Page 39 of Mirror of Vanity

Phantasmal lights darted between the trees like restless ghosts, their ethereal glow casting shifting shadows across the forest floor. A shiver ran down my spine, a primal fear awakening within me. In this realm, where the veil between the living and the dead was thin, I couldn’t be sure if these lights were illusions or something far more sinister.

I felt the weight of unseen eyes upon me, their malevolent gaze boring into my skin like hot coals. It was a sensation I had grown accustomed to in my battles against the supernatural, but it never failed to set my nerves on edge.

Goosebumps erupted across my flesh as I tightened my grip on my bow, the familiar texture of the wood grounding me in the present.

I forced myself to take a deep breath, the damp, earthy scent of the forest filling my lungs. I couldn’t afford to let fear cloud my judgment. Not when the stakes were so high. Maggie’s life and the fate of the realms depended on my ability to navigate this treacherous landscape and confront whatever horrors lay in wait.

As I stood there, poised for battle, my mind raced with the possibilities of what lurked beyond my sight.

Another snap rang out, this one closer than the last. The sound sent a jolt of fear through my body, and my muscles tensed in anticipation. I held my breath, straining to hear any other signs of movement, but the forest had fallen eerily silent. It was as if the air had stilled, holding its breath along with me.

Then, I felt it. A whisper of breath brushed over my skin, the sensation so faint that I almost believed I had imagined it. Deep down, I knew the truth. Only one creature I knew could move with such stealth, could hide in plain sight and strike without warning. A shadow dragon.

Maci was here, and I was alone.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

I strained to hear Justice’s wings or his familiar, comforting voice, but only the frantic beating of my heart met my ears. I stood my ground in the dense, shadowy forest, my bow poised for battle. I wouldn’t let Maci intimidate me. The forest’s eerie silence felt like a shroud protecting her, but I refused to let fear consume me.

Drawing on every ounce of bravery I had, fueled by the desperate need to protect those I loved, I lifted my head and aimed at the last noise I heard. “I know you’re there, Maci. Show yourself.”

The air rippled, and Maci stepped from the shadows. Her black gown shimmering with an otherworldly allure. Her long black hair was braided and pulled over one shoulder, a silver strand weaved through it like a warning. She was hauntingly beautiful, but I knew one bite of her poisoned apple would mean certain death. “You’re such a good hunter, Sawyer,” she purred.

I narrowed my eyes. “What do you want, Maci?”

She flipped her hands out, a casual gesture that belied the malice in her words. “Not much. Only all your heads on a platter and all the realms at my feet.”

I refused to respond. My grip tightened on my bow as I kept my arrow aimed steadily at her black heart. I couldn’t let her get under my skin. Too much depended on me.

She looked past me, a smirk playing on her lips. “Oh, good. Your cavalry is coming.”

I didn’t dare follow her gaze. It could be a trick. She would attack the moment I let my guard down, and I’d be dead before I could blink. The flutter of wings grew louder, and I silently prayed it was Justice and Garrick coming to my aid, not one of Maci’s ruthless enforcers.

Something sounded behind me, and I tensed, ready to face a new threat.

“Get away from her,” Justice growled.

The sound of swords unsheathing filled the air as Garrick and Justice stepped around me, two formidable knights ready to battle against the evil queen. Justice’s golden wings glinted in the light, while Garrick’s broad frame exuded strength and determination.

“Garrick. How lovely of you to join us.” Maci’s voice dripped with false sweetness, reminding me of the witch in Hansel and Gretel, luring her victims into a deadly trap.

Garrick remained silent, but rage poured off him like a blistering wind, brushing over my skin and leaving goosebumps in its wake.

Maci continued. “I have a proposition for you, my dear king. Swear your allegiance to me, and your precious wolf lives. Disappoint me, and she dies.”

Garrick sucked in a sharp breath, and my heart clenched at the thought of him facing such an impossible choice.

“You have until nightfall to decide.” With that, Maci stepped back into the shadows, her form melting into the darkness.

I scanned the shadows, straining to detect any hint of movement. Maci could easily still be hiding there, watching us with predatory intent, hoping for a sign of weakness or a loss of hope.

She would find none here. We were united in our resolve, and she could take her twisted pleasures elsewhere.

Garrick tilted his head toward a beaten path, his jaw set and his eyes hard with determination. Without a word, we followed him, the dense undergrowth muffling our footsteps. The possibility of Maci trailing behind us hung heavy in the air, but we refused to linger by the river, waiting for our nemesis to strike.

Minutes turned into hours as we moved deeper into the woods, our muscles aching with fatigue and our stomachs gnawing with hunger. The heat had been hot and unbearable earlier, but now the dropping temperatures turned my sweat ice-cold, sending shivers down my spine.

As we trudged, the shadows lengthened, stretching across the forest floor like grasping fingers. The shade felt ominous, as if the darkness itself had taken on a malevolent presence. I couldn’t shake the feeling the shadows were following us, tracking our every move with a sinister intelligence.

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