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He holds it up to the light and reads the inscription out loud. He hands the mirror back to me. “First, try asking for the truth.”
I curl up my lip as I stare at my reflection. The last time I asked for the truth, it did not end well. Taking a chance, I say, “Who am I?”
The mirror does not change at all, simply showing me a reflection of myself. “Try another question?” says Raúl.
“Where am I from?” For a few seconds, the mirror shows only my reflection. Then, it slowly changes, revealing the same scene from before. The one where Mother is delivering a baby. I grip the handle harder and the scene ends. Wrinkling my nose, I glance up at Raúl. “It showed me this before.”
Raúl nods. “Interesting. Very well.” He takes out his pocket watch and flips it open, showing me the mirror inside it. “These are similar, though not as large, obviously. When I wish to speak to someone, I ask the mirror to show me that person.”
“What if you don’t have your pocket watch with you?”
Raúl closes the mirror and points to the design at the top. “It will buzz slightly, but if I don’t answer it, then I miss it. I’ve heard of mirrors that can store messages, but we don’t use those.”
I tilt my head. “Why not?”
“Why would I? We all have our pocket watches on us. If we don’t, there’s a reason. Such as we likely don’t want to talk.”
Nodding, I hold up the mirror. I stare into it intently. “I want to talk to Raúl.”
The mirror does nothing, and I grimace. “Maybe I’m too close?”
“Perhaps. I will go to your bath.” Raúl stands and walks to the bath, closing the door.
I try again, asking the mirror to call Raúl. Anxious for it to work, I rub a piece of my braid. For the first two seconds, there is nothing, then I see a shadow on my mirror, the shape of a man. “Raúl?” I ask.
“I am here,” says the shadow.
“You’re a shadow on my mirror.”
The image laughs. “It’s the silver. While we can touch silver, it is a purifying metal. We exist as shadows and silver reminds us.”
The mirror’s image disappears, but before it does, an image flashes onto the smooth surface. I stare in shock at a woman who looks like me, but isn’t me. Her hair is black with purple streaks running through it. Her eyes are endlessly black. “Find me,” she says, her voice a whisper, bringing images of spiders and moons to my mind. “Trust Raúl.”
The moment Raúl walks back in, though, the image fades. He sits next to me and I look at him, my eyes wide. “Raúl, I just saw something.”
I describe the woman and his eyebrows draw together. “Could it be a relative of yours?”
“I don’t know. I find I’m left with more questions and no answers.” No matter. This woman needs my help, so somehow I’ll find her. I lean my head on his shoulder, the mirror in my lap, and sigh.
He kisses the top of my head. “We’ll find the truth, I promise.”
I yawn. “I know. Also, I want to go to bed. But it’s more exciting to stay here with you.”
Raúl throws his head back and laughs. Then he stands up and holds out his hand for me. “That is the truth.”
“I’m going to have to just continue asking that damn mirror questions, aren’t I?”
Raúl pauses. “No, you could always ask that witch.”
It is my turn to throw back my head and laugh. “The mirror will tell the truth, though. And not storm off or burn me if I ask an offending question.”
“Then yes, I suppose you will have to ask the mirror.” Raúl lets go of me as I slip into bed, his gaze lingering on my face. “But not now. You need rest.”
He leans down and kisses my forehead gently before standing up. As he turns to leave, I grab his hand. “Raúl, wait,” I say softly.
He looks at me, his eyebrow raised. “Yes?”
“I just... I don’t want to be alone right now,” I say, feeling suddenly vulnerable. I know I’ll have to return to the tower to find more answers, and the thought of facing Mother again makes my heart pound. “Can you stay with me for a while?”
