These weren’t just powerful lords or nobles hosting me. They were thegodsthemselves, even if they were only the minor gods. And this room with the mirror tree was clearly meant for me.
Had they known which door I would pick, or had the room transformed into mine the moment I opened the door?
I wondered briefly about Blake’s room. Would it match the cold sterililty of the Twin Blade of the Silver Tyger Dominion, or would it reflect the man beneath?
Would his room be messy?
Stretching, I spun around happily before crashing back flat on the bed with a laugh. The sheets were a dark indigo, with a luxurious quilt draped over it in rich hues of sapphire, embroidered with intricate silver patterns. Pillows of varying sizes were scattered across the bed, each one soft and inviting. I thought of Blake, the cedar smell of him, his broad shoulders and muscled torso. I wished he were in my bed with me.
In the soft glow of the tree, I tilted my head up, staring at the canopy of glimmering, mirrored leaves above me.
The tree itself was huge, its silver bark etched with swirling patterns. It gave off the sense that it had been there long before I arrived, waiting for me. Each of the leaves caught the light in a different way, glittering like starlight against the darker corners of the room. They swayed gently, though there was no wind. I stared, entranced, as they shone.
It was the mirrors in the leaves that drew me in. I pushed up on my elbows, looking more closely.
For a fleeting second, I caught a glimpse of Edith, her face lined with worry as she sat by the fire. She seemed so burdened. Why had I never seen the weight of all that she carried before?
Another set of leaves rustled, showing a beautiful garden, then a hummingbird. My heart ached at the sight. This felt like a place from my past, but I had no thread of memory to follow.
The canopy shifted and swayed, as if an invisible wind caressed the leaves. Memories flickered in and out of sight. Each time I looked up, another memory flashed into view. Rainbow, our chicken. And then Couscous, sitting by the well with her paws tucked underneath her white tummy. My beloved Flame, coat shifting with copper, gold, and black like a living fire.
Then another shimmer of leaves. It was the woman from my recurring dream. Somehow, I knew who she was.
My mother.
I froze, a breath puffing out in surprise.
She was a blur, out of focus, but I could feel her presence, gentle and soft. I had the impression of kindness but also power, so much power. I was a child and she was holding me, whispering something into my ear. I wondered if she was singing. An abundance of love.
I reached out to the leaf, wanting to see more, but she was gone. Again. My body tightened, a sob caught in my throat.
Another memory flashed.
Screaming faces, a mass of bodies surging in every direction. The vision swirled with chaos and panic, people pushing and shoving, desperate to escape.
This must have been the Annihilation. Everyone was fleeing.
Except for me.
While the crowd fled in terror, I must have been moving against them, fighting to go back. People gripped my arms, their hands locked around me, trying to pull me away. I saw my own hands clawing at them, tearing at their skin, desperate to break free.
I wasn’t trying to get away. I was trying to reach something. Someone.
I closed my eyes, a tear slipping free. Catching glimpses of a past I couldn’t understand was almost worse than total ignorance.
I stood, pressing off the bed and heading straight for the door, desperate not to be alone.
—
The air changed the momentI crossed the threshold, softer and warmer. The gods had given us a world untouched by war. Lush gardens spread out in every direction, with lanterns glowing softly along winding paths. Trees arched overhead, their leaves pale green and gold, stirring in a breeze that smelled like sweetgrass and blossoms.
I looked back to see I had exited a castle, built from dark wood and gold-tiled roofs. Ahead were open training grounds, bordered by flowering trees, and the majestic tyger stables.
But I couldn’t appreciate the beauty. I needed Flame.
Inside the divine stables, the floors were polished stone. Each stall was lined with woven reed mats and silk cushions, and had a carved stone basin filled with running spring water and slices of meat. And each was large enough to house a tyger king. I didn’t stop until I reached Flame’s.
She was curled up—alone this time, though I did notice that Kingsolver was lying in the stall next to her.
