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“Nonsense, my Little Ghost. What has frightened you this time?” He brushes my hair from my wet cheeks.
“It is silly, really.”
“Tell me,” he smiles. I love his smile. It always makes my heart hurt less.
“I was standing in my room and saw a woman in the shadows. I thought it was Momma at first. She looked just like her. But her hair was black. When she stepped into the light, she was covered in blood and drooling.” I choke on the last words because the memory comes back.
“And then what happened?” Poppa rubs my back, helping me catch my breath.
“She blocked the door. I had to get past her to get out.”
“That is so brave,” he coos. I know he is only saying to make me feel better, but it still helps me feel brave enough to finish my story.
“I got closer, and she changed right in front of me.” I fist his robe and pull. He needs to understand. “It was me, Poppa! I was the monster! It was a mirror I was looking into!”
“Do you know why I call you little ghost?” he says with a soothing voice.
I shake my head and hide my face in his thick robe.
“You were always so quiet walking around the halls. And no one would see you until it was too late. Every time we hear a shout, we know you have snuck up on someone else.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to.”
“Don’t be sorry. It makes us all smile. And you know what else?” He helps me get up, grabs my hand, and walks me back toward my room. “It helps me worry about you less. Because if you can be that quiet while walking around, then if we are ever in real danger, I know you can hide better than anyone.” I hesitate outside my bedroom door, but Poppa pulls me forward. “Look in the mirror and tell me what you see.”
I do what he says, despite wanting to run away. But the monster isn’t there. It is just me. My white hair flows down to my waist, my purple nightgown is long enough you can’t see my feet, my head barely comes to Poppa’s shoulders, and I still have the same blue eyes as him. There is no blood, no dagger, no monster.
“I see me.” I smile at Poppa, but there is a wrinkle between his brows. “Am I wrong?” “You want to know what I see?” I nod quickly, excited to hear what he has to say. “I see a young woman who is strong, courageous—” I watch with rapt attention as the vision before me transforms. Slowly, I grow taller. “—resourceful, kind, beautiful, and so much more.” I stand before him, looking like the woman I saw earlier but…different. There is no blood covering me and no death in my eyes. I look just like Momma.
“How…how did you get rid of the monster?” I step up to the mirror and inspect my face closely.
“There was never one there, only you.”
“But—”
“What you have done over the years never made you a monster; it made you exactly who you needed to be in order to survive, to heal. And in the process, you became a hero to those who could not get themselves out of those terrifying situations.”
“Poppa…”
“Nyx!” someone yells, but they sound so far away it is hard to tell who it is.
“Daughter…I need to know about the Prince. I know what I have seen, but I want to hear your thoughts.”
“NYX!” they yell again.
“I…um…” I look around the dimly lit bedroom, but there isn’t anyone other than me and Poppa.
“Alina?” Poppa’s finger lightly brushes my chin, encouraging me to look at him once again.
“Hmm?” What was the question? I feel like I am being pulled in two different directions, making it difficult to stay focused on what he is saying.
“The Prince?” I grab his hand and smile at him.
“I hated him at first. I dreamed about putting a dagger in his heart multiple times. Especially after he kidnapped me,” I chuckle as my father’s eyes get big with worry. “But as time went on, I learned a lot about him.”
“How do you know what you learned is truth and not some brilliant deceit?”
“Because…” I stop, not sure what to say. How do I know Felix is telling the truth? “Because when he talks to me about things, my chest doesn’t get tight. When I ask a question, he looks me in the eye when answering. Because… I love him, Poppa.” There, I said it.
