that—we’re gone. And I heave a sigh of relief. One of the things I have found with my magic is that spells affecting other people tend to be a little harder to pull off than when it’s just me. But so far, so good. I just hope I can keep it up long enough to get us all out of here.

“What the fuck just happened?” Zayne whispers.

“We’re invisible. Aren’t I clever? I’m a super witch.”

“You’re fucking right,” he says, awe lacing his voice. “That is just—” He’s lost for words.

Josh is silent, and obviously, I can’t see his expression. “Are you OK, Josh?”

“Yes, Amber. I like it. I like not being seen. It makes me feel safe. ”

And that breaks my heart a little. But it also strengthens my resolve. I have to get them out of here—especially Josh. If I don’t, he’ll be haunted by this for life.

“OK, we’re going to walk straight out the main gate.”

“Ballsy,” Zayne’s disembodied voice murmurs, approval evident. “I like it.”

“Keep close together, and let’s go.” I think as long as we’re near each other, the spell should shield us all.

“How do we keep close if we can’t see where you are?” Josh asks, anxiety threading through his words.

Good point. “We’ll all keep a tight hold of Zayne.” With that, I march down the corridor at a quick pace. About halfway to the entrance, I hear the sound of boots pounding against the stone. Soldiers are approaching.

“Get against the wall,” I say. The last thing we need is a squadron of unsuspecting guards tripping over us.

I press myself flat against the wall as they appear around a corner.

One of them passes so close that I feel the brush of him against my arm, and my heart stops.

If I breathe out, they would feel me. But then they’re past, oblivious to our presence.

“Come on.”

We continue along the wide corridor, down the grand curving staircase, and then toward the main entrance. The guards don’t even glance our way as we slip past them. No response at all.

“Wow,” Zayne breathes. “That is seriously cool.”

“Hush,” I whisper. “We might be invisible, but they can still hear us.”

A few people are milling about, mostly soldiers. Just a bit further across the courtyard, and then we’ll burst through the gates. Freedom is so close. Just a little longer, and I can make us a mirror.

But my concentration is flickering. Holding three people in an invisibility spell while projecting an illusion of an alicorn to distract Khronus? Yeah, not easy . The effort is pulling at me, fraying the edges of my focus like burning thread.

A cry rings out from above. I glance up. My alicorn is glitching— flashing in and out of existence . I try to catch her with my magic...and the invisibility spell slips.

We’re back. Shit.

Luckily, everyone’s eyes are skyward, watching the flickering alicorn, and I manage to snap the invisibility back into place before anyone looks our way. That was too close. I drop the alicorn illusion entirely and focus everything on shielding the three of us.

There’s shouting from the tower. I don’t care. The gates are all that matter now.

But then—

A tall, hooded figure steps from the shadows. Her presence thrums through the air, sharp and cold. It’s one of Khronus’s tame witches. Her head tilts. Eyes closed. She’s listening, but not for sound.

She’s listening for me .

She pulls back her hood and scans the courtyard. “Where are you?” she mutters. “I can feel you.”

My heart drops. I freeze, and Zayne bumps into me, stifling a curse. Her gaze snaps toward us .

For a moment, she’s staring right at us .

Something flickers in her eyes. Recognition? Is it over? Can I take her down and still get us out?

Then she steps back. And nods. Just once. I don’t question it. I also don’t breathe until we’re moving again.

That was close. She knew. She knew we were there.

And she let us go.

Why?

Maybe even Khronus’s witches remember what it means to be decent. But there’s no time to think about that now because behind us, guards are bursting through the palace doors. Boots thunder across the stone. They’re heading for the gates—the gates that are closing.

“Go,” I whisper. “Get through!”

I shove Zayne and Josh forward and give them two seconds. Then I dive through the narrow opening. I crash into Zayne on the far side and hit the ground hard.

“Josh?”

“I’ve got him,” Zayne breathes.

I hold the invisibility spell in place. Just a little longer. We’re outside now and suddenly—I can breathe . The weight of the palace, of Khronus’s magic, of everything is gone .

The air out here isn’t clean exactly, but it’s not soaked in shadows either.

I reach out into the dark, fumbling for Zayne’s hand. “Come on,” I whisper. “Just a little further.” There are a few people on the streets, and I don’t want to do this in front of an audience. I walk around the palace walls until I reach the same burned-out stable where I met the Wolfpack.

God, was that only last night? It seems like a lifetime ago. So much has happened. I'm finding it hard to get the image of Yasmin out of my mind. All that suffering for so long. The helplessness in her expression. The wish for death as the only good alternative to her continuing existence.

I will save her.

As soon as I'm inside the stables, I whisper the spell to reverse the invisibility, and we're back.

Josh is grinning. “That was so cool,” he says. “You're the best sister ever, Amber.”

“Hey, what about me?” Zayne asks.

“You're the best brother—except when you're a scary monster.”

He shrugs, and the guilt returns. I doubt he’ll ever lose it, which is sad because it wasn’t his fault. “Yeah. Sorry about that,” he mutters.

“Doesn't matter. I know it wasn't you.”

“Okay. Let's get away from here.”

If I get this right, then we should emerge from the mirror close to the location of the rebel camp. But not too close, as then we’d probably be taken down by the sentries. It’s a little more difficult if you don’t actually know the place you’re heading to.

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall—try not to fuck this up at all.

Mirror, mirror, don't be slow; take us where we need to go.”

The mirror appears—simple, beautiful, and uncracked. And it's shimmering with magic .

“Go on, go through,” I say.

Zayne looks at me with a hint of suspicion. “You’ll follow us? You swear?”

“Of course.”

“Don’t you fucking lie to me, Amber.”

I draw a cross on my heart. “I swear. I’ll be right behind you.”

He nods, jaw clenched tight, then he takes Josh’s hand and urges him through the mirror. Josh disappears. Zayne looks back over his shoulder. I'm not sure he completely trusts me, but then he steps through.

This is it.

One step, and I’m gone—for now.

But despite my promise, I hesitate, doubts crashing through my mind. What if I don't make it back in time? What if Yasmin dies still chained to that cursed mirror?

In the end, my promise to Zayne is louder, and I step forward and through the mirror.

The mirror is new, strong, and shiny, and it spits me out on the other side, but I'm getting so used to this that I keep my feet. Zayne and Josh have already moved out of the way. They've been through the mirrors before and know that's the sensible option if you’re expecting company.

I stop abruptly because I can sense something.

Or should I say—someone?

And just like that, I’m not sure I should have come.