Page 137 of A Whisper of Cinders

“Let me talk to her.”

Conláed places a hand on Aramis’ chest who is now at the bottom of the stairs. “She doesn’t want to see you right now.”

A wave of shock passes across his face. “But why?”

Aramis ignores Conláed and walks past him like I did moments ago. But Aramis doesn’t get far, Conláed grabs hold of his arm and pulls him closer.

“You lost the privilege to talk to her the moment you broke her heart. You will not even breathe the same air as her. Do you understand?”

I hear their words, but it is only when I hear Conláed’s words, that my focus returns and I come back to my body.

“Maily?”

I look away, closing my eyes, because seeing him, smelling him. I…I just can’t.

I hear Aramis turn around, footsteps landing on the stairs and I turn my back to him and force myself to breathe a little easier. So when he suddenly stands in front of me, I nearly choke.

“Mai, please, talk to me.”

I look at him, and an image flickers before me; him head to toe covered in blood. My mothers blood. Tears run down his cheeks, but I barely see them.

Heat claws its way up my spine, wild and furious, flames licking at my skin as fire surges around me, protecting me from the pain, the fae in front of me. He stumbles backward.

“What did I do?”

I look past him at Conláed, leaning against one of the poles. I’m certain he’s wondering the same thing, but I can’t say it out loud. It’s up to Aramis to tell him. If he doesn’t know already.

“I heard you,” I eventually say.

“Heard me? Heard me do what? I…I don’t understand.”

Pure confusion is written all over his face. He can’t be that good of an actor, now can he? “I know what you did all those years ago.”

His normally golden skin goes pale instantly. “Mai…”

“You knew who I was, the moment we met in my room, didn’t you? And not because of Ami.”

Ami, who is currently standing beside Conláed, maybe feeling the distress her brother is in.

Aramis moves forward, but my flames lash out, pushing him back. “Please, Maily, let me explain.”

“Was anything of it even real? Us? Or were you just feeling guilty about what you did?”

His fists clench at his side and he looks defeated. It says enough to me. “Of course it was!” I don’t believe him. I can’t. “I would never do something to you like that, every moment was real from the very beginning. I never lied —”

“BUT YOU DID!”

The flames that were on my skin move away, forming a flaming column of fire around me. “All you did was lie.”

He tries to move towards me, water covers his hand, but my flames burn even brighter.

“And lie.”

Tears roll down my cheeks, but I angrily wipe them away.

“And lie.”

Every time he touches the dome, my flames become thicker, wilder, doing everything to keep him out. I want to keep him out.