“Is currently occupied with two of his younger brothers making a bid for the throne with their own Cinderellas.”
That should help keep Gwyneth safe, especially if one of them successfully takes the throne. Then Prince Poopfloof can go be a sad reject elsewhere, away from us and my sister’s floof.
“But she wants you to know your sword is glowing,” the mirror man declares.
“How?”
“That’s what she asked me to ask you.”
“I am not even in the same castle. How would I know?”
“It is your sword.”
“Barely. I haven’t had time to get acquainted with what makes the blade glow. Did anyone touch him? Maybe he’s lonely and needs a fondle to feel loved and wanted?”
Trust me to get a needy, judgy sword. If he wasn’t so judgy, I might have paid him more attention, but everyone knows you shouldn’t reward bad behavior. He would have to wait until I get back. “Tell him he is in a time out to think about his behavior and attitude,” I declare.
The mirror man tilts his head. “Does the sword speak?”
“No, he judges. You don’t need words for that.”
“Got it. I shall report back to Miss Geni.” The mirror man gets close to the surface and sweeps his gaze over me. “You are missing something.”
“Nope, I’m good. I just need to survive these feasts, get our answers, and be back at the Hallowed Palace by mid meal.”
“No, you are definitely missing something. Oh, I have it.”
He disappears, and I’m left staring dumbstruck at the now empty mirror. Maybe he was missing his memory and now he has it? Which is why he left—because he realized he had somewhere to be. Well, so do I.
I stride to the door and fling it open. A burst of glittering powder explodes in my face, making me sneeze. I stand completely still for a tempo as the fine particles swirl through the air. They look familiar. I’ve seen them before, but where? Oh no. No, no, nope. Not happening.
“Tell me I didn’t breathe in ground unicorn horn?” I beg whoever may be listening.
“I could, Calamity, but I don’t lie,” Hart drawls.
I waft the air, revealing Theo standing in front of me, blinking. He, too, is covered in the powder. Don’t care how shiny these people want to be, dick powder should not be a thing.
“It doesn’t wash off,” I growl out. “What possessed you to come at me with it?”
Theo shrugs. “The mirror man said you needed it.”
“Only to make you the most fair,” the mirror man declares as he appears in the oval mirror hung on the wall in the living area. “But now the knight is competing for the honor. I don’t like this. A man should not threaten your position. I vote we kill him.”
“Wow, that escalated quickly,” Malachi says from his grinning position on the sofa.
“Nobody is killing any of you,” I say, like my proclamation is law. It should be. I would make the realm far more interesting if they consulted me.
Theo places the empty glass container on the bookcase and grabs my hand to drag me into the center of the room. He twirls me around, the excess glitter creating a wispy, shimmering cloud around us.
“He’s still the most fair,” the mirror man grumbles. “I cannot remain. My world will not be right until I reinstate my maiden.” He disappears in a poof of smoke.
“You upset my mirror man,” I tell Theo.
He drops a soft kiss on my lips and grins. “He will recover once he understands nobody could ever rival your beauty, Daphne. I think the ocean made him extra nutty.”
“They smashed all the mirrors. That must be like witnessing the death and destruction of your race. It’s genocide.”
“Smashing mirrors doesn’t kill the people in them,” Nash adds as he stands from the sofa.
