Page 49 of The Broken Mirror
“That’s not true,” she says. But he just shakes his head, disbelieving. “I don’t know how much I’ve told you about this, Jack,” Filomena continues, “but before I met you and Alistair, I was really lonely. I was bullied at school. My only friend ditched me. The only thing that made my life feel okay was reading about you and your adventures. And then when I met you in real life, you were so much more than just a hero. You’re funny. You’re kind. You’re my favorite person to be around.” She blushes slightly, grateful her cheeks are already rosy from the cold.
“Now you’re just buttering me up so I’ll stop being upset.” Jack chuckles lightly.
“A laugh! That’s a victory.” Filomena bumps his shoulder with hers. She realizes they’re still holding hands. Her heartcatches in her throat. “But besides all that, a hero is a pretty amazing thing to be, Jack.”
“I hate that word.Hero. I’m not a hero, I’m just a kid with no other choice but to do this. You heard Sabine when we were in Vineland: ‘Blood of my blood has been shed for millennia to keep you safe.’ Do you think I want that? I don’t want that!”
“I get it. Both my birth parents died for me. I never even got to know them. Sometimes I wish I was still just reading about your adventures instead of living them alongside you.Beingbrave is a lot harder thanthinkingabout being brave. How are you so brave all the time? You never seem afraid.”
“Of course I’m afraid. I’m afraid all the time. But I can’t let anyone see that; I can’t show it. This is the destiny given to me by the fairies.”
“You know, I was given this destiny, too, Jack. We’re both gifts from the fairies to Never After, remember? We have the same destiny. I just joined in a little later.” She smiles. “We can help each other,” she says. “If you just talk to me for real, tell me what you’re feeling, I promise it won’t make me afraid. I won’t freak out or think something’s really wrong. You’re allowed to have feelings.”
Jack looks at her for a long time, saying nothing.
“I’m really happy you came to Never After, Filomena. Thank you.”
They hug. This hug feels different than their past hugs.There’s something deep here, something that feels like two hearts colliding.
When they pull away, smiling, she removes the Seeing Eye from around her neck and tries to give it back to him.
“Keep it,” he says.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I gave it to you.”
Suddenly they hear a crash come from inside the cottage.
“I’m okay! I’m okay!” they hear Alistair yell. They watch through the window as he stands up off the floor.
Filomena laughs. “Did he just fall off the kitchen table?”
“It’s getting rowdy in there.” Jack chuckles. “I guess I should apologize to him, huh?”
In an act of real bravery, Filomena touches Jack’s cheek. “Yeah, you should. Hate to break it to you, hero, but you’ve been kind of a jerk.”
They both laugh and go back to the party.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOURZERA’SLASTDREAM
The day after the party, a plan is being formulated. After their talk, Jack and Filomena decided together that they can’t waste any more time looking for the League of Seven before rescuing Zera. They’ll just have to go without the League for now.
And so, that morning the partyers crowd around the breakfast table.
“My head is killing me,” Gretel says.
“The giants’ bumbleberry punch packs a mean wallop,” Rosie says. “Pun intended.”
“What time did we even go to sleep last night?” Alistair moans.
On the other hand, Jack and Filomena, who went to sleep immediately after their chat, are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Filomena fell asleep dreaming of their hand-holding. She and Jack can’t stop smiling at each other. She hopes no one notices.
“Attention, everyone!” she says, bounding over to the breakfast table. “I have an announcement.”
She looks at her bleary-eyed friends sipping their morning teas and juices, rubbing their faces, and stretching their arms. This will not do.
“Jack and I have a plan.”
