Ryker smirks. “There’s some truth in every myth.”
Great. Just what we need.
“Come on, Reaper,” I call as I step out of the tent before it evicts us, taking in the sunny landscape ahead of us. Compared to what we’ve been through, this one seems desolate and plain, with the stairs leading into dusky, dry hills as far as I can see.
“Well, at least it doesn’t look like it’s crawling with monsters,” Chester comments, pushing up his glasses.
“From what you can see with your naked eye,” Knots remarks, and I bristle at his reminder. I’m not sure if this place is getting to me, or it’s just the fact that he’s pushed me away that I’m irritated about, but I’m on edge either way.
Fluttering grabs my attention, and attached to the tent is a paper. Pulling it off, I read out loud.
“Welcome to True Reflections, where the demon you face is one you never see. Can you figure out what your truth is within three hours?”
“Well…that doesn’t sound like an orgy at all. Who said he controlled secrets and made people fall in love? You were WRONG!” Moni points out, coming up behind me.
“True,” I agree, stifling a laugh, knowing it was JP who just told us about Sitri, but I adjust my bag and continue. “Let’s go. Hell can’t wait forever.” L.A.M.B. is counting on us to open the portals, and we need to remember why we’re here.
I take a deep breath and start down the stairs. The muscles in my shoulders relax once I reach the ground and turn to see everyone with me.Okay, at least this level we’ll do together.The path leads us through a ravine where suddenly the sky is gone, and the floor lights up with a zigzag light, highlighting long walls of mirrors inside a rock cavern at least four stories high. Red rock formations of stalactites and stalagmites, large and small, are littered throughout the tall chamber, going hundreds of yards in all directions, all lit up by low lighting that gives off an almost wonderous appeal.
“Wow, you were right about not trusting just our eyes, Knots,” Moni exclaims as we stop to take in the new look.
“Unfortunately, I was hoping I was wrong,” he admits with a frown as I stand in front of a mirror that reflects an image other than mine. Instead of seeing my reflection, I see Levi’s, even though I’m in front of everyone.
“Don’t worry, Door Knob. A broken clock is right at least twice a day. A door can’t be that much better than a clock, soconsider that you’re one chance at being right…you’re bad news from here on out.” Lynx literally hisses at Knots and activates his claws, showing his intent.
I love his intent and his protection of me, plus the sour look on Knots’ face makes me feel warm inside, but now is not the time. Thankfully, Levi doesn’t react to Lynx’s craziness and keeps us on task.
“That’s creepy,” Levi states, moving in front of me and looking at his doppelganger, but the reflection is dressed as a Roman gladiator in his barely-there loincloth, with shin and arm guards and sandals. The image swings his spear back and forth.
“Ya think? Look at that one.” Lynx motions for the one on the other side.
“Oh my God! Look at me!” Moni squeals, zipping around in front of it without a drop of coffee spilling from her cup. “I look like I’m a goddess or maybe a water nymph. Or is that a hooker? She definitely has better boobs than me. Hey Chestie, do you even care that my boobs are the size that they are? I wonder if there’s a spell that can make them bigger or filled with honey butter or something. Ohhh! Wouldn’t that be awesome? Levi, is that possible? Just think of all the stuff we could do. All the possibilities.” She takes in a deep breath, and Chester reaches out to catch her and her travel mug as her eyes roll back before she faints.
“She’s getting better,” he admits sheepishly.
“I’m kinda curious about the whole breast and spell thing,” Lynx speaks up, looking thoughtful.
“And I’m traumatized,” JP adds, turning slightly green.
Ignoring my men, I stand in front of the mirror that shows a human version of what I can only imagine would be Moni, and I wonder what the purposes of these mirrors are.
“Do we have any idea what these mean?” I ask, drawing a blank.
It’s crickets as everyone looks around, some of them shrugging. I spot a mirror with an image full of woods and greenery that pulls me toward it. Inside is a version of me, but in simple clothes, kneeling and picking up herbs.
“This has to be different parts of us,” Knots calls out, pulling my attention away from my mirror.
In front of him is a younger version of Knots on a farm, milking a cow. The living picture brings back memories of the time he told me of the farmer who took him in before meeting War.
Continuing down the path, I take in each mirror as we pass. We’re all mesmerized seeing the different aspects of each of us: Lynx wearing a tux, Zeke wielding a sword, Knox dripping in blood while standing over a corpse, and Chester as a bodybuilder. It’s eye-opening and fascinating yet strangely terrifying to see how much we could change from who we are right now.
We continue until we come to a hub with nine paths like an open outdoor hedge maze made of walls of stalagmites and stalactites to divide them. The paths are closed off by a mirror at each entrance, and in the distance, planted inside the cavern wall at the end of the paths, is a glowing red ticker counting down to our last hour.
“Which way?” Moni asks nervously.
“Which one of our pictures was the least scary?” Chester throws out as he pushes up his glasses.
“That would be you,” Lynx snorts, moving to Chester’s tunnel, which shows a mirror of a young six-year-old Chester rocking on a tree limb. Lynx walks confidently toward it as if he knows how this level works but bounces off an invisible barrier, landing on his ass with a thud.
