“They're Gods; imagine the power they would give me.”
“I'm not killing them!” Solid-Narcissus snapped. “They're going to help me get free.”
“You will never be free of me!” Ghost-Narcissus roared. “Kill them or I will kill you all!”
A horrible clanging echoed through the palace, and I peered around myself with trepidation. The building shook like a bird settling its feathers and then went silent. I got to my feet and continued to warily scan the hallways but nothing more happened.
“Mirror!” Narcissus shouted. “You can't kill us; you're made to imprison, not murder! You leave them alone. Do you hear me?”
“Narcissus.” I stepped into the room.
The Mirror-Narcissus had disappeared, and the real one flinched guiltily.
“Vervain, I... you heard that?” He asked.
I nodded.
“How much of it?”
“Enough to know we could be in danger,” I said softly.
“The Mirror can't hurt us,” he repeated what he'd been yelling at it. “The curse was made to imprison a god, not kill one. It would be going against its nature, against the very magic that created it, if it tried to murder us.”
“Except you just threatened it,” I pointed out. “It thinks you're about to escape, and that may give it some leeway.”
Narcissus turned the color of sour cream.
“Tell me the truth.” I stalked closer and stared him down. “When was the last time the Mirror pulled someone in?”
Narcissus grimaced and looked guilty. “A couple of months ago.”
“A couple of months?” I gaped at him.
“I didn't want to tell you that the Mirror has been growing in strength,” he said apologetically. “It discovered that it could feed on the energy of the humans who died here and then it began pulling people in more and more frequently. It's become insatiable. I think it believes itself to be a god,” he whispered the last bit as he stared around himself suspiciously.
“Fred Flintstone!” I cursed viciously. “This is not good.”
“No,” he agreed and then frowned. “Who is Fred Flintstone?”
“It's a cartoon; never mind. I curse strangely so that I don't teach my children bad words.”
“You have children?” Narcissus asked with a small smile.
“I have three, and I'm pregnant now.” I rubbed my rounded belly. “You didn't notice?”
“I like women with curves.” He shrugged. “I thought it was normal. Whose child do you carry?”
“Trevor's son.” I smiled softly.
“You already know the sex?”
“Yes, but that's a long story.” I waved my hand dismissively. “And it's not important right now. We need to get back to my husbands.”
I hurried out the door with Narcissus charging after me.
“And would you mind returning my clothes?” I asked as he caught up.
“Oh, certainly.” Narcissus nodded and my old clothing returned.
