SIERRA

I was a little distracted going through the portal.

If you've never traveled via portal, it's a very odd sensation, like when you've been hanging upside down and then sit up too fast and your vision goes black for a second. It's disorienting and dizzying. But my stomach was still doing flips and my heart was still racing when the other symptoms wore off, which made me think that perhaps they were connected to something else that had just happened.

I shouldn't have kissed Ravi. What was I thinking? It was a huge battle and he probably wasn't interested anyway. Not that you would know, I thought to myself, seeing as you literally ran away.

But I pushed the thoughts and turmoil aside as best I could. It was only on the cheek, anyway, and we had bigger things to worry about—like the war that we were currently trying to stop.

I took a deep breath and glanced around the small island. It felt weird to call it an island. It was more of a large sandy rock in the middle of the sea, the kind of island sailors get marooned on in cartoons.

"This island is enchanted," I explained to Amarie. "Once you fall asleep here, you don't wake up unless someone else wakes you."

Her brow creased. "How will they know when to wake us?"

I bit my lip. "I'm not sure," I admitted.

"We'll wake you up after an hour," Juan said. "If you aren't done, you can go back to sleep."

I didn't love the idea, but I couldn't think of any alternatives. "Alright, but if we look like we might be in trouble, wake us up before then. I don't know what's going to happen in there."

Juan nodded.

Amarie and I sat down on the sand and laid prone. I blinked at the bright sun overhead and closed my eyes.

I tried to take a deep breath and relax, but my head was spinning. It was hot, my best friends were fighting an army of soulless monsters, and I had just basically confessed to having a crush on the most incredible guy I had ever met. How was I supposed to relax?

My eyes snapped open. "This isn't working."

"I agree," Amarie said apologetically. "Sleeping under pressure is not easy."

Giselle and Juan shared a look. Giselle turned back to us. "I could put you to sleep, but it would require that you trust me."

A lump formed in my throat. "What do you mean?"

"Usually, a sorcerer could enchant an object," Juan explained, "and when you touched it, you'd fall asleep immediately, but only if you didn't know it was enchanted. The application works only with vulnerability, since sleep is our most vulnerable form."

I hesitated. I had forgiven Giselle, believed strongly in all the good she was capable of, but to trust her to put me in a vulnerable position was something different. I wasn't sure if I trusted anyone other than my friends and family with that. At the same time, I couldn't imagine how Amarie must have been feeling. Giselle hurt me in the past, that much was true, but nowhere near the amount of pain Amarie had endured under her rule.

I glanced at Amarie and she held my gaze, fear evident in her eyes.

I looked at Juan. "Is there any other way?"

He hesitated and I knew there probably wasn't... at least, not within the time constraints.

I reached out my hand to Amarie. "I'll be with you. And I promise that we're going to be okay."

Amarie took my hand, her calloused fingers trembling. She looked up at Giselle. "You are a very different person from the tyrant I remember," she said softly. "And if the fate of my friends rests on my trusting you, I will gladly surrender."

Giselle knelt in front of us. "I don't deserve your faith," she said quietly, "and I am honored and humbled to have it." She reached out her hands to touch our foreheads.

I frowned. "Don't you need an object?"

She smiled, a soft expression I had never seen on her before. She looked beautiful. "Sierra, I have never needed objects to do magic."

Then her fingertips touched my forehead and a wave of drowsiness flooded over me. A deep, primal part of me resisted, the fear of a foreign presence in my body.

It's okay, I told myself. It's okay.

And the world faded away.

~~~

A mirror. The edges a light brown, lacquered and inset with carvings of delicate swirls. In the reflective glass were images of a battle far away, talons and teeth, steel and sparks. In the center of it all was a dark haired boy who shifted between creature and human effortlessly, occasionally existing as one long enough to move from one place to the next before shifting again. Poetry in motion, he carved through the masses as they swarmed. Ravi.

His name sent a jolt of self-awareness to where I was. The mirror realm. The mission. I had to find Amarie.

I willed my consciousness aware from my own mirror. It was odd, moving without a body, simply a pair of ghostly eyes floating through a void. There were thousands of mirrors, millions, suspended in space. Occasionally, one would seem to flash as a particularly bright scene displayed itself on the surface. They almost looked like stars.

I tried to call out for Amarie, but I didn't have the lungs or vocal cords to speak. For a moment, I felt a surge of panic. What if I couldn't reach her?

Then I heard my name, echoing across the expanse. "Sierra. Sierra. I'm here."

I concentrated and tried to project my thoughts as loudly as possibly. "Amarie?" This time, my words seemed to hum, a slight vibration in my spirit.

"Hello! Thank goodness."

"Where are you?" I asked, turning desperately.

"Close enough, I think," she replied. "Can you see my mirror? It has dark wood, and is worn at the edges."

I spun in a slow, deliberate circle until I found a mirror that matched the description. I floated over and gasped.

It was broken into three pieces, like a horrifying peace symbol, the lines jagged and harsh. Different scenes flashed in each shard. One was of the battle, like mine, another of crumbling stone, the third of bloodstained clothes ripped open above a gaping wound. I flinched.

"Amarie," I said, unable to keep the fear out of my voice, "your mirror..."

"It has been worse," she stated.

If I still had a body, I would have frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter," she replied. I was about to press her further, but then she said, "look."

"Look where?"

"There is a small string attached to the back. It is just like the vines."

"The vines?" I was feeling hopelessly out of my depths.

"Look to the left of the mirror." I did. "Do you see the metal disk? Almost like a mirror, but dull and hazy."

I moved closer to the disk. It had a vine wrapped around the edges, except vine wasn't the right word for it. It seemed less like a plant and more like a muscle—except black, twisted, and cold. It seemed to glow a faint silver, but only when I stared at it for too long.

"That," Amarie explained, "is what we believe to be the false monsters."

"It's freaky," I muttered. "It looks like it's pulsing, like blood." I felt a bit nauseous, which seemed a little unfair, given that I didn't even have a stomach at the moment.

"I think you will like the heart of the system even less," Amarie said.

"Damius?" I guessed.

"Yes," she replied simply. "No time to waste. We must follow the vine."

I willed myself to move alongside the strange vine, shooting off into the abyss. Amarie sounded confident, which was uncommon for her. I had thought I would have to be the strong one on this part of our quest, but she took the lead effortlessly.

I saw another vine a bit further away coming to run alongside the vine we were following. Then another. Then another. The artificial monsters scattered across the realm, gathering together. At first, I tried to avoid "touching" them, so to speak. But as they grew denser, it became impossible, and my consciousness floated through the thick conglomeration easily. While I couldn't feel the vines themselves, my spirit seemed to shiver. They were so cold, they almost felt hot. Painful and irrational.

"We are here," Amarie said, her voice tight.

I stopped suddenly, not seeing it for a moment. Then, I gasped.

It was hard to see against the black backdrop of the void, but it was a dark mass, darker than black, something I sensed more than saw. It was turgid and bulbous, a tumor that pulsed like a quivering heart. The vines stuck out of it like a virus or a burr. Somewhere to the left, I caught a glimpse of a sheen flashing off something like glass. I felt that nauseating feeling shuddering through my body when you're about to vomit, but I couldn't.

"You were right," I said shakily, "I hate this."

"This is Damius," Amarie replied grimly. "This is his soul."

~~~

RAVI

It's hard to say whether a battle is going well or not when you're in the thick of things. I knew for certain only a few things: 1) I wasn't dead yet, 2) Damius wasn't dead yet as the artificial monsters were still attacking, and 3) Deynan wasn't dead yet because I could hear him singing the Game of Thrones theme as he ran around the battlefield causing havoc. Audrey routinely popped into my view, defending my back and asking for any orders. Occasionally, I had a strategy to recommend, but usually, it was the same as ever.

The dryads twisted and wove through the throng to get the bodies of fallen or wounded soldiers, and the princesses would do their best to stabilize them. I had suggested we form a ring around the outside of the room and force them inward, but it wasn't easy with the limited space we had.

I was currently locked in combat with what looked like a troll, hunched over and warty with a snaggletooth jutting out. I was sticking with Warrior form, my sword and his long knife clashing against each other. I was distinctly aware that, without the warrior's natural talent, I would be skewered. Suddenly, a small throwing knife sprouted from his forehead and he fell over. His eyes went dark—literally turning black, like all the fallen monsters' eyes did—and he lay still.

"Need a hand?" I heard a familiar voice say.

I turned to Audrey, wiping sweat from my brow. "Never hurts."

She was panting slightly, but was focused and calm. "Some elves are setting up traps in the doorways to keep the fighting in here. I don't want them to run any more than you do, but we're getting a bit cramped here."

"I know," I said grimly. "But if we want to maintain tactical advantage—"

"Ravi!" she shouted, shoving me to the side.

As I fell over, everything seemed to move in slow motion.

A troll, identical to the one Audrey had just killed, was bringing a knife down exactly where I had just stood. Where Audrey was.

The knife cut into her forehead, sliding down her face over her right eye to her cheek. Blood burst from her skin and she cried out.

I hit the ground.

Before I could process what had just happened, I plunged my sword into the troll's side. He dropped the knife, his eyes turned black, and he toppled over.

I turned to Audrey, panic setting in. The right side of her face was covered in blood, so bright red it seemed fake. Her eyes were shut tight. She let off a string of curse words.

"Hang on, I-I'll get you to the healers, hang on," I said hastily. I took a deep breath and focused on my respect for Audrey. Her strength, determination, and devotion. In a flash, I became a centaur.

I knelt awkwardly and picked her up in my arms, much more easily than I could've as my normal self. She hissed in pain.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I whispered.

I galloped through the battlefield, weaving through people locked in combat, trampling a few monsters along the way. When I got to a small alcove where a healing tent was set up, I gently set Audrey on the ground before dropping my transformation.

"Please," I begged the princess at the station, "please, she has to be okay."

The princess's eyes widened but then she glanced above my shoulder. I turned, and a pure white unicorn towered over us. She lowered her glowing horn and touched it lightly to Audrey's forehead. I watched as the wound miraculously closed, leaving only a white, ridged scar in its place.

The unicorn lifted her head before flashing with light, dissolving into the shape of Sophie Kirkelie. She knelt in front of Audrey, tears already on her face. "Oh my god."

The princess took a wet washcloth and began washing the blood from Audrey's face. Audrey stirred.

"What just happened?" she mumbled.

"You saved me from that troll and then Sophie healed you," I said quietly. "I think."

"Thanks, Soph," Audrey replied, a small grin.

The princess removed the washcloth. Most of the blood was gone except trace amounts staining her hair and coalescing in the ridges of her ear. "Can you open your eyes?" the princess said. "I want to check your vision."

Audrey's eyes opened slowly. She blinked a few times. "Seems fine to me."

"Your unicorn friend likely saved your sight," the princess explained. "Only magic could repair that. But I'm afraid you'll have that scar forever."

The scar in question was a sort of whitish pink that started an inch above her eyebrow, cut through it, and traced over her eyelid to the center of her cheek. Audrey felt it with her hand. "Does it look cool?"

"Super cool," Sophie sobbed, still shaking.

"Hm. I can't trust you right now because you're in distress, so I'll ask Deynan later because he doesn't lie to make me feel good," Audrey said lightly. "But I can live with a scar. Better than losing an eye." She seemed to consider something for a moment. "Though an eyepatch would be cool."

Sophie smiled weakly, then something caught her eye behind me and she gasped. "Um, I have to go check on...that. Stay safe, Audrey, love you, bye!" She stood and sprinted off into the room. I glanced behind me for a moment, but couldn't see what had gotten her so worked up.

"Help me move," Audrey demanded.

"Um, I don't know if—"

"Other people need this healing station more than I do," she said stubbornly. "Move me into the hall or something."

Carefully, I looped her arm over my shoulders and helped her stand. We walked slowly a few feet away.

She blinked a few times. "Other than a bit of a head rush, I feel fine. I highly recommend unicorn healing. That's incredible." She bounces up and down on the balls of her feet. "Let's kick some monster butt!"

Then suddenly, an explosion tore through the room. Audrey and I spun in unison, and I stumbled to keep my balance. Light poured into the room, and I squinted.

"What on earth...?" Audrey muttered.

A few feet away from us was what looked like the world's largest ball of string made of every color I could think of. No less than 20 monsters lay prone at its base.

The ball began to unravel, revealing Sophie kneeling on the floor, her face fierce and uncompromising—the kind of expression I could have never pictured on her. It fit her well. Behind her, laying on the ground, eyes wide, was none other than Deynan Soldano. He said something to her, but I was too far away to hear. I saw Sophie blush, then stand and offer him a hand.

"What just happened?" I asked, bewildered.

"Sophie used her bracelet," a voice said. Abigail stepped into view beside me. "I enchanted a friendship bracelet for her when we met to be able to protect her friends. She used it."

"She also blew off the roof," Audrey commented.

I looked up in surprise. She was right—the entire circular roof was simply...gone. A few of the stones had crumbled inwards on the sides, but the ceiling and support beams had apparently been blasted away.

"I was wondering why it was so bright," I remarked. "We're going to need to increase our aerial attack." A few winged monsters had already begun to rise, along with some apparitions. But some Myths and Legends had already risen to meet them. I saw a Phoenix streak overhead and tear through a ghoul with its fire, and for the first time since the battle had begun, I felt hope that we weren't just holding on—we were winning.

Then an enormous hand wrapped itself around my torso. I choked, trying to breathe. I could feel myself rising into the air in a smooth, mechanical way. It slowly rotated me until I was staring directly into the mouth and rotting teeth of a giant.

~~~

SIERR

I looked at the vines spilling out into the mirror realm. "So, we just break them?" I asked.

"I suppose," Amarie replied, sounding a bit unsure.

I reached out with my invisible hands and placed them on the vines. It was cold, but not quite as cold as I was expecting. Then I pulled—more with my mind than any physical action.

It snapped.

~~~

RAVI

Suddenly, the giant stiffened. His eyes turned black. And he fell backwards onto a pile of other fallen foes. I struggled against his grip, still around my waist, when Audrey and Abigail appeared, pulling back his fingers until I could wiggle free.

"What's happening?" Abigail asked, confusion in her voice.

I stood up. "They're doing it," I said breathlessly. "Sierra and Amarie are succeeding."

~~~
UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

We're so close to the end, folks! Hang in there with me!

~Margot