Rejoice

Then the flower laughed and jiggled from the intensity of it. “Did you think I wouldn’t expect something?”

The rest of the chamber remained immobile.

The flower bent toward Callie. “I didn’t lie. I don’t have my powers yet, but I left behind a safeguard. Did you think I was that stupid? I haven’t lived all these centuries with no intelligence. I knew I would be vulnerable in case of my death. I couldn’t risk the last chance I had to achieve all my goals. Now you will die in the position of ultimate defeat.”

“And what would that be?”

The flower froze again and looked around the room. “Who said that?”

“Take a guess.”

Behind Callie, the air shimmered. The figure of Callie frozen in place faded behind her immovable bubble of power. It was replaced with an identical version of her sat three feet behind the now missing Callie. A second shield surrounded her.

“How is that possible?” the creature gasped.