Page 65 of A Whisper of Cinders

The next morning, I lay awake, wanting to go to training but hearing Conláed’s words clearly in my head. Besides, from what I can feel, I am indeed sore. New muscles have been activated and my body definitely knows it.

Maybe I should search for the lake myself, I mean, how hard can it be? But if finding the library was a taste of how complicated it is to find a place in this building, then yes, it will be very hard.

The library… I had hoped I would dream about it, longing to escape to this miraculous piece of the Academy every moment I can. Of course, no dreams found me, yet something else occupies my mind. Someone else.

The one Conláed had told me to go swimming with. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. I could barely keep my attention away from him for a minute with clothes on, let alone if he only wears swim shorts. But maybe I’d be too distracted by the uncertainty of how skilled I am in the water. Or the lack of skill I should say.

A knock sounds at my door. “Maily? It’s uh, it’s Aramis. Con said you wanted to go swimming?”

Did he now? Not sure if I should be grateful or throw a brick at him the next time I see him. Probably the last, he’d deserve it.

Another soft knock. “Are you up?”

I throw the covers away and jump out of bed. “I am! Just a minute.”

He snickers. “Take all the time you need.”

I quickly freshen up, trying to make my hair a little less bedhead-like and walk over to the closet. To my surprise, I find a drawer full of swimwear, most of them are one piece bathing suits and I don’t know who put them there, but I am grateful for it.

I’ve mostly kept my skin hidden behind long sleeves and high necks, but at some point, others would see what I look like underneath all those layers. And if there’s one person that won’t be abhorred by how I look, it’s Aramis.

A navy one with short cupped sleeves and straight lined cleave line and back catches my eye and I quickly change. Tears sting my eyes as I see myself in the mirror, my arms a monstrosity and my fingers move towards my neck, where the same scarring makes my skin uneven.

“You can do this,” I whisper, but even I can’t convince myself.

Without another look, I put on a set consisting of a dark red sweater and matching trousers and walk to the door, nearly forgetting to put something on my feet. Aramis looks up as I open the door.

“Sorry for the wait, I —”

He holds up a hand. “No need to explain, I don’t mind waiting for you.” The look in his eyes makes my heart melt and the smile he gives me? Lord, help me. “Besides, you didn’t take that long, it’s totally fine.”

We walk away from my room and I notice he’s carrying a basket. By the looks and scent of it, he brought food with him. He wears a short-sleeved T-shirt and even in the dimly lit hallway, I see the strong, defined muscles of his upper arm, the veins that run down towards his hands. Who knew veins could be so attractive.

As we reach the end of the stairs, we turn to the left instead of the right, going behind the staircase. “Do we need to go outside?”

Aramis shakes his head. “No, it’s a little more hidden away and below ground.”

A lake under the ground? Is that even possible? I guess I’m about to find out. A large stone arch appears as we turn around the corner, leading into a dimly lit room with what seems to be a staircase winding down.

Aramis walks into the darkness, completely unbothered by the fact you can barely see a hand in front of you. He looks over his shoulder and I take a few hesitant steps towards him. The dark doesn’t scare me; it has become my friend on many occasions. What I am afraid of is breaking my neck on the way down.

I won’t say that out loud though, and as I hope the light might become a little brighter a hand appears in front of my face. I look up and see his glowing eyes, how they absorb all the light around us. I take his hand and he guides it to his right shoulder. He picks up the other and places it on his bicep. My fingers curl around it, his skin warm, the muscles hard, and I can feel them move under my fingertips.

I think he’s trying to kill me, if not by falling down the stairs, then surely from touching him like this. I give myself an internal shake. Stop it, Mai, he’s just trying to help you, that’s all. Right?

“It’s not that long down, but the stairs are steep and tricky if you’re not used to them.” His voice startles me, and I nearly trip, putting a little too much weight on his body. His hand reaches out to my hip to steady me. “You good?”

“Yes, sorry. I tripped.”

He releases my hip. “No need to worry, I’ve been here countless times before. I’ll always catch you if you fall.”

I am currently very grateful for the dark, it perfectly hides away my burning cheeks. We turn to the left, the light a little brighter and I let go of his shoulder, my eyes slowly adjusting too and I can’t be too eager to hold on to him. I am still holding his bicep though, just to be sure. Nothing more.

The stone steps make way to a softer ground, loose little granules in a beige colour. I’ve never seen this before. In the five years that I can remember, all I’ve known is snow and ice.

Aramis takes off his shoes and socks and his feet sink into the soft ground. “Ah, the feeling of sand between your toes, there’s nothing quite like it.”

Sand.