Lying Mirror (Mist and Mirrors Book 2) by Eve Langlais

Author:Eve Langlais [Langlais, Eve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-01-03T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

Rodent tasted just fine when cooked with the salt she’d found in the kitchen. Salt being the only seasoning that survived. The more significant issue arose trying to convince Neff to enter the atrium of the Abbae, a safer place than outdoors where the young bird might be attacked. It also would keep the Ostrawk from the poisoning effects of the mist.

Still, Neff didn’t grasp that she did it for its own good. It kept peeking around and ruffling its feathers. Agitated, and yet it didn’t flee, simply remained by her side. Neff even let her hug it, which made her feel less alone. How she missed her mothers. She would have gladly listened to them argue right about now.

Despite having the Abbae to herself, Agathe chose to camp out in the biggest area for a few reasons. First, the beds weren’t usable, and the rooms felt tight and confining.

However, the biggest reason she chose to sleep closer to the door was the giant hole in it. She couldn’t exactly patch it, given a strike of a hammer to put on a usable chunk of wood led to more of it splintering. In the end, she’d resorted to barricading it with furniture that would make a racket if shoved.

For a bed, she dragged all the ragged blankets she could. The frayed pile was better than the hard floor. It formed a thin mattress for her to flop upon. Beside her, Neff enjoyed a bed of scraps twisted into a nest, its head tucked under a wing. It slept, and she envied it. Her mind had too many things to worry over to allow sleep.

How will I survive?

She really had to wonder. Because what if the rodents weren’t easy to find? What if the water dried up? What if she was here alone for the rest of her life?

I’ll go mad.

Better to ensure that didn’t happen. First thing tomorrow, she’d check over the broken paths and see if she could cross to a usable section.

A good plan. Eventually, she fell asleep, dreaming of how she’d find a route and escape.

The next day didn’t turn out as hoped. She could have cried as attempts to climb led to the unstable stone shifting. Part of the ledge in front of the Abbae sheared off, taking with it a piece bearing a protective sigil. It meant the mist soon swirled and coiled a mere pace from the still-safe Abbae.

That night, she went to bed depressed. The next day, she looked again.

Things hadn’t changed. There remained no passage off the ledge, but she did manage to create new sigils and patch the hole she’d accidentally created. They weren’t as strong as the previous one, but they did hold back the mist, giving her a safe space.

There were no monsters. She could have used one or two to juice herself. The mist barely covered her thirst for magic.

Neff cawed as it hopped past her, flapping its wings before jumping off the edge. Gone again.

Would Neff return? Maybe it had gone hunting.

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