Page 41 of A Whisper of Cinders

My hands rest on the wooden balustrade as I take in the view in front of me. From here, I see pine trees, but in the distance, I catch something that looks like buildings, another town maybe?

The scent that could perfectly resemble the scenery in front of me curls around my nose.

“Ready to go downstairs?” Aramis asks.

“I am.”

We descend the stairs, and very comfortable looking lounges and seats are spread across the area, creating cosy nooks of peace and quiet, all faced towards the top to bottom windows.

Although I would love to let myself fall into those big, fluffy cushions, the outside world beckons me and my feet take me to the windows first. I don’t know what these windows are made of, but I have never seen glass so clear. “It feels like…”

“…you are standing outside and there is no barrier between you and the winter wonderland?”

“Exactly.” My brows rise. “I mean, there only exists snow and cold in Nivrean, so that is pretty much the same.” My hand lands on the glass, it seems so small against the white background. “But this feels different somehow, I can’t really explain it.”

Aramis nods in agreement. “I understand. The windows were specially made for this area, to give you the same feeling of standing out in the open.”

I look up at him. “Like you’re in the eye of the storm.”

Something flickers in his eyes. “Exactly.” He licks his lips and looks out of the window. “Would you like to go outside?”

I nod eagerly. That’s at least something I do not need to think about.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Aramis approaches the wall on our left. I was about to ask if he can walk through wood, when he pushes down a handle, revealing a hidden door that blends perfectly with the walls. He throws a cheeky grin over his shoulder and beckons me. “Come on, milady, follow me!”

I walk to him, my steps a bit hesitant as I peek into the darkness of the tunnel beyond. “You are not going to kidnap me, are you?”

He too, looks in the door opening and looks back at me, bursting out in spontaneous laughter. “Oh, my apologies, I see how this might come off. But no, you don’t need to fear me.” Tension leaves my body once more and I can breathe again, not even sure when I stopped. “This is a secret passageway to go outside. I promise the lights will turn on once the door closes again.”

I arch a brow at him. “So, do you sneak away often?”

“Only when needed,” he answers, giving me a wink.

I stare at him for a moment, he stares right back and a warm, fuzzy feeling spreads inside of me. Before I let the temperature rise to my head, I walk past him into the darkness. Aramis follows me and closes the door behind him. “Just a second,” he whispers.

And indeed, after a few seconds tiny spots of warm golden light slowly come to life above our heads, I look around in wonder. “What is this?”

Aramis starts walking and I send the impulse to my legs to do the same. I let my fingers roam the wall beside me, wondering if the light might spread to them as well.

“This hallway is one of the few things that remain of the original building. Decades ago, the Academy was made of stone instead of wood. A sturdy material, you would think, yet it got destroyed. I’m not sure what the cause was, but from what I’ve heard, there was a hurricane with a force they had never seen before. The whole building was in ruins.” The warm light flickers, as if the stone remembers what Aramis talks about. “They rebuilt it, but instead of stone, they used wood, keeping the connection to nature strong in the hopes not to anger Mother Nature again.”

“And what is up with the glowy things?”

Aramis looks up, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Ah, these little creatures are called starflies, because every now and then,” he points to a spot at the ceiling, making me look up as well. “They flicker like the stars in the sky do. This cave was their home, and although there are several other caves on the domain, they always come back here.”

I reach out to the little faux stars, but I’m nowhere close to reaching them. Yet something falls from the ceiling and lands on my finger. I move my hand carefully towards my face, taking in the little creature.

It resembles a butterfly. The shape of the wings is the same, but they are iridescent and the edges are feathered instead of membrane. It slowly lifts its wings up and down, not in a rush to fly away any time soon. “Wow.”

“You are lucky. They normally don’t show themselves, especially not to strangers.”

“It looks so different.”

“She looks beautiful.”

I look above the starfly, meeting Aramis glowing eyes in the dimly lit cave. His pupils are dilated, but not fixated on the small creature on my finger. No, his eyes are on me.