Chapter 7

Falere stared at the blank canvas in front of her and blinked to clear her eyes. Three years. Today was the three year anniversary of their arrival to the monastery, if such an occasion could be celebrated as an "anniversary." She'd spent so much of the first and second year being miserable that by time the third year rolled around, it came as a surprise when she started to think of the monastery as home. She had discovered that she found great enjoyment in art, and Rila had found a similar passion for music. Although the two of them had discovered different talents, they still took as many classes together as possible. This portrait was Falere's latest project, and she had undertaken it outside of class. Since Rila was the subject, she wanted the picture all to herself.

"Falere?"

Falere jumped and looked up from the blank canvas to give Rila an equally blank look. "Hmm? I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"If you stare at that canvas any harder, it may burst into flames."

Rila's smile was so sweet and playful it made Falere want to capture that moment forever, to capture all of Rila's beautiful essence in the painting. "I was thinking," she replied with a cheeky smile of her own, "that you should stay just like that. Your pose is perfect. You're perfect."

Rila's lips curved up a little more. "How has Yanis been? I know you have a biotics class with her. Has she been behaving?"

Falere began lightly tracing Rila's outline on the canvas, mentally planning out every detail of the painting. The flare of her hips would curve just so, and the line of her jaw would slope down into the soft dip of her neck and her beautiful round shoulder. "She has been quite polite," she answered as she continued sketching. "Sometimes overly so, but it's nothing I can't handle. But let's not speak of Yanis. I want this time to be about us."

Falere didn't miss the light blush that crept into Rila's cheeks and mentally stored away the color to add to the composition later.

"Oh?" Rila said softly. "Then what would you like to talk about, my dear sister?"

"Matriarch Gallae listens to you. I am going to ask her if we can expand the vegetable farm to include more exotic fruits, and I'd like to add a flower garden. If I am to be here the rest of my life, I need to be surrounded with beauty. Can you help me convince her?"

"I will do everything in my power," Rila answered. "I would do anything for you, my sweet Falere."

Falere swallowed down the lump in her throat and returned to her work. She was surprised to discover that she sketch was almost done. Her hands had been moving without much conscious thought, and the likeness was surprisingly good. She drew the line of Rila's collarbone, angling it down toward the smooth space above her breasts. She would need to find the perfect shade of blue for the skin there. Hopefully, mixing it would not be too difficult. She wanted this portrait to capture Rila as perfectly as possible.

Once she had drawn the shape of Rila's torso, the only thing left to fill in was the details of her face. Falere looked up again to get a better view, and what she saw nearly made her drop her pencil. Rila's eyes were larger and darker than she had ever seen them. Her tattoos outlined each beautiful feature, drawing attention to her cheeks and chin before pulling her gaze inward, toward her full lips. They looked incredibly soft. So soft that . . .

Falere shook herself. A shiver ran down her spine, although the room was not cold. Just to test herself, she stole one last glance at the shape of Rila's mouth. This time, her skin prickled. She could not decide whether she felt overheated or chilled. Either way, her body did not feel normal, and her heart rate had doubled in speed. She sighed and returned to her work. After she put down some color on the canvas, she could paint the little dip of light that highlighted the curve of Rila's lower lip.

"Falere?"

The low sound of Rila's voice made her hand shake, and she quickly rested it in her lap so that she would not smudge the sketch. "Yes?"

"Are you almost finished? I'm a little stiff from sitting so long."

Part of Falere wanted to ask Rila to stay still. Something about the way she looked in that moment was too perfect to lose. Instead, she set down the pencil and nodded her head. "Of course. I'm finished. Sorry I took so long."

Rila smiled. "You didn't take long at all. I'm surprised at how quick you're getting, and I'm definitely impressed. Here, may I take a look?"

Falere worried her lower lip. She didn't know why, but something about showing the picture to Rila unsettled her. She wondered if she had captured more than she intended while giving Rila shape on the canvas. Unfortunately, she could not think of a good reason to say no.

"Why not? Come and see, but promise not to laugh."

Rila rose gracefully to her feet and crossed the room, taking position up behind her to look at the picture. When she did, Rila settled her hands on Falere's shoulders. For reasons she did not fully understand, her sister's touch caused her entire back to tingle. Her breath caught in her throat, partially because of the warmth of Rila's fingers, but also because she felt the soft press of Rila's breasts against her back.

"At the risk of sounding self-serving, it's incredible, Falere," Rila said softly. "You're incredible."

Falere shuddered involuntarily when Rila kissed her crest. She cleared her throat. "Thank you."

"Are you all right?" Rila asked, giving her shoulders a soft squeeze.

Falere practically melted into the floor when Rila began massaging her stiffness away. "I've missed you," she whispered.

"Falere, I-" Rila began, but the door to the classroom opened at that moment.

Rila quickly removed her hands, and Falere sighed in frustration. She turned her head and wasn't surprised to see Yanis standing in the doorway, giving them a suggestive smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

After years of putting up with it, Falere had gotten used to Yanis's inappropriate behavior. Yanis had grown more subtle after a few too many punishments and periods of isolation, and she had mostly reformed... at least in front of the matriarchs. Falere knew she was not a real danger, but her flirtations were just as unwelcome as ever. Normally, Rila was the one who silenced them with an icy stare or a sharp comment, but this time, she spoke up instead. "Actually, you were. I was just finishing up a drawing for class."

"For class?" Yanis repeated. She ignored the unwelcoming tone in Falere's voice and strolled around behind them, peering deliberately between their shoulders.

Instinctively, Falere shifted further away from Rila. She wanted to draw nearer instead, but she did not feel safe enough to do so while Yanis was watching so intently. She also did not want Yanis to see what she had been drawing. Although there was nothing blatantly inappropriate in the sketch, something about it felt intensely personal, and she did not want to share it. "Yes, and I'd rather not share until it's finished."

"Really? That's too bad. Art is meant to be appreciated, you know . . . and you have quite a talent for it."

"Funny," Rila said, taking a deliberate side-step to block Yanis's view of the picture. "You never seemed to appreciate it before. I thought you had other interests."

A smile tugged at Yanis's lips. "Oh, quite the opposite. My tastes have matured over the years. I can definitely see the beauty in a well-done portrait." Before either of them could protest, she brushed her fingers down along the side of Rila's arm and nudged her aside. The touch did the trick, and she pulled back just far enough to reveal the sketch.

Falere's eyes followed Yanis's as they traced the pencil strokes, darting between the canvas and her face. She could not tell exactly what Yanis was thinking, but the other asari's eyes seemed slightly darker than usual. The playful glint was gone, replaced by something she did not fully understand. She could not put a name to the feeling, but it made her stomach twist. Perhaps drawing Rila had been a terrible idea, no matter how desperately she wanted it.

"This is very well done," Yanis murmured. Her eyes lingered on the swell of Rila's hip, the slope of her shoulder. It was slightly disconcerting to Falere when she realized that she could guess exactly where Yanis was looking. "You do have a talent, don't you? Tell me, what inspired you to draw this?"

"The love I have for my sister," Falere snapped. She didn't bother to hide the harsh edge to her voice. Anger was an emotion she rarely experienced, and almost never expressed, but Yanis had intruded on something private. She needed to leave. "Are you quite finished here?"

"What have I ever done to offend you so, Falere?" Yanis asked, looking pointedly at her. Heat rose in Falere's cheeks, and she averted her eyes. There was something deeply unsettling about Yanis's words, although she could not put her finger on what.

"You play with fire that risks burning us all," Rila answered, stepping between them.

"What?" Yanis said. A look of complete disbelief crossed her face. "You two don't even see it, do you? You think you need protection from me?" She gestured to the picture of Rila. "You two are playing with fire far more dangerous than you realize, and you can't even see it. But don't let me stop you," she said, heading for the door. She reached out and rested her hand on the knob, but paused before she stepped out into the hallway. "I suppose I shouldn't judge. Living here in isolation can drive the best of us insane."

"What in the Goddess's name are you talking about?" Rila demanded, but the other asari was already gone, waving carelessly over her shoulder.

Falere bit her lower lip, glancing over toward her drawing. She knew exactly what Yanis was talking about, even if Rila didn't. The drawing had made it only too clear. The realization had been sudden at first, but looking back, she could see that it was not so new after all. It was something she had tried to ignore, tried to suppress, but now, the evidence was right in front of her. It was unavoidable, and if Yanis had picked up on her strange, conflicted feelings, surely it would not be long before Rila figured it out as well. Her sister knew her better than anyone else in the galaxy.

"I'm sorry about that," she murmured, hurrying over to the canvas and tucking it beneath her arm. "Perhaps the two of us should leave. I'm finished sketching you anyway."

Rila's brow wrinkled with concern. "Are you sure, Falere? We don't need to leave, and nothing that Yanis did is your fault."

"Of course not," Falere said, even though she did not really believe it. There were only two options before her - explain what Yanis had meant and confess her own confusion to her sister, or simply forget it. Yanis might be annoying, but she was also right: perhaps the monastery's isolation was driving her a little insane. There could be no other explanation for her feelings, the feelings she could not bring herself to name.

In the end, she chose to forget.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm sure Yanis won't be at dinner anyway. It's one of the only times she can sneak around without as much supervision."

"If she keeps doing that, she won't have a choice about whether to attend dinner or not," Rila muttered. She heaved a sigh, and Falere had to will herself not to stare at the line of her shoulders as they sagged with weariness. "But we shouldn't worry about her. Come on, let's go put the canvas in your room, and then we can eat."