Brent parked the car in front of Maggie’s house – my house now – although I was pretty sure I would never be able to live there without her. Thinking about what happened to Maggie, I felt like the night sky – black and empty – vacant of anything bright and colorful. Thankfully, in our hurry to leave, I had left most of the lights on so we wouldn’t have to stumble through the darkness to find the front door. Brent’s hand was on my knee and he gently squeezed.
“You ready? We don’t have to do this now if it’s too much for you.” He spoke the words so tenderly and I saw his worried smile. It must have been hard for him as well, and I loved that he was here for me. I needed him.
Upon entering the house, I found myself in front of the antique mirror once again. I breathed in and out slowly, looking into the glass, mentally begging for an Agent to come. Staring back at my reflection, I noticed how red and puffy my eyes were from crying. Brent and Reese were seated on the bed regarding me carefully. I kept my eyes focused on my reflection.
Dammit! Come on, I know you’re in there. Show yourself.
I squeezed the sides of the frame thinking a little pressure would make something happen. Feeling hopeless, I saw tears begin to swell.
“Claire,” Brent said delicately. I knew what he was going to say and he was not going to like my response. “You’ve been in front of that mirror for a half an hour. They’re not coming. We need to go.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Brent,” I said through gritted teeth.
I had to find out how Kace had found me so easily. My intuition screamed that Kace had help. I was determined to find out who was helping him, because whoever it was played a part in Maggie’s death.
“Goddammit, Claire. Listen to me. We’ll find another way. I promise you. You can’t continue to put yourself in danger. It won’t bring Maggie back. It won’t.” Brent emphasized his last few words, placing his hands firmly on my shoulders.
I clenched my fists by my side. “You don’t have to be so controlling, Brent. Seriously, that’s enough.”
He cocked his head and raised his brow. With a deadpanned expression he asked, “Really?”
“Yes,” I sighed, feeling a soft warmth come to my cheeks. It was his design. Something was ingrained in every fiber of his genetic makeup to take charge and protect me.
“It’s all I’ve ever known, Claire,” he confessed, honesty emitting from his gaze.
He was right, just as my parents had been before him. This was all for my safety. I hated it. Knowing he had to be this way, but that wasn’t going to change until Kace was no longer a threat to us. I reached up and placed my hand on his, looking at him through the reflection.
His face was concerned and sincere, rousing emotions inside of me.
“Okay, we’ll go.”
But just as the words left my mouth, light filled the room around us and the mirror began to glow. We waited apprehensively, anticipating what would happen next.
Side by side, we stared into the blurry mirror, no longer able to see our reflection. As it came back into focus, a man was looking back at us.
“Hello Claire, I am Omni. I’ve been expecting you,” he said, surprising me with this news.
The man’s voice was gentle, bringing my nerves to a peaceful flow, shutting down my emotions, and storing them away while he spoke. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but was truly baffled as Omni was a man like anyone else. I guessed I had pictured a ghost. Not like a sheet with two eye holes cut out, often seen on Halloween, but more spirit-like. Thinking of the shows my Dad used to watch, ghosts were always streaks of light that resembled human form. The image in the mirror was very much a man in the flesh. Omni had long graying hair – salt and pepper – as my Mom would have called it, and he could have been anyone of our neighbors. But he wasn’t. He was the person I needed for answers.
Brent squeezed my hand reassuringly. Reese looked as though he was about to faint.
Lifting my head to Omni again, I asked, “My aunt, is she okay?” The memory of the last time I saw her was still strong. Those pesky tears threatened to return as I waited for his response.
“Maggie is fine,” he reassured me. “The Agents have taken good care of her.”
His report brought only a miniscule amount of relief.
Omni noticed Brent’s fingers tangled in mine and I expected him to be upset.
“I see you have discovered that Brent is your Paramour and Reese is not,” he stated, obviously not bothered by it. The Doyens and their Agents apparently knew things had changed.
“Yes, well, it seems many things have differed from the original design.” Brent and I flung our joined hands in the air. “That’s why I brought you here. We don’t know how this happened. We have other questions, too. Kace found me, although I have no idea how. I don’t think he did it without help.”
“He didn’t,” Omni replied. He shot a glowering look over at Reese who shifted uncomfortably.
I turned to Reese and pinned him with a wide-eyed glare. “What did you do?” I demanded.
“Nothing,” Reese said defensively. “I told you, I kissed Brooke.”