An Isle of Mirrors (A Shade of Vampire #88) - Bella Forrest Page 0,57

love?” Liana asked Astra.

“I don’t think so,” I replied, looking at the Daughter. “They tried coming after us and after Isabelle’s clone, too, but they also attacked the terrace and the shop alley. The hospital was destroyed, as well.” We spent a few minutes sharing what we’d learned thus far, including our fighting experiences with the clones and their peculiar devices. The more Corrine heard, the more concerned she became, becoming restless and pacing the room.

Mom and Dad gave us all the details of their battle, in a bid to share as much useful intel as possible. But we didn’t have a lot to go on, just a confirmed suspicion that the clones were up to something bigger. Their scope extended beyond freeing Isabelle’s doppelganger and killing Astra. They’d moved to an invasion of The Shade itself, focused on sowing confusion, on throwing us off their tracks, and on causing physical damage.

The conclusions I’d begun to draw were starker than I’d hoped. We weren’t yet defeated, but it didn’t look good for our world. These clones—whoever they were, whatever they were, and wherever they’d come from—were bent on upending The Shade’s peace and order. They’d accomplished too much in a narrow timeframe, and I worried more damage would be done before we even had the chance to really fight back.

“Dad!” Astra gasped as Phoenix staggered into the Great Dome. He looked dazed, blood trickling from his temple. He bumped into the doorframe before dropping to his knees. Astra was quick to reach him, her hands glowing pink as she healed his injuries, then made sure it was actually him. The more she used this ability, the smoother it seemed to go—for her and for the person being tested.

“Phoenix…” Mom murmured, joining the Daughter. They helped him back up. “What happened to you?”

“Where’s Viola?” Dad asked, a frown casting shadows over his eyes.

“We were on our way here,” Phoenix replied, catching his breath as Astra’s healing began to affect him. “Viola, my mom and dad… they attacked. Clones of us. I don’t know how my wife and I got separated. We were suddenly fighting one another. Then we were fighting the clones. It got so confusing, so fast…”

Dad gave me a sideways glance. “I see they’ve found their favorite strategy.”

“Where’s Mom?” Astra insisted, gripping her father’s shoulders, desperation sharpening her voice as she waited for a better answer than what Phoenix had to offer.

“I don’t know. I woke up on the ground, my head throbbing. I realized I was closer to the Great Dome, though I’m not sure how I got there. There was no sign of her, or of Mom and Dad,” he said. “I looked for them.”

My mother hugged him tight, and he softened in her embrace while throwing his arm around Astra. He held them both close, his eyes shut, as he took a moment to gather himself. Silence settled over the room. It felt heavy, like stacks of iron pushing down on my shoulders. It made my heart sink, my stomach shrinking as I tried to process everything.

Dad looked at me. “How did you five make it all the way here?”

“We stayed close, and we’re using a safe word,” I said. “We’ll share the word with you. Paladin. It’s how we’re able to keep track of the originals in this place, at least for the time being.”

“However, we do need more,” Astra replied. “This is woefully overwhelming, and I’m afraid I’m not enough under these circumstances.”

“We had Soul, Kelara, Voss, and Chantal with us, but they headed east. They should be on their way here by now,” Jericho added. “Or so we’re hoping. Kelara gave Thayen a way to reach out in case we needed them, which we did, but it didn’t work. Either that, or something happened. But we agreed to circle back to the Great Dome eventually and then decide where we’d go afterward. They know the safe word, too. We’re hoping they’ll still show up...”

“The idea was to give it to as many originals as possible, to make sure we didn’t bring any clones into the fold later down the line. Without a clear idea of what the enemy is planning, we didn’t know what else to do.” Dafne sighed.

Soph nodded once. “At least we’re confirming some people along the way. When we meet them again, we’ll be able to confirm them without Astra shoving her hands into their chests.”

“The idea being to not let Astra get close to a doppelganger posing as one