Page 30 of A Touch of Stars and Stones
“Everything’s changed,” I snap back, already pissed off with this conversation. “So, you and Calix can give it a fucking rest.”
I shove my chair in and round the table, leaving her behind, and follow Ever.
Kamari steps towards me, but I ignore her advance and head for the door out of the hall. “Aten?” she calls.
“Later. I’ll be back.” I may be looking for more answers, depending on what my mother says.
The heavy doors are open, and I rush through them and start down The Tower steps. I can hear them talking as I round the first bend.
“If you could just help, explain?” Ever’s voice is pleading.
“You’ll understand everything soon, dear.”
“Nobody is explaining anything. And I would like to know why you lied to me. You did say something at dinner.”
“That’s quite the tone.”
“Well, the tone is reflective of the crap I keep getting fed from everyone here. If you’ll excuse me.” Ever turns and nearly runs right into me.
It’s a repeat of earlier when she stormed towards me, hair flying, eyes burning. Only this time, there’s genuine sadness hidden in them.
“Mother?”
She looks up at me. Ever is trapped between us.
“Please answer her. Did you mean for us to hear your thoughts? The only other person to ever have done that before is the Maker. She talks to all of us inside our heads. But you?” I watch as the perfect façade that she’s kept for as long as I can remember starts to crumble.
“Stop questioning me!” she snaps, and her face pulls into a scowl. “I am Celestine Ciro. No one ever questions me.”
“No. But I’ve never heard your thoughts in my head. And you’ve never explained anything to me about your gifts. What have you given to me? Is this what it will be like for me now, able to hear random thoughts?” My words come out harsher than I’d like, thanks to the reality I’m grappling with now.
“It doesn’t work like that.” She’s dismissive.
“What doesn’t?” Ever asks, the frustration seeping from her words. “I keep hearing—” But she doesn’t finish, cut off by the look my mother levels at her, freezing her on the spot.
“Leave me. Don’t come after me. Either of you.” She looks at me, but her words are aimed at Ever.
She leaves, following down the steps, leaving Ever and me in the stairwell.
“Do you all just go about your lives lying to people, keeping the truth hidden?” she questions.
“Not out of habit, no.”
“Just the people in this Tower, then? Anyone with any power?”
I want her to turn and look at me. I want to watch her eyes as she talks to me. And I want to plead my case that I’m not like them, that I’m just as in the dark about this as she is.
When she finally does face me, her eyes are glassy, the colour drained and the soft green now almost clear like ice.
“You heard her. I know you did. At the table.”
I can almost hear the words she’s screaming at me—don’t you fucking dare lie to me.
“I did.”
“Is that normal?” She closes the distance between us, taking a step up so I don’t dwarf her quite so much.
“No. At least not for me. I’ve never heard her. Only the Maker, but I don’t think that’s the case for you.” She’s going to say that she’s heard other voices. I’m sure of it.
