LUCIUS' POV
I couldn't believe my eyes as I stared right at her.
She hit the mirror from inside, and spoke, but I didn't hear her.
"What are you doing in there? How did you get here? Did that underling put you in here!?" I asked in anger as she tried to talk but remained soundless.
I looked around for something to break the mirror but she waved her hands at me frantically as if telling me not to do it.
Then, realization sank in, the one Naomi's underling had taken was Dusk, not Ariadne.
But when did it happen, how did I fail to notice?
As the hard truth hit me, I began to hear her voice, although it sounded like she was talking from a far distance.
"I hear you. I hear you now. How did you get here?" I asked, and she sighed.
"It was the day we went to the forest together. The day I followed you. I went back to the garden to paint, and my friend came to visit me.
"We talked for a while, but when I went back to my painting, there was someone there, a lady who was dripping with water.
"I went to her because I didn't think I'd seen her in the Palace before, and it all happened in a blur, she had me on the floor, cut me, and licked my blood, and she transformed into me." She said, and I could see the tears in her eyes as she relived the moment.
"Go on." I said softly.
"I was so shocked, I couldn't even say a word. She took a cape that had been on the floor, covered her face with it, and threatened me not to say a word, else she'd kill me. She took me past the guards into this place and pushed me into this mirror." She said, looking around it.
"Did she come again to visit you?" I asked, and she nodded.
"A few times, she came to ask me about you all. What you guys were like, and I had to tell her because she said she'd make me float away in this mirror forever." She said, and I felt anger grow in me.
"Do you think you can get out?" I asked her and she shook her head.
"I have tried my best to break out several times but each time, it has proven abortive." She said, and I touched the mirror.
"I will come for you. I will save you. Tell me, does she come in?" I asked her, and she nodded.
"She comes in a few times. But that's only to threaten me more." She said, and I moistened my lips.
"First, I should find her, and get the truth of how to save you out of her. Don't you worry about a thing. I have it all under control. I will get you out." I said, and turned around, but it was hard to leave her there.
I turned back to her and saw sadness in the depths of her eyes.
"I'll be back." I said, and left immediately.
Seline had probably made the potion only to have Dusk's replica visit, and have a serious headache. Then she had found out, they had fought, she had locked Seline in a dream and emptied the potion.
Then, showed up acting all concerned.
I could see the perfect picture already. I knew exactly what had happened.
I went straight to Dusk's quarters, kicked open the door, and walked in angrily, only to meet an empty room staring back at me.
After looking around, I searched the room, and other rooms in the quarters but I didn't see anyone.
She wasn't in her set of rooms.
Then I went to mine because she could have been waiting for me there, but she wasn't there.
I checked all of Dusk's favorite spots, and when she was still nowhere to be found, I went to alert Marcus and my men.
They all came out immediately they heard my voice.
"Dusk is the underling. I have located the real dusk, but her doppelganger is nowhere to be found." I said, and saw the surprise in their faces.
"I want you to search the whole castle. She must be found." I said, and they bowed, and after putting on clothes, set out.
Next I went to the guards.
"Pass the information. If Dusk is found, stop her, and call for me discreetly." I said, and although they were puzzled, they nodded and bowed to me.
The next thing to do was wait, but it was agony to stay without doing anything.
After some hours, my men came to my study, and I immediately stood up to meet them.
"Have you found her?" I asked, but they shook their heads.
"She seems to have disappeared from the Palace completely, we have searched every possible place, but weren't able to find her." She asked, and I exclaimed in frustration.
I left my study and went to the guards I had asked earlier.
"Did you pass the news?" I asked them and they nodded quickly.
"Did any of you spot her?" I asked but they shook their heads.
"I'm afraid we haven't seen her since hours ago." They said, and I gave a sigh, and went back to the restroom I had seen Dusk.
However, she was no longer in the mirror.
"Dusk?" I called, and knocked the mirror but no reply came. I knocked harder but it was still silent.
Then the thought came to me. The thought that she could be with Naomi, and I left the Palace in a rush for the forest.
I got to the forest, and walked quickly to Naomi's water.
I was so sure that I'd meet her there, and true to how I felt, she was standing with her back to me, throwing roses into the water.
If I didn't know better, I'd have mistaked her for Dusk, but I knew better.
Slowly, she turned, and smiled.
"You found out. I have been waiting for you."