Ugly. Hideous. Unlovable.

A compact mirror with a well of pressed-powder and flattened puff was being cupped in a shaking hand of pale flesh. Wide peepers tinged with a chorus of blue were supporting pin-prick pupils at the sight.

Through the average looking glass this was the face of a young woman. She had a very European face with a classic Mediterranean nose, high cheekbones, and fairly normal lips that were a faded pinkish tone.

It was the other mirror that troubled her.

Lines, creases, cracks... pure rivers of glamoured scarring. Each flaw and blemish had its own strangely glowing color that completely changed the outline of her face. Renna had done a fantastic job at piecing her back together again to be sure, but... this.

For a few days Sami had done nothing but cry and look between the two mirrors.

Plain, human eyes would only see the pretty face. But the other....

How many of her friends were supernatural? Would they be able to see? A few in particular made her worry. Tara, Ciera... Nix. How would the djinn see this alabaster skin. Would it look normal to him? Or would he recoil as she had whenever the face stared back at her in the mirror?

In a fit of rage the mirror was thrown. Glass shattered and the girl pouted in her anger. If only everyone could have the good graces to see the product of their own stupidity and self-destruction. The derby dame would like to have thought that she might never have made such a choice if she knew it would lead to this.

The seeds of hatred were planted. The target sat still.