Vesper was now part of the "Silver Network." This meant she could travel instantly to any mirror or shiny surface nearby. She jumped from the dungeon water to a shiny brass button on a guard's uniform.
She watched as the guards led the Reflection out to the square.
Vesper expected the Reflection to cry or beg for mercy. That is what Vesper would have done. But the Reflection walked tall. She looked like a Queen. When the crowd screamed at her and threw rotten vegetables, she didn't flinch. She just stared at them until they got quiet.
They walked up the wooden stairs to the block. The man with the axe was waiting.
"Wait," the Reflection said. Her voice was strong. It carried over the whole crowd.
She turned to the people. "You think I killed the King? Why would I kill the only man who protected me?"
For the next ten minutes, Vesper watched in shock. The Reflection didn't fight with a sword; she fought with words. She was smart. She was charming. She told the crowd secrets about her step-brother—secrets Vesper knew but was too scared to say. She explained exactly how the poison was planted. She spoke with so much fire and anger that the crowd started to cheer for her.
When the guards tried to grab her, the Reflection was fast. She dodged them. She grabbed a sword from a soldier's belt and held it up.
"I demand a fair trial!" she shouted.
The crowd roared in agreement. They rushed forward to protect her. By the afternoon, Vesper was not a criminal. She was a hero. Her step-brother was arrested, and the people carried "Vesper" on their shoulders back to the castle.
Vesper watched it all from a shop window. She felt sick. I could never do that, she thought. I am weak. She is strong.
The sun began to set. The twenty-four hours were almost up.
The Reflection was now in Vesper's bedroom. She was sitting at the vanity table, looking into the big mirror. She was brushing her hair. She looked beautiful. She looked happy.
Vesper appeared in the glass. She looked like a grey shadow.
"You did it," Vesper said through the glass. "You saved us. Thank you. Now, it is time to switch back. The sun is down."
The Reflection stopped brushing. She looked at Vesper in the mirror. Her eyes were cold.
"No," the Reflection said.
"What?" Vesper panicked. "The deal was twenty-four hours! That is the rule!"
"I just saved your life," the Reflection said calmly. She leaned close to the glass. Her breath fogged up the surface. "I walked through the fire. I felt the sun on my skin. I tasted the wine. You wanted to die, Vesper. You gave up."
"I was scared! I want my life back now!"
"You had a life," the Reflection said. "You wasted it being afraid of everything. I am better at being you than you are."
The Reflection stood up. She picked up a thick velvet blanket.
"I am not going back to the dark," the Reflection said. "I am real now."
"You can't do this!" Vesper screamed. She pounded her ghostly fists against the glass.
"Goodbye, Vesper."
The Reflection threw the blanket over the mirror. Vesper was left in total darkness.