Page 27 of Mirror of Vanity

Garrick clasped my hand. “Come. I promise none of the food is enchanted.”

I allowed him to lead me back into the dining room, but I couldn’t shake the uneasiness still gripping me.

The sight that greeted us was nothing short of opulent. Fine, dark porcelain dishes along the table shimmered with an iridescent sheen under the light of countless candles, their flames casting ghostly shadows on the high walls. The silverware was ornate, with handles twisted into intricate patterns that suggested thorns and vines, almost alive in their detailed artistry.

I felt like I had stepped into a Dracula movie. My stomach growled as I stared at the food. Coming through the portal had been an ordeal, and time was different here. So, I really didn’t know how long it had been since I’d eaten.

My mouth watered as I gazed at the center of the table, dominated by an elongated crystal centerpiece that swirled with a low, ethereal mist. A garnet-colored sauce glazed platters of rich, dark meats. Bowls of exotic fruits emitted a deep, intoxicating aroma, their colors deep and saturated. Purples so dark they were nearly black, blues deep as the midnight sky, and reds like coagulated blood.

I wished Justice was here for the millionth time. He would know what I should and shouldn’t eat. The only person I could ask was Garrick, and I needed a crystal ball to determine whether he was telling me the truth. At the moment, I didn’t have one.

“Please, sit.” Garrick gestured to the chair beside him.

I forced myself to do as he asked. Unease replaced the tender moment on the balcony. I could eat something here and change my life forever.

Liquids that seemed to shift in hue from dark violet to an opaque, ominous black filled various decanters beside thin, fine glass goblets. Much different than the wine we had earlier. I glanced at the bread in silver wire baskets. It held a strange, luminescent shine as if imbued with moonlight.

The servant placed a plate in front of me, and I sat as still as stone, unsure what to do next. I closed my eyes, silently wishing for Justice to burst through those double doors and reassure me everything was all right. He was a vampire. Transforming into a bat and swooping in to save the day should be within his capabilities.

A disturbing thought jolted me from the spread.

Garrick noticed the change immediately. “What’s wrong?” he asked with a hint of irritation. “I told you the food wasn’t enchanted. Don’t you believe me?”

My heart sank to my toes. I clasped his hand, trembling. “Garrick, do you think what happened to Maggie could happen to Justice?”

He withdrew his hand abruptly and shook his head. “He’s a vampire, Sawyer, and a powerful one,” he intoned dismissively.

His tone did nothing to soothe my fears.

The servant filled our glasses with wine, then stood at attention as if awaiting Garrick’s next command.

I tightened my grip on my glass, needing something solid to hold onto. “You didn’t answer my question. Are those damn demons powerful enough to enslave him like they did Maggie?”

Garrick picked up his knife and fork, focusing on the thick slab of roasted meat on his plate. The flickering candlelight cast shadows across the dark wooden table, and the faint sound of wind whistling through the castle walls added to the ominous atmosphere. “This tastes like venison. It’s quite delicious,” he remarked.

I wanted to grab his broad shoulders and shake him, to see the concern that must be hidden behind his calm facade. I wanted him to answer me, to tell me I was overreacting, being a silly woman. As I studied his chiseled features, I noticed the slight furrow in his brow and the tightness in his jaw.

He finished chewing his meat, then sipped the wine. “If I didn’t think Justice was powerful enough to withstand those creatures, I never would have sent him out there.”

Garrick wasn’t fooling me. I heard the doubt in his voice, the slight tremor that betrayed his fears. Justice might be more powerful than one demon, but a horde of them? My heart raced at the thought of what they might do to him. I didn’t realize how much I cared about him until that moment.

The thought of losing him left me feeling hollow, like part of my soul had been ripped away. I couldn’t breathe, and a tingling sensation spread through my fingers, a physical manifestation of the fear that gripped my heart. Memories of him putting himself in danger to protect me flooded over me, a testament to his bravery and selflessness.

I remembered when we first met at the Shadow Mine, how the Demons of Greed had attacked us without warning. Justice had lifted me out of the way, his strong arms carrying me to safety as the demons closed in around us. His eyes blazed with determination, and at that moment, I knew he would do anything to keep me from harm.

Then, there was the night at the Twilight Tavern when he left me with Damon to investigate a shadow lurking in the darkness outside. I had begged him not to go, but he only smiled that infuriatingly brave smile of his and told me he would be back before I knew it. Yet he almost didn’t come back at all. The shadow nearly killed him, and when I saw his broken body lying on the street, I felt like my world had shattered.

Justice had always been there for me, protected me from danger, even sacrificed himself for me. He was my rock, my anchor in a world that seemed determined to tear me apart. Yet, I never told him how much I cared about him, how much he meant to me. The words always seemed to stick in my throat, held back by a fear of losing my family and something else, something I couldn’t quite name.

Now, with him out there facing a horde of demons alone, I couldn’t hold back any longer. The idea of losing him forever shattered my heart into a million pieces, and I knew if I never got the chance to tell him how I felt, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The lavish dining room, with its fancy furniture and elegant silverware, felt stifling. The aroma of the rich food only served to make me nauseous. Garrick had nearly cleared his plate, savoring each bite, while I hadn’t even touched mine, my stomach tied in knots with worry.

Garrick wiped his mouth with a napkin and put it down, his brow furrowed in concern. “You’re not even going to try your food?”

“I can’t eat, knowing Justice is out there…” I couldn’t finish what I wanted to say. I got up from the table, knocking my chair over in my haste.

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