Page 36 of A Whisper of Cinders

I nearly hear her scream, “Of course I do, silly!”

A faint, sad smile tugs at the corner of my lips, but it doesn’t reach my tearstreaked eyes. I blink rapidly, hoping to prevent a complete breakdown.

She would probably also tell me to enjoy this dreamy room for as long as it lasts. And she is totally right. I have made it out of Anima after five years of being stuck in that horrible place.

I won’t let my guard down as long as I’m still breathing, I know my life will end here, but a decent shower doesn’t sound bad right now.

I blink once, twice. Rub my eyes and blink again.

Maybe it is the lighting or the fact that I haven’t properly stared in the mirror in ages, but the colour of my eyes leans more towards a chestnut brown instead of the usual black brown.

Shuffling footsteps and hushed, too loud voices catch my attention and I turn towards the other door. Someone’s coming. I throw one more quick glance in the mirror, but my eyes look the same as they always do, and leave the bathroom.

My heart picks up its pace, my palms are sweaty and knees are wobbling. I wait, preparing myself for the worst. The voices go silent and it takes three excruciatingly long seconds for the door handle to move.

I might faint, here and now. Maybe that will make them come back another time?

The door opens and a tall woman stands in the opening.

Her dark brown hair is swept into a voluminous bun, with intricate braids woven through it. Her deep coffee-coloured skin glows in the morning light. She wears a sleeveless royal purple tunic embroidered with swirling patterns, cinched at the waist with a twisted rope belt that accentuates her hourglass figure.

She could be in her late twenties or in her mid-fifties. Either way, she is a far cry from the heavily equipped guard I was expecting.

She looks up from the papers in her hand - no shackles or weapons as far as I can see - and spots me standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.

I prepare myself for shouting and scolding, but all she does is offer me a gentle smile. “Ah! Hello there, young lady. Good to see you’re up on your feet, although I have to excuse myself for keeping you waiting,” She looks over her shoulder, nearly dropping the paperwork in her hands. “One of my apprentices was running late, weren’t you, Aramis?”

She raises a brow at him, turns around and enters the room.

If I thought the female was tall, Aramis is even taller, barely fitting through the door. But he is equally as stunning as she is, if not even more so. Saliva nearly piles up in my mouth again, but for a whole other reason this time.

Short, messy golden waves frame a freckled face, green eyes twinkling with mischief. He wears round glasses that give him an almost innocent look, but something tells me he’s anything but.

The woman drops the papers on the desk and starts rummaging through the large bag she’s carrying. My eyes are automatically drawn back to Aramis, only to see he is already taking me in from head to toe. He lingers in the doorway, but wakes up from his trance only to dip into a deep bow.

“My apologies for the delay, milady. I sincerely hope you haven’t been waiting too long.”

Oh. Oh.

Is there actually a chance that the first man I meet in this place isn’t a piece of shit? He is cute. Very cute, and polite. And somehow not staring at me like I’ve grown a third eye.

He wears a loose cobalt-blue sleeveless shirt tucked into matching trousers, brown combat boots laced snugly on his feet. His arms are folded behind his back, but I catch the hint of lean muscle in his shoulders.

Very, very cute indeed.

The woman moves until she’s next to me, breaking the trance Aramis put on me with his presence alone. I take a step back. She offers me an apologetic smile, before turning her gaze on Aramis. She shakes her head. “For moon’s sake, Aramis, stand up. We don’t have time for this.”

Her tone might have a hint of annoyance, but as I glance at Aramis’ blond head, I glimpse a hardly contained, amused smile. He doesn’t move an inch, as if she said nothing at all.

She sighs and rolls her eyes, before looking at me. “He’s waiting for you to tell him to rise, Maily. Since it’s you he offended, not me.”

My eyes widen. Offended? He didn’t offend me, quite the opposite actually. I’m the one who was gaping at him seconds ago, not the other way around. “Uh…you may rise…sir? If you, uh, want to, that is.”

A low chuckle escapes him as he straightens in one smooth motion, a teasing smile on his full lips. Not a cruel one to my surprise. He seems my age, maybe a little older and there’s something familiar about him, although I can’t put my finger to it.

“Sir…I like that.” He winks at me. A man, a hot one, winks. At me. What is going on?

“May I enter, my lady?” His green eyes glint playfully, as if he can actually hear my thoughts.