Flint pulled the coverings off the tarnished mirror and stared at his reflection for a long while. In the mirror he saw the old chandelier with candles burned to stubs, the fireplace cracked and unused, the furniture molding and the books turning yellow. Letting loose his long black hair he tried to shake out the snowfall of dust that had settled on him. With closed eyes he ran his fingers through his hair reveling in the silence for a brief moment before it was broken by a gasp from behind him.

“What a beautiful mirror!” Vixen exclaimed pushing Flint aside to study her face.

“Excuse me, Vic, but I was using that.”

“No you weren’t. If you had been using the mirror your eyes would have been open. Besides, why should you get a mirror when I am by far the most beautiful of all of us?” Vixen turned and flashed Flint a huge smile before continuing to primp her hair.

“That’s subject to opinion,” came a voice from the door.

“What would you know, Ice?” Vixen didn’t turn from her reflection to address the white-haired boy in the door. “You’re interests don’t run this way.”

Ice slid up behind Vixen and cupped her breasts, squeezing them hard. “Actually, I’m quite fond of girls.” Suddenly he shoved her away from the mirror and took her place in front of it. “My interests just don’t run towards my sister.”

Flint laughed. “He has a point, Vic.” With one arm he reached out to help her up while with the other he lifted Ice up by the back of the neck and displaced him. “Besides, who are you to comment on his romantic preferences? I don’t believe I have ever seen you so much as look at a man.”

Ice glared and rubbed his neck, but he added, “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen her look at anything but herself.”

Flint laughed and Vixen pointedly ignored them, stepping in front of Flit to be able to see herself again.

“Vixen, dearest,” Flint said quietly, “If you don’t get out from in front of that mirror I’m going to break it on your face.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“Try me.”

Ice sat watching with a small smile on his face, his neck forgotten.

“Does anyone else see the irony in this?” a melodic voice floated in from just beyond sight.

“Why don’t you tell us, Fallyn,” Vixen sounded exasperated as she sat down in one of the dusty chairs, finally relinquishing the mirror.

A tall, slender woman glided into the room, her black dress concealing very little, her pale arms draped in black as to look almost like wings. Ebony hair cascaded down her back to well past her waist and her purple eyes glinted mischievously as she sat, folding her long legs beneath her. “The group of you fighting over a mirror and none of you finds it ironic? Sometimes I worry about my family.”

“Oh be quiet, Fallyn,” Vixen snapped, flipping her long auburn hair over her shoulder with a toss of her head. “We all know you’re smarter than us, but that doesn’t mean we want to hear about it.”

“Why don’t you be quiet instead, Vixen? We all know you’re meaner than the rest of us, but that doesn’t mean we want to hear about it.” Fallyn smiled and brushed an invisible spec of dust off her skirt.

“Point for her,” Ice noted clinically. Flint nodded. Vixen stood and stormed out of the room, her gold eyes flashing dangerously and her heels clicking on the marble floor.

“She always was your favourite,” Ice commented blandly. “I don’t suppose your interests run that way?” Flint lunged at him, but Ice, who had been expecting that, danced out of the way with a laugh.

“Just chase after her, Flint,” Fallyn said tiredly. “We all know you will eventually. Just go and leave us alone.”

“Why must you be so condescending all the time?” Flint asked angrily, tying his hair back in one sharp motion.

“Because I’m better than you,” Fallyn whispered sadly.

Flint cuffed her upside the head as he stalked off to find his beloved little sister, and Fallyn didn’t even try to dodge it.

“How do you manipulate the two of them so well?” Ice asked curiously.

“If you know something of human nature it isn’t difficult. All creatures are very predictable. Learn their habits and you can get them to do anything.”

“Human nature?”

“Close enough.”

Ice smiled. “You said you had something to show me?”

Fallyn uncoiled herself from her sitting position and walked over to stand before the mirror. “Such a lovely piece of work.” Her hand went out to lightly brush long fingers against the tarnished silver surface, the intricate carvings of the silver frame, her reflection.

“Not you too! Why did you drag me to this musty old room full of mildew and rotting books? To admire yourself in an old piece of junk?” He hit her fill force across the face and sent her flying away from the mirror into a bookshelf. Standing calmly Fallyn tugged her dress back into place, her pale face showing nothing.

“Patience, my dear brother, is a quality it seems none posses, but would do you well to learn,” she said ominously. Reaching out she brushed one of the carved vines on the frame and the surface shimmered to life. The tarnish vanished and it no longer reflected back the tattered furnishings of the room or the angry faces of brother and sister as they watched in silence. A flash of red hair dripping down a pretty face came into view.

“Is that…?” Ice trailed off, his crystal blue eyes full of longing.

Fallyn smiled, a mere spreading of red painted lips to show perfect white teeth. It did not meet her eyes, which had a glint in them that would have frightened Ice had he seen. “The Blood Mage.”

“How did you find her?”

“That isn’t important. I found her and I’m only sharing this information with you.”

“But why share at all?” Ice looked suspicious, though his eyes never left the girl in the mirror. “Why not just keep the Blood Mage all for yourself?”

“What use have I for her power? The world is already my pawn. But you, baby brother, could benefit greatly from such strength. So I offer her up freely to you and even place myself in ready willingness to help you obtain your goal in any way I can.”

Not yet having drawn his gaze from the scene playing out before him Ice smiled at this and the sight was as cold as his name. Spinning around he grasped Fallyn’s hands in his own. “Don’t let the others know and that will be all the help I need.” With that he rushed from the room.

Not losing that evil smile she watched his retreating back before shutting the mirror off. “I doubt that, baby brother. There are others who might prove more than you bargained for.” Randomly selecting one of the aging books off the nearest shelf she curled up in one of the musty, but well upholstered chairs and read, still smiling to herself.

The rain splashed viciously on the sidewalk, falling from a sky full of flashing clouds. McKenzie clutched her jacket tightly around her hunched shoulders, bowed her head and trudged on. Red curls were plastered to her face and down the back of her neck, dripping water under her jacket and making her shiver. She lifted a hand to brush them aside but gave it up as futile and let it fall again. There wasn’t much wetter she could get.

Reaching an intersection she paused. It was quickly getting very dark and she wanted to get to Morgan’s as soon as possible, but the shortest way there involved going through the war zone, which was near suicide for a lone girl after dark. The sky exploded overhead and mixed in with the rain were large chunks of ice. One hit her on the shoulder and she swore.

“It’s December, all right,” she muttered to herself as she turned down a narrow alley. Profanity covered the brick walls in faded spray paint announcing louder than any words that she had entered a place she shouldn’t be. Despite the rain she lifted her head and looked steadily forward fighting the urge to run. She forced herself to walk slowly, sure footed. Appearing confident and unafraid was the best way she knew to survive the war zone. However, her nerve broke when she heard a muffled scream behind her followed by a sickening crunch. Hurrying as much as she dared she traveled the blocks to Morgan’s and only when Jinx opened the door did her heart slow down at all.

“You’re paler than usual.”

“Hello, Jinx. Nice to see you, too. How was your week?” McKenzie shook her head at him while she wrung her hair out.

“McKenzie,” a voice floated from the kitchen. “I was just starting to worry.”

“Sorry, Morgan,” McKenzie said to the black haired girl walking into the room wiping her hands on her jeans. “I was just waiting for your brother to locate the manners he had lost.”

Jinx looked slightly embarrassed as he mumbled, “Sorry, McKenzie. Hello.”

She smiled sweetly at him. “That’s all right. These little lapses are to be expected from a male.” Patting him on the head she walked by him into the living room.

“Be nice,” Morgan said softly, putting an arm around Jinx’s shoulders and steering him into the living room to join McKenzie. “Damn, you’re pale. Tell me you didn’t go through the war zone.” McKenzie said nothing, just sat in a recliner. “McKenzie…”

“It’s hailing out there.”

“And that’s a good reason to die?”

“I didn’t die. I didn’t even see anyone, so just let it go.”

“You didn’t see anyone?” Jinx asked in his quiet voice.

“It’s fucking hailing out! Maybe they’re all smart enough to be inside.” McKenzie looked away from the twins sitting on the black leather couch. Her words were lies and her knowledge of that bounced around her head like a pinball machine, punctuated by that cracking noise. Shivering she focused her attention on a glass vase full of white roses.

Morgan followed her gaze and smiled. “Aren’t they pretty? Jinx bought them for me.” She dropped her head onto his shoulder and he slid an arm around her in a half hug. McKenzie arched an eyebrow at them, but didn’t say anything. She knew better. Anyone who didn’t know them as well as she did might wonder at the nature of their relationship, however, McKenzie knew the whole story. The twins had been orphaned before they could walk. A car accident had killed both their parents, but had strangely enough left the infants unharmed. They had been passed from foster family to foster family until they were old enough to live on their own, never staying with a family for more than a few months.

“Anyway,” McKenzie said shaking her head to clear it of all the dark thoughts. “Are we going out tonight?”

“To quote something I heard recently,” Jinx said. “It’s fucking hailing out.”

“Jack ass,” McKenzie said grinning at him.

“One does one’s best.”

“Morgan?”

Morgan looked to Jinx and something passed between them that went way over McKenzie’s head. “All right,” Jinx said at last. “But if we’re going clubbing I need to change. Got to impress the ladies.” He grinned and darted towards his bedroom.

Morgan smiled after him then rose, holding out a hand to McKenzie. “Shall we?”

Grinning McKenzie accepted the offered hand, which gave hers a quick squeeze before pulling her off to change.

McKenzie felt the music pounding before she could see the burned out sign to the Eternity. She loved this club. It was dark with flashing lights, mirrored walls and beautiful people. A person could find anything they could imagine and quite a few things they couldn’t there.

A wiry bouncer stood at the door covered in black leather and tattoos. McKenzie flashed him a smile and an i.d. then glided into the spinning lights, her black lace dress clinging to her thighs. Morgan and Jinx strode in after her in matching black vinyl. When they dressed the same even McKenzie couldn’t tell them apart and she often wondered how a pair of fraternal twins could be so identical.

Almost before she was through the door a hand fell lightly on her shoulder and she was whisked off to dance, spinning from person to person, half the time not knowing if she was dancing with a boy or a girl and the other half the time not caring. She danced, occasionally allowing drinks to be pressed into her hand, rarely knowing what they were. The whole time out of the corner of her eye was something so purely white that it looked out of place in this world of shadows. Whipping around as fast as she could she tried to see who this person was lighting up the shadows, but she could never catch more than a glimpse of winter white.

Morgan sat beside the bar watching McKenzie dance. Her black vinyl pants were uncomfortably warm and she was regretting the decision to wear them, although the choice hadn’t really been hers. She wasn’t really the social type, so whenever they went out McKenzie always dressed her.

Jinx slid up beside her and pressed a glass of something blue into her hands. “I know,” he whispered.

Shaking her head she said, “No. You don’t. Not really.” She looked down at the glass in her hand. “I don’t know why she likes this place. Nothing is normal around here.” Taking a sip she made a face. “Shit. What is this stuff?”

“Bad?”

“Just… something. What is it?”

“I don’t know. The special tonight.”

Morgan stared into the drink for a minute then drained it. “Get me another?”

Jinx watched her for a long time, then shook his head. “No. I don’t think you should have any more.”

Standing, she turned to the bar saying, “Then I’ll get it myself.”

Jinx grabbed her arm. “No. I can’t let you start drinking now. Not like this.”

“She gets to drink and I don’t?”

“She’s not my sister.”

“She may as well be.”

“Only in your head, Morgan. Only in your head.”

Tears filled her eyes but she blinked them back. “Just let it go,” she whispered. “Please. Just let it go. If you say anything else I’ll break down right here. I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

“Then let’s go dance.”

“You know I can’t ask anyone to dance.”

“Then dance with me. Come on.” Taking her hand he pulled her onto the dance floor.

McKenzie watched her friends at the bar, but took no real notice of them. When she went out she did it to lose all connection with the real world, so even when that meant forgetting her friends for a time she did it.

An arm snaked around her and slipped a glass of what looked like nothing but water into her hand. Smiling she sipped at it knowing not to trust her eyes. The drink tasted like nothing she could describe. It tastes like winter, she thought. Just then she realized that the phantom arm hadn’t left but was wrapped around her waist. Rather than be alarmed by this she leaned back into the warmth of a strong body.

The two of them began to sway to the music like that. McKenzie with a pair of strong, pale arms holding her against a body that, although she hadn’t seen, she knew to be clothed in all while. However, every time she attempted to turn around those arms tightened, stilling her. They didn’t really dance, just flowed through the music, their bodies pressed so close together, moving so in sync as to almost be one body in the middle of the dance floor.

As the music slowed all motion sort of died down with it in expectance of the next song. It never came. All sound faded away into nothingness, the flickering lights allowing their flashing then finally stopping all together. In the momentary stillness the arms melted away and as soon as they were gone McKenzie felt as still as the darkness around her. When the first scream erupted the lights and music came back to life.

McKenzie looked around but could find no white. Turning to leave he paused and realized she couldn’t find Morgan or Jinx, either.

Ice closed the door carefully behind him, a small smile on his face. As he headed in the direction of his chambers he heard a voice behind him.

“Why do you look so smug?”

Turning he flashed Vixen a toothy grin. “I had a good night.”

“Good dinner?”

“Actually, I haven’t eaten yet.”

“You were out all night and haven’t eaten yet? What were you doing?”

“Dancing. Do we have any leftovers?” As he spoke Ice walked towards the back of the house with Vixen following behind him, her rose coloured dressing gown trailing the floor.

“I think there’s a little Italian left. Maybe some Chinese.” Vixen unlatched a heavy iron door. The hinges creaked as she swung the door open and looked into the windowless room. Huddled in the corner whimpering was a little, old Italian woman. Beside her was a bundle of clothes with an arm sticking out of it, chained to the wall. “Nix the Chinese. It’s gone bad.”

“That’s all right. Italian is fine.”

“Well, goodnight then.”

“Night,” he murmured gliding into the room, his eyes going soft as he looked at the woman crying in the corner. “Don’t be afraid,” he said gently. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Very slowly he approached her one hand out reassuringly. “I’m just going to let you sleep. Would you like to sleep? You must be very tired. Just close your eyes now and rest. I’ll take care of you. I promise.” Gradually, almost reluctantly, the whimpering subsided and her eyelids began to droop. Ice continued a steady drone of comforting words in a hypnotic voice until his victim was prone in his arms, then his eyes lit up.