She grins at him. “Don’t be daft, Mali. I would never slice someone by accident.”
Mali? He blinks but accepts the ridiculous nickname Daphne would never use. Also, we all know that it’s a minor miracle to get through a diurnal without her stabbing someone.
The door clicks closed behind them, and we all let out a sigh, shoulders slumping in relief. It’s hard work pretending to like someone.
Gwyneth holds her hand up before anyone breaks the silence. She tilts her head toward the door. “Someone check we are alone.”
Malachi obliges, opening the door and sticking his head outside before closing it again. “All clear,” he declares.
“What have you found?” Hart demands.
Gwyneth shakes her head. “Nothing, but now we know the name of the land we are trying to reach. Perhaps I could gain some insight into who she is.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” I say. “I’ve never heard of Wonderland. If it’s a separate world, then it may be missing from our documentation.”
“She stepped out of the Land of Reflection, so perhaps the mirror man will have more insight,” Gwyneth says.
The genie poofs into existence. “Is she gone?”
“Temporarily,” I tell him.
He rubs his forehead. “I can’t be in the same room as her without giving away that I know she’s not who she appears to be.”
“That’s okay, dude. We’ve got this,” Malachi tells him.
The capons cluck in agreement, and the magic broom stands next to the door like a sentinel.
The mirror’s surface ripples, and the person we’ve been waiting for appears. He glances around the room. “Where is she?”
“Daphne? I was hoping she is with you,” Gwyneth says. There’s a slight wobble in her voice for the first time. I understand—we’ve been holding on to the hope that Daphne is simply trapped in the Land of Reflection. The thought that he doesn’t know where she is, or who is wearing her body, makes my dragon rise once more.
“She is with me,” the mirror man says. My chest eases, and the creature I house settles.
“Can we see her?” Gwyneth asks.
The mirror man shakes his head. “Not possible. Only mirror people capable of reflecting have that privilege.”
That makes sense; they can’t have just anyone claiming such a role. They do, after all, have unfiltered access to many of our private areas.
“She says you better not have kissed her again,” the mirror man declares. All eyes turn to Hart. “What? No, I can’t say that. They didn’t know. Fine.”
“What is she saying?” Malachi asks as he perches on the table between the sofas and leans forward.
The mirror man blushes. Idols, what has our pretty mouse said to make him turn pink?
“Daphne says that the grumpy one is in big trouble, and when she gets out of here, she is going to need him to grovel in her annus.”
Gwyneth snorts and slaps a hand over her mouth.
“She’s with you now?” I check.
“Yes, and she can hear and see you,” the mirror man tells us. He glances behind him. “I said it correctly—grovel in your annus. Why are you laughing? Also, I won the bet. They totally know it’s not you.”
“How can we get her back?” Malachi asks.
The mirror man jerks his head toward us. “Where is Malice?”
“That’s who the imposter is?” Gwyneth checks as she frowns and scribbles a note down in her book using that pretty quill the living library gifted her.
