“We are, dear. We’re waiting,” Esme said with a soft huff of dry laughter. “And that can be the hardest thing.”
Mei let out a scream and threw her hands up into the air. “We need weapons! If they come in here--”
“I will have my Wise Women bring us some. But if we must use them then it will be dire indeed,” Jahara said as she rose up from her prayer and went to the doors. She knocked and they opened. She stuck her head out and whispered to her Wise Women then shut the door. “They will bring us some weapons.”
“Now you guys see how pathetic they all are!” Jasper yelled. “Crying and moaning and complaining about how life hurts! Get fucking used to it! I can’t believe that any Dragon Spirit would choose you guys a second time!”
Valerius lifted his head to look in the mirror. The leader of Humans First was practically pressed against the mirror’s surface. His hands slid along it, searching for purchase, or a seam. A way through.
“Why can’t I get through?” Jasper hissed. “Why can’t I get out of here?!”
Landry came up behind him and grabbed his shoulders. She yanked him back. “Because our bodies aren’t free, you idiot!”
“Get off me, bitch!” Jasper snarled.
“Hey! Don’t speak to our sister like that!” Both of Landry’s brothers said at the same time.
“She’s pushed me! She keeps pushing me!” Jasper shoved Landry hard enough that she stumbled back and fell, landing on her ass.
She let out a sharp cry of pain and looked shocked for a moment. Her brothers hustled to her side.
“That is enough of that!” Jahara glared at Jasper.
He did back down a minute, but then likely remembering that the mirror not only kept him in but them out, too, encouraged him to talk tough again, “What? You can’t do anything to me now either! You’re just human!”
“Even human, I will lay you flat, boy,” Jahara said with a narrowing of her eyes.
“He’s beneath you, Queen Jahara,” Landry said as she got to her feet. She shrugged her brothers off and stepped up into Jasper’s space once more. She held up a hand as her brothers surged to her defense.
“She’s not a queen any longer, Landry! She’s just like us!” Jasper snapped.
“You’re really stupid, aren’t you? I mean embarassingly stupid. That’s not how any of this works, Jasper,” she told him. One of her hands pointed to Jahara. “She’s a queen because she’s a queen. The Spirit chose her because she was already a queen. Even if she was in the dirt and called a bitch, it doesn’t matter, because she’s still a goddamn queen.”
“You’re delusional! You want to put them on pedestals? Fine, then get on your knees and worship them!” Jasper went to shove her again.
This time, Landry sidestepped it. His momentum had him falling past her and landing painfully on one knee.
“Had enough?” Landry asked. “Or still--oh, you’re not done? Okay. Let me help with that.”
Jasper struck out at her knees, but he managed to only hit air. She kicked him in the ribs. He gasped and grabbed his stomach. But he still wasn’t done and tried to scrabble at her once more. Another kick to the wounded side and he was down. Curled up like a slug under a mound of salt. His mouth was opening and closing like a fish.
“Need another?” Landry had one leg back ready to kick him again. “Or are you finally done?”
“I think he is done, dear,” Esme said.
“C’mon, let her kick him again. A few more times,” Illarion chortled. “It’s fun!”
“I have to admit I wouldn’t mind seeing that,” Tez murmured with almost a smile on his face for the first time since Eldoron left.
“She has inflicted appropriate punishment,” Jahara said with a smile curving her own mouth. “What do you say, Valerius?”
“That I wouldn’t want to make Landry angry,” Valerius said.
Landry let out a delighted laugh. “My brothers and I have been fighting since forever. This idiot is like nothing. I shouldn’t have let him push me down in the first place. That’s just so juvenile, I didn’t expect it, even from him. So another mistake.”
“He told you what you wanted to hear, my dear,” Esme said. “You mustn’t blame yourself too badly. I can tell you won’t let it happen again. Which is all any of us can do about our mistakes.”
Landry slowly nodded. “I guess. But it’s so obvious what he is now.” She scrubbed a hand through her hair. “How can I ever really trust myself if I couldn’t see through him?”
