I used some baby wipes that I had stored in my vanity table to clean up and handed some to the men. They smiled smugly at each other as if coming was such a manly, awesome accomplishment. I'm surprised they didn't high-five for managing to knock me up. Yes, yes; you have supernatural sperm, good for you. I rolled my eyes and got dressed. They had slid on some clothes as well, and we were about to head out when the cloak I'd thrown over the mirror blew off in a gust of icy air. We froze and stared at the mirror in shock.
I wanted to run. Hell, I think even the Wolf wanted to run, but my stare was shackled to that reflective surface that was slowly becoming less reflective. A wintry forest came into view within the gilded frame and snowflakes flurried out with the breeze. Something was filling my body; a compulsion to move forward. I started to walk toward the mirror, and the Wolf grabbed me. His eyes were glowing, and he was growling. Kirill's snarl added to his as he took my other arm.
I turned a wide-eyed stare toward my husbands—first one and then the other—as I continued to move forward. They had a hold of me but they weren't holding me back. I had the sense that they were too busy trying to fight their own battle against the compulsion. Whatever had been affecting me had spread to them. We couldn't even speak; our throats worked against the urge to shout for help. Step-by-step we went forward together, and we moved through the mirror's frame—the glass completely gone—and into that cold forest as we clutched tightly at each other.
As soon as our feet crunched into the carpet of snow, the compulsion was gone, and we fell to our knees gasping. My whole body quaked with the relief that came from the vanishing spell; I hardly even noticed the snow melting; dampening my dress, and freezing hands and knees. And then I looked back over my shoulder and saw the gilded frame. It stood in the middle of a snowy field, its carvings dusted with snow. I could see my dressing room through it; the opening now covered by a pane of glass. Snowflakes hit the glass and melted.
I got to my feet with the help of my husbands, and we hurried back to the mirror. The Wolf touched the glass and found it solid.
“What the fuck is going on?” the Wolf growled.
Kirill just punched the barrier with his fist. A ringing like a struck gong echoed through the clearing and made us all clutch at our ears in agony. When it faded, we stared in horror at the doorway to our world which now seemed to be barred against us.
As we gaped in shock at the unbreakable glass, Odin came into the room carrying Lesya.
“Odin!” I shouted as I pressed up against the glass. “Odin!”
But he couldn't hear me. He looked around the room in confusion, never once even glancing at the mirror. I saw his mouth moving, probably calling our names, but it was Lesya who stared at the mirror, her eyes widening as if she could see me.
“Lesya!” I shouted and waved my arms at her. “Tell Uncle Odin!” I pointed at Odin.
Kirill joined me in pointing at Odin while Lesya just blinked at us. I don't know what she saw in the mirror, but I didn't think it was actually us. It was probably just her lioness senses warning her. Nonetheless, she finally smacked Odin and said something to him as she pointed at the mirror. Odin scowled and went to stand in front of us. We continued shouting and waving at him, but he couldn't see us. His beautiful, peacock-colored eyes shifted over our faces blindly as he regarded the mirror somberly. He grabbed the frame, shook it, and then stood back from it. He said something to Lesya, and she began to cry.
In my desperation, I reached for the Nine-Pointed Star inside me. It could do miraculous things when it wanted to. I could even direct it with my will. Unfortunately, I never knew when my will and its plans would coincide. I felt the star start to brighten in my chest, but before the light could shine through my body, it fizzled out and then disappeared entirely. Nope, helping me today didn't seem to be within the stars; or star, rather.
“Lesya!” I called to my sobbing daughter.
But Odin was already comforting her; bouncing her as he carried her out of the room. He looked back at the mirror, though, his face contorted with worry. He had seen us go into the dressing room; he knew something was very wrong.
“This is getting us nowhere,” I finally said as I turned away from the glass. “We're going to have to find another way out of here.”
I turned and surveyed the scene. It was icy cold but my body had automatically turned up my internal thermostat. I not only radiated enough heat to keep all of us warm, but I also melted the snow beneath our feet. Patches of dead grass showed through the puddles; looking perfectly normal. A light snow continued to fall over the silent forest, tiny flakes falling slower than rain. It was the only movement in the woods. I knew it was Winter but there still should have been some life out there. There was no bird song, no rustle of small creatures or cry of predators. It was deathly quiet. Even the wind had stopped.
“What is this; Narnia?” I asked in a hushed tone.
“The Lion, the Witch, and the Werewolf,” the Wolf said and then snorted a laugh.
“Zere had better not be any lampposts in zis forest,”
