The Mirror Maze

Chapter 11 - An Unexpected Meeting

I had messed up.

Back in my room I walked around frustrated. It didn't matter anyway. Why should I care what stupid Aaron thought of me?

He was a nice guy.

So what?

So you could have used someone on your side.

It was almost dinner time. Everyone else was attending the festival. Even Kiki had said that she would be going. I scowled. Staying inside my room wasn't exactly fun.

I grabbed my leather jacket and walked out. I was going to that festival. Maybe I would find some answers there.

***

Grace POV

It was raining in England. 

Of course. 

The address had led her to a small town. Some sort of festival seemed to be going on and Grace could have sworn she saw some kids pushing mini bazookas. She shivered and hugged her arms tightly around herself.

No one else seemed to care about the rain. They danced around crazily and enjoyed themselves. Grace decided to go and see if she could ask someone about the envelope, but at that moment someone pushed past her and she lost her balance and fell heavily into a puddle.

"Oh!"she gasped. She was soaking.  Absolutely sopping wet.

"Hey!" Grace turned her head, whipping herself with her dripping hair. "Watch where you're going."

The girl who knocked her over was wearing a green tank top and a leather jacket. Her green eyes peered keenly at Grace.

"Sorry." She said and offered a hand to help Grace up.

Grace allowed the girl to pull her up and scowled at her as she started shivering.

"Who are you?" The girl asked. 

"What?" Grace said.

"You're not from around here." The girl said.

"I'm Grace." Grace said, "and no, I'm not from around here."

"I can tell from the accent." The girl smiled and Grace relaxed. "I'm Iris." The girl said.

"Right." Grace paused. "Look, um, could you shed any light on this. Tell me where it is."

Grace handed over the envelope.

Iris read the address and her face puckered. "It's that castle over there." She said curtly and then walked off without so much as a goodbye.

"Thanks!" Grace called after her.

The palace was amazing. Grace walked up to it with her mouth hanging about a mile open.

Where the hell was this place? Teleporting to the address had been a shot in the dark. Grace wondered if she was dreaming. It was the sort of palace that belonged in a fairytale, a dusty old book snapped shut. She walked up to the crystal doors and pushed one open. The great slab of crystal swung easily at her touch.