Soul Master

25. Amèlie

I had been in my room for almost an hour, reading a book by my favourite author trying to drown out the sound of a new window being fitted and the downstairs lights being rewired, when I heard a knock on the bedroom door. I was sitting in a baggy t shirt and undies. My usual nightwear.

'Amii?' It was Asha.

I rolled my eyes. I didn't want to talk to him, I didn't want to see him. 'What do you want Asha?' I asked putting on my annoyed voice.

There was a moment of silence.

I want to speak to you.

His voice was in my head, I blocked it out and pretended I couldn't hear it. I had an idea, while he stood outside I reached for my phone, opened it up and made myself look busy.

'I want to talk.' He said finally.

'You're succeeding.' I replied sarcastically, I bit back a smile. I wondered if he heard the amusement in my tone.

'You better be dressed, because I'm about to come in like a wrecking ball.' He replied.

I looked down at myself, and threw my quilt over me just as he pushed open the door.

'Can I come in?' He asked, as though he were a vampire awaiting access to this fair maiden's lair.

'If I said no?' I asked, furrowing my eyebrow, phone still in hand, though he seemed not to care.

'Well consent is essential.' He looked at me then with a strong and determined gaze that held me captive. 'If you say no, I'll just talk from where I stand, but I'm pretty sure it would be easier for us both if you stop messing around and just let me in.'

'Consent. Hah.' I shook my head, and not caring how I was dressed I walked over, smiled bitterly at him and slammed the door in his face. 'Don't talk to me about consent.' I said through the shut door.

'Amii?' He asked bewildered from the other side.

'You know.' I replied, 'I actually think talking like this is better.' I felt a tear roll down my cheek, cold and annoying.

Why must I always cry?

I wiped it away and sank to the floor with my back against the door.

'Amii.' He was still there, I heard his fist bang once on the door.

I looked at the phone in my hand, a flicker of an image in my head, of me in torn clothes, the words Asha gone wild across the screen. I quickly opened my gallery, looking, and searching, but finding nothing that my mind had just imagined.

'Fine.' He said quietly, I assumed he would go away. Instead I felt the door shudder as though, like me he now sat with his back to the door. 'I will talk to you like this.'

I glanced sideways at the door, wiping my eyes once more. Why couldn't I remember it? I flickered again through my gallery, pictures of me and Asha, me and Zayne, Penteluck, more Asha.

I stopped on my favourite, a picture taken by Zayne, of me and Asha sitting on the sofa faces mushed together pulling silly expressions and arms wrapped tight around one another. It was the last day he had treated me like I was his friend.

'Amèlie.' Asha said quietly, then, 'Amii.'

I ran my thumb over the image, wishing there was a way to go back.

'I'm here for you Amii.' His voice echoed in my memories, he had always said it, since the day I had pulled him from the realm between.

'I know,' he hesitated. 'I know...sometimes I'm not strong, and I fail, but I try. I try to protect you.' His voice was soft. 'Since your twelfth birthday, your mum ordered me to step away from you, to protect you as an outsider to you.' He sniffed, I wasn't sure if he was crying or just cold from the smashed window letting in the night chill. 'So I did that Amii, I did it because I thought Zayne knew what was best for you.'