Page 110 of A Whisper of Cinders

I know for certain I’ve seen this place before. Even the scent is familiar; of things in bloom, fresh flowers and green grass. Something I am used to, although I can’t remember I’ve seen anything like this in the real world, only in my mind.

I walk over to the edge of the lake, kneeling down into the grass, searching for little animals that might be hiding in the water. My reflection stares back at me, but my eyes look different. They…glow, like I’ve seen the eyes of the others do sometimes. A flame spreads across my shoulders and burns away the human part of me. I look the same, yet different. When I reach for my ear, they are pointed, a little ticklish even.

“Maily?”

Ami. She is here too? I look around, searching for my friend, but she is nowhere to be seen.

“Are you alive in there?”

Alive? Of course I am! What else would I be?

“Yes,” I say, but my voice isn’t very cooperative somehow.

“Okay, I’m coming in. I just hope you’re not doing anything weird or funky.”

I frown at that. What could I possibly be doing in my…oh. Oh!

Someone — probably Ami — shakes my shoulder and I instantly return back to my room, sit up straight and nearly bump my head against hers.

“Woah, you alright?”

I look at her, seeing her as her fae self as well, beautiful as ever. “That was weird. But yes I think so.” I do a big stretch, enjoying how it feels on my muscles. “What time is it?”

Ami scratches her head, an amused expression across her face. “Well, that’s kind of why I’m here, I was getting worried. It’s already nighttime and you were very deep asleep.”

I must’ve dozed off once I returned from Mrs Delalune, the deep exhaustion rose out of nowhere and I couldn’t fight it any longer. “I’m sorry, I —”

She sits down on my bed, placing a cool hand on my shoulder. “Hey, it’s normal. You were drained yesterday. It’s a miracle you came out alive and honestly, I still don’t know how you did it.”

I’m about to tell her she’s the one who obviously saved me, her powers related to the water, when out of nowhere a tray loaded with food appears.

“But I do know that you must be starving, so I’m here to make sure you get some food in your system.”

Ami arranged so many different dishes, I could easily survive for a week and still have plenty enough to eat some more. Roasted, honey glazed chicken, jasmine rice, pasta in red tomato sauce, spring rolls…the list goes on and soon, my bed is loaded with food.

“Ami…I am hungry, but this is a lot of food for two people.”

As if on cue, a knock sounds at my door and Sirelle and Neoma enter, holding two trays of their own. Siri’s tray is loaded with desserts that nearly make me drool, from cakes to chocolates to macarons. While Neoma holds what seems to be all sorts of drinks and let’s just say I am certain there is water and lemonade, but the other things are definitely alcoholic beverages.

“I heard someone’s in need of a girlsnight,” Neoma announces. “So here we are. We brought the good stuff.”

I eye the bottle in Neoma’s hand that looks like midnight sky and don’t think I have ever seen a drink this beautiful. It is literally sparkling and twinkling as it swirls inside of its bottle.

“Dear moons, Neo, where did you find this?”

“Oh Ami, you do know who you’re talking to, right? I have my ways,” she says with a wink.

A delicate glass appears in front of me and is filled with the sparkling nectar. I place my lips at the edge ready to take a sip when Ami halts me. “Be careful, this stuff is strong and since it is your first time…”

I lower the glass, hypnotised by the sparkling liquid. “Is it dangerous?”

“No! No, of course not. It sometimes can make you do funny things, that’s all.”

Fun can’t be bad, right? “I think I can handle that.”

Ami grins. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

I take a careful sip, the nectar sweet on my tongue. Honey with a hint of elderflower and lavender. The combination is divine and I have to contain myself from downing my glass in one go. Warmth unfurls inside of me and I have to contain a giggle.