The Mirror Guard (chapters 9 & 10)

Nine: Nine Days in the Stark

EVA SAT ON BENJAMIN IN PEDESTALMODE. She was looking down at Mrs. Shimmyshanks’ cold body. Tears were freezing to her cheeks. She wasn’t sure if she could do this. If she could have her first time be with Ono, if she could then eat Mrs. Shimmyshanks, and then, who knew if she would even be able to shapeshift!? There was too much on her shoulders and she was sure that that was the reason she felt so sick to her stomach.

Eva had always imagined being the hero. She was going to be the first female Guardian since Rainiar herself. But here she was — with a chance of being a hero — and she couldn’t handle it. She was shaking — and it wasn’t from the cold.

Maybe this was why women weren’t Guardians. Maybe they weren’t strong enough to handle what really needed to happened. Maybe they didn’t have the stomach. Maybe they weren’t born with the ruthlessness that men had.

Angry, Eva slid off Benjamin’s back and made a snowball in her fist and tossed it, screaming with it. She stood there heaving. <Shards!>

She stomped through the snow to where their camp was. The boys were all sitting around a fire, eating. Boys were always eating. If it wasn’t for their gluttony they probably would have made it to the bunker in no time. If it wasn’t for Ono and Eke’s stupid egos, Ono and Eva could have been done with the finlyism part already. But the two of them had to fight each other. One for Eva’s honor, like she couldn’t sharding fight for her own honor — the other for Jono’s survival. Jono’s survival was Eva’s responsibility and she didn’t need either of them to help her with it!

“I’ll do it,” she announced once she got in hear shot.

“Eva look! We’re eating lizards on a stick!” Jono exclaimed.

Ono and Eke got to their feet — both of them looking confused.

“That’s great Jono. Sounds delicious.” There were tiny white lizards with pink feathery crests that lived in the trees of the Stark. Something with the furry crests allowed them to regulate their body heat in a world where nothing cold-blooded could possibly live, unless they enjoyed being frozen all the time. Ono had explained that frost lizards were a Cavaman delicacy and Jono had been obsessed with them ever since.

“What?” Eke asked.

“You’re going to do it?” Ono was making sure.

“I’m going to become a doppleganger.”

“Eva, there’s got to be another way,” Eke said.

“Eke — it’s my decision. This is the only way we can ensure that we all get into the bunker. We can’t go back to Crystalis. We’d never make it.”

“Don’t I get a say in the fact that you’re going to eat my mother!?”

“I don’t know,” Eva snapped. “Do you!? She’s not doing any good laying over there. I’m surprised other predators haven’t already sniffed her out. What were you planning on doing? Burying her? If you were going to pyre her, you’d have already done it. At this point it’s already disrespect to let her lay out there so many days. We have no other options.” Eva was beginning to sob and she hated it. The moment tears fell out of her eyes the boys would start to pity her. She didn’t want pity right then. She wanted respect. She wanted them to realize that she was in charge of her choices, her body, and if she was going to save them by eating Mrs. Shimmyshanks, as far as she was concerned — she was risking her civilized humanity for that so they could both shard themselves!

Eva sucked back her tears. “Eke,” she said very evenly. “Will you please take Jono into the tent.”

“But Eva, it’s daytime,” Jono whined.

“I need you to stay safe.” Eva said sharply.

“Eva, what’s wrong with your voice? Are you angry?”

“Ono and I are going to go out into the Stark. We will be back in a few minutes.” Eva caught Ono’s mouth open as if he was about to say something in his defense. Eke chuckled. “It will only be a few minutes.” Eva glared at the older boys. “I need you to stay with Eke, safe in the tent until we get back.”

“Okay,” Jono snatched the last of his charred lizard off the stick like a dinosaur and began climbing into the tent.

Eke lingered. “No, Eke. Just, no.” Eva said to him. He lowered his gaze and followed Eva’s little brother into the tent.

Eva and Ono walked a mile or so away from the camp. She would not allow herself to waiver. She was in control of her body. This was her choice. They stopped and Ono just seemed awkward. Eva rolled her eyes, “Oh Ono, I know you’ve had sex before. Lay down your starka and let’s get on with it.” Eva was going to manage how this went.

“But…”

“Look,” Eva said, “This is about business, about survival. Don’t forget that. There are no emotions involved.”

“No emotions…?”

“Oh please, Ono, like you have emotions for those whores you fuck on the weekends. Everybody knows what the Guardians do in their free time. I don’t blame you.”

“But this is you.”

Eva’s next words caught in her throat. “...Just lie down.”

The Mirror Guardians didn’t wear a lot of clothing. They were immune to the cold. They typically wore their starka and a warrior’s skirt, some wore pants. Ono was in a simple pelt loincloth that he simply untied with one pull. He body unfurled before Eva. She tried not to stare at it. She tried to keep it all business. But it was hard when Ono was already prepared.

Eva couldn’t wait to get out of the sidhe’fae dress since the moment that she put it on — she didn’t expect this would be the reason it fell off her shoulders. It landed in the snow next to Ono’s pelt. Ono tried to appear gentlemanly, trying not to stare himself. Eva appreciated it. She wobbled for a moment and had to still herself. She took a deep breath and lowered herself upon Ono.

Ono let Eva control the entire interaction. It was all business. ...But it was so hard to look down into Ono’s dark eyes and not feel anything. Eva fell into an uncomfortable rhythm — until the rhythm wasn’t uncomfortable at all. She was huffing. Ono was breathing heavily too, squirming underneath her. His face constantly looked strained and Eva couldn’t help but feel like perhaps she was doing it wrong. <Am I hurting him?>

The rhythm seemed to coalesce into a crescendo. Eva hadn’t realized it until she completely released, but she was nearly screaming. Ono had a stupid smile stuck to his face. His arms had been wrapped around her ass, encouraging her, guiding her motion. Eva had nearly forgotten, until the afterglow faded, that she’d leaned down and kissed Ono. Their lips caressing and consuming each other’s.

Eva felt his release and it was like magic! Deep inside her, in her gut, her well of power, seemed to spill like a waterfall. She wasn’t sure if it was biological or metaphorical. But she bathed in that bliss. She looked deep into Ono’s dark brown eyes. They were so dark that they were almost black. They reminded her of the seals’ that beached just outside the walls on the northeast border of Crystalis.

Eva rolled off to Ono’s side. Her body was starting to cramp, the afterglow fading. She felt as warm as Ono was to the touch. The tips of her fingers and the tips of her toes were numb with static. She lay there, reveling in the fading energy.

Ono quickly tied his loincloth back on. At some point he’d lost his boots. “Are you okay?” He asked.

“Yes, thank you.” She replied dopily.

“Here.” Ono handed her a leaf.

“What is this?”

“Well, in order for the finlyism to be passed we couldn’t use protection. Eat this and it will make sure that you don’t get pregnant.”

Eva quickly felt sobered.

Ten: Ten Days in the Stark

JONO WOKE WITH A COUGH. It startled Eva awake. She was groggy — and hungry. Her brother coughed again. This time, it was hard for him to catch his breath between the wracking in his throat. Eva crawled quickly from her sleeping bag and consoled Jono. Eke was awake. They shared a moment where they looked at each other. Eva knew what she was going to have to do.

A blizzard over night had nearly covered their tent in snow. Ono was sitting by the fire. Eva could smell the scent of tea being boiled in the kettle. Eva was thankful. Ono was always thoughtful. It was hard to miss her brother’s constant coughing. “Thank you,” She said as she sat down next to Ono. She wrapped her starka tighter around her. The overnight blizzard left a side-effect of piercing wind behind.

“He coughed all night. I couldn’t sleep.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It gave me a chance to talk to Eke.” Eva looked into Ono’s dark eyes. She couldn’t tell by his facial expressions how that conversation had gone. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to know. Ono continued, “Eke has agreed to let you do what we must do to get into the bunker.”

Shock crossed Eva’s face. “I’m not so sure I’m ready to do that.”

“We’ve been out here ten days now. Your brother is sick. The Stark will pick us off, one by one.” There was silence for a moment before Ono continued, “It will get me too — eventually. I’m Cavaman by genetics only. I haven’t been raised out here. I haven’t learned all of their secrets.”

Jono crawled from the tent, led by a series of chest-stripping coughs. Eke came out behind him with fur breeches on, shirtless under his starka. There was a ridiculously jeweled necklace hanging from around his neck. It glittered in the soft morning sun. The clouds had passed overnight, dropping all of their precipitation. Today would be a good day to travel.

“We’re close to where your mother said the bunker was located.” Ono said, handing Jono and lukewarm mug of tea. Ono left Eke to fetch his own tea. Eva hated the tension that was thick between them. It had become increasingly worse ever since Eva and Ono had become soulbound as matron and blade. It made sense as to why Eva had an uncontrollable attraction to someone she thought of as her brother.