My original chambers had been declared forbidden to all, the entire corridor sealed by vigilant guards. Yet, if Princess’s conversation with my brother bore any truth, I trusted that Kyolhan had either disposed or possibly eradicated all traces of my… heresy. This would include the tomes, scrolls, and notes I had so painstakingly collected to conduct my latest experiment. The loss of such knowledge was grievous, perhaps insurmountable, for no mortal life could hope to reconstruct what those manuscripts imparted.

  Using Princess’s hand mirror, I guided her to direct me towards the library, a place I had never once visited. The servants, likely under the impression that we were a particularly vain lady, took no issue with our constant inspection of the mirror as we walked; they were free to believe whatever pleased them, so long as no one of importance caught sight of us. Fermina had often been the one I entrusted with retrieving and returning books due to her reliability in selecting the correct volumes, yet this did not mean that Princess was entirely ignorant of their locations should I request a particular one. All three sisters were literate and passably educated. My father’s library operated on an honor system—patrons were free to peruse and borrow as they wished, with the implicit understanding that the books would be returned in due time. The theft of a volume, whether intentional or accidental, could stain one’s reputation with irredeemable shame. No book was worth the blemish.

  As I scoured the shelves, Princess grew understandably restless, her incessant questions about what I sought or how I intended to return her body becoming a constant source of distraction. At times, she even inquired, with flattering curiosity, what fate awaited my existence once our bodies were separated. It was, to say the least, a vexation. Nevertheless, I continued to keep her mirror in view, whispering reassurances when the quiet sanctity of the library permitted; it was a place for quiet reflection, not conversation.

  My search yielded nothing. Although Princess had directed me accurately to the shelves where my books resided, none held relevance to our predicament. That was no surprise—the knowledge of theurgy could not be openly displayed. It had taken me years to gather the notes I possessed, each fragment painstakingly obtained, each piece an arduous step towards a greater understanding. There was no purpose in deceit, and so I spoke the truth to Princess.

  “So, what is your plan? Sneak around, risking my neck, to reclaim your little scribbles and tomes from your infirmary?” This is the manner in which she referred to my room. Her tone bore the unmistakable edge of irritation. How fortuitous it was that her voice remained cloaked from the ears of others, granting her the liberty to unburden her indignation with impunity. “If they catch you with anything related to the dark arcana, they’ll burn you—no, us—at the stake!”

  “I am well aware,” I replied, soothing her with the calmness of one who understood the gravity of the situation far better than she did. I feigned a cough as a passing Lady’s gaze lingered upon me, concealing the fact that I was, in essence, talking to myself. “Which is why I shall not execute the plan you have so naively proposed. I was merely stating the futility of our present endeavor. There is nothing left for us to glean from these books.”

  “Oh! I see!” she retorted, dripping with sarcasm. “Now my useless Master can say he tried. Now you can go on and live my life. Don’t worry, I guess I will tell you what I wanted to do. You can go on and enjoy it in my stead; I’ll be fine watching.”

  “That is not what I am suggesting,” I muttered under my breath, hastening my exit from the library. “There are other avenues left to—oh, h-hi, Rascal… err, Riatna!”

  An unexpected figure blocked my path. Small as she was, little Rascal had a talent for appearing silently and swiftly. I wondered how much she had overheard.

  Stolen story; please report.

  She shook her head. “No, call me ‘Rascal’,” she smiled with a hint of sadness. “I like it!” It was clearly in my memory. “I was looking for you, ‘Princess’s,” she whispered the last word with knowing emphasis. “You weren’t in the room, and I got worried. Fermina told me to look for you. I have to admit, the library was not the place I was expecting. The kitchen was my first guess!”

  “What are you suggesting, you little brat? I’ll remind you I am slender and graceful as a deer!” As luck would have it, the hand-mirror was in close proximity to our face, and Princess, the real one, communicated her thoughts through.

  “What are you s-suggesting, you little brat? I’ll remind you I am slender and graceful as a swan!” I repeated, mimicking the tone and pitch as best I could, then unintentionally modifying the simile.

  Rascal characteristically cackled. “You wish!” she teased, able to be in a good mood despite the current events. “Your butt is bigger than before, and your tummy is getting flabby! Must be all those tartarian shortcakes you keep stealing!”

  I nearly laughed aloud. Rascal had struck a blow to Princess where it hurt most, all while making her remarks loud enough for others to overhear, adding a touch of resentment over Princess’s success in circumventing the system and securing those coveted treats. The irony was too rich, and I barely managed to respond in time:

  “Shh! That’s a lie, and you know it! You’re just jealous!” I added a touch of disdain, raising my chin in an attempt to replicate Princess’s haughty demeanor. I strode past Rascal with feigned indignation, and, predictably, she followed, snickering all the while.

  “At least you are back to normal. You were acting odd, so we were worried,” she revealed her intentions behind her jest. She stabbed my side with a finger, tickling it. What an odd sensation. “I was only kidding, by the way. You look fine,” she said, in a volume much more appropriate for how late it was becoming. No one other than us heard, meaning those who exclusively overheard the first part could have false impressions of Princess’s weight management. Oh, you Rascal.

  Princess uttered something cutting for me to repeat, but instead, I reached out and tousled Rascal’s hair roughly, petting it in circles. She giggled in response. I had always wanted to do that.

  We returned to their chambers, where Fermina awaited us, already clad in her sleeping gown.

  “You probably are not tired yet since you take the night shifts, but you should go to bed all the same. This shall be… a new chapter in our lives,” Fermina suggested gently, her expression tinged with sorrow. “Many things shall need to change, as Master Kyolhan mentioned.” It appeared that my brother had already spoken to her about these matters.

  Unlike me, who had been confined to bed and taken short naps throughout the day, the household’s inhabitants adhered to a more conventional schedule, sleeping through the night. I had likely disrupted the sister’s routines, particularly Princess’s, who had adopted the ‘nocturnal’ shift.

  I was not fatigued, and presumably, neither was Princess, yet to refuse Fermina’s suggestion would have been improper. I inclined my head towards her elder sister, then turned to the youngest. “Would you assist me in removing my dress?” I requested, concealing my ignorance of feminine garments. Rascal led me to the bed, positioning me before the mirror, but at Princess’s timid request, I turned away from it, honoring her wish. Rascal undressed us with practiced familiarity.

  It went without saying that I needed to emulate Princess to the utmost of my abilities. Arousing suspicion would only exacerbate our predicament, and if discovered, Princess could be accused of harboring an ‘evil spirit,’ a charge that could lead to incarceration at best, or torture and execution at worst.

  The sisters, myself included, engaged in a brief circle of prayer, entreating my soul to shine forth and grant new life. We exchanged words of affection, offering each other kind wishes for a peaceful night’s rest.

  Even with the mirror before me, the room grew too dark once the gas lamp was extinguished, rendering Princess’s voice inaudible. Nevertheless, I trusted that she could still discern my whispered reassurances. I promised her that I would find a solution to our predicament and, in the meantime, I would preserve her reputation and her way of life. I may have imagined it, but in the stillness of the night, I believed I heard a soft, veiled ‘thank you’.

  full story:

  Amazon

  Apple Books

  Barnes & Noble

  Everand

  Fable

  Kobo

  The Palace

  Smashwords

  Thalia

  Vivlio

  Audiobook now available! Fully voiced for each character! Featuring sound effects:

  Barnes & Noble

  Google Play

  Kobo, Walmart

  Storytel

  Apple