Dead Voices

Coco tried to remember everything she’d seen when Ollie went through the mirror the first time.

Two things reflected in both sides of the mirror.

One of them was the fire.

Coco thought. And she thought. She glanced down at the watch. Glanced back at sleeping Ollie.

But before she could make up her mind, Seth appeared in the mirror beside Mother Hemlock.

“Well,” he said composedly.

Coco actually heard his voice. Not from the mirror. Coco spun around. He was standing in the middle of her room, her side of the mirror, hands in his pockets. “Well, that’s that,” he said. “She’s not coming back through now, even if you open the way. She’ll sleep until dawn. It didn’t go too well for you tonight, did it? Despite the thing on your wrist. Although it has been delightful watching you try.”

Coco didn’t say anything.

Seth raised an eyebrow at the row of beds in the mirror, at Ollie in one of them. “Olivia is really too trusting. First Mr. Voland, then that boy in the ski boots. Really. A little mistrust, and she wouldn’t be in this mess at all.”

“Where’s Brian?” asked Coco.

Seth grinned at her. “Lost,” he said. “You’d be surprised where the doors lead in this lodge tonight. He certainly has been surprised. I made sure he got lost and stayed lost. I doubt you’ll find him before dawn. If you like,” he added, with a kindly air that made Coco feel faintly sick, “you can give up now. Go through this minute, go to sleep on the bed next to your friend, and you won’t even notice the dark.”

“Thanks, but no thanks,” said Coco. “It’s not dawn yet.”

“No,” he said. “But soon.”

Coco said, “Are you going to shove me through the mirror right now?”

“Where would the fun be in that?” He had dimples when he smiled. Somehow the fact that he was enjoying himself made it all a lot worse.

“Fine,” said Coco. “Then I’m leaving. I’m going to figure out how to save Ollie.” She turned for the door. Realized that there were now three doors leading out of the room. She stopped and looked back.

Seth laughed. “Do as you like. You can play my games until dawn, if you wish. But then—through the mirror.”

And then he was gone. Not like disappearing in a puff of smoke or anything. No, just, one second he was there, and Coco blinked and then he wasn’t.

17

WELL, THIS IS DUMB was Coco’s first thought. It wasn’t like she was stuck in the bunk room. She had the watch. All she had to do was ask it to beep when she stood in front of the correct door. She could get away from the horrible sight of Ollie asleep, eyes frozen shut.

But—Coco had an idea. It was a very risky idea. But it was the only one she could think of. She just needed the answers to a couple of questions first. She thought she knew how to get them. Maybe, she thought, Seth had made a mistake when he had the basement stairs lead up to this room. Probably he’d wanted her to see that mirror, to see what had happened to Ollie, so Coco would get scared.

Coco was scared. But she had an idea.

She dove for her stuff, still scattered on the bunk room floor. She scrabbled among her belongings, came up with a marker and paper. “I’m going to ask a couple of questions. After each question, I’m going to read out the alphabet,” she told the watch. “Stop me at the right letters, to spell out an answer.”

The watch beeped twice.

Coco asked, talking as softly as she could, barely moving her lips, in case Seth was listening, “How do I wake up Ollie?”

She started reading the alphabet. All around, the lodge was completely, utterly still. Coco didn’t like the stillness. It felt like there were eyes in the shadows. Watching. Waiting.

CAL HER BY NAME, said the watch. BUT U MUST BE ON HR SID MROR.

That was what Coco had been afraid of. She took a shaky breath.

Next question.

“Are you a part of Ollie?”