Water could serve as a mirror too. In moments like this, it was far more useful than a polished glass, more discreet and also more portable. A real mirror would have raised questions, made the subject aware they were being tested. And in testing someone's truest self, subtlety was everything.
Arabella wanted to trust her sister. She truly did. But the dissonance... it was growing too loud to ignore.
Her gaze drifted to the brownish red liquid in her teacup. Tilting it ever so slightly before peering into its surface and there, rippling faintly with the movement, was a smiling face. Still Ariel!
Relief escaped her in a quiet sigh. She turned to Cassius, who had also been watching the tea's surface.
Leaning in close, she whispered, "Do I need to use a real mirror?"
