Page 163 of Anathema
“One cup will give you a fairly good jolt. Two is a bit much.”
“I had three.”
Eyes wide, she scratched the back of her neck. “I gave you three? Balls of Castero, I must’ve lost count.”
“How long before it sets in?”
“Usually about an hour. Maybe less.”
“Oh, my god.”
“Relax. We just need to burn it off a bit.” The mattress dipped, as she climbed onto the bed and gave my elbow a tap. “Come on. On the bed.”
Frowning, I glanced back at her, the fast movement spinning in my periphery. “I’m not burning it off with you in the bed.”
Rykaia chuckled. “You’re not even close to being my type. Now, up with you. Quickly.”
Clutching my head, I clambered onto the mattress until standing beside her. “Now what?”
“Now, jump!”
“I’m not a toddler. I’m not jumping on the bed.”
“Okay, then, you can sit and be dizzy and be miserable.” She started in with her jumping, the commotion knocking me off balance.
“Will you stop? I can hardly stand upright.”
“You’re not supposed to stand upright, silly. You’re supposed to jump! Whoo! Whoo!”
I watched her for a moment, shaking my head at how utterly ridiculous she looked. A giggle escaped me. And another.
Choking back the urges, I cleared my throat. “You know, I always had to be the sensible one with Aleysia, too. It’s exhausting.”
“If it’s exhausting, then stop being sensible and have some fun!”
Crossing my arms only left me stumbling around on the mattress. I found myself slow bouncing, not quite a jump, but certainly better than trying to keep upright while standing still. “I can’t do this. I feel too …”
“Old? I’m over a century and a half older than you.” Higher and higher, she jumped, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of her coming so close to the candelabra. “C’mon, old woman! Get those legs up off the mattress! It’s liberating!”
“You’re going to hit your head on the candelabra, you fool.”
“I’m not even close!” She took my hands, in spite of my attempt to keep them tight to my body, and it was a battle I quickly lost when I nearly toppled into her.
“Why are you doing this?”
She finally stopped, and the elation on her face sobered to something serious. “I have slept for a very long time. But since you arrived, I don’t want to sleep. I want to jump and dance and breathe again.”
I didn’t know why that brought tears to my eyes, and I turned away to keep her from seeing the strange emotion breaking over me. Perhaps because she reminded me so much of Aleysia right then. “Then, let’s jump.” Still clutching her hands, I hopped low and easy at first, and her smile returned as she urged me higher.
“Just promise me your fragile, mortal heart won’t give out on me.”
Chuckling harder, I jumped higher. Higher. My chuckles turned to laughter.
Rykaia grabbed a pillow and smacked me over the head, the uncontrollable weakness making me laugh even harder. Between jumps, I nabbed a pillow and swatted her back on an explosion of feathers.
She screamed and laughed and struck me again.
I screamed and laughed.