The sun had nearly set by the time we rolled up in front of Pilcrow House. When we opened the door, Koshka came mewing and mrrwp-ing all the way down the stairs, then bounded into my arms. For all of two seconds, before he launched off my chest and into Duke’s arms.
“Greetings, comrade,” Duke said. “We missed you too.”
“Library,” I said. “Not a moment to waste!”
Even now the sky was darkening. Midnight would be here before we knew it. Midnight was the deadline I’d set, the hour I would have to tell Duke goodbye again and forever.
“Surely there’s time for tea,” Duke said, setting Koshka down. “I’ll pop in the kitchen and see if Mrs. Turner—”
I spun on my heel and stalked back to him, took his tie in my hand, and dragged him bodily down the hallway.
“Tea can wait, Chicago. Now come on.”
This sounds violent, but when I glanced in the hallway mirror, I saw that while my mirror twin was scowling, Duke’s mirror twin was grinning, clearly enjoying the manhandling more than he probably should.
Then I let go of Duke’s tie.
“Why did you stop, darling? And why is Shakespeare wearing rabbit ears?” he asked, nodding toward the bust of the Bard where I’d placed the bunny ears Penny had given me yesterday.
“Rainy?” Duke said again.
I ignored the question, ignored everything but my own reflection in the mirror.
“Rainy? Darling?” Duke said again. He sounded worried now. “What is it?”
“I saw something in there,” I said, pointing to the glass.
“What?”
“My twin.”
“Of course you saw your twin in the mirror. Who were you expecting?”
I put my hand on the glass.
And then I…
—
…fell through the looking-glass.
Book Three
FANTASY
Chapter Twenty-Four
I found myself standing in a long, seemingly endless hallway. And along the walls hung mirrors of different sizes and shapes. Some with plain wooden frames. Some with ornate gilt carvings fit for a princess. Some big. Some small. On one white and dainty dressing table sat a hand mirror. Next to it, a mirrored wall, like you’d find in a gym or dance studio.
I’d fallen through the looking-glass and found…infinite looking-glasses.
Shaking slightly, I stepped to the nearest mirror, which hung over a river stone fireplace that was cold and smelled as if it had been cold for a long time. A fireplace for show, not warmth. I climbed onto the hearth and put my hands on the mantel, hoping it would show me Duke, Koshka, and Pilcrow House, but instead I saw a room I’d never seen before.
A young woman with red hair lay on a sofa reading something, brow furrowed in concentration.
Beside her lay her phone. It rang. She looked at the screen, winced, then silenced the call and went back to reading.
My kind of girl.
