Page 29 of Mirror of Vanity

I pushed my plate away, ready to make Garrick put down his cards. “I’m finished. Now what are we going to do?”

“What else? Go to bed.”

“I’m not sleeping with you, Garrick.” I narrowed my eyes and reached for the blade hidden in my leather jacket.

He sighed and flashed me a solemn look. “I must admit my goal was to seduce you, little human, and coax you into my bed.” He finished off one more glass, then gave me a sad smile. “I haven’t been with any woman since Maggie left. Not a human, an Unseelie, or any other creature. Believe me, I have tried. I wanted to forget the pain of losing her in someone else’s arms…” His voice trailed off.

I should have been furious with him, threatening to cut out his black heart with my blade, but the anger faded at the pain and loneliness in his eyes. He truly loved Maggie and was devastated she was gone and had turned on him.

“Garrick—”

He grabbed another bottle of wine and rose from the table. “My guard will take you to your room, human. Don’t even think about leaving. He will be outside to make sure you’re safe.”

“Where are you going?”

“Good night, Sawyer.” He opened the dining room door and left.

A guard came into the room and escorted me down a hallway filled with tapestries of battles and coronations of kings, the last being of Garrick. I stopped to look at it while the guard opened a door.

He didn’t say anything as I entered my room, and I had no doubt he was standing outside my door.

I headed to the room’s balcony and looked out at the vast Unseelie shadow land, wondering again where Justice was. Could he see the castle? He could be anywhere.

My worst fear was the demons had overtaken him like what happened back in Mystic Ridge. A demon had bitten him, nearly ripping out his throat, almost killing him. And breaking my heart. I didn’t realize how much I cared for him until I almost lost him. Now, it was happening again.

My chest tightened, and my breath came in short, painful gasps. “Justice,” I whispered, my voice barely a puff of air. “Please be alive. I need you.” Memories of his warm smile and strong embrace flashed through my mind, and a fresh wave of tears threatened to overwhelm me. “You promised you’d always come back to me. Don’t break that promise now.”

A cool breeze brushed over me while I pleaded for him, and I wished it would carry my words to him, wherever he was. I closed my eyes, picturing his face, holding onto the hope that, somehow, he felt my love reaching out to him across the vast distance between us.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

My plea went unanswered, swallowed by the vast expanse of the Unseelie lands. I stood alone on the balcony, feeling as insignificant as a pebble in a desolate, rocky terrain filled with towering, dark trees that whispered sinister secrets. Shadows danced at the edges of my vision, and the air hummed with an undercurrent of danger that raised goosebumps on my skin.

I don’t know how long I stayed there, staring out into the darkness, hoping for a sign of Justice. Minutes stretched into hours, and the moon and stars slowly shifted overhead, casting an ethereal glow on the landscape. The air turned cooler, and a shiver ran through my body, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. It wasn’t until my eyelids grew heavy, threatening to close against my will, that I finally stumbled back into the room.

Exhausted and heartbroken, I collapsed onto the soft mattress, the luxurious bedding offering little comfort. Sleep tugged at the edges of my consciousness, but my mind refused to rest. It constantly replayed memories of Justice as I worried about his fate. I curled into a ball, hugging my knees to my chest as tears soaked the pillow beneath my cheek. In the suffocating silence of the room, I whispered one last prayer. “Please, let him be safe. Let him find his way back to me.”

I blinked as a tapping sound echoed through the room. Groaning, I looked toward the balcony, expecting to see a bird at the window, but there was nothing.

“Ms. Grant,” a male voice called, accompanied by another series of taps.

Realization dawned on me as my groggy brain put the pieces together. It was most likely my guard knocking at the door. I stumbled out of bed and opened the door, confirming my suspicions.

The guard stood tall, his posture rigid and his expression neutral. He gave me a tight smile. “The king has requested you join him for breakfast.”

I wanted to scream. Breakfast was the last thing on my mind. All I could think about was finding Justice and going to the Veil of the Shadows. We had to locate the library and uncover our first clue.

The guard gestured. “If you’ll follow me.”

I held up my palm. “Wait. I just woke up and need a minute.”

He bowed, his jaw clenching almost imperceptibly. “As you wish.” The irritation in his voice was unmistakable as if he couldn’t believe I would dare to defy his king.

Not wanting to annoy Garrick and risk being thrown in the dungeon, I raced into the bathroom. I winced as I caught sight of my reflection. No wonder the guard looked at me like I was a peasant. My red-stained eyes and cheeks were swollen from crying, and my hair resembled a tangled mess, like I had stuck it in a blender.

I quickly freshened up, washing my face, brushing my teeth, and combing my hair until it looked somewhat presentable. I grabbed my bow and quiver. When I finally emerged from the bathroom, the guard blinked in surprise as if he couldn’t believe the transformation.

In the daylight, sunshine streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting a warm, colorful glow. The statues that seemed villainous in the darkness now appeared friendly, their features softened by the gentle light. As I followed the guard through the halls, I glanced at the paintings and tapestries adorning the walls, wondering about the history of the Unseelie and how they connected to Garrick.

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