Page 80 of The Evernight Court

Excitement spiked the blood in my veins and the magic inside me responded instantly, just like the book said it should. According to it—according toValentine—magic wasconnected most closely to emotions, and the better you can master them, the better control you have over your magic. I was going to learn how to do that eventually, but today was not the day.

Today, I grabbed the chain of that necklace, careful not to touch the crystal, and I leaned in to kiss Grey’s portrait right on the lips. Then I ran out of the closet and the room so fast I almost fell on my face three times going down the stairs.

Romin had forbade Tristian and Emil from touching me last night, and I reminded myself of that as I opened the doors of the tower. They would not be coming after me even if they saw me in the hallways. They couldn’t touch me unless I specifically asked them to—and I wouldnotbe doing that no matter what—so I was safe. No need to panic. No need to cower back—Ihadto go to the mirror room.

The necklace had finally worked just like Reeva said it would. It had shown that room to me, and I had a feeling in my gut, agoodfeeling for once that I was finally—finallygoing to catch a break from this place and everyone in it.

With those thoughts in mind, I walked out of the tower and I closed the doors behind me, part of me a bit sad to do it,but most of me happy at the idea that I might not ever see it again.

I’d walk away. I’d get the hell out of this place that had taken Grey away from me, and the Evernights wouldneverget the chance to even see me again, let alone do with me what they wanted.Haveme. Make me theirs.

Fuck that—I was Grey’s.I’d made my peace with it by now no matter how senseless it may sound, and Grey’s I would remain until the day that I died.

The main hallway was empty, and when I stopped to listen for the sound of beating wings, my heart sank.

Shadow.

Valentine was banished, and I’d seen Shadow after the sky swallowed him, sitting on that apple tree…hadn’t I? He’d been there, watching, all alone, and now he was probably on his way to Mount Agva, if he hadn’t already arrived. Just like Storm, little Shadow was going to starve himself in a cave somewhere until he died.

Fuck, that hurt. It killed me to imagine Shadow like that, dead on the ground together with Storm. It hurt so much I had tears in my eyes when I finally made it to the big round door that led to the mirror room.

I used to think that door was heavy the first time Valentine brought me here, but when I pulled it open now, it moved with ease. I’d gotten so much stronger in such a short period of time that it scared me.

Who would I become once the magic was done changing me? Did I even want to know?

But as I stepped through into the dark cave where the mirrors were, I forced myself to focus. I forced myself to let go of thoughts of Storm and Shadow and magic and myself. I was here now, in the mirror room, and that necklace was around my neck. I was here and so were the mirrors, and I practically ran to them until I was standing in the very middle near theround couch, looking at the different worlds around me as the sun climbed up in the sky. It couldn’t have been any later than nine, and every Isle I could see in these mirrors was buzzing with life—Dragons’ Den, Faeries’ Aerie, the Blood Barrow, Witches’ Wing and Skinwalker Soil. Sofull,all of them, except the Whispering Woods and Sirens’ Lair—and the eighth mirror, the broken one that showed nothing at all.

I was shaking when I stepped in front of the one that showed the cliff of Faeries’ Aerie, all the colorful faeries with their torn wings going about their business, coming out of their tree homes and normal looking houses, and from underground. I had been there, on the top of that massive cliff. I’d been there that day no matter what anyone said.

And maybe today I was going to get there again.

My hand shook as I reached out to touch the surface of the mirror. All this time I could have come here, and I could have disappeared. If I’d just given Genevieve my blood the first time she asked for it…

No matter,I told myself. It was over. The wait was over. I was going to go to Faeries’ Aerie, and I was going to leave the Whispering Woods behind once and for all.

Taking in a deep breath, I closed my eyes and touched the tips of my fingers to the surface of the mirror.

Cold.

Even my heart had stopped beating as I waited for the mirror to give way so I could move, so I could step inside it the same way I’d done that day.

Except it didn’t. I touched it, pressed my palm flat against the glass, and it didn’t give. It was solid. It didn’t budge. It didn’t let me through.

A scream tore from my throat before I could help it. My legs gave up on me and I sat on the floor, back against the couch, and I just looked at the blue sky over Faeries’ Aerie. I looked at it, at the cliff, and the fairies andthe witches and the people walking around the pools at the Paradise in the Burrow, and I cursed the woman who’d condemned me to this life.

I cursed Valentine for challenging Grey.

I cursed Romin for banishing Grey and leaving me here all alone.

It took me a little while to get my shit together again, to accept that the stupid necklace was wrong. The mirror room wasn’t going to give me my freedom. Those mirrors were just that—mirrors, not portals. And what if I’d really made up the entire thing? What if I’d never actually gone to Faeries’ Aerie?

What if, what if, what if…

My hope had crashed and burned, but I still found it in me to stand up and try to get into the other mirrors. All of them, even the one that showed the deep waters of Sirens’ Lair. I tried them all several times, each time thinking,maybe it will work now. Maybe I did something wrong before, but it will work this time. It has to—itwillwork!

It never did.

“Liar!” I shouted at the necklace, and it was meant for the witch who’d given it to me. She was a damn liar, and her necklace didn’t work. All it had shown me was this room. It had shown me these mirrors that I was now looking at— “Forwhat?!”

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