Page 34 of Queen Takes Rook
I shivered at the thought. I didn’t want to find out how much blood would be required to overpower one of Marne’s own mirror spells.
“The single most important thing to remember: when you wish to close the connection, you must wipe the blood away. If you forget, the connection will remain viable, and she may be able to manipulate the mirror at will.”
Rik sent an immediate order through our bonds.:I charge anyone present with our queen when she’s using the mirror to check and verify the blood is wiped away in case she forgets.:
:Understood, alpha.:They each replied.
“Do you have any other questions, my queen?” Tepeyollotl asked.
“If I decide I want to break the connection so she can’t contact me through the mirror at all, how do I do that?”
“Break the mirror into pieces and bury or destroy the shards. Beware, there may be a great deal of energy released when you destroy the connection. This is where the saying comes from that implies bad luck results from breaking a mirror. Care must be taken to be sure a magically-charged mirror is disposed of correctly.”
“Can she change her appearance in the mirror? Like show me something that isn’t true?”
“Of course, if she has enough power to do so. She may choose to conceal or mask her appearance, but so can you.”
Again, if I had the power, or, if I offered enough blood to raise that amount of power. “Thank you, Tepeyollotl. You’ve been extremely informative.”
“It’s my pleasure to serve my queen’s queen.”
I hung up and stepped back inside the guard shack. :Thank you, Mayte.:
:He was able to help?:
:He was of great assistance.:
I felt her smile in the bond and then she slipped away. I handed the phone back to Gina and reluctantly took the heavy mirror back from Frank. The surface was slightly bubbled with impurities from age, but I could see myself clearly. Without blood… it looked like an old mirror you could find in any antique shop.
Carefully, I laid the mirror back in the box. “Well, I guess we need to pick a place to store it. Do one of you want to take charge of it?”
Tlacel took the box from Frank. “I will be honored to mind the mirror for you, my queen.”
“If I may make a suggestion?” Winston waited for me to nod before continuing. “I’m guessing you’ll want to keep it close—but not too close. Off your master bedroom, there’s a small room that would be perfect for a private study. It’s a bit dark and gloomy, since there aren’t any windows, but perhaps that would be best for such a potentially dangerous item.”
True. I hadn’t thought to ask Tepeyollotl if the mirror should stay out of the sun, but I would guess light reflecting off the surface could be painful, especially if I was trying to use its magic.
That made me think of something else. Eyes narrowed, I thought back to how Ra had opened a window into my bedroom in Kansas City. How he always used bright flashes of light to stun us during an attack. “Do you think Ra is using a form of mirror magic?”
“It’s very possible,” Rik answered as we made our way back to the house. “When you shattered the portal in Kansas City, the explosion was tremendous. I’m guessing that would be very much like what Tepeyollotl described when breaking a magical mirror.”
“But there wasn’t a mirror on my side that he could use, not like this.”
“Maybe he’s powerful enough he doesn’t need one,” Guillaume replied.
Great, just fucking great.
Winston hurried ahead of us to swing the impressive front door open for us. “Let me show you the newly renovated rooms, Your Majesty. I hope you’ll be most pleased.”
“I’m sure I will.” Inside, plastic stretched across the large doorway that led to the dining room and kitchen.
“We’ve started work on the kitchen, which should be ready in a few more days.” Winston led us upstairs, speaking over his shoulder. “The contractor says five, but I’m guessing it’ll be more like ten. Did you want to pick out the appliances, Your Majesty?”
“Honestly, no, I’d have no idea what to pick. I trust your judgment implicitly.”
His cheeks colored, eyes sparkling with pleasure. “Of course, thank you, Your Majesty. We left the grand fireplace untouched, other than some minor sprucing and cleaning. It’s perfectly functional. The fireplace in the sunken living room still needs some masonry work. Depending on the weather, we may need to wait another few weeks or longer to ensure they have easy access to the roof.”
“Of course, not a problem.”
