"How was it?" Belladonna asked as we got to the inner mirror.
Everyone gasped when my reflex talked and I tightened my grip on Oli's hand that was intertwined with mine, not to freak out again. "You bastard. You swallow me up, and that was not cool, Belladonna."
She grinned, "Did you see it all? Do you see now?"
I clenched my jaw, "I saw it all until they told me to find Sunna, the phoenix. But I still have too many questions. To begin with, who is Sunna?"
"Princess of the Sky-City of Phoenixes of Andromeda. Red phoenix. Sunna Lia Hearthstone. You didn't hear the rest?"
"What rest?" I growled. "What else happened?"
"They showed the weapons you would need, as well as told you some more things about, uh," her eyes went to Oliver. "How mating bond works."
I gasped, "Why didn't you show me the rest, you little," I clenched my jaw, as Oli pressed his hand on mine. "Can I see it again?"
"I can only let you inside once a month, Queen. I don't know why you couldn't finish watching everything, but we can try next month. The power of the Mirror of the Soul has to be used with responsibility, as I can show you everything I've seen so far, and bring you inside the memories that were kept in me. Like the one I've showed you."
"March then. When?"
"Tenth of March shall me fine.'
"Who are the four people you mentioned earlier?"
"In appearance? Shayanne, Russell, King Umbra, Queen Wilhelmina. In personality? King Umbra, Grand Duchess Melina, Shayanne, and Cosmos. But are you still blind?"
I groaned, "I am not blind. Can you stop calling me that?"
"You are. You refuse to see. Thus, making you blind."
Oliver turned to me, "She's the second person who calls you that."
"The Crone knows, that's why she said it."
It was hard to hold the scowl, "Then tell me. What should I see?"
"Deep inside of you, you already know the answer. So, look inside you, my Queen. The sooner you gain your sight of what's hidden under your eyes, the better will it be for you!"
"You aren't being helpful. And don't call me that, it's too much."
"You shall get used to it, my Queen. It's your rightful position!"
She must be testing my patience. "Well, then feel glad, I allow you to call me Hel. Just… Hel. That will be good."
But the arsehole grinned, "Denial won't take you anywhere. If one thing, it'll be a short cut for more suffering. Suffering that will cause more cracks on your soul, my Queen. I understand that it may be too much for you to carry at the moment. But you do not have to carry it alone."
I felt all eyes on me, and I moved uncomfortable. "I've told you, I do not want to hear this, Belladonna."
{"Cracks in the soul? What is she talking about, Hel?"}
Bullshite. That's what she's talking about.
"And I told you that you has to hear it. I am not here to tell you what you want to hear, my Queen. The purpose of the Emerald Mirror of the Soul is to show the wielder of the Crown, what needs to be shown. To let them see what goes on with their soul, and how their actions towards other people and themselves, can break them."
"You don't want to hear it, because you know it's true. You don't want to hear it, because you don't want to see, you prefer to blind yourself than to accept things as they are. You are infuriatingly stubborn and can't listen to anyone but yourself, until you have no remaining alternative!"
{"She is kind of right!"} I glared at him. {"You know she is!"}
"Finally someone said it!" Rio and Felix exclaimed together.
["See? I've been telling her this for weeks!"]
"I'll kill the next person who opens their mouth," I groaned.
{"Thankfully I am not opening my mouth then!"}
Oliver! Why is he like this?
{"What? I'm just thinking."}
"All I told you remains, my Queen. I don't want to see yourself hurting like this. Blaming yourself and refusing to see how worthy you are of the good things life can offer you. It breaks my heart. Seeing your soul breaks my heart. Please, open yourself up. Allow yourself to be in the receiving end for a bit. Just, don't beat yourself too much, child."
"I am not doing that," I lied. "I have more important things to think about, instead of what I might want or not. I don't have time for that."
"You do have time. Too much time, in fact. And I'm not talking simply about your time magic, although that too gives you a whole lot of time. I'm talking about how long you live. At the end of this war, after you've won against your enemies, you will stand alive, won't you? Or are you thinking of killing yourself?"
Clenching my jaw, I said nothing, and not only did she stare at me, as did everyone else, and Oliver. But I stayed shut.
{"You better not be this stupid."}
I didn't say anything.
{"That is precisely the problem."} "Hel!" He growled and turned me around, holding my face and making me stare up at him, genuine fear overflowing from him. "You aren't thinking of doing that, are you?"
I gulped. "I…" If I break the mating bond, he'll be free.
"Free?" He scowled. "Don't you dare to think about that."
I flinched. "I didn't say anything."
"Take all of those stupid ideas from your bloody mind. I won't let that fucking shite happen. So, don't even fuck with this. Have you lost your mind? What? You really think we'll let you do that?" {"If you kill yourself, I'll kill myself right after you. Don't even think of leaving this world without me, you evil bitch."}
"Hel?" Felix gasped. "You can't be serious!"
"You're joking, right?" Rio scoffed.
"You should all keep your eyes on this one. She has quite the bad ideas going on inside this little head of hers. And given the way she sees herself and blames-"
"Stop!" I yelled at her. "Fucking stop. Why can't you stop doing this to me? First in the office, now here? What the fuck is wrong with you? Can't you just shut the fuck up for once? Don't do this to me!"
"Child, this is for your own good. What would Shay think if she knew what you were planning? Your mom would be heartbroken!"
I saw red, "Do not bring my mother into this, Belladonna!"
"We both know how she would react, my Queen. That's why I am trying to open your eyes. The answers you seek for are right in front of you, but if you stay blind, you will doom you all!"
"Then tell me what I need to see!" I yelled frustrated. "Because I don't understand. You keep speaking in riddles and I still do not have a bloody damn clue about what you mean. Why don't you try being direct with me?"
"There are things you need to learn by yourself. And my Queen, the answers you seek, are inside you. All of them. Even if I were to tell you, you would not believe me, given your stubborn nature. You would say I am full of shite, and that you won't accept it. Because you're that stubborn!"
Clenching my fists, I closed my eyes, trying to hold my temper. "Give me a clue, Belladonna. Because your words are a puzzle to me."
She sighed, "The unbreakable cannot be broken. The name isn't just an accessory, child. Not to you. Maybe to others, but not to you. Your kin is different in front of all others, and you should have already realized that. The way some paved, does not work for you. And the person you seek, you will find if your confront your fear and open your eyes!"
I froze. She's wrong. This can't be true. She's wrong.
"Can you stop?" Oliver groaned, making me look at him.
"I am not doing anything," I hissed.
{"Yes. Yes, you are. Don't do this to me, Hel. It hurts too much."}
My body flinched as I felt his pain, the same one I that overwhelms me every time I even think about breaking the bond. His pain. But I can't help me. Though this time, I also felt my pain hit me like a slap, and it was so hard, that made look away from him, unsettled. I don't know what to do.
"That's as far as I can help you, my Queen. You can all pass over me without using magic. I'll allow it because you are with Her Majesty. I hope you are able to put some sense into her head, Oliver," then her reflex vanished and the mirror turned into a portal.
Everyone was tense, and Yumi carried Jack out.
"We'll leave first," River spoke, avoiding to look at us.
"You two need to talk," Felix said. "A serious talk!"
"Teleport out of here, before you destroy the place," Rio groaned.
"Sleep out tonight. Tomorrow you sleep in the dorm," Yumi added.
Then they all left the office, leaving us alone. Though it didn't last long, because Oliver opened a portal and pushed me inside the wood cabin.
"We will talk, and you won't run away from it!" He hissed.