Page 7 of The Eternal Mirror (Lucifer’s Mirror #3)

When He Tries to Teach Me a Lesson

“ I think you’re lying,” Khronus says as we head toward the door. “But why tell me something so preposterous?” He gives me a sideways glance, his expression skeptical. “I presume you have no evidence that what you say is true.”

As we approach the door, he gives a flick of his hand, and it opens. Magic, but with a tinge of darkness. The only other person I’ve known who could use dark magic was my father. Not good company to be in.

“Well?” he says.

We leave the room, and guards fall in behind us as I think about how to answer him. The truth is, I don’t suppose I do have any proof .

I feel better from the food; I’m no longer all wobbly and pathetic, but my magic is still sluggish. I wish I knew more about how it worked, but I don’t think anyone has ever had magic like mine, so there’s no one to tell me. I have to learn as I go.

I shrug. “I’m not lying,” I say. “And no, I don’t have any evidence to prove what I say.” But he has to know something. He must have a reason for going to all this effort to get me here. “What do you know?” I ask. “I mean, I don’t get it. Why go to all this trouble to get me here?”

“I was curious as to why so many thought you were important. What does my son see in you? There must be more than is obvious from appearances.” Rude, or what?

“Then my informants came to me with rumors of a girl who could shift into an alicorn. And you did defy my magic,” he muses. “No one has done that before.”

He stops and turns to look at me. “Are you truly a shifter? No other woman can shift, not since the goddess Selene. Maybe the rumors are wrong, and that’s why my power did not work on you. That would make sense.”

I stop as well. “It might to you, but it’s crap. I’m a shifter. And no, I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I’m a woman and I have magic. Or maybe it’s a side effect of the nasty little spell you did on my father.”

“You know about that?”

“Yeah, I know. That was something else my mother told me.” From his expression, that is not good news.

But then, for over five thousand years, he’s kept the origins of Lucifer from his people.

Maybe I shouldn’t have revealed that I know.

Maybe he’ll decide it’s safer to shut me up permanently.

Too late now. “Don’t worry,” I add. “I’m not about to go blabbing about it.

I doubt anyone would believe me anyway. As you said—I have no proof.

” I raise an eyebrow. “Now Khaosti, they might believe.”

His nostrils flare. “He knows this?”

“Of course. He was in Hell with me.”

Finally, he shrugs. “No matter. He will not survive long.”

That doesn’t sound good. But Khaos can look after himself. And Khronus is walking again. I do a little jog to catch up. I’m going to see Zayne and Josh, and so far we haven’t headed underground, so hopefully, they’re not locked up in the extremely smelly dungeons.

He’s silent for the rest of the way to wherever we’re going. I use the time to take note of the route just in case I need to find my way around this place at a later date. But so far, it’s just more of the same: white marble corridors and the occasional doorway.

Finally, we stop. Guards stand to attention as we approach, then open a set of double doors. They lead to what must be a sort of internal courtyard, open to the starry sky.

As we walk through, we pass two women standing at the entrance, almost like guards.

They cast me an interested look, and I feel the hum of magic in the air—normal this time, not Khronus’s twisted version.

They must be witches. For some reason, it surprises me to find them here in the palace working for Khronus.

It feels like a betrayal. I realize how little I know of what goes on here on Astrali.

Khaos had been very reluctant to talk about his home world.

I don’t think he has fond memories of the place .

“Witches? They work for you?”

“Of course. Most people on Astrali are loyal to the throne.”

I find that hard to believe. Even though I don’t know much about the workings of this place, I do know that Khronus made it law that all witches with mirror powers have to register with the Council.

I also know that Sheela’s parents fled rather than register.

They were caught. Her father—Khronus’s own brother—was executed, and her mother vanished.

Like many before her. Now, there are no mirror mages left.

Then I come to an abrupt standstill, and my blood freezes. “You fucking bastard.”

In front of us is what looks like a Roman amphitheater. We’re situated high above it, looking down on the sandy arena. In the center, a beautiful, fierce basilisk is tethered by one clawed foot. Zayne.

Usually, he towers twelve feet tall, but right now he’s cowering close to the ground.

His sleek, serpentine body is hunched and the iridescent scales covering him are dulled to a smoky gray.

I’ve never seen a basilisk looking terrified before, but I can see it now in every inch of his body.

He’s almost shaking, the barbed point of his tail twitching, and I want to cry. What is he so frightened of?

Then Zayne moves to the right and I spot Josh. And every muscle in my body turns to ice. He’s against the far wall of the arena crouching down, arms wrapped around his skinny body as though to make himself as small as possible.

A hot, furious rage fills me .

I hate him. I fucking hate him. I turn slowly. “Let them go,” I growl.

“Not quite yet.” He considers me for a moment, eyes half-closed. “Tell me where Khaosti is.”

I don’t even think about it. Khronus has spies everywhere; it’s probably a test question. “He’s on Valandria.”

He nods as though it’s no surprise. “Shift,” he orders.

Not happening. Once I release the spell that’s stopping me from shifting, he can control my every move, and then there will be nothing to stand between him and killing Zayne and Josh just because he can.

“Let them go, and I’ll consider it.” I think I might have enough magic to include Zayne in the spell, but he needs to shift back into human form first.

Khronus turns away and steps closer to the edge. If I could reach him now, I’d kill him. But I know the shield will stop me. I hold my breath, my heart racing as I wait to see what will happen next.

A doorway in the arena, across from where Josh is huddled, slides open. For a few seconds, nothing happens. Then four black wolves stalk out of the shadows. I know instantly they’re not normal wolves. They’re bigger, and their eyes glow with magic. Shifters.

Khronus keeps his attention on the arena but speaks to me. “They are from the Wolfpack. My son’s legion. They are loyal to Khaosti. Let’s see how they do against the basilisk.”

A scream builds up in my throat. I swallow it down.

Don’t panic .

I know Zayne can take them; I’ve seen him in action.

But he shouldn’t have to kill these men.

Because that’s what they are—men whose only crime is loyalty to Khaosti.

But it’s too late. A silent command from Khronus sends them forward, their movements jerky as though they are fighting against his control. And losing.

The first leaps for Zayne, and he swipes it with his free claw, sending it flying through the air to crash into the wall below us and then to the sand, dead. Another gets close enough, and he snaps it in his jaws, crimson blood spraying from the ripped jugular.

Another is circling around, heading for Josh, and Zayne unleashes a stream of fire. The animal screams and rolls away in a ball of flame.

The last is whining low in its throat as it moves inexorably closer, a puppet at the command of a monster. It dies in the basilisk’s fire.

Zayne lunges as close to us as the chain will allow.

He raises his head and stares up towards where Khronus stands.

Then he sends a burst of blue flame roaring across the space between us.

It hits the invisible shield surrounding Khronus, and the heat of the blast burns my skin.

Then Zayne goes still. He’s seen me, and he takes a slow step back, then settles on his haunches and stares at me.

I hold his gaze and will him to be strong.

“For now, I’m not controlling his actions,” Khronus muses from beside me. “But that could change in an instant.”

For a second, my mind goes blank as it refuses to comprehend his threats. But I know what he means, and I shudder in horror. He is beyond evil, and unlike my father, he really has no excuse .

“You can’t do this,” I say.

His expression remains bland and unyielding. “The boy is expendable. I will still have the older one, and a basilisk shifter is interesting.” He turns his head to stare me in the face. “And you need to be taught a lesson.”

He turns his attention back to Zayne, and a shudder ripples through the basilisk. I can almost see the panic in his eyes as he fights the compulsion.

Then he turns slowly toward Josh.

“No!” This time, I do scream out the word, and Zayne hesitates for a moment. His long neck twists so he can see me, and I see the pleading in his eyes.

Help me.

But I don’t know what to do. All I know is I have to stop this. Or die trying.

Zayne’s head jerks back, and he takes another step. I can see the tears streaming down Josh’s face.

And I do the only thing I can think of. I lunge forward and leap off the wall of the arena. I hit the sand, roll, and a second later, I’m on my feet, racing across the open space. I leap over the body of a still smoldering wolf, skidding to a halt in the space between the basilisk and Josh.

I stand with my hands on my hips, facing Zayne. He roars, flames flickering from his mouth, green venom dripping from his fangs.

But it’s Khronus I call out to. “I will die before I allow this to happen. ”

He might want to teach me a lesson, but I have to believe he wants me alive more than he wants to make a point. Of course, I could be wrong.

Time seems to slow as I stare at him, willing him to give in. The trouble is, I think he might be partly insane, which means he’s not rational. He reminds me of Hecate. I thought the very same about her when she revealed her true self. Maybe craziness is a side effect of living so long.

I feel a small hand slide into mine and glance down. Josh is staring up at me, his eyes wide, and I squeeze his hand and then haul him against me, hiding his face in my side so at least he won’t see the end coming.

Zayne’s great jaws open wide, and I steel myself, expecting any moment to feel the burn of his flames. God, it’s going to hurt. And I don’t want to die. And Khaos is going to be so pissed that I didn’t stay alive. And Zayne’s going to hate himself. And...

A shiver runs through the air, and a moment later, the basilisk is gone, and Zayne is back. He stands for a moment, then crashes to his knees and vomits into the sand.

Relief hits me like a tidal wave, crashing into me, rolling over me, pulling me under.

My last thought: I did what I had to. Please gods, let it be enough.

And then everything goes black.