Mirrored

Chapter Fourteen - Nico

                I watch Spencer, Chance, and Kitty walk away from the palace, my heart sinking lower with every step. I want to believe they'll make it, that there is some semblance of hope, but I can't manage to convince myself. 

       "So what happens now?" I say, not able to take my eyes off of my friends' retreating figures. 

"Well, they have seven days, and if they don't succeed in their quest, I get to kill you," Antimony states matter-of-factly. He grins at me. "Picnic?" 

        He strides off down a path that wraps around the outside of the palace without hesitation. Beside me, Tristan shakes his head with a slight smirk. "You're going to have to get used to that," he informs me. "Antimony doesn't... he's unpredictable."

       That doesn't help my nerves. "So he could just decide to kill me at any moment?"

Tristan shakes his head again. "No. He always keeps his promises. He won't kill you until the seven days are up. But he will kill you. I'm afraid I can't stop that." he glances at me nervously, as if afraid I'll be mad at him.

        "That's ok," I tell him. "This must be really weird for you. I mean, your best friend that you haven't seen in forever shows up and then immediately goes off on a suicide mission."

        Tristan laughs. "That's an understatement. But I've lived in the Mirror Realm for a year now. This place is the definition of weird." he glances down the path. "We should go with him. Come on, I promise it won't be that bad."

            **********************************************************************************

          It isn't bad at all. When Antimony says picnic, he means picnic. 

Around the side of the palace is a small garden, just a patch of silvery grass surrounded by rose bushes. Surprisingly normal rose bushes. Brilliant red and full, with long thorns on the stems.

       Antimony lounges on a wide blanket in the center of the garden. He's taken his crown off, and his fine hair is flattened where it once rested, and sticking up in other places. Tristan plops down next to him and runs his fingers through it, ruffling it so that it fluffs in feathery spikes. As he draws back, Antimony catches his hand and presses a kiss against his knuckles. Then he seems to notice me there for the first time and gestures vaguely at the platters and dishes scattered around him. "Food," he declares. 

      Food indeed. I study the dishes, looking for something familiar. I'm not expecting anything, but there among the strange fruits and creatures is a plate of apples. And there are potato chips. And... is that cake? 

           "Is it... right?" Antimony asks. "I wasn't sure what... I don't know that much about humans, but I sent out my soldiers to retrieve something from your world." for the first time, he looks sllightly awkward, and much less monstrous. 

       "Yeah," I manage, pleasantly surprised. "Yeah, this is good." 

Antimony seems satisfied. He glances briefly at Tristan, who gives a slight nod. I look between them, realizing that Tristan must have taught him a little about being human. Again, I'm not sure what to do with the realization. 

           The picnic is actually kind of fun, and I feel my anxiety slowly slip away as the time passes. Tristan asks me questions about my life in the human world, and I ask him about his time here in return. Antimony listens, fascinated. He occasionally jumps in with comments or questions, most of which I'm not sure how to respond to.

            "So much... chaos," he breathes as I explain crime and protests and the busyness of cities. His eyes light up and a crazed grin spreads across his face. "Can you imagine..." he looks to Tristan excitedly. "It must be beautiful." There's a hint of longing in his voice, which almost makes me feel sympathetic, until he adds, "I would love to watch it burn,"

        "I know you would," Tristan grins too. He rises to his feet, crosses the garden, picks a rose, and hands it to Antimony, sitting back down. 

         Antimony's eyes flash as he snaps his fingers. Instantly the rose lights on fire. The prince watches it burn, head tilted slightly, expression awed. Tristan watches him, his eyes sparkling with the same light. It's the first time I've ever seen something truly inhuman from him, and it scares me. 

          But watching the flaming rose, something sparks inside me. I suddenly have a memory of watching a fortress burn to the ground, Antimony by my side. He thrives on chaos, and he loves fire. He reminds me a little of myself, but with a bit more of a dramatic flair... Wait. That's not me. That's Nikolaius talking, filling my head with his memories. 

        I stand up abruptly, jerking both Tristan and Antimony out of their trance. "I'm- I'm going to... go. Take a nap. Or something. Yeah. I'll... see you later, or something. Ok. Bye."

       I scamper off, not waiting for a response. I barge into the palace and run straight for the room I've been given. I slam the door behind me and sit on the bed, tucking my knees up to my chin. 

       Images flash through my head: more burning buildings, swirling, dancing figures, light and shadow, beautiful chaos. 

            Ok, I think, snapping back to myself. You want to play, Your Majesty? Let's play.