Court of Nightmares and Ruin

Chapter 25

The Mirror

"Nooo!" I screeched so loud that the glass in the mirror cracked.

"Those insolent fools," I hissed and started to pace in my mirrored prison.

Do I have to do everything? I gave her the poisoned apple to give to Icelyn, and yet, Icelyn was still alive and well, and now she was officially mated to the male I hated most in this world.

I heard Grimhilde approach the mirror and gasp when she saw its state.

"Mirror, mirror..."

"Oh, shut up!" I interrupted her chanting. "I am already here."

"What happened?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Why have you not given the apple to Icelyn." I ignored her probing question and got down to the matter at hand.

Grimhilde started to pace before the mirror, and my ire rose.

"It's impossible!" She finally admitted and fell down on her knees before me.

"I have tried everything I know...As soon as an outsider steps into the Night Realm, they instantly fall dead! Not even a glamor can fool the Night King."

I tuned out her babbling as I started to pace. Kohl was much stronger than before and even more so now that he was one with his fated mate. Nothing in all the lands was more potent than a true mate bond, they were a force to be reckoned with, but this also made them more vulnerable.

I looked down at my hands; they were wrinkled and withered. Each time I used my magic inside the mirror, I wasted away even more, and my powers were now nearly diminished. This was my last hope, my only chance to escape, and unfortunately, I had to rely on this idiot.

I hissed in pain as I conjured a potion. I fell to my knees. I was so weak, and patches of my skin turned to dust and floated through the air. Grimhilde stepped back from the hideous sight of me as I reached my gnarled hand towards her, offering her the new potion.

"Use this." My voice was hoarse and haggard sounding.

Grimhilde timidity reached through the glass and gripped the bottle. I used what little strength I had left to grab her and pull her head inside the mirror. She screamed and struggled against me, but I held her tight.

"Hear me well, ingrate. This is your last chance. Drink this potion before entering the Night Realm. It will disguise you. Not even Kohl will be able to tell who you truly are, but you must be quick. The longer you stay in his realm, the more likely he is to discover who you are. All you have to do is make sure she takes one bite of the apple I gave you; the rest you leave up to me." I released her, and she snatched so hard from me that she fell to her rear on the other side of the mirror.

"I will not fail you again," she promised as she rushed around the room, packing a bag.

"See that you don't."

***

Grimehilde

I approached the Night Realm boundary on shaky legs. To say that I did not trust the enchantress was an understatement, but what choice did I have? If I didn't stop Icelyn soon, I would be dead. I took the potion from my bag and uncorked the bottle. It hissed, and the stench repulsed me. It was now or never. I downed the contents in one gulp; the liquid burned like acid as it slid down my throat. When it reached my stomach, I doubled over in pain.

I screamed in agony as my body broke and realigned. When I finally thought this was the end, the pain subsided. I heaved in breaths of air as I stood. My body felt strange, foreign. I looked down at my hands. They were no longer my hands. My beautiful bronzed skin was now pale, and there were imperfections there.

I walked over to a pool and looked at my reflection. I gasped and took a step back. That Witch had turned me into a small-framed female human. I ran my fingers through the muted brown hair sprouting from my head, disgusted that it was no longer my beautiful green locks.

My nerves had increased, and I was even more vulnerable now as a human. Had the enchantress lost her mind? I glanced at the Night Realm. Its eerie darkness caused my skin to prick. I inhaled deeply to gather my nerves and stepped over the boundary.

I stood there momentarily with my eyes pinched closed, expecting to fall dead any second, but the minutes ticked by, and I was still alive.

I exhaled my relief and pulled the bag I was carrying higher on my shoulder. I couldn't believe this worked, and I couldn't believe I was in the Night Realm. Based on the map hanging in my husband's chamber, I started walking in the direction I knew the castle was.

The sights and sounds of the Night Realm were foreign to me and were like a nightmare reincarnated. I picked up the pace. The enchantress told me I didn't have long before the king was alerted to my presence here. I had to find Icelyn quickly, get her to eat the apple and then all of my troubles would be gone, just like her.