Glass Souls (Reflection Book 1)

by Clairisa Campbell

  Chase was silent for a bit then he huffed. "I just checked on Miss Higgins. It seems she's in a coma."

  My heart dropped. What on earth was happening? I turned my head to see more of the half dead trees around us, there were what looked like scattered homes all looking abandoned and charred, similar scratches like those on the museums displays lined the walls that still stood on a few of them. There were just as many that looked like they had caught fire, leaving nothing left that resembled a home once lived in. There was one that seemed untouched for the most part, some scratches lined the ground, along with a broken stone path, also sliced with black marks. Loic spun around turning me away from the house and walked forward. A sound of stone cracking made him jolt, freeing in place to spin and survey the area. I spun so much I started to feel sick I held my breath to fight it back as he stopped moving again. Loic then darted towards the small house. This house was surrounded by a similar shield to the one Loic had made. Just as we entered, the scenery vanished, being replaced with a frosted gem haze in the shape of the dome. After being inside the dome I felt even more sick, like a wall had hit me. I felt dizzy. Almost like I was being pushed away, like I wasn’t supposed to be here. The feeling lessened as my chest felt warm. It felt almost like a warm hug telling me sure I’m not supposed to be here but it’s okay. The calming warmth flushed over me I was able to focus again.

  Loic continued through the house. It was a small cabin. Made from grey and white stone with wooden supports. It was partly built into a hillside making it look tilted from my angle. I heard a loud smack and we were inside. There was another metal crash but that faded as Loic spun around as he closed the door. From what I could see, it only had an open layout Living room with a kitchen just off the opening hallway, and what looked like a small bedroom. There was also a small bed in the living room. It just looked like a small cot. My nausea seemed to settle slightly while laying still so I followed his movement as closely as I could.

  In the small kitchen I could see there was a woman. She seemed a bit younger than my mom. When Loic barged in, it must have startled her and she dropped her pan, that was now laying on the floor at her feet. We turned towards the cot and after setting me down Loic turned back to the kitchen.

  “Ha lleh. Niaga htiw siht” the woman seemingly yelled to herself.

  Her face contorted from anger and shock. That is until she saw Loic approaching, seemingly realizing who it was.

  “Tiaw, Tahw?” She inhaled her breath like I did when I wanted to stop mid-sentence, her expression looked like she wanted to continue talking in that backwards language, her eyes darting around from being spooked. I only saw brief glances from her, but she looked nervous. Biting her lip and clenching her fists. Juliet was similar when she was emotional, usually locking herself into Italian as she panicked or cried, admittedly that hadn’t happened a lot around me, but it occurred enough times to take notice. The woman looked at Loic's face, reading it as her eyes continued to visibly scan him. Tension lined his face as he shifted his gaze from her then to me and back. Probably not in the mood to translate. I don’t think I would be either based on how bewildered he looked before. She either picked up on this or she realized we could be trusted because she unclenched her fist and stood straight as she looked directly at him and spoke more naturally.

  "Oh dear! Loic is that you?" She raced up to Loic to stroke his face, as if to check if he was real. Then she saw me. "Oh god, is that Luna? Loic, why is she out of the Reflection hall? She'll die if she leaves in her state."

  "Isha, please. I'll explain, just help me."

  "No, Loic. Explain now!" The woman demanded.

  "She's awake, Isha!”

  The woman stared at me. I tried to sit up, but I felt so tired and weak. All of my thoughts froze, unable to answer or react to anything around me. My body fell, being pulled by gravity, yet I didn’t physically move. The focus I had to observe melted back into nauseum as I turned my head back up, possibly too fast. Her face began to fade from my view, as lightheadedness set in., she looked at my eyes. Then, she smiled and helped Loic. She left for a moment and came back with a pillow and Loic lifted my head. My last memory was hitting the pillow. Then my vision faded to black. I couldn't remember how long I was out, but I actually didn’t feel like I was out long at all because a sour smell assaulted my nose. I heard voices. I opened my eyes to see Chase standing over me. As far as I could see I was still at the cabin.

  "Ah, Princess Luna. Are you awake?" Chase asked in a hushed tone.

  I glanced quick to see the woman and Loic standing behind him, both towering above the both of us. Without making full eye contact with anyone I spoke. “Who’s Luna? It's Rayne, remember?"

  Everyone in the room seemed to sag with disappointment. Chase helped me sit up. My body creaked with stiffness. I winced, and he gazed at me. His eyes pierced mine.

  "As I feared. It's the princess’s body, but it is indeed Rayne’s soul inside."

  "How is that possible?" Loic snapped in protest.

  "Rakesh may have done something." Chase opened his mouth to continue talking but he stopped instantly, closing his mouth and biting his lip.

  They all shifted their gaze to separate parts of the room. Loic lowered his head, not making eye contact with anyone. Chase’s face shifted; his lips pressed tightly before returning to an unsure smile. The woman was the only one who kept eye contact with me. I finally got a clear look at her. Her build was slender, and her hair nearly reached her hips with silver and white strands. It looked like it should have been longer since it looked slightly pinned up in some places, she also had two strands, one on each side of her face that seemed to make loops that led from her brushed back bangs to the back of her head. She wore a long flowing dress that looked like it was right out of a medieval fairytale, light blue with gold trim. The color was similar to the glass crown on her head. Her eyes also seemed mismatched like the other two. Hers were closer in shades, her left eye being a dark navy blue and her right being almost mint colored. I looked on to her eyes as I noticed her expression was different from everyone else’s. While the others seemed disappointed, she looked hopeful. She held her hand to her chest, and she bit her lip. Her gaze hurt more than the others looks of failure.

  My eyes filled with tears. Why were Chase and Loic so sad? What was this woman hoping from me? Where was I? How did I get here? And who was Luna? I just wanted to know what was happening. I couldn’t even speak to voice my concern. Tears slipped down my cheeks.

  The woman jumped up as I cried. I immediately was reminded of my own mother. As she neared me, she stopped. She brushed her long white hair away from her face. Swaying back and forth on her feet, she seemed like she wanted to help but wasn’t sure how.

  That definitely reminded me of Mom. When I saw her after my accident when she was still a stranger. She later told me that she was afraid to scare me. Even though she wanted to help she didn’t want to make it worse. This woman was all too similar to her. I felt like that scared child all over again. The terrified baby who was once afraid of her own mother. I sobbed louder.

  Chase scratched his head. "Well this will take some serious explaining."

  The woman chimed in, “Now, Chase let the girl rest. From the sounds of things, she's been through enough today." She glanced between me and Chase.

  Chase shrugged and walked to the hallway wall against the corner that led to the kitchen.

  "You're right, Lady Isha. I should get my facts straight anyway."

  The woman came up to me with her hand outstretched. When I didn’t cringe, she stroked my hair.

  "Now dear—Rayne, was it? Let's get you cleaned up."

  I fidgeted a bit, not sure if I should follow her lead. She smiled kindly at me. "It's okay, hon. This is the safest place in Rorrim Egami. I can guarantee that."

  I pressed my lips together. "I'm scared..."

  "I know, I know. It's okay. All will be explained in time," She paused, her expressi
on worried. Then she broke eye contact for a moment and took a deep breath. “I don’t want to pile more on your plate dear, but could I ask you a question?”

  “Um sure,” I sniffled. “I don’t think I’ll have an answer.”

  “That’s fine. I just…you asked who Luna is. So, you’ve never heard that name before today. Are you sure?”

  “Yeah…I’m sure.”

  Her face crumpled for a moment. Then she inhaled quickly, closing her eyes. Holding back tears.

  “N-no matter then.” She faced me again. “Here, can you stand?"

  "I think so..."

  As I stood, Isha held onto me. My legs wobbled, and she supported me on her shoulder until I could right myself. She led me to another room, the small bedroom was cozy in a way. There was a bathroom off to the side and a king-sized bed tucked under a window. Everything was neat and well-kept, but the bed hardly looked slept in, it was either really made well or never used. Isha knelt down and pulled a dress with long sleeves out of the three-drawer dresser. It fit like a glove. That fact surprised me at first, but I ignored it, chalking it up to coincidence. I couldn’t possibly be a princess. She then brushed my now short, white hair. Well, it was short all except for that braid that wrapped around my head. The braid was made from two long sections of hair that fell past my shoulders as she undid the part to brush it. Long white strands covered my collarbones, giving off a bluish tint in the light.

  I thought back to her question. The way she asked if I knew the name, the way she brushed the hair. All brought back pieces of memories, just sensations but memories all the same.

  The silence and the atmosphere was calm and the tension from the other room seemed to stay over there so I felt like I could get some answers.

  "Miss, if you don't mind my asking a question as well...” I whispered. “Who are you?"

  The brush froze against my neck and trembled a bit. A small noise behind me sounded like tears. Had Isha been crying the whole time she was brushing? I turned around. Ishas eyes were wet with tears. Panic stirred within me. In the same moment, I felt like I had seen those tears before. Not just someone crying for me but her—this woman crying. So familiar. I wasn’t sure why. I had no memories of her or this house. The small simple rooms with minimal décor, a few potted plants here and there. White linen curtains and blankets all lit by what seemed like candles but were much brighter and not lit by fire. Nothing rang a bell.

  "I'm sorry,” I gave her an apologetic smile. “It's just you seem so familiar. It's like I should remember, but I've never met you before."

  She sighed and smiled, forcing her tears away with a hard swallow.

  "That's right. Chase said you were Rayne."

  My heart stopped; she had already forgotten. I looked away and stayed quiet.

  "Well, dear, I'm Luna's mother..." She continued. “Queen Isha.”

  "Her mother." I now understood why she wanted me to be this Luna girl.

  Flashes of my own mother appeared in my memory. After the accident, I had to relearn everything. I couldn’t recognize her, I developed a stutter, I forgot my own name, and I even forgot how to do simple tasks. My mother was with me every step. Thinking back on her now, I saw what she went through, and how she hid it from me. As supportive as she was, she wasn’t a very good liar.

  There wasn’t a day that she wouldn’t end up in tears. Those tears were my fault. This woman’s face right now reminded me of those moments. Again, just like back then, I felt guilty.

  "Yes. From what Chase said, you are in my daughter's body while yours is in a coma on the other side."

  So that explained why I looked different. Could this all of this just be a dream? But it felt so real. From the pain in my limbs, to the air around me. I couldn't really question my own eyes, could I?

  "How can this happen?" I managed to ask.

  She grimaced. Her eyes shifting around as she rubbed her chin. Her skin was really light, some would say fair, she did have some color to her, but it made her seem whimsical, fairy-like. That made sense, a fairytale queen with such a look about her, regal and calm. The only difference between her and the storybook queen were the tear stains turning her fair skin pink and showing the pain she was holding back. She ran her hands through her long hair, the action tugged on a headband she was wearing. It was adorned with glass-like crystals, making it look more like a crown.

  I put my own hand to my side on an accent table in my peripheral vision, to feel an object poking my palm. There beside me was a similar tiara looking thing with a small silver chain hanging off the back. So, a crown with a matching tiara. Yeah, it made sense for a queen and a princess but to be in such a plain place like this, that broke the royal illusion. Even the mirrored room that Loic had taken me from was fancier than this. It was the most terrifying place I had ever been to this point, but it did seem more royal than this place.

  I glanced back at Isha. Her grimace was less severe.

  "Well, where do I start? I'm sure Chase explained about our world being parallel to yours and that every person on this side is connected to someone on that side."

  "Yeah, he did."

  “My guess would be that your connection to Luna is strong enough to draw you here. She was quite talented with magic. Our bonds are made with magic and stronger ones have been known to have interesting effects.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Connections through magic” This had never happened before in my life, that I knew of. Why now?

  I thought about the explanation from earlier. I still didn't understand how any of this was possible. Magic wasn’t anything that was ‘real’ in my life. Before this week my only experience with magic had been in fiction, art… Suddenly I was seeing monsters and hearing about how magic was not only real, but also usable by humans.

  The way she spoke about magic, with a slight smile on her face, made it seem beautiful. But all I’d seen so far was dark and dead things.

  "Magic, in this place?” I blurted out. “But it looks so dead."

  Sadness shadowed her face. "Surprising, I know. It never used to look like this. The kingdom, my Mirror Image, was beautiful once. You would think it was heaven, but now, most of the magic has faded. The magic and life force was taken by those...things." She shuddered with a look of revulsion.

  “What happened here?" I asked.

  "Well, on this side, there was once peace until a man attacked us. His name was Rakesh, and he was once a member of my husband’s guard."

  "I've heard that name before. What did he do?"

  "He kidnapped Luna and attacked her.” Pain twisted her face. “By the time Loic and Chase found her, she was too far gone. You—I mean, she was just an empty shell. Alive, but in a comatose state. After that, the kingdom was overrun by Formless. We couldn’t stop it. We were too overwhelmed."

  I glanced at my hand. An old scar was barely visible. A flash of my nightmare came to mind. I looked up my arm, seeing more and more old scars. The memories of being hit by something over and over came to mind. Isha looked as well, her face getting more and more grieved, as if she was feeling each mark on her own skin.

  “I'll never forget when I first saw those scars...Ym ybab,” She tried to hide back tears.

  I began to question the connection. Did my nightmare have something to do with these scars? Isha was clearly in a terrible state, but I needed more information. I had to know.

  "And when did this happen?" I pressed.

  "I'd never forget it. It was twelve years ago. I believe mid-September if memory serves me."

  I started. Twelve years ago? The mirror in my dream and the memory of my accident came back into my mind. Was it a sign of connection? Could I have seen what happened to Luna through her eyes? Isha eyed me curiously.

  "What's the matter, hon?"

  "I think...I think I saw that day...” My voice was thick. “My dream. I thought it was connected to my accident."

  "Accident?"

  "Twelve
years ago, I woke up in the middle of the Tahoe national forest. I lost my memories. I was told it was a car accident. I keep seeing the same dream being attacked by a large man, then falling away from my body, then waking up in the woods..."

  Her eyes lit up. "So, you don't remember anything before that?"

  "No. Nothing."

  She stared at me in disbelief, then grabbed me in a huge, sudden hug. Her tears fell on my shoulder and she whispered as she held me tighter.

  "You could still be Luna. My Luna."

  I stayed silent and just let her hold me. Her tears falling against my shoulder began to sting with guilt. I wish I knew what happened, but I felt deep in my heart that I wasn't her daughter.

  FOUR

  ♦

  Realization

  AFTER CLEANING THE TEARS from her face, Isha led me back to the main room. Chase and Loic hadn’t moved. Loic leaned against the counter in her small kitchen area, near the door. Chase stood across the room on the makeshift bed.

  They both must have heard us come in, Loic looked our way, remaining silent and Chase started slightly, then lit the pipe in his hand. Ew, smoke, I thought in silence. A moment later, he set the pipe down on the headboard of the bed. As if he’d heard me.

  "Ah, Rayne, sorry. You don't like the smell of smoke. I almost forgot." Chase dumped the tobacco from his pipe into a small tin that he then put in his pocket.

  I got a chill down my spine. He could read my mind just by looking in my eyes. It was a scary thought. Without taking his eyes off me, Loic, his lips pursed, his eyes narrowed as he locked his gaze on me and he crossed his arms as he moved and stood next to Chase.

  I shuddered from the intensity. The atmosphere was heavy. However, Chase’s eyes lightened, and his expression softened. Loic looked away and nudged Chase. His face didn’t lighten much. The way they looked at each other made me think they had had a similar conversation as Isha, and I had. Chase met us halfway into the room, standing directly between Isha and Loic.