A Life Beyond the Mirror

Chapter 6

I woke with a jump. A scream rumbling deep in my throat, breathing to ease the denseness in my chest. In and out. In and out. The nightmare is getting worse. The same sequence events that feel more and more real as days go on. My arm still throbbing with pain even after I wake. A splitting headache clouding my thoughts as peer to the window; It's still dark outside, the clock beside my bed tells me it's a little after 4am. I move to the end of the bed, Toby grumbles as I push the covers away, but he falls back to sleep quickly.

I wonder if Dad had seen more of my vision. Maybe something different and that thought alone drives me from my bed, as I head over the mirror and place my hand on the glass. I know it's late but it's practically next door.

The ripple of magic spreads across the mirror showing me the Seers Tower. My father's room. I rub my eyes but the scene doesn't change. Finn was asleep, head resting on the desk as his chest rose and fell. Should I wake him? That can't be comfortable, and he probably has the fluffiest bed with the softest pillows, deciding it was for the best I press on.

I step through the mirror. And gently tap him on the shoulder.

"Finn." I whisper, trying not to wake anyone else up. "Finn." I whisper a little louder. He shakes awake, pulling away. He pry's his tired eyes open.

"Thea? What are you doing here?" he says sleepily. "Are you alright?" His eyes assessing.

"I had another nightmare and couldn't get back to sleep. I wanted to search for clues." I whispered. My mind kicked in as I realised this was his home and I was technically not okay. "If you don't mind that is. I just realised this may count as breaking and entering." I spiral.

"No, it's fine." He yawns.

"What are you doing sleeping here?" I ask. His eyes opened wide at the question.

"Well, you just looked so sad earlier. I wanted to take a look at your dad's things myself, to see if there was anything more the guards had missed." He stretched, before stacking the pieces of paper neatly on the table. I smiled internally, a warm feeling spreading through my chest.

"Thank you, but you look really tired. I think you should go to bed. That desk doesn't look the comfiest." I gesture to the mark on his face he had acquired from sleeping on a hard surface. He rubbed his cheeks, looking more awake as he looks me up and down.

"That's what you wear to bed?" he grins, his eyes darkening.

Oh shit! I hadn't thought about it. I was wearing an oversized jersey that came down to mid-thigh with long sleeves. Nothing further down.

"Better than nothing I suppose?" I say awkwardly, tugging it down. He smiled again.

"I like it." He leaned closer, again removing my hands from the hem. "I would have liked it more if you had worn my shirt." He murmured. His eyes deep and green, like soft meadow grass I want to lay in whist I soak up the sun. I must admit I had thought about wearing his shirt, but had decided against it, an internal battle that had taken more time than I would care to admit.

"Finn, you're getting married. I can't let this happen. I don't want to be the one left behind. I really like you already and we barely know each other. If we carry on it's only going to lead to a hell of a lot of pain." I gesture to the both of us, my voice almost turning to a whisper by the end. He stood up pulling me into his arms.

"I'm going to stop it. Something is going on. The fact the princess is sending Sea hags after you and knows where you are, she must have spies. How she knows about you, I don't know." He rubs his hands in lazy circles against my back. "I don't want to be with her. Not even politically." He leans away, his hand rising to stroke my cheek.