Hot, hot, hot. Kaina grimaced, wishing she could take off her sweater…wishing she didn't have wings. To make matters worse, the frosting on the pastries had melted, and spread onto the other desserts. They were still edible, but really disgusting to hold; and she had not been provided with wipes.

Why was nothing easy? Even childhood in a castle filled with other kids had been tough. She would beg and plead them to include her in their games, only to frighten them off when her demons took hold. Then the adults would admonish them and guilt them into playing with her, and they would sneak off in the middle of I Spy, leaving her to hide.

Her teenage years were even more difficult. Because everybody knew her, it was impossible to begin a relationship. Now Rosaine was Beloved of Epona. Kaina grimaced. Beautiful, talented, popular, chosen, and on top of everything she was trying to attend the Temple of the Muse. It just wasn't fair. Kaina was so used to being kicked when she was down, perhaps she could use protective gear.

True, Rosaine probably tried hard to be popular and talented. But she received more opportunities. No one ever came up to Kaina and said, "She's not as good as they say. You're going to be fine." It would have been nice to hear that, just one time. But nobody had said it. And why would they?

Kaina slumped her shoulders as she walked. She had escaped Partholon, but she could never escape the truth. Believing that she was able had only been a pretty fantasy. In a castle filled with people, she had been all alone. She should have realized changing worlds wasn't going to change that.

"Hey!" The exclamation made her look up. "You're Lena MacLeod!"

To her surprise, all eyes had gone to her. Kaina quirked a brow at the girl who had spoken and opened her mouth to tell her how wrong she was - then closed her mouth, afraid to show her fangs.

"It is such an honor to meet you," she started gushing. "Can I get an autograph? Maybe a selfie?"

As she stared in confusion at the strange earthling, a man looked at the fan. "Who is she?" he asked quietly.

"Lena MacLeod, the movie star! Oh, I love you!" she said in Kaina's direction.

Kaina raised her brows, then frowned at her. The first time a non-relative said it, and it was a woman from another world.

"I have to tell you, Ms. MacLeod…your movies changed my life. I've seen Start To Finish twenty-six times!"

"That's…great," Kaina said cluelessly, as the woman stole a photograph with her. Startled by the flash, Kaina tried to blink away the sudden phosphenes fallaciously occurring with her eyes open.

"So." A man looked her up and down. "Just Ms., huh?"

Kaina's brows rose as he shot her a flirty smile. The earth-dwellers were coming to her! She was the popular one! Well, technically, Lena MacLeod was the popular one, but to their knowledge she was her. So this is what it felt like…And it sure felt better than cold, harsh rejection that had no end! So she smiled back, making sure to keep her lips closed.

"Don't come on to her; she's dating Jarrod Richie!" the fan told him off.

"Who?"

"Talk show host? Movie producer? Sorry about him, Ms. MacLeod, he has no respect. Love your sweater."

"Oh. Yeah. It's…mine," she said lamely, and quickly said, "I have to go. I have to, uh…meet Jarrod."

"Can I get a selfie with him, too?"

Kaina looked nervous. "No…He's indisposed at the moment."

"Okay. Can I hug you?"

Kaina stiffened, thinking about her wings. She narrowed her eyes. "You're beginning to bother me," she murmured, and walked down the sidewalk. But the crazed fan had sparked an idea in Kaina's Partholon-accustomed head. She had a mirror image. Mirrors were reflective, so a mirror image had to be a lookalike. A twin. Somewhere on this planet, there was another girl with wings.

And depending on the size of the mirror, places might run parallel, too. She resembled her, their names sounded alike…and Lena's fan hadn't given the impression that she lived very far away.

Kaina raised her head and took in the landmarks with keen, forest-colored eyes. MacCallan Castle was in relative proximity to the mountains and the B'an Sea. She didn't have to think very hard to remember how the Trier Mountains looked. She turned, letting her eyes trace the outline of the mountains. None of them looked red, in any direction; but their worlds didn't have to be identical to be similar. Arianrhod and Finegas sure had their differences.

She studied the mountains a moment longer and decided the mountains toward yesterday's sunrise were shaped very much like the Trier Mountains; and the direction was correct. With no conclusion to her premise, she began to walk.

Fortunately, Kaina was onto something. The terrain became much more familiar as her journey progressed. But the extreme heat was not kind to plants, and though the land felt right, it did not compare to Partholon's lush lands. It was, in a word, ugly; until she got to what she assumed was Lena MacLeod's palace. Though large, it was small compared to MacCallan Castle. Its beauty was also different. Whereas MacCallan Castle was a construction of rough stones, evoking thoughts of warriors eating a bounty that was not large enough; MacLeod Castle (or whatever it was called) evoked thoughts of luxury and sophistication. It had a large outdoor bathing pool and strange glowing orbs placed on the ground. The palace itself was lit up and golden, and Kaina wondered what exactly a movie star did, and if it was comparable to a long generation of Goddess Incarnates.

The gate was closed, but it was easy enough to scale. She strode to the front door and knocked. It was opened by the one and only Lena MacLeod, who completely and totally mirrored Kaina. The movie star stared into the face so much like her own. Lena was visibly drunk, holding a glass of champagne. She stared into Kaina's face and mumbled, "Okay. There's the cutoff."