Rosmel guided Lilith's carriage toward a cabin in the countryside.
The sun was setting behind the hills as the wheels crunched over the gravel path. The cabin emerged among the trees, small and made of stone, with smoke escaping from the chimney.
The draconic servants came out to receive her.
When Lilith descended, they knelt immediately. Their scales reflected the orange light of dusk.
"Mistress, you have finally arrived," said one. "The days of waiting were unbearable."
"I missed you too."
Lilith passed her hands over their heads. The small horns slipped between her fingers.
"I come for this evening," she said.
"What happened?" asked another. "Did your identity as Edyth fail?"
"No. But I am thinking of leaving it. Profot is too busy. We truly cannot get much more from him."
"Oh. Well then? We will just return home?"
"My home. My castle..."
Lilith entered the cabin. It was cozy. A lit fireplace. Blankets on a rocking chair. A table with fruit.
She sat down.
"I miss Amelia. Here I have to do everything alone."
"You could have let us come with you," said the draconic woman, entering behind her.
"I cannot. In this region, they are racists. You would not be able to enter."
The servants grew sad.
Rosmel entered holding a monocle. In the translucent crystal, the young woman they had given the heart mirror to was reflected. The image trembled slightly.
"She is heading back to her home," he announced.
"Excellent!" Lilith stood up. "We will follow her."
"W-wait!" interrupted the draconic woman. "What is happening? Why is everyone leaving?"
Lilith looked at her.
"Many things have happened there. Apparently the king is in an absurd war. Profot had to burn his forest so the grand royal army could pass through quickly. The smell of burning is unbearable."
"I see. But at least we will all go together with you, right?"
Lilith stared at her.
"It cannot be that way."
Silence filled the cabin.
"A new force is rising," Lilith continued. "Lord Marlow. I want you to go to his lands and see what he is working on."
The draconics pressed their lips together. Some looked at the floor. Others glanced at each other.
Lilith frowned.
"That is how things are. We will leave them in the carriage, and we will part at the crossroads."
They all nodded. Dejected.
They prepared the luggage.
They departed.
The last rays of sun entered through the carriage curtain. Lilith sat in the center of the seat. The draconics surrounded her inside, cramped but silent.
Two rested their heads on Lilith's shoulders. One took her hand.
"I do not want anything bad to happen to you," she said suddenly.
Lilith grew uncomfortable. Her body tensed.
"I do not think it will."
"But still, you strive so much... alone. You should trust more."
"I do. I am sending you on a mission."
"That is not what I meant."
The carriage kept rolling. Dusk tinged the sky violet.
They reached the crossroads.
The servants got off. Their steps on the dry earth. Their gazes fixed on the window. Lilith did not descend.
The carriage continued on.
Night had fallen.
Rosmel quickened the pace. The horses galloped, their hooves pounding the road. The mirror maiden could not be lost.
But on the path, they encountered a border checkpoint.
A wooden barrier crossed the route. Torches burned on either side. Soldiers inspected the carriages as they arrived.
And there, just ahead, the very caravan where the girl traveled.
"Stay back, Rosmel," Lilith whispered from inside.
"Yes."
The soldiers inspected the carriages one by one. They opened boxes. Searched chests. Asked questions. Let them pass.
The mirror girl's carriage reached its turn. She stuck her head out the window. She showed some document. The soldier nodded. The caravan moved on.
Then, their turn.
"A lone carriage?" The soldier approached, a crooked smile on his lips. "I doubt you are very liked by your own people."
"We just want to pass," Rosmel replied.
The soldier laughed. He looked at his companions.
"It does not seem right to me that foreigners should pass with the scarcity there is."
"Please. Lady Edyth is inside."
"I do not care," the soldier moved closer. "If I can contribute to my city, that is better than my manners."
He laughed again. Looked at another soldier.
"Take their horses. And you, the wheels."
"What?" Rosmel straightened up. "This is robbery!"
"And what will you do about it, idiot?"
The soldier grabbed his arm. With a yank, he pulled him from the seat to the ground. Rosmel fell on his back, dust rising around him.
"Stop!" Rosmel shouted.
The soldier struck his face. Rosmel lay still on the ground, his head tilted.
The soldier approached the carriage door.
"Come now, miss. You would not want us to get rough with you."
The door opened.
Lilith stepped down. Her face was a mask of contained fury. She said nothing.
"They cannot leave us here!" Rosmel shouted from the ground.
"Two kilometers east there is a village. Stay there."
The other soldiers were already unhitching the horses. Some prepared to remove the wheels.
"Damned thief," Rosmel muttered.
He got up. Walked quickly toward them.
"No!" Lilith's voice cut through the air, severe. "Rosmel... Come."
"What?"
"Come. Your face bleeds black."
Rosmel touched his cheek. Looked at his fingers. The blood was black. Foul. Thick.
He walked toward her.
The soldier watched them, puzzled. He frowned as the others worked.
Lilith embraced Rosmel from behind.
From her back, bulges began to emerge. Then appendages that tore through the fabric of her dress. The blue silk ripped with a dry sound.
Two wings opened.
Smooth. Dark.
They beat once. Dust rose around them like a whirlwind.
Lilith rose into the air, carrying Rosmel against her chest. The wings beat again. They gained height.
The soldiers stood pale. Their faces lit by the torches, their mouths open.
No one moved as they watched them go.
The village was to the east. Two kilometers away.
Lilith flew toward it without looking back.