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you don’t look directly at it. And bring the queen down to me.”
    “Why, what for?” Cooper asks.
    “We will make her tell us where Hunter is.” And once that’s over, I will end the reign of the Evil Queen.
    Cooper heads up the staircase, stepping over the iron candelabra that still lies across the lower steps. His face is grim and he holds the spiked club at a ready angle. I almost feel sorry for Cinderella.
    I back against the nearest wall, feeling the need for something solid behind me. I hear bangs and echoed shouts through the walls as the other Dwarves search the palace. The running feet of palace guards, the screams of frightened servant maids. And I can’t help smiling. This dreary castle could use some chaos.
    Cooper clomps down the stairs. “Nobody’s up there.”
    “No?” I’m surprised. “Well… maybe she’s in the throne room.”
    But the throne room is barren as a graveyard. The crystal chair sticks up like a headstone at the top of the room. I sit down, always stunned at its unyielding firmness, and tap my fingers against the arm. “Where could she be….”
    The six other Dwarves tromp into the room, panting like they’ve run through the whole palace. “No Hunter,” says one of them. “We tried every room, the dungeons too. He’s not here.”
    Cooper frowns. He hoists up his club until it’s level with my face. “If this is some kind of trick, little miss-”
    “It’s not. It’s not.” I hold up a hand, thinking hard. Honestly, I’m too worried to even listen to his threats. “No, he definitely came here to see the queen. But now they’re both gone.” I can’t figure it out. Cinderella is a small woman, about to give birth. What could she possibly do to Hunter?
    “Bring in the guards,” I say. “Maybe they saw what happened.”
    One of the Dwarves makes a snorting sound. “You’ll have to wait until they’re conscious again.”
    I curse and that makes the Dwarves laugh. But I’m in no mood. I need to find out what happened to Hunter. And not just because the Dwarves might kill me if I don’t. I’m scared for him. He is my Hunter. I wish I could see what happened when he came here.
    I close my eyes. “Oh, no….”
    “What?” Cooper says.
    I grip the arms of the throne. There has to be another way…. But no, I know there isn’t. It scares the blood out of me. But I can do it for Hunter. He would do it for me.
    “Um… are you fellows hungry?” I look past Cooper to the other Dwarves. “Why don’t you go to the kitchen while Cooper and I figure this out? Help yourselves to whatever is there. Just… don’t hurt the cook, all right?”
    “Sounds good to me,” says the Dwarf with the dark beard. The six of them leave the throne room, lightly swinging their weapons. I slide out of the chair and already feel sick to my stomach.
    “What’s your plan?” Cooper says.
    “There’s only one way to find out what happened to Hunter,” I say softly. “I have to ask The Mirror.”

~*~ 16 ~*~
     
    I climb the curling staircase to Cinderella’s chamber with Cooper behind me. I gave him a quick explanation about The Mirror, said it had magical powers but could also be dangerous. He looks skeptical, to put it mildly, but he doesn’t argue with me.
    One of the doors stands ajar from when Cooper searched the room. I can’t see The Mirror, but I can feel it reaching for me, coaxing me to come in with long, curling fingers.
    “Can you feel it?” I whisper to Cooper.
    “Feel what?” he says.
    “Never mind. The last time I looked in The Mirror I nearly killed myself. I want you stand in front of the window and stop me if that happens again. In fact, if I do anything strange, drag me out of the room.”
    Cooper frowns. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”
    “It isn’t. But it’s the only way to find Hunter.”
    I touch the handle and slowly push the door open, keeping my eyes on the floor. Cooper goes and stands by the window, like I asked. I turn, shut the door,