Page 64 of A Whisper of Cinders

I flush. Damn it. He still looks at me, obviously noticing the colouring of my cheeks. But his eyes tell me he might want to give in too.

I look back in front of me, trying to ignore the heat rushing through my veins and follow him through the winding hallways of the estate. I will need him every single time to visit, not that I really mind.

“We’re here.”

His voice pulls me out of my own head, and I analyse the tall, arched wood door in front of us. Aramis presses a hand against it and the door sways open.

My breath catches in my throat.

The library is… I don’t even have words for it. I look to my right to see a grinning Aramis leaning against the wall. “Go on.”

I walk into the spacious room, where towering bookshelves surround me left and right, stretching towards a domed ceiling where I can see the cloudy sky. There is a wooden ladder that can slide along the bookcases so you can reach even the highest bookshelves. Several cream-coloured settees and lounges are scattered throughout the room and more to the right, I see multiple tables where one might study.

The only odd thing is the massive tree that stands at the end of the room, its branches nearly as high as the ceiling. Odd, yet mesmerising. At the heart of the tree is an open half circle, where more books have found their home and above that, one more bookcase follows the curve of the tree.

Based on the size of it, it must be at least a hundred years old. The library seems to have been built around it, not the other way around.

Orbs hang from the walls, casting the room in a golden glow and the scent of books and blooming ivy fills my nose, wrapping around me like a warm hug. The whole room seems to pulse as I walk to the centre of it.

I make a small circle, taking it all in, only for my eyes to land on Aramis once more. “This is everything I could’ve ever dreamed of. It feels so magical.”

“Yes, I guess you could say that.”

I barely hear his words, as I make my way to the first bookcase. I let my eyes roam over titles I’ve never heard of until one book catches my eye. It’s deep blue with silver filigree curling around its edges.

Aramis halts next to me, taking in the book I just grabbed. “You like a magical story of a long-forgotten land?”

Uhm, hello? “Yes, I actually do.”

“Then you’ve chosen the perfect book.”

I clutch it to my chest. “May I…?”

“But of course, pick out a place to sit. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

A comfortable looking lounge calls my name and I install myself, looking around, still unable to believe this place is real. I look down at the book in my lap, opening up the cover. One sentence is written on the first page: ‘What we call history is only what survived the burning, truth however hides in the ashes.’

I trace the words with my finger, it feels handwritten, not printed. I jump up when Aramis plumps down in the seat next me, placing all kinds of fruit and drinks on the table. He picks up an apple and sinks his teeth in it. Some of the juice rolls over his bottom lip and his tongue quickly catches the drop before it falls down.

How can eating an apple be so…sensual? I’m completely transfixed by it, he luckily doesn’t notice, already sucked into the world of the book he holds. With the glasses he only wears occasionally, a soft wave of golden hair that rests on his forehead and his lips still slightly wet, he looks so effortlessly charming. Heat curls into my stomach and I quickly refocus on my book as well.

Faking nonchalance I don’t have, I ask: “Are we even allowed to eat in a library?”

The crunch of the bite he’s taking echoes through the room and he nods, before swallowing down the piece of apple. “But of course, I wouldn’t do it otherwise.” He winks, eyes lingering a little longer on my face before he looks down at the book in his hands once more.

I can’t help but glance at him over the top of my book. I haven’t even read one sentence, that’s how distracted I am. He leans back in his seat, one arm lazily draped over the backrest, eyes moving across the words. His brows furrow slightly and I can’t help but be in awe by the man Aramis is.

I internally shake my head. No. He is just a friend. But why is my heart beating so loudly?

As if on cue, our gazes connect and a strange feeling blooms inside my chest. A shy smile appears on his face. “Everything okay?”

“I think so,” I say a little too quickly, my voice barely a whisper.

His teeth graze his bottom lip, the pointed end gently sinking in and I can’t help but wish it was my lip instead. He tries to hide his smile, but fails miserably as he continues to read.

And I try to do the same, but the words dance in front of me and even though I really try to keep my focus on the book, it is nearly impossible to focus on anything with him in the same room.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR