by Belle Malory
Sometimes I felt like a brainless little twit around Xander too, but I didn’t tell her that.
“If I did want to date him, I wouldn’t let Hollowed threats stop me,” I said, sitting down at the table.
“Then, it’s a good thing you don’t,” she said, but it sounded more like a warning.
She set a plateful of eggs and bacon in front of me. “Eat. We head back to Arcadia in an hour.”
31
Once back at Arcadia, I went straight to my grandfather. I didn’t tell him what happened with the Curse Breaker, and Xander didn’t mention it either, thank God. But I told him about the poisonous bracelet. He went pale in the face, agreeing that it changed everything. Dad needed to be told. With Riley there, knowing more than she let on, she could be up to any number of schemes. Grandpa promised to send a message to him, and he would let me know as soon as he heard back.
From there, the days passed slowly. I began to find my new normal, if that was even possible in this world. Just as I had back in Davidson, I put all my focus and energy into studying, and it started to pay off. In Basic Magic Principles, I learned to conjure fire on my own. In Seduction Principles, I aced every test. Professor Lilyworth still looked at me like I was the scum beneath her high heels, but I tried my best to change her opinion by taking every lesson seriously.
Being a bibliomagus made things a thousand times easier. When it came to information, I was ahead of most students. When it came to magical practice though, I felt like a toddler learning to walk.
Love Potions class was one of those trickier subjects. I knew the recipes by heart, but the act of creating them took a refined skill I didn’t have. After my Meddling Tea exploded, my whole workspace turned to shambles. Thankfully, Peter Hallas was the student assistant, and he came over to help me. “Don’t cry. It’s just tea.”
“I’m not crying.” I blinked rapidly. “The steam got in my eyes, and they won’t stop watering.”
“Oh,” he said with a laugh. “That should go away in a second.”
I wiped my face with my apron and looked down at my table miserably. Crying might be my next action if I couldn’t get this tea in order.
“Here,” Peter said, picking up the dried rose petals. “You don’t want to crunch them. You want to roll it with your pestle like this.” He demonstrated it for me, making the process look much easier.
“Ah, I see. Thank you.”
He nodded, refilling my pot with fresh water. “How have you been feeling? I mean, now that you’ve ditched the lethara bracelet?”
I glanced down at my naked wrist, still bruised from where the chain used to be. For some strange reason, I didn’t have the heart to toss it into the ocean. Some of those charms were from my dad. Instead, I locked it inside the wooden chest in the back of my dorm room closet.
“Better,” I said, releasing a breath. “Less…heavy. If that makes sense.”
“It does. Lethara can make its subject feel very weighed down. Your energy looks better overall.”
“Good to know.”
Peter stirred in the rose powder concoction and turned up the heat. After a few moments, he displayed a perfect set of pearly whites. “There we go. The tea is coming to life.”
I smiled back. “You make it seem so easy.”
He shrugged a shoulder and handed me the wooden spoon. “You’ll get the hang of it. Just takes time.”
I slowly stirred, wishing that was true. “So people keep telling me.”
He glanced up, a knowing look in his gaze. “What are you having trouble with? Lilyworth’s class?”
I shook my head, staring down into the pot. “The mirrors.”
“Ah, the mirrors. They wouldn’t let me through my first four, maybe five months.”
“Really?” That made me feel less sad about my own situation.
Peter nodded. “Want to know the secret trick?”
I was skeptical of any trick since the realm’s entrance was based on the mage’s so-called worthiness. In the previous weeks, I had tried all sorts of suggestions. Spinning around three times first, unlocking spells, dousing myself in sage, and the list went on and on. Still. At this point, I was willing to try anything. “Let’s hear it then.”
He moved to the other side of the table, dusting his hands off. “Staring.”
I arched a brow. “Staring?”
“Yep. Keep staring into them until you figure it out. Before they let me through, I had all these preconceived ideas about the realm’s purpose. But if you stare into the mirrors long enough, they’ll show you what you need to know.”
Huh. Well, that sounded simple enough.
“Thanks, I’ll give it a shot.”
That night after dinner, I headed to the library to try out Peter’s suggestion. There was nothing better to do anyway. I had already finished my homework, and studying for written tests was no longer a necessity.
Also, I needed to mix things up for a change.
I noticed on the way back from dinner each night there was always a very distinctive magic present. A certain gladiator hanging around the route back to my dorm, lurking in the shadows.
It was beyond frustrating.
Xander was worried about monsters, especially since we hadn’t caught the mage responsible for chimera, and in his deluded mind, this was his way of protecting me. He made me feel safe, and it kind of pissed me off that I felt safe. I didn’t want to rely on Xander—I had to learn to take care of myself. Not only that, but I thought we both made it clear that we were going to stay away from each other, that it was for the best.
He was ignoring his own rule, giving me no say in this little one-sided arrangement. By not sticking to my normal schedule, I would show him he couldn’t control everything.
On the way down to the gateways, I started to freak out. It was super dark, and the usual lanterns had been put out for the night. Even Themus, who usually stayed well past dark, had left for his apartment.
I held up my hand and whispered, “Incendium.” A flame ignited, hovering over my palm and lighting the way. Out of the basics, fire magic came easily enough. Controlling it was the hard part, but over the last few weeks, I’d gotten better.
Once I was in front of the mirrors, I dropped my messenger bag and sat down; I may as well get comfy. If staring was what it took, I was prepared to do it all night. I even brought a blanket with me in case it got cold.
The mirror showed me my subjects again—or café girl and the hunky jock, as I referred to them. After a while, I learned their names were Mia and Ben. Watching their lives unfold presented an interesting escape. Instead of worrying about my own complicated world, it was refreshing to look inside someone else’s for a change.
Mia was the daughter of a single parent. She worked hard, studied, and played the flute.
Ben was one of three boys. He was funny and amazing at football. And shockingly, he already had a crush on Mia. In all the times I’d been here, I never noticed that. And much like myself, Mia was so preoccupied, she hadn’t noticed either.
They each had their own little quirks and habits, different in so many ways, but similar in one—they both desperately needed to be loved.
Mia’s mom was gone all the time. Ben’s parents were focused on his autistic brother. Mia had no time for friends. And Ben’s, in my opinion, were a bunch of douchebags.
No wonder the mirrors wouldn’t let me through. I would have wasted an arrow on Ben, and the poor guy was already having a hard time getting her attention. Mia was the one who was constantly busy with work and school, and she was the one who needed that arrow.
My mind had officially changed. The two of them didn’t need detention. It wasn’t enough time. I noticed the D− on the Calculus test that had fallen out of Ben’s notebook. That’s exactly how he could win her over, by convincing Mia to tutor him. I knew if she spent enough time with Ben, sparks would fly.
At some point, my eyelids grew heavy while watching the two of them. I fell asleep there on t
he floor, curled up with my blanket. When I woke again, I wasn’t sure what time it was, but both Ben and Mia were fast asleep in their part of the world, wherever that was.
I jumped up and grabbed my things, my mind racing. Next time I came back here, I would have a plan. Those mirrors would definitely let me pass through.
It was in the dead of night that I made my way back to my dorm room. I wasn’t the only one out either. Drunk students ambled back from the woods. Others crept through the spiral topiary bushes, trying to hide their walks of shame. There was also a group of Poseidon students out for the full-moon ceremony—I had to do a double take as they ran past, bare naked.
Light spilled out from the bottom of my dorm room door. I paused with my hand on the handle, wincing. Xander was inside; I could sense his magic. And if he was here, that might have something to do with the change in my evening routine. Oh, who was I kidding? He knew I knew about him following me to my dorm each night.
I always made a big show of looking over my shoulder, huffing, so he knew I wasn’t happy about him watching me. Because we were supposed to be staying away from each other.
Dammit, why did I already feel guilty? I didn’t have to answer or explain my every move to him, but somehow, he managed to make feel like I did.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and put on a brave face.
Xander immediately stood up from the edge of my bed, his eyes bloodshot. Nothing could have prepared me for the look of absolute relief flooding over his stricken features. Across from him, Ione slowly stood too, acting wary of Xander, as if he might explode at any second.
He crossed the room, stopping directly in front of me. Without saying a word, he grabbed hold of my arms, and my bag fell from my fingers, thudding against the floor. Anger poured off of him. For one brief moment, I worried he might slam my head into the wall. I gasped when he hugged me, pressing me gently against his chest. Threading his fingers through my hair, he held me for several long seconds, releasing the most choked breath I’d ever heard. Oh man.
Then, still not speaking, Xander abruptly released me and left the room. The silence he left behind was almost deafening. I stood there, staring at Ione, feeling about two feet tall. How had Xander managed to do that? And all without saying a word?
Now that he was gone, Ione’s shoulders relaxed, and she immediately started in on me. “He combed the whole school looking for you. The woods, too.”
“This isn’t what we agreed to do,” I reminded her, avoiding eye contact. Looking at her only made me feel worse.
“So, you did this to teach him a lesson?”
“I’m just playing by his rules, Ione.” My whole body trembled as I changed out of my toga and into my PJs. I could still see his relief the moment I walked into the room.
It made me feel horrible. Worse than horrible.
The guy probably thought I got myself eaten by monsters or worse, all because I had something to prove.
“No need for the attitude.” Ione crossed her arms over her chest. “I agree with you.”
I spun around. “You do?”
“Absolutely,” she said, her voice stern. “My brother shouldn’t be following you around, but you should have just asked him to stop instead of making us worry.”
“It wasn’t planned or anything,” I mumbled, my shoulders drooping. “I fell asleep in the gateway room.”
“I figured he was probably overreacting, and that you were fine. I did start to panic when he couldn’t find you though.” She blinked, realizing what I’d just said. “What were you doing in the gateway room?”
“Peter Hallas suggested I spend some time staring into the mirrors.”
She nodded, considering the idea. “Did it help?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I think so.”
“Hmm…” She went to her bed and got under the covers.
“What’s the hmm for?” I said, eyeing her.
“Nothing. You just continue to surprise me, that’s all.”
“In what way?”
“Well,” she said, turning on her side. “It’s clear both you and my brother have it bad for each other—”
“That’s not what’s going on—”
“And you’re turning out to be the stronger one. That’s surprising because my brother had always been the strongest person I know.”
I sat on the edge of my bed, where Xander had just been sitting. “You have it all wrong, Ione.”
“Do I?” She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’ve studied love magic my whole life. I know obsession when I see it. This thing between you is the start of…something. It’s more than just protection, that much I’m sure of.”
I pressed my lips together, unsure of what to say. Arguing was pointless because she was right. There was something there, an invisible tether between us I didn’t have any control over. As much as I wanted to cut it, I couldn’t.
“Everyone has these glorious ideas of love,” Ione continued, staring up at the ceiling. “But love is only good under the right circumstances. Sometimes, as much as you think you’re right for someone, it doesn’t work. Like a puzzle piece in the wrong box—it doesn’t fit no matter how hard you try.”
Doesn’t fit.
Geez, that seemed sad.
Ione was jaded, or that’s what I told myself anyway. Life had deeply scarred her, and this was the end result. Then again, she was more experienced than me when it came to love magic. She had altered human lives through the mirror realms, and she had seen more relationships play out.
I thought of my mother’s warning again. Whatever invisible tether was there, we were better off cutting it.
32
The next day, Zack and I held our breaths at the entrance to the mirror realm, waiting to see if I would finally be worthy enough to pass through. Even grumpy old Themus stopped what he was doing to watch.
I was so nervous that my hand trembled as I held it out. This mattered more to me than usual; for the first time, I believed my work would be valuable on the other side of that mirror. So I took a deep breath and pressed forward.
Here goes nothing.
My fingers slipped beyond what was usually a solid surface, and a huge grin spread over my face.
“You did it,” Zack whispered excitedly. He raced into the gateway ahead of me, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Let’s go help some humans fall in love.”
Walking into the realm was literally an out-of-world experience. It was almost like being underwater in the sense that I could see and hear the outside world, but it wasn’t crystal clear. Zack and I were there, but no one noticed us. Not gonna lie—we definitely gave off some creepy stalker vibes. Before, it felt like watching TV. The distance made it seem less invasive. But this marked a whole new playing field; we were right up in the mix with our subjects.
“When you become really skilled, you can feel their emotions,” Zack said as we followed Mia down the halls of her high school. “As guardians, it’s nice to remember what falling in love feels like again, all the highs and lows, the excitement and anxiety, and the way you feel everything more intensely.”
Aww. For a kid who had described himself as human Viagra, that was kind of sweet.
Over the next few hours, I laid out my plan, and Zack and I got to work on getting our subjects together for tutoring sessions. A carefully placed a flyer offering community service hours did the trick. Mia needed the hours for her college applications, and Ben noticed Mia’s name on the sign-up form.
“That’s it for today,” Zack said, linking his arm through mine. “Especially if you want to wait until their session before I take my shot.”
I was so proud of myself, there was definitely a little swagger to my walk. “We should definitely wait. If Mia feels desire beforehand, she’ll back out.”
“What makes you think so?”
“She’s too focused on work and school. A cute boy would be too much of a distraction.”
“A distraction she desperatel
y needs,” Zack added, shaking his head as Mia pulled out a giant SAT study guide from her backpack.
I drummed my fingers against the side of my face, absently watching the poor girl comb over the book, her brows scrunched together. As the other students laughed and talked about their plans for the weekend, Mia stayed glued to her book. She was so focused, she hadn’t even realized the last bell of the day had rung.
“Agreed.” I nodded, letting Zack guide me back toward the mirror. I learned we only ever had to look north, and it would be waiting for us. A few steps later, and we were back in our own world.
“Things get much more interesting from here, Thorne.”
I smiled, more excited about it than I expected. “Same time tomorrow?”
He clapped me on the back. “Yep. See you then.”
On my way out, Themus stopped by the stairs and gave me a little nod of approval. My cheeks hurt so hard from smiling. Finally.
I was worthy.
Over the next few days, I found my groove within House Aphrodite, the mirror realm becoming the main source of my newfound confidence. Once we got Mia and Ben into their study session, I told Zack to take his shot. The baby-faced kid was a pro with those arrows too. He struck Mia directly in the center of her sacral chakra, and her aura exploded with vibrant colors that couldn’t be seen in the mortal realm. Deep reds and purples swirled around her. Blood rushed to her cheeks. She stumbled over her words, kept touching her hair, and had to excuse herself to get some water. Ben caught on to the effect he had, and he used it to his advantage. He inched closer, pointed out specific passages in his textbook, asking for clarification. Well played, dude. Well played.
Watching it unfold in the background, Zack and I high-fived each other, and it was one of the greatest feelings in the world. Because of us, two teenagers desperate for love were on their way to finding it with each other. Turned out this love magic stuff wasn’t so bad after all.
The rest of my days were filled with my studies at Arcadia. Unlike Mia, I didn’t have to work as hard, thanks to my bibliomagery skills. The extra free time came in handy; I spent a lot of it in the library, impressing as many books as my mind could handle. Or I’d go to the stables and sneak apples to the Pegasus descendants. Sometimes I’d go sit by the little pond where Xander told me about my mother. Even though it was the same place I heard the most shocking news of my life, I found it strangely peaceful there.