We were led out of the infirmary with a Red Heart soldier on each arm. I asked Xuxa to let Divide accompany me to the castle should I need additional medical service. She reluctantly agreed on the condition that Divide follow the procession and carry her own supplies. I watched the girl struggle with her equipment knowing full well that if she could publically, Divide would split into many versions of herself to help with the load.
It had felt like ages since I last experienced a cool breeze brush across my skin and fresh air enter my lungs. Stepping out of the colosseum's elaborately formed metal gate was a bittersweet moment. Sure the air felt refreshing but the judgmental whispers of Blackstone's patrons made me regret leaving the secure dingy underground.
"That's her," whispered a woman from behind a large green fan as she stood by with her friend. "She's the one who will destroy the world."
"If it were my choice," said the friend twisting her back to me, "I'd get rid of her now, not invite her to the castle."
Other blackstone residents were just as harsh with their words.
"She assaulted the king with her evil magic. Why is she not being executed?"
"The Mirrorbender cheated by using that silver tray and that sevanter's fabric power. Onikuma should not have been killed. What a disappointment."
Such a walk of shame reminded me of Bristondale's citizens after the attack on their homes. Their hateful remarks burrowed into my soul leaving a lasting impression close to my heart.
News had leaked across the city that this band of misfits and I were being escorted to the castle. Crowds upon crowds of people jumbled into crooked doorways and filled the edges of the slanted streets. People arriving late overflowed into the alleyways between buildings. Children climbed dark stone walls or clinged to lamp posts. Some even hung on the archways over the streets all in the effort of catching a glimpse of the elusive me. Commerce across the city stopped as the entrances to trade markets were blocked. Some smart business men and women paraded far in front of our procession selling their wares. I looked down at my bare feet trying to ignore the many faces. The edges of my new dress became quickly darkened by the black sludge that covered the road. Lord only knows the extent of the grime that caked the soles of my feet. I guessed this is what stardom felt like, a thousand piercing eyes stabbing from all directions. Even though I chose not to look at their faces, I could still feel every eye upon me, judging my every move.
My attention was momentarily diverted when Owen suddenly stopped marching. His gaze fell on an empty plot of land where a building once stood. The outline of its former shape stamped the walls of the buildings nearby; an outline made by the unmistakable aftereffects of a fire. The stone appeared to have been salvaged, yet to Owen it remained a ghost, still visible in his mind. I could tell he was deep in a memory. The urge to ask him what it was quickly vanished as the guards holding his arms yanked him forward. Owen shook his head and blinked his eyes. I knew then without a doubt, Owen had been to the city before and there was something he was not telling us.
We stopped underneath a roaring aqueduct in front of a bent iron gate. Large black water droplets rained down upon me, leaving spots on my dress. So much for being presentable. Upon the gate hung a sign, RED DIAMONDS ONLY. Two red heart soldiers standing guard opened the gate. We passed through to a part of the city I could only describe as the wealthy elite sector.
Black grime that covered the lower part of the city was now absent. The stone was clean and evenly placed. Not a single pothole in sight. The street climbed steadily winding back and forth to the immense castle now hovering above us. The mountain's natural side poked out in places. Each one of the mansions lining the street was carved directly from the surrounding stone. The few shops and markets I spotted were refined to the utmost tastes. Glass windows and polished silver doors reflected the light. I took a glance at my reflection. It looked odd seeing two soldiers walking with a gap between them. Somehow all the clothes I wore lost their reflection the moment they touched my skin. Perhaps another secret Mirrorbender magic I was not aware of performing.
YOU ARE READING
Mirror Majesty
Teen Fiction[Mirror Me Series Book 2] Hope Martinez is the first person in Tartarus to kill a Half-Life. Such a feat should be commended if not for the dreadful prophecy that surrounds her. In the meantime, Hope along with her band of misfit renegades have one...
