Page 37 of A Whisper of Cinders

Althea narrows her eyes. “Don’t make me drag you in, Aramis.”

He raises his hands in surrender. “I know you love my chivalry, Althea, I’ll have to wait until the lady invites me in.”

Both gazes turn to me, one playful, the other exasperated. “You may come in?” I have to restrain from hitting myself in the face. Why did I make that sound like a question?

Aramis dips his head, biting his lip to hold back a smile. He moves into the room, looking over his shoulder as he passes me. Up close, his lashes are absurdly long, curling perfectly upward around those emerald green eyes. There clings a scent to the air around him, one that I can only link with the cold outdoors, one of crisp snow and fresh pine.

“Thank you, milady, you’re too kind.” His voice sends shivers down my spine, the good kind of shivers for once. I don’t know if he’s mocking me or if this is genuinely how he speaks, but I can’t say I hate it.

Hands land on my shoulders, turning me gently and it takes everything in me not to back away. Althea releases me as soon as I am facing her, unaware of what her touch does to me.

Not everyone will hit or punish me and she seems nice, but I thought Dom looked kind in the beginning as well. Look where that got me.

“Good to see three days of sleep had at least some effect. You still look a little tired, but the dark circles under your eyes have lessened.” Wait. Did she just say three days? “My name is Althea, I’m the head of the Healer’s Quadrant here at Moonveil. I’ve been overseeing your care with Aramis while you were resting.”

How can you sleep naturally for three days without waking up? That’s impossible!

My head spins again, an uneasy feeling settling deep in my bones. Did they sedate me and do all kinds of weird tests? Or torture me?

I don’t feel any pain, everything looks intact. But why are the walls closing in? Althea’s voice is a hum in my ears, the more I try to catch anything she says, the less I actually hear.

My knees tremble, but I keep it together. I have to. Showing weakness is not an option, not in a place that is unfamiliar to me. Not ever.

But when my legs can’t carry my weight anymore, I fall to the ground. To my surprise, I don’t feel the wooden floor beneath me, but instead the soft cushion of a chair.

I’m too hot, my skin damp. I put my head between my knees and close my eyes, in the hopes of reducing the waves of dizziness that come every few seconds.

Breathe in, breathe out.

In. Out.

Seconds pass, the comforting crackling of the fire eventually sounds in my ear, my own breathing too loud, but not as fast as it was seconds ago. Dizziness slowly fades, until there’s just a slight feeling of lightheadedness.

I manage to open my eyes and move slowly until I’m seated upright. Aramis crouches in front of me, a worried expression on his handsome face. He’s so close I can discern the dark shades of green in his eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice soft-spoken.

I only manage to nod. Aramis looks over his shoulder at Althea, they don’t say a word, but eventually she inclines her head and Aramis looks back at me.

“You were exhausted when you arrived here. Not only your body, but your mind as well.” My mind is still an emotional mess, burdened with things I cannot face yet. The thought alone, about…her. Ami. I push them aside, that little burst of emotion before was more than enough. “You needed rest, honestly you still do. The normal sleep you go into every night wouldn't have been enough. Not after everything you have been through,” I can’t help but cringe at his words, of course they know everything that happened, they are after all here to punish me. To sentence me for something I didn’t do. “To aid you, Althea decided it was best we gave you a tonic to keep you from waking in distress.”

I look up at Althea, a serene expression resting on her face. “It really was for the best, Maily. I understand this all might be confusing, but we care about your wellbeing.”

For now.

Until I trust them and they will punish me either way. Deciding I’ve had enough of sitting down and looking weak, I slowly rise. Aramis reaches out a hand, but even before our skin meets, I stiffen. I can’t help it. Whenever a man touches me, pain follows.

I’m not sure if he picks up my reaction, but his hand drops and my shoulders relax once again. I try to filter their words, but they don’t make any sense to me.

“I don’t remember that, or anything else for that matter. I arrived here, about to receive my sentence, only to be put to bed and wake up three days later?” I pull at my hair, trying to wrap my head around it. Maybe I should shut up, but there is no stopping the word flow. “For a prison, you treat your inmates very well, and I honestly don’t know if I deserve it. I understand why you put me in a coma. I’m a danger, right? Or at least, that is what they told you, but —”

“Oh dear, let me stop you right there,” Althea says, a confused expression making her brows rise. “I do not know what you heard or have been told, but this is not a prison. We will not punish you or anyone else. We are an Academy, you are here to learn and study.”

Wait. What? An Academy?

“Well,” Aramis says, dragging out the word. “I know you wouldn’t believe this coming from me, but I got in trouble once for…” Althea clears her throat. He scratches the back of his head, innocence written all over his face. “That might be a story for another time.” He gives me another wink, making my temperature rise, and I’m sure he’s fully aware of that too. “Let’s just say I had to do some chores around here to do penance for my actions. Nothing bad really. Shovelling snow, helping the chefs prepare meals, things like that.”

Oh. Those are chores that were a daily task at Anima. But the way Aramis says it, gives me the impression it rarely happens here.