I contemplated waking them so we could go looking for Narcissus together, but their soft expressions and gently rising chests stopped me. Let them rest while they could. I'd find Narcissus on my own and come back for them. I strode across the grass and made my way out of the conservatory. I figured I'd start in the main room if I could find it. The thought gave me pause. What if I got lost in the palace and couldn't find my way back to the conservatory?
“Don't be ridiculous,” I huffed at myself.
The bonds I'd made with my husbands—Blood to Heart and the enchantment of our wedding bands—would lead me straight back to them. Only strong wards could hide them from me. Even then, I'd probably be able to track them up to the ward. I'd done so with Kirill once.
I wandered through the eccentric, indecisive corridors that shifted styles like a trophy wife and finally chanced upon Narcissus' voice. I frowned at that but then remembered that I'd been speaking to myself just moments earlier. Narcissus had spent centuries alone; doubtless, he often spoke to himself too.
Except that he wasn't.
I pulled up short when I heard the blistering words. My acute dragons senses honed in easily despite the considerable distance between Narcissus and me. I peeked around the corner. The conversation filtered out of an open door, beckoning me. I could hear Narcissus just fine, but another voice argued with him, and I wanted to see who it was. Another person in the palace meant that either they had just arrived, or Narcissus had been hiding them from us. Either way, I needed to know who they were.
I crept up to the door and crouched down by the frame. I figured that I'd have a better chance of going unnoticed if I stayed closer to the ground when I took my peek. Slowly, I eased around the edge and stole a quick glance. Then I pulled back and pressed flat against the wall in shock. Narcissus really was talking to himself, just not in the way I'd thought.
Two Narcissuses faced off; one vibrant and opaque and the other a sheer, ghostly twin.
The solid one wailed at the phantom, “I won't do it!”
He'd been saying versions of this statement the entire time, but he'd yet to mention what “it” was. Then came another clue.
“I like them, and I'm glad they can't die in here.”
“They're Gods; imagine the power they would give me.”
“I'm not killing them!” Solid-Narcissus snapped. “They're going to help me get free.”
“You will never be free of me!” Ghost-Narcissus roared. “Kill them or I will kill you all!”
A horrible clanging echoed through the palace, and I peered around myself with trepidation. The building shook like a bird settling its feathers and then went silent. I got to my feet and continued to warily scan the hallways but nothing more happened.
“Mirror!” Narcissus shouted. “You can't kill us; you're made to imprison, not murder! You leave them alone. Do you hear me?”
“Narcissus.” I stepped into the room.
The Mirror-Narcissus had disappeared, and the real one flinched guiltily.
“Vervain, I... you heard that?” He asked.
I nodded.
“How much of it?”
“Enough to know we could be in danger,” I said softly.
“The Mirror can't hurt us,” he repeated what he'd been yelling at it. “The curse was made to imprison a god, not kill one. It would be going against its nature, against the very magic that created it, if it tried to murder us.”
“Except you just threatened it,” I pointed out. “It thinks you're about to escape, and that may give it some leeway.”
Narcissus turned the color of sour cream.
“Tell me the truth.” I stalked closer and stared him down. “When was the last time the Mirror pulled someone in?”
Narcissus grimaced and looked guilty. “A couple of months ago.”
“A couple of months?” I gaped at him.
“I didn't want to tell you that the Mirror has been growing in strength,” he said apologetically. “It discovered that it could feed on the energy of the humans who died here and then it began pulling people in more and more frequently. It's become insatiable. I think it believes itself to be a god,” he whispered the last bit as he stared around himself suspiciously.
“Fred Flintstone!” I cursed viciously. “This is not good.”
“No,” he agreed and then frowned. “Who is Fred Flintstone?”
“It's a cartoon; never mind. I curse strangely so that I don't teach my children bad words.”
“You have children?” Narcissus asked with a small smile.
“I have three, and I'm pregnant now.” I rubbed my rounded belly. “You didn't notice?”
“I like women with curves.” He shrugged. “I thought it was normal. Whose child do you carry?”
“Trevor's son.” I smiled softly.
“You already know the sex?”
“Yes, but that's a long story.” I waved my hand dismissively. “And it's not important right now. We need to get back to my husbands.”
I hurried out the door with Narcissus charging after me.
“And would you mind returning my clothes?” I asked as he caught up.
“Oh, certainly.” Narcissus nodded and my old clothing returned.
The clothing gave me a little more confidence, but I wouldn't breathe easy until I was reunited with Trevor and Kirill. I regretted leaving them now. I knew better than to split up in a strange, magical place. Damn it all; why had I left them? Luckily, Narcissus took the lead, and in mere minutes, we burst through the silver, conservatory doors. My guys slept on, blissfully unaware. I hurried over to them and shook them awake.
“We have a problem,” I said as they both sat up.
“What is it?” Trevor stood; instantly scanning the room.
“The Mirror has been taking people far more frequently than Narcissus first indicated,” I explained. “It's been getting powerful and has started to crave more power. It tried to get Narcissus to kill us since we wouldn't die here on our own.”
The men
