Page 72 of A Whisper of Cinders

What is going on here? Are they worried I’m about to explode? But that doesn’t make any sense, I’m not cruel, and mean or anger are two words I don’t have in my dictionary.

The female releases a breath, but it sounds more like a whimper. I take a small step towards her at the same moment she does, pulling back her hood and the ground sweeps from under my feet.

“Hi Mai.”

There is no way.

This isn’t real.

But how can I say that when the proof is standing right in front of me? Aquamarine eyes meet mine, eyes that are wet with unshed tears. Eyes that I know better than my own. After all, I’ve looked at them a thousand times. But those eyes never cried, not once in…five years.

My knees buckle and I fall to the ground, my pulse pounding loudly in my ears. I feel Aramis’ presence close to me, but I don’t register anything he’s saying. I think I hear him call out my name, but I block out all the sounds.

Because the person falling to her knees in front of me can’t be here right now. It is impossible because I saw her in a puddle of blood. I held her until she stopped breathing. She died in my arms. Yet, here she is, sitting in front of me.

“This isn’t real.”

I reach out a shaky hand, just to be sure, slowly moving towards her cheek. She closes her eyes as my fingers touch the soft skin of her cheek, a silent tear rolling over them.

I shrivel back, putting as much distance between us as I possibly can. My hands clench into fists, fingernails digging into my palms. Sadness, relief and maybe even a little happiness form a tight ball in my stomach, but now anger simmers closely underneath my skin.

“How?” My voice cracks at the little word. “You’re dead. You died. How is this even real?”

Tears pour down her cheeks. “I am so, so, so sorry, Mai. I know this is all very confusing, I didn’t wish for any of it to happen, but please, let me explain.”

I’ve never seen her like this, so…broken. Her lip trembles and I know she means what she’s saying. But that doesn’t make things right.

“Explain? How will you explain that I was covered in your blood, felt you die in my arms, was blamed for murdering you. Yet somehow, somehow you sit here in perfect health in front of me, looking even better than ever.”

She sighs, closing her eyes. “Where do I even begin…”

“Think before you speak, Ami.”

She throws a vicious glare in his direction. “Shut it, brother, this is between us.”

Brother?

I’ve seen Ami’s face so many times before. If I were a skilled artist, I could draw her out of my memory. And when I look at Aramis… I see her in him, or at least now I do. I think I always did, but my mind pushed the thought, the possibility, away.

He reminds me of her.

But of course he does, they are twins.

“Please — please — tell me you didn’t know she was alive. Tell me you thought she was dead too. Tell me you didn’t know that I was in agony by the death of your sister.”

But when I look at him, the complete desperation written all over his face, I know he can’t say that.

It feels like someone has their hands around my neck, squeezing tight. They might’ve done just that, maybe it would hurt less.

“I would have told you if I could. I had no choice, Maily,” Aramis eventually says, his voice full of desperation.

“There is always a choice. Who would let a friend suffer, because of a lie?” I turn back to Amira. “I mourned you, cried and screamed and nearly ripped my own heart out. Because how could I ever live without you?”

I’m crying now too, but I furiously wipe the tears away. I keep looking between them. Brother and sister, how could I be so blind? It is nearly impossible not to see they are related.

“You have to believe me, Maily, there was nothing I could do.”

“Believe you? How can I ever trust you again when you have been continuously lying to me from the first moment we met more than a month ago?”