Page 35 of A Whisper of Cinders

Conláed tsks softly. “Althea huh? Little feather here must be really important.”

“That is none of your concern, Mister Caldera,” And that silences the very confident Conláed. In my head I stick out my tongue. A small win for Maily. “Could you light the fire for me?”

“Of course.”

Only seconds after that, I hear the crackling of wood in what I suppose is a fireplace.

“Is there anything else I can do for you, Mrs Delalune?”

“No, that will be all. Thank you for your assistance.”

“It was my pleasure. Let me know if I can help you in any other way.”

Somewhere in the distance, a door opens and closes so silently, I almost miss it. I nearly burst out of my skin when cool fingers swipe away the short strands of hair resting against my forehead.

“Rest well, Miss Asherford. The time has come to let your mind and heart heal. It can be exhausting to unravel all that is going on,” a tingling sensation starts in my temples, right where her fingers are currently gently tapping. “I know you have a lot of questions and I will be there to answer them all. No need to worry about your physical state, you are well taken care of.” She removes her fingers from my temples, but remains close. “I am so very relieved you found your way back to us.”

She says it so silently, I almost think I imagine it. What an odd thing to say. Have I been here before? Wherever ‘here’ is? At least not that I can remember, maybe from before I arrived at Anima. Was I in prison before? I must really be a criminal then…

Her presence drifts further away from me, like a force slowly leaving the room. I finally manage to open my eyes to slivers. The whole room fades away and my attention is fully drawn to the person standing in front of the door. Mrs Delalune, I assume.

I can’t make out any details, but she glows, a soft white light vibrating around her. There seems to be some purple interwoven as well, around her fingers and bare arms.

But then I blink, and everything is back to normal. Now I can really add hallucinating to my endless list of rarities.

Mrs Delalune glances over her shoulder as she opens the door, glowing blue eyes taking me in with kindness, not cruelty. She gives me a wave, only moving her fingers and I can’t fight the all-consuming tiredness that comes with it.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Iwake up in an unfamiliar room, wrapped in a soft blanket. The bed is warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the wooden board I slept on in Anima. I sit up, blinking away the haze of sleep as I take in my surroundings.

I’m in a hexagonal shaped room, the walls and floor are made of a rich, warm wood. Green curtains cover a large window to my right, and they filter in gentle morning light. A chandelier, shaped like a delicate flower, hangs from the ceiling,

To my left, a fireplace crackles quietly, even after a long night, the flames burn and it warms the room nicely. A dark wooden desk sits nearby, papers and pens stacked neatly atop it.

This is an excess of luxury in comparison to my room at Anima. My gaze gets sucked back to the window, how the warm light casts a pattern on the wooden floor. I know it’s not the sun, but there was no such thing as warm light at Anima. Nivraen only knows clouds and grey skies. I must’ve travelled a lot further than I initially thought.

Two doors catch my eye; the one that Mrs Delalune disappeared through last night and another one a little more to the right. One of them leads to the hallway, time to find out what’s behind the other.

I sit up straight, throw the thick, cosy blanket away, and bring my bare legs towards the edge of the bed. A soft, plush carpet tickles the bottom of my feet and I can’t help but dig my toes into the material. I’ve never felt anything like this, at least not that I know of —

Wait.

My bare legs?

My arrival is a faraway memory, but I’m pretty sure I wore trousers and not this oversized shirt. Not sure how I feel about someone else changing my clothes for me, it’s a little weird and definitely concerning.

On the nightstand next to the bed is a small lamp, a glass of water and some pills with a small note next to it, telling me to take them in.

I drop the note, ignoring its instructions, and push myself up from the bed. I take one step forward, only for black dots to dance at the edge of my vision. I place my hand on the wall, closing my eyes as I take deep breaths to chase away the dizziness.

As the flood of saliva retreats from my mouth, I open my eyes and take another hesitant step, noticing how the room stops spinning and I get steadier with every step.

I reach the other door and say a quick little prayer that there won’t be any ugly surprises behind it, like some kind of torture room. I push down the handle, turn on the light and walk into a private bathroom. It has a toilet, sink and a rectangular shower cabin.

This room is far too luxurious for an inmate. I check the ceiling for cameras and tap against the mirror to see if there might be a hidden panel. But only my exhausted face stares back, the dark circles undeniably there.

Would Ami still think I’m pretty?