Chapter 18

NICOLETTE

After we entered the castle, Lucien called over a servant girl. He said something to her, handed me off to her, and said something to her again, more sternly this time.

He turned to me and said, “Do not go anywhere. No exploring until I am back.” His tone was angry, but did I see worry in his eyes?

Lucien then walked up the grand staircase with Elric and disappeared around a corner.

And was that staircase grand! It, like everything else, was made of crystal. But each step had a golden nosing, and the railing seemed to be made of ornately shaped silver.

The stairs reminded me of those sky bridges in Asia, the see-through ones, but light radiated through them and sent millions of rainbows around the room.

And there certainly was a theme to this kingdom. Everything looked like ice or looked to be frozen. But nothing was cold. The crystal had an inner warmth to it, along with that blue glow.

The servant girl pulled me away from the stairs, down a hall lined with portraits I tried to see, and to a fully furnished guest room.

She carefully looked around the room, at the walls, then motioned to the couch. I sat and wondered if this was where I’d be staying for the night. I felt like a princess already.

She walked to the door, and I decided that I would go back to the portrait hall once she left, but she didn’t. She just walked to the door and stood there. Stood guard.

If I couldn’t explore the castle, the room would have to do. For now. But there wasn’t much to look at.

The walls, ceiling, and floor were crystal, no surprise there, and the glow inside them was enough to illuminate the room. Which explained the lack of light fixtures.

But the glow here was brighter than in the grand reception room, and I wondered if its brightness could be controlled. I mentally bookmarked this question.

There were no decorative touches to the room, just furniture.

One comfy white sofa. Two nightstands, one small table, and two chairs with white cushions, all made of crystal. A giant silver four-post bed with white bed linens. And one silver wardrobe with intricate carvings on its doors.

As I was inspecting the carvings, I felt a breeze and turned to its source. It was a door, with a balcony beyond it.

When I stepped through it, I knew why the room was so bland. Guests weren’t meant to stay inside; they were meant to be out here.

My breath hitched and my mouth fell open as I looked out over a sea of clouds. My brain knew they were the tops of igloos, but my eyes only saw clouds. Floating clouds in a huge bowl.

I stepped past another table and two more chairs to get to the thick crystal railing. The rooftops below glistened in the brightness of the sun, and I was transfixed.

I stayed out there until my bladder began screaming for release. So I went in to search for a bathroom.

The closing of the balcony door caused the girl to turn, and I made the universal sign for needing a toilet. I did the potty dance.

She smiled and pointed to the wall beside the wardrobe. But I saw nothing there. I looked back at the girl and she pressed her hand to the door, then pointed again at the wall.

I walked over and touched the wall. And it opened. I smiled at her and walked inside.

~I guess the potty dance is a multidimensional sign.~ I chuckled to myself at that thought.

The bathroom was also unremarkable. Of course, it had the magic shower box, but it seemed the magic extended to the faucetless sink and the waterless, backless toilet, both made of crystal.

I hesitated to use the toilet, but my bladder demanded it. And by the time I stood up, it was empty again. No sound, no trace of water.

~Ah, magic toilets. Wish I could bring this back.~

I went to the sink and warm soapy water filled the basin. I let them soak as I looked at the shower, seriously considering using it. Then I looked back at my hands. The water was so warm.

I looked up at my reflection in the mirror and saw the bags under my bloodshot hazel eyes. My hair wasn’t looking too good, either. I decided then that I’d take a shower.

I looked back to my hands, then my eyes snapped up again.

~A mirror!~

I took a step back from the sink and just stared at my reflection.

Lucien had said only mirrors with Zaxonian silver could teleport me, but what if he had been wrong?

~Should I touch it?~ I asked myself for advice.

The chances were high that nothing would happen. But maybe I could go home.

~But do you really want to go home?~

I raised a good point. This was the most beautiful place I had ever seen, so why would I go home so soon?

~But nobody knows you’re gone. You need to go home to tell them you are on vacation. Then you can come back.~

That was another good point. Bernard would call the cops if he didn’t hear from me. But I had another day at least until that would happen.

I stepped back to the sink and raised my hand to the mirror.

~But what about Lucien? Doesn’t he deserve to know you’re leaving?~

Did he deserve it, though? He threatened my life the first ~and second~ time we met, brought me here against my will, and—

~Gave you the best orgasm you’ve ever had.~

And he threatened to take my virginity. Like it was his all along. Like I had no choice. And with that, my decision was made.

I closed my eyes, took a breath, and touched the mirror.

After a moment of feeling nothing, I opened them again and looked around.

My shoulders sank when I saw the toilet, but I wasn’t as disappointed as I felt I should have been.

~Guess Lucien was right.~

I went to turn and leave the bathroom, but something caught my eye.

The mirror was swirling. Just like the elevator had been.

~This mirror must be made from Zaxonian silver!~

No hesitation this time as my hand jutted out to touch the mirror.

***

I sat at my dining table, laptop in front of me, reading the same line of text over and over again. It was no use. My brain was still reeling.

I huffed and pushed the screen down, then grabbed my glass of tea and brought it to my lips. I blew on it and my mind wandered to the events of the day.

After touching the mirror in the castle, I’d found myself on the floor of Lucien’s suite, in front of the Malta mirror. It was probably because that was the only Zaxonian silver in this world.

I’d been relieved when I remembered he lived in my building, so I hadn’t needed to go far in those clothes, nice as they were. I’d also been fortunate enough to be living in a building that embraced technology: keyless entry.

I’d entered my apartment and crashed down onto the couch, staring at the ceiling. Then I’d noticed how many mirrors I had in here. I’d sat up to count.

I’d gotten to twenty before I stopped counting. There was no use smashing that many, so I’d gotten up and undressed.

I’d kept the clothes to the side of my hamper, as evidence, and started the shower. As I waited for the water to warm, I’d thought about the magic shower. About Lucien watching me.

My stomach had then twisted, and I’d shaken him out of my thoughts and stepped under the water. After too long under the water, I’d gotten out and dressed, then had made tea and sat at the table with my laptop, trying to catch up on emails.

I took a sip of the tea, and it calmed me right away.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about the mirrors. How they worked. Did Lucien also return to the Malta mirror or somewhere else? Was he back already? Would he call me? Come find me?

~He only wants your virginity.~

But that couldn’t be true. He was so giving last night. He asked for nothing in return. And he could have had it. Could have had everything. That counted for something, right?

My phone buzzing took me out of my thoughts, and my heart skipped a beat thinking it could be Lucien.

I looked at the ID and frowned. “Oh, hey, Bernard.”

“Oh. My. God. Where have you been? I was just about to call the police!”

Why was he shouting at me?

“What do you mean where have I been?” I opened up my laptop again.

“Well, I’d assumed you went for an early vacation without telling me. But when you never answered or returned my calls, I thought the worst.” He snapped at me.

I scoffed. “A vacation? In a day? That’s no vacation. Besides, I would have told you if I were going on a vacation.”

“So why didn’t you answer or call me back?” He was worried too; I could hear it.

“I don’t understand what the big deal is, Bernard. We just talked yesterday.” He was frustrating me now.

“Nicolette, I haven’t heard from you in four days.”