I push open the glass pane, and the stray cat that Telfi started feeding nearly a decade ago waltzes into the room.
“Hi there, little buddy,” I murmur, crouching down to stroke his matted fur. He arches into my touch, purring loudly, and a small smile tugs at my lips. “Hungry, are we?”
He meows in response, a high-pitched sound that makes my smile grow.
He always climbs the fire escape around this time, as if he still expects Telfi to be here. She always saved him a piece of her dinner, no matter how little we had.
She adored this scrappy little thing, and when she died, I made sure to continue caring for him. It’s what she would have wanted.
I open the drawer by my bed and pull out a small container of bread crusts left over from my rations this morning. My stomach grumbles as I set the food down, and the cat eagerly begins licking the tray.
Our rations have been thinner than usual this week, every family receiving just enough to survive. The crops are doing worse than ever, but even so…I sigh, stroking the cat’s back…he deserves to eat, too.
With one hand still tangled in his fur, I reach for the books stacked on the closest shelf. I pull down the one on top, a guide full of different herbs and their medicinal properties. Setting it down, I grab the next one.
It’s nearly fallen apart due to how many times I’ve read it—a detailed study of swordsmanship and battle strategy, which I’ve always found fascinating. I envy those who are capable of protecting themselves.
Then, finally, my hand settles on the one with a thick leather binding. The book that explains the different traits that belong to each type of Essentari.
Flipping it open, my eyes skim the page about the light wielders. It describes how those who can harness that particular element are beacons of hope themselves. Honest, insightful, possessing a natural warmth that draws people in. But also intense, focused, and unwavering in their beliefs.
I turn to the section on air wielders next. They’re free-spirited, curious, and quick-witted, but with those strengths comes restlessness and a tendency to lose focus.
Finally, I find what I’m looking for.
Fire wielders.
The Pyroflame.
And everything on the page confirms what I already know, confirms exactly what I am,howI am. And I won’t lie, feeling as though your entire personality can not only be summarized by a complete stranger, but also perfectly align with an element that is undeniably destructive…it’s a bit unsettling.
I snap the book shut, pinching my nose as I take a deep breath.
Having finished his food, the cat sits down between my feet, his head rubbing against my calf.
“Take care of yourself, little buddy.” I stroke his fur one last time. “Mama knows you like to visit, so I’m sure she’ll keep feeding you, but I’ll need you to do something for me.” He weaves between my ankles, purring all the while. “I need you to take care ofthem, too.”
I leave the room.
“Mama? Papa?” I call out, making my way farther down the hall.
“In here, darling,” my mother’s lyrical voice replies.
Oh, how I’ll miss that beautiful voice. The voice that’s always soothed me. Always reassured me that I would be okay. That unlike my sisters who came before me, I would survive.
A tear threatens to surface, but I rub my eye with my palm to keep it at bay.
“Come join us for dinner,” she calls out.
I grab my left wrist with my right hand because it’s shaking. Inhaling through my nose, I enter the dining room. A table nearly fills the space with just three wooden chairs circled around it, making it look odd.
Too much table, not enough chairs.
There used to be more, but we sold one when we learned Drea, my eldest sister, would never be coming home. Then, another when the same thing happened with Lucia. Then, four years ago we sold the chair that Telfi always sat in.
We needed the money, and my sisters wouldn’t be using them anymore.
My mother is sitting, legs crossed, humming to herself while my father pushes his reading glasses up the bridge of his nose before turning the page of his book.
