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“Hey, Nick,” Mitchell yawned. “I see you haven’t changed worth a damn. Still keeping your little watch dogs all lined around this... what do you call it? Throne Room? No. Surely not. That’s too old-fashioned for the new and improved Mirrorville, right? How about The Five-Star Luxury Hotel California? Where innocent Dwellers can enter, but they can never leave... at least alive.”
Jeb glared at Mitchell incredulously. What was his brother doing? They hadn’t been inside the Royal Tower (similar to what Mortal’s called a penthouse) but for only a few seconds, and Mitchell had already insulted the King of Mirrorville! If he was alone, perhaps, it would be okay but not while the most dangerous members of the Shard surrounded them. Including General Francis.
The King frowned slightly as Mitchell smirked. “Sorry. That was a Mortal Realm reference. I’m afraid I’ve fallen into a bad habit of uttering what sounds like nonsense to complete idiots and then having to explain it all to them later.”
“Does being a smartass to your betters make you feel powerful, Mitchell?” the King gave a sly smile.
“No,” Mitchell shrugged, “but it gives me that warm and tingly feeling on the inside. Because despite what you think and have reinforced in your drones, we’re all equals. All of us in Mirrorville are just as gifted as the other. All it takes is a small shift to change who’s sitting on the throne and who’s lying dead in a mound of bodies.”
“Are you threatening me?“
Jeb shot Mitchell a pleading look. “My brother would never insult our King... and you weren’t, were you, Mitchell?”
“Not at all.”
“Well, I’m glad you came to your sense’s —!”
“I was accusing the privileged prick.”
“What?”
“See? Now, I’m going to need to, once again, explain something to a complete imbecile.”
“I thought you preferred the term idiot?”
“Thought I should switch it up a little,” Mitchell replied. “Besides, they’re synonyms. So, Your Gracious Royal Prick, what term do you have trouble understanding more? Accusing? Or synonym?”
“You think you're cute, don’t you?” the King snarled.
“Oh, I don’t think,” Mitchell let out a small chuckle, “I know. But is this really an appropriate time to be discussing your odd attraction to me? Because sociopathic rich bastards aren’t my type. Though I do hope I let you down gently enough.”
“And you wonder why Patterson didn’t choose you to be the Sleepwalker?” the King forced himself to remain calm.
“It’s a genuine mystery.” Mitchell raised his eyebrow. “Why don’t you fill me in on all of it? Right here and now. I would love to hear an explanation for... well... everything. In fact, you could even sign a written confession for the mass murders you and your cabana boy over there committed in the past few months.”
“Why you son of a —!” Francis went to summon his wand as the King motioned for him to stop.
“Francis take a walk.” the King motioned to the door.
“But...!”
“Do as you’re told. Now — go.”
“As you wish, your highness.”
After making sure Francis was long out of earshot, the King turned his attention back the Watkins brothers. “They were Dwellers. Not exactly the most favorable lot in the city. Never were. I wasn’t the one who slaughtered the... the defenseless... creatures, though. But that doesn’t mean I’d save them either. Unlike you. Bringing a Dweller to the Highgrounds Clinic. A clear sign of disrespect.”
“I’ve never disrespected you, Nick,” Mitchell replied calmly. “I hate you. Simple as that.”
“For that alone,” the King licked his lips, “you should be jailed for three days and added along with the Dweller incident — the Shard should brutally beat you, until you learn proper respect.”
“King Griffin!” Jeb nearly shouted. “Niki would have died if Mitchell hadn’t acted!”
“The Dweller’s life is of no importance,” the King smirked. “You should know that by now, Sleepwalker. But I am a forgiving King.”
“What is it you want?” Jeb glared.
“What I’ve always wanted,” the King replied.
“I’ll take power and money paired with asinine dictator wannabes for two-hundred, Alex.” Mitchell yawned. “Seriously, Jeb, his plan reads like a cheesy Bond villain’s. He’s going to blackmail us, so we’ll hand over Marley and Reyna to him.”
“You make it sound so deplorable, Mitchell,” the King flashed his perfect teeth in an eerie smile. “All I want is for the daughters of Patterson Timmons to be taught the proper way to guard Mirrorville.”
“You want to control them,” Jeb snarled. “Like you did with me!”
“Along with confirming he’s delusional enough to think they could be.” Mitchell raised his eyebrow. “Besides, you know Patterson never had kids, Nick. Everyone in Mirrorville would’ve known, if he had. Patterson wasn’t the fatherly type. He had too many anger issues.”
The King paled as he looked at Mitchell, before regaining his resolve and replying with, “Yes, now that you mention it, I agree. I even recall this one day... when he brutally beat one of his lesser students... after they let him down, of course. He cried relentlessly, begging Patterson to stop. Going on about how much he loved him... I think the boy came from a broken home, because it was almost as if he thought of Patterson as a surrogate father and what not. The poor boy was obviously a lost cause, and I never saw him again.”
“Well, I hope he finds you alone some day,” Mitchell smiled. “It’d be a shame for you two to never get closure. I think it’s time Jeb and I went home. The sun will be up in thirty minutes and I have an early morning class to teach.”
“I take it you’re refusing my offer?” the King snarled.
“Damn! What gave it away?” Mitchell replied with a grin. “Maybe you’re not as much of an idiot as I thought.”
“Sleepwalker — arrest your brother and then bring me the Timmons girls!” the King cut his eyes at Jeb.
Jeb stood up and looked at the King with disgust and disbelief. “Screw you.”
“Really? You’re choosing to grow a conscience now of all times?” the King snarled.
“You’re asking me that right after you threatened my brother?” Jeb glared. “How arrogant are you?”
“Makes me look humble, huh?” Mitchell grinned.
“Yeah,” said Jeb, “that’s what sad.”
“I know, right?” Mitchell yawned as he stretched his arms.
“Officers of the Shard — I order you to —!”
“Kill us and toss our bodies into a crater?”
The King’s face flushed red.
“God — he was actually going to say that, wasn’t he? How pathetic can you get?” Jeb shook his head.
“Told you. Cheesy Bond villain.” Mitchell laughed.
“Is that a Mortal Realm reference?”
“Uh-huh. From a delightfully cringe-filled film series.”
“KILL THEM!” the King roared in fury.
As the Shard Officers summoned their wands, Jeb unsheathed his God Relic, while Mitchell’s hands glowed electric blue.
*****
ERICA WALLACE SIGHED as she paced the floor of the Highgrounds, anxiously awaiting to hear...
“I’m not sure what’s wrong with her.”
...something else. Atticus wiped the sweat off his forehead, his brow furrowing in disconcertion. “I’ve seen nothing like this before. Horrible tremors, uncontrollable magical transitions, hallucinations, shrieks of terror. It’s almost as if she’s at war with herself. Erica, are you sure that you’ve told me everything that happened last night?”
“Yes, damn’t! After the attack on the Observatory — I went to look for Anna and found she’d skipped detention. So I used a tracking spell to find her. She was at the pier talking to herself for some reason. Then, before I could reach her — the wave of magic from the God Relics activating hit the city. It didn’t affect me — but — Anna just started screaming like someone was killing her. She took off running. I chased her for almost three hours until she passed out behind a dumpster five miles from the Slums. After that, I called you. Now — please — DO SOMETHING!”
“Erica... as far as I can tell... the God Relics did something to her I didn’t even know was possible, let alone how to treat. No one else in Mirrorville was affected like her, not even the Dwellers.”
“Atticus — I can’t lose —” Erica's eyes watered as...
“AAAAHHHHHHHH!”
“— Anna!”
BOOM!
The entire clinic shook violently as Erica and Atticus rushed back to Anna’s room, only to find a large hole punched through the wall and the youngest Wallace sister long gone.
“Oh, God — not again!” Erica nearly screamed.
Atticus gave her a somber look. “If the God Relics caused her illness... I’m pretty sure I know where she’s going... or who’s she going to. I think you need to call —”
*****
“MITCHELL — THAT WAS —!”
“Incredible,” Mitchell rolled his eyes, slightly out of breath. “Yes, I know.”
“I was going to say grotesque,” Jeb sighed.
And grotesque was definitely the word. Jeb barely had to swing his sword once. Mitchell used everything in the penthouse (table legs, shot glasses, piano keys, candles and more) to teleport inside the various Shard Officers’s body parts. Though, he made sure not to issue a killing blow to any of them — Jeb was certain all of them were going to need limb amputations, even if their gifts were enhanced healing. Mitchell had caused their bodies too severe of damage.
“Oh, grow up,” Mitchell laughed mirthlessly.
The two brothers then turned their attention back to the King, who was cowering in the corner clutching his now injured foot.
“Looks like having the gift of flight isn’t such a great asset when you can’t even escape two of your worthless subjects, eh, Nick?” Mitchell smirked.
“Are you going to kill me?” the King couldn’t hide the panic from his voice.
“Not today,” Mitchell shrugged. “I believe in second chances. We’ll give you four days to come clean about your role in helping Shade with the Dweller slaughters, and if you don’t — guess what? I have proof that you did. I noticed it while I was in the Underground — your imprint was all over that damn place. And we’ll reveal that evidence to everyone in Mirrorville, if you don’t. Because I know that since you’re still technically the King until you either die or willingly resign your title — you’re protected from any type of truth potion. But if you attack us again — you’ll regret it. I promise you that much. So, don’t screw this up, Nick. By the way, as my brother’s legal guardian, I’m effectively withdrawing him from attendance in Shard Prep. Your faculty is just too toxic for my family.”
Mitchell and Jeb teleported away, instantly landing on the corner of a nearby alley.
“Oh, son of a bitch.”
Mitchell fell to his knees with blood now pouring from both his hands and arms.
“MITCHELL!” Jeb went to help him, only for Mitchell to swat him away.
“I’m... fine... I just need a moment,” he gasped, leaning against the alley wall. “I over did it a little... Need to catch my breath... Next time... I need to fight smarter... not harder...”
“Mitchell, what’s happening to you?”
“If I had to guess? Side effect of inter-dimensional teleportation,” Mitchell replied, wiping blood on his shirt.
“Going back through the mirror did this to you? How?”
“Having a Shard Mark is a bitch?”
“Seriously? We need to bring you to the Highgrounds Clinic! You could die!”
Ding! Ding!
Mitchell pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Ironically... the Clinic’s calling me.” Mitchell quickly answered. “Hey, Doc, a little early for a...What? Is Erica... okay... we’ll keep a lookout for her... yeah, I know... we will. Thanks.”
Mitchell ended the call, cursing under his breath.
“What happened now?“ Jeb groaned.
“We need to get home... before...” Mitchell’s eyes glazed over as he fell to the ground, blood pouring from his body.
“NO! NOT NOW — NOT YET!” Jeb shrieked in horror. Another vision from Anastasia had to come to pass as Jeb cradled his older brother in his arms.
Mitchell stared up at him, his eyes glazed over. His voice distant, but nevertheless persistent with dread.
“...she does...”
*****
MARLEY SMILED AS THE morning sunlight shined down on her face. She happily rolled over in bed.
“Good morning... Jeb?”
But the Sleepwalker was nowhere to be found.
“Okay, whatever,” Marley yawned as she stretched out of bed. With how old-fashioned Jeb was, she wouldn’t be too surprised if he’d snuck out to sleep in his own room. It wasn’t like anything that major happened the night before. She had fallen asleep in his arms and nothing more. It was sweet. But that was it. Plain and simple.
“...Then why are you so pissed off?” Reyna asked with a smile.
“Oh, can you just shut up?” Marley muttered.
“You should know better than that by now,” Reyna giggled. “I am literally incapable of keeping quiet.”
“You sure are,” Marley raised an eyebrow and smirked, nodding towards Armie (who was cooking over the Watkins stove).
“...I see you ditched Mirror-Marley’s style,” said Reyna, her cheeks flushing red.
“Uh-huh,” said Marley. “Let’s just say that style wasn’t me.”
“Totally agree,” Reyna smiled. “Love the leather jacket, by the way. The color brings out your eyes. Where’d you find it?”
“In the closet of the guest room,” Marley replied. “Must have belonged to Jeb’s mom or something. Either way, it fits great.”
“It’s not hurting your...”
“Stab wounds?” Marley half-laughed. “It’s okay to call them what they are. I faced off against and killed a Higher Demon. Might as well own it. But to answer your question, the healing potion Mitchell gave me did its job. I feel amazing.”
“Except for being pissed off at your boyfriend?”
“Yeah. ...He’s not my boyfriend!”
Reyna smirked.
“We literally did nothing!”
“But cuddle?”
“Yes! ...I mean — no!”
Ring! Ring!
“I’ll get the door,” Marley sighed, her face flushing red.
“Saved by the literal bell, huh, sis?”
Marley could hear Reyna giggling all the way to the front door. Marley was three feet from the ancient oak carved doors — when they came crashing down in front of her.
Marley quickly activated her gift as energy blasts formed in her hands.
“Marley — help me — I — I remember — everything!”
“Anna?” Marley blinked in shock as her former friend passed out, hitting the floor with a loud thud.
“Reyna — Armie — GET IN HERE!” Marley ran over to Anna, desperately checking her pulse. “Please — don’t be dead!”