Sheere felt the cold touch of snow on her cheeks and opened her eyes. Her brother Ben was cradling her, gently stroking her face.
'What's this, Ben?'
'It's snow,' he replied. 'It's snowing over Calcutta.'
The girl's face lit up for a moment.
'Have I ever told you what my dream is?'
'To see snow fall over London,' said Ben. 'I remember. Next year we'll go there together. We'll visit Ian. He'll be there studying medicine. It will snow every day. I promise.'
'Do you remember our father's story, Ben? The one I told you the night I went to the Midnight Palace?'
Ben nodded.
'These are the tears of Shiva, Ben. They'll melt when the sun rises and will never fall on Calcutta again.'
Ben gently sat his sister up and smiled at her. Sheere's deep pearly eyes watched him carefully.
'I'm going to die, aren't I?'
'No,' said Ben. 'You're not going to die for years and years. Your lifeline is very long. See?'
'Ben ...' Sheere groaned. 'It was the only thing I could do. I did it for us.'
He hugged her tightly.
'I know,' he murmured.
Sheere tried to push herself up and bring her lips closer to Ben's ear.
'Don't let me die alone,' she whispered.
Ben hid his face from his sister and pressed her against him.
'Never.'
They remained like that, hugging each other quietly under the snow until Sheere's pulse slowly faded like a flame in the breeze.

Carlos Ruiz Zafón

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