Page 59 of A Whisper of Cinders

I refuse to let another person die in my arms. Not tonight. Not ever again.

As I brush the damp curls from his forehead, a spark ignites beneath my skin, spreading like wildfire through my veins. My head spins and the edges of my vision become blurry.

But I cannot faint here, we would be defenseless. So I push through, the heat within me making my skin damp and my hair cling to the back of my neck.

Branches snap in the distance and the sound of footsteps becomes louder. Until I hear a voice calling out my name. “Maily!”

Aramis?

Relief floods through me. “Aramis! We’re over here!”

He breaks through the trees in a blur of motion, and instantly drops to his knees across from me as his gaze lands on Arlo’s ruined body. His face is carved in stone, yet the faint twitch of his jaw and the storm behind his dark green eyes confirms what I was already expecting. Arlo is in bad shape, even with my poor efforts in keeping him alive.

Damn it.

Sadness washes over me and for a moment I can’t look at the poor young man between us. “Aramis…I-I’m so sorry, I really did everything —”

“Maily,” I can’t look up, not even at the sweet tone that coats my name. “Hey, Mai.” A hand lands on top of mine still holding my blood drenched coat in place. I slowly lift my gaze, meeting his eyes as he applies pressure to the wound on Arlo’s leg with his other hand. “You had no supplies and tried to slow the bleeding with everything you had. I would’ve done the same.”

He shrugs off his coat and drapes it across my shoulders, the warmth of his body still lingers in the fabric, carrying the familiar snow-pine scent I associate with him.

“It doesn’t really matter in the end, now does it?”

“It does, believe me. Now, put the coat on.” I obey, too drained to argue I’m anything but cold right now. “Tell me what happened.”

“I was on my way to the greenhouse, when I heard a cry for help. I immediately ran into the woods and followed the blood trail. It took me a couple of minutes to find him, he had already lost so much blood, Aramis…” I swallow audibly, the reality hard to face. “Maybe I should’ve returned to the Academy, but I didn’t want to leave him alone, not like this. Not if there might be other wild animals lingering around or picking up the scent of his blood.” I meet his gaze. “And now you are here.”

He stops inspecting the wounds to look back at me, something like wonder and utter shock in his eyes. His pupils are blown wide and as dark as a forest after the storm. “Here I am indeed.”

For a moment everything fades away, until…

More branches break and the sound of crunching snow echoes loudly. I jump up, taking up a defensive stance, fearing the animal who did this has finally found us. The only thing that eases my aching heart is the fact that my last act in my life was helping another in need.

But when I hear footsteps coming our way, a lot of them, I relax and know my time isn’t there just yet. A team arrives with a stretcher and I make way, my knees and thighs suddenly screaming in protest. The moment I shift, a wave of dizziness crashes over me and my knees buckle, adrenaline leaving my body. I barely register Aramis catching me before I hit the snow.

“Easy there, gorgeous,” he murmurs, guiding me to a rock on our left. “Take a deep breath.”

I put my head between my knees, taking deep and slow breaths in the hopes it will chase away the nausea.

Wait.

Did he just call me gorgeous?

In my bend position, I can only see his shoes and part of his legs. He is crouching down pretty close to me.

“Will he be alright?” I ask, distraction might help to calm my hazy mind.

“I’m not sure.” he pauses. “I hope so.”

“Me too.”

When my head feels a little steadier, I sit upright and force myself to stand. Aramis supports my elbow, but releases me as soon as he realises my legs won’t give out. The team has already carried Arlo out of here, but the blood hasn’t disappeared. I can’t suppress a shiver.

Aramis guides me away from the gruesome scene. When I blink, we’re on the path that leads to the Academy, my mind somehow blocked out the walk back to it. Within minutes, the grand doors come into view. We’re all alone and since I am completely covered in blood, it isn’t a bad thing.

I tug Aramis’ coat closer around me, inhaling his comforting scent and when I look at him, there is one question that I can’t seem to shake off. “How did you find me?”

He leads me towards the restaurant and turns towards me. “What?”