Page 40 of The Mirror in the Mountain

Tobias turned to look at me, his mouth tightening at whatever he saw on my face. Even after all this time apart, he hadn’t lost that twin intuition of knowing me so well he could practically read my mind. That sense of betrayal was only made worse by that. Because he should’ve known what I would’ve wanted.

And yet he had abandoned me.

Quinn’s eyes narrowed as she looked back and forth between us, her brow furrowing. “Is everything okay?”

Neither Tobias nor I answered, still staring at each other in a silent standoff.

“We thought we might spend the afternoon training,” Yael said as she walked toward us, Bash and Rivan close behind.

“Sure,” I said, my voice tight despite my attempt at enthusiasm. Bash gave me a wary look, obviously aware of my change in mood. “I just need to go change.”

Ignoring Bash’s concerned expression, I dumped my empty bowl in the sink before rushing upstairs—my brother’s gaze still boring into my back.

Chapter 18

Eva

Ifound Tobias in the courtyard, in an open-air garden surrounded by the giant house that had apparently once been my home. Plum trees surrounded us, their leaves a deep, blood red, the ground littered with them in a way that made me picture the aftermath of a battle.

Tobias was under a wooden overhang, partially hidden by a leafy branch. He was breathing deeply, his eyes closed, his feet shoulder-width apart, and his knees slightly bent. Slow and steady, he started to move, gracefully shifting his weight, flowing from one stance to the next. His muscles flexed against the simple white tunic he wore over black leather pants, seemingly unaffected by the chill in the air.

I recognized it immediately. A warm-up form our dad taught us in another realm…in another life. Balance and breathing, intention and movement all coming together to shape a calm I was sorely lacking in at the moment.

Sliding off my shoes, I came up next to my twin, seamlessly flowing into the familiar stances like putting on a second skin. Our breathing matched our movements, matched each other’s even inhales and exhales as we moved purposefully together in an intricate series of footwork and poses.

It took longer than I thought to push away the thoughts trying to devour me. But whether it was the calisthenics, the breathing, or the company, I was able to force them down, burying them under a blanket of brief serenity.

I could feel curious eyes on us from where Bash, Rivan, Yael, and Quinn had silently paired up and started to spar. But neither Tobias nor I said a word to them, or to each other, up until our last breath out together.

We finished the form facing each other, open palms outstretched and reaching. Our eyes met, and we both dropped our hands to our sides. Tobias’s gaze fastened around the familiar dagger I had kept safe for seven long years. His gaze dropped, then he stilled, shock clear on his face as he took in its mate at my side. “How?—”

“Aviel had it,” I said grimly. “He must have taken it the night of the fire.”

I could feel Bash’s eyes on me as I unsheathed it, holding it out so its black diamond gleamed darkly in the light. For a heartbeat, it seemed to emit a soft hum I faintly recognized before I flipped it in my hand with a flick of my wrist. My eyes locked with my brother’s as I caught it.

Somehow, it felt unlike his in a way I couldn’t entirely explain. Like this one was made to be mine.

It feels different than yours, I almost said. But it sounded even stupider on the tip of my tongue.

“So, no need to give yours back,” I added nonchalantly, even as I anxiously continued flipping mine in my hand. “Not that I would have expected you to…though I thought I last saw it being thrown at a certain False King’s head.”

Shadows snaked around the hilt of my dagger, catching it midair before I could.Ah. Bash’s mouth twisted in a small smirk, though he didn’t miss a beat as his practice sword met Quinn’s.

“I can’t believe we’re both back here,” Tobias said in a low voice. “Even if it’s without them. It’s funny how it feels like forever ago our family was whole…and yet no time at all.”

“I—” I stopped abruptly, as I couldn’t seem to say the words without breaking. But his eyes seemed to reflect the words I couldn’t say.

I still miss them so, so much.

“Me too, sis.”

I looked away, blinking the sudden moisture from my eyes as I took in the orange-tinged sky. Tobias followed my gaze, faintly shuddering before seeming to steel himself.

“Eva, I owe you an?—”

“Why didn’t you come back for me sooner?” My voice shook faintly as that betrayal bled through. “Why—whydidn’t you tell me you were alive?”

Tobias tensed at the accusation in my voice, his lips tightening. My eyes narrowed. Then I raised my hands in a fighting stance, my elbows bent, one foot slightly forward. He copied me by habit, matching my sideways steps as we started circling each other.

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