“Do not doubt me now, Shadow. You see, mirrors are often spoken of as veils between worlds. But a mirror with no reflection? That is something else entirely. That is a mirror that denies identity. And in such a place, the demon holds no sway. This is our way. How did thisfail to occur to me until now?” She squeals at the end as she rushes to me in a burst of light, her full figure becoming solid.
She grabs my hands, pulling me off the bed as my notebook and pen slide onto the floor. “We can trap Warren Brown within the mirror, or at the very least, the demon that encompasses him. We can bind the entity to the mirror and shatter it. He will be trapped in that veil!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on, Milly. Trapped in that veil? Wouldn’t that mean the demon would be trapped where you rest? Wouldn’t that make it unsafe?”
She shakes her head. “No, no. Do not fret, Shadow. The veil has layers. I am quite certain that the mirror opens to a realm I’ve never once encountered before. This is the way, this is our resolution.”
I squeeze her hands and swallow back the unease coursing through my stomach. Something doesn’t feel right about this. There has to be something we are missing. It surely couldn’t be this easy, could it? I mean, it was spelled to avoid further inspection. But why was it now easy for Milly to remember it and encounter it?
I try to ignore the uneasy feeling, trusting in Milly’s judgment. But as much as the joy that radiates off her right now brings a smile to my face, I cannot shake the certainty that we are missing something crucial to our plan.
Chapter 21
Grace
September 14th
Ifind myself curled up against my pillows as I slowly stretch my limbs awake. I open my eyes to the morning light shining softly through an opening in my curtains. “What time is it?” I groan to Milly.
I blink my eyes a few more times and notice she is nowhere to be found. I sigh and lie back down on the bed in disappointment when I hear a crinkle. I lean up to see a piece of paper on the pillow next to mine. It’s a handwritten note with a lipstick kiss pressed on it.Milly.
I wish I could have stayed to see your beautiful eyes greet the morning light. But I must rest and prepare myself for what lies ahead. I shall visit soon. Attend your classes—but do so with caution.
I smile at the note and find myself daydreaming about waking up next to her. Her hair cascading around the pillows in a sea of red ribbons, her golden eyes reflecting the morning rays, and the kisses I would give along the freckles on her neck. I’d do anything to wake up to her beauty. The sunrise will never compare to the light she brings into a room.
I climb out of bed and ready myself for a day full of classes, cringing slightly at my neglectful behavior regarding homework assignments. Part of me doesn’t care to put the effort in, knowing that my fate mayend sooner than anyone would ever think. Yet there’s another part of me that is still in love with music, desperate to grow in my knowledge and perspectives. This campus wasn’t my choice, but I suddenly felt a need to protect it, appreciate it.
I pull my long black hair up with a brush, tying it into a messy bun, brushing my bangs down, and huffing at their sweaty twirls. I spend a few minutes blow-drying them before giving up and settling for the bumpy edges. They will never lie how I want them. I apply my eye makeup, finishing with a sharp wing. Once finished, I place my oval glasses on the bridge of my nose. I find myself with a little more excitement as I go through the final motions of my morning routine, reflecting on every moment with Milly.
I snag my phone off the bedside table and click on Bea’s name as it rings. I fidget, watching the screen, waiting for her to answer, but it goes to voicemail.
“Hey, Bea. It’s Grace. I’m sorry I’ve been out of the loop lately. Adjusting here has been rough, to say the least. I miss you. Call me when you can. Love you!” I hang up and see the time in the corner.
“Shit,” I gasp. I snag my backpack off my chair and rush out of my bedroom, running directly into Jocelyn.
“Ow!” I snap as my head collides with hers. I rub my forehead and glance up at her doing the same thing.
“Sorry, I just was…ouch.” She rubs her nose. “I was just about to knock on your door and ask if you wanted to sit together at chapel.”
I stop rubbing my forehead, anxiety rushing through me. I don’t answer for a moment as I try to find a way out of this. I honestly wasn’t going to attend chapel this morning. I wanted to rush to the library before my World History course.
“If we leave now, we can make it before the credit doesn’t count,” she offers as she steps toward the front door.
Unfortunately for me, she’s correct. Hollowbrook requires a certainnumber of chapel attendance credits to pass each semester, regardless of the grades you earn. As much as I don’t think it’s worth the time, setting myself up for failure probably isn’t the best idea.
I begrudgingly nod and toss on a forced smile. But it’s enough to satisfy Jocelyn as she squeals and grabs my forearm, dragging me through our front door.
“I’m so excited we are hanging out more now. It will certainly make chapel that much more interesting, don’t you think?” She winks at me as I step away, pulling from her hold on my arm. I hum noncommittally to her as we head toward the chapel in the middle of the campus.
The wind is strong today as my bangs flop around, surely bringing the edges into messier twists. My happy mood from this morning is subtly becoming more and more sour.
She points to my bag. “That’s a cute pin!”
I glance over and smile softly at the bluebird pin that Bea gave me when I moved for my freshman year of college. “Bea, my friend, gave me that. The one I told you about last night.”
Josie smiles. “Aw, that’s sweet of her. Is there a meaning for it?”
I squint my eyes slightly, looking at the pin and nod, but don’t respond. Josie takes my silence with a grain of salt, jumping right into the next subject.
