Page 66 of Shadow Witch

“Aren’t I? I’m a lot better than you.”

“That’s debatable. I mean, yeah, you’re a badass. You’re really good at fighting and stuff. And also, you’re really smart, but you’re not perfect. I managed to get the ring back in the ice caves, for example.”

“Pure luck. Do you wish to move forward or not?”

“I do, but I feel like you’re not the right mirror either.”

“You really are stupid.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re insulting me so I choose the wrong mirror. I’m not listening to you anymore.” She plugged her ears as she stared at the other mirrors. Which one with her own reflection was the right one to use?

She spun in a slow circle assessing each option until she found someone else. Devon. A smile broadened across her face. “Devon. Wait, this entire thing has been about how much we trust each other and how strong our commitment is. I bet I have to pick Devon.”

She hurried forward toward the mirror as he grinned at her. “You can trust me, Paige. I’m here for you.”

“What about me?” Henry asked. “I’m here for you, too.”

Paige swallowed hard. “Uh-oh. Now what?”

“Trust me, Paige. I’m your true love,” Devon said.

“The foul beast is lying. I am your true love. Trust me.”

Paige flicked her gaze between the two of them, their voices competing to win her attention. “Wait,” she said, “maybe I’m supposed to just trust myself. That would make sense. I should find my true self in these mirrors.”

“Don’t be a fool,” Drucinda taunted. “Your true self is an idiot.”

“Wow,” Paige said as she studied the mirrors in search of the correct one. “Maybe I should go with you. You’re definitely the true Drucinda.”

“Of course, I am, darling. And you’d do well to trust me. Not one of your flighty mirror images.”

Paige spun in a slow circle, studying each reflection. Her heart pounded, urging her to think faster. Was Ivy already past this point? Probably. The woman probably confidently strode straight to the correct mirror and dove in.

Paige shifted her weight from foot to foot, trying to find some clue into which one to pick. “Okay, I just have to go for one. I can’t keep wasting time.”

She gave another glance around before she focused on a bright version of herself. “Bright. Yes, you’re probably the right one. I’m going for it.”

She took a step toward the mirror and pushed a hand through. Nothing but warmth met her on the other side. “That’s promising.”

She stepped into the mirror, hovering in darkness for a moment before she plunged downward with a shriek escaping her lips. She fell for what seemed like an eternity before hitting the cold, damp ground with a hard smack.

With a groan, she wriggled on the ground as she tried to catch her breath. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she pushed herself up to sit. “I guess I picked the wrong mirror.”

“You have now been downgraded to dungeon level,” an overhead voice said.

“Well, that figures,” Paige answered as she rose to stand and dusted herself off. “Now, I’ll have to claw my way out of the dungeon and then probably redo the entire mirror thing.”

With a sigh, she reached out to press a hand against the wall and followed it through the dark corridor. As she went, the wall turned from damp stone to a slippery material.

“Ew, what is this?” She wrinkled her nose as her fingers traced the barrier. “Some kind of fungus or something?”

A hiss echoed in the corridor, and she froze. “Uhhh.”

“Not a fungusssss,” a voice said, the s’s long and drawn own. “A body.”

“Oh, right, a body.” She screwed up her face. “Wait, what kind of body?”

“My body,” the voice purred.

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