Page 35 of The Other Side of the Mirror

Stumbling to the bathroom, I turned on a cold shower, my body protesting the icy treatment compared to the warmth of her wrapped around me. The thought of staying in bed with her without being able to touch her—especially should she wake up and notice the straining salute her closeness had evoked—ran me out of the room without even a look back.

I leaned my head against the pearlescent navy tiles of the shower wall, trying to block out the desire to be near her. To dry off right now, get back in that bed, and pull her back around me.

Only the thought of her reoccurring dreams of the False King had me hurriedly getting dressed and heading down to the kitchen to see who was already awake. There was no way the king was strong enough to find her in her own mind, not after so long imprisoned under that ancient mountain.

But somehow, he had. Eva had described him exactly; an image I would never forget as it haunted my own worst memories.

Rivan was sitting at the wooden table inside the kitchen, digging into a large plate of eggs next to an even bigger bowl of oats topped with nuts and berries. His fork stopped halfway to his mouth at the look on my face. I filled him in on what happened without so much as a good morning, skipping the part where I spent the night with Eva tucked into my side.

“But as to how he was able to dreamwalk to her, let along mark her…”

I couldn’t help my snarl at the thought of the red handprint marring Eva’s tan skin.

Rivan was already frowning at the implications. “The sooner we get her to the prince, the better, especially if the False King’s truly getting that much stronger. I’ll send word to Morehaven immediately to make sure they check in on his prison and follow up when we get there later. Only the gods know how he’s been able to reach her like that, let alone have the strength to find her while trapped in that hellhole.”

I stared at him. Somehow, I had forgotten. Today was the day we would take Eva to Morehaven.

“Bash?”

“Of course,” I said briskly, busying myself by stacking a tray with two bowls of oats, one for me, one for Eva, plates covered in a rainbow of fruits, nuts, and fresh baked goods, and another bowl heaped with the remaining eggs. Frowning, I added a bowl of yogurt and granola, just in case she preferred it. Backing out of the room, I balanced the overburdened tray on one hand, two steaming mugs of tea in the other. “I’ll go see if she’s awake.”

I tried my best to ignore the ticking of time as I walked away. The countdown beating inside my chest.

Today was the day I was going to lose her.

Chapter17

Eva

Low voices woke me from the other side of the door. I slowly realized Bash was no longer by my side, but relaxed when I recognized the timbre of his voice speaking with his sister.

“I’ve seen the way you look at her,” Marin said, her voice rising slightly. “The way she looks at you. The way you?—”

“Stop.” Bash’s voice was flat, cold. “The prince is her soul bonded. She won’t even remember me after I bring her to him.”

I winced. But there was something struggling in me too. Because what was the point of the feelings crowding my chest, despite my efforts to quash them? Bash obviously thought this couldn’t turn into anything, even if hedidwant me. And I was about to leave anyway, for another castle, another life—one that had no place for the way I felt about him.

It didn’t help that the desire I held for Bash warred with the knowledge that I was about to meet the person predestined for me. And as much as a skeptical part of me didn’t want to believe in some faerie nonsense, there was some part of me that was waiting for the moment that bond fell into place. Like I could finally take that chance with my heart, if it meant discovering my destiny.

“That’s not even a little bit true.” Marin cut into my thoughts with all the exasperated petulance of a younger sibling. “What if there’s?—”

“That’s enough,” Bash said brusquely. “If you don’t have anything to add that can help the next time the False King takes a stroll into her mind…”

I cringed at the thought of how foolishly I believed the False King haunting my dreams was a reoccurring nightmare all this time. That pale-eyed stare. That sense of terror that lingered even after I woke up.

A nightmare that was, and yet wasn’t.

I’ve been waiting for you.

I should have known they weren’t just dreams. I just hadn’t wanted to face it.

The mark on my wrist had nearly faded, though my stomach dropped at its faint outline. Making my way to the bathroom, I quickly freshened up before shrugging on a silken robe, then walked over to open my bedroom door.

Bash paused at the sight of me, then walked straight past me without so much as a hello, a heaping breakfast tray and two steaming mugs in his hands. There was more than enough food for five of me—an array of scones, fruit, eggs, oatmeal, and yogurt topped with chocolate-speckled granola.

“Good morning to you too, freckles,” I quipped as he set the food on the table.

Marin smiled at me, but her lips pursed as she walked past me and looked at her brother, a line forming between her eyebrows.

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