Ambrosia's Burden
an excerpt

Ambrosia reached forward once more, scooping more mud into her palms, letting it slip through the cracks, before repeating it. The action soothed her slightly as she was forced to remember her brother, and suddenly he was in front of her, sitting there with her.
‘Sia, look please! The rain… it’s so wonderful.’ She watched as he scooped the mud into piles, not caring as the rain poured down on him in heavy falls, drowning his clothes, his hair, he just loved the feel of the wetness against his skin that much.
He rearranged the mud, creating ditches and hills, only slightly bothered as it rearranged itself, not thick enough to hold into his newly created mould.
‘Play with me, Sia, please?’
He pulled Phoebe out now and raced her through the dirt, her tiny hooves sinking into the thick mud, instantly washed away by the heavy fall of rain as he lifted her into the air, declaring her a flying horse, a unicorn.
‘Sia, look, Phoebe’s magical! Oh, isn’t it wonderful? Sia, please watch!’
Ambrosia smiled, reached forward to ruffle his hair, ready to tease him that unicorns could not exist, when…
Nikolas reached out and gently folded his hands around her much smaller ones before prying her fingers apart to reveal the wooden toy. He touched it gently, his graceful fingers sliding along the finished wood, then return to cup her hand. ‘Ambrosia? Are you listening?’
Ambrosia glanced at him quickly before she snatching her hand away. She turned around to return the toy to Theo, but he was gone, the trance completely broken.