Spelled

20: Mirror, Mirror, Broken on the Wall

"All the trouble stemmed from my body image issues. I just couldn't escape the mirror. It lied; the reflection I saw of myself was horrifying."

—Wicked Queen, Shattered Reflections
20

Mirror, Mirror, Broken on the Wall

Even while my mind balked at the idea, Emerald flames leaped to my fingertips. My vision clouded over, and Blanc glowed like a flare.
All that power. Yours for the taking. Make the world the way you want it. Make yourself into a real hero.
So easy. I could be strong and no one would call me useless again.
Heat danced across my palm.
"Are you okay?" Kato flicked his tail against my leg.
The thump returned my vision and senses to normal. The flames disappeared, but I still felt an oily residue where they'd been. Not a physical coating, but the kind of stain that would never go away, no matter how many times I washed them.
"No," I answered simply.
"No, you're not okay? Or no, you won't fulfill our alliance and eliminate Blanc?"
"Both," I said and walked away.
I thought about going back to "my room," but I needed some time...just...away from everyone. After watching Blanc's story, then feeling the lure of my own flames, an unwelcome theory started to form in my mind, an explanation for why the story had skewed so far off course.
Maybe I wasn't the hero.
Maybe I was the villain.
I roamed the vast network of caverns for a long time, trying very hard not to think or glance at my fiery reflection in the shiny obsidian walls. Unfortunately, that meant I paid no attention to where I was going. All the pointy rock things looked the same, and I was lost.
More than just directionally.
I slumped to the ground and put my head in my hands.
Someone tell me what to do.
Mom and I had our issues. Mainly because she wasn't content running the whole kingdom; she had to rule everything about my life too. Though it was a trait I hated, I could use her take-charge attitude about now.
I really miss her.
Someone snorted. Has to be Rexi. I looked up.
She was leaning against one of the caves many turns, munching on some sort of steaming red fruit. "You're going the wrong way if you're looking for food. And before you even ask, no, I'm not sharing mine. Get your own." Somewhere, she'd found a knapsack, and she clutched it protectively to her chest.
Food of any kind sounded pretty good. I stood and headed the direction she indicated. Her footsteps shadowed mine.
I paused and said, "Didn't you hoard enough food? Because I figure I'd be about the last person you wanted to tag along with."
"True if we're talking people. But when the alternative is dozens of giant, hungry beasts, believe it or not, you're better company."
"So why don't you leave the mountain? You've gotta have family somewhere. Haven't you gotten the memo? I pixed up the whole world order. There's no more Emerald Palace. No dishes to wash. No princess to serve. You don't owe me anything, and you don't have to stay with me anymore."
"Sheesh. What happened to you that you are willing to admit that?" She crossed her arms. "Still, where else am I gonna go? I'm not exactly on good terms with my folks, and like you said, you pixed the world. Everything you've done up to this point has gotten us into more trouble. Odds are you're going to do something right soon, and since I've already put up with all the zip-a-dee-doo-doo, I'd like to be there when the good stuff finally happens."
That probably wouldn't be anytime soon.
Tiny tremors shook the ground beneath my feet. I'd felt them on and off earlier and learned to ignore them. This time they didn't stop and rumbled louder in a steady rhythm—the cadence of a two-ton chimera running down the cavern full speed.
Bob saw us a little late and dragged his tail in an attempt to brake. He veered right and stopped—after busting through a wall.
"Priestess," he called breathlessly. "My hearth warms seeing that you are all right."
"I'm fine too, not that you care," Rexi muttered.
Bob ignored her. "My lord ordered me to find you and confirm your safety."
Undeterred, Rexi asked, "Why couldn't the Lord of the Fleas come?"
I knew Bob wouldn't answer her, so I rephrased, "Where exactly is Kato?"
"There's been an incident. Nothing major." Bob avoided my gaze by turning tail. Literally.
I couldn't keep up with the chimera's stride, so I called out, "Is he okay?"
Bob froze in his tracks. He faced me and tilted his head to one side. "You are having concerned feelings for him?"
"Yes, of course."
Bob smiled all the way to his horns and gave a smug nod. "Good, then you will be queen after all."
"Not those kinds of feelings." I sighed. "It's complicated."
Bob nudged me and winked. "Say no more. I was a hatchling once myself. True love is like a stalactite meeting a stalagmite. Complete opposites, but with time, calcium, and a healthy drip system, they meet in the middle. Or one crushes the other. It really depends." He continued on his path a little slower but with a happy spring in his step. "Fear not, future mistress. Your love will be fine, I'm sure. In the worst case, he'll only have to break one talon. Seven will still be intact."
I nearly tripped over my own feet. "Kato couldn't be bothered to look for me because he's having nail issues?" Stupid pox-prattled...
"Wow, and I thought you were vain." Rexi took a bite of steaming fruit. "Or is this his solution to our problems?" Munch munch. "He's making a claw dagger?" Munch munch. "Or does the Gray Witch have some horrible fear of bad manicures?"
Bob looked at me like, She's your responsibility; you handle her.
Too bad, in this case, I happened to agree with the snark queen. "Yeah, what she said."
Bob gave an exasperated sigh. "Really, do you know nothing about your true love?"
I chose not dignify that with a response, unless you counted the withering look I gave him.
"Each prince of the Beast King's line has some natural influence over beasts. But to use that power over a great distance or to compel someone to do something against their will, he must tap directly into the source of his life magic." Bob held up his paw.
"That's how he called you to rescue us yesterday. He used life magic." Life magic...What had Black Crow said about life magic? Comprehension dawned. "His life is within his fingernails? Do they grow back?"
Bob shook his head sadly. "No, Priestess. When all his nails are broken, he will die."
A giggle escaped from Rexi. She slapped a hand over her mouth. "You can't get a haircut, and he can't have a manicure. Death by salon visit," she managed to stammer out behind her hand.
It was a horribly inappropriate comment, considering the gravity of the situation. Not that I expected anything else from Rexi. So my only excuse for joining in was that laughter is terribly contagious.
Bob shook his head and shuffled away, muttering, "I don't understand younglings these days. Follow me to your new chambers."
"Wait." My laughter died in an instant. "Why do we need new chambers? What happened to the old one?" My mind caught hold of that line of thought and started racing. "In fact, what sort of incident would make Kato use his life magic?"
Apparently, Bob found the ceiling fascinating, because he wouldn't look down at me. "My lord said he had it all under control and has instructed me not to worry you so—"
"Now," I ordered in a serious tone that demanded be obeyed.
Bob covered his eyes with one paw and pointed down a side hall with the other. "Grifflespontus caused the royal chambers to erupt in an act of mutiny."
"What?" Rexi said while I started running.
"I knew I heard that stupid snake tail talk," I grumbled to myself. "Minor incident my royal..."
As soon as I turned the corner, the temperature dropped below zero. Rubble already filled the corridor, but in the cold, the falling ash looked like snow. The human-sized entry was gone—and so was most of the wall and room. A miniature volcano took up most of the floor space, though there was still part of a bed lying nearby. At least I thought it used to be a bed.
Glad I went for a walk instead of coming back here for a nap.
Moving on, I headed toward a dull roar I recognized as Kato's.
I found him in a large cavern that reminded me of the throne room at the Emerald Palace, except everything here was carved from rock and not precious metals or jewels. Mirrors, stuck in glowing embers on the wall, refracted light around the room. And Kato was ordering a few guard beasts to move a set of chimera ice sculptures.
Though ice sculptures weren't usually that scarred and ugly—nor did they have moving eyes. In fact, I recognized one of the serpent tails frozen in mid-hiss.
"Dot!" Kato called and stumbled over. "Where have you been? It was dangerous to go off by yourself."
"Are you seriously going to lecture me now?" I met him in the middle of the room. "What happened?"
"It's nothing you need to be concerned with, really. We had a minor disagreement over the current management of the guardians."
Did he really think I was going to fall for that? Putting my hands on my hips, I gave him the royal glare I had seen my mother use so often. "Since the current management is you, I would say that is certainly something. How bad was it?"
He waited to speak until the guards carted off the ice chimeras. Then Kato's demeanor changed alarmingly fast. If his chest were a balloon, then someone had let all the air out. His shoulders slumped in resignation and his head drooped. He looked like he hadn't seen any rest for years as opposed to days. "First, Grifflespontus altered the lava flow in my room, since that's where he thought you'd be. Then he attacked me with about five other chimeras. It was close; let's leave it at that."
"What are you going to do now?"
He growled a little. "Much as I loathe to admit it, I won't be able to keep him frozen indefinitely, even though I boosted the ice with life magic. Your Emerald flames might be useful as a last resort."
I frowned and helped shore up his wings, since he was having trouble walking. "I already gave you my answer."
"I know, and I refuse to accept that one."
Sparks shot off from the tips of my hair. "Look, you stubborn ogre..."
I was so busy scolding Kato that I didn't notice Rexi barreling into the room. She didn't notice that the floor had spots of ice. Without a tail to help steer her sliding, as Bob had done, she bowled right into us, and we ended up in a big, tangled ball of limbs and fur on the floor.
"Why do you people keep landing on me?" Rexi moaned from the bottom of the heap.
Expecting to see a comical sideshow, I looked at our reflection in one of the mirrors lining the walls. My chest tightened, and not just from Kato's weight. In our reflection, I didn't see the Chimera, but the rugged human prince from the ballroom—dark, mussed hair; bronzed, dirt-smudged skin—lying on top of me.
Kato followed my gaze and peered at us in the mirror. Our eyes met for a moment, making me feel even more uncomfortable. No, that wasn't right. I couldn't exactly place how I felt, since it was so foreign. It was sorta like leaning out of the highest window of the Emerald tower. Cool view, but it still made my stomach do queasy flips.
"Any day now, people," Rexi hollered from beneath me.
Kato blinked and backpedaled off like I'd bitten him.
"Thank Grimm! I thought I was gonna suffocate." Rexi stood and saw our reflections for the first time. "Hey, who's... Why is... Well, I'll be spelled."
Rexi's knapsack had gotten tangled up in Kato's horns, hanging like it was on a coat rack. The reflection showed the bag hovering over his head, held up by an invisible pointy bit of the horn.
"That's just weird." Rexi rescued her bag.
Kato seemed to be entranced by his human reflection. He raised a paw to his muzzle, and the mirror image raised a hand to his cheek. He continued making motions, the human counterpart doing the same.
I was getting impatient for an explanation. "Enough of the mime act. Is this an enchanted mirror or what?"
"Wouldn't it be freaky if one of these times the mirror guy didn't move?" Rexi said.
Both Katos huffed and stared up at the ceiling. "Yes, Rexi. That would be freaky. And no, Dot, it's not. I think that magic doesn't show up in a reflection anymore."
"That can't be right." I knocked on the mirror, trying to get it to work right. "My reflection is still on fire."
"Maybe because that's who you really are," Rexi said quietly.
I started pacing across the floor, and when I opened my mouth, all my fears tumbled out.
"I think I might be evil. Verte's dead, and it's all my fault 'cause I broke the barrier and let Griz in, and then Kato bonked me on the head with the potion, and voilà! Girl of Emerald bathed in flames bent on world destruction. Or at least the destruction of Black Crow, 'cause I felt all-powerful and angry there for a second and she needed to pay, but then I didn't mean to, but then I did anyway, and then she was all melty and...poof! She was a scarecrow. But the power felt good, which is bad, so I can't do what Kato asked 'cause I'm afraid if I hurt someone else, I'll tip the scale over to total badness and end up exactly like Blanc."
I forced my jaw shut before any more spilled out.
"I thought you said a house fell on Crow," Rexi said, completely missing the emotional point of my ramble.
Kato sent her an icy glare, so she raised her hands and backed off.
I took a few measured breaths before trying to be coherent. "Kato, I can't help you with Blanc. I can never use whatever"—I pinched the green, curly, crackling ends of my hair—"this is again. The last part of the curse can't come true, not if I can help it."
"I understand, I think." Kato still looked disappointed, despite his words. He whistled sharply, and Bob came trotting without delay—as in he must have been eavesdropping outside the entrance.
"Please take them to my mother's old room. I'm sure they could use the rest." Kato's tone of voice basically added whether you want to or not. "When you're done, Bobbledandrophous, join me at the White One's cell."
Bob bowed and shuffled Rexi and I out in a flurry of his feathered wings.
"And, Dot," Kato called just before I reached the exit. "While I don't agree that destroying evil would somehow make you the same as her, I won't force the issue. For now."