22. Nelle Starting with the Man in the Mirror
Nelle: Starting with the Man in the Mirror
“Remember, I’ll be right beside you the entire time.” Kit’s words did nothing to slow Nelle’s rapid breathing. She couldn’t understand herself—asking the Cracked Mirror for help had been her idea, so why did the thought of going inside make her chest tighten and breathing go into overdrive?
“I’m still not sure this is such a good idea,” Kemma said, floating anxiously behind them.
“We still don’t know who put the dragon man under the spell, or whether your burning branch broke the connection for good.
What if he falls back under its influence while you’re talking to the Cracked Mirror? ”
Nelle’s unease grew. This was a potential issue she hadn’t considered before.
Another possibility, one that was far more likely, in her opinion, was that she might fall under her mother’s control.
What if she attempted to hurt Kit while they were in there, separated from Kemma and Ember?
Maybe they should simply call the whole thing off.
As if he was reading her mind, Kit shook his head. “We will not back down now. We’ve already spent half the night arguing over which question to ask and how to word it. In for a copper coin, in for a gold one, that’s what I say.”
Nelle bit her lip. “But what if?—”
“We can sit here coming up with what-ifs for the rest of our years if we want. But the only way out of this situation is with information, and the Cracked Mirror has it. Don’t worry,” Kit said, gently resting his hand on the small of her back.
“It will all be okay. I’m fairly certain that you removed me from the spell’s control.
And if I feel anything that even remotely seems like that dratted voice is back, I’ll let you know, and we’ll leave immediately.
” He fixed his eyes on hers. “As long as you do the same. If I remember correctly, you said the last time you were in here, the queen had a pretty firm grip on you.”
Nelle’s heart caught in her throat, and she nodded.
“Maybe you should come up with a code word,” Kemma suggested. “One that says you need to leave immediately, but that the Cracked Mirror won’t recognize.”
Kit nodded. “That’s not a bad idea. Do you have any suggestions?”
Nelle cocked her head. “What about ‘Little John’ as the code for ‘we need to leave now,’ and ‘Scarlet,’ for ‘use caution?’”
Kemma scowled. “And if the spell creeps up on you and drives everything else out of your minds?”
Kit frowned, lost in thought. “Do you have anything you can control when you’re under your mother’s command?”
Nelle thought for a moment. “Not really. I can’t move or say anything. I can barely even blink, even if I wanted to.”
“Perfect.” Kit slipped her hand into his. “Hold on to me as tight as you can. If you let me go, I’ll take it as a sign that your mother’s in control and I’ll get you out of there as fast as I can. And you do the same for me if I let go of you?”
Nelle nodded. She wondered if he could hear her heart pounding as she reflected on how right it felt with her hand in his. She gave herself a mental shake and forced a smile onto her face. “Are we ready?”
Kit nodded, his teeth clenched so tight a muscle in his jaw started pulsing. “As we’ll ever be.”
“And what’s the one question you settled on?” Kemma questioned as they faced the door together.
Nelle swallowed hard. “We decided to ask how to break Kit’s spell.
” It hadn’t been an easy decision. As Kit had said, they’d stayed up until the wee hours arguing over their options.
There had been so many questions they needed answers to: Where was Snow White holding Robin?
How could Nelle get her memories back? Who was the voice in the cave had enchanted Kit?
But, in the end, they agreed that there were other ways to answer the other questions, but they’d both already come up empty with ways to break his spell.
As such, if they were only going to ask one question, that would be the question they should ask.
Kemma gave a slow, reluctant nod. “Good. And don’t beat about the bush in there. The longer you’re in there, the more time he has to get his claws into you. If you stay too long, you won’t be able to come back.”
“Isn’t that a little overdramatic?” Kit asked.
“No. If anything, I’m understating the danger,” Kemma said, fixing him with a fierce glare.
“Just before Nelle left to go…do whatever she did to you, the Cracked Mirror demanded that she come to him for a lesson. She stayed in there for almost a month, and when she came out, she was so weak, she could barely stand. And now there are two of you going in there, so I’m nearly positive that he’ll want to keep both of you as long as he can. ”
Nelle swallowed hard, and she resisted the urge to withdraw her sweaty palm from Kit’s massive one. Sensing her unease, he squeezed her hand. “We’ll be careful.”
Kemma nodded reluctantly. “If you’re not out of there by nightfall, I’m going in with Ember. And you know he won’t react well to the darkness in there, so keep that in mind.”
Kit pressed the hand not holding Nelle’s to his chest. “You wound me! Using the phoenix against me?”
Kemma smirked. “Of course. A tressym has to work with the tools she’s got.” Her cat-like smile was gone as quickly as it had appeared. “Now, stop stalling and go. And may the Maker protect both of you.”
Nelle couldn’t help but shiver at the tressym’s pronouncement as Kit put his hand to the door. He quirked his brow as he looked back at her. “Ready?”
Nelle squeezed his hand. “Let’s go.”
He squared his shoulders and pushed the door open. He took a deep breath and, together, they plunged into the darkness.
“Ah, little princess, you’re back. And you’ve brought a friend.
” Even though she’d been expecting it, she jumped at the sound of the Cracked Mirror’s voice.
Kit didn’t jump, but his entire body went stiff, the only sign that it had startled him.
“Come in and close the door. I won’t bite, I promise.
” An insidious chuckle rippled through the room.
Kit found Nelle’s eyes, his own gleaming in the darkness. “Well, that’s…comforting, I suppose,” he said, his voice taut.
“I should hope so, Sir…let’s see, I don’t think you’ve given me your name,” the Cracked Mirror simpered.
“No, I think I’ll keep that for now, thank you,” Kit said placidly. “Perhaps another time.” Nelle shot him another glance, but he merely squeezed her hand once more and continued, “It seems we’re at a disadvantage, sir. You can see us, but we can’t see you.”
A few seconds ticked by before the Cracked Mirror said, “How rude of me. My apologies.” A moment later, icy blue flames ignited around the room, shrouding the room in shadows.
At the center of the flames, the Cracked Mirror smirked at them.
This time, his appearance reminded Nelle faintly of Kit, though his dragon’s scales were a deep shade of scarlet, rather than Kit’s gleaming white.
“Thank you, sir,” Kit said with another serene smile.
“Of course. Now, tell me, what brings you to my abode, little prince?” the Cracked Mirror crooned.
“We wish to ask you a question,” Nelle said, finding her voice at last.
The Cracked Mirror arched a brow. “A question? How interesting.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m assuming you don’t remember the price of an answer?”
Nelle’s jaw tightened, and she forced herself to shake her head.
“Very well. Then I shall enlighten you. If I answer your question, then you must grant me a boon. I must inform you of what the boon might be at the time of the asking, and you must complete the task I assign you within a week. If you do not, you must give me another boon. If you fail to complete the second task, then you will join me in my prison.” The Cracked Mirror gestured at his frame with his eyes.
“A prison sentence for an undisclosed length of time seems a rather steep punishment for failing to complete an assignment,” Kit said.
“Two failures to complete an assignment,” the Cracked Mirror snapped. “And those are the terms. I am nothing more than a humble business person, after all.”
Kit nodded slowly. “I see.”
“But for the two of you, I will bend the rules slightly. I will give you two questions for the price of one, and I’ll tell you exactly what you must do before asking your questions.” The Cracked Mirror gave a sickly sweet smile. “I think you’ll agree that’s a generous offer.”
Kit’s eyes sparked as he murmured, “Oh, yes, so generous.”
“Excellent. I’m so glad we all agree,” the Cracked Mirror said. “And, even better, your questions won’t cost you a thing, princeling.”
If it was possible, Nelle was certain that Kit’s movements had become even more stiff. “That’s not?—”
The Cracked Mirror cut him off, focus all of his attention on Nelle. “All you have to do to get the answers you and your prince so desperately seek, Lolienna, is return to me as my student.”
Nelle’s eyes widened. “What?”
“Before your…accident, as we’ll call it, you were once my dedicated student.
I taught you to use your mother’s influence and your magic to our advantage,” the Cracked Mirror said.
“I’m sure your little cat friend has told you that.
But, I must admit, I’ve missed our little lessons.
Return to me, your teacher, and I’ll tell you how to break your princeling’s spell and where his precious brother is. ”
Nelle’s body went numb. How did he?—
“That certainly is a generous offer,” Kit said. “I don’t suppose you’d agree to a change in students? Taking me in my dear friend’s place?”
The Cracked Mirror scowled. “Not a chance, princeling. Fey magic is unpredictable for my kind. And besides, you’ve proven yourself to be a…volatile subject.”
“I thought you would say that,” Kit growled. Sparks poured from his nostrils. “In that case, I think we’ll have to say ‘no, thank you.’”
“What?” Nelle squawked, at the same time as the Cracked Mirror growled, “I beg your pardon?”
“We’ve heard your terms and I’m afraid the price is just too high,” Kit said, tightening his grip on her hand. “Thank you for your time, sir. Good day.”
Nelle put her hand on his. “But?—”
“I’m not risking your health and safety for the answers I want,” Kit murmured, gazing into her eyes. “We’ll figure it out another way.”
Nelle glanced back at the Cracked Mirror. “But, I told you, I’ve looked through all the books?—”
“Not all answers are in books,” Kit said, pulling her to the door. “It’ll be okay.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure, princeling,” the Cracked Mirror cackled. “Little Lolienna is mine. As nice as it would have been for her to come of her own volition, there is no escape.”
“If my life has taught me anything, it’s that there’s always a way out as long as you’re willing to fight,” Kit growled.
“Not for her. She’ll always come back to me, no matter how much the two of you try to fight it. The Snow Queen’s spell of dominance will ensure it.”
Kit stopped, returning his gaze to the Cracked Mirror. “So she’s under the spell of dominance. Good to know.”
The Cracked Mirror stared at him for a moment before sputtering, “No, wait, I didn’t?—”
“You’ve been extremely helpful, sir. Thank you,” Kit said before pulling Nelle from the room. The last thing she saw before she left the room were the mysterious blue flames reflected in the Cracked Mirror’s rage-filled eyes.