Mirrors ✔️

Chapter 27: Pretenders

Renee

The Midnight Star, I find, like to pretend they're big, and strong, and have enough numbers to overpower the current monarchy.

I know, however, that the whole idea is a lie.

Kassidy and the boy's strained voices are proof enough. They think they're conversing quietly enough that I don't hear them, but that's a stupid mistake to make, especially since I've gotten plenty of practice trying to decipher Valarie's strange mutterings. As our footsteps crunch along the tunnel, I work to make out their words.

"We didn't prepare for this..." The boy is whispering as he plows ahead into the gloom. Then, as if his companion didn't hear the first time, "We didn't prepare for it..."

Kassidy snaps back, sounding annoyed. "That's because you're idiots." I can just imagine the look she's giving him right now. "What, you didn't think anything would go wrong?"

"We had to change everything on such short notice, it must have slipped our minds in the mere hours we had to prepare!" The boy defends himself. "And then Lynn..."

Someone sniffles. Probably Lynn, also listening in.

I feel almost bad for her. It's not as if I'm in a better situation.

"Lynn was an unfortunate casualty, but you should have suspected. Someone, at least, would be unwilling to risk their own neck." Kassidy spits, fire in her tone. Really, is she making no attempt to keep quiet? "We'll let the Council decide her fate."

"Death?" The boy asks.

"Of course not." Kassidy seems offended at even the thought. Lynn and I breathe a collective sigh of relief. "Most likely, her punishment will be imprisonment or inability to go out on missions. Or she'll be released."

Silence.

There isn't much to say anymore. I simply keep to myself, eyes on the floor. What else am I to do?

"Lynn." Says Kassidy abruptly.

The serving woman turned spy turned traitor answers, her voice shaking, "Yes?"

"What else did you tell them?"

"Just the plan." Lynn babbles. "Only what you told me in the note that came with the starstone."

"The note?" Kassidy tenses up, her form merely a shadow up ahead. "They wouldn't have sent a note."

"How would you know?" Lynn sounds defensive. "You were locked away."

"I was." Kassidy concedes. "But that isn't like Myra."

A beat. Then, "Well, it was there, so..."

"Shut up!" It takes me a minute to realize the shout belongs to the boy. "Just shut up! This isn't helping anything!"

A sniff from Kassidy. A whimper from Lynn.

Let me out, let me out, let me out...