Page 33 of Reine's Salvation

Chapter Fourteen

Reine knew Mystique was waiting for him to continue, but he didn’t know if he had the heart. He’d only ever told the full story to his therapist. Reliving it then had been a nightmare. He’d been unable to separate the past from the present. He had cried throughout the whole thing. This time it was different. Reine leaned his cheek against Mystique’s head. He inhaled her fragrance. Sweet, like honey and flowers, so unlike the antiseptic smell in the psychologist’s office. He ran his fingertips across the top of her thigh. She placed her hand over his, interlacing their fingers. A surge of warmth filled his chest. He was not sweating buckets and his head was clear. His heart beat steadily, calmly. He could do this. She was a comfort to him. She kept him grounded to the present, distanced from the horror of that day. Reine swallowed.

“I became so obsessed with finding Leslie I thought I saw her at the end of the hall, but that place, Mystique, that place is like a magician’s palace. Nothing is as it seems. I forgot that, and I entered the door at the end of the hall. I went right through it, following what I thought was my wife. Once I was in there, I froze. It was a room full of mirrors. It was a trap.”

Reine slipped his sword from his scabbard. A soft red light of an unknown source lit up the room. He could see his reflection as he walked further inside. The mirrors had all been carefully placed so depending on where he stood, he could see his reflection or nothing at all. Suddenly, he saw her. She stood on the other side of one of the mirrors, waiting for him. She was dressed in a simple yellow sundress that showcased her long legs. Her golden hair was loose and curled above her breasts, just as he liked it. As he got closer, she smiled.

“Leslie,” he whispered.

“Reine, I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Baby,” he cried. “Baby, why are you here? And how do I get you out?” Reine placed his sword back in place and touched the mirror. The surface was surprisingly warm.

“What do you mean why am I here? Don’t you know?”

Reine shook his head. Would she be able to escape if he broke the mirror, or would it make things worse?

“It’s all your fault.”

His head snapped up.

“What do you mean?” Reine asked. He took a step back and stared at Leslie. Her blue eyes were large and full of tears.

“Even now you’re blind to what you did, aren’t you? Reine, Reine, Reine. Always so busy with work, always away, always somewhere other than home, or don’t you remember?”

“Baby, you knew when we married what my job entailed. I am a Guardian. I fight to keep humans safe, so evil and darkness don’t take over the world.”

“Stop reciting the manual, Reine,” she spat. “You fought for everything except our marriage. You were never there, Reine. As much as you claimed to love me, you knew I couldn’t live in the Guardians’ plane.”

“That’s why we settled on Earth.”

“No,” she said, taking a step closer so her hand pressed against the mirror. “I settled on Earth, and you were always traveling. You were always on some mission or another. Or don’t you remember the nights you didn’t come home? I begged you to come, but there was always an excuse.”

“There were only a handful of nights I didn’t go home. I’d, baby, I’d call you every night. It tore my heart. You are my mate. It was as painful to me as it was to you,” Reine said.

“Was it? Those cold nights when I had to hug the pillow because you weren’t there, those parties I had to attend on my own, making excuses for my husband. You weren’t there.”

Reine shook his head.

“Leslie, that’s not true. You’re—”

“You weren’t there the day I died.”

Reine staggered backward.

“Or don’t you remember?” she asked him. “You were away, fighting to save the world as usual while I was alone at the hospital, dying.”

“No. The doctors said you died instantly. That you didn’t feel any pain. You never made it to the hospital.”

“They lied,” she said. “To spare your feelings, but it’s time you knew the truth, Reine. You left me to die alone.

“No,” he screamed, drawing his sword.

“Look at yourself,” Leslie said. Suddenly her image disappeared and Reine could see himself in the reflection. He was a mess. Blood from his enemies glistened on his naked torso and his hair was askew. His eyes were wide, with dark circles beneath them.

“You’re a mess, Reine. A useless mess.”

“Leslie, where are you? Come back.”

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