Page 1 of Voices in the Stars
Birds soaredacross the orange sky.If wishing on stars worked, I would’ve been up there with them. Our wings flapping through the changing sky as the sun rose behind us.
They could travel anywhere else in the world. Not stuck on the roof of my house while people got the garden below me ready for my engagement party like I was now. I crinkled my nose at the thought as I grabbed one of the cookies sitting on the large blanket underneath me. The small rays of light shimmered along the metal band on my finger.
Most of this still didn’t feel real. An engagement to a friend I’d known as long as I could remember. Sounded like a dream come true, marrying a man who understood me better than myself. I snorted at the thought. This just meant he knew how to hurt me worse than anyone else.
With a huff, I laid down on the blanket spread out underneath me. Tiles dug into my back from under the soft fabric. I shifted until the sharp pains were gone. My eyes slid shut as the birds chirped somewhere nearby. Horse hooves clopped down the cobblestone streets in front of the house. Metal clanked together as a carriage wheel bounced in the giant hole that was worn into the street. Curses sailed up from the coachman as the horses whinnied.
Without much thought, my hand found the scar on my chest. I ran my fingers along the raised skin as I enjoyed the silence. The smell of freshly cut grass wafted up to me as the faint slicing of a scythe replaced the horses as they traveled further into Donnaway.
Moments like this had me questioning why no one else wanted to come up here. It’d always been the perfect escape. Maybe that’s what made it so wonderful, having a place that was completely my own.
I got lucky, spotting this flat part of the rooftop. Even luckier that my bedroom had the window that was directly below it. All it took were a few blankets wrapped around the chimney stacks behind me, and I had the perfect rope to climb whenever I wanted. Which was most days.
Above the other bedrooms, the roof peaked, leaving this small flat section I was laying on. The rusted sections of twisted pipes that a ladder would perfectly hook onto, making me think this is where chimney sweeps used to climb up. I couldn’t remember ever seeing anyone come up here, though, so I made it my own.
Now, blankets and pillows covered most of the landing. There was a chest pushed against the section of railing where I kept everything when I wasn’t up here. One blanket sprouting mushrooms was all it took for me to quickly learn the importance of putting them away.
A smaller box next to it held old toys and games I used to play with many years ago. Most of them broke long ago. They stayed hidden out of fear of what would happen if I brought them back into the house in such conditions. Even the blanket I was sprawled out on had holes covering it; its pink color turned into a faded brown just from the time I sat outside with it.
The pink and blue hues were fading from the sky as the world woke around me. As I sat back up, a low fog darkened my view of the ground below. There was enough light to make out small shadows moving below me. A hedge maze stretched as far as I could see. It was the product of many generations and something my family was proud of. In a few hours, this place would be brightly lit by the summer sun and filled with guests.
“Cece, did you have to make people mad this early?”
My body flinched at my sister’s voice. Her head was peering up at me from the window in my bedroom. I simply waved at her, a smile spreading across my face as she started climbing. I ignored her question and instead held out one of the stolen cookies for her to grab as she settled in.
She crawled to the center of the roof, carefully tucking her legs underneath her. Fly away, black hair stuck out of the bun it was twisted into as her green eyes glanced down at the cookie I was holding out. We stared at each other before bursting out laughing. Her hand shook as she grabbed it from me.
“Mother is pissed,” she spoke around a mouthful.
I shrugged. There wasn’t anything new there. Nothing I did made her happy, so I might as well have some fun while I could.
“Maybe you should try it sometime,” I offered her instead, the smile twisting on my face as the tension grew as I spoke.
“There are way more important things to be doing than purposely upsetting her.” Josi tried to laugh it off. Her shoulders were tense as she looked everywhere but at me. “Like planning a wedding.”
My gaze snapped away at her words. Birds kept singing as people brought the outdoor seating out. The right side of the lawn was filled with tables and chairs while the rest would be used for food and music.
“You know,” Josi continued, tapping her fingers against the roof, “you might want to start planning yours, as well.”
I snorted, ripping at another chunk of the cookie.
“I’d rather not do this today,” I said instead of the many other comments that were circling my mind. There would never be a day I wanted to have this conversation, no matter who it was with, be it my mother or Josi.
“You need to figure this out,” she argued. “This is happening whether or not you like it.”
“Stop trying to make it sound like some great thing,” I snapped. “We had both of our weddings arranged for us. You’re seriously okay with that?”
“That doesn’t matter.” She raised her voice. “This is just the way it’s done.”
“Let’s make a deal.” I could feel my anger rising to meet hers. “I’ll help plan a wedding when I get a say in it.”
I could tell that part of her wanted to understand. Her green eyes were wide as she stared me down. Anger and sadness sharpened her gaze. Guilt immediately twisted its way through me. Our lost choices weren’t Josi’s fault, like how she couldn’t be blamed for this conversation either.No, our mother sent Josi up here because she knew I wouldn’t be upset with my sister, who was stuck in the same position I was in. Last time any of us talked about my wedding, it ended with me shattering glasses against the floors.
My gaze found Josi. With her fingers wringing together in her lap, she stared intently at the tiles. Occasionally, she shifted closer to the middle of the roof.
“It’s just weird.” I fell into the routine argument that I thought worked the best. “We’ve known each other since we were children. He’s essentially been my brother until recently.”
“He’s not your brother, though.” Her voice softened.
