The night pressed on throughout the Labyrinth and while some parts were quite active this time of night most people were very much asleep in their proper beds. Thanks to Jareth's handy work it appeared Eva too was destined to sleep in her bed even if it was nothing more than an illusion. Eventually even Jareth did retire for the night although it was unclear exactly where he ended up sleeping given that he was just as likely to sleep sitting up in a chair than laying down on a sofa or bed. As far as the house went everything seemed to be serene with only the staccato ticking of the hall way clock or the smaller time keeper on the night table. At this point it had to be getting up towards midnight and when the hour finally did come the clock in the upper hall gently chimed the hour.
Meanwhile up in the attic that was now without occupation, the mirror Eva had directed Jareth to looked ordinary enough. Ordinary if you ignored the fact that the mirror had stopped reflecting the objects in the attic and now resembled moonlight on glass smooth water.
As the clock in the hall continued to sound the surface of the mirror began to move as if a drop of water had fallen into a clear pool causing the mirrors glass to ripple gently once, then twice, then a third time. All in secession with increasing effect. The next thing to be heard, if there had been anyone to hear it was the strong fluttering sound of bird wings and the faint tinkle of small bells. After that, just as the clock in the hall finished striking the hour something about the size and color of a white barn owl emerged from the mirror to take a topsy turvy turn about the attic before it disappeared down the the hall.
"Eva...Eva dearest, you need to wake up for a moment." Whatever had emerged from the mirror had transformed into a shrouded kindly woman who was currently leaning over the left of Eva's bed she was curled sleeping in.
The woman calling gently to Eva was draped from head to foot in a kind of iridescent fabric that was not exactly transparent yet not quite passably solid either. It just sort of glimmered and waved like moon beams on water and her robes were inlaid with what looked like archaic spirals of sliver thread. Miraculously the material managed to capture and reflect every beam of light in the room causing a sort of gentle glittering effect. While she spoke the woman with the familiar voice reached out to set aside a lock if Eva's hair so that she could stroke the younger woman's cheeck with the exposed part of her gloved index finger.
Her hands were slim with long beautiful fingers encased in delicate looking open fingered gloves the color of baked earth that disappeared up under her sleeves. And her face was framed in a great white-blue cowl that hid the thick braid of sliver hair down her back. Yet in spite of all her otherworldly-ness the older woman seemed to embody everything that was warm, comforting, and familiar.
