La Otra Mirada Novels & Stories

From her fingertips, shadows slithered outward. “Step into the mirror, beautiful one, and we will destroy all your troubles forever,” she whispered. “Who…who are you?” My voice cracked. Her grin widened. “The you your mother’s blood has suppressed all these years with the spirit of light. With the spirit of Eliora’s werewolves. I am your other self. The one born of pain. Betrayal. Envy.” My blood turned cold. Recognition stirred. I had heard stories of this relic: The Mirror of Seven Faces. I never knew why it bore that name, until now.

"I’ll make it simple for you, Lena." His fingers brushed my throat, trailing down, featherlight. "Give yourself to me. Completely. Body, mind, soul." His grip tightened. Not enough to choke, but enough to make me shudder. "Or," he purred, "you can watch your dear Mira break." I gasped as the mirror twisted, rippling like disturbed water. Mira appeared on the other side. She was curled on the floor of my apartment—or at least, a version of it.

Luna walked forward, her small hand reaching for the crystal. The moment she touched it, everything changed. The mirrors showed visions—possible futures, probable pasts, hidden truths. I saw myself dying in childbirth, Luna never born. I saw Dante rejecting me permanently, our bond severed forever. I saw the pack destroyed, wolves scattered, everything we'd built in ashes. But these weren't my visions. They were Luna's. I looked at my daughter and saw her face twisted in anguish, tears streaming down her cheeks as the mirrors forced her to watch every possible tragedy, every hidden truth, every painful reality.

I reminded myself yet again and again that he wasn't mine to keep. I was torn. I needed a place to breathe. I got up from the sofa and headed for the bathroom. I sealed the door when I got in finally feeling alone. I walked up to the mirror and splashed.my face with water. The water might just be what I needed after all. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the movement the water made as it trickled down my face. "Boy trouble I see." A voice whispered. I widened my eye in surprise and was even more surprised when I saw the figure in the reflector was Lilith.

He is affecting her in a way that he wanted to. Janine wanted to look away. She wanted to push him away because that’s the right thing to do. But Porter’s stare was enough reason for her to not think straight. “Janine Kwon,” he breathed. “I am willing to be your other man. I’m willing to be yours even if I know you are not mine.” He closed his eyes and held Janine’s face.

It's inexplicable how much my mood improves with his presence, and each time he leaves I can't help but feel hollow. “I saw something," I murmur, shaking my head as if to chase away the last of the vision that is now imprinted into my mind. It's clear now that what I saw wasn't a reflection of myself. The other version of me that I touched had sallow skin and cold eyes, and wore a haunting white dress that I never want to see again. “What? “I was looking in a mirror at myself, or some other physical version of me. And when I touched my reflection, I was in severe pain," I explain to him, wiping at the tears that must have flowed during the vision.

I suddenly heard an angry voice, and I jerked my eyes opened, staring back at the reflection on the mirror, but was shocked, to see the reflection of another me, standing behind me, with his eyes all black and dangerous. I batted my lashes, to be sure I wasn't hallucinating, but was terrified, as I saw my other image, glaring hard at me, through the mirror. I gulped down nothing, as I turned slowly to confirm the reflection on the mirror, but froze on my spot, as I was welcomed with my own image, glaring hard at me, looking all angry...

IN THE SYNTAX QUARTER, “ Did you see what I see?” Victoria asked Luna and Jacob who was with her in the living room watching an action movie. “ What?” Luna and Jacob asked. “ It felts like Devon is glowing, I even noticed the little smile on his face.” Victoria gossiped. “ And why is that?” Luna asked in a frown. “ It felts like he is happy.” Victoria said and grinned widely. “ What’s wrong with that, everyone can be happy.” Luna said.

The reflection didn’t move. Ariana’s breath caught. “No…” The reflection smiled. Her heart slammed violently against her chest. “That’s not me.” The reflection tilted its head. But the smile— It didn’t feel human. “You always say that too.” Ariana stumbled back. “Get out of my head.” The reflection stepped forward. Out of the mirror. Into the space with her. And now— It was her. Same face. Same eyes. Same everything. But different. Colder. Sharper.