Page 77 of Lucifer's Mirror

“I don’t know exactly, but he has been in power for thousands of years.”

“What?” I almost drop my cup. “Thousands? How is that possible?”

She peers at me, one eyebrow raised. “You really do know nothing. Khronus and Prince Khaosti are pure-blood Astrali. They’re essentially immortal, though they can be killed.”

“Was Khendril the same?”

“No, he was a guardian. When the first wars were fought against Lucifer, the guardians were created to protect the people of their worlds. They were half-breeds fathered by the Astrali. They have powers—they can shape-shift and move more freely than the Astrali, at least between their own worlds and the Astral Plane. But they were denied immortality, which is what caused many of the problems. They swear an oath to the Astrali, but Khronus abuses that loyalty and treats them like some sub-species. He takes them for granted, and many of them have taken their loyalty elsewhere with disastrous results.”

“Then Khendril wasn’t a prince?”

“No. None of the guardians inherit titles from their fathers. Okay, you get one last question, then we have work to do.”

I think for a moment. I don’t want to waste my question. “Will Zayne be okay?”

She smiles. “He will be fine. He’s going through a change, that’s all. But he has a strong mind. He’ll come through better than he was before.”

“Good. I think.” That will have to do for now, but I plan to keep a close eye on him.

“What is he to you?” Hecate asks.

“He’s my brother. My foster brother.”

“Hmm, I suspect he has more than brotherly feelings for you.”

I would have vociferously denied it not long ago. Now, it seems like everything is shifting around me. Changing. “So what work do we have to do?” I ask—my turn to change the subject.

“You were trained to fight from an early age. From the best teachers.”

I wasn’t expecting that. I mean, it’s not as though I’ve been going around beating people up for the last three years. “I was? Who was I supposed to fight?” Maybe I’m some kind of warrior for the light. A Chosen One?

She leans across and pats my arm. “You will discover that when you remember.”

I snort. “You hope. But what if it doesn’t happen?”

“You must have faith, Amber. Now let’s go get you some more appropriate clothing. And some weapons.”

I trail her out of the kitchen, along the hallway, to the back of the house.

She disappears into a room, and I follow. Swords hang from the walls, their blades gleaming brightly. And knives, some long, some short, all sharp. I really hope Hecate knows what she’s doing, or I could end up losing a body part.

“Clothes first, I think.”

“Good plan.” I glance down at my T-shirt and jeans. They’re filthy, with holes in the knees. That reminds me of another question.

“The shadowguard? What are they?”

“They are guardians who betrayed their masters. I told you that the Astrali denied the guardians their birthright. Some of them weren’t too happy about that and sold their loyalty to Lucifer in exchange for immortality—something Khronus keeps as a closely guarded secret.”

“So Lucifer is actually a real person? Where did he come from? Is he the same Lucifer they call the devil on Earth?”

“He’s the same. When he was free to move around, he visited both worlds, Valandria and Earth, though to a lesser extent on Earth. And he came from nowhere, or so Khronus would have us believe. More than that, I can’t tell you.”

Can’t or won’t?

The frustration wells up in me again, and she must see something in my face because she continues, “I suspect the shadowguard came to regret their bargain with Lucifer. It’s rumored that the magic used to change them was old magic from before the dawn of this world. Maybe it didn’t work quite as they expected, and they turned into the twisted, evil things you saw. They might live forever, but I doubt they actually want to, and they no doubt yearn for the release of death. Be careful what you wish for and never make a bargain with…” She shrugs and turns to a huge wardrobe, peers inside, then rifles through the clothes, pulling out clean underwear—Yay!—then an outfit. She hands both to me.

Soft suede pants in black. Normally, I never buy anything leather. I don’t like using animals for food or clothing—it always felt wrong to me. But this is a different world. There’s also a black strappy tank top and a jacket in the same suede.

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