Read Online Perfectly Reflected by S. C. Ransom - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: S. C. Ransom
Ads: Link
her cloak, with her hood hanging low over her face. I sat down on a part of the seat unoccupied by human or Dirge, and got out my mirror. Olivia came into full focus in the little piece of glass. As I watched, small, delicate hands appeared from the heavy folds of cloth and moved hesitantly to the hood. “It’s OK, really,” Callum encouraged.
The head dipped as the hands grasped the hood and threw it back. I couldn’t help but gasp at the figure in front of me: she was delicate and pretty, with chin-length chestnut hair and brown eyes that sparkled gently in the dull light. She was also very, very young, no more than about twelve or thirteen, I guessed. I felt myself choke up at the thought that this child was stuck in the unrelenting world of misery of the Dirges. She looked terrified, but was clearly trying to be brave.
“Hi, you must be Olivia.”
I felt Callum whisper in my ear. “She feels awful that you thought she was my girlfriend after what Catherine said. She’s worried that you will hate her.”
I looked up into the troubled eyes of the child standing by me, and I realised just how wrong I had been. “I’ll get out of the way so that you two can talk,” he continued, and yet again the tingle went from my wrist. I watched in the mirror as Callum gave Olivia a brief hug, then propelled her towards me. She sat gingerly on the seat next to me and held out her arm, blushing furiously. Her amulet looked big and heavy on such a tiny frame. I moved my arm so that the two amulets were together. The tingle I got from Olivia was different, lighter somehow, than from Callum.
“Hello,” I said again. “It’s good to meet you.”
Olivia looked almost paralysed with fear, and I could see in the very bottom of the mirror that her hands were in constantmotion: she had made two interlocking circles with her thumbs and forefingers, like a chain, and was pulling one against the other. It reminded me of the sad, repetitive movements of caged animals.
“You don’t have to say that if you don’t mean it,” she mumbled, so low I almost didn’t catch it.
“Look, none of that stuff with Catherine was your fault, you do know that, don’t you? She lied about everything. You’re not to blame for anything. In fact, I should be thanking you.”
Her head shot up in surprise and her hands stopped still for a moment. “Why?”
“Helping you every day has clearly given Callum a sense of purpose, has kept back some of the grief. He’s really very fond of you.” I leaned in towards her and lowered my voice. “He would much rather have had you as a sister than Catherine, I think.” I smiled towards him as I said it.
Olivia turned an even prettier shade of pink. “Really? You don’t hate me?”
“Of course not. I couldn’t possibly hate you.” I resisted the urge to try and give her a hug. It wouldn’t have worked and might well have frightened her. “I’d really like the chance to get to know you a bit better. How about we try and organise some girl time, have a proper chat?”
The smile that appeared was hesitant at first, but became stronger as I smiled back at her. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a pain…”
“Absolutely sure! It’d be great to hang out a bit.”
Olivia turned quickly to look at Callum as if to check whether I was joking or not. Callum’s smile widened and I could see him say something. Olivia practically bounced with excitement. “He says,” she started breathlessly, “he says that when you go homeI can go with you! I don’t think I’ve ever been that far before. I can’t wait! Do you have a little sister I could meet too? Is it a big house? Do you have any pets?” I could barely keep up with her, she had started talking so quickly. It was as if a dam had burst, releasing her from the constraints that had bound her for however long she had been there.
“We’ll have plenty of time for all of that, I promise. I’ll give you a full tour and show you my family. No
The head dipped as the hands grasped the hood and threw it back. I couldn’t help but gasp at the figure in front of me: she was delicate and pretty, with chin-length chestnut hair and brown eyes that sparkled gently in the dull light. She was also very, very young, no more than about twelve or thirteen, I guessed. I felt myself choke up at the thought that this child was stuck in the unrelenting world of misery of the Dirges. She looked terrified, but was clearly trying to be brave.
“Hi, you must be Olivia.”
I felt Callum whisper in my ear. “She feels awful that you thought she was my girlfriend after what Catherine said. She’s worried that you will hate her.”
I looked up into the troubled eyes of the child standing by me, and I realised just how wrong I had been. “I’ll get out of the way so that you two can talk,” he continued, and yet again the tingle went from my wrist. I watched in the mirror as Callum gave Olivia a brief hug, then propelled her towards me. She sat gingerly on the seat next to me and held out her arm, blushing furiously. Her amulet looked big and heavy on such a tiny frame. I moved my arm so that the two amulets were together. The tingle I got from Olivia was different, lighter somehow, than from Callum.
“Hello,” I said again. “It’s good to meet you.”
Olivia looked almost paralysed with fear, and I could see in the very bottom of the mirror that her hands were in constantmotion: she had made two interlocking circles with her thumbs and forefingers, like a chain, and was pulling one against the other. It reminded me of the sad, repetitive movements of caged animals.
“You don’t have to say that if you don’t mean it,” she mumbled, so low I almost didn’t catch it.
“Look, none of that stuff with Catherine was your fault, you do know that, don’t you? She lied about everything. You’re not to blame for anything. In fact, I should be thanking you.”
Her head shot up in surprise and her hands stopped still for a moment. “Why?”
“Helping you every day has clearly given Callum a sense of purpose, has kept back some of the grief. He’s really very fond of you.” I leaned in towards her and lowered my voice. “He would much rather have had you as a sister than Catherine, I think.” I smiled towards him as I said it.
Olivia turned an even prettier shade of pink. “Really? You don’t hate me?”
“Of course not. I couldn’t possibly hate you.” I resisted the urge to try and give her a hug. It wouldn’t have worked and might well have frightened her. “I’d really like the chance to get to know you a bit better. How about we try and organise some girl time, have a proper chat?”
The smile that appeared was hesitant at first, but became stronger as I smiled back at her. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a pain…”
“Absolutely sure! It’d be great to hang out a bit.”
Olivia turned quickly to look at Callum as if to check whether I was joking or not. Callum’s smile widened and I could see him say something. Olivia practically bounced with excitement. “He says,” she started breathlessly, “he says that when you go homeI can go with you! I don’t think I’ve ever been that far before. I can’t wait! Do you have a little sister I could meet too? Is it a big house? Do you have any pets?” I could barely keep up with her, she had started talking so quickly. It was as if a dam had burst, releasing her from the constraints that had bound her for however long she had been there.
“We’ll have plenty of time for all of that, I promise. I’ll give you a full tour and show you my family. No
Similar Books
