Page 92 of The Other Side of the Mirror

Of course Aviel had known we would come to save my brother. And he had been ready for us. Forme.

It was a trap.

Chapter36

Eva

Ishould’ve known he would be waiting for me.

Bash was instantly at my side, his sword out. Soldiers rushed down the stairwell we came in from in a clatter of metal, blocking our exit. Both factions moved around our group, swords raised as they pressed in.

A ring of magical, smokeless flames encircled us, a sight I hoped to never see again. An old fear with a new face.

But I was far from helpless this time.

I realized my sword was already in my hand, training and instinct taking over despite the terror clogging my throat. Without taking my eyes off the danger surrounding us, I passed Tobias his dagger. I barely took in the surprised, grateful look on his face before I closed my eyes.

My breathing was even as I drew my magic up and in from that deep well. Plunging inwards in a nearly uncontrolled dive into its depths.

Darkness leapt out of me like a dense fog, snuffing out the flames like they had never existed. It knocked the soldiers closest to us back with a solid wave of flowing night. The rest of them made panicked shouts, unable to see, but my friends were ready, and cries of pain filled the chamber.

A soldier jumped toward me through the gloom, a horrible grin on his face as he tried to grab me. Distantly, I realized he must be under orders to take me alive, since he hadn’t gone for his sword. He sent two tentacles of water at me, but I ducked under them, ramming my elbow into his face. When he stumbled, I turned, my blade slashing across his throat. He went down hard, his life’s blood spilling from the wound.

There wouldn’t be any more knocking people unconscious. Not when my brother, my friends, and myanima’slives were on the line, as well as my own freedom. But I knew I wouldn’t forget the face of my first kill when I had a chance to process this later.

Another soldier charged toward me. I raised my bloody sword?—

Bash’s shadows surrounded him before he could reach me, desiccating him like that tree in the woods.

“Eva—”

I didn’t have a chance to respond as another soldier ran forward, fireballs in each of her palms. Shoving away my fear, I pretended to stumble. I saw the triumph in her flame-colored eyes as she lunged. Followed by pure shock as my sword sank into her chest, her fire gone.

Tobias slammed into the next soldier who made it through the dusky mist, and I could feel Bash at my back fighting another, always my protector. We were so accustomed to fighting together now that our movements naturally mirrored each other’s—every movement, every burst of magic covering the other’s blind spots.

I sent out another wave of darkness. It splintered into hazy tendrils that raced down the throats of the nearest soldiers—night solidifying in their lungs. They were dead before they hit the ground.

But there were more in their place before I could move, one of them forcing me to twist away from his heavy blow. Rivan appeared to my left, shoving his sword into the soldier’s side. More death, more cries of pain were muffled by my darkness like it was absorbing their suffering. I threw my power at yet another opponent, who became yet another body. Beside me, Tobias stabbed a soldier in the heart, the diamond on the hilt of his dagger flashing through my darkness.

Maybe wecouldwin this.

If we could just make it to the stairs. Hold them off in a mad dash to the mirror. Only we were still outnumbered, and Aviel hadn’t even touched his power. I couldn’t even see him through my own darkness, but I knew he was waiting for his moment. And if my parents hadn’t been able to stand against him?—

I had to get them out. To get them all out.

Because Aviel would take me alive, but I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill everyone else.

“Enough.”

As if my thoughts had summoned him, the prince’s…no, the False King’s voice made me falter. I barely managed to duck under a torrent of water from an oncoming soldier.

Suddenly, the room was blindingly bright, light consuming my vision. The soldiers stepped back as if on an unspoken cue.

Aviel’s laugh slapped me in the face, cruel and merciless, reminding me of how powerless I had been the last time I was here.

But I wouldn’t be helpless again.

“I knew you would come back, darling,” Aviel drawled, slowly coming toward me. He didn’t hold a weapon, his sword still strapped to his hip. He smirked as he followed my gaze, raising both palms in a gesture of pure arrogance. Like he didn’t need his sword to defeat us.

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