Page 6 of The Eternal Mirror
Are Zayne and Josh somewhere inside that monstrosity?
We’re drawing closer and I can see the great gates of gold. They are wide open, and there’s a statue on each side that must be a hundred feet tall. They’re both depictions of Khronus.
Apparently, all the Astralis are related to the gods. Khronus and Khaosti, and me I suppose, can trace our lineage directly to Selene and Vortex, the First Gods who created the Astral Plane, made it their home, and then crafted the other worlds of Valandria and Earth as playgrounds for their children.
I suspect Khronus has always thought of himself as a second-class god, and he’s pretty desperate for an upgrade. It was his overwhelming need to be worshiped that led him to turn my father into the devil. When Selene and Vortex vanished from the worlds, the people turned away from the gods, and Khronus believed that a devil would drive them back. He used dark magic to drain all the good from Lucifer and locked it in an amber stone, leaving nothing but pure evil. But he seriously underestimated his creation. Instead of a pawn he could control, Lucifer became an almost invincible enemy, imbued with the dark magic that had created him.
I wore that amber stone, unaware of what it really was, around my neck for most of my life. It was the only thing I had when I woke from a coma three years ago with no memory of who I am. It was the reason I was called Amber. The name was supposed to be temporary, just until I remembered my real one. That only happened a couple of months ago, and by then, I was used to the name Amber. Besides, who wants to be called Lilith?
The stone is gone now, destroyed along with Hell.
For the first time, I wonder—how did Khronus get access to dark magic? I know he was working with the witches from the Coven of the First Flame, but witches don’t possess dark magic. Our magic comes from Selene. Only Vortex ever wielded dark magic, and he hasn’t been seen in any of the worlds for a long, long time.
We march—or, in my case, jog—through the gateway. There are guards here, standing at attention, but they make no attempt to question us. We cross the courtyard that leads to the mainentrance. As we approach, the huge doors open, and a man steps out, dressed in somber black, not a soldier—maybe a servant. We stop. He speaks quietly with the officer, then turns to look at me, one eyebrow raised. I smile back. I’d wave, but the cuffs sort of limit my movement.
“Follow me,” he says.
The men in front of me part; looks like they’re not coming any farther. Only the officer accompanies us, walking by my side. His face is expressionless, but a tic is jumping in his cheek. I’m guessing he’s really hoping I am who I say I am. Or he might be taking a trip to the palace roof sometime soon.
Inside, it’s all endless marble corridors, and I’m starting to wonder if we’re ever actually going to get where we’re going. But finally, the man in black comes to a halt in front of a set of great doors, pale wood inlaid with gold.
No doubt, Khronus is on the other side, and the muscles in my belly tighten. A flash of remembered pain hits me hard, and I send up a silent prayer that my spell will hold, and that he won’t be able to force me to shift.
The rage flickers to life deep in my brain, and I shut it down. There will be time for rage later. Now I’ve got to be focused. Zayne and Josh come first. Revenge will have to wait.
A shiver runs through me as the air shifts. Like it knows what’s coming.
And maybe it does, because the doors are opening.
Chapter 3
Khaos
No!
The word screams through my mind as she vanishes through the mirror. I take a step toward it, and Thanouq places a hand on my shoulder.
“You need to honor her wishes,” he says.
I growl and shake off his hand. But as I take another step, a shiver runs through the air, and the glass of the mirror shatters.
She’s made sure I can’t follow.
Deep in my mind, a part of me knows she’s right and understands why she had to go, and why I had to stay. But most of me refuses to accept that. The mating bond squeezes like barbed wire tight around my heart. And deep inside me, the dragon growls.
He’s not happy. In fact, he’s fucking angry. I think I shall call him Wrath—it fits.
Just a short while ago, I was euphoric; we’d done it, killed Lucifer, destroyed Hell, and survived. Now this. Amber is gone. It seems unreal; the shift in emotions too much, and I sway on my feet.
Closing my eyes for a few seconds, I try to ground myself, to stop the screaming in my head. I’m teetering on the edge of a precipice, and to fall would mean a return to the madness I’ve clawed my way out of.
For Amber.
Now she’s gone.
“Khaosti!” I open my eyes. Thanouq stands in front of me. “Get a fucking grip,” he snarls.
He’s right, and I struggle for control. Slowly, I draw back from the precipice. My head clears a little, and I give him a nod of acknowledgment. Only one thing is clear to me now: my father must die. And preferably at my hand, though maybe I’ll let Amber do it, if she asks nicely.
