Elena's heart beat fast and hard. The plan she made with Adrian seemed stupid now. It was weak, like a house built from paper. But she had no other choice. She had to try.
She had lied to get this meeting. She used a fake name, Serena Black. She said she was an investor from another country and became she knew Leo would not see her if he knew the truth. She was late on purpose. Fifteen minutes late. She wanted him to be waiting in the room already.
She took a deep breath hoping to calm her nerves but it did not help. She felt just as nervous. She fixed a smile on her face and opened the door.
Leo was standing by the big window. His back was to her. He wore a simple black shirt and pants but he seemed to take up all the space in the room. He felt more powerful than any man in a suit.
A little thrill went through her. She shut the door, she had to make sure he wouldn't be able to leave before the plan actualizes.
Finally, he turned around. His eyes moved over her. Those cold, dark eyes she used to know. She had picked her dress with care. It was bright red. It was very tight. It showed a lot of skin. She saw him look, but she saw nothing in his eyes. No want. No interest. He looked at her like she was a bug under glass.
"Elena," he said. He did not sound surprised. He did not sound angry. He just said her name.
So he knew. Her smile shook. "Leo. You look... good."
"We both know why you are here," he said. He crossed his arms. "Say it. Then get out."
She changed her plan. She dropped the fake name. She moved closer. Her expensive perfume filled the air between them. "Oh, Leo. Why are you so cold? I was thinking about us. About how good it was. Remember that little Italian place? You would look at me like I was everything." She let her voice shake with fake feeling. "That man is still in there. I know he is."
He did not move. "That man died in that prison room. You were there. You killed him."
Anger burned in her chest. How could he say that? She gave him her best years! The sweet act was gone. Now she was just mad.
"Fine," she snapped. Her voice was sharp. "You want it hard? We'll do it hard."
Right then, her phone buzzed. A text. A thin, mean smile spread on her lips. Perfect timing.
"Look at this, Leo," she said. She turned the phone to him.
It was a picture. It was taken from down low. It showed the two of them in this room. From that angle, it looked like he was on top of her. It looked like he was pushing her against the wall. Her face was turned away. It could look like passion. Or it could look like a fight. It was a clever lie. A small camera in the smoke detector took it.
"See?" she said. She tried to sound sorry for him. "People will get the wrong idea. They will think the great Leo Vance, the ex-con, attacked me. My poor, hurt face will be on every news channel."
She watched his face. She waited for the fear. The rage. The begging. This was it. He would break now. He would have to pay her to be quiet. He would have to take her back.
But Leo just let out a quiet laugh. It was not a mean laugh. It was a real laugh, like she told a small joke.
He walked right past her. He did not look at the phone again. He went to the door. His fingers flipped the lock she had just closed. He pulled the door open. Light from the hall poured in.
"Do what you want, Elena," he said. He sounded bored. "I don't care."
She could only stare. This was not the plan! This was wrong! Rage filled her, hot and blinding. She grabbed her purse from the table. She stormed out. Her high heels hit the floor hard. She did not look back. She was too mad and too ashamed to think.
Leo shut the door. The click was loud in the quiet room. He took out his own phone. A good, safe phone. He called a number.
"You got it?" he asked. His voice was low.
A calm voice answered. "Yes, sir. We took over their camera as soon as it turned on. We control it now. We also have video from three other cameras in the room. We have her locking the door. We have her trying to blackmail you. The proof is clear."
"Good," Leo said. A small smile touched his mouth. "Wait for them to move. Let them put their fake picture out. Then we will show ours. I want to see them squirm."
He hung up. He let out a long breath. He ran a hand through his hair. These games were so boring. He walked to the little fridge to get some water. As he passed the big mirror on the wall, he saw something move.
He stopped to take a better look. His reflection had stopped when he did. But... it was not right.
In the mirror, he was not standing still. His reflection was turning its head. It was looking at him from the side of its eye. And it was smiling and somehow, the smile unnerved him.
Leo froze, his blood going cold. He blinked several times then shut his eyes. He was just tired and his mind was now playing tricks on him.
He opened his eyes. The reflection was still wrong. It was him, but not him.
"Hello, Leo," the reflection said. Its voice was a soft whisper. It was inside his head, but he heard it in the room too.
He stepped back. His heart beat doubling. "This is not real," he said to himself. "I'm dreaming. I'm just tired."
He turned to leave but the reflection's voice stopped him. It was clear and sharp.
"Do not turn away from me Or from what is coming."
He could not move. He doesn't to look but he had to. He slowly raised his head and met the eyes of his reflection.
"Who... who are you?" he whispered.
The smile fades from his face and it was replaced with a sad one. "He is coming for you."
"Who?" Leo asked. "Who is coming?"
The reflection did not speak. Instead, It lifted its hand and pressed it's palm to the glass. Suddenly, the mirror didn't look bad anymore, It moved like water. Something made Leo lift his own hand and he pressed it to the mirror too.
The second his skin touched the cold, moving glass, a shock went through him. It was like a lightning bolt of memory. It shot up his arm and blew up in his head.
His sight went white. The hotel room was gone.
He was falling. Pictures flew past him. A mess of lives he never lived.
He saw a huge city made of white stone and gold. It was like nothing he had ever seen. He saw Chloe, but not his Chloe. Her hair had jewels in it. Her eyes were wise, like a queen's. She wore a long blue dress. She stood in a library that touched the sky. She was pointing at a map of stars.
He saw Mr. Silas, but he was young. His face was serious. He wore soldier's armor. He stood guard in front of a giant, shining gate.
He saw Adrian. His face had the same proud look. But he wore dark, fancy robes. He held a black crystal in his hand. The crystal glowed with a bad light.
And he saw Elena. She wore servant's clothes. But her eyes were the same. They were greedy and clever. She was whispering to a mean-looking man. She was pointing a finger at the queen—at Chloe.
The pictures came faster. A storm of love and lies. Fights with swords. Fights with strange powers. He felt burning fire. He felt a deep, icy cold.
The last picture became clear. It was Silas again, the old Silas he knew from prison. But he was on his knees. He was in a dark, wet cell. Chains were on his wrists. He looked up. His eyes had a warning in them. He looked right at Leo.
"He came for me," Silas's voice said. It was weak and thin, coming from far away. "He's coming for you now."
The man who held Silas captive stepped from the shadows. Leo knew that face. He saw it in a business magazine last week. Alistair Darwin. But in this dream, Alistair's eyes glowed with a soft purple light. He smiled the same cruel, knowing smile Leo's reflection had worn.
The vision broke.
Leo gasped. He fell back into a chair. He was back in the hotel room. He was sweating. He was breathing hard. His hands shook.
He looked at the mirror.
It was just a mirror again. His own pale, scared face looked back. It was normal. Just a reflection.
He sat for a long time. The room was very quiet. His fight with Elena seemed small now. Like a kid's game.
He looked at the Phoenix Ring on his finger. It felt warm. Very warm. It had never done that.
"What," he whispered to the empty room. His voice was rough with a fear he had not felt since his first night in prison. "What was that?"