Author: Nadege Richards; Silviya Yordanova; Carley Zucco
Date: 2012-07-14 07:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fiction; Paranormal; Young Adult; Fantasy; Action & Adventure; Romance
Description: Burning Bridges, Book 1 Do or Die... In a world that has been divided amongst the Hunter race and the Warrior, prisoners who have fallen prey to King Cyrus' decrees are forced into the arena to fight until death. Winner is granted mercy and privilege to see another sunrise. Death unto the weak. In an attempt to get back at everyone who has ever shut her out, seventeen year-old Princess Echo becomes another victim, dragging Ayden, her forbidden love, along in a race to freedom, to find out who she really is, and to put a world that has been swallowed by lies back together again. In the first in
Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing LLC

BURNING BRIDGES

BURNING BRIDGES

THE BLEEDING HEART TRILOGY

VOL. 1

NADÈGE RICHARDS

Copyright 2012 © Nadège Richards

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, including photocopying, recording, or transmitted by any means without written consent of the author.

Published in the United States of America in July 2012.

Edited by Carley Zucco

Book design by Silviya Yordanova | http://www.morteque.deviantart.com | http://www.facebook.com/MyBeautifulDarkness

Model: Johanna Taiger

ISBN: 978-1-4701-0279-1

This is a work of fiction.

All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are either fictitious or used fictitiously.

To Mom—
for teaching me to shoot for the stars and never settle for the moon

BURNING BRIDGES

We who live in prison, and in whose lives there is no event but sorrow, have to measure time by throbs of pain, and the record of bitter moments. –Oscar Wilde

PRESENT
DAY

O N E

Echo

SIPHON’S
CITY, NEW
HAVEN

I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, I was going to die tonight. There was no escaping it or any way around it. I couldn’t run from my destiny this time; I couldn’t hide. No, tonight I faced my fate in the chambers of death.

The screams of the crowd in the arena filled my ears, the shouts of excitement and laughter boiling my heart down to nothing but untainted sorrow. I refused to open my eyes, but I could sense where I was by that rusty smell of metal and dried blood Father brought home with him every day. The shackles that bound my ankles and wrists to the wall confirmed it. I was a prisoner in my own home, my own Haven. I couldn’t fathom how in forty-eight hours my life had taken a one-eighty spin, but here I was, locked in the dungeon of my father’s kingdom, hidden from the world until it was my time to surface.

“Echo… Can you hear me? Echo?” The voice’s intensity made me stir. I ignored it at first, but it just grew louder and more insistent. “Echo!”

As I moved to sit up, the cold cement scrapped against my bare body, causing my scabbed wounds to bleed. My head felt heavier on one side than it did the other, and my torso seemed as flimsy as flax. I searched for the calling in the obscurity of the sector and found him chained to the opposite wall. It took me a second to orient his face from the rest of his body, but when I met those otherworldly, violet irises, reality struck me hard and cold.

“You’re alive,” Ayden sighed. “Are you all right?”

“Barely,” I croaked.

Silence filled us as we stared at each other for what felt like forever. I wanted to touch him, to hold him again, but I knew there was no way. The chains on my wrists held me in place with barely a foot’s room to move. It was cruel.

“Ayden, I—”

“Don’t say it,” he interrupted.

I frowned. “How do you mean?”

“Don’t try to dissuade me from my decision, Echo. I don’t regret anything, nor did I ever.”

I felt my knees begin to tremble then, tears welled in my eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re going to go through with this? Ayden, that’s ludicrous. You can die out there!”

He wouldn’t look at me and for a while he said nothing. “Do you remember the question you asked me that one day at the river? Do you remember what I said?”

I nodded slowly. “I asked you if you believed in second chances and you said—”

“Not until I met you,” he finished, his expression solemn.

Not wanting him to see the tears that had come to my eyes, I glanced out the small crack in the ceiling. Very little light shone through, but it provided a sense of security that the dungeon surely could not.

As the screams grew louder above our heads, Ayden and I listened to the Announcer call in the prisoners one by one. As soon as the horn was blown I could hear the clanging of swords and the sputtering of death threats as the two prisoners fought for their right to live.

It frightened me to think only one person would come out alive; only one person had that second chance. When the crowd exploded in what sounded like exhilaration, I knew that one person was chosen. Blood seeped through the crack and dripped onto the ground beside me, its descent like a wakeup call for the both of us. Knowing that Ayden’s blood or mine was next to be splattered against the sands of the arena made me suddenly feel ill.

“How can you be so strong in an ordeal like this?” I whispered to him.

“I’m not,” he answered, misery rimming his tone. “I’m scared more than you can ever know. The fact that I can still see you and you’re very much alive gives me hope.”

“I don’t want to die, Ayden,” I confessed.

His chains pulled at the wall as he reached towards me, but he couldn’t get close enough. I looked away. “Echo, you are not going to die, don’t you remember our plan? I love you, hold onto that. They can’t take me away from you.”

I stifled a cry. He was wrong, and I was certain he knew it as well. One of us was going to die tonight and by next week all would be forgotten. We would cease to exist.

“Second chances, Echo. Do you believe in second chances?” he yelled.

I didn’t look at him. The sound of the guards dragging the prisoner’s dead body across the sands was all I could hear.

“Echo, look at me!”

When I finally did bring my eyes to his I noticed his irises were darker than usual, his face red and masked with anger. “I love you,” he said. “I always have and I always will. I don’t care what the King says or what my people think of me. My heart belongs to you, always. Please, tell me you will fight for that?”

The pain in his eyes made me feel small. I wanted to crawl up in the hearth of his chest and lie there for years. I wanted to go back to the time when we were free, but no such thing existed now.

Before I could answer him, two guards covered in blood and scars broke into our sector and quickly unchained me. My screams echoed Ayden’s as we realized our time was over. Once unchained, they grabbed me by the waist and flipped me over their backs. Ayden’s shackles creaked in the walls, broke through the cement, as he tried to reach me.

“Ayden, I’m so sorry. I’ll fight! Gods, I love you!” I shouted, struggling in the arms of my captors. Ayden’s anger matched my own.

As they shoved me out the door, a hand caught onto my necklace. Ayden’s chains had broken and he was desperately reaching for me before the iron bars stood between us. But this outcome was inevitable. We knew it the first time we kissed, the moment we fell in love, the first night we spent together, and now. I watched him as I left and, not for the first time, wept.

The guards brought me to the King and I slumped to the ground in front of him, the gown I’d worn the night before looking as dirty as the ground that lay beneath me. He was always my sense of direction, the man I thought to be my father, but I knew this time he was against my judgment.

Throwing down a bloody sword, he said, “You’ve betrayed me, Echo. You know my rules, and yet you still defied me anyway. Henceforth, you will receive the greatest punishment of all, the only one I can bear to give you.” His eyes fell to the ground in a way that made it seem as if it were painful to set them upon me. He was disgusted by the mere idea that someone could love a peasant, a Hunter boy. But I had no shame, I had no regrets. I would fight.

Before exiting the room and returning to his place in the arena, he glanced over his shoulder with the merciless gaze he gave to all his prisoners and said, “The boy you deceived me for will die by your hands.”

T W O

Ayden

I could hear Echo calling my name as they pulled her down the hall. I screamed for her until my voice evaded me, but it was wishful thinking if I thought they’d return her. She was gone, and whether or not she’d be placed into the arena was to be determined, a fate that made breathing impossible.

But I had a plan.

I’d offer to fight two men at once, hoping I’d take Echo’s place. I’d win and I’d set us free. And even if I was denied, I’d fight with every last breath I had because she was worth it and just about everything else this life had to give. Despite my beliefs, I prayed to the gods that Adamo would follow through this time.

One of the guards returned for me a little after I stopped hearing Echo’s voice and unchained my arms. “You’re next,” he barked. I’d known it was true, but not until it was said aloud did I realize the impact it had on me. It was like a tidal wave to my heart, careening me into the oblivion.

I was next.

“I wish to speak with the King. I want to offer him an agreement,” I said, as his bloody hands reached for me.

“You’ll have time for that after. If you survive, that is.” He grabbed me by the shoulder and began to carry me out. Before he had me out the door, I made sure to take hold of Echo’s broken necklace, the only thing I was able to grab as they whisked her away. The glass pendent shone even in the darkness, the frozen bleeding heart a memory of what we shared but have now lost. I’d take it with me and hide it from the eyes of my captors because if they knew I had it, they’d surely burn it. If she was taken from me tonight, I needed something of hers to hold on to.

The guards suited me up with armor and handed me an eccentric looking sword. Even though I was unchained, they kept a good eye on me. I was smart enough to know there was no way I’d overpower them if I tried to escape.

We walked silently down the halls and through the wooden doors that led to pathways escaping into the arena, but my focus was on the gate that opened to the sands. As I stepped up, my heart went out to Echo; wherever she was, I hoped she was safe and alive. That she kept strong for the both of us.

Trumpets played as the Announcer introduced me to the crowd. As I walked into the arena and my bare feet ground into the gory sands, people began to shout furiously and throw things down onto the field. Though some were even people of my own, I ignored them and continued to the center of the arena. I was ready.

The Announcer pointed toward the door and I waited for the face of my opponent to appear. But as the doors slid open, my heart went slack. It was as if my eyes had deceived me.

“So you all know the Royal’s royal secret by now,” he shouted. The crowd grew louder, pointing at me with fingers made for ridiculing. “I know, I know. It is quite shocking, but the King has found a way to settle this little tryst between the two once and for all. I’m sure it will please all of us in a heart-stopping way.”

And my heart did just that.

Echo came out behind the doors and stood fully suited in armor. She walked to the center of the arena and refused to look my way. Immediately, as if my feet had a mind of their own, I went to her.

“Echo, please tell me this is a joke!” I sneered.

A tear dripped from her eyes, but she didn’t say a thing.

“Whoa there, lover boy. This is a fight to the death,” the Announcer said. “You’ve shared enough alone time with her, I think.” His big hefty hands pulled me away from her and the other guards crowded around the perimeter of the arena. I begged Echo to look at me, but she wouldn’t. Was she seriously going to betray me? What happened to our plan?

The Announcer held a flag out and he slowly counted to three. The air grew still, a silence so tangible I could feel it running laps around me. The flag went down, the horns were blown, and the battle began. As if on cue, Echo circled me slowly and her eyes watched me like a piece of meat. When I looked at her—really looked at her—the hollow gaze she shot me gave way to the emptiness that was swallowing her whole. The sword in her hand was a bit heavy, yet despite her own strength, she held it with pride.

She charged towards me then, sword coming up to stab my middle. Before I could block or even find a weapon of my own, it was jabbing into my shoulder. We were face to face, and yet she still wouldn’t look at me.

“Echo!” I yelled, as her sword dug into my shoulder. “What’re you doing?”

Her eyes met mine briefly and I saw a glint of remorse in them. Seconds, minutes, millennia seemed to tick by as she looked at me. But just as quickly, the look subsided and she was angry again. She withdrew the sword from my shoulder and raised it to my neck, my own blood spilling down the length of my shirt. My neck arched as I tried to retreat from the sharp edge, but my eyes remained on her.

“I want you to take the sword, Ayden,” she said, tears in her eyes. “I want you to kill me. Do it fast and don’t hold back.” There was a challenge in her eyes.

Right then I knew she had no plans to kill me. It was simply an act to pleasure the hearts of the civilians, but I’d been so ready to fight anyone—whoever and whatever—that I never stopped to think about the possibility that my life would have to go by the one I loved.

There was no way I was allowing her do this.

“No. Echo, you finish this. Do you hear me?”

“Ayden, I can’t. Don’t you see? Life without you is no life at all. Take the sword and kill me. You’ll live.” She pushed the sword closer to my neck, eyes darting between me and the guards.

She was being ridiculous and stupid. Although I understood, knowing she died by my hands would burden me with the sickest sorrow.

“Do you believe in second chances, Echo?” I asked her.

Her face contorted in confusion. “Ayden, not—”

“Do you?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Do you trust me?”

She nodded again.

An idea dawned on me, and even though I knew it was a thought at the spur of the moment, I went with it. “Take a chance on me. We’ll escape here and lead our own lives. Just you and me. We’re not going to die like this, not now.”

This brought tears to her eyes, but I knew they were tears of joy. “Ayden, we can’t. They’ll stop us and they’ll kill you. The King only put me in here because he knows I am the better swordsman; Shadow told him.”

I asked her again. “Do you trust me, Echo?”

Hesitantly, she lowered the sword and said, “I do.”

The crowd erupted with anger, some shouting out their frustration while others started pushing their way to the arena. At the same moment, the guards took notice of our unity and trudged forward to break us apart. But one look at her told me she understood. Whether we lived to see tomorrow or died here in this arena, our souls would always live as one.

The two of us against the two guards.

As we prepared to fight until death, I knew we’d slowly started a revolution. We were burning bridges one by one.

5 WEEKS
EARLIER

T H R E E

Echo

THEDIBY, NEW
HAVEN

The warm August wind blew across my skin, sending tendrils of chills down my spine. Though I was without my shawl, I welcomed the whipping cold for all that it was worth.

I should have been happy; after all, today was the day I would finally dine with my dearly betrothed. The feeling that consumed my heart said otherwise. I was horrified, and to say the least, scared out of my wits. I tried to push the thoughts away, but to no avail, they continued to overwhelm me.

“Echo, what have you? You seem lost,” Everlae whispered from behind me, her hands tangled in my long, dark tresses as she twisted them into an intricate chignon.

I looked away, lost in the evergreens of Thediby. “Oh, nothing. I was just thinking—”

“Thinking what?” she asked, the hint of anxiety lacing her tone. Her Thedibian accent was always strongest when annoyed.

“I don’t know about this. Father is all worked up and Mother can barely contain her excitement. Why do I feel like I’m the only one concerned?”

“Perhaps because you are,” she said, pulling her attention back to my hair. “Prince Noah is a perfect fit for you, do you not see? And he’s lucky to have someone as beautiful as you.”

I rolled my eyes and refused to believe her. Everlae was wiser as my older sister, but Noah Eastman was an egotistic ninny. He cared little about anything, save his inheritance and the dishonored wench he snuck up to his chambers when he believed I was unaware. It was only because of his father, the King of Delentia, that he had finally chosen to take me as his bride.

“All finished.” Everlae sat with her back against the big oak tree, staring at me with sheer admiration. “A work of art, if I do say so myself. He’s going to love it.”

Shrugging lazily, I said, “No matter. He won’t be looking at my hair anyway.” I fingered the laced edge of my bodice, remembering the way Noah had stared at me at the ball last winter, prior to our first meeting. It was as if I were a slab of meat to him, a possession—a title—to be owned.

“I don’t love him.” I spoke between clenched teeth and my fingers continued to knead the lace. “I won’t love him. And I don’t care what Father says, Ever, I will not be happy.”

Everlae opened her mouth to speak, her eyes flashing that stone grey of our father. “You shouldn’t say those things, Echo. You know this is your duty, so why do you fight it? Silas and I are happy. We may have started off on the wrong peg, but we’ve grown on each other. Just like you and Noah will.”

I sighed, feeling utterly defeated. “I suppose you could be right.”

With that, Everlae’s mood seemed to brighten a little. “Of course I’m right. You were always so strong, Echo. Did you know I envied you for the first three years of your life?” She laughed silently to herself. “Everyone always spoke about you being the family’s next heiress after Caesar—how courageous you would grow up to be. I presume they were correct.”

I squeezed her hand, allowing the gesture to speak the words I couldn’t find, and her slender fingers wrapped around mine in response.

Off in the distance, I could see Shadow walking towards us, the metallic clink of her chained boots meshing with the hard packed earth below her feet. Body suited in leathered armor, she looked as fierce as a lioness.

I turned back to Ever with a big grin on my face. “She’s back,” I said.

Ever’s forehead furrowed with confusion. “How do you mean?”

I shook my head and pointed beyond the trees to where the tall, flaxen Tigress stood with her hands on her hips and a brave smile on her face. Everlae was up and running towards her before I could even blink.

“You’re back!” she screeched, taking Shadow into her arms. I kissed Shadow’s cheek and held her close. After a whole year enduring the fatalities of war, Shadow had returned to us in one piece.

“I haven’t been away long, girls.” Shadow smiled and glanced around the hilled lawn of the palace. “But I have missed you, nonetheless.”

“So, how did it go?” I asked, breaking the embrace.

“Yeah, did you get them good?” Everlae asked excitedly. She looked up at our sister with a look in her eyes I knew all too well.

Shadow sighed longingly, but held her smile in place. “I sure did, but nothing beats the comfort of home, eh?”

I glared at the arrows tethered to her back in amazement, taking in everything from her posture to the slight masculine touch she had to her demeanor. Shadow was everything but weak, everything I aspired to be. I wanted to fight along her in battle, lose myself in a frenzy as I fought for my Haven. I wanted it more than I ever wanted anything in my life. But unfortunately for me, Father had other plans in stow.

“One of you willing to come into town with me?” Shadow asked, tearing me away from my asinine musings.

Everlae looked at me with a frown on her face. “Go. I must help Mother with dinner anyhow.” She turned and began walking back to the palace before I could stop her.

“What was that all about?” Shadow inquired, as we walked the ways to town.

I feigned ignorance. “Oh, you know Ever. She’s just being, well, Ever.”

“She all right? With Silas, I mean? I know Father can be aggressive about birthing him an heir sometimes. She’s only twenty-three years of age, four years below me, and you’re only seventeen. I don’t want him slaving you girls off. The gods know he tried it with me.”

“Yeah, she’s great. They are still trying, but everything takes time I guess.”

“So, she’s happy? You’re happy?” Shadow spoke slowly, as if hesitant to ask.

I nodded.

Thankfully, Shadow left it at that and didn’t speak of Everlae again. Town was just a few miles from the palace, but the walk felt like a journey through eternity.

“You seem frustrated today, Echo,” Shadow mentioned as we made a shortcut through an alley pathway. “If I didn’t know you any better, I’d say you were nervous.”

“Nervous about what?”

She pointed to my gown. “Your dinner with the Prince. Isn’t that why you got all dressed up?”

I glanced down at myself and sighed. I didn’t want to talk about Everlae, but that didn’t mean I wanted to talk about myself, nor Prince Noah. I thought about telling her that the mere thought of gazing at him made my stomach acids burn, but I knew Shadow wouldn’t have been okay with it as Everlae had been. Shadow was rebellious in her own way, yes, but she knew when it came to the family’s wealth you were to do everything Father asked of you.

“Yes. A little excited.” My eyes wandered as I searched for another matter to discuss. “So why are we going into town?”

She pointed to the wooden gates that opened to the markets at the end of the streets. Two guards stood around holding swords longer than my arms and stolid, blank looks on their faces. They stared straight ahead as if they were waiting for something to magically fall from the heavens. It was normal protocol since the Hunters had figured out a way to breach the border singlehandedly so many years ago, but they were foolish to think anyone felt safe. No one had felt secure in this Haven since my Father declared the rules of the prison arena, another issue I didn’t need on my mind.

“Just follow me,” Shadow continued, taking me by the hand and pulling me forward. “Ezily wants to show you something.”

Ezily?

I turned my attention away from the guards and met eyes with Ezily, Shadow’s way-too-friendly friend. Her black ringlets glimmered in the daylight as she waved over at us, the brush of freckles above her nose even visible from where I stood. I never knew her much since she was also a Tigress and moved around cities quite a lot, but from what Shadow had told me, she was very skillful with a knife.

“Took you long enough,” she whined, pushing us through the gates of the town. Delicious aromas of dragon fruit, freshly baked bread, and recently bloomed strawberries hung in the air, causing my stomach to rumble despite the fact that I had just eaten lunch.

Ole Sampson Greenhorn, Thediby’s greatest fisherman, was up to his old tricks again, swindling newcomers into buying pink salmon tenfold the usual expense. The three of us smiled and waved over at him, and he toothlessly grinned back.

Beside his parlor was Miss Bluejay, who worked from her own home and had a bizarre obsession with raspberries. She was the nicest lady you could ever meet, that is, until you went anywhere near her kitchen. The woman insisted that all her customers waited outside, where she could keep a watchful eye on them through the window. Shadow and Ezily always joked that she discreetly stuck her foot in all her pies when no one was looking, but I knew it was something else. The woman obviously had secrets, secrets she probably didn’t want anyone to know about. As weird as I thought it was, I really couldn’t blame her.

“Shadow says you want to show me something?” I asked, turning my attention away from Miss Bluejay’s house.

“That I do. It’s nothing bad, don’t worry,” Ezily replied, watching me from the corner of her eyes.

I shook my head and watched Teagon, an old friend of mine, zip by on his horse wagon. He tipped his hat, a sign of respect to a Royal, and was on his way. “I find a hard time believing that, seeing as how every time I wander off with you two, I end up in trouble with Mother.” They giggled.

“You say that as if it’s a bad thing, sister.” Shadow stopped at a parlor, grabbed a red, ripe apple, and took a juicy bite out of its flesh. I rolled my eyes, hating the way she paraded around the place misusing our titles. The vendor said nothing, but looked on with distaste.

“You could pay for that, you know?” I said. “I would believe those people have a reason for being out here other than to offer you free food.”

“How so?” Shadow took another hardy bit from the apple. It was pointless, so I let it go.

“Stop the bickering, knuckle heads, and follow me. You’ll want to see this, Echo.” Ezily raced ahead of us, her boots scuffling at the dirt as she weaved between throngs of people, not caring who she bumped into.

“Wait up, Ez!” Shadow screamed. She tossed me her apple and ran after Ezily.

Disgusted, I dropped the half eaten core to the ground and left it there to lie in the soil. “I don’t suppose you expect me to eat that!” I shouted. But Shadow and Ezily were long gone.

I swear, sometimes those two act as if they are five years old.

Sighing at their pathetic game, I slipped off my shoes, lifted my dress at the hem, and scurried after them. At least I was decent enough to apologize when I tipped over someone’s basket or knocked them to the ground. Though, they didn’t seem to mind one bit. Their mouths hung open wide as they gawked at the Princess in awe, something that had long begun to bother me.

“You two have got to show me how you run like that,” I slurred, resting my hands on my knees. Shadow and Ezily were sitting on a bench, their faces dressed in a coolly manor as if my lungs weren’t about to burst from my chest. “Now, this ‘thing’ had better be good. I just ran across the market barefooted for this.”

“Quit whining,” Ezily retorted with a shake of her head. She got up and moved over to the big tree that accentuated the central park area of the market. It was then that I noticed the big target painted on the tree’s trunk. “I’ve decided to teach you a few things about archery.”

I gasped, my eyes immediately going to Shadow. “You’re kidding? Without Father’s consent?”

Shadow shrugged a shoulder indolently and pulled her bow and arrow from the sheath on her back. “What he doesn’t know won’t kill him. The geezer is so busy dictating the Haven that he won’t notice you’ve obtained a few skills.” She handed me the bow and I nestled the arrow within it, aiming for the target on the tree.

“If you hit me, I swear to the gods I’ll pluck every one of those pretty little hairs out of your head and sell it to Miss Bluejay for her new recipe. Who, by the way, made your birthday cake last year,” Ezily said, moving away as far from the target as she could get.

Shadow laughed, but I was too focused to bother with either one of them now. I couldn’t even believe I was holding an actual Tigress bow, the one thing I’d been dying to get my hands on since I saw Shadow take out her first boar when I was five. I felt rejuvenated—alive—as my fingers shook timidly to get the right aim. Even though I didn’t know the first (or last) thing about shooting a bow, I was eager to see how well I could do.

“Keep your chin up, never look at your hands. Your elbow should be in accordance with your shoulder. Feet slightly apart and never—and I mean never—take your eyes off the target,” Shadow instructed. As she adjusted my posture, I felt somewhat prideful.

“Oh,” shouted Ezily, briefly breaking my concentration. “Don’t forget to, you know, not kill me.” She looked at Shadow. “That’s not on the top of the list, really?”

Shadow smirked, and then patted my shoulder as a signal to go whenever I was ready. “Have at it. But seriously, don’t kill her. She’s my ride back to Siphon’s City.”

“I heard that!” Ezily bellowed, but she ducked as soon as she saw me stretching back the bow and taking aim. My arms shook ferociously and beads of sweat began to break out on my forehead. Closing my eyes shut and taking a chance on a whim, I released the arrow and sent it flying.

“Don’t close your eyes! Shadow, why is she—” Ezily was cut short when a loud thud resonated from the tree.

I slowly opened my eyes to see that Shadow had closed hers as well. But a smile quickly took form on her lips and she squealed, “I knew you have my genes!” She ran over to me and gave me a strangling hug. As she twirled me around, through the blur of my dizziness, I could see where the golden arrow stuck out from the timber. White, yellow, blue—and right where the arrow had struck—bull’s eye.

“You did it!” Ezily screamed, running over to us. “You didn’t kill me!”

Shadow finally set me back on my feet. “Never mind that, Ez, the girl can shoot.”

“Do it again,” Ezily added.

I wasn’t sure if I looked excited from the outside, but I knew on the inside I was vibrating with anticipation. Even more so, I was eager to try it again.

“Er, no time for that. She’s got to be back for her dinner with the Prince in ten minutes,” Shadow said, glaring at her pocket watch. “No need for both of us to get in trouble, eh?” She looked down at my dress.

I didn’t want to look down at myself, for I already knew what I would see. Most of the curls in my hair were already spilling down my back, rather than staying tucked nicely in the bun Everlae had made. Truthfully, I really didn’t care. “Oh, please can we stay just a little while longer? I think I could get really good at this archery stuff,” I begged.

Shadow’s face went terrifyingly solemn as she looked at Ezily. “Sorry, she can’t miss this. Another time?”

Ezily nodded, her black tresses posed in odd directions, and said, “Of course. Another time, Echo. I’ll show you what I can do with a switchblade.”

I smiled reluctantly and followed Shadow through the gates of the market and back onto the Royal territory. Shadow said nothing, and neither did I, but I felt the unspoken words suspended in the air between us.

We were never to speak of this, not even to Everlae.

WE stumbled through the back door of the kitchen minutes later and Shadow tried to sneak me up to my chamber to change. Although, we should have known Mother would be lollygagging around the house, supervising the maids to make sure they didn’t spit in the food.

“My dear child!” Mother exclaimed, her palms pressed to her cheeks.

I gave her a smile despite the fact that I knew I probably had twigs sticking out from my frizzed hair. “Hello, Mother.” I glanced around the kitchen and caught Everlae’s attention. As soon as she set her gaze on the hair she had just recently done, she dropped the pot of water in her hands to the ground, eyes unblinking and mouth agape. The water spilled everywhere, but she didn’t seem the least bit worried.

“What were you doing?” Mother asked. I opened my mouth to speak, but she raised her palm to me. “Forget I asked. Prince Noah is in the dining hall waiting and you come home dressed like a forest animal? Shadow, what is the meaning of this?”

Shadow scratched her neck and pretended to be unaware. “Hm? Oh, I’ve no idea, Mother. You know the children these days.” She pecked Mother on the cheek before disappearing up to her chambers. I shot her with a look so dark I’d wished she would have seen it.

If only eyes could speak.

“Mother, I—” I began.

“I don’t want to hear it, Echo. Head upstairs, I’ll have to fix you up myself.”

Mother rushed me up to my chambers and, scrubbing me down with unusual smelling soaps, re-curled my hair so that it appeared suitable for the occasion again and brought me back down to the dining hall. I tried to talk to her, but she shushed me and said we’d talk later. Knowing exactly what that meant, I kept my mouth shut.

Before we entered the hall where the assemblage was being held, Mother asked me to retrieve the special bottle of wine she kept for special occasions such as this one. I hurried into the kitchen, making for the wine room, when I ran straight into something blocking the doorway. I blamed it on my worrying thoughts of Mother and the impending punishment I knew I was sure to get. Mother was a talkative person, so when she hushed you or refused to talk, you knew all hell was going to break loose the moment she had you alone. Unfortunately, her silences were becoming occasional with me.

My hand went immediately to my forehead, and I groaned in pain as an enormous headache began to hammer in my head. “Watch where you’re—” I stopped as soon as I looked into his eyes. They were every shade of purple, so unlike anything I’d ever seen. They stared back at me and I found myself completely and utterly enraptured. They were so…violet.

“Sorry, I—” he looked down at me and frowned. “Oh, it’s you.”

I shook my head with a frown. “What do you mean?”

He picked up his tray from the ground and didn’t bother to look at me again as he fixated himself with dusting his shirt. “You as in you,” he practically mumbled. I struggled to hear him. “You prissy, selfish people are all the same.”

“Excuse me?” I was taken aback. “I don’t think I like your tone! What is your name?” I glanced over at his breast pocket and memorized his tag. Ayden. “Do you know who you are talking to?”

He scowled, looking through me rather than at me. “I know who I don’t want to be talking to. You always get what you want, don’t you, Princess?”

I blinked and tried to discern this boy’s anger, which was so confusingly directed at me. “Me? What did I do?”

He pushed his hands through his thick, brown curls and shook his head. “It’s what you didn’t do.” He sidestepped me and disappeared into the dining hall. As I turned around to watch him leave, I noticed the red welts on his arms, making it evident that he had just been scolded. But it wasn’t even the welts that caught me off guard, it was the tribal tattoos that lay beneath them. I knew what they meant; I had seen them enough times when New Haven had been under attack. They haunted me in my dreams; they were still there when I awoke. I shuddered, acknowledging the truth.

He was a Hunter.

I turned to retrieve the wine again and met Meredith, the Servant Keeper, in the kitchen. “Princess,” Meredith said.

“Hello, Meredith. I was just going to get Mother’s wine, so—”

She pulled her hand from around her back and handed me the bottle of wine. Just like that. “That boy, I want you nowhere near him, do you understand? He is no good. I’ve no idea why your father insists on having him work here. Unpaid debts, I suppose.”

It occurred to me then that Meredith was the one who had scolded him. The reason behind it, I had no idea. But one look at Meredith with her yellow-orange teeth, a mole the size of a nickel, and eyebrows that reminded me of furry rodents, was all I needed to heed her warning. I nodded and returned to the dining hall.

“Here she is, our pride and glory,” Mother announced as I walked coyly into the hall. The familiar faces of Everlae and Shadow, Father, and even my older brother Caesar and his wife sat around the table. The King of Delentia was there, seated at one end with a look on his face that screamed superiority, but it was Noah that gave me pause.

“Have a seat, young lady,” Father commanded. His voice was loud and powerful, easily grabbing the attention from everyone around the table.

“Yes, Father.” Without hesitation, Noah stood to pull out a chair for me, which was no doubt right next to his.

My mother had dressed her finest, her blonde tresses tucked away professionally and her corset pulled so tight her breasts threatened to spill onto the table. Shadow had changed into something more fitting, but she still looked defiant as always. Everlae dressed decent as well, her face made up as pretty as a marionette and her hair loose and about her shoulders. Her husband Silas sat beside her, looking bored and oddly out of place. Caesar, on the other hand, was dressed like Caesar. His wife Angelina was pretty and young, but I never really knew her. I wondered what she saw in my brother, a sad replica of Father.

“Very nice to see you again, Princess Echo,” Noah said, taking my hand to kiss my knuckles. I managed a smile as he looked up at me with hungry eyes.

“Likewise, Noah.”

“It has been awhile, hasn’t it, Caesar?” King Gerald said, looking towards my father. Maids brought in the trays of food as everyone listened to their conversation in silence. They droned on and on about New Haven for what felt like hours until their talk shifted back to Noah and me.

“It surely has been a long time, Gerald,” Father stated, cutting into his pork. “Echo’s just recently finished schooling and will be getting back into the swing of things. They’ll have to be better acquainted if they are to be wedded by spring.”

My head jerked up instantly, almost tipping over a cup of tea a girl was laying down for me. I was used to people talking about me as if I weren’t in the room, but I wasn’t used to the belaboring of news unheard of. I usually knew everything that went on in the palace. “Spring? Father, I thought we’d wait till I was nineteen? I thought that was the agreement?” I looked over at the old King, but he seemed merely amused. Shadow and Everlae cringed at the idea of me getting married so early and so young, but they didn’t dare say a thing. Caesar chuckled and filled his mouth with chicken leg.

“That was the original plan, yes, but things have changed and your father and I have agreed on a better time. Is this a problem for you?” the King asked.

Knowing good and well that my opinion didn’t matter, I shook my head and turned back to my tea.

“Everything is already set. Her dress has been made as well, isn’t that right?” Mother asked one of the servants. The girl nodded her head eagerly. “Her fitting is next week and I’m sure she will look so beautiful.” Mother looked at me and smiled brightly. Reading her like an open book, I smiled back, but it barely reached my eyes.

In between gulps of the hot tea, I inhaled all the air my lungs would allow. Spring? Were these people absolutely nuts? Wasn’t this place prison enough?

At the corner of my eye I could see Noah smiling at me. This was what he wanted. And gods, I hated him so much!

“We’ve organized a home for you to live in as well. It’s not too far from here so you won’t be away from the family by much,” King Gerald said. I nodded as if I couldn’t be any happier. Yes, because being locked in a house to birth babies all day long while my husband ran off with other women was exactly what I wanted.

“Which reminds me,” Noah said, standing up to kneel down on one knee. Though, I didn’t really pay much attention when he took my hands in his, for the servant called Ayden had just walked into the room. He watched us in silence and I noticed the resentment hidden somewhere in that dull look of his. Anger flooded through me and heat rose to my cheeks as I remembered what he had said only moments ago.

“Princess?” Noah’s voice called out to me. I dragged my eyes back to him. I glanced down at our joined hands and cringed. “Will you accompany me to the Grand Season’s Ball?”

I froze for maybe a second before I could think coherently again. My eyes went to Ayden; his own eyes fixed steadily on me as if I would evaporate if he removed them. Instead of seeing jealousy or anger, I saw fear and sorrow. This boy, whom I didn’t even know, had irked me in the worst possible way. The things he’d said…no one had been so courageous to say half the things he did. This bothered me in a way I couldn’t identify and intrigued me all the same. Who was he?

Glancing around the room and looking into the faces of the people I couldn’t bear to disappoint, I sighed and internally laughed at the joke that was my life.“I’d be delighted.”

F O U R

Ayden

SHADOW
HILLS, OLD
HAVEN

My feet pounded in the sludge as I stormed through the gates, dirt flying up around me and covering my pants. My fists clenched and unclenched in an anger so insatiable it threatened to consume me. Although I knew I had to work off my Father’s debt, I couldn’t stand the thought of being in that wretched place. Seeing the Princess smile and laugh about pointless things while the whole of Old Haven starved to death made me want to take a torch to the place.

“Name,” stated the guard.

“Ayden Grey,” I replied, staring down at the space between my feet. “I work for the King and I was just returning home for the evening.”

I could feel the guard’s eyes on me, searching for signs of dishonesty. Thankfully, he finally signaled to the others to open the doors. The huge wooden gates slid open and I passed through the border before he could read the tension in my eyes. Thank the gods they’d grown accustomed to seeing me every morning that they didn’t bother with checking me anymore. If it weren’t for that, I’d surely be dead.

I strolled casually through the grounds, making for the furthest end of the forest, and stopped behind a willowed tree. My eyes scanned the perimeter, checking for anyone who might have followed and hidden in the underbrush. Seeing no one, I dug into my pocket and retrieved the small leather sack. I smiled to myself and untied the strings. The golden coins spilled into my palm like food for a beggar. The old wench had scolded me for stealing the bread, but while she had her back turned, I’d snuck into the Princess’ room and grabbed three coins from her dresser. Three coins weren’t much for them, so I figured they wouldn’t miss it much. But to me—the less fortunate—this meant the world.

I folded the coins back into the sack and returned them to the safety of my pocket. Slowly emerging back onto the paths, I headed for home.

Shadow Hills was surprisingly quiet for six in the evening. Usually little boys and girls would be here and about, playing in the mud and getting themselves in trouble. Nightingales would be off in the skies, sending their mating calls through the air and causing Mr. Jenkins the lack of sleep he so desperately needed. Townspeople would be scurrying down the avenues to finish unfinished jobs and pay unpaid debts. Shadow Hills was a busy city despite our lack of resources due to the King’s selfishness. Now, though, the empty lots of the sandy streets made Old Haven seem uncanny and barren.

“Ayden, hey! Wait up!” called a voice from behind me, and I fought the urge to walk faster.

The young boy from across the street—whose family came all the ways from Prylyn just to work for the King—strode in beside me, face sweaty from working in the butcher shop all day. We’d quickly become friends, but there were moments the very sight of him drove me nuts. “Adamo,” I said without looking at him, “shouldn’t you be home? I’m sure your mother is worried sick.”

From the corner of my eye I saw him shrug. “She’ll get over it. Where you off to?”

“Nowhere.”

“Well, you have to be going somewhere,” he said with a laugh. “Oh, and by the way, I saw Feven the other day. You said you were looking for her?”

I immediately stopped in my tracks and the coins clinked in my pocket. “You saw her where? With who?”

Adamo scratched his head and rolled his lazy eye. “I think his name is Simon or something like that… Or maybe it was Silas.” His thick eyebrows knitted together. “Yeah, I think his name is Silas.”

“Silas who?” Fear had me by the throat and I had to remind myself for the thousandth time that she wasn’t my daughter; I shouldn’t have cared so much.

“Don’t know his last name. Sorry.”

I heaved a sigh and continued to walk, Feven now on my mind along with everything else. ‘Stressed’ didn’t even begin to describe how I was feeling. It was like the girl didn’t want to be found.

A few blocks away from the house, Adamo and I both froze at the sight of the door hanging off its hinges. He looked at me as if for explanation, but I was just as clueless as he was. Though, I did have my suspicions to some extent and they weren’t good. I ran my fingers through my hair and contemplated just walking away from it this time. If I ignored it, I wouldn’t have to acknowledge the truth. But sadly, things always had a way of finding its way back to me. I would regret walking out on them, I was sure.

The day had just turned from a muddy grey to a ruthless black.

Leaving Adamo behind, I ran for the house and my eyes immediately searched for Misty in the dilapidated room. I could hear her crying, but couldn’t pinpoint from where it was coming. I grew nervous—frantic—as I searched for my scared little sister.

I followed her rasping breath to the other side of the room and there, huddled into herself, was Misty. “Hey, Mis, what’s the matter?” As the words slipped from my mouth, a loud ruckus came from the room next door.

“It’s Daddy, again,” she mumbled. “Milo...”

My heart fell to the pit of my stomach within seconds. I’d left them alone only because he said he could handle it. Now knowing that he very well couldn’t, I left Misty’s side and darted into the kitchen.

My father stood with his back to me, but I could clearly see what he was so trained on. I looked around the room for Milo, but he wasn’t anywhere in sight.

“You’re home early,” my father said. The bottle of alcohol in his hands shook furiously. The liquid thrashed against the side of the glass, unpredictable and toxic as its owner.

“Yeah. They wanted the family time alone; the Princess is spending time with her betrothed.” I moved into the room and took notice of the flipped chairs and broken plates. The cabinets that held the liquor remained ajar.

“I wanted that life for you,” he said, his weeping making him hard to understand. “Your mother and I wanted to make a better life for you, but we failed you, Ayden.”

And then it suddenly occurred to me. “Where is Mother?”

He grew quiet, and as the silence conquered the minutes, I felt every grip of control I’d had mere seconds ago begin to slip.

“She’s gone to the market,” he finally said.

“Alone?” I sighed and cleared my head. The man was mad. “And Milo?” I walked fully into the room and began picking up the splintered chairs. Dirty dishes filled the sink and the ripped linoleum scrapped the soles beneath my shoes. One bulb hung from the ceiling, but it was barely enough to bring light to this place.

“He... I don’t know. He left.”

I froze. “What do you mean he left?”

“He’s gone.”

“Gone where!” I sneered. “What did he say?”

My father turned to face me then and his eyes were bloodshot. His posture was slung against the counter and his hair looked as if it hadn’t been washed for weeks. His eyes didn’t meet mine. “He said he was going to fix this, but I don’t understand how anyone can fix this.” He slumped to the ground and began to weep harder, the alcohol slipping from his hands and onto the kitchen floor. “I can’t do this, Ayden. Your mother is getting sicker and we can’t afford to send the twins to school. How will you make a living when we are gone?”

I glanced at my father with a stolid look. I felt sorry for him, but now wasn’t the time. Milo was gone and it wasn’t the first time he’d run away.

I sprinted out the door and the wind caught my hair and blew it into my eyes. I’d left Misty alone, and I did feel horrible, but my father was too drunk to notice her hiding underneath the bed. She was just scared. We all were. We were surviving on sheer luck, hoping that the next family to go wouldn’t be us.

At some point when I’d turned down a dirt path, the one that held the very few shopping outlets the city had, I noticed a hushed voice somewhere in the distance. I sent a silent prayer as I followed my instincts and pursued it.

In a stark alley, I found Milo digging through the old dumpsters that lingered around the streets. He was so busy in his search that he didn’t even take time to notice that I had been standing there. I’d found him, but seeing him like this made me want to turn away. He still wore his clothes from last week because he refused to give it to Mother. He’d said she was too weak to wash them, the inevitable apparently clear to him as well.

I walked over to him and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back from the dumpster and ending his search for—no doubt—clothing or loose change.

“Stop!” he yelled. “I can fix this.” He pulled away from me and continued to sift through the garbage.

I stepped back and watched him, my heart breaking a little more. “Milo, please, just stop and come home.” Milo was only twelve; he was supposed to be living a normal life. Instead, we lived in the aftermath of war, surviving off of what was left.

Milo let out a deafening screech and glanced around the dark alley as the sun set just behind the rambled buildings. Finally coming to a conclusion, he slumped to the dirt-packed ground in front of him and began to cry, heaving spasm after spasm.

I sat next to him on the floor and pulled him into my chest, shielding his hurt from the world. I didn’t cry, but I felt the pain as much as he did.

“I just want to fix this, Ayden,” he said through sobs.

“Milo, you’re only twelve, this shouldn’t be your problem.”

He lifted his head and looked at me, and I realized the amount of maturity on his face when he said, “I have to do something. We need the money. Mom...mom can’t do much anymore.” His dark tresses stood out in odd places, and his eyes were burned bright from the tears. He had a young face—many years left ahead of him—yet his determination to fix our broken family made him older beyond comprehension.

I pulled him back to me and rested my chin on the top of his head. The weight of this fallen world seemed to rest upon my shoulders. “I’ll fix this, Milo,” I said to him. “I can fix this. I know what to do.”

F I V E

Echo

There is no life outside of this Haven. That is what my mother had always led me to believe. The four walls that created the border between us and Old Haven was merely just that—a wall. She, as well as everyone else, pretended like there weren’t innocent human beings, children big and small, fighting for their lives as we sat idly by. I’d heard stories, but I’d never seen for myself the so-called dangers of crossing the border.

Twenty years ago, Alwaenia had been one country under one name, unified in a state of peace. My father had worked with the King of Delentia—the reason why they were such good friends—but they hadn’t received their official titles yet. War was inconsequential and laws weren’t as strict as they were now.  Hunters and Warriors were free to do things most would’ve been afraid to do now. Though some still dared to challenge authority, now that this world was separated into the worst of both halves, they never made it past my father.

Segregation wasn’t always an issue. That is what I had led myself to believe. Back when freewill was your own to govern, you weren’t judged if you wore the wrong gown or chastised because you weren’t standing in the correct posture. A Hunter was free to hold a Warrior’s hand—to kiss them, to hold them, and feel an obligation to do so. In fact, no one even claimed titles then. The meaning of ‘one’ had originated from ‘two’, a concept that was so easily forgotten.

As I laid in bed, insomnia taking its toll on me, I stared at the poster on my wallpaper-clad wall, the face detaining me in a hold so mesmerizing. The lettering, though black and hard to see in the dim of dawn, seemed foul and stupid as I read them over and over. It was the same saying they’d brainwashed into my system since I was small, the saying I was forced to live by.

Two Havens, Two People!

Two Worlds, Two Wars!

Difference is essential.

Two of everything, I thought to myself with disgust.

When Alwaenia’s first leader was proclaimed King Valentine, a Hunter who had grown up on the streets, many didn’t like it. Warriors claimed he was juvenile and ignorant, despite the fact his ideas for the country were genuine. Many times they had tried to have him impeached by accusing him of murder or even treachery, but no one believed them. King Valentine was a good man and he’d made a great nation out of nothing. He was a gift from the gods, some believed. A gift signifying Alwaenia’s coming years of prosperity.

No later than two years did that all change.

The Warriors had assembled a conspiracy, one that was hidden so great not even Father saw it coming. On a day no different from any other, King Valentine was summoned to Siphon’s City to stop a tirade that had digressed into a massacre so vile not even the guards could stop it. The Hunters had started to see a shortage in their incomes at that time and blamed the Warriors for thieving. The
Warriors weren’t to blame, though, I thought. The Hunters just didn’t know how to prioritize their money and squandered it all away. They accused the Warriors because they couldn’t accuse anyone else. The country had already found a deficit.

That day, King Valentine was murdered by three men and Warriors and Hunters were divided upon lies and deceit. Alwaenia then became New and Old Haven. King Val was given the proper burial in the only cemetery Siphon’s City reserved for Royals, but people never really got over it or officially moved on. Whether my father wanted to acknowledge it or not, revenge would soon be sought.

All we had to remember the King by was a poster that hung in every room, his face marred with a red X and words he wouldn’t have dared to speak branded on his forehead.

Two Havens, Two People.

A loud rap on the door broke me from my reverie and I turned over in bed to see who it was. “Echo, darling, are you up?” my mother called, entering the room with soft footsteps. She closed the door behind her and came to sit at the foot of the bed.

I didn’t move an inch; I barely even looked her in the face. Sleep had evaded me for the night and she was only making matters worse. “Not now, Mother. Can’t it wait till morning?”

“It’s quarter past seven, Echo. Do you plan to lie in bed all day?”

I peered over my shoulder at her and sighed. Just behind her the sun was rising through the curtains, shedding light on a realization I wasn’t ready to face. “Does it really have to be today? Don’t you th—”

“Absolutely not,” she cut in. She pulled the blankets from over my body and threw them to the floor. “Time to get up, we have a long day ahead of us.”

Not if I can help it. I groaned audibly and sat up in bed, rolling my duvet and plush pillows to the opposite side. Though I craved the warmth and security of the bed that wouldn’t allow me rest, I knew I had to get up and get on with the day. If it wasn’t now, it was later, and later was time I didn’t want to spend trying on dresses for some frivolous ball.

“Up and at ‘em, Echo!” Mother’s voice rang in my ears. She went to the windows and slid apart the curtains, allowing the sun’s early rays to gleam right into my eyes. She turned to face me and shook her head with indifference.  “I suppose you didn’t get much sleep last night. I’m guessing this is due to the excitement of the wedding, am I right?”

I stood to my feet and stifled a yawn. “Yes, of course, Mother.” I made for my wardrobe across the large room and pulled a gown off its hanger.

Nothing fancy, I thought, sifting through the closet to find my sandals. I’m only going to try on about a gazillion dresses to wear for only one night.

I closed the wardrobe door, enclosing the other hundreds of dresses I had only worn for one occasion.

No, nothing fancy at all.

Mother threatened to drag me downstairs herself if I didn’t move faster, so I walked into my bathroom and closed the door behind me, immediately heading for the showers. I swallowed my pride, and within minutes, I was winding down the spiral staircase and strolling into the kitchen.

“Decent,” was all Mother had to say. She stood by the door with her purse in hand.

I frowned, but didn’t allow her to see it. ‘Decent’ was my mother’s way of saying, ‘you look horrible’. “Where’s Issy?” I asked, raking my fingers through my still damp hair. I grabbed a pear off the counter before sauntering out the door and into the overwhelming heat of Thediby.

Just as Mother was about to answer, a shrill—more like a squeal, really—came from behind me. I turned and was met with Isobeli’s outstretched arms and jubilant smile. “Echo!” she yelled. She flung her arms around me in a tight, overwhelming hug. “Gods have I missed you! Guess what I heard?”

Just like Issy, always straight to the point. “I’ve missed you too, but—”

“Now is not the time for gossip, Isobeli,” Mother chided. “Perhaps another time?”

Isobeli’s smile fell from her face instantly. “Why, of course, Auntie.” When Mother looked away, she made a face at her back.

“Here is our ride now.” Mother watched as the horse-drawn carriage trotted down the path and stopped in front of the house.

“It’s about the ball,” Issy whispered in my ear.

I gave her an odd look that meant I wasn’t interested, but when she took my ear again and whispered, “And the Prince,” she had my full attention.

“What about the Prince? I—”

“Echo,” Mother called. She was already seated in the carriage, one of the servants holding the door wide open with a forced grin. I shook my head at Isobeli for her to let it go and climbed in after Mother. The carriage appeared small from the outside, but once you climbed in and were seated on the silk cushions of the seat, small wouldn’t even come to mind.

“So, I thought we’d stop at Madam Renaldi’s first, and then we’d see if Juliette has finished your dress for the wedding,” my mother said, crossing her glove-clad hands in her lap. She seemed so busy with staring out the window that she didn’t even notice the look of disgust that passed on my face. Isobeli would have seen it too if she wasn’t so focused on her feet. She was quiet, which was particularly odd for her.

“Sounds like a plan,” I said. For the rest of the ride, the three of us were relatively quiet. Issy would hum to herself every now and then while Mother applied and re-applied her strawberry-scented lipstick. When staring at the townspeople outside the window got boring, I resulted in daydreaming.

Thoughts of what the world probably used to be before King Val was murdered flittered into my mind. Speaking about them, looking at them, or even talking to them was forbidden now when years ago that was the norm. As if words could kill you! It was ridiculous; I mean, they were people just like us.

Weren’t they?

Almost immediately, my mind shifted to thoughts of the boy named Ayden. His face was forever engraved into my memory—the way his lips turned up into a scowl when he’d looked at me or the way his eyes shone like two rare amethyst gems. His form and entire demeanor spoke volumes of aggression and pain. The way his eyes had watched me was fierce, yet so empty. They were eyes of a wounded heart, I knew, eyes that hid secrets not meant to be told.

It was wrong to consciously or even unconsciously think about the boy, but he was so…different, if that made any sense. When you’re accustomed to being told ‘yes’ all your life and some unknown stranger comes along and tells you ‘no’, it’s a feeling so foreign…so remarkable, even, that it leads you to do crazy things. In my case, it was finding out exactly who this Ayden was.

“Echo!” Issy’s hard voice pierced my thoughts as they veered back to reality. I glanced out the window and saw Clover, the city’s only decent tailor, waving over at us. The carriage slowed to a stop in front of her store and Mother was the first to climb out.

“I already know the perfect dress,” she said, pulling a magazine catalog out of her purse. She flipped through it as Isobeli and I emerged from the carriage and made our way inside the store. Everything smelled like perfume and make up, hairspray and paint. Hues of pink here and colors of orange there. I knew they were going for a classy look, but the whole thing just looked tacky to me.

“Welcome to Madam Renaldi’s, is there anything I could help you with, my Queen?” Clover asked, curtseying politely for my mother.

I glanced around the small store, suddenly plagued by rainbows of dresses I was bound to try on. Dresses were Everlae’s thing, or even Isobeli’s. Dresses and me? That was a match made in Hell.

“Good morning, Miss Othman,” Mother replied sweetly. “We’re not going to be here long, Echo just came to try on a few dresses for the ball tomorrow.” She indicated to a page on the catalog where a fairly thin woman posed in a dress the color of eggplants.

“Oh, of course!” Clover’s eyes went wide with excitement. “The ball with the Prince, correct?”

I nodded and allowed her to usher me to a dressing stall where she began taking my measurements and pushing dresses into my hands for me to try on. Not only did I hate dresses and all their overrated glory, I couldn’t figure the damn things out. When I tried on dress number one, the corset didn’t seem to want to stay in place and I’d worked up such a fuss to get in it that by the time I had it on right, the bottom ruffles looked wrinkled and disheveled.

When I got to dress number fifty-four some hours later and Mother still wasn’t satisfied, I knew I had had enough. I held my face in my hands, back pressed against the wall, as I sat on the cold linoleum floor. I really didn’t want to go tomorrow, but what other choice did I have? Upsetting Father surely wasn’t a smart one.

A soft whisper came from outside the window of the stall. It was faint at first, but it grew louder as I listened in. It was a humming—maybe of a song—and it was so compelling that it caused me to stop entirely. I crawled over and peeked out the curtains.

It was the boy. His back was to me, but I knew it was him. His mussed, dark tresses were wild and unruly. He was too busy working in Clover’s garden, taking shovels to the dirt, to notice me or anyone for the matter. He whistled to himself as he worked and I couldn’t stop my eyes from taking advantage of his obliviousness. I’d noticed his arms before, the inky tribal tattoos and the way they stood out on his Amaretto-colored skin, but not like this. His taut muscles flexed as he worked and beads of sweat dripped from him in the heat. He’s strong, I concluded. He carried a large sack of soil and over his shoulder and brought it to a shed. Again, his muscles worked as he moved.

Very strong.

I swallowed the saliva in my mouth and groaned. Echo, what are you thinking? I thought loudly to myself. I mentally shook myself off, but sighed when the feelings still remained. This is dangerous.

“Darling, are you all right in there? How’s the dress coming along?” Mother called.

I glanced over at the mirror hanging on the opposite wall and frowned. If having half the dress on and the other on the floor counted as ‘coming along’, then yeah, I’d say I was doing just fine. “I’m good, Mother. I’ll be out in a minute.” As I said it, my eyes went back to the window.

I had to talk to him.

In spite of all the alarms that had gone off in my mind between the time it took me to unlock the latch of the window and swing a foot out, I dropped myself into the bushes below and quietly made my way over to him.

The plan was to talk to him, try to reason with him about the night before, but as I stopped a good feet behind him, words evaded me. What was I going to say? Sorry for bumping into you? The thing was, I didn’t know what I did to be sorry about.

Suddenly he stood straight and jammed his shovel into the soil. Without turning to face me, he said, “What do you want?”

I sighed, cover blown and fully exposed. “How did you know it was me?”

“You mean besides the fact that I could feel your eyes burning a hole to the back of my head from that window? Hm, no, I really don’t know what gave you away.” He began digging again, carrying on with his duties as if I wasn’t standing there.

“Excuse me, but I just wanted to talk to you.”

He turned around and his violet eyes pinned me with a stare. “So talk.”

“I—I just want…” I stammered. “I just wanted to apologize for whatever I did to upset you that night.”

He cocked his head at me. “That was three nights ago.”

“I know, but—”

“But nothing,” he interrupted, wiping the sweat from his brow. “You’re forgiven. I suggest you head back to your tea party before the Queen throws a royal fit.”

The words fell from his lips with every intention to hurt me. There was a second when I thought about going back inside, but he’d made a challenge out of this and I wasn’t prepared to back down quite yet.

“What is the matter with you?” I asked him. “You—you look angry all the time and you have this weird air about you. I don’t see how I’m the cause, but you sure aren’t giving me any reason not to assume.”

“Is that so?” he asked rhetorically. He laughed, but I didn’t find anything about this funny.

“Yes, I think so. If I did anything wrong just—”

The amused smile fell from his godly face. Anger became evident where indifference had once vacated and he dropped the shovel to reach for me. His hands came out, but they merely grazed my skin. He thought twice before laying a hand on me. Instead, he brought his face as close to mine as he possibly could without physical contact.

“You should go,” he whispered, his warm breath tickling my nose. From his proximity I could smell the virile scent of clovers and leather on his skin. As overwhelming as it was, the temptation to get even closer pushed me a step forward. “You don’t want to be seen with me.”

“I have every right to be here, you cannot make me go,” I whispered, my lips unwillingly trembling as I spoke. My eyes dropped to his biceps and a shiver broke through me at the sight of his markings. “You’re a Hunter…”

I opened my mouth to continue on just as Mother’s voice called from the window. “Echo, what is taking so long!”

He was first to break the embrace, and as the feet grew between us, a cold rush filled my lungs, leaving me speechless and confused. The desire to know this boy was stronger now than ever.

I sighed. “This isn’t over,” I said to him.

He smiled wryly, picking up the shovel to finish the day’s work. “Yes, Princess, it is.”

S I X

Ayden

By the time King Valentine was dead and gone, this nation had evolved into something wicked and vile. Kylon, Thediby, Delentia, and Siphon’s City belonged to New Haven and the Warriors. Shadow Hills, Loracre, Prylyn, and Raycliffe remained with the Hunters. Eight cities and two havens all divided by a single border, in which rules not only controlled the amount of steps you took in a day, but was powerful enough to threaten your life, your family, and what little freedom you had.

Painfully, as the Princess walked away from me and I discreetly watched her leave, I felt the urge to break every one of those rules and throw caution to the wind. It wasn’t conscious thinking, I knew, it was just impulse and being caught up in the moment with her. In reality, I despised her and her wretched family with a burning passion. Rules didn’t apply for them; they were shown mercy and appraised with every step they took. Time was nothing of value; life was nothing but a game.

As for us—the unlucky chumps who’d lost this game of life over and over again—our days were measured by the breaths we took, tallied by scars and tears. Time was of the essence and every move you made was watched.

Rules, I thought to myself with a shake of my head. Some rules they are.

From around the store I could hear the Princess and her parade getting into her coach. The Queen was loud, of course, shouting things about posture and perfect etiquette. I had the urge to watch them leave, but instinct told me better. I had a few minutes left of work and I’d planned to stop by Giovanni’s afterwards. I had no time for distractions.

I shoveled the rest of the dirt into the flowerbeds and carried the wheelbarrow back to the shed. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I glanced around the small garden with a sigh. Gardening was the all time low. I knew I had hit rock bottom. I worked seventy-two hours a week, and yet the income was barely enough to put food on the table. Father’s debt with the King seemed to be going nowhere any time soon and Mother was too ill to work. Luck—again, that was the only reason why any of us were still alive.

“I’m leaving now, Miss Othman,” I called to the store owner, making my way through the back door. The place was oddly quiet and empty, so I walked to the front desk where I was told to leave the shed’s keys. Today was only my first day and I knew I didn’t like the job. The woman barely looked at me twice before she barked at me to get to work.

The stack of crisp bills and gold coins lying open in the cashier made me pause. I scanned the store for the owner or even a single customer.

I was alone.

I knew it would be the only time I’d ever see so much, the first and the last. It called out to me, pleading with a seductive command to take it and never think twice about the damage. Doubt sought out for me, but the pull of greed laughed wickedly as it drew me nearer to succumbing. I tried to convince myself that it was for my family, a onetime thing. I would pay Miss Othman back. I would.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment and cursed myself for what I was about to do, and gathered the money in my pocket. My heart palpitated at a dangerous pace as I left the keys on the desk and left the store as fast as I could.

I took all the alleys I found to get back home, not wanting to chance running into a guard with what I presumed was over a hundred thousand dollars in my pocket. Now that I had done it, I felt shamefully guilty for breaking a vow to myself. Stealing from the King was one thing, and no doubt any less despicable, but stealing from a retail shop not only humiliated me, but made me feel hopeless. Had it really come to this? Stealing, of all things?

It’s for your family.

I was desperate, and desperately so. I was striving for some sort of resolution, light at the end of the tunnel, a cease to all my struggles—really, anything. My family wasn’t perfect, but they deserved more. With my mother sick and Father too drunk to notice that Milo was never home and Misty hadn’t eaten in weeks, a good majority of our welfare had befallen on me. Seeing as I had just stolen money—again—I’d say I was off to a pretty bad start.

If things didn’t get better soon, they never would, a voice whispered in my mind. My conscious, maybe, but I knew it was the truth. I wouldn’t result to stealing, not again. I’d never been a dishonest man and I didn’t want to start. If my life was going to slowly deteriorate, I wanted to go a prideful man. I would find another way of caring for them.

The money in my pocket felt suddenly heavy. The urge to turn around and return it all became overpowering, the guilt more than anything else. Lost in my strangling thoughts, I barely registered anything when a big, hefty hand fell on my shoulder and quickly spun me around.

Tyron.

The frown that settled on my face at the sight of him was obvious. I glared at his bloodshot eyes and his forced smile, his filthy hair and huge form. I managed to get out a shaky, “What’s up?”

He smiled a devious smile. “Just taking a stroll,” he said. Behind him, from my peripheral vision, I could see his friends closing us in a tight circle. Suddenly, the air seemed sparse. “What are you up to?”

“Going home.” My eyes went to his one-hundred-pounded-and-all-muscled friends. They watched me impassively. If the money was heavy in my pocket before, well, it was about ready to burst a seam now.

“How come you don’t hang with us anymore, Ayd? It’s been awhile and we miss you.” The other guys laughed at his blatant mockery.

“Has it been? I didn’t notice.” My jaw clenched as I spoke. “I’ve been really busy. We’ll hang out, just not now.” I pushed past the circle of boys in front of me and shuffled through the dirty streets as fast as I could without looking hasty. The need to get away consumed me.

“Not so fast, pretty boy,” Tyron called.

I froze and waited with bated breath.

“What’s that in your pocket,” one of the guys yelled.

Without turning around to face them, I said, “It’s just a few coins Miss Bluejay gave me for helping her out in her garden.” A lie, but not completely.

“How much,” Tyron asked, and I could hear him approaching me with stagnant footsteps.

With a quick rake through my mind for a probable excuse, I turned to face him and shrugged, acting as if I didn’t hold a fortune in my pocket and they didn’t know. “About four dollars in change. It isn’t much, but my brother needs new shoes.”

Tyron nodded, his shaggy hair swaying loosely on his broad shoulders. “Understandable.” He casually draped his arm over my shoulder. “You see, I have a bit of a financial problem myself. You remember my girl, August, right? Well, she’s going through some things and I want to get her something nice. Think you could help me out? Financially, I mean?”

The request would have come off as sincere if I didn’t know the type of man Tyron was. I’d never met an August a day in my life, but in retrospect, it was safe to assume this August was another one of the many women from Prylyn he managed to impregnate.

“Sorry to hear that, but I can’t help you out.” I shrugged his hand off my shoulder and took a step away from him. His demeanor had taken on a different range then, and his posed smile had faded. From the corner of my eyes I could see the others closing in again, and that’s when it occurred to me that they weren’t going to let me go without discovering what—or rather, how much—was in my pocket.

Tension between the seven of us grew heavy, and embracing the moment as a fight or flight, I swung my fist out at the redhead to my left and got him straight in the nose. He grunted and staggered back, but my victory was short-lived as I felt two pairs of hands clamp around my arms and hold them behind my head. The position forced my eyes on Tyron, his arms crossed over his chest and lips curved into a sadistic smile as he watched with the others while I struggled to get free. I wasn’t weak, but then again, Tyron and his fellows weren’t exactly human with all the drugs they took.

“Ayden, Ayden, Ayden,” Tyron cooed, pacing towards me slowly. “When are you going to learn that I always—” His fist struck my lower abdomen, a blow so hard it went straight to my head, and confused my vision and caused my heart rate to increase tenfold. “That I always get what I want.” He rolled up his sleeve, and even through my blurred vision I could make out the tribal tattoos on his forearm, marks so different from any that I’d seen.

Hunters were known for their animalistic incorporations in their art, and even in their tattoos. My family’s symbol was a scorpion, a sign that portrayed wisdom and humility that was passed down from generation to generation. Others had ranged from a wasp to a python, but never had I seen anything like the one Tyron bore on his arm. The asp—vicious and inky—stared back at me as if it could sense that I reeked of fear. Fear that I wouldn’t fulfill the promises to my family, and fear that once Tyron discovered the money in my pocket I wouldn’t even have the time to reminisce before I was locked up and thrown into the arena.

Another blow to my chest forced all thoughts out of my head. I knew it wasn’t Tyron this time because I felt the imprint of a ring. As I bent forward to desperately keep what little lunch I had in my stomach, the strong hands around my arms released me and I fell to the floor.

“His pocket,” Tyron commanded. I didn’t bother to put up a fight.

“Look it all of this,” one of them shouted hysterically, holding up the money. I wondered if someone outside of the alley saw what was going on. Even so, I knew they would just walk on by in fear of getting too involved. They’d rather take the chance of someone else possibly being beaten to death rather than it being them. It was sick.

A hand tugged at my hair and forced my head skyward. Tyron’s features blurred through my bruised eye. “You hid all of this from us,” he said. “Sharing is caring, Ayd, hasn’t anyone told you? Where did you get all of this anyway?”

I smiled, and instead of answering him, I spit straight into his filthy face. He recoiled almost immediately, but countered with a blow to my face I hardly had time to block. This time, as the hits came at me nonstop, I could taste the coppery tang of blood on my tongue. It flooded my mouth and became so much that I found it hard to breathe.

“Where did you get the money, Ayden,” Tyron slurred between bouts of gasping and kicking me in the stomach.

I finally gave up and shouted, “The Princess!” with what energy I had left.

The alley went silent, Tyron’s assault ceased.

“The Princess?” Tyron asked, his horrid breath fanning across my face.

“Yes,” I croaked.

The other guys began to laugh. “He must be kidding. With her vow of chastity until she’s married to the Prince, no way would she give it up to him. Of all the idiots in Old Haven,” one said.

I frowned.

“No, definitely not. So what is it then? Are you lying?” Tyron said.

“I stole it from her,” I whispered. “When the Servant Keeper wasn’t looking, I snuck up to her chambers and stole it from her dresser.” Another lie, but it wasn’t too far from the truth.

“So, she just leaves it out in plain sight? For anyone to take?”

Spitting the remainder of blood out of my mouth, I said, “I guess so.”

Tyron snapped his fingers toward me and hands encircled my waist, pulling me up to stand. “How about we make a deal? If you can pull it off again, you can walk out of here a living man five thousand dollars richer.

Five thousand?

“I can’t,” I said, though the temptation was strong. “I made a vow to myself I wouldn’t.”

Tyron sighed, and then with a speed I wouldn’t deem earthly, he struck the side of my face with a knuckled punch. “I didn’t ask you about a damn vow! Unless you want to end up in a prison sector, eating your own mates just to keep your eyes open, you had better listen up. Tomorrow night is the Grand Season’s Ball at the Royal Palace and guess who’s invited? You are, my friend.” He threw the money they’d collected at my feet. “Get the money and you’re a free man.”

The guys dropped me to the ground and I watched with resentment as they left with Tyron and disappeared out of the alley and ebbed into the day. I sat alone and contemplated whether I should get up or lie here and wish for my death. Neither sounded good to me, but the latter promised a better outcome. If I died—right then in that alley—my troubles would be over. The pain, the suffering, and the long days of never-ending work would all be gone.

But where did that leave my family?

As soon as that thought occurred to me, I stumbled to my feet, taking the money with me, and set out for home. Losing my family wasn’t an option, neither was leaving them. Striving became my only priority, living my only goal.

The door to the house was left ajar, so I easily slipped in and kicked off my shoes on the old, disheveled mat. I tried to be silent in case no one had seen me come in, but as soon as I stepped into the kitchen, all eyes were on me. I wondered how I must’ve looked—bruised, bleeding, and possibly on the brink of unconsciousness. Somehow, I didn’t really care. All I wanted now was silence.

As I moved toward the small table my family had crowded around, my Mother whispered, “Ayden, baby, what—”

“Carys,” my father warned, as if I was some dangerous animal and she was getting to close to the cage.

Without looking at any of them, especially Milo and Misty’s saddened gazes, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the money, slapping it onto the tabletop. The sound of the coins hitting the linoleum was loud compared to the silence between us. “Put some food in the damn fridge,” I said, and then turned and made my way out the back of the house.

I could only imagine my mother’s face.

I walked through the weeded backyard and to the cottage I had built two years ago when Father had trained me as a carpenter. Those days he’d been sober. Things weren’t as bad and the twins were in school. Compared to then, things were a wreck now. It would take me years before I managed us out of poverty, and I knew my time was running short.

I nudged the door open with my shoulder and stumbled through the small foyer as I made my way to the bathroom. I turned on the lamp and watched myself in the mirror. The swelling was bad, but not bad enough to leave a mark. It’d go down by tomorrow morning, I assumed. Even though the external scars weren’t visible, the internal ones very much were. I’d learned to embrace pain form a very young age, but growing up with an impassive father, I never knew how to handle it emotionally.

I was drowning—drowning in an oblivion so estranged not even the gods could save me. I was a lost cause lost within itself.

I had no plans of redemption.

S E V E N

Echo

“Is this really necessary?” I snarled, as Mother tightened the mesh over my face. Its itchy thread bothered the side of my face more than anything else.

“Of course it is. Do you want to look presentable or like a vagrant?” She busied herself with pins and flowers in my hair as she spoke.

I remained quiet, avoiding how ridiculous I looked in the mirror before me. I hated the color green and it made me look rather odd. After not finding a dress at Miss Othman’s shop, mother resulted in having one made. The fabric was itchy and rode up places I’d rather it not ride, and the décolletage was uncomfortable to no end.

Mother accidently poked me with a pin and I spun away from her busy arms with a start. The loose fabric of my dress billowed beneath my feet.

“I think we’re done.”

“You look beautiful,” my mother said. She turned me towards the mirror and pulled my hair to one shoulder.

The girl in the mirror had my face, but everything else, from crown to sole, was not me.

It was, though, and this was the image of the woman my mother wanted me to become. A spitting resemblance of herself. Was this who I wanted to be? I thought solemnly. With a frown, I realized I had yet to answer. It should have been clear to me by then, but the idea of being shunned by my own people terrified me.

“Where’s your clutch?” Mother asked. I pointed to the bed where the emerald purse sat. The thing was like a leech. No matter how many times I tried throwing it away or hiding it, it always found its way back into my wardrobe.

“I really don’t want that thing,” I grumbled under my breath.

Mother deadpanned me and shoved the purse into my hands. I reluctantly took it, adding yet another piece of unnecessary assortments to my outfit. I sighed and dismissed the urge I had to toss the damn thing out the window.

“Mother, I—”

Both of our heads jerked up at the sound of a knock.

“The Prince is here,” a maid said from the other side of the door.

“Already?” Mother smiled and adjusted the hem of the dress before shooing me out the door. With every step I took from then, I felt as if I were counting down my seconds left of freedom.

Five, four, three… I thought ruefully.

“You look great, Princess,” said the maid, who, to me, looked only twelve. My heart hurt for her.

Two…

“Thank you. Please, call me Echo.” It was my name after all, no matter how many titles were added onto it.

The girl led me down the long spiraling staircase with Mother trailing behind us. If the kitchen hadn’t looked so bane and if Mother and Ever hadn’t been acting so normal, I would have assumed I was already being thrown off to be wedded. It was only three weeks away, so what was the difference, right?

One.

Father’s eyes met mine first, and I quickly forced a smile to my lips. Noah stood in the archway looking like he just walked out of a brochure with his blonde tresses slicked back neatly and not one out of place. He moved to the bottom of the staircase with his hand held out for me in invitation. I smiled at him, though I wasn’t too eager to take his offer.

“Beautiful, as usual,” he whispered in my ear once I’d taken his hand. His voice sent goose bumps across my neck, and I struggled to maintain my smile.

“You’re too much, Prince. Too much,” I replied. He took it as a compliment when I’d really meant to crush his overrated ego.

“Shall we go, then?” He looked up at my father.

“Have fun, darling,” Father said, walking towards me and planting a kiss on my forehead. Right then I wanted to scream out that I wasn’t happy, that this wasn’t who I wanted to be and this wasn’t the life I pictured for myself. But what did that matter now, when all I had was three weeks?

“I will.” I moved in closer so that his lips lingered a few seconds longer. My father had his moments, and there was no doubt that I loved him. Even though it was easier to talk with my mother, I felt, in some peculiar way, that he understood me. Maybe.

“Not too much fun,” interrupted Mother. After Father broke away from me and made for his chambers, Mother fixed my lipstick a third time, and then called for a maid to fetch the coach. The whole room glowed with excitement while I stood lost in my own thoughts. Shock, that’s what it was. I looked over at Noah from across the room and sighed a sigh of a million words. Yet, there weren’t enough words in the world to describe how I felt at the moment.

The coach was ready and Mother was pulling me away from my reverie before I knew it. I would have felt better if Noah hadn’t slung his arm over my shoulder as we walked out. I probably would have let this whole evening go. He managed to make me feel more uncomfortable than I already was in less than two minutes.

I sat beside him and watched my mother from the window as the guard shut the door behind me. She had a smile on her face, and though smug and vague, it spoke legions.

I was to enjoy myself and that was it. No buts or ifs, I could hear her saying.

“I know this may not be your ideal first date,” Noah whispered so that the horseman couldn’t hear, “but do know that I am trying, Princess.”

The horsemen readied the horses and began down the stoned path at an easy pace. I turned to face him, barely meeting his eyes in the dark of the evening. The sunset caught his eyes and I noticed then that I was but a breath away from meeting his lips.

I gave him a smile. From this angle Noah appeared very handsome, making it easy to see why he grabbed so much attention from the girls in town. The only thing that gave him away was that gleam in his eyes that labeled him a womanizer. He had all the other girls fooled but me; I knew better. His words were pure venom, good for nothing but spurring lies.

“I know,” I whispered, not trusting my voice to sound legitimate. “And I thank you. This is a lot to handle, is all.”

He nodded. “That’s understandable, but you do understand, don’t you? Your family’s predicament?”

Well, it surely wasn’t some big secret, no matter how much Mother wished it was. We were losing money, fast, and my marrying Noah was the only way of ensuring our place at the top. “Yes.”

He sighed audibly, then reached into a small compartment on his side of the coach and pulled out a corsage presumably for me. “Here,” he said, holding it out for me.

“Thank you. It’s beautiful.” And it really was. It was rare, to say the least. Though Thediby was rich and glamorous, it wasn’t beautiful. It was quite boring, actually. The only flowers I’d ever known were the bleeding hearts in my mother’s garden. Seeing them perfectly arranged with the Maidenhair Ferns brought back memories I had long since forgotten.

Noah caught my eye and he fixated his gaze on me intently. He cocked his head as if trying to solve some hidden mystery. “It is. We could do this. We could make this work, I mean. We’re not so different, you know?”

“Is that so?” I sighed, feeling the heat flood to my cheeks. “I just don’t know how happy this happily ever after will be. I barely know you, yet you will be my husband in twenty-one days.”

His chuckle was reassuring and contagious. When the laughter had finally burnt out, he looked at me with a frown. “We have twenty-one days to fix that then, don’t we?” He reached out to touch me the same moment I had opened my mouth to object. I knew he wasn’t so crazy as to kiss me, but we were so close and the moment seemed probable. He leaned forward to kiss me and I quickly gave him my cheek instead. The idea of kissing him made me sick.

He glanced out the window behind me and smiled. “We’re here.”

I suppose the loud ruckus that overtook the silence of the moment should have given it away, but it wasn’t until I turned to look outside did I realize that we were here. Siphon’s City. I’d only been here once, but once was enough. My father practically spent his life here and even owned this building. Mother and I had our own quarters for times when we had to stay with him, but they were always kept locked up and secretive. The only ones allowed in and out were the Floor Keepers.

“You’re nervous,” Noah whispered. I nodded, but didn’t remove my eyes from the fortress. “They’re all for you, you know? They love you.”

I looked at him and frowned. He’d said it as if it were a good thing, something to be proud of. The horseman hopped out of the carriage and came around to open the doors. Noah got out first and held my hand as I emerged after him. Almost immediately, we were swarmed with scrutinizing woman and newspaper journalists.

My mind swam and my grip on Noah tightened as he rushed us through the crowd. Just as we were about to enter through the grand doors, I caught sight of a group of girls who stood hidden in the shadows. Their dirty clothing and tattoos told me they were Hunters, maids probably. It wasn’t their appearances that gave me pause, though, it was the look they were giving me. As if my presence was an evil thing, they stared at me with disdain. I tried to translate it into something less horrible, hoping to alleviate my guilt, but their message was clear as day: you should be ashamed.

And I was.

A push on my shoulder got my feet moving again, but not as fast as I would have liked. Once inside, the guards shut the door and the finality that all those people wouldn’t even get to come inside after hours of waiting to see the Princess hit me hard.

“Your jacket, Princess,” said a guard. I stared at him for a moment, still stuck in a stupor.

“Excuse her, she’s just a little anxious,” Noah said, sliding my jacket off my shoulders and handing it to him. He took my hand and led me further into the huge fortress that was the central building of Siphon’s City, the place my father made laws that dictated everyone’s lives. It was only then that I realized how anciently beautiful the place was, the way the murals stood in your way and craved for attention. Chandeliers that looked about retired with only an ounce of life still kindled within them hung from the golden ceilings. Halls as wide as our streets forked every corner and furniture made for appraisal adorned the rooms. With every step we took, I made sure to stop and take in my full of it all.

Though, along with awe, came contempt. What did they have to be proud of, a voice whispered in my mind.

Nothing.

I forced the thoughts out of my head, desperate to think about anything but Ayden. Though, I knew thoughts of him waited for me, anticipating the moment unconsciousness would take hold of my mind and I’d have no other choice.

“You’re going to love this,” Noah suddenly whispered into my ear, as we stopped at another set of grand doors that grazed the ten foot ceilings.

The guards whispered something to each other and then slid the doors apart, revealing a giant ballroom with thousands of busy bodies dancing and eating happily in outfits that made mine seem like a pawn.

It was overwhelming. With all the shiny gold drapes, marble flooring, and huge statues that seemed more like a part of the party than accentuating it, I found it hard to keep my eyes on one thing at a time. Women with big wigs and intricate hair pieces sat in one corner of the room, sipping their wine and laughing about things not half as funny as their makeup. The men stood on the other side, as tradition went, waiting till a decent enough woman caught their fancy. I…well, as for me, I stood hand in hand with Delentia’s Prince, my soon-to-be husband, while all eyes fastened solely on us.

“They love you,” Noah reiterated. He led me past the gawking stares to a table surrounded by what I guessed were his friends and family. An angelic harmony created by a band of harps, flutes, and pianos infiltrated the ballroom as people danced.

Big smiles and warm hugs greeted me as we stopped at the table, and I played on a smile the best I could. “Princess Echo, how very glad to meet you,” Queen Accenia chirped, holding me in a tight hug.

“Nice to meet you,” was all I could think to say.

“You know, all my Noah does is talk about you. It’s very informal, but at least I know his heart is in this wedding. How are preparations coming along for you?” That was code for: are you ready?

“Does he now?” My eyes went to Noah as I combed my mind for something to say. He arched his brow expectantly and wrapped his hand around my waist. “Everything is coming along great. I’m excited, and very much so.” I smiled at the Queen, and then up at Noah. His smile said he liked my answer, but something just felt so wrong. If I was happy—truly and utterly happy—why would I have to lie about it?

“Um, pardon me, but may I have a word with my cousin?”

Noah and I turned around and stood face to face with Isobeli. At that moment, I could have kissed her.

I turned back to the Queen and said, “Will you excuse me for a moment?”

“Of course,” she said, giving me a smile before sauntering off to cater to her own business.

“Don’t be gone long,” Noah whispered in my ear. He placed another chaste kiss to my cheek, this one a hell of a lot closer to my lips. “I have a surprise for you.”

I nodded and quickly left with Issy. I didn’t know if she saw me struggling to keep up with my façade, but I was glad for the break. She led me out to the balcony gallery, and as soon as we were away from the music, she began to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” I asked. I moved over to a bench and sat, pressing down the folds of my dress the best to my ability. When you had over seven layers of fabric that was almost impossible.

“What’s funny, you ask?” Isobeli said, shuffling over to sit beside me. The sunset played against her face as she spoke, brightening her natural beauty I always envied. Where she was subtle and tranquil, I was chaotic and overt. She smiled and I frowned, she was day and I was night. Though through those differences, we collided and got along in a way neither of us would have expected. We were both seeking something in this world—an end, we’d called it. It was what made us so close. “Well, for one thing, I hate that dress on you. I suppose if you hadn’t taken so much time trying on dresses, you would have found something better than your mother’s choice.”

I frowned down at the dress. “No, green isn’t really my color, is it?”

“No, darling, it most definitely is not. Though, the Prince didn’t seem to care about the color as much.”

“Please.” I shrugged off all thoughts of the Prince. Right now, while I was away with my best friend, I wanted to talk about things other than him.

My mind started to wander.

“Hey, Is?” I called, staring into the sunset. She murmured her response. “Do you ever think of escaping?”

There was silence for a while before she decided to speak. “Of course. I want to leave for Kylon someday, but that’s so far ahead from now. I’m always traveling, but never to anywhere I want to go.”

“No,” I whispered with a shake of my head. “I mean, escape. Like out of New Haven. Don’t you ever wonder what’s out there, who’s out there? What if there’s this other world so foreign to us, and we’re all just sitting here doing nothing about it? Don’t you ever want to pass those borders into Shado—”

“No,” Issy interrupted. Her eyes looked at me fiercely, scolding me for even daring to go that far. “My life is here, Echo. I was born here, and here I shall die. In New Haven. That’s it. Why would you even think different?”

“Well, I—”

She reached out and pulled a pin from my hair. “Did you do something with your hair?”

Amazed by how quickly she was able to change the subject, I decided to let it go. Any thoughts of sharing my dreams with Issy went right out the window. That left no one. “Yeah, Mother did something fancy with it. Do you like it?”

She stared at me with a scowl. “By that do you mean do I like the beehive on your head? Well, then no.” She plucked out a few more of the pins until my tresses brushed past my shoulders. “There, better. You know, with those bright blue eyes of yours and insanely midnight hair, you don’t look like a Thedibian. More like a vagrant from the other side. You know, with their wild hair and eccentric colored eyes.” She smiled, a joke hidden behind her words.

“Not funny. You make me seem like a pariah when you say that.”

Isobeli laughed and rested her head on my shoulder. “You know I love you, Echo, and that’s all that really matters. Just between you and me,” she said, grabbing my attention, “if you did plan some crazy escapade, I’d follow you to the moon and back. Hell, maybe even further if there is anything out there like you say. I might even be willing to die for it.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, leaning my head on hers. “Though, I do prefer we go somewhere a little closer if possible. The moon, Issy? Really?”

She laughed silently at herself, and silence followed soon after.  It was nice, being able to talk to her. I just wished she wouldn’t shut me out like she did so often. It made me feel oddly alone.

A maid walked out onto the balcony and called for me. “The Prince wants to see you,” he said. I sighed and looked down at Isobeli and shook my head solemnly.

“Tell him…” I pulled the rest of the pins out of my hair and stood to leave. “Tell him I’ll be right there.”

When the maid was gone, Issy whispered, “You okay?”

Knowing she couldn’t possibly understand, I shook my head and said, “No. This is my duty, right? So why fight it.” I followed the servant’s trail back into the ballroom and looked for Noah in the midst of everyone here. To be honest, it wasn’t all that easy, seeing as this was probably the most people I’d ever seen in one place before. It didn’t help that most of the men wore masquerade masks, either. It was another part of our stupid tradition for the Grand Season’s Ball. It was our way of welcoming the fall. Royals never wore them,  but those of a lower class had to.

I started down the ramp that would lead me down to the dance floor, and not wanting to interrupt the dance procession, I pushed though the crowd of people without making myself visibly known. That never seemed to work, though, and eventually some people tried to pull me aside to talk. Sad thing was, it was never anything interesting or worth listening to. Gossip was all anyone cared about in New Haven, and the gossip just had to be about me.

In my haste to get free of the tangling mass of bodies, I managed to trip over someone’s gown and tumble flat onto the floor. For a moment the loud gasps that broke out around the room seemed for someone else, but as the stars shooed from above my head and I regained some sense, I realized all eyes were on me.

“Are you all right?” a voice said from above me, distant, yet so familiar. His face came into focus, his mask the first thing I see. Beautiful, I thought. His eyes were so…

Violet.

I cocked my head to the side and tried to see if I was imagining things. And when that and blinking didn’t work, I knew.

“Excuse me, pardon me.” Noah stood above me and sighed. He pulled me to my feet and my hair caught under someone’s heel. I yelped when it tugged at my scalp.

“I’m fine,” I assured Noah and all of our onlookers. “I just…um…missed a step, is all. Carry on.”

“Is your head all right?” Noah took me by the waist to sturdy me.

I wanted to answer, but a half glance across the room caused the words to escape me. The only thing that I could coherently put together was, “Ayden?”

And yet I barely got that out before Noah was dragging me through the throng and away from the violet-eyed boy. I wanted to ask him what he was doing here. He was the only person I knew with eyes that brilliant. Yet, I was the only Thedibian with dark hair and blue eyes. Somehow, we matched.

“What happened to you? Where’d you go?” Noah questioned as we finally emerged to a corner away from everybody.

“The balcony, for fresh air,” I answered over the music. I looked down at my feet and sighed. “I’m not so sure I can do this.”

“What was that?” he yelled.

“I said I’m not sure I can do this. Get married and be your wife. I’m not really cut out to be a Queen, tonight has proven that.”

The confusion that came together on his face was obvious. “You’ve been a princess for seventeen years of your life. What is one more year going to do to you?”

I shook my head and blew the hair from my face. “You don’t understand. The title ‘princess’ doesn’t make me who I am. I choose that. What happens if I’m not happy, Noah? What have you then? Will you force me to love you?”

His sigh was audible over the music, but I caught his discomfort. Raking his hands though his hair he said, “No. Of course not, but we don’t have a choice, Echo, and everyone is fine with that but you. You are the only one.”

The music shifted into something a bit more slow. The lights dimmed and I found it hard to see Noah anymore. Voices from behind us said his family was calling us over, no doubt to find out about what happened. My eyes searched the ballroom again and I found the pair of violet eyes still watching me. “If so, then I am the only one willing to do something about it.” I turned back to him and frowned. “And I’m fine with that.”

“Echo, I didn’t—”

I spun on my heels, just out of his reach, and lost myself in the crowd once again. Except this time with better purpose.

Ayden.

▪AYDEN▪

I didn’t expect the Princess to follow me. Granted I hadn’t exactly planned to come, I didn’t expect her to notice me so quickly either. Or at all. I ducked into the crowd, made sure to keep my head low, and went straight for the staircase that would lead me to the locked chambers.

I glanced behind me half way up the stairs and realized the Princess was but a few steps away from me. Determination was written all over her face. I smiled, finding it somewhat endearing.

“I know it’s you,” she said from behind me. I kept walking, taking halls deeper into the fortress. Her steps became more persistent. She was making this harder on me than it already was.

Maybe if you hadn’t stood around gawking at her the whole damn time, I chided myself. Maybe the job would’ve already been done.

I stopped short of a forked hallway when I heard voices coming from around the bend. I ducked into the shadows and hid myself from view. They were ladies, I thought to myself with a frown, not guards at all. But when the ladies stopped the Princess to talk, I knew I had my chance. I emerged from the darkness and her eyes found mine immediately. I knew she had her chance to call me out and have me arrested for trespassing—hell, even robbery—but she stood there and talked to them as if she hadn’t seen me at all. Her eyes watched me as I left.

The Queen’s sacred chambers weren’t hard to find. In a literal sense, all I had to do was follow the voices of gossiping women. Once I’d given them all a chance to clear out, I snuck in and locked the door behind me. For a moment I got caught up in the essence if the colossal room, taking in everything from the four-poster bed to the golden curtains that accentuated the crystal glasses and marble floors. Though, I couldn’t forget my reason for being here so easily, it was my only reason, in fact.

To save my family.

I searched the dressers first, sifting through drawers of clothing, make up, and accessories.

Women, I thought with a grimace.

When I gave up hope on the dressers, I tried the wardrobe, digging through coat pockets for anything. I’d almost assumed the room was empty when I stared down at the bottom of the wardrobe and found a jeweled box lying beneath fallen clothing. I reached for it, the finality that I’d found something hitting me with a wave of relief.

I didn’t hesitate or freeze up like I did at Miss Othman’s shop. I knew someone would be up here soon—or worse, the Princess would find me.

The box was no bigger than a shoe, but inside it held more than one would expect. Surprisingly, it wasn’t locked either. Inside held tons of images, most mainly of Thediby’s wide plains and fields—places I could only dream about.

A picture fell from the box and as I went to pick it up, the electric blue eyes of a little girl staring back at me gave me pause. My fingers caressed the picture as if I could really reach out and touch her. She was young and looked happy, life’s burdens thrown to the wind without a single thought of remorse. She wore a big, toothy grin for the photographer with her arm slumped over another young boy. She was unrecognizable, but one thing was certain.

She was a Hunter.

Her dirty clothing proved that. I pondered who she was or if she was alive, who the young boy was and if he was still with her. Overall, I wondered if she knew her picture hid in a box at the bottom of the Queen’s wardrobe.

I dismissed the thoughts and shoved the photo into my breast pocket. It wasn’t important to me, but if it had been hidden for a purpose, it was important to someone. I rounded up the bills at the bottom of the small box and pushed them into the pockets within the blazer I’d borrowed from Adamo. Actually, most of what I wore tonight was from him, even the mask. My hands shook violently as I checked for anything out of its place and it made it hard to focus on the noises outside in the hall.

Noises. I stilled.

No, voices.

At a stealthy pace, I shut the box and returned it to its place in the wardrobe. The voices in the hall grew nearer and they seemed to coincide with the beat of my heart, a loud hum I could hear clearly now as I rushed to a corner of the room and hid behind the curtains.

The door knob shook momentarily and I held my breath. I cursed myself silently and tried not to think too much ahead of myself. Unfortunately, that never worked. They were going to catch me and I was going to be thrown into the King’s playing chambers.

The door eased open and someone stepped inside, their feet still on the parquet. My heart must’ve skipped a million beats then because I couldn’t hear its slow staccato rhythm in my ears anymore.

The door slammed shut and the sound of a lock being turned resonated through the room to where I stood.

“I know you’re in here,” she said. I released a small breath, but wasn’t relieved in the slightest. “Ayden, I know it is you.”

Frowning, I moved from behind the curtains and stood a yard’s length away from her. She looked beautiful. I resisted the urge to look her directly in the eyes, but the Princess was everything the guys had made her out to be and so much more.

“How did you know—” I started.

“How did I know it was you? As if watching you sneak into the room wasn’t clue enough?” she said, echoing my earlier words. Her gaze on me turned curious. “What are you doing in my mother’s sacred chambers, Ayden? She isn’t here to grant you the permission, and she still wouldn’t have had she been here.”

All thoughts of her beauty shifted when I became aware of the money and the picture in my pocket. “How did you get in? The door was locked.”

She held up her wrist to me and the key on her bracelet sparkled in the dim florescent lights. “Miss Ashley has the key to every room in this palace, as every Floor Keeper does. Good thing I ran into her, eh?” She frowned and moved closer to me. “Why are you here?”

“I’m here in service,” I said without missing a beat. It would have been a good lie had I been a good liar.

She glanced over at the wardrobe and my eyes followed. I hadn’t closed the wardrobe, not completely. She didn’t seem to notice this because she turned back to me and said, “What is it like where you come from?”

“Excuse me?” I said, feeling out of place. What kind of question was that?

She sighed and moved to sit on the bed. “Is it alright if I confide in you for a moment?” Before I could answer, she continued. “Everyone has this image of me as future Queen, future heiress. Seems people are so caught up in assuming what I want that they are too busy to ask me themselves. I don’t get...”

She stopped.

“What?” My sudden interest got the best of me.

“I don’t get why there are two Havens or why we are so different. Is our blood not the same color? Do we not bleed the same or share each other’s burdens? I don’t understand.” Her eyes watched me passionately, as if she could see right through me. That frightened me more than anyone could ever know. “What makes you and me so different?”

She waited for an answer I couldn’t give her. “Well, that’s a loaded question. Maybe something you should ask the King.” I eyed the door and she watched me. “I should be going, I’ve got somewhere to be and it’s not safe to be alone with you in here.”

“Why?” she asked.

She had no idea. Her blue eyes watched me—eyes that didn’t belong to a Warrior or a Hunter. She was neither earthly nor otherworldly, she lied somewhere in between where to fathom beauty meant to ponder life.

“I need to leave.” I moved to the door and she stood to her feet, but made no indications of stopping me. I had my hand on the knob when she called me.

“Just between you and me,” she said, barely above a whisper, “you can keep the money. No one has to know.”

I didn’t stop to ask how she knew; the Princess was a mystery in herself. It wasn’t until after I closed the door and walked as far as I could, did I start to panic.

She knew. Yet, she would remain silent about it. At least that’s what she’d said. There were very few things I didn’t understand in this world, and the Princess had just become another enigma in the mess.

I wondered if she knew I had the picture as I walked down the grand, stoned staircase and out into the foyer. If so, did she know the little girl had eyes as big and blue as hers? Yes, I was sure of it. I didn’t know if she was the girl, but there was no mistaking the similarities.

As I made my way past the guards and into the light of the moon, the night whispered to me the secrets of New Haven.

Secrets I now held in my pocket.

E I G H T

Echo

Isobeli could talk for years.

She sat on my bed with the city’s newspaper sprawled out in front of her, her mouth moving hysterically as she filled me in on the latest gossip.

I stood by my window, my back to her, as I stared out at the sun and wondered why the gods did nothing while their children suffered. If difference was so essential, I thought to myself with a frown, then why would any of us try so hard as to fit in? Why would we bother? Was there a difference in this case?

My answer came to me in a gasp as Isobeli shouted something and shoved the newspaper in my face. “Look at you and the Prince,” she said, voice taking on a whole different octave of excitement. “You guys look so fit for each other.”

My frown worsened. We try so hard because it is all we’ve ever known, I thought. We try to fit ourselves into this world so that we don’t seem more different than different, an oddity in a sea of normality. We try because it is only instinct, but we obey because it is law.

“I don’t want to see it,” I growled, pushing the newspaper away. I still caught sight of the Prince and I dancing, playing the part of happy betrotheds while the ugly truth sat just below our façades. After Ayden had left last night, the Prince had treated me to wine and frivolous dancing. I got to know his family a whole lot more, but perhaps just a little too much more. The surprise he’d wanted to show me was the new garden my father was building in the rear of the Grand Season fortress. Bleeding hearts was all there had been to see, but the memories they conjured were enough to get me through the night.

“Oh, come on.” Issy dropped the paper on my bed and crossed her arms over her chest as she watched me. “What’s wrong now? I thought you sai—”

“Look—” I pleaded, “I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just...let’s just talk about you. How’s Aunt Janelle?”

Issy shook her head, but decided to go with the change in subject. “She’s fine. Great, actually. She asks about you all the time, wants to make sure Aunty isn’t spoiling you rotten.” She smiled. “She’s proud of you, you know?”

A smile played on my lips. “She is? For what?”

“Just for being you.” Issy folded up the newspaper and sat it on the floor. “You should visit Delentia again, before it is too late.”

I watched her. “How do you mean? We have time.”

“No, we don’t.” She sighed and continued. “Mom’s been worried about you the same. She wants to know how you are dealing with the marriage.”

My smile faltered, but I didn’t let it fade completely. “Tell her she shouldn’t worry about me. I’m doing the best I can in the position that I’m in.”

“I know, and I get that, but how do—”

“Drop it,” I said, my voice harsh and brittle. “No one cares what I think.” I moved from the bed and to my dresser, hoping Issy wouldn’t see the signs of depression I’d been trying to battle since coming home from the ball last night. I’d excused myself from dinner and locked myself in my room for the night. I didn’t sleep, though; the gods wouldn’t have it. Darkness fell and morning rose, and I still had yet to rest.

My night was spent with vacant stares at the poster of King Val wondering, what if? What if we all had a second chance?

As much as I prayed, and even begged, all I heard from the gods was nothing.

A rap on the door stopped Issy from saying anything. I moved to answer it and a short woman with a pretty face stood behind it.

“Yes?” I asked. My voice may have sounded rude, but I couldn’t tolerate the disturbance at the moment.

“The Queen has asked for you,” she whispered inaudibly.

I sighed and closed the door behind me, making my way downstairs. If I knew any better, I’d assume my mother wanted to discuss wedding details and she’d be waiting in Father’s study room looking through magazines. I’d have to walk in looking excited when in reality I wanted to take every magazine she owned and throw them through a shredder. Along with that clutch I resented so much. This wedding was tiring and I was about fed up with all of it.

To my surprise, Mother wasn’t waiting in Father’s study room and she wasn’t excited. Far from it, actually. As I walked down the corridor leading to our living room area, Mother’s swearing and pacing of the room found me before I found her. It filled me with so much dread it took half my being to just open the doors and walk into the room. Instinct told me to bow my head in shame, that whatever was her problem had to do with my date with the Prince last night. But there was barely time for that, not when she was this upset.

“Were you in my chambers last night? When you went to the fortress?” she asked, no preludes whatsoever.

I swallowed hard, forcing the lie out as smoothly as possible. “No, Mother. What’s the matter?”

She turned from me and began pacing again, her fingernails digging into the palms of her hands. “Someone’s been through my things, Echo. I didn’t give anyone that permission!” Her loose, blonde tresses flew up around her face, her emerald eyes emanating that kind of rage only my mother was capable of. The sun beating in from the open windows did nothing to hide it. I stepped into the room and sat on the arm of the love seat, doing my best to keep my heart from slipping to the pit of my stomach.

“Are you missing anything? I’m sure Father can—”

“No! Your father cannot know about this. Promise me you won’t tell him,” she slurred, tears in her eyes.

“Mother, wait. I-I don’t understand what’s going on. Is it money?” That had to be it, the money Ayden took last night.

She shook her head as if trying to rid herself of something and said, “No, no. Echo, a lot of people could be hurt if I don’t find this picture. I had it right there, I swear!” She moved over to the tea table in the middle of the room and began digging through the drawers.

A picture? What picture could be so important?

I ran through the night in my head, replaying the moment I realized Ayden had taken mother’s money she always kept hidden in her dresser in case Father decided to leave us. I’d told her that would never happen because I was sure he loved us enough, but she insisted that there were things not even I could understand. The meaning of that was far beyond me.

“What picture are you talking about?” I went to her and kneeled beside her. My mother looked out of place in a room filled with pastel, lace, and expensive woods. The simple fact that she was on the floor made me panic. What was going on? I pulled her hands away from the table and sat them in her lap. “Mother, what picture? Was it of you and Father, or Aunt Janelle? Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll find it.”

Her eyes looked cold now, blank even. She watched me, her lips trembling violently as she mumbled, “It’s all over. Everything.” Her gaze turned to my hair and she watched me closely. She reached out and touched my brow and trailed her fingers down the side of my face. “I tried so hard, Echo, the gods know I did. No amount of time can fix the sins I’ve committed.”

My heart rate increased in my chest, my breathing escaping my lips in hot rasps. I couldn’t even find the words or where to begin. What are you talking about, sounded good, but the words wouldn’t form.

“Aleksandria,” my mother said in her strong Thedibian accent, bringing my thoughts back to her. “When you find love, you take it. Never let it go, do you understand?”

Panicking, I removed her hands from my face and stood to my feet. “You’re not feeling well, is that it? You—”

“Promise me!” Mother shouted hysterically.

“I promise, okay.” I swallowed the lump in my throat and absentmindedly kneaded the thread of my gown between my fingers. I needed something tangible to hold on to, something that kept me grounded while reality seemed to spiral into oblivion.

Mother stood to her feet and seemed to calm down, but her stare still remained vacant. “Some are born to live and to fight, Echo. Others are born to fight for their right to live. When those two collide, there’s hell to pay.”

I remained silent.

Mother watched me. “We only dream of—”

“Abriel!” Father’s voice was loud compared to the silence that had taken over the room. It startled the both of us and Mother made an attempt to seem decent as Father walked into the room. “There you ladies are. We have a guest.”

I turned to look at Father for only a second, but when I met Mother’s gaze again, all signs of sadness or apprehension had vanished. It was as if none of that had even happened.

“Oh, how lovely. Who is it, dear?” Mother went to him and kissed his lips, looking up at him dreamily. The woman I saw before my father was not the same woman I saw only a few seconds ago.

Huh, I thought, just like that.

“Do you remember the fellow who used to work for your sister?” Father asked. He was obviously talking to Mother because I knew no man. “I believe his name is Conroy?”

If I hadn’t been anticipating the hysterical woman to show again, I would have missed the frown that played on my mother’s face before it disappeared into a full blown smile that reached her eyes. A man with long, dark hair and scruffy clothing moved from behind Father’s back. He removed his hat and bowed his head to my mother and me, a small smile on his face. His dirt-packed boots and hardened features told stories of late nights in the field and hours in the shops. The fact that Father referred to a Hunter as a ‘guest’ surprised me.

“Conroy,” Mother whispered. Familiarity laced her tone. “How nice to see you again after all these years. I believe you’ve met my daughter?”

Conroy looked up at me through his dark tresses and smiled a smile so familiar, yet so distant it hurt to think about it. His deep, blue eyes went on for miles, a depth so sacred it seemed ancient. I curtsied for him and he winked.

He winked?

“I believe so. How’ve you been, Princess?” he asked slowly.

My smile faltered, but one look at Mother told me that if I slipped again, it’d be one long trip down. “I’ve been doing great, but if you will excuse me, I think I will go attend to some things in town.”

I turned to leave, but Father stopped me dead in my tracks.

“She’ll be a wife soon enough, Conroy,” he said. “We’re very proud of the woman she’s becoming.”

“Indeed,” Mother chimed in, tightness in her voice. “She marks the beginning of a new, prosperous era. She was born to be Queen.”

With my back still to them, I made my way out of the room, holding in the tears that dared to spill. No one would listen to me! What did I have to do, what did I have to say to make my voice heard? Only Caesar was scolded for his foolishness, and yet, Mother still forgave him for it all. If rebellion was the only way to get their attention, then they were in for a rude awakening.

N I N E

Ayden

The Princess stormed out of the house with the rage of a Tigress. I’d expected to see the Queen, actually—on one of her usual rants about something gone astray. She shrugged off the guard who dared talk to her and pushed him away as she wandered down the lawn. I hid in the bushes of the bleeding heart garden, unabashedly watching her.

“Why?” she shouted, kicking over a watering can on her way to the sitting bench beside the huge oak.

I watched in amazement, completely and utterly captivated. Her blue eyes stared out at the sun in the sky and I could see her lips moving hesitantly as if she were whispering a prayer. I wanted to know what she was saying, but talking to her would risk the King’s wrath and the upbringing of last night. It seemed neither of us wanted to discuss why I was in the room or why she let me leave with the money.

“Echo,” someone called from the distance, and she yelled, “Go away!”

To hear those words from a Royal’s mouth was startling. There was something about this girl, her defiance really got to me. The way she went out of her way to do everything possibly wrong and uncivilized intrigued me. Her rebellion...yes, that’s what had me so mesmerized.

A tall, blonde woman I knew as the King’s oldest daughter, Shadow Abbeny, wandered around the corner of the palace to where Echo sat. Though she knew she was there, Echo still refused to acknowledge her.

“Want to go into town again? Ezily has something new to show you,” Shadow said, her hazel irises that were the norm for Warriors watching Echo’s face as she gazed into the sky.

After a moment, Echo finally said, “Why me, Shadow? Why am I the only one unhappy?”

Her sister sighed, but didn’t make any intentions of moving. She whispered her answer too low for me to understand, and as if my feet had a mind of their own, I moved in closer.

“It’s all in your mind, sweetheart. You can be happy if you allow yourself to be.” Shadow pushed a strand of the Princess’ hair behind her ear, and I felt my fingers twitch with the urge to do the same. To run my hands through her hair and feel the silk on my skin.

The thought angered me. Had I really become this infatuated with her? I cursed myself for getting distracted and went back to work in the garden, cursing the heavens even more as I plowed. Though I was further away, I could still hear the Princess’ voice.

“I feel...I feel like I’m lost in this world where I don’t belong, like I’m living for everyone but myself.” I looked up from the corner of my eye to see that Echo was pacing the lawn, her hands playing with the thread of her gown. That was a habit of hers, I’d noticed last night.

“Echo, have a seat,” her sister coaxed, but she waved her off and continued to pace.

“I feel like I don’t...fit in here.” Echo looked down at her sister and frowned. “I have so many questions, and I don’t have answers. I don’t want to be some lucky catch for the Prince. I want to travel and leave Thediby, dammit! It’s like—” When she turned around, she suddenly caught my eye. It wasn’t fear I saw or disgust, or anything I’d expect from a Royal. It was relief. “It’s like I’m lost,” she said. Her eyes watched me. “I just have to find my way home again. You know?”

She glanced down at her sister for assurance, but Shadow looked anything but pleased. “Are you mad? Speaking so loudly and out of terms could get you in trouble. What’s gotten into you?” Shadow stood to her feet and took Echo’s hand in hers.

Anger played on her face just before she was consumed by sadness. I didn’t know if her sister could tell, but that look spoke legions for me, it was a look I was sure I’d taken on many times before. It was the look of desperation.

“Nothing,” Echo whispered. She pushed Shadow’s hands away and brushed the loose hairs from her eyes as the wind picked up. “I’m just tired, perhaps. You know me, the pipe dreamer, right?”

There were tears in her eyes. Her sister sighed and began leading her in the direction of the palace. “You need a goodnight’s sleep. Only a few days and you won’t have that privacy much longer.”

Echo followed behind her, though I saw reluctance in every step she took. She turned to watch the sun again, but at the last moment, she turned to watch me. It wasn’t just desperation, I thought to myself, it was a plea for help.

“That’s not a smart idea,” a voice whispered behind me.

I spun on my heels and met her face to face. Of all the people I’d wanted to see today, Feven was sadly in the bottom three. After two days and no word from her, she’d become dead to me.

“You’re alive, I see,” I sneered, throwing down the shovel for the wheelbarrow.

“And you’re a garden boy still, I see,” she mimicked. I watched her closely and, from the corner of my eye, there was no mistaking her new tattoos, the loss of weight, and the ghostly shade her complexion had taken on. Feven looked sick. “That’s a dangerous game you’re playing, by the way. Been there, done that.” She moved from behind the bush she stood in and walked towards me with a duffle bag in tow.

Dropping the wheelbarrow down, I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. She’d chosen the wrong time to act like a fool, if my temper was anything to go by. “What are you talking about?”

She waved a finger in my face. “Naughty, naughty Ayden. I saw the way you were looking at the Princess. She’s something, ain’t she?”

Choking down a smart remark, I pushed her hand away and tried my best to imagine a hawk sweeping her off the ground and taking her somewhere far from me.

“Anyway, I have a favor to ask you.” When I didn’t answer, she continued. “Good, I’ll do all the talking. I need somewhere to stay for a few nights, just till Mimi gets her own place.”

I slammed the package of soil down on the asphalt and pressed my fingers into my already throbbing forehead. “No,” I said, turning to face her. “Hell no.”

“And why not! It’s just—”

“Where’ve you been for the past two weeks, Feve? Adamo says you’ve been with a guy named Silas?”

“Relax, Father,” she scoffed. “And Adamo needs to mind his own business. I’ve been…around.”

I sighed and strained to breathe in the heat. Feven was only nineteen. Her mother was a friend of the family, and after she died and my family was deemed untrustworthy, I swore to protect her. She had no one, and even though I didn’t quite know what that was like, I didn’t want her to go a day thinking she had to face the world alone. If anything, I wanted to be her friend. But she was running off so much that I was beginning to feel like a father, a position that made me feel uncomfortable, stressed, and overwhelmed.

“Okay,” I sighed. “One night. One night and that’s it. You make a mess, you clean it up.” I approached her until I was standing shy of her nose. “Above all else, stay out of trouble and don’t go into the house.”

Feven held her hand out. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

I watched her hand for a moment before shaking it, trying to ignore the gut-wrenching feeling that I was swearing my soul to the devil’s advocate.

WHEN Feven and I had finished with the garden and we were excused for the day, we crowded into my small cabin barely sizable for two. We’d made it past my father, but it wasn’t like he was sober enough to notice anything but the beer bottle in his hand.

Feven followed me into the small kitchenette and sat down at the table. The sound of her boots on the tiled floor was heavy and dragging. I watched her silently. “Want something to drink?” I asked her, just to cut the silence.

“Sure.” The low ceiling lamp illuminated the new tattoos on the side on her face. A lot of things were new about Feven lately.

“That’s nice.” She pointed to the picture hanging on the wall of my parents. I remembered the picture being taken as if it were yesterday. I was only eight, but the memory was something that would always stick with me. They were the only times of happiness, when Misty and Milo were still very young and my parents were happy and lively. Now, though, one taste of reality was all I needed to know that things would never be that way again, no matter how hard I strived for it.

“They miss you, you know?” I handed her the glass of water and watched her gulp it down greedily as if she hadn’t had something to drink in ages. I took the seat across from her and tried my best to seem civilized. “Why’d you leave?”

“Why does it matter? I left.” She slid me the empty glass and, not catching my eye, began to play with the loose threads of her sweater sleeve. “Things have changed, you know that.”

I frowned. “No, I don’t know. What exactly has changed, Feven?”

Her voice was noticeably smaller when she answered, “I have. But I’ve been doing well. Getting better, I mean. Mimi says she’s proud of me.”

Feven had been battling the wars of depression since her mother’s death when she was three. I’d known her since, and just enough to know that Feven lied so much that she even believed the tales as truths. Now, as she could barely look me in the eyes, I knew she was the furthest thing from recovery. “You shouldn’t have left,” I told her. “Knowing that I have so much on my hands to deal with already, I’d expect you to understand that better than anyone else. I can’t be worrying about my family and making sure you have somewhere to sleep and food to eat every night.”

“You don’t have to worry about me,” she said dismissively with a wave of her hand. When she caught the worry in my eyes, she continued. “I met someone.”

“Who?” The urgency in my voice was no mistake.

She cleared her throat and only then did she look me in the eyes, as if to confirm she was trying so hard to make her lie sound as honest as possible. “It’s no one, really. Just someone that I met. They’re going to take care of me.”

“So why are you here tonight?” I asked her.

“They had to be somewhere—with someone.” Her eyes flashed a gleam of hatred, unmistakable as they stared back at me through heavy eyelids. She rolled back her shoulders and shook her head. “Let’s not talk about this, eh? How’s Carys doing?”

“My mother’s fine,” I said. That was when my eyes had left hers in both shame and disclosure. “Much better, but it’s not a constant thing. One day she’s walking to the market and back, and the next she can barely leave her bed.”

Feven reached across the table and her hands covered mine. I stared down at our joined fingers for a long moment, trying to decide how it made me feel. Finally, I got up and figured I really didn’t care what feelings it evoked. I’d been a standing brick since day one and a foolish, little girl wasn’t even close to the sanity I craved for.

“I’ve been praying for her still,” Feven whispered.

“To whom?” I laughed. “To the gods that find peace in watching their children suffer? Some hope we have.”

She said nothing, but I could sense her mind stretching for the right words. The silence went on for so long that neither one of us could take it any longer. I had to move away.

Before I made it out of the kitchen, she stopped me. “What happened to us?” she whispered. There was a tremor in her voice.

It was a simple question, really. “Time, life, and history. Those things you seem to have forgotten. When you remember all that New Haven has stripped from you, ask yourself that question and make sure you have an answer. I’m sure you’ll be more grateful for the things you have. Revenge, Feven, it is solace. The only thing I’ve ever called home.”

She still had nothing to say as I walked down the hall to the bedroom, nor did I expect her to. I didn’t care if I’d answered her or not. Truthfully, I’d answered some question buried within myself, a question I’d been seeking answers to for far too long. “Revenge,” I whispered to myself. The word tasted like venom on my tongue, but sounded like a siren’s call to my ears. So sweet, yet filled with so much hostility. Was it a sin to want both?

I never checked to see if Feven would move from the kitchen, but when I rolled over in the middle of the night, I found her on the floor, huddled under a few jackets I assumed she’d brought with her. She shivered and murmured something incoherent. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I walked over to the window, slid the drapes apart, and locked the window shut. I considered leaving her as she was on the floor, but then again, I was never the heartless type.

I pulled a few blankets from an old wicker dresser and threw them to the floor. Feven garbled something again, and I sighed.

“Feve,” I whispered, gently tapping her shoulder.

She stirred but didn’t move. I tried again, but all she did was swat my hand away. Angry this time because I wasn’t in the mood, I slid my arms under her and carried her to the bed. She weighed nothing as she shifted in my arms.

“I’m trying, Feven,” I whispered, laying her down and pulling the blankets up to her neck. She murmured something that sounded like ‘goodnight’ then turned over and fell right back to sleep.

Making myself comfortable on the floor, I felt my mind begin to drift. It was unbidden at first, the memories that plagued me, but I relaxed and let them take me. That night I dreamt of the future, or was it of the past? It was before Mother got sick, before we moved to Shadow Hills, and right when I had first met Feven.

Feven Damkuri.

She was a puny little thing, with her russet ponytails, wobbly knees, skinny features, and a thin waist. She wasn’t anything special to look at, but she always made sure she was noticed by everyone. School was just a few blocks away from home back in Loracre and, like all the kids, I’d walked the ways to class. Since Loracre was closer to the outland bay, the streets were full of sand and not many people bothered to waste money on horses when they’d noticed the deficit. I was in the seventh form then and Feven was in the fifth. Though I wasn’t exactly popular, I had friends. Feven, on the other hand, had no one. Shame to say, I wasn’t one to care.

But that day, when I saw her in the alley crying, something broke in me. Perhaps because the sadness that seemed to consume her day after day was the same thing I saw in myself when I found out my mother was dying. The urge to go to her and help was strong, but never being a comforter, I dismissed it. It wasn’t until that day outside by the old playground, watching her staring out at the bay as if she was lost out at sea, that I decided to do something.

It took everything in me to go to her and say, “You’re sad.” The playground was empty, we were the only ones. While the rest of the children had scurried home, we lingered.

“Really? I didn’t notice.” She wiped the tears from her eyes and took another step closer to the waters. “What are you doing here, Grey? Want another good laugh at the girl with greasy hair? Or the one without a mother?” I had frozen. “Well, I’m not going anywhere, so take a long, good look at me.”

My mind twisted with confusion. I knew she was picked on a lot, but I never paid much attention to it, nor did I care. Now, though, I felt bad for not doing something. “I’m sorry about your mother, Feven. She was real nice to me; my mother knew her well.”

“No one knew her like I did!” she shouted, with her hands up in exasperation. “My mother was the… She was the wisest woman I knew. She taught me everything when Father left. I took care of her for years, Grey. It was just her and I. Now she’s gone and I have no one.” She took another step closer to the bay. “I’m so lost.”

I dismissed all doubts that came to me when I reached out and held her in my arms. She was so small, and being in the seventh form, I didn’t know the first thing about girls. I guess, in some way, pain was pain. I’d had enough of it by then to know when a broken heart matched my own. “Your mother was amazing, Feven. I’m sorry she’s gone.”

She tried to push me away, but the tighter I held, the more the challenge left her. She fell limp in my arms and convulsed with tears. She whispered, “Do you know what it’s like to have no one, Ayden? It’s worse than loneliness…it’s the death of you.”

She fell to the ground and I fell with her, locking my arms around her. “No, I don’t. But at some point I will.” Feven looked up at me.

That day, I wasn’t sure what it was, but I’d found someone else who was as broken as me, maybe even more so. The two of us had sat quietly for the rest of the evening, staring out at the open bay and blue skies while I listened to Feven murmur a prayer for her mother’s ascension. I had no tears to shed or a prayer for the deceased.

I’m so lost.

Glancing up at the moon through my small window, I realized that’s exactly what this was.

We were broken. We were lost.

There was no hope for the hopeless.

T E N

Echo

Shadow was late and Mother had already forced me through two plays of music, each of which I didn’t even know the composer.

“Again,” she barked. I sat up straight and poised my fingers over the keys of the piano. My fingers were red from all the playing, but I continued. “Sing.” I opened my mouth to belt out the chords and the words slipped from my lips in fluent New-Latin, a language well spoken in Thediby.

Mother showed no signs of stress when I looked at her from above the piano top. Not that I liked seeing her so mad and crazy, but every few minutes I found myself anticipating the moment she’d break down again. Remotely, I wondered if she was sick. It wasn’t a good thought, but it was better than thinking your mother had two personas.

“I can’t hear you,” she yelled.

I rolled my eyes and sang louder. “Follow me to the garden of Eden / where the willows bloom and meadows sing— / Run with me as we take the sky / and flee the sorrow that tomorrow will bring—”

I’d known this song as if I’d been born with it. It was an old nursery rhyme Mother was so adamant on me learning. I’d played it enough to know I would never, even in a million years, forget it.

My words were cut off by Shadow’s footsteps on the parquet. Mother looked at her angrily when she asked to take me into town. She complied anyway and I left with Shadow.

I smiled discreetly.

“What took you so long? She was killing me in there,” I said as we passed the guards outside the door and sauntered down the huge lawn of the palace.

Shadow rolled her eyes and dismissed me. “Does it matter? I’m here now. And I heard you in there; it seemed to me like you needed the practice.”

I gasped and nudged her shoulder with my own. “You know I’m not the piano-playing type.” I skipped in front of her, walking backwards and doing my best not to trip over my feet. “Besides, I’m going to be a Tigress like you and Ezily.” At the sound of those words, they just felt right.

“Let’s not far-fetch this, okay?” Shadow sneered. “I just want you to know how to protect yourself, just in case.”

I froze. “Just in case what, Shadow?”

“Nothing.” She waved it off and continued to walk. We were outside the palace compounds now, walking along the dusty roads to the market gates. “It’s nothing. Anyway, you’re getting married, you’ll be Queen soon, and no one will be able to hurt you. You won’t need to be a Tigress.”

I stopped and allowed Shadow to walk ahead. It wasn’t the fact that she’d pushed my temper with the marriage talk or even being Queen. It was that last bit that I would have missed had I not been listening intently. Shadow had never lied to me, nor had she ever had reason to. Was she implying that I wasn’t good enough? Or was this just her ensuring our family’s title? She was another mystery to me, as well was everyone lately. For the first time, I questioned the stability of my family.

Ezily waited by the same tree she did everyday when we met her for practice. This time there was no target on the tree, but a sword in Ezily’s hand that made her look more of a Tigress than she’d ever been. “I see you’ve dressed for the occasion,” she said, swinging the sword around in her hand, gracefully slicing the air.

I shrugged and smoothed down the front of the leather corset Shadow let me borrow. The pants were mine, the only thing I owned that wasn’t a dress. My hair was pulled into a tight ponytail that hung well past my shoulders. “Dress to impress, right?”

Ezily smiled. “That’s what I like to hear.” She sheathed the sword and whispered something to Shadow. Shadow nodded and I watched her take her place further down the park, somewhat hidden behind the big tree. “Shadow’s your target.” Ezily quickly untied her sheathed sword from her waist and threw it to me. “I want to see what you can do under pressure.”

I barely caught the sword. “Are you kidding me? That’s like putting me in a den of lions—I don’t know anything yet!”

Ezily laughed. “You’re smart, so do something.” She looked back at Shadow who had dropped into a low stance, and cocked her head towards me. “Don’t worry,” Ezily whispered. “She’s your sister, so by law she can’t kill you. Purposely, anyway.”

And that makes me feel so much better.

I unsheathed the heavy, adorned sword and tried my best to hold it above my head, or was it supposed to be behind me like a swinging bat? Ezily laughed at me and I sulked. “You’re cruel,” I told her.

“We’ll see who’s cruel.” She waved over to Shadow and I braced myself for impact as she charged for me. Something had told me, probably years ago, that I was born to be a fighter. Maybe it was seeing my sister take out that boar or living the monotonous life I knew I couldn’t carry on much longer. I was a fighter, but I just didn’t know what to fight for.

As Shadow grew nearer, I found what I wanted to fight for and I reached for it. Freedom—that is all I ever wanted. Shadow wasn’t my father, the one who was stripping me of that liberty, but for the moment she was. I released the pent up anger of being shut down and allowed it to swallow me whole. Revenge—it was something I had never craved for until now. Temptation, rebellion, and love—my only allies in a disastrous war against myself.

“Don’t just stand there, move!” Ezily barked, and almost immediately, I reacted. When Shadow was at most a foot away from me, she swung down with her sword in earnest means to harm me. Or scare, in which she had done successfully. But my reaction time was fast and I quickly ducked out of the way, turning so that I was standing behind her.

Shadow laughed and said, “Not bad. For a rookie.” She swung again, but this time she was deft and unpredictable. There was no time to counter, so I ducked again, meeting the edge of Shadow’s sword face to face. “Always look where you are turning; never take your eyes from your enemy’s weapon. Do so—” Shadow lifted the edge of her sword to my neck and shook her head, “—and you die.”

“Again!” Ezily shouted. “Concentrate, Echo.”

I am, I thought. With a sigh, I held my sword up to Shadow’s. Ezily counted to three and gave us the thumbs up to go. I’d always known Shadow was strong, but when she pushed forward with her sword and charged for me again, I seriously thought she was going to kill me. Too many times to count a match had ended with her sword to my neck or me face-planted in the hard, packed dirt while she pressed down on my back with a heavy foot. By the end of the day, I was tired and frustrated.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get it. Shadow’s had years of practice, remember? She wasn’t always great, nor was anybody.” Ezily draped an arm around my shoulder and smiled.

I stared at her. “It’s not that. I just expected more out of myself. Maybe I need to give it another shot?”

Shadow came around from behind us and shook her head at me. “Don’t stress yourself out, Echo. We can try it again tomorrow.” When I sighed, she continued. “You were doing it all wrong, you know? I saw the look in your eyes.”

“What look?” I moved away from the two of them to sheath the sword. I handed it back to Ezily with a frown.

“One of vengeance and anger,” Shadow answered. “You thought it could fuel you, but you were wrong.”

“No, I—”

“You can’t go on adrenaline alone,” Ezily cut in. “It will only carry you so far. When the rush is over, and you can’t face the reality of war singlehandedly, you’ve succumbed to the worst defeat. Yourself.”

I shook my head. “I don’t get it.”

Sighing, Shadow unsheathed her sword and began twirling it around in the air, talking to me but not at me. “Greatness lies somewhere between defeat and victory—only there, in fact—as a mind cannot work without a body. Anger blinds you and keeps you focused on one thing: killing the person who hurt you. But keep in mind that the other has the same goal, and when two similar fronts collide, there’s hell to pay.”

Where had I heard that before?

She stopped, pointing the gold-hilted sword at me. “You have to be smarter, wiser, and focused. There is no defeat in war, there is only victory.”

“But—”

“The only war worth fighting for is the war against yourself. Just so happens that in every war there are reasons why you are fighting so hard, the main one being your own salvation. Remember that.” Ezily patted my back and then went to Shadow, playfully punching her in the arm as she walked back towards the tree.

The sun had already begun to set high above the clouds and the market shops were closing up. On a Saturday evening, I knew people were preparing for Mass the next day.

The way back to the palace was quiet and solemn. Shadow noticed my odd silence and said, “What’s this all about?”

I shrugged. “How do you mean?”

“You’re angry, but I don’t know what about.”

I shook my head and pretended not to care. Of course I was angry. I wanted to learn how to fight now. And if I could prove to Father that I could be a Tigress too, maybe he’d cancel the wedding.

I stopped.

The thought didn’t make any sense at first, but the more I thought about it, the more the truth became clear. My eagerness to learn came from my unwillingness to be married off to some jerk. Would Father even care? Or would he be angry? I bristled at the fact that my Father’s opinion in this actually mattered. Finding common ground with him was possible, and as much as I had always thought highly of him, I was sick of being his sweet, little princess who did everything right. I was sick to my stomach and I’d had enough.

“If you’re really so worried about the family, maybe you should talk to Mother.” Before she could make any sense of what I said, I lunged for the palace doors, pushed passed the guards, and made my way to the back of the palace. I had no intentions of locking myself in my room like I did the night before, and Issy was out of town for a while—the nomad that she was.

Eventually, I found myself wandering out to the garden at the rear of the palace, not looking for anything in particular except silence. I followed the stoned path to the garden and held my dress up from the hem. Just above me I could hear the sounds of the morning Nightingales, New Haven’s one and only, and they sung of happiness and joy. I hummed along as I found the bench seat near the bleeding heart garden.

I hadn’t come out here much since Shadow left for war, I realized, but it was a peaceful place, nonetheless. The day I stormed out of the house I hadn’t been thinking, I just needed to get away. It was only instinct that I came here. This was my escape when reality got too cold, when the truth became too much. I had never enjoyed the idea of being a princess. I would watch the other little boys and girls playing from my window and long to be one of them. I wasn’t allowed to leave the palace without a guard, and even now I wasn’t supposed to leave without someone with me. It bothered me that Mother protected me so much, even at the age of seventeen. Would it always be like this? Surrounded by a world I didn’t understand but forbidden to explore it?

If it was, I didn’t know how much more I could take of it.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind me and I resisted the urge to turn around. I became oddly aware that I didn’t even care who it was, I just hoped they wouldn’t notice me. Not that I could disappear or anything, but a girl could dream.

“Echo,” my father said.

I stared blankly ahead, ignoring the way his voice sent chills down my spine. I wanted to talk to him, but I had nothing to say.

“I understand your anger but do not forget who you are dealing with. Know your place.”

I cringed, my hands curling into tight fists, and said, “I’m sorry. I’d think this would be expected since you are throwing me off to get married to some fool! Do you not care about my feelings, Father? I want—” I stopped. When I turned and met his eyes, the stormy irises spoke legions. Suddenly the words wouldn’t come to me, or I was terrified of the damage they would do.

My father was tall—wise, I guess you could say—and fierce. But where he was sensible, I was foolish. He was a realist, and I was a dreamer. If I thought really hard about it, my father and I had nothing in common besides our will and determination. Though, I always took that for a coincidence.

He stood with his back against the green house, his legs crossed at the ankle. He was old physically, but his mind was always developing some new crazy scheme. “What right do you have to question me?” he asked rhetorically, and I could hear the tinge of anger in his tone.

“Apologies, Father. I just don’t know what I can do to make you understand. I wish you would. Mother won’t listen to me and I just...feel so alone.” Tears came to my eyes at the truth. Yes, that’s what I was—very much alone. “I want to be a Tigress like Shadow and Ezily. I want to be free...and—”

“That is not your place and I have told you that many times.” He pushed off of the wall and came to sit alongside me on the bench. He stretched out his long legs and his hands in his lap burned with age. “Our reign must continue, Echo. I have worked too hard to allow another to step in and ruin the nation I’ve taken years to revive.” He shook his head. “I chose you because I know you can do it, you can lead us.”

“Father, but—”

“Do not interrupt me.” His face had turned stone hard. “I am sorry that you are unhappy, but sacrifices must be made for the family. I’ve made them, your sisters have, and the gods know your Mother is doing all she can.”

The clip of his tone made me pause. He was obviously laying the guilt trip on thick, but bringing Mother into his momentary cold-heartedness was unreasonable. I’d always gotten along with my Father, so for him to completely shut me out was foreign.

“I know she has, Father, but you said we’d wait until I was nineteen, you said you would give me time to think about it.”

Father shook his head violently and waved me off. “No, you were wrong. Life puts you in difficult positions, Echo, but you have to be bold and live through them. After all, that is only the basis of living.”

“I—”

“Enough, Echo!” He wasn’t yelling, nor was he whispering. “You know better than to argue. Were you not my child you would have been sent away already. I’m not tolerating this attitude. What’s gotten into you?”

I sighed inwardly and peered down at the bleeding hearts—delicate and beautiful, yet fated to a horrible title.

Like myself, I thought.

“Nothing. Perhaps I am just tired.” That seemed to be my excuse for everything.

My father stood and reached into his overcoat pocket. His long grey tresses fell into his eyes, and I noticed then how much my Father and I looked nothing alike. Both my parents were born with rich, golden hair that many envied and Everlae, Caesar, and Shadow’s were much of the same. Distantly, I wondered why I was so different.

Fear and doubt crowded into my mind, but there wasn’t space for both. If I pondered the thought further, I’d be facing things I wasn’t ready for. I was sure of it.

“Here,” Father said. He handed me an embellished pamphlet, white and decadent in every way. My hands shook as I took it in fear of what it was—what it meant. Without looking at the lettering, I turned it upside down on my lap. “Your mother wanted your approval first.” He stood for a moment longer than moved to kiss my nose, a gesture that felt colder than his lips on my skin. Suddenly, my father and I had never felt so distant. Suddenly...New Haven didn’t feel much like a haven anymore. “You will be Queen.”

And then he was gone.

I sat staring blankly ahead for what could have been hours, lost in a white sea of emptiness. For a while, the tears wouldn’t come—no matter how much I tried, my feet wouldn’t move. Would showing Father that I could fight work now? Did it even matter anymore? This feeling of being outspoken choked me up. It made me uncomfortable and agitated. My palms itched as my nails dug into them, reaching for a release I couldn’t find.

Without a second thought, I turned over the card and gawked at the gold lettering: the wedding invitation.

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO THE JOINING OF PRINCE NOAH OF DELENTIA AND PRINCESS ECHO OF THEDIBY IN HOLY MATRIMONY, AND THEIR CROWNING TITLES OF KING AND QUEEN OF NEW HAVEN.

AUGUST 29TH

SIPHON’S CITY, NEW HAVEN

AT THE KING’S ROYAL TOWER

ONE WORLD! ONE HAVEN!

In a fortnight. My heart had taken on another rhythm then. Every skipped beat was followed by a weakened one. The staccato drum waned in my chest and all the blood rushed to my head. I’d never tasted the kind of anger that burned me inside out then—it was strong and controlling. It blinded me and the heat of the moment was what I went on.

I found myself racing across the yard, through the palace, and out the front doors while avoiding a glance at anyone. Some called my name, but they were a window of the past. As I stormed out the front door, a guard took me by the hand. “Princess, where are you going?” he said. Without as much as turning around, I swung at him and knocked him to the ground. He stared up at me with wide eyes. A Royal—more less, his Princess—would never physically hurt anyone.

As I stared down at the young boy, I realized tears stung my cheeks. I wasn’t crying because of the letter or because I was sad, but for myself and because I was burdened with an insatiable anger I didn’t know how to let go.

“I’m not your stupid Princess!” I snapped. The boy hadn’t a clue what I was talking about. I swallowed. “I don’t want this anymore. I can’t do it. I’m sorry...” I turned and ran in the direction of the forest, away from the streets and markets—anything that was New Haven.

“Princess, wait! You can’t leave at this ungodly hour!” the boy yelled.

His voice was another piece of the past as I ran. I ran until my feet couldn’t carry me anymore, until my lungs refused to let me breathe, until there was no where left to go. And the whole time, I wept.

Finally, I stopped running. Tears still stung my eyes, but after all that, there weren’t many tears left to cry. I’ve never been here before, I thought to myself as I took in the wide river, the sand, and chirping Nightingales alighted on the branches of the trees.

I clenched the pamphlet between my fingers, quickly remembering I had it still. It felt hot in my hands as if it was the source of everything—why I was so miserable, why the world was so broken...Why I felt so alone and no one cared about what I thought. Even thinking of its existence angered me.

I tore it up into pieces, relishing in the way it became nothing but broken pieces of a puzzle. “I hate this!” I yelled. Still running on anger, I threw it into the river. Watching it float away wasn’t enough, so I hastily tore off my gown and the thread struggled to hold together under my onslaught. I threw it into the dark waters, and as I watched it float away, I prided myself. I sank to the sandy floor in nothing but my bodice and underskirt. I swore that if anyone found me I’d strangle them.

I hurt too much...

Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I should’ve gotten up and gone back to the palace. I should’ve apologized to Father and gotten married to Noah despite how I felt. But that part was minuscule compared to my anger, it didn’t stand a chance. If I could help it, I never wanted to return.

Something ruffled the trees behind me and I stopped sobbing to listen. They were footsteps, slow but heavy and distinctive. “I’m not going back. I refuse,” I yelled out, assuming it to be one of my father’s guards he’d sent for me. If it was the same boy, he’d be wise not to touch me again.

The footsteps still approached. Did he not hear me, or did he not speak English? “I said I do not wish to be disturbed! What part of—”

“You sure have a big voice for a damsel in distress,” a male voice echoed.

I caught his shadow first, and as his face drifted into view and his voice rung clear in my ears, I had a sudden awareness of who he was.

The boy with the violet eyes. The Hunter.

Ayden.

“You followed me,” I whispered. I turned away from him and stared out at the moonlit river.

“No.” His voice sounded closer. “I heard you. It’s kind of hard to miss a screaming girl tearing at her clothes at this time of night. That’s not something you can exactly walk away from.” I could sense him smiling at his own humor.

“I didn’t mean… I just wanted—” I froze. “I don’t know what I want.”

Ayden’s footsteps stopped beside me, and when I looked up, he was busy staring out at the moon. It was weird, how comfortable a moment with him truly was. I knew he was no different from me despite the posters and the chants, but he was different. In some unspoken way we understood each other; running into one another was inevitable. He didn’t ask me why I was here like I didn’t ask him why he stole from my mother. I think whether we both chose to acknowledge it or not, on some level we connected.

That thought should have scared me, but I waited eagerly for the day this boy wouldn’t intrigue me.

“Here,” he said. He held something out for me, and in the night it was hard to see what it was. As soon as I took it, though, I knew.

“The invitation. You read it.”

“So quick to assume, Princess. Is that a Royal thing?” He snickered. “I didn’t read it. I can’t.”

I threw the wedding invite back into the waters and prayed it’d float as far away from me as possible. There wasn’t going to be a wedding.

Breaking free from my musings, I realized what Ayden had said. “Can’t? You mean you cannot read?” My voice cracked to my dismay. How could anyone live without knowing how to read?

Ayden said nothing.

Turning away, I whispered, “I could teach you. It isn’t too hard and I’ve always been good at it, I guess.”

That made him smile. “It’s okay. I’ll get along fine, thank you.” He looked down at me with those eyes that shone brighter than a million suns. I wondered if mine shone the same.

“Do they have schools where you come from?” As soon as the words fell from my lips, I regretted them. What a stupid question.

But Ayden only laughed at me. “Yes, we do. We have those things.” He kicked at the sand below his feet, the laughter draining from his eyes. “But it’s not like schools here. We can only learn so much from the people who learned nothing. Everything we know is instinctual. I guess that’s why they call us Hunters, eh?” He smiled, but it was very cold.

“I don’t know why your people are called Hunters, but everyone should know how to read.” I crossed my arms over my chest as a slight wind began to pick up. “Are you going back?”

We looked at each other. “To Old Haven? Yes, I must. I was just finishing up some things for the Queen in preparation of the wedding.”

“There is no wedding,” I ground out. “Prince Noah is unlawful. I refuse to marry someone who I do not love. Isn’t that the point, to marry for love?” I stared up at him expectantly, but he only shrugged.

“I wouldn’t know the first thing about love, Princess. I can say I’ve seen it, but I do not know it. Marrying for love is beyond me.”

My eyes shifted to the river again, regretting ever bringing up such a personal matter. I closed my eyes and willed myself to fall asleep for millennia, but the gods wouldn’t have it. Did they even care? The thought was foolish, I knew, but at the moment, when life seemed to be giving me the thumbs down, it was safe to doubt. It was solace.

Voices came from behind us, followed by running footsteps. Both of our hearts seemed to stop in our chests as if we were being caught in a scandalous tryst. “I must go,” Ayden said.

I immediately jumped to my feet. “Wait! You can’t leave me.” He stopped walking and turned to face me, confused from crown to sole. I murmured, “Take me with. To Old Haven, I mean.” When he began to shake his head, I added, “I beg of you, please.” I knew crossing the border terrified and excited me in the worst ways, but anything was better than going back to the imprisonment that was that palace. Anything.

“You can’t be serious?” he whispered, approaching me. His head darted between me and the voices in the dark.

“But I am. I need to be as far away from here, I need to get away.” Tears sprung in my eyes and blurred my vision. I was desperate.

“I can’t, I’m sorry.” He turned away from me, but I didn’t let him get far.

“Please! I’ll do anything.”

As the voices inched closer, Ayden seemed to weigh his options. And he didn’t take long. He pulled off his overcoat and handed it to me. “Wear this. The guards will notice you at first sight.”

I tossed the coat over my shoulders, making sure to cover my hair and face. I looked up at him and whispered, “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” He slipped his hands into mine and led me through the trees in the opposite direction of the voices. I was oddly aware of his calloused hands holding me, the way they made my own hands seem so small and childish. His coat smelled of leather and clover, lilacs and sun. It was a weird mixture, but it was definitely Ayden. The smell of him was intoxicating and I hoped it would never leave me.

“Don’t look up until I tell you,” he whispered. We slowed as we reached what I assumed was the border. Ayden gripped my hand more intimately and I tried not to think anything of it, despite the way it made my heart jump.

“Names,” said a deep voice. He seemed to pause. “Ayden. Who is this you have with you?”

I froze.

“Feven. She’s not feeling so well, the Servant Keeper believes her to have the flu.”

Silence, and then the sound of gates opening rattled the ground beneath me. “You’re free to go.”

Ayden put his other arm around me and led us through. I gripped his hand tighter as we walked and prayed they wouldn’t call us back. Feven—he’d said I was Feven, but I wondered if a Feven even existed. Ayden had lied for me, and just like that, he had somehow gained my trust.

“You can look now.” He released my hand and took a step back. The air was the first thing I took notice of as I removed the coat from around me. It was dry and passé, stiff and unmoving. I could hear that Old Haven had Nightingales too, but their songs were somewhat sadder, lonely.

We stood alone on a dirt path with the border and the guards nowhere in sight.  Old buildings, rundown shops, and beat up carriages were all this place was. Trees willowed and flowers sulked. It seemed as if the sun didn’t touch this part of Alwaenia. I wondered how anyone survived depression living in a town like this.

“Where is here?” I whispered.

Ayden began to walk and, out of fear from being left alone, I followed his every step. “This is Loracre, Old Haven’s richest city.” He smiled ruefully.

This is rich? “What happened?” We turned left down a street and I watched the darkness escape into the alleys. “To the city, I mean.”

“Your father,” Ayden said, glancing back at me. “His reign sought no room for Old Haven, and so we grew poor, desperate. We’re used to it, really,” he added at the sight of the look on my face.

Silence grew between us and I whispered, “I’m sorry.” Ayden nodded his head and continued walking. I didn’t know what the apology was going to fix, but it was a start. I was truly sorry, and being it my father’s fault, I was ashamed.

The neighborhood grew quieter the more we explored it. Birds stopped singing and the moon seemed to hide from us. There was only an unsettling darkness. Finally, Ayden stopped at a small house with a mess of a lawn and stood to stare at it for a while. Only one light was on and it seemed to be coming from the kitchen. I looked up at him to see if I could see what I was apparently missing, but he just sighed and started walking again. I wanted to ask, but dismissed it as none of my business. He could have left me at the river, but he didn’t.

We cut through the back of the same house and he unlocked a gate. Plastic toys and dolls lay strewn across the overgrown grass, but he easily kicked them aside. He kept quiet the whole way across the backyard, which wasn’t much but grass and weeds. I looked up from my feet and noticed a small hut-like home that sat oddly alone. I followed him in through the door and realized how small the place was, barely room for one but somehow managing.

A pang of guilt hit me hard in the chest and almost knocked me back out the door. This was his home, this was where he lived. I wasn’t the judgmental type, but I knew this was probably all he had. The feeling made me want to wrap my arms around him and apologize until words were no more.

“The bathroom is through there,” he said, motioning down a small corridor crowded with boxes. “You can sleep in my room; I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“No. I wouldn’t want to be an inconvenience. By all means, let me sleep on the couch.” I glanced around the small area that was supposed to be the living room. Also cramped with boxes, but warmer in a way.

I handed him his coat and he draped it across a chair. Our fingers touched for a second and I wondered if he felt it. If he did, he didn’t look into it. “Ill just take the floor, then.” He sighed and led the way to his bedroom, which was the biggest room in the cabin. A few blankets already lay on the floor and the ones on the bed seemed slept in.

“Was someone here?” I asked without thinking. I mentally kicked myself in the shin.

“Was here. She’s gone now.” He moved to the bed and began stripping it bare.

She? Was he married? He did look old enough and was the farthest thing from unhandsome. Or was it a girlfriend?

“You can have the bed,” he said, looking up at me. He’d replaced the blankets on the bed with new ones.

“Thank you,” I answered inaudibly. I moved into the room and sat on the edge of the bed, watching him as he made his own on the floor. By the way he seemed so unbothered I could tell sleeping on the floor was no oddity to him.

Glancing across the room at the mirror that hung on the wall, I finally took into account how disheveled I looked. I looked…scary. My hands went to the clips in my hair and I quickly plucked them out. I raked my fingers through my unruly curls, and then spun it into a tight bun using a single pin. Better, I thought, gawking at myself in the mirror. I lay the rest of the pins on his dresser and ignored the fact he had nothing personal in his room, everything was quite…plain.

I settled into the bed as Ayden turned the lights out. The moon seemed to be back, but still remained cautious and tentative outside the one window.

“Ayden,” I whispered into the darkness.

“Princess,” he called back, turning over on the floor.

I stammered. “What’s it like not knowing how to read?”

“How can you explain not knowing something if you never knew it in the first place? I never needed to know how, so I never tried to learn.”

Silence engulfed us.

Fingering the edge of the blanket, I said, “You work for my mother and father, what is that like? Are they cruel to you?” I held my breath for the answer.

“No. They can be lovely people when they want to. But for the most part, I try to stay out of their way and finish my job as fast as possible.”

“And your parents?”

I could sense his hesitation. “They’re…around. My mother can’t do much since she is ill. I’ve been working since I was eleven in place of her.”

“And how old are you?”

He laughed. “Sometimes it feels like ninety.”

I giggled into the pillow and suppressed the anxiety. He couldn’t be a day over nineteen. “But really, how many years?”

“I’m twenty-two. And you are seventeen,” he answered matter-of-factly.

My eyebrows rose. He looked young for twenty-two. I’d been calling him a boy all this time when really he was a man.

Tiredness grew on me and I caught myself slipping in and out of consciousness. Ayden got silent below me, so I guessed he was in the same state.

“Ayden,” I murmured. He mumbled something in reply. “What is your last name?”

It took him awhile, but he finally whispered, “Grey. Ayden Grey.”

“Thank you for saving me tonight, Mr. Ayden Grey.”

“You’re welcome, Princess.”

After the silence grew thick, I turned over and stared out the window, gazing up at the moon. Absentmindedly, I began to sing, mumbling like I always did when tired.

“I wish for today and dream of yesterday / If the gods should hold me in their favor, then I shall hope for tomorrow,” I sang. It was an old prayer I’d turned into a song, one my mother didn’t even know about. I had no idea where it came from, but I’d been singing it since the longest I could remember.

“Ayden,” I called out one last time.

When he mumbled and I turned to see his eyes watching me with concern and warmth, I said, “You can call me Echo.”

E L E V E N

Ayden

If the gods did exist—not saying that they do—I was sure they were having a good laugh at me right now. In less than twenty-four hours I had managed to sign my death sentence with barely a second thought.

I glanced at her sleeping face, my emotions betraying me. Hysterically I thought, you’ve done it now Ayden—you’ve actually stolen the princess. I couldn’t help but smile, though as soon as I thought back, I felt something akin to terror.

She’d been so afraid last night that looking into her eyes had caused me to lose myself. If anyone knew fear like I did, it was her—this angel who had somehow stumbled into my life and reasoned me into thinking irrationally. That second I looked at her and saw how scared she was I decided that I really only had one choice. It wasn’t whether or not I would take her with me, but how I would keep her safe.

The Princess—Echo was her name—stirred and mumbled something in her sleep, smiling as if the darkness of our world had no effect on the euphoria of her dreams. I knew right then as I took in her soundless form and beautiful face that I would have protected her with my life last night. As much as it pained me to admit it, I had to pay truth where truths were due.

Before my thoughts of her could drive me crazy, I left the cabin and made it through the backyard without disturbing the neighbors. The back door of the house was left open, so all I had to do was pound the doorknob a couple of times before it gave way. The house sat eerily quiet, and for a moment, I hesitated.

Soft footsteps padded into the room and I quickly recognized them as Misty’s. I turned to face her and was saddened by the look in her eyes, which seemed swollen with tears.

“Ayden,” she murmured, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“What’s wrong, Mis?” I crouched down to her level and smiled at her frilly, pink pajamas and bed hair.

“I had a bad dreamy. Mommy left and Milo said he....”

That was all she really had to say. I scooped her into my arms and carried her back into the room. Milo, bare-chested and oblivious, laid half on and half off his bed.

“Here.” I handed Misty the stuffed bear she’d become oddly infatuated with over the years and tucked her into the bed.

“You left,” she whispered, yawning and pulling the blankets up to her neck. Her green eyes stood out like a thousand suns against her sandy brown hair and olive complexion. Just like her mother.

“I didn’t go anywhere. I’m here, aren’t I?”

She nodded. “Yeah, you are. Did you do it yet, Ayden? Save mommy, I mean.”

My fingers paused on her forehead as I took in her words. “What do you mean ‘save mommy’, Mis? I’m doing the best I can.”

“I know, but you’re going to fix this, aren’t you? That’s what Milo said. Please don’t tell me he was lying.”

Her eyes filled with tears and I quickly moved to lie beside her. “Yes, I’m going to fix this, everything.” I kissed the top of her head and held her close. “How about I tell you a story?”

“The Princess and the Prince,” Misty said excitedly.

I cringed at the close comparison, my mind conjuring thoughts of the Princess who lay barely ten feet away. Sound asleep in my bed.

“How about The Family That Strived?”

“What’s that one? I don’t remember that one, Ayden.” Misty entwined her arms through mine and snuggled closer.

“It’s a new one, you’ll love it.”

I began to tell her the story of a poor family who strived on what they had, which wasn’t much to begin with. The father worked hard, but not nearly enough, and the mother stayed home to cook and clean. The two children went to school off of what little money they had and the older brother worked hard hours to help his parents. Somewhere down the line I had lost myself in the story, quickly realizing that the concept was no incident.

The family didn’t end up rich in the end like some overrated fairytale, but they survived. No sicknesses, diseases, or King broke them apart—they strived.

Misty lay still beside me, sound asleep, yet still hanging on to me tightly. I allowed my eyes to drift close for a moment and I welcomed the darkness. Sleeping on the floor two nights in a row beat sleeping on that rock of a couch, but it definitely had its disadvantages.

“Ayden,” I heard Milo call out. I hadn’t even realized he was awake. He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, staring at the door with apprehension.  “Who’s she?”

My eyes followed Milo’s hand to the door, and froze. Echo stood in the archway looking cautious and out of place. She still wore her underskirt and bodice from last night and her hair lay in a loose bun around her shoulders. I untangled myself from Misty and quickly went to her.

“You shouldn’t have come in the house,” I told her. I closed in the twins’ door and led her through the kitchen.

She only shrugged me off. “Well, I woke up and you weren’t there. I thought maybe...”

“I left you,” I finished for her. “Just stay in the cabin and don’t come in here.”

“Who lives here?”

Ignoring her, I walked her out the door and into the backyard. “My parents,” I finally answered, scrapping my fingers through my hair.

“And why don’t you—” She nodded at the expression on my face. I didn’t know of she understood that I couldn’t stand being in the same house with my father for so long, but she definitely got that I didn’t want to talk about it.

“Just... I’ll be back in a second with some food.”

She nodded and headed back into the cabin. I watched her retreat, feeling somewhat guilty for being so harsh.

By the time I returned to the kitchen, Father was already up and busy doing the dishes. Though, as I stepped through the door, his attention turned to me. He’d shaved and wore some of the clothes he’d gotten from church donations, a shirt a size too small and faded jeans a size too big. I knew he was going for the sober look, but one glance into his eyes and you knew the man was a full-blown addict.

“You’re up,” I whispered.

He looked at me indifferently. “I am. Where were you all night, you missed dinner and your mother cooked.”

I shrugged a shoulder, showing him the same amount of nonchalance he showed me. “I stayed at a friend’s. And I’m sure there are leftovers.”

I moved over to the refrigerator, desperate to find something and leave, but was stopped by the sight of Mother walking through the corridor. I took in her frail body and tired expression and went to her without thinking twice.

“Oh, please,” Mother said, dismissing my help. “I may be sick, but I think I can find my way to the table, Ayden.” When she sat down, she looked up at me with pale green eyes that used to hold a special fire but had long burnt out. “My handsome boy is getting big, isn’t he, Francis?” She looked towards my father and he gave a scowl over his shoulder.

“Just take it easy,” I whispered to her. Her pale eyes watched me. “I need my mother, so just...slow it down, okay?”

She reached up to kiss my cheek and smiled a smile of memories. “You don’t have to worry about me, Ayd. Just work on making me a grandmother before the next apocalypse, eh?” She laughed and turned towards the newspaper on the table.

She knew she couldn’t read, but that never stopped her from trying. In fact, none of us could read properly, or at all, except my father. He had grown up lucky—his mother had learned from her grandmother. You’d think he would make it his duty to teach us, but he always had his selfish moments, always would.

“Oh, the Princess looks so lovely, doesn’t she?” Mother held up the newspaper to the light.

I zoned out as my father joined her at the table and they flipped through the papers. When I looked inside of the fridge, I found it hard to hold back the bile rising in my throat. Old meat, spoiled milk, and left over lasagna was all there was, and the lasagna looked as if it’d been laid out on the asphalt in the sun to bake. I bit my tongue to hold back my snarl, but it was a battle so easily lost. With all the work I’d been doing, the money I’d been giving them, they should have had more than this—more food, more something. Where the hell was it all going?

Looking over my shoulder at my father, I knew exactly where it was going.

“What does that say, Fran?” Mother asked him.

He took the papers from her and began reading what he could. Though my father was definitely a narcissist, he loved my mother more than life itself. He could have left, but he didn’t. The thought made me realize that he might’ve been trying a lot more than I was giving him credit for.

“I’m not sure what this word is, Carys, but I think it’s talking about a missing person.” He handed it back to her and shrugged.

“Well, that can’t be right.” Mother turned it around in her hands as if another angle would help her read it better. I smiled. “They’re talking about the Princess, honey. How could she be missing if she was just at the Ball the other night? Or was that last night? I can’t remember.”

“No, that was a few days ago, love. And I’m sure I read it correctly.” He pointed down to a specific word and began to sound it out. “Mis-sing. Missing. It’s right under her picture.”

I slowed as I turned to the cupboards. The Princess couldn’t be missing, she was…

I cursed loudly and Mother turned around to scold me. I barely gave her time to say anything before I reached into the cupboards and grabbed a can of sausages and a banana off the counter. At that moment I don’t think I was breathing, or even thinking.

“Can I see this for a second?” I asked Mother. I pointed at the newspaper.

“Yes, but Ayden—”

I took the papers from the table and rushed through the back door. “Language, I know. Won’t happen again.”

As I walked into the cabin, my emotions ranged from anger to shock, and right back to anger again. The Princess missing? No doubt the entire civilization of New Haven was looking for her. She was heiress, who wouldn’t be trying to find her? Worst of all, though, was that she hadn’t gone missing at all. I’d taken her—stolen her—and now I was facing death because of one moment of weakness.

I dropped the food on the table in the kitchen and carried the newspaper into the bedroom. My hastiness suddenly faded when I set my eyes on the Princess and everything I’d been so flustered about ebbed away into the shadows of my mind. She stood with her back to me, but I watched her in the mirror. She raked her fingers through her dark tresses that must’ve been wet from washing them. She hummed and sang like she hadn’t a clue I was there and I took full advantage of it, consuming her with my eyes. She was small, very much like Feven, but in a humble, less aggressive way. I noticed her nails were painted black and smiled. She could’ve gone with pink, red, or even green. Instead, she went with black—a small, yet significant detail about her rebellious character.

Sometime between the past two days, I stopped caring whether my thoughts turned to her or not.  They were inevitable—like trying not to think about war when it is all you know. She’d actually become the sanity I strived for, the piece heaven in the midst of my infinite hell.

“You’re back,” she said suddenly. She turned to meet me and frowned. “With newspaper?”

I glanced down and remembered the reason for my anger. Funny what one glance at her could do. “I need you to read it.” I crossed the room and handed it to her.

“Okay. What is this for, may I ask?” Her hands left her hair and she moved to the bed. I sat beside her, but not close enough that I could smell the scent of her hair—pinewood and peaches as if she’d just come from the market.

How do you know she smells like peaches?

Sighing, I said, “Just read it. You may not like what it says.”

Her blue eyes watched me for a moment before she nodded and began to read. “August 15th: Word from the King has not been final, but it is rumored that she disappeared at midnight. No reasons have been given nor has a letter been left behind. It is safe to assume that she has been kidnapped…” She stopped to clear her throat, and then continued. “The Queen refuses to talk and her betrothal, Prince Noah of Delentia, has sworn to find her himself and bring her back. Till then, guards have been given the right to forbid anyone, Warrior and Hunter, from leaving or entering the border until the missing Princess is found… The King promises the death of her captor.” Her eyes shot to me, emanating a kind of anger I’d never expect to see in her. “What is this?”

I shook my head. “My death certificate, that’s what it is.”

She shoved the papers in my hand and began to pace the room. “Missing. Me,” she ranted. “Dammit, Ayden, they think I’m missing! Do you know what this means? Every guard, maid, Keeper, and Warrior probably has that picture of me in their pocket, searching everywhere but where I truly am. Here.”

I groaned, her words like wounds to my heart. I was dead. That should have concerned me most of all, but it didn’t. Who would take care of my mother, Misty and Milo? I shuddered. No one.

No, this couldn’t happen.

“You have to go back.”

Echo stopped pacing the room long enough to look at me. “Are you mad? I-I can’t. I don’t want to.” She watched me straight in the face, daring me to defy her. Sadly, she was just as stubborn as I was.

“You have to leave. I can’t have this burden on my family.” I stood and walked to the door, but she blocked the entrance.

“I can’t go back there, Ayden. It’s not just the wedding, it’s everything. I can’t be there, I can’t live. Call me delusional, but the last eight hours that I’ve spent with you were the freest hours of my life.”

I stared down at her emotionlessly. The confession should have enlightened me, but it only tempered with my growing ire. “You can’t stay here. Who knows how long it will be before they are kicking down my door? You can’t possibly understand the position this puts me in.”

“Yeah? Try me. You think you’re the only one, but you’re not. This is hell on earth for me too.” She stood with her back against the door, her eyes full of tears.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured.

“Ayden, I don’t have anywhere else to go. I’m—”

“And how is this my problem!” I yelled. Instead of shying away like I presumed she would, she grew about two years older as she stepped closer to me and looked me dead in the eyes.

“I need you, okay? I’ll die before I feel comfortable in my own home, my own Haven! I’m abnormal, I don’t fit in,” she sneered.

“Why have your problems suddenly become mine, Princess?” Without thinking, I gripped her shoulders. “I don’t even know you!”

“You’re the only one,” she screamed, pushing at my chest. “You listen!”

“Maybe I don’t want to listen to you now!’

She pushed me away and moved to sit on the bed. She sat staring blankly ahead, tears dripping down her cheeks. If I felt any guilt at all, it was very small. As much as I couldn’t stop thinking about her, this was my family, my life, we were talking about.

“Not you,” she whispered. She shook her head and looked up at me through her tears. “Just tell me one thing: what changed between the first time we ran into each other and last night?”

“Nothing,” I answered. Very vague, and a complete lie.

“Fine. I’ll go.” She got up from the bed and rushed out the door. I followed behind her instinctively, grabbing a scarf from over the couch, and caught her as she raced through the yard.

“You can’t just walk through the borders expecting no one to notice you.”

“I don’t care anymore!” she yelled, pushing me from her. “Neither do you, so just leave me be.”

I watched her walk away and cursed whatever gods could hear me. I resented them for this, all of this. Most of all, I hated her for whatever spell she’d cast on me.

“I’m taking you as far as the border. From there I’m sure you can find your way back. You’ll need something to cover your face,” I said, walking through the backyard to meet her.

“I misjudged you, Ayden Grey,” she said. She snatched the scarf from my hand and began walking out the gates of the house. As we made it down the street, I looked back at the house and noticed Milo sitting by the window watching us, frowning. In that look alone I knew no Princess could take me away from them.

We strode in silence. Echo wrapped her hair and face in the scarf, pulling it so that it covered up to her nose. Not once did she look at me, not once did I expect her to. The arrangement had been temporary, if you could even call it that.

When we approached the border, which wasn’t far from the house at all, Echo seemed to tense. I was a bit afraid myself, but a plan had already been prepared in my mind.

“Ayden Grey, right?” one of the guards said. The others hung around in the back, their swords in tow as if we proposed some kind of a threat.

I nodded. “Yes, but I’m not going through. She is.”

“Name,” he barked at Echo. She jumped.

“Aleksandria,” I said, saying the first name I could think of. It was foreign, but I’d heard it from somewhere.

Echo’s eyes met mine then, a hidden message behind her own. She shook her head slightly and I could tell there was familiarity in the name.

“Check her,” the guard called to another. A hefty looking man came from around the guard and immediately started to pat Echo down. I was surprised how impassive she remained.

“Unfortunately, we aren’t allowing anyone through the border until the Princess is found. You’ll have to come back another time.”

“No,” Echo whispered.

I stepped closer to the guard and said, “It’s important that she crosses over. She…has family and they’re sick.”

He shook his head. “Sorry, I can’t help you.”

“Please,” I begged. “Does she look harmful to you?” He sized her up for a minute, and then turned to talk to the other guards. They watched Echo and one of them pulled out a picture, holding it up to the sun. I knew it was a picture of her, but without her dress, make up, and hair accessories, the Princess passed as a Hunter. It helped that she had eyes as blue as sapphires, too. She was odd, the Princess. She looked like she didn’t belong to either side. Her complexion, hair, and her eyes were Hunter, and her accent and demeanor was strictly Warrior.

Thinking about her made me think about the picture I still had from the Queen’s wardrobe and how strange it had been to find it there of all places. Before I had time to process the similarities again, I remembered the money. I remembered Tyron. Suddenly, I wasn’t in any rush to return home.

“She can go,” the guard said, tucking the picture away. “She can’t return, though. If we see her anywhere near the border, we’ll turn her in.”

Echo nodded and quickly made for the drawbridge as they opened it. I didn’t get to look at her or even say goodbye. She just left with the unspoken words to fill the void.

It was until she was completely gone and the twenty foot wall stood between us that I really began to miss her.

T W E L V E

Echo

I’d never felt so alone.

In all my seventeen years of life I’d never second guessed myself so much, believed in the impossible to the extent where it became plausible, or jumped head first into something before thinking about the consequences. To say I felt stupid would’ve been an understatement. My father was right. I was imprudent; a hopeless dreamer. I was foolish for believing I could run away, foolish for thinking there was another way out. The cold, harsh truth was that I would always be this way.

Utterly alone.

I ran blindly through the trees. The scarf had long blown away and I was too upset—too angry—to turn back. How could he? I didn’t know a thing about him, but I trusted him. It was as if he and I only existed on this earth and I had no other shot at survival without him. In this world where the very thought of an adversary was frowned upon, he was my only hope. Now it was like I’d lost my light and way without him. All I became was a little girl stumbling through life with a glacial void that used to be a heart.

I brushed away the tears streaming down my face and continued to run. The thought of going back home was heartbreaking, but where else was there to go? I stopped at a crossroad somewhere in the market and ducked into an alley. I didn’t know when I’d broken away from the forest, but I didn’t care. The alley was dark and I took the opportunity to stop and think. I slid down the brick wall and curled into myself, crying silently and shivering in the slight breeze. I was still in the clothes from the night before and I felt naked and exposed. How was I a princess? Princesses didn’t run, they didn’t hide. They…

I didn’t know. Honestly, I didn’t give a damn what it meant to be a princess or what they did. I just knew I couldn’t—wouldn’t—be one. Only, I had no where left to go but to the palace—my personal hell.

I stood to my feet and brushed myself off. It did nothing, of course, but it made me feel better about lying on a street floor in a stark alley. I wiped my face free of tears and attempted a smile.

“This is your life, Echo,” I whispered to myself. “Own it.” I put one foot in front of the other and stepped out of the alley. I was blinded by the sun and immediately raised my hand to shield my face. I took another step and was swarmed by the people in the market. It didn’t take long before someone noticed me—shouts, cries, and stares announced my arrival. I kept walking until I felt a guard grab me. Not roughly, of course, but to ensure that I wasn’t going to run away. Fine, I thought, they can have me.

They pushed me through the gathering crowd and into a coach. I barely even noticed it there, I barely noticed anything. People gawked at me, clueless to the fact that what they were witnessing was self inflicted. I could’ve only imagined what they were thinking; their precious Princess being held captive against her will. I frowned. In a way, in this city, I was.

“The King and Queen will be glad to see you alive,” a guard said to me as he helped me into the carriage. I didn’t disregard the help, but I surely did not want to be touched. He climbed into the seat next to me and we left.

I watched the people outside the window as they pulled out their cameras and began taking pictures of me. I didn’t smile at them; they disgusted me. Worst of all, I had nothing to say or anything to own up to. I thought about what all the people in New Haven had, and then what little Old Haven had. It was ridiculous how half of a country was striving while it watched the other deteriorate. It didn’t make sense to me and it never would. If for any reason I wanted to become Queen, it would be to change this nation. Not in the ways of two, but one.

The coach pulled up at the palace and the place had never seemed so dead to me. I saw everything in a new light. The decorations, the gardens, the gold, the glitter—it made no sense. Mother wasted no time in getting the wedding together, even with me gone. To have so much and do absolutely nothing with it was an atrocious attribute my parents had, one everyone in the family seemed to inherit but me. I didn’t even believe I belonged to this family anymore.

“Princess,” someone called.

I glanced down at the guard and growled, “Do not call me that!” I stared blankly at him. “My name is Echo. Just Echo.” I jumped down onto the walkway without any help and stood there staring at the doors. The guards walked ahead of me and parted way for my entrance. The palace felt colder and void of all feeling. I should have felt at home, I should have rejoiced, but all I could think about was Ayden. I knew he’d be on my mind a lot, willingly or not.

The maids crowded into the kitchen as I passed them and they all curtsied for me. I shook my head and they looked confused. “You are no lesser than me, stand on your feet,” I said to them. They did as I said, but still hung their heads.

By the staircase, Noah was talking on what we called a teli—small and simple, and could call anyone within the walls of New Haven. I didn’t know who he was talking to, but when he saw me, he froze. He shoved the teli into his pocket and with a fixated glare, excused me from the guards.

“Noah,” I whispered.

“Echo, what the hell? Where’ve you been all this time? Did you know—”

“It is none of your concern, Noah,” I said sternly. “Look, I understand your anger but I’m okay. I’m just afraid that my parents will not think so lightly of my disappearance.”

He glanced behind me at the waiting guards. He sighed. “I’m afraid I don’t know what to tell you.”

I took a step closer to him. “You must vouch for me. Say that I was away or something. They will not believe me, unfortunately. Perhaps they will trust your word.”

“Is this about that boy?” Noah sneered, his expression becoming hard and ruthless.

“What boy, Noah?”

He whispered, “Don’t act stupid. That boy you chased after at the Ball. I saw you with him, Echo.”

My mouth hung open as I searched for the right words. “Noah, I wasn’t… I swear…” He arched a brow and I sighed. “You misunderstand, I—”

“Whoever he is, you will stay away from him.”

“Excuse me?” I was apparently seeing Noah in a whole new light, too. He was no longer the boy in the carriage, the sweet-talker, or the charmer. He was a cold, arrogant tyrant no different from his father. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” But he did. The violet-eyed boy was no longer a secret.

Noah turned from me and held out his hand. “The King and Queen await.”

I took his hand, I had to. “Yes, alright.” Fear planted its seed in the pit of my stomach and I felt it blossom into something disastrous. If he only told a soul…

I watched him and didn’t bother to think about the possibility. We walked with the guards into the throne room and I averted my eyes from everything. My reflection stared back at me in the marble floors and I saw how disheveled I looked. I knew this wasn’t going to be any ordinary family meeting.

“Echo,” my father said. He sounded close. I looked up at him, my dirty tresses in my eyes, and made an attempt to look happy.

“Father, I am so—”

“Your mother and I are glad you are home and safe,” he interrupted. He stood from his throne, and I then noticed the other hundred eyes on me in the room. “We just ask that you tell us where you were so that these people will be taken care of immediately.”

“No need for an apology, my child,” Mother said from her seat. “It is not your fault, just tell us where you were.”

I stuttered. “I-I was…”

“Were you harmed?” Mother asked. She stood and came to me. “Did they threaten you in any way? Please, tell us.”

“No, Mother!’ I yelled. The room went quiet. “I wasn’t harmed, threatened, beaten, or taken advantage of.”

“Then where were you?” Father said. I stared at him and shook my head. The gaze in his eyes said it all. One wrong answer and that was it.

Noah seemed to remember our joined hands and he raised it to my father. “She was with me, my King.”

Gasps echoed around the room and I undoubtedly felt shameful.

“What business have you with my daughter before the wedded day!” Mother barked at him.

“She came to me, my Queen.” Noah looked down at me and I stared helplessly back. “She is a woman in love, she cannot help it.”

I started to shake my head, but Noah grabbed me and kissed my lips. I stood still with my eyes open and kept my hands from touching him. His lips were cold and wet, not exactly how I imagined my first kiss. I felt an overwhelming sensation, but nothing akin to love or compassion. It was emotionless and empty. He pulled away from me and everyone in the room watched for my mother’s reaction.

“Well, then,” someone whispered.

Mother looked from Noah to me. “Echo?”

I shook my head and stepped away from him. “Mother, I didn’t do anything with him, I swear it.”

“You better not have!” she yelled, and my eyes shot to the floor. “You are to be pure and—”

“Abriel!” Father shouted. His voice echoed around the room and I sunk deeper into the floor. “Discuss this privately, not here.”

Mother looked embarrassed. She grabbed me and pulled me towards the doors. Shadow and Everlae stood off in a corner of the room and they both shook their heads at me as if asking ‘why’.

Mother pulled me into the hallway, far from the throne room, and began to pace the long, marble hallway. I grew agitated watching her and finally spoke up.

“I’m sorry—”

“No! Echo, can you even begin to comprehend what you’ve done to this family? Thank the gods that it wasn’t some vagrant or peasant! Why?”

I stared down at my hands and tried to get the dirt from under my nails. “I do not know.”

Mother stopped pacing and said, “Do not make me regret you, Echo. Remember who you are! You are not one of them, you have a duty here. How do you expect to gain respect from a nation you are supposed to rule if you do this? Such a scandalous thing to do!”

At her every word, I flinched. They cut deeper and deeper into me, breaking down a wall I barely knew I had. But it was there, and she’d finally managed to destroy it. The words came and there was no stopping them.

“I am a disgrace! I’m pitiful, Mother! You and Father have this hideous image of who you expect me to be, but I don’t have the same mindset. I’m different and forever will be. I don’t want to be a princess; I don’t even want to be here right now!”

Mother frowned. “You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re tired.”

“No! I didn’t leave with Noah, I hate him! I’d rather die a painful, slow death by my own hands than marry him. I left for Old Haven and returning wasn’t even a thought. I met a boy, Mother, and he understood me! I might even be in love, I don’t know. I just know I do not want to live this life…alone.”

My mother stared at me with tears in her eyes. She shook her head and, before I could react, her hand came out and she slapped me across my face, the sound so loud it could have been heard from anywhere in the house. I was shocked at first, but when I tasted my own blood in my mouth, I grew angry.

“I advise you to clean yourself up. You will be Queen in a matter of days, start acting and looking like one.” She turned and made her way back to the throne room, her heels clicking behind her. The blood in my mouth lost its taste and the pain subsided.

As soon as she was gone, I screamed, I threw things, and I swore; I became someone else. I’d thought I was alone, but when I turned, Silas, Everlae’s husband, stood watching me. I said nothing to him and I didn’t even bother with the fact that he might’ve heard my confession.

I didn’t know how I made it to my room, but everything from my wardrobe to my bed made me so angry. I stripped my bed and threw everything to the floor. The trinkets, perfume bottles, and jewelry on my dressers smashed to the floor with finality. The picture on my wall, the one of King Val, rested on my floor in shreds. If I could have peeled the pink wallpaper from my walls I would have.

I crashed from the high too early, the adrenaline leaving me in a rush. I dropped on my bed and did what every broken princess does.

I cried.

T H I R T E E N

Ayden

I took a breath.

I shook my head as if to rid myself of everything. I stomped, I cursed, I screamed, and I grew nothing but angry. Though, through it all, I never found my release. As I walked away from the gates, she was still on my mind. Her face, her hair, her scent—all of her. My hands shook and clenched at my sides, and a pounding headache grew in my head from the sudden stress. I had my doubts, of course; I wanted to run through the border and tell her that I couldn’t get her out of my head. Even though I found that she could be excruciatingly annoying while ranting on the way she did, she was irresistible.

Irresistible?

I shook my head again and kept walking. How do you go about forgetting someone who’d slowly become a part of you? Maybe it was the day at the ball or even last night. I wasn’t sure, but there was a point when I realized Echo Abbeny was different. There was something in her walk, or was it her smile? She didn’t smile often, I realized, but when I caught one last night, I’d lost myself. Talking to her was like…talking to myself, as odd as that sounds. It came naturally, and even though I was sure we had nothing in common, somewhere in me I knew Echo understood me.

I smiled.

She was different.

I stopped in front of the house and willed myself to turn back. I’d never been so eager about a girl in my life, much less a princess. I’d met other woman, but they’d never stuck to me so easily in the time Echo has. She angered and weakened me at the same time. I was a rational man, I was.

The thought had me reaching for the doorknob. Ayden, what are you thinking? The Princess?

I heaved a sigh and walked through the door, kicking off my shoes in the corner. Milo sat on the couch in the small living room, flipping through an old magazine he couldn’t read. I assumed everyone else was washing up for breakfast.

“Hey, kid,” I said, settling down beside Milo. He looked up at me and shrugged. “What are you reading?”

He smiled. “Hell if I know. Dad taught you anything yet?”

“You’re funny,” I murmured, kicking my feet up on the wicket table. I looked at him and he averted his eyes, staring blankly at the magazine. He tried to hide it, but I’d been reading Milo so easily since he could talk. “You want to read, don’t you?”

Milo shrugged.

“You can tell me.”

He set the magazine down after a moment and sat facing me with his legs crossed. “What if I said I did, and Misty too?”

“I’d say you’re not the only one.” I shook my head and stared up at the ceiling. “You’ll learn, I promise. I know…I know that you want to go to school and all that crap, but you got to give me some time, alright? I’m trying.”

“That’s the thing,” Milo whispered. “Why are you trying, Ayden? Is that not Father’s job?”

There he was with that ancient talking again. I frowned. “No, he doesn’t think so. I’ll work and get you and Misty in a school. Me, not him. I’m not your father, Milo, but I’ll be damned if I let him ruin this family.”

Milo shifted on the couch and I felt his head on my shoulder. We both sat silently in thought, listening to the silent movements in the house. I was sure Mother was going to demand she go into town before Mass. Father would try to stop her, but being the pushover that he was, he’d let her.

After another long moment, Milo said, “Who was that woman, Ayden? The one with you?”

It didn’t come as a shock to me that he knew. After all, he was watching us through the window. My answer didn’t come as a surprise either. “A very special woman, Milo, with special powers.”

Milo laughed. “What kind of powers?”

“Special ones, I guess.” I shook my head and allowed my mind to wander. “She can make you really angry and happy at the same time. She makes you laugh even when you don’t want to, and worst of all, she has a way of making you want to open up to her and tell her all of your secrets. You feel like you’ve slipped into another world when you stand next to her, completely different from this one. You can’t ignore her either, she’s everywhere. You can’t take your eyes off of her face, especially with those dimples. It’s almost as if…”

“She cast a spell on you?” Milo offered.

I laughed, Echo’s face coming to memory. “Yeah, actually. You could say that.”

“I don’t like girls,” he confessed, shivering as if the thought scared him to death.

“What’s wrong with them?”

“Trick question, right? Isn’t it obvious? They’re annoying, just like you said. And they whine and cry. I think I could go without them.” He nodded self-sufficiently and I just had to laugh.

“Tell me that when your thirteen and going through puberty. I’d be glad to hear it.” I smiled at him and shook out his hair, which desperately needed a cut. I noticed then that he wore his church clothes. Well, what we considered appropriate for church with the money we had. “You’re going with Mother and Misty?” I asked him.

“Surprising, ain’t it? Mis said she’d clean my half of the room for a week if I went.” He shrugged. “You should come with.”

I immediately shook my head and jumped up from the couch. “Don’t think so. The gods don’t like me much, we still have a few, uh, things to work out.”

“Right, right. Things.”

I frowned and punched him in the shoulder. He rubbed at it as if I’d really hurt him and smiled. “You hit like a girl.”

“You look like a girl,” I countered. He laughed, and then shrugged me away.

Father came into the room then and we both stopped laughing. It was like he sucked the fun right out of the room. We glared back at him as he motioned us into the kitchen. “It’s time for breakfast.”

“What’s it this time, boiled rats and sewage water? Yum,” Milo quipped underneath his breath. Father didn’t hear it, but I did, and I had to fight to contain the laughter.

We sat around the table with the one light hanging low above us. Misty was bouncing in her chair and playing with her hair. She looked up at me and smiled. “Thanks for the story, Ayden,” she whispered across the table.

“Anything for my girl.” Misty giggled and turned to take Mother’s hand. Mother didn’t look too good, as usual, but today she looked really under the weather. I wondered how she was feeling and if she’d been taking the vitamins Miss Bluejay’d been giving her. Every time I asked, it was only instinct for her to lie. She was getting worse and I knew it.

“Who wants to pray?” Mother asked. Everyone sat quietly. “Okay, then I’ll pray.”

Mother began a steady prayer I’d unfortunately managed to get stuck in my head from the age of five. Not that I understood a damn thing she was going on about, but I knew that some of the gods she mentioned were Zeus and Iris. Again, not that I knew who they were or what they did, but apparently they were important to Old Haven.

Mother finally closed off with “amen” and Father went to dish out breakfast. “So Ayden, what’s new?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Nothing, Mother, why do you ask?” I looked up at her and frowned at her aging skin. Her tattoos didn’t look half as great as they did years ago. The tattoos were a symbol of our lineage, the only thing worth feeling prideful for. Every child received them at the age of eleven and from there every tattoo was achieved as they all held their own meaning. Mother had several from marriage and birthing children, Milo and Misty had one, I had three, and Father had too many to count. They were all innocent markings, though. Some tattoos represented gangs or conspiracies, sometimes even cults. When one marked their body with Hell’s ink, there was no way of turning back.

“Oh, I’m just curious. Did you hear about the Princess?” Mother draped a napkin across her lap and did the same for Misty. Her hands shook as she did it.

“I did,” I said without pause. “It’s unfortunate, really, but what can you do?”

Mother sighed and shook her head. Father came back with plates of bread and broth and set them on the table in front of us. At least, that’s what it looked like. Milo shoved a handful of the bread into his mouth and started to chew. He looked at me and I almost died. He took a napkin from the table and discreetly spit it out.

“How’s it taste, Milo,” Mother asked.

He gave her a thumbs up. “Delish.”

The five of us at ate in silence, something we’d grown used to doing for the past three years. Misty poked around her plate with the bread and pushed the broth into a corner. Milo just didn’t eat and I, well, let’s just say I tried not to taste it.

“So, Ayden, when do you plan on moving out of the cabin?” my father asked.

I turned to him and sighed. “I wasn’t aware that my living there is a problem.”

“Well, you’re a grown man now. Time to start acting like one.”

I had barely started to eat and he was already picking a fight. “I’m working five jobs and feeding four mouths aside from my own. Don’t you think if I had the money to live elsewhere, I would?”

He sighed and wiped the grease from his face with his sleeve. “Yeah, well I’m tired of providing for you. You’re not even around anymore.”

“Because I’m working, constantly!” I yelled. Mother jumped and placed her hand over her heart to calm herself. Misty and Milo did what they always did, nothing. What could they say? “You don’t provide for this family, you give us hell. The only time you give a damn is when Mother isn’t well, which is all the time. Look at her!”

“Ayden,” Mother choked out. She looked at me and shook her head. “This can be discussed later, please. Let’s just have a nice breakfast together, that’s all I ask of you boys.” Mother looked at my father across the table and I despised her display of sympathy for him.

“Carys, it’s time you stop babying him. He does nothing!”

“Says the drunk with debts bigger than his ego!” Anger coursed through me and I could no longer remain sitting, it left me agitated and fidgety. Father’s eyes stared back at me and his dilated pupils spoke a truth he had yet to find himself.

“Ayden, sit down!” Mother cried out.

“Listen to your mother, boy,” Father mocked.

I shook my head and backed away from the table, looking him straight in the eyes. “I’m done working for you; pay your own damn debts. It’s never going to be enough with you!” I glanced at Mother and the twins. “I’m sorry.”

I went out through the back door, spitting out the taste of the broth in the grass as I went. It was bitter, whatever it was, but not as bitter as my father’s heart. If he had one. I had nothing left to say, nothing left to do. I was done, it was time I gave up the fight and quit trying to achieve the impossible.

In a rush to get away from the house, I went back into the cabin and to my room. I stopped at the smell of Echo and the rumpled bed sheets, but didn’t let it slow me down for long. Pushing the evoked thoughts of her out of my head, I dove through my dresser and found what I was looking for. The stash of money lay exactly where I’d put it. I didn’t dare look at it since the night of the Ball, but I couldn’t just leave it there and act like it’ll disappear. I quickly shoved it into my pockets and grabbed the picture of the little girl.

“Where’d you get all that?”

I turned and Milo stood by the door, his eyes on me curiously. “From a friend.”

“That sure is a lot,” he whispered.

I sighed. “Look, I’m sorry about that in there, okay? And this money is going to help us.” I moved past him and made my way out the door.

“Did you steal it?” Milo asked. I didn’t answer him. “Because if you did, I understand. I would’ve, too.”

I shook my head at him and left him in the cabin. My life had been hard from day one, and no doubt it would be until my last days. But for a second, when I looked into Echo Abbeny’s eyes, I felt free.

F O U R T E E N

Ayden

The market was very much like the border that stood between Old and New Haven, just at another end. Two simple gates, yet the Warriors that stood around them guarded with their lives. This was the only place Hunters mingled freely with Warriors, and even so, we came last in everything and were watched constantly. It was a peaceful place to be, nonetheless, and I enjoyed walking around when I couldn’t get my thoughts straight, which happened quite a lot.

I passed several fruit vendors and clothing shops, freshly baked bread and that new shoe smell permeating the air. When I passed Miss Othman’s shop, I took an alley that would lead me to Miss Bluejay’s and hoped Miss Othman wouldn’t see me. Since the day I took the money from her shop, I’d never returned. Miss Othman was so hung up on her shop and the Princess that day that she didn’t even bother to take my name. I wasn’t complaining, though. That one simple act could have landed me in the chambers and no doubt it was stupid.

“Ayden,” Miss Bluejay called out.

“Why good morning to you, René Bluejay,” I said in an accent even I couldn’t place. I stopped at the window of her parlor and tipped my faux hat. This made her smile.

“Oh, stop with your games, Grey. What can I do you for?”

“In the mood for cherry pie? Wanted to pick something up for Mother.”

René nodded and scribbled down the order. “How’s she doing, by the way? I meant to stop by last week, but I’ve been going through the motions, you know?”

I nodded. One look into Miss Bluejay’s eyes and I knew, everyone did. Four months ago the King’s royal men stormed through Shadow Hills looking for a man who had supposedly forced himself on a little girl. No one knew anything about it until they saw Vincent, René’s husband, being dragged out of his own home in the middle of the night with barely any clothing on his back. All throughout the city you could hear Miss Bluejay cry, but no one dared to comfort her. How do you tell a person to believe in false hope?

The King had placed him in the arena and he’d won the first two matches, but that’s as far as the sympathy had stretched. He was dead within two days. Only a week after, the little girl confessed Vincent hadn’t done anything to her and she’d lied to spite her mother. Even in the light of this, the King never made any intentions to apologize for his misjudgment. Of course Miss Bluejay wouldn’t have accepted it, but maybe it would have gotten her to step out of her home that first month or maybe even smile.

“I’m sorry,” I said to her. They were the only words I could think to say without sounding pitiful or apathetic.

She smiled, but it seemed sorrowful and forced. “No need to apologize, hon. Your pie will be ready in a minute.”

“Thank you.” I stepped away and allowed room for her other customers. Little children ran through the grounds of the market and I just barely missed running into one of them.

I shielded my eyes from the hot sun as I walked, elbowing through crowds of people and men on horses. I hadn’t expected it to be so hot this time around, and whatever gods the people prayed to, they seemed pretty damn frivolous to me. August was hot in general, but not this hot. Not in Alwaenia.

To my left, a woman dressed in a polychromatic dress stood behind her parlor, showing off her jewelry to a customer. I wasn’t sure how much of it were real jewels, but something pink and silver caught my eye. I asked to see it and took it from the table, holding it up to the light. It was a glass heart, perfectly shaped and iridescent in the sun. Inside of the heart, as if captured in a moment, was a pink bleeding heart surrounded by Maidenhair ferns. I turned it over in my hands and marveled in the handiwork.

“Beautiful, yes?” the woman asked.

I nodded, but barely acknowledged her. It was beautiful, so unlike any piece of jewelry I’d ever seen. Running my fingers across the smooth glass, the flower conjured the memories of a girl. A girl who had, in such little time, reminded me of everything good from the past. A girl who made me remember Alwaenia for what it used to be—youthful, vivacious, and a land of the free. The bleeding hearts had long lost their meaning, as Alwaenia had lost all hope. But this one, captured in a time when love roamed free, was different.

“How much is it?” I asked, eyes still on the necklace.

“Four hundred,” she answered.

It was pricey, but I knew I had to get it. I wasn’t quite sure why, but the compulsion to have it was strong. I fished out a few bills from my pocket and handed it to her. The picture of the little girl accidently slipped out and the woman watched me cautiously as I hid it from her view. By the look of shock on her face when she looked at the bills I assumed I’d given her a little more than four hundred.

“Thank you so much,” she murmured, quickly tucking the money away as if it would disappear. She looked back up at me and paused. “Are those guys here for you?”

I blinked and turned away from her, staring out into the crowd. It was hard to make anyone out at first, what with all the sun in my eyes, but through it all, I could see Tyron and his friends across the way. I sighed and immediately shoved the necklace into my pocket. He was the last—probably not even—person I wanted to see when I had more important matters to take care of. I began to walk in the opposite direction, heading for Miss Bluejay’s and the fruit vendors. I dared a glance back and noticed them following me, pushing through throngs of people faster than I could.

“Wait up, pretty boy!” Tyron called. I wasn’t afraid; I just didn’t want to face the reality of what I did. Though it was for my family, it was pitiful and low. I’d only agreed with Tyron and his idiotic entourage because I knew the second time around there’d be more money involved. I’d overestimated the size of Old Haven, though. I couldn’t run from him forever, nor did I want to.

I stopped by Miss Bluejay’s long enough to pay her and tell her I’d come back for the pie. Tyron called out again and I led him down an alley away from all eyes and closer to the forest that went on for miles behind Old Haven.

“Let’s skip all small talk, Grey. Where’s my money?” Tyron stepped into the alley and the bit of sunlight from overhead played on his haggard features.

My hands clenched at my side. “Deal’s off. There was no money.”

“You’re lying. I can see it on your face, Ayden. Where’s the money?” Tyron laughed and stepped closer to me.

When I took the next step forward, I met him nose to nose. Tyron was big and he used it as a way to get what he wanted, frightening people with his overrated ego. “There. Is. No. Money.”

“You know,” he said, laughing, “I think you like making me mad; this is a game for you, isn’t it? Just mind that when all the jokes and fun are set aside, I get even. And when I do, it’s game over.” Tyron pushed at my chest and I frowned.

Was he serious? “I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware this was a game. Those little girls running around with your devilish offspring will have to get along without your sudden good fortune, because I have nothing to offer you. Next time, do the damn dirty work yourself. I’m done.”

Tyron’s jaw clenched, making it obvious that he was at a loss for words. I stepped back to walk away, but Tyron quickly said, “You want to talk about dirty work? Your girl stopped by last night. What’s her name?” He looked around at his friends. “Oh yes, Feven. Nice girl, but she’ll do anything for spare change.”

There was a split second when I contemplated walking away, but the anger was so immediate and irrepressible that lashing out was my only solution. I had no control of my hands; when the first punch landed in Tyron’s face it was more of a shock to me than it was for him. My knuckles cracked and I heard the soft snap of his nose as it began to bleed. He stumbled back, but quickly regained his footing.

Tyron laughed and swiped at the blood on his lip. “You punch like a girl. Where’d you learn how to hit like that, your Mother?” He stared back at me in challenge.

“Watch your mouth,” I sneered.

He laughed, as well as the other guys. “Come on, Ayd. You can do better.” He turned his head, exposing the left side of his face. “Hit me again.”

“I’m not playing your sick games, Tyron.” I stared him down and refused to be like him; repulsive and utterly stupid. I didn’t regret punching his nose into a different shape, and as much I would’ve liked to beat him to mince meat, it wasn’t me.

“Hit me,” Tyron slurred. He stepped towards me with bloodshot eyes and a tense jaw. When I didn’t react, he added, “I wonder what the King will think of your night with the Princess, hm? All the things you probably did to her.”

My breath caught in my chest. “How did you—” And in the next second I was punching Tyron again. Anger and fear fuelled me, desperation clawed at my mind. The fact that he knew was enough to make me want to strangle him. My anger was directed solely at myself and my inanity. The Princess wasn’t here and she was still reaping havoc.

Again, when I took a swing at him, Tyron didn’t remain motionless. He ducked out of the way and grabbed me at the middle, tackling me to the floor and pinning me down in an odd position. “Thought no one knew, huh?” he whispered in my ear. “And you still hit like a girl. Lucky for you, I enjoy pain.” He held me down with his knees, and surprisingly, they weighed a ton. He held my face to the sandy ground as the other douche bags came around to kick at my sides.

I laughed. “You’re all pathetic. Stealing from a man who has to steal for himself, look at you.” As soon as the words were out, another kick landed in my side, bruising my ribs and knocking the air right out of my lungs.

Arms lifted me to stand and I felt blood trickle down the side of my face. Though I probably looked like hell, I smiled in Tyron’s face and only allowed him to see what I wanted him to: a man who’d had enough of everything that he just didn’t give a damn anymore.

“We’ll see who’s pathetic when you’re fighting for your useless little life,” Tyron spat.

Through the haze that had formed in my mind, I managed to ground out, “You wouldn’t.” It wasn’t a question, more like a challenge. Tyron was tough on the outside, but his interior reeked of fear. By the look on his face, I knew I had him.

He grunted and kicked me in the stomach. I coughed up blood and spit, the gods-awful aftertaste of iron and copper drying out the taste buds in my mouth. “I may not, but I know someone who wouldn’t hesitate to throw your ass in the chambers,” Tyron said.

“Who?” one of his friends asked stupidly. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Tyron, you’re what, nineteen? You’re young, you still have time to redeem the crap of a life you’ve lived and get a new one. Grab opportunities and go, right?” I laughed again, savoring the way it got him so upset. “If you think about it, we’re both wasting precious time we obviously don’t have.”

“Shut up!” Tyron finally screamed.

“You scream like a girl.”

“I do not!”

I sighed. “Then what was that?”

Tyron screamed again and stooped down to my slumped level. He grabbed my throat with a beefy hand and pressed his fingers hard against my jugular. “I’m about two seconds away from gutting you with a knife. Give me my money before this gets messy.”

“So this,” I pointed to my face with a throbbing finger, “isn’t messy?”

His hands tightened on my throat and I tried to flex the muscles to let way for air, but Tyron wasn’t budging. “The money, Ayden.” He glanced up at his guys. “Search him.”

They dropped me to the floor and began searching me for the money. It felt oddly like déjà vu, and I just needed to hurl. “We got to stop running into each other and hiding out like this, Ty,” I teased. “Don’t you think this is a bit taboo? I mean, I didn’t know you were into the scandalous thing, but—”

“You’re all talk, Grey. It’s shameful that your Princess had to go back. We were actually thinking about stopping by to…play.” Tyron winked at me as the guys grew restless in their search.

His words that time got to me. One more remark about the Princess and I swear I was going to hang him by his tongue. “What are you, jealous because I can actually get a girl to leave with me willingly? Or is that just something that runs in your blood?” I myself was growing restless of playing this stupid game with Tyron. My patience was running low and since breakfast, my mind had been caught somewhere between oblivion and Echo; both of which left me goaded and confused.

“Well, what do we have here?” One of the guys  reached into my pocket and dug out the bleeding heart necklace. My own heart sped up thirtyfold and I could tell Tyron knew the necklace was important to me when I squirmed and reached for it. It was stupid, fighting for a necklace I’d really bought for no reason. But it held meaning, it helped me remember.

“Give that to me!” I yelled. Tyron pressed a heavy foot to my stomach and I quickly stopped struggling.

“What’s this?” Tyron took it from him and smiled down at me. “A necklace, how nice. I think I’ll take it for safe keeping.”

“No!” I shouted. “I’ll give you the money.”

“That’s more like it. Hand it over and I’ll give you the necklace.” Tyron tossed the necklace to the far side of the alley. As it hit the floor I winced, hoping the glass hadn’t shattered.

“You have to move your foot first.” I smiled up at him and feigned innocence. He snapped his fingers at his friends and they crowded around me as Tryon released me from his hold. As soon as I could breathe again, I kicked forward at the guy in front of me and heard his knee pop. He fell to the floor with his hands wrapped around his calf. Before the others had a chance to acknowledge him, I stood and punched Tyron in the face, elbowing another from behind. There were only four aside from Tyron and two of them already lay cowering on the floor. My ribs ached and kept me from moving faster than I was, but I ignored the pain and set it aside for a time when I could handle it.

A feisty redhead charged me from the side and I easily side-kicked him in the groin, barely taking a step or two. He crumpled to the floor with the others.

“Silas would like you. You’re brave.” The last guy, short and skinny, stood at the end of the alley swinging a knife around in his hand. People walked by outside, but once again, they wouldn’t dare to interfere. That’s what eons of inferiority does to people.

“Is that so?” I watched his sloppy handwork with the knife. I was no swordsman, but I could tell the difference between an expert and a novice. “I’m not interested.” He charged for me in the little distance there was in the alley and poised the knife to strike. I frowned and shook my head. He was a joke.

I spun to my right, my left coming up, and kicked him directly in the mouth before he had a chance to embarrass himself further. He dropped to the ground immediately, his hand covering his swollen lips.

“Where did you learn to fight like that?” he whispered. When he removed his hand I saw that he’d lost a few teeth.

I reached down and took the knife from him. “I’ve had practice.” I stared down at Tyron still holding his nose. I guessed it must have hurt a lot since it was its second beating. Shaking my head, I went to retrieve the necklace on the floor. It hadn’t shattered, but it was covered in mud. I wiped it off and kissed the smooth glass.

“I…hate—” Tyron murmured from the floor.

“Who’s all talk now?” I spat blood at him and limped my way out of the alley. Miss Bluejay stood by her parlor waiting for another customer, and I smiled when she set eyes on my face.

“Ayden Grey. You leave for a minute and come back looking like you just got dragged through the streets?”

I smiled and winked at her. “You could say that. Pie ready?

She sighed and reached behind her for the cherry pie wrapped in a brown bag. “Here. I put some extras for your mother. Tell her I said hello.” I took the bag from her and she watched the necklace in my hand. “And Ayden? Take care of yourself, please.”

An unspoken message hung high in the air between us. I knew what she meant; she didn’t want me to end up like her husband. I nodded, knowing I was heading in that exact direction—to my infinite hell.

F I F T E E N

Echo

There weren’t enough clouds in the sky, hearts in the garden, or hours spent in this bed to make me feel at home. Everything was foreign, a far off world I’d been living on, but had long detached myself from. The fabric of my stripped bed didn’t even feel familiar and my dressers, now bare and empty, had never seemed so worthless. I cried as if I had lost something, and in some way, I guess I did. But how do you mourn something you never had? It’s psychological, I told myself. You just know when something is amiss, when you look at someone else and you long for something that is not yours or you cannot have. It’s an absence—a loss of a heart beat.

I’d lost my will then, any strength to go on. I not only mourned this nation, but anyone who dared to take me away from what little freedom I had left.

“Echo,” someone called.

I’d heard my name, but that, too, sounded foreign. I stared blankly out my window from my bed, desperately trying to figure out how I felt. I’d been so emotionally killed that I felt nothing at all.

“Echo, you can’t stay in bed forever. Talk to me.” It was Everlae, of course. She took measured steps into my room, and I could only imagine the thoughts running through her mind at the sight of the mess. I felt the bed sink as she sat beside me, my back still to her. She put her hand on my shoulder and I immediately shied away.

“Don’t touch me.”

She sighed audibly, never being one to hide her frustration from me. “This is ridiculous, Echo. It’s been three days and you’ve done nothing but lie in bed all day and sulk. Do you not pity yourself?”

I opened my mouth to reply, but nothing came out. I’d been three days? The moon had fallen and the sun had risen so much that I lost track of time. Time ceased to matter anyway, when my being here had no meaning.

“You have a rehearsal today,” Ever whispered. I could tell she was making a hard effort to get me out of the funk. She glanced around the room and tried again. “What can I say or do to make this go away for you, Echo?”

That time, the words came to me easily. “You can stop making it seem as if this can actually go away. How do you even suppose that’s possible?” I turned to her, eyes swollen from all the tears I’d shed.

“Quit being such a baby. I don’t understand where you possible got this attitude from. You fight everything and it’s just not making sense, Echo. What happened to you?” Everlae’s voice had taken on a different octave and she stared at me in disbelief.

“I found a reason to fight, Ever. Father has locked us all in his own world where it’s sunny all the time and no one can be harmed. There are more important things than being Queen or fashionable jewelry. There is no love, at all, in my arranged marriage. I haven’t the furthest clue about you, but I dare walk this world alone and happy if that is what it takes.” I hadn’t even known it, but tears slipped down my cheeks and I had to quickly rub them away. “I refuse to take part in the destruction of a nation so blind it cannot see that even its own people are struggling to stay alive.”

Everlae’s eyes were hard and cold. She looked at me as if a stranger sat before her. “Who are you? Where’s my little sister who loved this place and dreaded ever leaving?”

I stared at her, reading her. Her eyes never left mine. “She’s dead, Everlae.”

A tear fell from her eyes and she quickly rubbed it away with the sleeve of her sweater. “To tell you the truth, whoever you are, I’m not sure how much I like you.”

Shaking my head, I said, “You don’t mean that. I’m the only person you consider liable, the only one you trust. I’ve never lied to you, Ever, and I won’t start now. You’re better than this, you need to grow up. If there’d ever been a reason to doubt this family, you have to believe me when I say there is more to this world—so much more. More than anything Silas could ever offer you.”

“How do you know?”

“Do you want to know a secret?” I asked, smiling. Ever shrugged. “I left, Everlae. With a boy, and he took me to Old Haven. I felt free for the first time; you just had to see it there. I mean, they all lived so poorly, but I wasn’t burdened or worried that I shouldn’t be out alone. I slept on a bed that wasn’t downed in expensive fabric and you should have seen the place where he lived. It wasn’t much, but it was home for him.” I smiled to myself, speaking the words from memory as if I could taste them.

“That sounds so…” Ever rolled the words around in her mouth, “so different.”

My forehead furrowed at her choice of words. “No, you don’t understand. The place was different, yes, but the people weren’t. I’ve only just met him, of course, but—”

“This is the boy Mother was talking about? The one from Old Haven who works in the garden?” She’d said the words like she just wanted to get them out of her mouth.

“Yes, but—”

“You should stay away from him. He’s a thief and a liar, Echo. You heard what Miss Othman said. He can hurt you, is that what you want?” Everlae’s hand came to my cheek and I pushed her sympathy away.

“No, he’s not those things by choice. We make him do those things, stealing and lying, just so he can make a living.” I paused. “Ever, he made me feel things I’ve never felt before. Is it even possible to be angry and so possibly in love with someone?”

Everlae slid off of the bed and shook her head at me. “You shouldn’t say that. In love, Echo? You are only seventeen and you want to talk about love?”

I frowned. “It’s not too early for my parents to marry me off for their own sake, though, is it? And I don’t know what love is, but Ayden just gets to me. I hate him with a burning passion equivalent to a thousand suns, but he’s all I think about. He’s different.” Speaking of him reminded me that in the past three days, he hadn’t been here at all. I watched for him outside my window, but he never showed. I wondered if it was because of me and I felt horrible for it. A small part of me still hated him for making me come back, but the bigger part couldn’t stand his absence. Ayden had quickly become a part of me, and now that he was gone, it was slowly killing me.

“He has a name now, does he?” Ever asked.

I sighed and said, “Yes, they have those things. And they have schools and houses, too.” I raked my fingers through my hair and pulled out the golden pins. “I want to go back with him.”

“Don’t, Echo. You’ve caused this family so much! Why?” Everlae pleaded.

“That’s what I want. And as soon as I find him, Ever, I’m going with him.”

A rap on the door made Ever turn from me and the young maid walked into the room. “They’ve requested your presence in the garden, Princess.” She noticed Ever in the room and bowed. “Oh, good evening to you Princess Everlae.”

I glanced over at Ever and watched her stare down at the floor with tears in her eyes. The maid watched her as well. “Please, just call me Echo. And who has?”

“Your father, the King.”

“I’m not going,” I said.

“Oh, but you must,” Ever retorted. “Three days have been long enough. You dare push Father’s patience?”

The maid took that as her time to leave and ducked quickly out of the room. “I’m staying right here,” I murmured.

“I don’t care if you have to put on a show, but you act happy and try your best to not ruin this family, for gods sake, Echo!”

“That makes no damn sense. How do you ruin something already in the process of ruining itself?”

Everlae fell silent and I watched her move to the door. She gripped the door knob tightly. “I once told you that I envied you, Echo, and that has not changed, But now I mourn you and fear the person you’re becoming.”

“I’m not submissive, Everlae. I’ll tell you the truth, I’m not sure whose blood runs through my veins, but it is not a Warrior’s, and it runs hot.”

Everlae shook her head, wiped the tears from her eyes, and left. I refused to feel sorry for her or even myself. Whether she believed I’d chosen right or wrong, I’d made up my mind. I wasn’t going to be the little girl who did everything everyone told her to do anymore. I didn’t care if I was alone, cold, or naïve. I’d play along for now, but I wasn’t marrying Noah. I was sure of that.

I stumbled from the bed, the soles of my feet numb and raw from days of not moving. My mirror hung on the wall in front of me and I realized it was the only thing that survived my tantrum the night before. I swept my hair to one shoulder and touched my neck. I stared into my blue, bottomless eyes and wanted to cry again. The only thing that could have made the pain go away was Ayden. Ayden. He was all I could think about.

The last three days I had dreamt he’d been here in my room and beside me as I slept. He sung to me and held me close. Though I knew it was all my imagination, his hands—the feel of him—was so real. As I touched my lips, I imagined he was here again and that he was watching me in the mirror. For a second he was, his lips at my ear whispering promises of a brighter future. I didn’t think it possible to have such strong feelings for a stranger mere weeks ago, but now it was as easy to believe as breathing came naturally.

My imagination flickered, and then finally burnt out. Ayden disappeared from the mirror and I cried. All my life I’d been so lost and when I finally found someone who made me feel less of a pariah, he was taken from me by the stupid infatuation New Haven had with themselves.

I sighed and moved to the bathroom, stripped from my clothes, and hopped into the drawn bath. The water had been hot, but after minutes of just lying there and staring at the ceiling, it was colder than Noah’s heart. If he had one. Eventually I got out and dressed. It only seemed like routine as I did it, something normal yet forsaken. When I opened my wardrobe, the many different dresses plagued me. I cringed and dug deeper for the leather pants I’d worn to practice with Ezily and Shadow. I searched for the corset and decided that’s what I wanted to wear. For a change, I’d have a say.

When I looked into the mirror again, I still didn’t like what I saw. It’s my hair, I decided. I hated it, always had. The length bothered me, and for the longest time, I just wanted to hack it off. I found the pair of scissors in the mess on the floor I’d thrown from my dressers and raised it to my hair. I didn’t even know where to start. Though, as soon as I made that first snip, there was no going back until I finished it. I started with the front and cut my overgrown bangs to my eyebrows. I smiled at myself.

Finally, I can see.

When I finished, the scissors fell from my hands and I rushed to the bathroom to wet my hair. I gasped as I came up for air and my blue eyes stared back at me, happiness like I’d never known already beginning to glow within them.

This is your life, Echo. Own it.

I teased my hair with my hands and loved the way, for once, I could actually get my fingers through it. It was wet and short, just below my shoulders rather than down my back. I looked different, stronger. I looked…fearless.

I look like a Hunter.

My olive skin was peculiar and with my hair short, it stood out more. I refused to think anything of it, given that everyone in my family were pale blondes and brunettes, but it was a scary thought, nonetheless.

I left my chambers with thoughts of Ayden and Ayden alone.

The walk to the garden was terrifying, to say the least. The maids watched me and guards did a double take as if their eyes had deceived them. I knew I didn’t look the same, and I was glad. Their Princess was dead and I wanted to make sure they got that through their thick, stubborn heads.

The garden had been transformed into gold, glitter, and silk. Lights hung low in trees, chairs were covered in fine fabrics, and bleeding hearts were just about everywhere. The cobblestoned pathway was now glass, and it shimmered in the sunlight. The garden was naturally big, but the decorations and preparations for festivities made it seem colossal. Evening nightingales greeted me, their songs a lot different than those of Old Haven. I would have admired it, had it not all been in vain.

“What is this?”

I stopped gawking at everything and realized I’d just walked in on Mother and Father talking with Noah and his parents. At first Mother’s outburst didn’t make sense, but then I remembered my wet, freshly cut hair and my leather outfit that showed too much skin. Noah’s eyes met mine and he sized me up before smiling. The King and Queen of Delentia only stared in disappointment.

“Echo, your hair!” Mother screamed. She rushed to me and began pushing it behind my hair and tugging it roughly as if that could make it magically grow back. “What have you done? What are you wearing?”

“Abriel,” Father murmured. His eyes were distraught, and they seemed to burn holes into me.

“I needed change, Mother. If you don’t like what you see, then why are you looking?” I said between clenched teeth.

Noah’s mother gasped and moved to sit down on one of the benches. I could tell Mother itched to slap me again, but she wouldn’t dare in front of them.

“Young adults, eh?” Father said, eyes on me, but a smile on his face for show. He now had two things to be furious about and I knew he wouldn’t let them go unsettled for long. Mother I could handle, but I wasn’t sure how well things would go over with my father. “Please, Abriel, another time.”

She nodded and looked back at me. She whispered, “You’re playing with fire, Echo. Please, be mindful of what you’re doing while you are ahead. Do not make the same mistakes as me. You will get burned.”

I couldn’t even begin to make sense of that, and I didn’t want to try. It reminded me of the crazy woman my mother had evoked days ago, ranting on about a missing picture and ‘Aleksandria’, a name so unknown, and yet oddly familiar.

“Okay, let us begin. Noah, if you would please show Echo where she is to stand, that would be wonderful,” Father said.

Noah had a smile on his face as he came to me and took my hand in an iron-vise grip. He led me up the glass pathway and to where the bleeding hearts garden sat, hidden in the back of the palace.

Noah stopped and turned to me. “You look great,” he whispered.

I looked up at him and frowned. “Don’t talk to me.”

“Still upset, I see.”

“Still an arrogant idiot, I see.”

He laughed and gripped my hand tighter. “What happened to the smiles and giggles from the night of the Ball? I know you enjoyed yourself.”

I glanced over at the palace and thought about leaving him standing in the aisle alone. If my room hadn’t been here of all places, I probably would have locked myself up and willed myself to sleep for years. But then there was Ayden. “I’ve met someone else, you should know. I’m not marrying you.” The words slipped from my lips so effortlessly I hadn’t time to rethink them until they were out.

“You’re kidding? Echo, you can’t just marry someone else, we’ve been through this. You have no say.”

I pulled my hands from him and took a step back. “Shut up. Don’t act like this is a burden for you, you want this, Noah! I did enjoy myself at the Ball, the first ten minutes. I didn’t want to meet your damn family, I didn’t want to dance, and I honestly didn’t care who loved me there. I just…wanted to talk. We never talk!”

He stepped towards me and caressed my cheek with his hand. I shied away. “I just don’t want you with him. You deserve more, I can give you more.”

“I don’t want more! What possessed you to think that I do? I want what you can’t give me: happiness.”

Noah’s eyes sunk into a darker hazel. “Do you know how incredibly annoying and cute you are when you rant like that?” He smiled as he inched closer to me.

I cringed as his hands snaked around my waist and left goose bumps on my bare midriff in its wake. I tried to push away, but fighting him was useless. “I hate—”

Noah’s lips crushed against mine and, it being my second kiss, I still didn’t know how to react. His hands on me made me feel disgusting and his lips, though warmer than last time, moved over mine sloppily and greedily. I pushed at his chest, desperately wanting to come up for air. I stared at him with his eyes closed and wondered if I, too, was supposed to close mine. I just wasn’t feeling it and Noah was making me feel like one of his wenches.

I shoved at him and Noah finally let go. I was getting ready to scream when I espied someone plowing through the dirt in the side yard of the palace. Even though we stood behind the thickest of bushes, the man’s hair and physique seemed so crystal clear.

My heart skipped a beat and suddenly I was running.

Ayden.

I pushed through the bushes and over the garden fences and ran to him. I knew Noah was chasing me down, but that didn’t matter now that Ayden had come back.

“Ayden!” I yelled. I slowed as I came to him and he turned around. I was just so happy—so utterly happy—that when the man turned around and it wasn’t Ayden, my heart just about dropped to the pit of my stomach.

“Can I help you, Princess?” the man, who looked so much like Ayden from the back, said.

I shook my head at him and he continued to plow the gardens. I glanced around and wondered if it had all been in my head. The palace resided on a hill and the street ways and dirt paths down below were void of Ayden. I wanted to cry, but my anger left no room for it.

“Why do you keep taking off like that?” Noah said from behind me. He breathed heavily, and when I turned to look at him, his face was red from the run.

I grimaced and slapped him in his face, my frustration level seemingly going down a bit. My palm stung from the contact, but I’d never been so happy to hit a man in my life. “Put your hands on me again and I’ll slowly cut off each of your fingers and feed them to the dogs.”

“Noted,” he whispered, laughing as he held his cheek in his hand. “Feisty, I like it.”

I pushed him to the ground and trudged back to the palace, every now and then looking behind me for Ayden. Gods, if that really had been him I wouldn’t have left his side. I would have apologized for saying I hated him and told him how I really felt. Not that I knew how I felt, but words would come at the right moment. Despite Everlae’s words, I knew what I felt for Ayden Grey was akin to love.

Noah got through rehearsal with all of his fingers, and Father held back his anger the best he could. He tried to talk to me before I escaped to my chambers, and so did Mother, but I locked myself in my room and curled up on my naked bed for another lonely night. Shadow had gone into town with Ezily and Everlae had left with Silas to Kylon to visit his family for a day.

I had no one.

My brother Caesar, the idiot, was never around to begin with. He was first heir and yet I knew nothing about him, or his wife. I figured I would eventually have to face them all, but for the moment I didn’t dare think about that.

The King of Delentia had given Noah and me five weeks to get to know each other before the wedding and we now had days that I could count on my fingers. The idea was for us to fall in love and grow accustomed to one another. Instead, I’d fallen in love with a Hunter.

S I X T E E N

Ayden

Mother lay in her room, motionless and cold. I’d asked how she was feeling the day before to make sure she was taking the vitamins, but of course she had lied. Sometimes I wondered what went on in her head. It was like she wanted to be sick, and the thought of that horrified me. Milo and Misty needed her, I needed her. As stubborn as Father was, I knew he needed her as well. She’d been sick for forever, and medication wasn’t a possibility.

From the living area I could hear her coughing into her pillow. Father was talking to her about the weather, but she could barely keep her eyes open. Hearing her that way, so despondent and depressed, instilled a new kind of fear in me—a fear expected by a motherless child. It made me regret my decision to stop working for the King. I hadn’t worked in days, actually, and I was beginning to see it wasn’t one of my brightened ideas. I sighed and moved from the couch.

“Ashlynn asked for you today, Carys,” Father whispered to her as I stepped into the small room. Mother said nothing to him in response, not even a murmur. Her eyes stared vacantly at the wall in front of her.

“I’d like to talk to her. Alone.” I dug my hands into my pants pockets and stared down at my Father, who at that moment looked sick himself. He nodded and kissed Mother on her forehead. He said nothing to me as he left. I stood by the door several moments more, working up the courage to say something, anything. There I was, speechless, and my Mother was dying.

I grabbed the chair beside her bed and sat in front of her, perched my elbows up on my knees, and held my hands under my chin. A single tear fell from my eye. “I remember when I was sixteen, that day we had to move, and you told me to follow my heart and it would never steer me wrong. You knew you were sick then, though you always reminded me that family was most important and we only had each other.” I shook my head and looked at her. She laid still, eyes far off. “I’m angry with you. You want to be sick, and it’s killing me more than it is you. I’m afraid, and even though Milo and Misty will always have me, I don’t want to be alone.”

“Ayden…” she murmured. Her eyes moved to mine slowly, and she whispered, “I-I’m sorry. It’s time…”

I wiped the tear from my face and glanced away from her. It wasn’t fair, but I always knew that. Life was, by nature, not fair and the happy moments that made it seem anything different were always short-lived. Words weren’t enough. No matter how much time you spent with someone, when they were gone, they were gone. And it hurt like hell.

I took my mother’s hand in mine and said it. “I think I’m in love. I-I’m not sure how strong the feelings are, but they’re there. I can’t get her out of my head.”

A faint smile played on her lips and she murmured on, though I couldn’t tell what about. I sat staring at her, wishing so badly that my confession weren’t true. But Echo drove me to the point of insanity, and that look in her eyes when she’d yelled that she misjudged me still burned in my memory. It felt forever ago, but when I thought about it—which was all the time—it made breathing impossible. Echo Abbey would be the death of me. A girl.

I smiled to myself and shook my head.

“Ayd,” my mother whispered. Her eyes seemed brighter, but she still looked consumed by the illness. “Then why are you here?” she asked silently.

I laughed and rolled the idea over in my mind. It was crazy, absolutely insane, but Echo’s face appeared and pushed out any sudden doubt. Could I just go back to her? Was it that easy? If I explained, would she forgive me? It was ridiculous, I knew. I had only met her weeks ago, and yet I was making promises of love I didn’t even understand. I felt like I knew her, really knew her. She wasn’t a princess—heartless and cold—but a dreamer and a girl soaring through life with all cares behind her. She was passionate about everything and always spoke her mind. Echo, the girl I had misjudged for just another Royal, was adamant on stealing a piece of my heart.

“Okay.” I moved to kiss her forehead and her skin was cold beneath my lips. I sighed and stood to my feet. “But you’re not leaving me until I tell you it’s time, damn the gods. I will find you something.” Her eyes shifted to the walls again, and she resumed the voided stare at nothing.

I left her in the silence and closed the door behind me. I somewhat envied the place she harbored in now—no worries or cares, just nothing. When she got like that I didn’t even know if she remembered me or the twins. She blanked out for weeks and could barely eat. But this time was the worst, even though she’d said my name. I saw it in her eyes—that look like she knew she was drifting. Mother always had a way of looking at death so lightly, but the truth hid just beyond the surface. Death was a scary, dark thing that fed on your happiness until you were an empty cavity of nothing.

I sat around the house for hours. Milo and Misty were in their room playing and Father had long left. To where, I had no idea, but his absence didn’t bother me one bit. My fingers strummed loudly against the kitchen counter as I stared at the clock in front of me. It was ticking louder than usual, or was that all in my head?

Should I? seemed to be the question taunting me. I weighed the pros and cons, but after another hour, I came up with nothing but pros. Her face, her hair, her smile, her smell…and everything about her.

I grunted and ran out the front door of the house. Father would be home soon, so I couldn’t stay long. Though, I could admit the temptation was strong. The border was but a mile from the house and it took only ten minutes to get there on foot.  The guards and I had become accustomed to one another over the years and they didn’t even need to ask me my name anymore. They always asked why I wanted to cross, though. That was one protocol they couldn’t break. Liamik, the guard who was always in command at the border, motioned me through with five other people and I disappeared behind the walls in search of the Princess with the taste of determination on my tongue.

FOR twenty-two years, I’d held back from everyone. The only person I’d ever allowed myself to get close to outside of my family was Feven. Only weeks ago I had thought that was how it would always be, familiar and safe. But Echo made me realize that life was about taking chances in the smallest ways and doing courageous things in the biggest. Life was a warzone, yes, but you couldn’t win a battle without trying, putting one foot in front of the other and taking that first leap of faith. Working five jobs and stealing wouldn’t change a thing unless my goal was the fires of Hell. If I wanted change I had to go get it. And that’s exactly what I was doing.

Meredith, the Royal Palace’s Servant Keeper, was droning on and on about my lack of responsibility while I sat ignoring her. We were in the palace, close to the Princess, and that was all that mattered to me.

“You do know that we no longer trust you here?” Meredith asked.

I turned back to her and sighed. I’d been looking everywhere else but at her, hoping the Princess would show up. “Yes, I know, and I do apologize. I’ve already begun to make amends for what I did.”

“You have?”

No. “Yes.”

“And why do you think we need you?” She crossed her thick arms across her chest and her eyes stared me down. We were in the kitchen and maids walked about with their dishes and trays. One maid in particular, young and fragile looking, stopped to gawk at me like she knew who I was. I ran my hand through my hair and looked away.

“You, uh, need me because I keep the garden in shape, Meredith. No one can do it quite as well as I can. I’ll be a ghost; you won’t even notice me here.”

Meredith sighed and nodded her head. “Okay. I shall give you this week. You make one mistake, Hunter, and you’ll be facing the King, not I.”

I grumbled as she walked away and I hung around the kitchen for a moment longer, discreetly looking for the Princess. Through the huge glass window in the kitchen I saw that the yard had been decorated for the wedding with flowers, lights, and about every shade of gold. The Prince of Delentia stood off to the side, his hands deep in his pockets and eyes somewhere other than on the woman talking to him. It must have been his mother, the Queen, I assumed. I was about to walk away and continue my search when a girl with short, dark hair stepped into my view of the Prince. I only saw her back profile, but I could tell she was petite and she barely stood at five foot three—familiar in a subtle way.

She stood with her hands on her hips, whispering to the Prince as the Queen walked away from them. She seemed angry and annoyed, and by the look on the Prince’s face, he looked merely amused. The girl threw her hands up and screamed, about ready to slap him, and I smiled. That is, until she turned around and I caught her blue eyes.

“Echo,” I whispered. She walked up the pathway leading to the door at the rear of the palace and I willed myself to move, but my feet wouldn’t listen. I watched her as she passed the window and barely believed my eyes. She’d cut her hair and was wearing leather, of all things. She looked beautiful, of course, but different. I took her for another person at first glimpse, but it was those eyes that called me back to her.

I moved from the window and into the hall, hiding behind one of the huge pillars that stood in every corner. I heard footsteps on the parquet, and then voices.

“Echo, calm down. I was just joking!”

“It wasn’t funny!” Echo screamed back. The Prince must’ve followed her in. “I was just…born different, is all. My grandmother’s hair was dark and so was my grandfather’s. It’s only natural my hair is this dark.”

“And your complexion?” the Prince asked.

“Are you questioning my lineage?” Echo countered.

I sighed behind the pillar and abstained from doing anything foolish like punching the Prince in his gods-forsaken mouth. I clenched my jaw and patiently waited for him to leave. I will tell her this time, I promised myself.

“No, of course not,” the bastard dared say. “You’re just so different from everyone else here. You’re remarkably beautiful, but it’s an exotic beauty—unknown, and yet to be discovered.”

My fists clenched.

“Oh, shut up. Mention my hair or complexion again and you’ll be losing a whole lot more than your fingers,” Echo sneered. I peered around the corner and watched her with a smile on my face. She was pulling that arrogant attitude again that could drive any man crazy, but one look into her eyes and you really couldn’t take her seriously. “Leave me,” she said.

The Prince laughed. “No. We have to get back out there, anyway. We should probably practice the kiss again.”

The sound of Echo slapping him was hilarious and pitiful. “I’m really starting to like slapping you, Noah.” Her boots stomped against the parquet as she left in the other direction. The Prince sighed and walked back out to the garden.

It was only instinct that I followed her, but she wasn’t an easy target. Through the throngs of maids and servants, I’d managed to lose her more than twice. I only found her again by luck and when I did, across the hall and through the many loitering bodies, her eyes sought mine out first. She watched me. Her mouth opened as if she wanted to say something, but she just shook her head speechlessly. Time stopped as we stood there staring at each other; the world seemed to be waiting on us instead. I wanted to blurt out a million things, all the feelings and pains her absence had caused.

I took a step towards her and she quickly shook her head again. She eyed the hallway behind me, the one leading back to the garden, and began heading in that direction. At first I thought I might’ve angered her, but then she turned around and flashed me one of her rare smiles. I wanted to follow her again—hell, I would have followed her anywhere—but instead moved towards the grand foyer, through the dining hall, and out the front doors. Guards held the doors open for me and they watched closely as I stepped out. After all, I was the thief. I was surprised they didn’t search me right there and then.

I walked down the hilled lawn and searched for her, but I remained alone outside. Had I scared her off? I contemplated walking around the palace and going to her, but that would be, by far, the stupidest mistake I would ever make. Her smile still haunted me as I walked, and I dared think about kissing her lips. The voice in my head screamed that I was losing it, but it didn’t have to scream real loud, for I already knew.

“Ayden!” an actual voice yelled.

I glanced over in its direction and Echo, hair wild and smile uncontrollable, stood by the edge of the forest waving over at me. I smiled and ran after her, not caring whether the guards were suspicious or not. Echo was a fast runner, faster than any Warrior I’d ever known. I had to exert myself just to keep up, but I’d be damned if I let her get away from me so easily this time. Her short hair billowed behind her and every now and then she glanced back at me, laughing and waving for me to hurry. I thought of her as a godly siren or a tempest leading me into my death trap with a smile. In a cryptic way, it made sense. But I no longer cared about reason, I cared about Echo.

I lost track of her as I broke into a clearing. The wide river, the one I had found her crying at, looked different in daylight. It stretched farther than I remembered and the water wasn’t black but a crystal clear blue.

Echo stood by a huge boulder in the sand staring at me. A smile played on her lips and it seemed the awkward moment had gotten to her, too. I took a step towards her and said, “Hi.” It was a simple greeting, but if I could’ve gotten it to mean all that I felt, it would have.

She smiled and began playing with the leathered edge of her corset. She was nervous. “Hi,” she whispered. “You’re here?”

I nodded. “Yes. Look, I’m so—” I stopped, realizing we’d both started to talk at the same time.

She took the last step that put her in front of me and said, “I’ve missed you. I want to tell you that I’m sorry, but I didn’t think I would’ve ever gotten the chance, given you live so far away.”

She missed me? My heart just about melted to the ground. “No, I’m sorry. I was being an ass. I shouldn’t have treated you that way, I was afraid.”

“You had every right. I had obviously overstayed my welcome,” she countered.

“But you didn’t.”

“I think I did.”

She smiled at me and I sighed. “Either way, I treated you horribly. When you left I felt really bad.” She blew her razor-cut bags out of her eyes. “But you look different, Echo. A good different.”

“You don’t, and you shouldn’t change that,” she mumbled. “Will you be going back?” Her eyes searched mine with desperation. When I tried to look away, she turned her head to watch me.

“Yes, I have to. Soon, actually.”

She sighed. “Will you be returning? I-I wanted us to talk.”

“About what, Princess?” I laughed down at her mockingly and arched a brow.

“I just like talking to you. I like you, Ayden Grey. Forget everything I said about misjudging you. You are probably the only person who hasn’t let me down yet.”

The smile fell from my lips and I stared at her in all seriousness. She was but a breath away from me and the temptation was stronger this time; I couldn’t ignore it. I reached out and combed my fingers through her short locks, twining my fingers into the silk and memorizing the feel of it on my skin. She giggled and it was the cutest thing I’d ever heard in my life. My hands moved from her hair to her cheek. “I like you, too, Echo Abbeny.” I glanced down at her parted lips and touched them. She went still for a moment, but didn’t move. “Tomorrow. I’ll return tomorrow.”

Her smile broadened. “Alright. Tomorrow, then?” She stepped away from me and my hands fell to my sides, still burning with the need to touch her.

“Tomorrow,” I confirmed with a nod. She backed out of the clearing with her eyes still on me and I watched her every move. I smiled, but the happiness that had consumed me mere seconds ago was fleeting. I’d meant to tell her how I felt, but instead I’d simply said ‘I liked her’. Whatever the hell that was supposed to mean. I glanced back in the direction she had left and heaved a sigh. I’d eventually collapse with all the damn sighing I’d been doing.

I began the long, dreaded walk back home.

▪Echo▪

I was going to pass out.

It felt like every nerve in my body was on fire. My hands vibrated with excitement and I couldn’t get the stupid grin off my face.

It was him.

It wasn’t a decoy or a trick of my mind. It wasn’t another who just happened to look like him. It was Ayden and he had come for me.

I stumbled back through the wooded area, still smiling like a damn fool, when Noah appeared out of nowhere and grabbed me from behind. “Where’d you go?”

“None of your business. I’m back, aren’t I?” I pushed him away, but he only grabbed me again, crushing my body against his own.

“Who were you with, Echo?” he snarled, breath hot against my cheek. I quit struggling in his arms and glanced up into his glacial eyes. Had he seen anything?

“N-no one. I just needed some air. I was alone, okay?”

Noah glanced behind me and nodded. He put his arm around me possessively and led the way back to the garden.

I kept checking for Ayden, wishing he’d come back and take me with him again. But I couldn’t risk another fallout with Mother, and I had yet to face my father. It was bad enough Noah knew something about Ayden. If Ayden and I wanted any time alone, I’d have to keep him my own little secret.

S E V E N T E E N

Echo

I stood barefoot in the ballroom with three books atop my head and an apple in my hand. As mother spoke, I tried to hold back on the sneering and rolling of my eyes. Hearing her voice this early in the morning was ludicrous, no one should have to go through such a trauma. I watched her from the corner of my eyes and dozed out a bit as my thoughts shifted to Ayden.

I could’ve sworn he was going to kiss me yesterday. The thought of his lips against mine was exciting and different. It wasn’t like kissing Noah, where the very idea of it made me want to gag. I’d bet Ayden was a better kisser, too. I thought of his hands in my hair with a smile. I wanted him to touch me again and whisper a million I like yous in my ear. It was crazy, this boy—this Hunter—was driving me off the precipice of sanity.

I suddenly tripped over the hem of my dress and the books on my head tumbled to the floor. I laughed loudly and lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling and counting the gold flecks etched into the paint. Is this what boys do to people? I thought with a shake of my head. He said he’d meet me today, and I had every intention on being there waiting for him.

“What has gotten into you, Echo?” Mother asked from above me.

I arched my brows and said, “Me? Well, that’s a loaded question, my Queen.” I rolled my eyes and stood to my feet. I wiped the apple on my dress and took a bite out of its juicy flesh, sighing as my empty stomach quit its grumbling. I looked back at her, noticing the pain in her eyes, and said, “This wedding is stupid.” I moved towards the door, but she called me back.

“You need to stop,” she said softly. She took the apple from my hand and pulled my chin up so that my eyes were level with hers. Her blonde hair fell from her bun as she shook her head. “Echo, this isn’t the life you want. You want to be happy. You can have that with the Prince. Is it attention you seek, because—”

“It’s not about attention or even how tired I am, Mother. I can admit that is what it was at first, but I’m just so angry with you and Father that I could care less about this wedding,” I snarled.

Mother glanced around the room like we were being watched. She turned back to me with tears in her eyes. “I forbid you from seeing this boy again. He’s the reason for all of this, that vermin. I will have him thrown from New Haven if I must.”

“Mother!”

“No, Echo! If my mother had been twice as hard on me, maybe this wouldn’t be happening. It’s a curse. Love who you may, but from a distance. I take back what I said before. There are some things you do not know, some things that are better left in the dark.” Mother’s eyes fell from mine and she wiped the tears from her eyes. She looked oddly conflicted.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Time stood still and I held my breath. “Unfortunately, you will find out all too soon. Do you believe in dreams, Echo?”

Mother spoke to me as if I was her friend. This was no longer a reprimand, but a coming of untold secrets. “Yes, but—”

“We only dream of things we know and people that we’ve seen. That is what my mother forced me to believe, but it’s different with me. I see everything.”

“What are you trying to say?” I snarled. I glanced around the room and shook my head. She was going insane, that was it. It would explain her weird mood swings a hell of a lot more.

“I can see things, Echo! I know when bad things will come and you need to listen to me when I tell you that the end has never been so close until now. I’m trying to stop you from making a mistake!” She noticed she was yelling and took a step closer to me. Whispering, she said, “This Hunter boy will be the death of you, and not in a pleasant way. You’ve allowed him to take control of your life, Echo, and you will reap what you sow.”

I stared into her eyes, searching, and swallowed the lump in my throat. “What are you not telling me?” I didn’t believe a word she’d said. This was her new way of getting me to obey, scaring me. I could admit she had me at first, but her lies were foolhardy and I saw right through them. The secrets she held were clear; I saw it written all over her face. Whatever picture she’d been looking for was apparently the key.

Mother shook her head and cried harder. She reached out to touch me, but broke down instead. “Aly,” she cried. “I pray every night and day, hoping the gods will spare you.”

“Who is Aly, Mother?” There was no compassion in my voice. “Why do you continue to call me names other than my own!”

She looked up at me from the floor, her glove-clad hands soaked with tears, and said, “There is something you must know about your father.”

I took a step back from her and willed myself to say something—anything—but the words wouldn’t come. What about my father?

“Queen Abriel?” a small voice said. A little boy about the age of six stepped into the room in worn clothing and a dirty face. He stood outside of the door, and I turned to him in curiosity. “Conroy wishes to speak with you alone, if that is alright with you.”

“Conroy?” Mother’s voice shook as she stood to her feet. Her Thedibian accent poked through, and I caught it. “May I ask why?”

The little boy’s eyes went from her to me and he shook his head slightly as if he was in on some big secret, too. “He requests only your presence, my Queen.”

Mother dusted herself off and walked slowly to the door. The loud beat of her heart in her chest could be heard from where I stood, and I knew then that whatever secret was being kept from me was vital. Notwithstanding, I had every intention on finding out what it was.

Mother left and I stood in the grand ballroom barefooted and in a gown I resented. I’d worn the dress to my own dismay, yet Mother was still upset about the way I decided to wear my hair. I didn’t see the need to put my hair in anything other than a bun on a Friday morning.

I pushed all thoughts of Mother out of my head as thoughts of Ayden consumed me. I smiled to myself as I made my way up to my chambers and dared not think about anything else. My stomach fluttered when I suddenly remembered his hands in my hair again, or on my lips. He’d smiled when I giggled—something I didn’t do much—but to see him smile back the way he did, it was worth it. I refused to think about any other possibilities than meeting him every day at the river. Anything else wasn’t even a thought. I’d go there, he’d be there, and we’d talk for hours because that’s how easy things were between us.

I turned down the hall to my bedroom doors, and froze at the sound of smashing glass. It was unexpected, especially coming from this house. Even if Father got angry with Mother, you wouldn’t know. Everyone sort of ran their own private life in this palace. Everyone but me, of course.

I walked down the opposite hallway, my bare feet padding softly on the plush rug. Only Everlae’s room was down this corner and it was a room that you really had to look for to find. I stopped in the archway and gazed in through the door at Everlae and Silas arguing, a sight that rendered me speechless. I held my breath and hid just beside the threshold.

Why was he in her chambers? Father had made a rule a very long time ago that men, husband or the like, weren’t permitted in our chambers. They were ours, our sacred grounds. By the looks of it, Everlae didn’t like the fact that he had made himself an exception to that rule.

“Again, Everlae!” Silas yelled. I jumped as another piece of glass smashed to the floor.

“Do not be so loud, please. Mother might hear you,” Ever whimpered. My forehead furrowed in bewilderment. Why was she cowering down to him?

“Don’t tell me what to do, you worthless excuse for a woman! What is this, the third time you’ve lost the baby?” His footsteps were loud on the parquet. My heart wept for Everlae, because I didn’t even know she was with child. I guess after losing a baby twice in a year, she wanted to keep it a secret.

“I’m so sorry,” Ever cried. “I did nothing this time, I swear! It just happened.”

“It just happened? If I knew I was going to marry an infertile woman, do you think I’d be standing here in front of you? Get off of the floor!”

“You are to love me, Silas! For better or for worse!”

“This is the worst!” Silas screamed with another smash around the room. A single tear fell down my face and I held in a sob.

“I know. I’m trying for us, Silas. I want to give you a baby!” Everlae yelled, her voice breaking. “Those women you have been bringing to your bed have not been helping either!”

I gasped the same moment I heard Everlae drop to the ground as if she’d been thrown. My hand over my mouth, I glanced inside the room and started to hyperventilate a little at the sight of Everlae’s bruising. She didn’t look up from the floor as she cried silently to herself.

I had to do something.

Silas shouted, “Who are you to question what I do with women?”

He was preparing to kick her when I stepped into the room. “Don’t you dare!” Tears streamed down my face and I found it hard to see through them. Silas just stood there staring at me, a smile on his lips and a soul as wicked as Hades himself. I ran over to Everlae and picked her up from the floor, and glanced over at the bed now covered in blood. Everlae’s eyes widened at me and she tried to push me away, but I wouldn’t let her. I turned back to Silas, my body emanating with anger. “You did this to her. Don’t you ever touch her again!”

I pulled Everlae out of the room and the sound of Silas still throwing stuff around the room echoed behind us.

“Echo, no,” Ever mumbled.

I shook my head and held her tighter. “You should have told me.”

Minutes later, after calling in a maid for help and locking my doors, Everlae peeled out of her bloodied nightgown and stepped into the hot bath. We sat in silence as I bathed her, but somehow I knew Everlae wasn’t really here anymore. Her eyes stared at absolutely nothing as she sat there, her face expressionless and cold. I decided to leave her in the tub longer, seeing as she didn’t want to be bothered, and sat on the marbled floor beside her. I ran my fingers through her blonde curls and bit back my sobs.

Finally, she said, “His name was Dicean.” There was no emotion in her tone, but I knew it hurt her to say it in that tense. “He was only seven weeks old, but I loved him already.” She cried harder and I tried to shush her, but it only made it worse.

“I’m so sorry, Ever.” I rested my head against hers and sniffled. “How long?”

“Two years,” she answered.

“Two years and you haven’t told me? Ever, Father needs—”

“No!” She sat up and glared at me. “Father mustn’t know. It’s my fault anyway.”

I was appalled. “Your fault? Everlae, do you hear yourself? The man, who is supposed to love you for all eternity, abuses you and you blame it on yourself?”

“I cannot give him what he wants!” Ever yelled. The maid peeked in from the corner and Ever settled down. “He’s been with other women, Echo. Especially one with tattoos and dark hair. If I cannot give him an heir within the year, it will continue like this. So, this is partially my fault.”

I shook my head in disbelief and averted my eyes. “Has it ever occurred to you that you are infertile because of him?”

“I’m not infertile, Echo,” she whispered. I glanced back at her with heavy-lidded eyes. “I can bear a baby. But we argue so much and he loses his temper so often that…”

“He takes it out on you,” I finished. “And that’s the life you want to live? Have you even told Mother?”

Everlae looked down at the water she lay in and frowned. “She knows.”

“And she does nothing to stop it?” I stood to my feet and backed away from the tub, running my fingers through my hair as if that could help me get the words out. “No, that’s disturbing!”

“She has tried! She has even mentioned to Father that I should leave the city with Aunt Janelle and Isobeli for a while.”

“And?” I asked.

“And he said my duty is here. With my husband.”

I sighed and glanced around the room, looking for something to hold onto while the room started to spin. “And Mother will do anything to please Father. Even obey his every will.” Feeling utterly disgusted, I headed for the door. “I have somewhere to be. The maid will fix up my room and shall help you with everything you need. My bed is welcomed to you.”

“Echo, wait!” Everlae said. I didn’t turn, but listened for her next words. “It isn’t so bad.”

I sighed and reached for the door. In all sarcasm, I said, “Being beaten against your will isn’t so bad? Well then, I do believe you’ve got yourself a happy ending, Everlae. I’ll go find my own, elsewhere.”

In my bedroom, I grabbed the first article of newspaper I found and took it with me. I told the maid to watch Ever in case she did something stupid and I left. Mother was wherever with whomever and Father was in Siphon’s City, sitting in his throne room writing decrees that ruined people’s lives. Isobeli would be back tomorrow for good, and the gods knew I had so much to tell her.

I told the guards I was going to sit out front in the garden and once I’d gone so far down the hill that they could no longer see me, I vanished into the woods, checking back every so often to make sure no one followed. Noah was gone for the day as well; he had left to get fitted for his suit. Today was perfect, Everlae and her problem’s momentarily forgotten.

I stepped into the clearing and the roaring river surged with life, morning nightingales sung. I lost myself in the view and forgot my reason for being here until I saw him sitting over on the boulder, staring out at the waters.

“You came,” I said.

He turned to face me and his amethyst eyes shone. “I’m many things, Echo, and I can be a liar. Just not with you.”

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks as I scrambled for words. “Oh.” Oh? That’s all I had good to say? I tried again. “Well, I’ve brought you something.” I walked to him and handed him the newspaper. He glanced from me to the article and frowned. “I cannot—”

“Read, I know,” I cut in. I moved to the boulder and sat. I patted the space beside me and smiled at him. “Today’s your first lesson, Ayden Grey. Grab a seat.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “This is a joke?”

“I’m many things, Ayden, and I can be a jokester. Just not with you.”

He laughed at my mockery of him and moved to sit beside me. I leaned in closer to him and our arms touched. “Do you know any of the letters?” He shook his head. “What about the song? You know, the one they teach us in the first form?” He shook his head again and I bit my lips. “Okay.” I set the paper to the side and took his hands in mine.

“Is this how they taught you?” he asked, staring at our joined hands.

I giggled and shook my head. “No. It’s a game my cousin taught me years ago. It’s an easy way to learn. Just follow my lead and repeat after me, okay?”

He nodded with a smile on his face that made his eyes shine even brighter. His hands in mine felt warm and safe, and if I had had the choice, I would’ve never let them go. I sung, “A is for apples. B is for balance.”

I stopped as he started to laugh, and his hands slipped from mine. I wanted to be angry, but his laugh was contagious. “I know. It’s silly, but I’m determined to teach you, so come on.”

He stopped laughing and looked at me. “Alright. I’ll sing.” He took my hands again and this time entwined his fingers with mine. I noted how perfectly our hands looked together. I glanced up and saw that he was watching our hands, too. We both smiled awkwardly and I sang again. “A is for apples.”

“A is for apples,” he sung, a beautiful deep octave.

“B is for balance. C is for coats, the cats, and the cattle.”

He sung, smiling brightly at me. We got through most of the song, but neither of us could keep a straight face for long. “S is for sweets,” I sang.

“S is for sweets,” he mocked, doing his best to sound like me. I laughed so hard I had to cover my mouth so that I didn’t snort.

“I do not sound like that.” I playfully shoved his shoulder and he smiled.

“You’re right. You sing beautifully.”

The smile fell from my lips slowly and I said, “Thank you. As do you.” It was then that I noticed our proximity and how close our bodies really were.

He noticed too, and took my hand in his. My eyes never left his when he sang, “E is for Echo.” I grinned and wrapped my fingers around his. E was actually for elephants, but his version was so much better.

“And A is for Ayden,” I sang.” We smiled at each other—these big, ridiculous smiles that could have lasted all day. I’d only wished this moment could last for eternity.

I cleared my throat and picked up the newspaper, leaning in to him again, and pointing to a word. “You know the letters now, but you must recognize them or else there is no sense in the song. I’ve heard you use big words before, you’re not really illiterate.”

He glanced down at me and said, “My father can read some, so I guess I’ve picked up on a few things.”

“That’s good.” I grinned and turned back to the paper. “Do you know this word?”

He stared at the paper for a long moment before shaking his head. I could only imagine the embarrassment, a girl teaching him how to read. But I didn’t mind one bit, I’d always wanted to be a teacher anyway.

“T-h-a-t. That,” I said to him. “Say it.”

“That,” he whispered. I caught him staring down at my lips and quickly looked away. He might’ve just been trying to see the way I had said it, but then again, it could have been something else on his mind.

“And this one. C-o-a-c-h. Coach, a teacher.”

“Coach,” he said with a smile.

“Right. See if you can do this one.” I pointed down to a random spot on the paper without looking away from him.

He glanced down, and then back up at me. “Love,” was all he said. I searched his deep violet irises that went on for miles, and he sat staring into mine. For the millionth time that day, I was speechless.

On the boulder, I felt his hand take mine again. This time, we weren’t singing and I saw something in his eyes. Compassion, empathy…love. I looked away before it became too much and glanced down at the paper. “Love, yes, that’s correct. You’re a fast learner, Ayden Grey.”

“I suppose I have a fast teacher, then.” His hand was still in mine and I felt the need to cry out that I didn’t want him to ever let go. If I had to hide out by a river for a million years for that to happen, I would do it.

I let his hand slip from my mine and stood. “I guess I should take my leave now.”

He stood too, and nodded. “I guess.” Though, something told me he didn’t want me to leave. Every cell in my body was telling me to stay.

I went to him and hugged him before I had time to doubt myself. He was warm and smelled of a fresh garden, light and airy, yet strong and captivating. There was a moment he had hesitated, but he quickly wrapped his arms around me in a comforting embrace. “Thank you,” I heard him whisper.

I giggled and broke the hug. “Keep the paper. I can come back tomorrow if…”

“I would like that,” he said. He raked his fingers through his long, dark curls and gave me a crooked grin I’d never seen on him before. Very cocky, I thought.

Laughing to myself, I took a step away from him and closer to the forest. “Don’t you go getting any ideas, Mr. Ayden Grey. I’m a good girl.”

His hands dropped from his hair and he held them up. “I just want to learn my ABCs.” He flashed me the grin again and I rolled my eyes.

“Until tomorrow,” I whispered.

He nodded, his eyes full with longing. “Tomorrow it is.”

“And you keep practicing.”

He watched me. Not with a look you gave a teacher or a friend, but one you’d give to your spouse or consort. “Oh, I will,” he said.

Before disappearing into the forest and returning to the palace, I looked back at him and confessed, “I think you are the only mystery I’ve begun to figure out, Grey.”

E I G H T E E N

Echo

There were only eight days left now. Instead of counting them on my fingers, I could count them in my head. Eight days felt like eight hours, and every second leading up to my wedding was crucial, or so my mother said. If I could freeze time for a day, or maybe even two, I’d run away with Ayden and never return. I’d take his hand in mine and he’d promise me forever. As crazy as it sounded, I wanted it; I wanted that one day.

For the past two days, Ayden and I had met at the river and I’d read to him while he listened. We sang the song I taught him and laughed so hard we were rolling in the sand. Absentmindedly, we’d hold hands, but we never pulled away unless we had to. Noah had been questioning my whereabouts as usual, but I made sure I was never followed.

It was different with Ayden. We talked more about each other than we did about ABCs, and he didn’t make any advances to kiss me, no matter how much I wanted him to at times.

I’d learned about his mother and her illness, the reason why he’d asked for the medication I eventually snuck past Meredith. He spoke of his mother with such fondness in his voice and I always laughed about her old ways, which, according to Ayden, were always genuine. She seemed like a great mother, regardless of her illness, and it made me wonder what life would have been like had I grown up with Ayden in Old Haven. The thought made me smile. Would we have been together? Maybe we would be the ones getting married in eight days.

“What are you thinking about?” Ayden asked me.

I turned to him and frowned. “My wedding. In eight days.”

“You’re counting.”

“Not really.” I sighed and faced the river. “I’m overwhelmed all the time, and my family is just so…them. It’s almost as if I’m—”

“Suffocating,” he offered.

I nodded and turned around to face him. “Yeah, exactly.” He ran his thumb over one of my knuckles and I smiled. “So tell me more about Old Haven.”

He laughed. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything.” I sat closer to him in the sand and held his hands tighter. “Is there life outside of Old Haven?” He furrowed his forehead and I rolled my eyes. “I mean, have you ever gone past the walls that confine you?”

He shook his head. “No, never. For a girl so young, you sure are a dreamer.” He smiled and I bit my lips.

“I’m not a girl anymore, Ayden. I turn eighteen tomorrow.” I stared down at the sand. “And then I’ll be married in seven days.”

Silence consumed us, and then he finally let go of my hand and reached for my face. He caressed my cheek ever so softly and said, “How do you do it?”

“How do you mean?” I whispered, leaning into his hands.

“This.” He let me go and motioned to the river, the sky. “You’re so different from everything here; it’s almost as if you don’t belong…”

I looked away and my face blanched. Why was everyone saying that? “Can I confide in you?” I asked. He nodded slowly. “I really don’t believe I belong here. I’m just so lost, Ayden.”

“But you won’t be for long,” he said. I glanced at him, but his attention was on the river. “Everything and everyone has a place to be, Echo. It’s just a matter of how they get there and when. You have a place; you just have to find it.”

I stared at him and nodded slowly. “That’s how I feel. So wise now, are you?” I pushed his shoulder and he fell back into the sand. I thought I might’ve been too rough, but he laughed and picked up a handful of sand, his eyes never moving from mine.

“Ayden, do—” He threw the sand at me and I shrieked as the tiny grains found their way down the front of my dress. I sat with my hands unmoving and mouth agape.

“You should really return it.” Ayden shook his head at my dress. “That’s some bad quality.”

A single raindrop fell from the heavens, and I stared up at the sky as millions more began their descent. It was a light drizzle at first, but it didn’t stay that way for long. Ayden got up to stand and I quickly dragged him back down. “Oh, no. This is war.” I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pushed sand down his chest, laughing giddily at his reaction. His eyes lit up as he chuckled and he tackled me do the ground. Wet sand covered us from crown to sole and stuck to our bodies like paste.

Ayden leaned over me and I stared up at him in bewilderment. “You are so much like me, Ayden. I think it is why I don’t understand you much, I don’t even understand myself.” Thunder rolled and the sky darkened. Yet, we lay staring at each other in the wet sand as if it was sunny and our being together wasn’t forbidden.

“I understand you, Echo,” he said over the thunder. His eyes glanced down at my lips and I smiled.

“Do you, now? What is my favorite color?”

“Blue. Like the sky and your eyes.” His hands touched my lips and I felt them tremble.

“How did you…”

“Lucky guess.”

I laughed and rolled him over in the sand, leaning down and staring into his violet irises. I’d never touched him in any way other than holding his hands, so when my fingers came out and touched his damp lips, I believe I was more startled than he was. I smiled, his warm breath just below my fingertips. “Do you believe in second chances, Ayden?” I said to him. The thunder was rolling louder and a strong wind began to pick up.

He covered my hand with his and I watched as he slowly kissed each of my knuckles. My heart just about leaped out of my chest. “Not until I met you,” he said.

I smiled, absolutely hypnotized by his lips. I leaned in and he watched me. There was a flicker of doubt and I caught myself. “What am I doing?”

“Being a fool,” Ayden said with a smile. “But I’ll be one with you.” His hand on my cheek slid behind my neck and he brought me closer.

Our lips touched briefly and I felt myself begin to panic. “We shouldn’t,” I whispered against lips that sought mine out. But even as I said the words, I’d been leaning in closer to him. Brushing away the hairs on my wet cheeks, he brought my lips to his and I could have sworn I physically felt all my inhibitions melt away. His lips were soft and sweet, like saccharine strawberries dipped in molten, white chocolate. I pushed myself down on him as he kissed me with a soft-spoken compassion and ran his hands through my hair. I smiled against his lips. When we broke apart, we were both laughing hysterically.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, still smiling in a complete haze.

The rain slowed to a drizzle again and he said, “I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first day.” It must’ve taken him a lot to say it; he didn’t strike me for an emotional man.

I touched his lips again and frowned. “First day? What about that first time we met? You were angry at me for something, weren’t you?”

He frowned and said, “That wasn’t about you.” When he caught my confusion, he said, “I stole from your kitchen and the Servant Keeper caught me. I didn’t—”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me. Your life is hard; it’s understandable.” Whatever it had been about, Ayden didn’t have to elaborate. I was curious, of course, but had I been put in that positioned, I would have been ashamed.

“I’m ashamed,” he suddenly said, as if he’d read my mind. “Things are hard, Echo, but that’s still no excuse to take the easy way out. It’s a poor—”

“Stop.” I shook my head and laced my fingers through his. “If you’re going to say you’re a horrible person, you’re not. If you’re going to say it’s a poor excuse, it wasn’t. If you’re ashamed, don’t be. We are not only judged by our actions, Ayden, but by our thoughts. Your thoughts were pure—you did it for your family, you did it for love. If that’s not a good excuse, then I don’t know what is.”

“You would say that,” he said, glancing away from me. “You have everything so good here.”

“In a place I don’t belong. Where do I belong, Ayden?”

“I don’t know, but you’ll figure it out.”

“And you’ll be the first to know.”

He smiled and shook his head. “Can we talk about something else?” He stared down at my lips again and I blushed.

“We were supposed to be reading. Not kissing.” I poked him in the eye and he laughed.

“We can do both.” His eyebrows shot up and he flashed me that queer, cocky smile.

“Not the best idea you’ve had all day, sorry.” Glancing down at our hands, I ran my fingers over the scars on his knuckles, tracing them until I knew everyone like they were my own. “You can end up dead if this continues. I don’t know how it digressed to this, but you’re dealing with a betrothed woman, your Princess no less. Do you know what that means?”

“I know,” he said. “But second chances only come once.” And that was it. I kissed him and allowed it to linger, speaking the things I couldn’t.

I sighed and stood to my feet, shrugging out of the sand. It’d take me three baths to get the sand out of my hair, but if I could help it, the smell of Ayden would never leave me. He stood, too, and I looked up at him.

“Reading tomorrow and that is it.” I tried my best to stay serious, but he saw right through me. “I don’t want this to end.”

“Neither do I.” He pushed my hair behind my ear and held my face in his hands.

“So, you can’t tell anyone. This place is just between you and me.”

“You’re afraid,” Ayden said. It wasn’t a question, more of a statement. A true statement. “I’m afraid, too. But I like you, Echo. A lot. This Prince guy is one lucky bastard.”

“He’s a bastard, but not lucky.” I frowned and took a step away from him. “I should go. I’ll be back again, though.” Ayden nodded, and just like every day that we had met, it was a pain to say goodbye. “I like you, too. Maybe more than I should.”

I turned from him, wet and covered in sand, and walked back to the palace before rehearsals began.

N I N E T E E N

Echo

I returned with a smile on my face.

It was probably my biggest, given that I felt as light as air, as weightless as a feather. I stumbled through the foyer with my fingers on my lips and the taste of Ayden on my tongue. He was the sweetest flavor I’d ever tasted, I was sure, and I wanted more.

Sand still stuck to weird places on my body and I shooed away any guards who presumed I needed help. I hummed to myself, feeling completely on top of the world, and even spun around in circles until I grew dizzy. Ayden consumed me, thoughts of him devoured my mind, and his smell, still lingering on my skin, held an aftermath of great significance—my mark of freedom. At that moment, Everlae’s problems, my wedding, and even Mother couldn’t bring me down from the high.

“Princess Echo, the King wishes to speak with you in his study room,” a guard barked.

But my Father could.

I stopped dancing and turned to meet the guard. Trails of wet sand covered the white marble floors in the foyer and everyone stood around staring at me as if I’d grown another limb. It felt as if I’d stepped into someone else’s home, and for a moment, that’s what I allowed myself to believe. Tomorrow I’d see Ayden. To feel his lips on mine again, being here for another night was the perfect price to pay.

“Yes. Alright.”

I dusted off the remaining sand from my bodice and pushed my hair behind my ears. No matter what I did, though, I still looked like I’d been rolling around in the sand. The guard led me through the foyer and ballroom, and the entire time I prayed to the gods he’d believe the lie I was about to tell him. Father and I hadn’t spoken since the day out in the garden and after all that’d happened, I wasn’t hoping for a friendly get-together.

My mind spun in circles, making up lies to lies and excuses for excuses. Even though I knew Father would read me like an open book on display, it was much better than the truth. That I didn’t want to get married, I hated Noah, I had run away to Old Haven, and had hopelessly fallen in love with a Hunter. A Hunter who had no idea I withheld such love for him.

I sighed and walked into my father’s study with my head hung low. Mother was nowhere to be seen and I wondered if she was taking care of Everlae. Hopefully Silas was far from here, because I swore if I only saw his face I’d be tempted to beat him relentlessly and the same way he did my sister.

In the room, Father sat at his desk with his hands steepled on his chest. The guard bowed and left politely.

“Have a seat, Echo,” Father instructed. I moved to the armchair in front of his desk and stared out the window, thinking of Ayden and how far he must’ve been. Did he walk fast, wanting to get far from me as fast as possible? I smiled. Or did he linger like I did, smiling and spinning in circles as if life couldn’t get any better than this?

“They are beautiful, aren’t they?” Father said, staring out the window with me.

I turned to him and nodded. He must’ve been talking about the garden outside. “Yes, I’m sorry. I got distracted.”

“No need,” he said. “Bleeding hearts hold something of a sentimental value here in New Haven, don’t you think?”

“Well, sure.” When he glanced over at me, I nodded eagerly. “I mean, yes. They’re beautiful, but don’t you think you should rename them, Father? They have such a horrible name.”

Father looked me in the eyes and smiled. “If only I could do that with everything, change it.” He looked away from the window and to me. “If I could take everything I didn’t like, Echo, and change it, do you think that’ll make New Haven a better place?”

I hadn’t the slightest idea where he was going with the conversation, so I just shrugged. “That’s really up to you. You are King, right? Controlling people’s lives and ruling out the wrongs?” I didn’t notice the clip in my voice until after the words had been said. Maybe it was being here and not there with Ayden that set my blood  ablaze. Maybe I just didn’t care anymore.

“You’ve changed, Echo,” Father said matter-of-factly. “This wedding has changed you.”

Or Ayden did, I thought. “I have changed, Father.”

His facial expression also changed when he said, “Would this have to do with your absences as well?” He glanced down at my dress and shook his head at me. We stared at each other for a moment, and every lie I’d been ready to give blew up in my face. “Noah tells me of your whereabouts, Echo. I can’t say I didn’t expect this from you, but I can say I don’t like it.”

My lips began to tremble and I had to fight to hold back the unspoken tears. “What has he been telling you?” I whispered.

Father went quiet and the empty room seemed jarringly desolate. “Are you purposely trying to sabotage this wedding? There’s no other explanation I can come up with, Echo!” His voice suddenly made me jump, and I bit into my lip. I kept my eyes on the window, but my feet tapped against the marble in a way that declared how guilty I was.

“Father, I don’t—”

“Don’t you dare lie to me,” he cut in. “Apparently you’ve forgotten where you are, who you are, and where you come from. This boy, Echo, a Hunter? One of them? Your mother has to be right. If it’s attention you seek—”

Tears spilled from my eyes and the words fell from my lips in one breath. “I just want to be happy.”

“It’s not about your happiness, Echo! Only selfish people are to think that way.” Father stood from his desk and moved around to me. He stood in front of me—grey hair, tall frame, and bright but aging eyes. “We are higher than them, and we always will be. What do you expect people to think when they see you mingling with them, Echo? You’re heiress of a great nation and you don’t want it? Do you not understand what great fortune has befallen on you?”

“What if I do not want it, Father?” I stared up at him with a face full of tears.

“It is not about you, my daughter. You were created to lead a nation, not to chase wild dreams with a peasant.”

A peasant? Is that how they view them?

“That is all? So, I was an obligation? I wasn’t created to love and to be loved?” I stood to my feet and faced him. “My happiness matters to me, Father. It’s the utmost important thing in my life and if I am happy without being a princess and without the dresses and jewelry, why am I forbidden from that privilege? You are my father, and yet you strip me from that!”

Father shook his head. “This is an infatuation, Echo. It will pass. You are my legacy and no daughter of mine will dishonor my family and my kingdom! You will rule.”

We stood in silence and I searched his eyes for something other than apathy, but that was all I was getting from him. I took a step back, as if seeing the brick wall that stood between us for the first time. “If I must live another miserable day in my life, I promise you it will be my last. There is no peace, no rest, and no sanctity here, Father! You throw people off to their deaths without a single thought! I cannot—will not—be heartless. I do not have it in me. If I rule, I will knock down every pillar you have built and create my own. Your decrees would cease to exist, because I refuse to let lives of the innocent fritter away! Hunter, Warrior, there is no damn difference.”

If Mother had been here I knew she would have long slapped me and sent me to my rooms, but Father stood staring at me as if I no longer belonged to him. In that moment, I knew he’d disowned me. Maybe five weeks ago I would have been afraid of this moment, but now I faced it courageously.

“You are not to see him again. In fact, I’ve already called border patrol and he is no longer permitted on New Haven property,” Father sneered.

“You can’t do that! He needs to work, his mother is ill and—”

“What his kind needs and wants is not my responsibility, Echo!

“She is dying!”

“People die every day!” he barked. His voice grew deeper and hoarser. He took a step closer to me and stared into my eyes. “I can be very fair, Echo, when those working with me are willing to be reasonable. But when I am lied to, cheated, and overruled, I tend not to take it lightly.”

I clenched my jaw and glanced outside the window again, wishing I was out free with the many bleeding hearts. In turn, I was inside with a dying heart. “I can’t stay away from him.”

“You will,” Father whispered. “Be aware of the fact that I can drag him from his home at any given time. His mother will be one child less and as soon as he steps into that arena, Echo, this infatuation with him will end.”

“You wouldn’t dare. He hasn’t done anything!”

“He is interfering with my daughter and a betrothed woman! He has done everything wrong! He should already consider himself dead.”

“Father, please.” This time I begged. The thought of Ayden in that arena, fighting for his life, absolutely frightened me. If I allowed myself to dwell on the idea, I was sure it would kill me or drive me straight into the arms of insanity. “I beg of you!”

“He has tempered with my reign, Echo. If he knows what is best for him, he will leave you alone and allow you to marry the Prince.” Father’s hands clenched into fists and I held back another sob. I was faced with only one decision, really. “You are not to see or talk to him again, is that understood? If you do not want to see his body hung in the square for all to see as a traitor, you will do as I ask.”

I was begging for someone to kill me. I never even got to tell him how I felt or what he meant to me that night at the river. I never held him, and the thought that I would never see him again mortified me. They were right when they said that time heals everything, but it never heals a broken heart or torn memories. It didn’t heal my shattered dreams, my hopes, and expectations. If anything, they made a mockery of them and pulled them further from me. Time would go on, but I would never be as happy as I was today.  I’d never be as free and joyful. Everyday would be a mourning of the happiness I was denied.

I bit down hard on my lip until I tasted blood and slurred, “Yes, Father.”

He smiled and his face relaxed. As he leaned forward and kissed my forehead, I cried into his chest. “It will all be over soon, princess,” he crooned. “Eight days. Give it eight days.”

Eight days…

T W E N T Y

Ayden

“What are you doing?” Adamo asked.

I twined the bleeding heart necklace around my fingers, watching as the glass glistened in the glowing sun. “Nothing,” I said, smiling. I slouched in the rocker on his cluttered veranda and stared out at the people walking by. “You ever think about what’s in all those bushes out there? I mean, there has to be something out there besides swamplands, right?”

Adamo arched his brows and looked at me quizzically. “Someone’s thinking. Which is new, because I didn’t think your puny brain was capable.”

I glared at him and sighed. “Funny. Really, that was the most hilarious joke I’ve ever heard in my life.” I shook my head and ran my fingers over the immaculate, smooth glass of heart. Echo’s face came to mind and I smiled.

“Seriously, why are you so thoughtful all of a sudden?” Adamo murmured, laughing silently. He took a long swig of his drink and tossed the rest in a bush at the side of the house.

“Let’s just say, my ignorant friend, that I have something to live for now.” I tucked the necklace into my pocket and breathed in deeply as if I could smell her, feel her on my skin. Every second away from her was another second of weakness for me. Seconds stretched into minutes, minutes into hours, and before long I found myself craving her. It wasn’t just her lips or her smile anymore, or even the way she drove me nuts. It was the way I felt around her—total serenity. She had a way of making me come undone with a simple giggle, and I swore if I had the time in my day I’d sing to her forever until forever wasn’t enough.

Fear had gripped me by the throat just seconds before I had kissed her. I thought about the King, her betrothed, my family, and her most of all. But my entire life was spent pleasing everyone else, making sure I didn’t disappoint and that everyone was taken care of. Where did I come into play? It was a childish thought, but my happiness was important to me and, hell, if I was happy with Echo, every smile on my lips, every laugh, and every tear would be because of her. Hilarious to say, it was her that made me realize there was more to me than where I grew up.

“Oh, really? What is this thing you are now living for, may I ask?” Adamo said, breaking me from my thoughts. He sat in the rocker across from me with his elbows on his knees. His eyes watched me with interest.

Sighing, I said, “I need to see her.”

“That doesn’t answer the question, but,” Adamo glanced at me with a crooked grin, “who is she?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me. Is it Feven?” he asked.

My eyes flashed to him and I snarled, “I’d rather not talk about her. She’s gone and hopefully for good. I’m tired of being her damn sitter.”

“So, then who is it?”

I paused, and then whispered, “The Princess.”

Adamo choked on his own saliva. “The Princess? As in the Princess of the country? You’re kidding, aren’t you?”

I shook my head with a grimace. “I wish I was. There’s something about her, Adamo. If you met her, you would understand me when I say I would do anything for that girl.”

“Girl, Ayden. She’s a girl! And a Princess! Are you trying to get yourself killed?” he yelled, laughing hysterically.

“Would it be such a bad thing? To die happy, I mean.” I shrugged and looked away from him.

In the yard I espied two children playing behind a tree. They looked completely unfamiliar, but for a second the boy looked like me, young and carefree, and the little girl looked like the girl from the picture I’d taken from the Queen. I smiled briefly, only to realize that it was Echo my mind had conjured. Her smile, no doubt, was the same. Her hair, though Echo had now cut it, was still dark and unruly against her olive skin. I stared at the kids long and hard, and cursed. Why did Echo look so much like a Hunter? Was the Queen hiding something?

“You’re serious about this,” Adamo said. He smiled and shook his head. “Where the hell did I go wrong, Ayd?”

“It’s more like I went right, Adamo.”

“How’d it happen?” he questioned.

“Honestly?” My foot tapped against the wood paneling as I thought. “I don’t know. She somehow snuck up on me.  And she can drive any man insane, I promise you. She’s hardheaded and self-willed. Really, it’s impossible to reason with her. But that’s what’s so strange about her, she challenges you. She’s not the usual easy catch.”

“Snuck up on you, huh?” Adamo went into a fit of laughter, slapping his knees and really going at it. It should have angered me, as it would’ve five weeks ago, but it barely stroked a nerve. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say you’re a damn fool in love!” Adamo snorted again and wiped tears from his eyes. When I didn’t make any intentions to shut him up, his face became serious. “No. Ayden, you can’t be serious!”

I stood from the rocker and squinted in the light of the sun. Adamo’s shack of a house stood behind me, nobody home but his sister who’d recently birthed two children without a father. Cicadas sounded in the forest and their shrill sounds told the coming of fall. I looked down at Adamo and shrugged. “I may be a damn fool, but I’m a happy damn fool.” I smiled and walked down his crooked steps and started walking the ways to the border.

“Where are you going?” he asked. Adamo strolled up beside me and waved a hand in my face. “You’re leaving. At least see Giovanni, eh? When was the last time you spoke to him? Maybe he can knock some of this crazy out of your head. Too much time in the heat, I take it.”

I stopped walking and glanced around the small district. It took me a moment to realize the kids had disappeared, as if my mind had made them up after all. As I glanced back at Adamo, something in the house next to his caught my eye. A man, well hidden in the dark shadows of his home, stood watching me by the window. He didn’t look angry, but frightened. Before I could register where I’d possibly seen him before, he disappeared.

“Giovanni. Now. Can we go?” Adamo bewailed.

“Who lives in this home?” I asked, ignoring his question.

He swung around and took note of the old house. “Oh, that’s Conroy’s place. Cool guy, but kind of weird.”

“What do you mean? What happened?”

Adamo shrugged solemnly. “He, uh, lost his daughter to the King when she was four. That’s all he tells me.”

“And the wife?” I glanced around the veranda and noticed the old toys and rag dolls. How long had it been?

“No wife, but a lover, I presume. She was taken, too.” Adamo shook his head and scratched his neck. “Look, can we go? I’d rather not talk about the man’s misfortune right outside his door.”

“Yeah. Okay.” I shook it off and continued walking. I said nothing more about the man and Adamo refused to bring it up. Everyone had their own stories here in Old Haven, some graver than others. You gave them the respect by not talking about it, but you couldn’t help but wonder.

“Gio’s been asking for you,” Adamo said suddenly.

“Has he? Good, let him keep asking. I’m not going to see him.”

“Really? And this is coming from the man who worshipped the very ground he walked on? Come on, Ayd, the man taught you how to fight! You would be dead without him.”

I sighed and stopped walking again. “Fine. But you say one word about the Princess and I’ll wring your neck.” I glanced down the road at his house. “And you really should be home helping your sister.”

“Anny can take care of herself, trust me. And I wouldn’t dare say a thing about your Princess lover, dearest.” Adamo laughed.

“She’s not my lover.”

“Yet.”

“Shut up,” I retorted.

“Woman lover.”

I sighed and followed Adamo down the dusty roads, the man and his lost family on my mind.

GIOVANNI’S place was no bigger than Adamo’s house. Seeing as I’d left nearly four years ago, I’d forgotten how small it truly was. I’d meant to stop by for a visit the day I worked with Miss Othman, but I would think it safe to say that after the way things were left here, nothing was the same, people weren’t the same.

Adamo and I climbed the veranda stairs and he knocked on the door. Seconds passed with no answer. “Maybe they’re around back.” Adamo led the way to the back of the house and I could hear grunting and the sound of wood slamming against wood as we drew nearer. It brought back memories—memories both good and bad. Carriage wheels, old mats, slabs of wood, and garbage can lids lay strewn in the yard, the only practice equipment we found that came free of charge.

“Hey!” Adamo yelled out. There were two guys on the ground wrestling by the fence, their arms around each other’s necks and faces red from exertion. They untangled from each other and stood to greet Adamo. I recognized them as Ciprean and Kale, neighborhood thieves.

“Ad! Long time, no see!” Kale—short, spiky hair and thin like a lamppost—hugged Adamo and thumped him on the head. He then looked at me and froze.

Ciprean stood just behind them and a slow smile played on his lips. “He’s back!” He lunged at me and wrapped his arms around my neck. “Gods, have I missed you. Where have you been?”

“I’m not back,” I said with a frown. “I don’t even know why I’m here.”

“I think I do,” came a voice. We all turned and there, with a crowbar and a wrench in his hands, was Giovanni.

“Gio,” I said. “It’s been awhile.”

“Awhile? Is that what they’re calling four years now?” He arched an eyebrow at me and I sighed. “Want to talk?” His eyes watched me cautiously.

I glanced around at the guys and nodded. Not that I owed any of them an explanation, but Giovanni, the guy who had practically raised me, deserved more. Although I was reluctant on coming, being here made me realize how much I truly missed him.

I followed Giovanni to a bench and he tossed the wrench and crowbar into a bin. He was getting old, I noted. He limped with his right leg and his full beard had flecks of grey in it. He’d shaven his head bald and it really made the slight wrinkles on his face apparent. Though, Giovanni was still very much a prodigy. He was the wisest person I knew, which made it hard to want to listen to his advice sometimes. It shamed me to be here because a friend had drug me back, but I learned you couldn’t run from him. You always came back.

“Want to explain why you left?” he asked, his voice deep and burdened.

I shrugged and said, “I did it for my family. I couldn’t be here and with them at the same time. The twins barely knew how to feed themselves and my mother was sick, what did you expect me to do?”

Giovanni told Adamo and the guys to work on their lifts and they obediently turned away. Giovanni said, “Has it ever occurred to you that Milo and Misty are not your children and Carys is not your wife? Your entire childhood was so easily spent cleaning up after their mistakes that you barely had time to make your own and grow from them. Ayden, you were a man before you were even thirteen.”

“I know.” I cringed and rubbed at my neck. “But if I don’t do it, who will? Can you imagine if I’d just left them? Who knows what would have happened? I can’t even think about it.”

“Then think about yourself for once. You are in no condition to support a family, Ayden. Mentally or physically. When you’re done laboring all over the place, working here and there, do you honestly think there will be anything left in you to go on? This just isn’t your time.”

“So, I’m supposed to let them die, then?” I asked angrily.

“No,” he calmly answered. “You do all you can, and then you let someone help you.”

I glanced away from him and stared over at the guys working. I didn’t say anything because a part of me knew he was right, that that was truly my problem. I shut everything off, everyone out. Maybe because I didn’t want to be disappointed, or simply because it was my family business, not his or Adamo’s. The only one who’d ever truly broken through to me was Echo, and she never had to say a thing.

“It’s not your fault, you know? Life is the way it is, Ayden, and you always have a choice. Right now, you can choose to sit here and mope around or you can get up and do something with yourself. Let your father take some responsibility for a change. If he won’t listen to you, he’ll listen to me.”

I cracked my knuckles and averted my eyes to the sun, which was now setting slowly just beyond the horizon. It was getting late. “What if I told you I used to be afraid of letting go? That I never imagined carrying on with life and leaving here behind?” I looked back at him and a small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. “What if I told you I now found a reason to why any of that shouldn’t have mattered in the first place?”

“I’d say you’ve changed, Ayden Grey. And whatever has caused that change in you, you shouldn’t let it go.” He looked out at the sun. “It’s made you remember what you are. Whoever she is.”

I smiled and stood up from the bench. The sky had bled into a red-orange, the tall trees casting shadows against the dim of daylight. The cicadas had quieted to a soft hum, but they were still out there, somewhere. “How’d you know?” I asked Giovanni. Adamo cried uncle behind us and we laughed.

“Ah, to be young and in love. A mystery of life. A blessing and a curse.” He stood, using the fence behind him for support. “You know where to find me. Just don’t go running off into trouble. Tell this girl she has to be mindful with you, she caught herself a wild one.”

I sighed and shook my head. “Yeah. I’ll tell her. Take care, Gio.”

He nodded and I walked away, feeling like the world had finally laid its sins off my shoulders. I got halfway down the street when Adamo stopped me. Sweaty, filthy, and smelling like burnt rubber, he said, “Where you off to now? I swear, I’ll have to get a leash for you.”

I shrugged him away with a smile. “I’m going to meet my Princess lover.”

“So, she is your lover?” he said with a coy smile.

“No.”

“So, then why—”

I sighed and pushed Adamo in the other direction. “Weren’t you just doing something?”

He stopped walking and kicked at the dirt. “Alright! I’m going to act, for a moment, that what you’re doing isn’t going to kill you. Ayden!”

When I kept walking, Adamo finally gave up and ran back to Giovanni’s. I strolled in the opposite direction, towards the border, with a smile on my lips and Echo on my mind.

DIFFERENT guards were posted at the border this time, and I recognized none of them but one. The same one who let Echo slip through when the country was on watch for her, Liamick. He looked at me as I approached and told the others to stand down as they readied their swords.

“What’s this about?” I asked him, staring down a guard who hadn’t removed his eyes from me yet.

“Ayden Grey, right?” I nodded. “You are no longer permitted on New Haven soil. You will have to find work elsewhere.”

No,” I ground through clenched teeth. “There’s been a mistake. There has to be. Is there a list? Check the list.” The guards searched my eyes and I searched back. No longer permitted? If this hadn’t been so serious I would have laughed.

Liamick moved back to the small room just before the gates and flipped through his book. My jaw and fists clenched, and I could feel every nerve in my body come alive with terror.

He shook his head and said, “I’m sorry. The King has revoked your privil—”

“He can’t do this!” I yelled. I raked my fingers through my hair and breathed deeply. I needed to see her. I looked at them. “I have to see her!”

Liamick watched me and moved in front of the rest of the guards. He walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder. “This doesn’t have to do with the girl I let pass through here, does it?”

I nodded. “I love that girl and I need to see her before it’s too late.” I sighed “Her father must know.”

“I’m sorry, but—”

“You did it once, you can do it again. Please, I need to see her.”

I saw the hesitation in his eyes, but he nodded slowly and patted my shoulder. He leaned forward and whispered, “Come back at midnight when the rest have been reassigned. I’ll get you to her.”

I exhaled with relief and took a step away from him. “Thank you.”

“I’m just as dead as you are, no need to thank me,” he said ruefully, smiling. “This girl must be something special.”

As I treaded down the dirt roads and waited in the trees for midnight, I said with a smile, “She is.”

I just hoped she’d still be there waiting for me.

T W E N T Y-

O N E

Echo

What was love anyway? I thought contritely.

Love wasn’t an emotion or a feeling you suddenly got when you’re around someone. Love wasn’t something you thought about or regretted. Love was something you allowed to control you, and you prayed to the gods it would lead you to the right person. Love was addicting, a sinful narcotic. Love was…

Love was Ayden.

I sighed and shifted on the boulder I’d been lying on for hours. Tears streamed down my face and I was too depressed to move, to will myself to return to the palace. I wondered if Ayden was screaming for me, missing me. I was sure he realized he couldn’t get through the border by now, and it filled my heart with a void so unlike any other that it, on top of breathing becoming impossible, living became ridiculous. My heart aching for Ayden was ridiculous, but for seventeen years I had tried to squeeze myself into a world not fit for me, and he came along and showed me that it wasn’t about squeezing or fitting in, dammit, but becoming a part of something—someone—that already has a place for you. There would be no need for fitting in because I would already be welcomed.

Was it too much to wish for the best? Or to hope for a happy ending? Couldn’t I have it if I wanted it? Couldn’t I have Ayden? Couldn’t we be happy? Forever? I cried out and my heart burned within my chest. I hated my father for making me choose between Ayden’s life and my own happiness. Didn’t he know that they were one in the same? Time away from Ayden was unthinkable, him gone was unimaginable. This man who’d practically come out of nowhere and stolen my heart.

My feet moved before I could stop them. I felt like an infant taking their very first steps, my legs shaking and bones snapping. The sun had long gone down and left me alone and unsheltered. The river roared in front of me and I stared into the black abyss, holding back the tears that came. My hands shook and my faith waned. What gods would do this to me? What could I have possibly done?

I turned to walk back, and there he was.

He stood with his hands in his pockets, eyes watching me with longing and love. I opened my mouth to say something, but found myself running to him instead. I slammed into him and nearly knocked him to the ground. “Oh, gods!” I cried. “Ayd—” He quieted me with his lips and I melted into him, crying but refusing to let him go in fear that I’d been conjuring dreams of him again. But the way his hands held me told me this was very much the realest moment of my life.

He pulled back and wiped away the tears from my cheeks. I wanted to tell him about a million things, but he said, “We should talk, Echo.”

I nodded, kissing his lips again, and allowed him to lead me back to the boulder. My knees buckled under the anxiety, but he was here. And that was all that mattered.

“How’d you get pass the border?” I asked, embracing him. I would have sat in his lap if he didn’t look so serious about what he wanted to talk about.

“I know a guard and he let me go.” He looked down at me and stared directly into my eyes as if he could see through my soul and all the clustered emotions I’d accumulated in the past weeks. “There’s something that I need to tell you.”

I frowned. It wasn’t what I was expecting, not at all. “No. I don’t want to hear it, Ayden. Please. I missed you so much. My father—,” I chocked on a sob, “my father knows about us and he’s threatened your life, even your mother’s. I wanted to go to you, but I feared the guards at the border would stop me.”

Ayden’s eyes shone with tears and it frightened me, never before seeing a man cry. It was emotional and genuine. To be honest, it felt like I was losing him already.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and stood. I pulled my dress over my head and Ayden asked, “What are you doing?”

I turned from him and slipped off my underskirt. I took off my sweater and my bodice next, standing in front of him with nothing but my undergarments. I whispered, “My mother thinks me to be asleep, Ayden. The palace slumbers and I am here with you. If this moment is all I have, I will regret nothing. I’ll cherish every moment.”

He smiled, beautiful and bright. “Is that so?”

I nodded. “Shall we go for a swim?” I stared out at the water and smiled through the tears and the sadness that hid behind this moment.

“We shall.” He stood and began undressing.

I watched him for a moment, admiring his physique unabashedly, and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. I whispered into his ear, “Beat you there.” I ran in the direction of the waves, feeling alive for the very first time, and hit the water with a start. I didn’t get too far in, though. I felt Ayden’s arms grab me from behind and I squealed. The water was cold, but his arms around me were warm and familiar.

“Cheater,” he whispered into my ear. I laughed and turned out of his arms to splash him with water. His face in the light of the moon was stunning. “You’re asking for it, Princess.”

“Asking for what, Hunter?” I laughed, swimming away from him. He easily caught up and held me in a tight embrace. I looked up at him and caught myself smiling, something I did so frequently now thanks to him.

Ayden reached out and touched my face. My breath caught in my throat and I closed my eyes. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered. Tears came to my eyes and I tried desperately to hold them back. I’d heard that so many times from Noah, but hearing it from Ayden? It was like a blessing bestowed upon me, filling me with hope again.

“You don’t mean that,” I said, wrapping my arms around him. He was warm and still smelled of that rich Ayden scent—lilacs and leather, a mix of working in the garden and Miss Othman’s shop.

Ayden shook his head and kissed my forehead with a long, lingering kiss that spoke volumes. “If I had the money to spell it out in the clouds, Echo, I would. I would write it on the stars, on the moon. Your beauty is foreign and special. Any man to forsake you is a damn fool, and I promise you that would never be me.”

I let the tears fall and they felt colder than the water I stood in. I leaned in and kissed Ayden’s lips gently, unsure of the emotions flooding me. He meant it. He thought I was beautiful, and coming from a man who had become the very air I breathed, I would cherish it.

I broke away and held him close, loving the proximity and the feel of his skin against my own. I missed the sound of his voice and the way his presence had a way of making me feel like I was walking on water. His kisses had quickly become a drug, an ever-sweet reminder that he was love. That this was love. I held onto him and my heart soared.

This is love. This is your life, Echo. Own it.

I smiled and traced circles into Ayden’s chest. “Take me away,” I whispered to him. “I don’t care what my father thinks or how angry my mother gets. I just want to be with you. I want to be happy.”

He ran his fingers through my hair and said, “I wish I could, Echo, but I’m afraid I can’t.” He kissed my forehead and held me closer. “I’d take you as far from here as I could. Anywhere you want to go, but not in this life.”

“I get married in days, Ayden. I’ve tried so hard to make them listen to me,” I cried into his chest. “Promise me you won’t let them take this freedom from me. I don’t think I could survive a day without seeing you. It hurts too much.”

“I promise.” He nodded, tears in his eyes. He kissed my lips, and then whispered, “I have something for you.” Without another word, he pulled me in the direction of the shore and we climbed out of the water, undergarments sticking to our bodies. My hand in his, he sat me on the boulder and smiled up at me. He reached into his trouser pockets and my eyes caught something silver. The moon hit it and the glass heart glistened in the light. I stared at it, the bleeding heart captured within, and then at him. I wanted to say something, but words just wouldn’t come.

“You—” I started.

Ayden shook his head and kneeled down into the sand. I sighed breathlessly and slid down the boulder to sit beside him. “You’re so far away,” he whispered to me, “it’s almost impossible to not miss you. If I could, I would knock down every border that dared stand in my way of getting to you every day. Right here.”

I stared into his violet eyes and smiled. He took my hand and feathered a kiss to each of my knuckles. “The distance is too much,” I whispered.

He chuckled silently and nodded. “It is. But I’ve been wandering in this darkness, Echo, I’ve been so—”

“Lost,” I finished for him.

“Lost, absolutely. But then you come along with this irresistible smile and brighten up my life. It’s ridiculous, but it’s how you make me feel.” He unclasped the necklace in his hand and I moved for him to put it around my neck. The heart pendant sparkled against my olive skin where it lay just above my own beating heart.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, staring down at it. I rolled it over in my hands and smiled. “This means so much.”

“It does.”

I faced him and arched a brow. “You are unpredictable, Ayden Grey.”

“And you drive me absolutely crazy, Echo Abbeny.” He smiled, leaning in to kiss me.

“Thank you,” I whispered against his lips.

“You’re welcome.”

“No.” I slid my arms around his neck and I pulled him closer. “Thank you for saving me. I think I found where I’m supposed to be.”

“Oh, really? And can I—”

“Shut up.” I kissed him, a feeling overwhelming me that had become memorable. I didn’t have to be alone, at least not for the moment.

I smiled and dropped onto the sand. Ayden stared down at me and my heart skipped a beat. “This is love,” I said aloud.

His smile faltered for a second, and then he touched the corner of my eye. His next words could have set my body ablaze. “This is love.”

His lips found mine again and, as we held each other in an everlasting embrace and the world slipped away from the both of us, I knew we had no intentions of moving for a very long time.

T W E N T Y-

T W O

Echo

The wood splintered on impact.

Tiny pieces of the chips flew up around us as Shadow smiled and patted me on the back. “You’re getting better,” she said.

We were in the park of the market again, and people around us busied with their lives. Ezily had taken the day off with her husband, but Shadow was determined to teach me something today regardless. Though I could admit I was seeing great improvement in my skills to wield a sword, it wasn’t anger this time that fueled me, or even perseverance. It was the thoughts of freedom that beleaguered me to no avail. They were virulent, and I allowed them to whisk me away. My mind barely remained focused on the job at hand for long before it began to drift.

Last night with Ayden had been amazing—no, magical. If my mind could have come up with anything other than Ayden, I was sure there were over a million words in the New Latin vocabulary that could’ve explained my night with him sufficiently. After kissing him good-bye until the sun had begun to rise, I stumbled back to the palace and snuck in through the back doorways by the gardens. I hadn’t slept at all. I was too excited to think of sleep, actually, and the necklace he’d given me, beautiful in every possible way, begged for so much attention it wouldn’t allow me rest.

The heart now lay hidden beneath my dresses where it would only be knowledgably noticed by me. I hadn’t an idea what it meant, Ayden presenting me with such a gift, but it was another puzzle piece to the ever-growing conundrum of this world. Just like Ayden, I would keep the necklace a secret for as long as possible. I’d decided last night that New Haven wasn’t going to deprive me of my newfound hope. My father be damned, I was going to live a life of my choosing.

“I suppose I am,” I sputtered. I reached into the back of the leather satchel tied around my back and quickly drew out a dagger. The hilt was golden and adorned in jewels. It was Shadow’s, but I held it with possession. “Practice has been paying off after all.” I narrowed my eyes at the large tree in front of me and flung the dagger at its trunk. A dull thud resonated from its splintered timber and I smirked.

“Or…” Shadow moved to retrieve the dagger from the tree. “Something else has been paying off? What’s gotten into you?” She handed back the dagger and I stared down at it, refusing to meet her eyes.

“How’s Everlae?” I asked instead.

“She’s fine,” Shadow answered curtly. I looked up at her and grimaced. She must’ve known, she had to. There was no way Shadow would stand for something so atrocious and do absolutely nothing.

Though, all Shadow had to say was, “Leave it alone, Echo. It is not your problem.”

“But—” I bit my tongue to avoid screaming at her and swallowed down the anger with a shaking breath. I was learning more and more about my family now than I ever did in the past seventeen years. I was newly turned eighteen and I expected more clarity—more reason—to come to me, but all I got was this. A lot of ‘leave it alone’ and ‘it’s not your problem’. Shadow, the woman who I’d looked up to all my life, was unveiling to me a truth I did not want to acknowledge. New Haven people were all the same—condescending and bias.

“Hearsay has it that Father’s invited the King of Delentia and his wife to watch today’s trial in the chambers. Of course you must know that the Prince will be there, so—”

I flung the dagger at the tree again and Shadow’s words were cut off by the sharp edge that nearly hit her head. She sighed and I said, “This I did not know of. I received no kind of invitation, so I am sure the party will go on without me.” Contempt rimmed my tone and I didn’t bother hiding it at all. Hell, I was angry now but definitely for all the right reasons. “I want nowhere near those awful chambers, Shadow. People are slaughtered mercilessly while Father watches! Can you imagine the duty of the guards? How much sorrow it must bring them to clean up entrails of the innocent day after day?” I unsheathed my sword once more and sliced it deftly through the air. “It’s disgusting. I curse the day Father asserted those rules.”

“And who are you to curse anything, more less our father?” Shadow asked, watching me attentively. “I’ve been watching you closely, Echo. Your values are slipping. When do we ever doubt Father?”

“We never do,” I answered, eyes still on the sword before me. I caught my reflection and scowled. “This is why I am now. What if the person is innocent, Shadow? They aren’t even given a court hearing in order to explain themselves. They are judged indifferently and then thrown to the dogs. Our people place bets on who will lose the fights, but it is them who are the true losers. Those who seek happiness and complacency in other’s misfortunes.” I stopped swinging my sword around and sheathed it in my waist. A passerby stopped to gawk at me, no doubt identifying me as the Princess. I arched my brow at him and he staggered away.

“You’ve grown wise, my sister,” Shadow mumbled as she drew closer to me. She placed a heavy hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. “Though, please do remember if you play with an unkempt fire you will get burned. The wages of the war you fight are high, I see it within you. You lose yourself time and time again, but never forget where you’ve come from.”

“Never,” I said with a nod of my head, “because this place you call home is not my own. I will seek refuge and victory in a land of integrity, not lies and arrogance.” My last words fell from my lips like venom, and though the taste was bittersweet, they were my own. I owned them. “I refuse to go.”

Shadow’s jaw clenched. “Make sure and notify your father.”

I pushed away from her, raking my fingers through my shoulder-lengthened hair, and prodded back towards the gates of the market. Little girls begged for my attention and, as much as I wanted to stay and talk with them, I had no time.

Shadow and I stormed back through the palace doors and I immediately searched for Father. But as I rounded a corner and entered the ballroom, I was grabbed up by Noah and he planted a quick kiss on my lips. “I’ve been looking for you,” he whispered into my neck.

I pushed away and completely ignored him. “Where’s my father?”

“In his study room, why? I thought maybe we—”

I faced him just as he was going to reach for me again and snarled, “Shut up,” and then left in search of the King. Shadow followed in not too far behind and we both froze at the door. Everlae and Silas stood in front of Father’s desk with him sitting just behind it. His eyes were on a piece of paper before him and, for once, he looked studious and not so threatening as he so frequently did.

“What is this about?” I asked. Everlae turned to me and shook her head vehemently.

Father looked up from his desk and smiled slightly at me. “Is there a good reason for this intrusion, Echo?”

Yes, I—” I caught Silas’ eyes and felt the need to spit in his face. “I just wanted to let you know that I—”

“That she’s excited to join you this evening in the chambers with the Prince and the King and Queen,” Shadow interrupted.

I growled. “No, I—”

“That’s nice, Echo, but can you give us a moment of privacy?” he asked. His last words came out strong and I winced. I glared at Shadow and rolled my eyes.

“Yes, Father.” I made for the door, my hands clenching into fists. Shadow followed suit and I was quick to turn on her the second we were away from the door. “Why did you do that?”

“We have a duty here, Echo. Your duty is to rule, and you fail to realize the importance of your role. You will be Queen in days and you can’t go to a simple trial. How do you think the nation will view you?” She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.

“Those things don’t interest me, Shadow,” I said incuriously. “You’ll never get it! I’m not purposely trying to be defiant, I am trying to get you to understand.” I calmed my voice and started again. “Perhaps you’ve driven yourself too deep to see the clarity of it anymore.” I shook my head at her and walked away.

Feeling ashamed and put out, I ran up the spiraling staircase and headed blindly for my chamber doors. I would talk to Mother when she returned from her shopping trip with Aunt Janelle. My heart just couldn’t take seeing something as gruesome as murder.

I stopped at the top of the staircase at the sight of Caesar. “Little sister,” he said, shaking his head.

I sighed and arched a brow at him. “I was told to never talk to strangers. Who are you again?” Caesar had a belly now and a beard. For his mid-thirties, he looked rather haggard and old. I couldn’t imagine his wife, Angelina, being okay with this. A little boy in nothing but trousers came crawling down the hall and I noticed the resemblance. “You have a son.”

Caesar scratched his beard, and then grabbed for the little boy. “That’s what adults do, Emilia. They make babes.”

“It’s Echo,” I spat.

“Emilia, Echo. What’s the difference?”

I frowned. “Two extra letters.”

He smiled at the little boy in his hands and shrugged. “Right. Can you watch him for a while? Get to know your nephew? Angelina and I have somewhere to be.”

I pushed past him and made for my rooms. I turned to face him last minute and said, “You know, I’ve always wanted a big brother. I could’ve used one today, but you’re never around.” I looked at the baby, brown hair and hazel eyes, and sighed. “Take some responsibility for what is yours every now and then, eh?”

I shut my doors behind me and let the pain and the sadness devour me. That morning I dreamt of Old Haven.

THE coach pulled up in front of the palace and Noah took my hand in his. “Four days and you’ll be all mine,” he whispered so that only I could hear.

I elbowed him in the side and he dropped my hand. I stared straight ahead when I said, “I belong to no one. Even so, what makes you think I would ever give myself to you?”

He smiled. “I just assumed that—”

“You assumed wrong.” I took hold of the guard’s hand and he helped me into the coach. I sat beside my mother so that I didn’t have to be next to Noah. When he crawled in and sat across from me, he winked and blew me a kiss. I shook my head and mouthed, ‘I hate you’.

“Sit straight, Echo,” Mother barked.

“Yes, Mother.”

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. I tuned her out after awhile and thought about Ayden. I would see him tomorrow, I was sure. If I could get away, I was going to spend the whole day with him at the river. I absentmindedly touched my lips and smiled. I would see him soon and he’d make me forget about Shadow and Noah, Everlae and Silas. The world would slip away, time would cease to exist, and there’d only be him and me.

My thoughts slowed as the coach pulled to a stop and we climbed out one by one. Noah grabbed my hand again, but my focus was on the massive building before me. It stood taller than the border, than the palace. Shaped like a dome with no roofing, it appeared like a prison in every way. Some pillars had been broken down from the looks of it and as we stepped closer, I could actually smell the iron taste of blood. Loud cheering and screaming erupted from the inside and caused my eardrums to ring. Noah smiled giddily and led me in.

I stopped him. “No, I can’t.” I looked back at my mother and the Queen of Delentia.

Mother looked disgusted with me and said, “Echo, walk.”

I swallowed any arguments I’d had and gripped Noah’s hand harder. My heart had never felt so heavy in my chest. How the hell could they possibly sit and watch?

I was led through a large corridor flooded with people. Some parted way for Noah and I and they clapped merrily as they gazed at us. I cringed and turned away, feeling shameful once more. I didn’t deserve their acclaim, nor did I want it. Noah escorted me up the steps to the second level where a small doorway was sectioned off by a thin, blood red curtain. I laughed at the irony.

“For you, Princess,” a thin woman said as she handed me a goblet of wine. I shook my head at her and she turned to Noah. He stared at her body appreciatively and she coward away from him. “Must you be so obvious?” I asked him. The same woman showed us to our seats as we emerged through the curtains and I was met with open skies and hot, arid air.

“If you won’t put out, what is a man to do?” Noah whispered. I glowered at him, but he merely shrugged. I sat in the chair the woman directed me to and noticed that Noah and I were the only ones on the terrace. But when I glanced to my left, Mother and Father, along with the King and Queen of Delentia, sat on the other terrace just a few feet away. Father nodded at me and I smiled a smile that barely touched my eyes.

“So when does this thing start?” I asked nervously.

Noah smiled and pointed to the ground below us. “Now.” In the middle of the dome was a playground of sand stained with what was evidently blood. Two gates stood on either side and guards rounded the whole perimeter of the arena.

“My gods,” I breathed. I sat back in my seat and refused to look down again.

“This is your first time?” he asked me.

I laughed. “You ask as if this is a deflowering, Noah. This is death!” I gripped the cushion of my chair and tried not to raise my voice above a whisper.

“Death is beautiful, Echo,” the blonde-headed moron dared say. “Watch.”

Unwillingly, my eyes moved to the sight before me and I froze. The crowd screamed in excitement as a young girl probably the age of ten stepped out onto the arena. She held a sword twice as big as her in her hand and struggled to keep it up. My heart wept for her. The clothes on her back were filthy and did nothing to hide the evidence of malnutrition. Were they feeding her? What could she have possibly done to deserve a death such as this? As if she could hear me, her eyes shot to me and watched me in a silent plea. I struggled to swallow the saliva in my mouth and closed my eyes against the pain.

“Fighting Hazel will be Loretta James!” the Announcer screamed into an amplifier. My heart dropped to the ground as a big woman holding an axe stepped out and growled at the crowd. She was huge. My eyes shot to the girl and she stumbled away from the woman, pressing herself against the wall. A tear fell from my eyes and I hadn’t even noticed I’d been crying until then. I shook my head at the little girl and she nodded, mouthing, ‘help me’.

I covered my mouth to hold back a sob the same moment the announcer let go of a flag and a horn went off. Things happened too fast and I couldn’t make anything out but the girl walking around the arena, crying and trying to stay away from a beast that stalked her every move. She yelled at the woman to stop and to look at what she was doing, but the woman was void of all feeling. The girl glanced up at me with bloodshot eyes and I saw the fight leave her. She was reaching for a lifeline I couldn’t give her, and as she noticed this—that no one would come to her rescue—she dropped the sword to the ground and faced the woman. This little girl was somebody’s daughter, someone’s sister. The pain they must’ve been going through I could only imagine.

“This is cruel,” I murmured.

“The best part has yet to come,” Noah said, smiling at me. I shrugged away from him and turned to Mother. She, too, was captivated by this little girl being slaughtered. I’d never felt so alone in that moment.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!” the crowd screamed. I shook my head, thinking no, no, no. The big woman smiled maliciously as the little girl screamed stop over and over again. Every move the woman made, the girl countered, but she was too small. She knew that. The little girl screamed stop the last moment the woman charged forward with her axe and slammed it into the girl’s chest. I’d never seen death so close, and seeing it this way for the first time, I knew it was a hideous thing.

I gasped silently as the little girl’s blood sprayed against her face and the wall behind her. My hands trembled and my heart beat slowed to an erratic pulse. Hazel’s eyes still watched me and her mouth hung agape in a silent, everlasting cry to stop. Blood spilled over her lips and her voice still echoed around the arena as all fell silent. I leaned forward in my seat and gripped the edge of the balcony.

“Please,” she mouthed. The woman pulled back her axe and the girl slumped to the floor in a pool of her own blood. As she dropped, something rolled out of her hand and I fought to see it from so far away. It’s a picture, I thought with a grimace. I shook my head in defeat and backed away from the balcony, rising to my feet. The crowd cheered on around me, happy and oblivious to their own sins. They should’ve been the ones in the arena being slaughtered mercilessly.

“I think I’m going to be sick!” I yelled. I turned and stared at Noah, disgusted that he even thought this to be exciting. I pushed at him and he almost fell out of his chair. The woman with the wine gawked at me in fear, but I easily shoved passed her and found myself wandering the long corridor. I paced until the colors in the room merged into one and felt myself losing consciousness.

WHEN I awoke, I lay on the bed in my chambers wrapped in thin blankets and duvets. I quickly pushed them off and sat up. Outside my window the sun was setting and the nightingales still sung their tunes.

There was a knock on the door and I whispered for them to come in. Mother, smiling and in her finest gown, walked in with three maids. “I figured we could try on the dress today, darling,” Mother called.

I stared out the window with a vacant stare. “Not today, Mother. Can I have a moment, please.”

“No,” she answered succinctly. “You’ve already wasted enough time, I think. Besides, you ruined my mood with that stupid act at the chambers today, I could use some cheering up.”

I scowled. “Act? Your mood, Mother? Look at me! I’ve never felt this low, ever. I’m miserable and you do not even see it.” I thought back to the little girl in the arena and cold tears rolled down my cheeks. “I’m not trying on the dress because I am not getting married.”

“You have no say,” she said, laughing. She snapped at the maids and they came to her quickly. One lifted a red looking dress and the other a blue. “Which one for the reception, honey?”

“How about the black one?”

She frowned. “There is no black one. There is to be no black in this wedding, Echo.”

“I like black; my hair is black,” I said hysterically through the tears. “If I wear black it will only add to the oddity that is me. My skin is even darker than everyone else’s. I’m ridiculous because I want a life and crazy because I dare speak out about it!” I stood and shook my head at her. I threw my hands in the air and screamed. “I’m so damn tired of being so damn different!”

She was taken aback and she quickly reached for me. I moved away and watched her how one would look at a stranger. “This is crazy, Echo! Who told you that you are different?” Her eyes glowered with that hidden secret again, and this time I was going to delve deeper for the truth.

“I am not who you say I am, am I?” I snarled. “You called me Aleksandria, Mother! Who is this person? And I don’t even look anything like my own siblings, my father! What are you not telling me?”

Mother gasped and tears fell to the ground where she stood. She shooed away the maids and we stood alone. Silence conquered all and I grew restless. “Your name,” she sobbed. She glanced up at me from her hands. “Your name is not Echo.”

My breath left me in a rush. It was like someone telling you that you didn’t exist. “W-what do you mean?”

“You know what it means! Your name is Aleksandria; it is what he named you.”

“Who named me, Mother! Who are you always talking about?”

“Your father, Aly!” Mother suddenly screamed. Her eyes had grown dark and a new woman stood in front of me then. “Your real father! He named you Aleksandria.”

I took a step away from her as I cocked my head and tried to digest her words. They weren’t sitting well and I felt consciousness fighting for control again. “No,” I whispered breathlessly. I glanced around the room and wanted to scream. Mother only wept. None of this—the palace, the money, the life—wasn’t even mine. Who was I? “No!” I screamed louder. “Who is he?”

She shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Please, do not be mad, Aly.”

“My name is Echo!” I took another step further away from her and I hit the wall. I didn’t belong here. My hair, my skin, and everything about me was different because I truly did not belong. My whole life had been a lie and I was rapidly losing my grip of reality.

I ran for the door and looked back at my cowering mother. “Tell Everlae and Shadow I couldn’t do it.”

“Where are you going?” Mother cried out.

“I don’t know! You did this!”

“Echo—”

I walked out the door and closed it shut. “Goodbye, Mother.” I told the maids to ignore everything they’d heard and ran down the stairs in a rush. I hadn’t even gotten a chance to talk to Isobeli since she returned. She was always so busy and never had time for me. Now would have been the perfect time, because as I pushed past the screaming guards and into the pouring rain, I could have used a friend.

Reality failed me as I ran blindly through the night. Escape was impossible, but I ran anyway. I wandered aimlessly, crying until I couldn’t see and my muscles grew sore. I had no destination in mind, but I guess in some way I already knew where to go.

I found myself standing in front of the border and a guard quickly came to me, asking for a name. I barely registered what he said after that, but I screamed the one thing I was sure of, “I need Ayden Grey! I need him, can you help me find him?” I shivered as I glared up at him and cold rain ran into my eyes.

He sighed and yelled over the storm, “Are you Echo?” I nodded. “You’ve come a long way from home, Princess. Tell Ayden…tell him I said he’s fighting a brave battle. Go on.” He motioned to the guards hidden in the shadows and they raised the drawbridge.

“Thank you,” I whispered. I wrapped my arms around my body and sprinted through the dusty pathways. Coldness bit into my skin and my feet threatened to collapse underneath me, but I ran until I found the house I’d only seen once but had quickly deemed a true haven. Hope flickered within my chest at the sight of a light in a window and I stared for a long time.

This is love. This is your life, Echo. Own it. Start over.

T W E N T Y-

T H R E E

Ayden

She’s talking again, I thought with a relieved sigh. Since giving her the medication, Mother was now able to do things on her own again. Though moving was difficult, with help she could make it around the house and back. Her green eyes blossomed from the stark imprisonment her ailment had locked them in and she smiled as if nothing had ever happened. That was my mother, the lioness that she was. For the briefest moments, I could have sworn that time had failed me, but as I watched her singing to the twins by the doorway, I felt assured that I had managed to at least fulfill one of my promises.

I was slowly picking up the broken pieces to my family and putting them back together again.

In the kitchen, Father sat at the table with a plate of food before him. He stared at it long and hard before finally pushing it away. I sighed and said, “She’s doing a lot better. You should be thankful.”

“I am.” He looked up at me with tears in his eyes. I would have presumed him drunk, but his eyes said he’d been sober for a while. “I’m very thankful. Giovanni stopped by today and made me realize what an idiot I’ve been, Ayden.”

“Why does it take him telling you? I’ve been trying to get you to understand since I was eleven.” I took the seat across from him, but kept my expression cold. I respected his weird way of apologizing for his own stupidity, but I wasn’t going to warm back up to him so easily.

“I know, Ayden, I do. It was just so tough after your mother fell ill. I couldn’t pay off debts. In order to bring in some kind of money, the twins had to stop schooling. I’ve regretted that decision for years.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “And what about me? Forcing me to work for you, even going out of your way to teach me the necessary skills so that you can stay home and drink your problems away? When you had beer and alcohol to soothe your worries, we had nothing. I worked and worked until it was all I knew, Father. I had no childhood; you took that from me.”

Father shook with every sob he released. I wanted to feel sorry for him, but I just couldn’t; I didn’t have it in me to let the past go. The past was all we had to go on after all, all we had to remember. There was no future to look forward to.

“You must hate me,” he finally murmured.

“No,” I answered, meaning it. “I hate what you’ve done to yourself and this family. I hate New Haven for the position they’ve put our people in, but I don’t hate you.”

“You’ve gained some wisdom, son. I wish I could have been as strong as you.”

I shook my head and stood to my feet. “It’s not about strength. It’s about the motivation that carries you. You lack self-will, not power. You are weak only because you allow your weakness to consume you.” I went for the door and pushed it open, saying nothing more to him as I left. There was nothing left to say, I had said my part and he had forgiven himself for deserting us. Whether he meant it or not was far beyond me, but Mother, the twins, and I wouldn’t be around to watch his relapse. That time, he’d know how it feels to truly be alone.

A watering can sat in the garden and I glanced over at the weeping bleeding hearts. Since Mother had been ill the garden had gone unattended and I’d been too occupied to consider watching them. I carried the can to the hose and filled it with water to the brim. It was raining pretty hard, but the roof of the house just above the garden forbade the flowers from what it needed, even sunlight.

I was only a gardener by nature, something Mother didn’t need to teach but simply showed me. Carpentry was only a skill I had obtained through my father and I didn’t do much of it unless it was necessary for a job. Fighting was only mandatory growing up in Shadow Hills. I knew nothing about swords and daggers, but fighting with my hands was of no difference to me.

Survival was a skill I had only begun to learn. It wasn’t an easy one, but I had help. It took patience and a lot of strategizing. You had to know your destination before you even began; you had to be willing to lose and gain a lot. Overall, failure just wasn’t an option.

I sat the watering can off to the side and watched as the flowers regained most of its color. I smiled at them thoughtfully, thinking of one girl in particular. I left the garden behind and walked through the backyard to the cabin, deciding I’d wait until morning to groom them better. But I barely took five steps before I spotted her standing in the rain outside of the cabin door. Her blue eyes shone like kaleidoscopes, and even from where I stood I could see the tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Echo? Echo!” I ran to her and wrapped my arms around her shivering body, soothing her with the first words that came to mind. She shook violently as I held her and my heart ached is if it knew the measure of pain she must’ve endured. Why was she here? I thought. What had happened? My jaw clenched and I had to bite back a growl. I grew furious a lot faster than I had expected, and I held her closer. Whoever had hurt her was going to suffer, I was sure.

“My father…” she mumbled. “Ayden… My father…not real.” I kissed her lips just to quiet her and lifted her off her feet and into the cabin. She clung to me as I made my way through the living room and the kitchen.

Glancing down at her, I realized that I would have done anything for her. Jumping blindly off a bridge was only the beginning. I couldn’t explain the feeling that stormed through me, they were only feelings Echo could evoke. She’d become a part who I was, stitched perfectly into the fabric of my soul. There wasn’t a doubt about her anymore—she’d become my reason to fight for survival, to strive.

Five weeks. Five weeks and I’d fallen in love with a Warrior.

I pushed through my bedroom door and I sat her on my bed. She cried so much I wondered if she even knew where she was. How’d she even remember the way here? I pulled her out of her shawl and left her gown on. She was still wet from the rain, but I had no clothing to give her. I sat next to her and pulled her close, kissing every tear away that spilled from her yes.

She needs to know how I feel.

“Echo, tell me what happened.”

“No,” she cried, wrapping her hands around my torso and pulling me impossibly closer. I kissed the top of her head and sighed. “It hurts too much, Ayden. I try, I really do. When I work so hard to piece every broken thing back together, it just crumbles to my feet again. I no longer have the strength to do it.”

She sobbed into my chest and I held her until she quieted. Her burdens became my own then, two broken hearts with nowhere to go. And that’s when it hit me. She’d really run away again.

I was dead. No, we were dead.

“How’d you make it past the border?” I asked her. She leaned back and looked me in the eyes.

“Your friend. He told me to tell you that you fight a brave battle.”

I clung to her ever word. “He did?”

“Yes, but Ayden, this is urgent. You must know.” She held her breath as I held my own. She took my hand in hers and said, “My mother has been keeping a secret from me, from everyone. It is the reason I am so different—my hair, my eyes, my skin. I’ve questioned my lineage before, but I just couldn’t believe it. Ayden, I am not the King’s daughter.”

I held my breath a moment longer, waiting for her to smile and say that she was joking. But the moment never came and unspoken tears continued to fall from her eyes. I reached out and wiped them away and waited for the right words to come to me. They also never came and I resulted in pulling her into me as she wept. I brushed the wet hairs from her face and grabbed a blanket from the bed to wrap around her. She shivered despite the extra layer.

“Don’t let them take this freedom from me, Ayden,” she whispered through hiccups and sobs.

Just when I thought I had had a handle on things, Echo gave me news like this and I felt like I’d just plummeted to the starting point all over again. “Echo, what are you thinking,” I asked her sincerely.

She looked up at me from my chest and she ran her fingers through my hair. I sighed and watched her. “Don’t make me go back this time, please. I’m so broken without you, Ayden. I’m literally falling apart. And I guess that’s why we fit so much? You’re broken, too. I can see it.” She moved her hand back to my chest and closed her eyes as if listening for something. “You’re broken right here.”

“Echo—”

“I’m through trying to please everyone else! All I want is time with you. Please, tell me that is okay with you.”

I covered her hand with mine and she shuddered. Her words were nothing but the truth, but they still stung nonetheless. I needed this girl, I realized. “I am broken.” I whispered. “But this is crazy. Do you know what you risk being here with me right now? Your life, Echo.”

She shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t care, really. My mother made her choice, and so did my father. I just made mine. I want to stay here and live with you. Forever.”

I touched her lips and frowned. When I leaned forward and kissed her lips, it was a kiss of a thousand words I couldn’t say. Three words in particular. “You are something else,” I whispered. She smiled and her lips met mine again. The moment was bliss. If I could have made it last forever, I would have. I would have framed it, shown it off to the world as I would her. It didn’t matter to me if she was no longer a princess, she was one to me. If I had the money, I knew I would have treated her as such. She wouldn’t shed another unhappy tear; I’d make sure of that. Beautiful in every way, she would be mine.

“What are we going to do, Ayden?” she whispered, glaring up at me.

“I don’t know,” I confessed. “But how about we burn that bridge when we get there?”

“I thought it was ‘cross’ that bridge?”

I lightly poked her in the eye and she laughed. “No. We’re burning bridges. Crossing is so overrated.” I smiled and touched the corner of her eyes, captivated by the iridescent blues.

“I think I like the sound of that,” she whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She shifted in my arms until her head was in my lap and she played with the buttons of my shirt. I could barely believe she was here, but she was. Holding her so close felt too good to ever let go. “Tell me a story. And it has to be good. No ‘princess and the prince’ rubbish.”

I fell back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, counting the holes in the wood. It only seemed normal to accept this fate—death. If Echo and I were burning bridges, we needed a whole lot of fire. I looked down the bridge of my nose and she was staring up at me. “What story would you like to hear?”

She giggled and my heart sped up. “The story about the handsome Hunter who charms the beautiful Tigress into running away with him. And only happily-ever-afters. I need you to cheer me up.”

At those words I sat up and frowned down at her. “Echo, what is this?” Is that what she wanted? A happily ever after I couldn’t give her? At this point I was good for nothing but an impending death.

She started to smile, but when she caught how serious I was being, she sat up and faced me. Our lips were barely an inch apart and she drew closer. I held my breath for the second time. “What if I told you this is love, Ayden Grey. Would you believe me?”

I shook my head at her, startled to hear the word on her lips. “Would it be so crazy?”

Her lips met mine in a heady kiss, and she murmured, “No. Not all.” Nothing quite registered after that, only the fact that Echo was in my arms, happy, and she was mine. For the moment I reveled in my newfound victory, for I knew, all too soon, that it wouldn’t last long.

Say it. Say the words, dammit.

Echo broke the embrace first and I noticed tears in her eyes again. “I can breathe. For the first time in eighteen years, I’m free.” She kissed me before I could say anything and I begged myself to say the words. I was desperately screaming. This freedom I had promised her wasn’t going to last, she had to know that. I was surprised guards weren’t here by now.

No. It was now or never.

I pulled myself away from the kiss and she slowly broke away, still crying. We stared at each other and I saw myself in her eyes, just another broken heart. A tear feel from my eye and I couldn’t help thinking how funny Adamo would find this. Me. Crying. And not for the first time.

“I love you,” I said, in unison with her own confession of love. I touched her lips to stop her from ranting. “It’s not about freedom, Echo. It’s how I am with you. No longer a trodden soul, I have hope. You make me want to try harder, and not just for myself, but for my family and for you. Always you. You’re so damn stubborn, but you make me look forward to the next day, whereas only five weeks ago it was hell. You give my life…flavor.”

She laughed, holding me closer. “Flavor? Ayden, you’re ridiculous.” Grinning, she reached into her bodice and pulled out the bleeding heart necklace. She lifted it up to me and smiled. “It’s not the necklace and it’s not the freedom, you’re right about that. But you’ve unleashed something victorious within me, Ayden. You. I belong with you.”

I exhaled, watching her beautiful face and remembering the first time I’d seen her—angry, ruling, and a true Tigress ready to pounce. She’d fired back with everything she had, following me out to Miss Othman’s garden, at the Grand Season’s Ball, and at the river day after day. She never once gave up on me and this fact put a light in my heart that hadn’t been there for years.

I feathered kisses to her lips and she smiled. “Don’t ever give up on me,” I said.

“What are you talking about?” She leaned back on the bed and I lay beside her, holding her close to me and loving the way even soaked with rain, her skin still smelled of peaches.

“I had no childhood, Echo. For someone to not give up on me is a blessing in itself. And you come along—completely out of nowhere, I swear it—and you just fearlessly love me.”

“I do. I do love you,” she said, hands in my hair. She smiled that rare smile and I just wanted to kiss her. “I may be stubborn, but you’re impossible.” She kicked of her shoes and climbed up further on the bed, nestling into the blankets and pillows. I settled beside her and we just stared at each other, content with just this—what could have been our last moments.

“Do you know who he is? Your real father?” I asked.

She sighed and said, “No. All I know is that he’s a Hunter, has blue yes, and he named me Aleksandria.”

“Aleksandria?” She nodded and I thought back. “That name’s familiar. It’s beautiful, but you’re more of an Echo to me.”

She smiled sleepily and nuzzled closer to me. “Really? Because I thought so, too.”

My eyelids grew heavy, but I would remain awake until she was asleep. “Echo.” I played around with her name on my tongue.

“Ayden,” she yawned. “Echo and Ayden. Ayden and Echo.”

“Do you always mumble when you’re falling asleep?” I smiled, raining her forehead with kisses.

“Mumble what?” Looking up at me, she traced hearts into my cheek and giggled. She stopped, and then sat up briefly to say, “If I had to die, I’d want to die right here. In your arms. They can take you away from me, but I’m never letting you go. Promise me…promise me we’ll be smiling at the end of this. And we’ll be together.”

I raked my fingers through my hair as I watched her. “You make such strong demands. I am only one person, Echo.”

“Promise me,” she urged.

I’d only made two promises in my entire life: teaching the twins how to read and fixing my broken family for them. I was a man of my word, but as I looked Echo in the eyes and swore on my soul, it was different. This was an oath to her, to protect her. I knew with all the power I possessed I’d do just that.

“I promise, Echo.”

She smiled triumphantly and held me close as she drifted off to sleep, content in that own little world of hers. I stared down at her necklace and watched the luminescent glass in the light of the moon. Echo was going to be my future, my something special to look forward to. I’d keep her and protect her like nothing else mattered. She’d be mine. No, this was one promise I swore on my life I would not break.

T W E N T Y–

F O U R

Echo

I awoke to the smell of bread. Or was it waffles? I sniffed the air as my eyes opened slowly and glanced around the room. I had a moment of apprehension when I stared up at the ceiling and realized that it was not mine. I panicked, thinking maybe I’d fallen asleep somewhere else other than my own bed, but then remembered all that had happened the night before. I wanted to cry again, scream until I lost my voice. The reality was cold and stifling and I wanted nothing more than to forget. I had no intentions of finding Ayden, but he was the only person I could think of that would understand. As if my feet had had a mind of their own, I went to him. I’d never made a smarter decision.

Professing my love for Ayden was easier than I thought it would’ve been—it was almost natural, as loving him did come naturally. I’d thought myself crazy and foolish all this time. I figured it was too soon for love, but love never really waits on people, does it? Ayden and I had said some things I only hoped we could live up to. My lying mother and threatening father ceased to matter anymore, and though I knew death now lurked in our minds, I had this moment. We had this moment. And I was hell-bent on making certain every second of it was spent loving him.

Footsteps sounded on the floor and I turned in the bed to see Ayden hauling in a tray of food through the door. I watched him cautiously and smiled. “You didn’t.” I sat up and attempted to control my hair into a ponytail. It didn’t work, of course.

He smiled down at me and rested the tray on my lap. I glanced down at the eggs, sausage, and waffles and felt my mouth begin to water. “But I did,” Ayden said. His hair was slicked back as if he’d just taken a shower and he’d changed. I suddenly felt dirty and wanted to change myself. “Why? What’s wrong?”

I shook my head and sighed. “This looks sinful, but I must have it. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve eaten an egg? Mother’s too prissy for greasy food, but gods I love it!” I picked up the fork on the tray and immediately dove for the fatty eggs, allowing myself to indulge without guilt. They melted on my tongue and I sighed in complete euphoria. I closed my eyes and smiled. “This has got to be a sin.”

Ayden chuckled and leaned in to kiss my forehead. His lips were warm and comforting, taking away the cold reality that had befallen on the both of us. “How did you sleep?” he whispered.

“Alright.” I shoveled more of the eggs into my mouth and sighed when they were all gone. I felt like I hadn’t eaten in eons and my stomach growled against the thought. I swiped my finger into the whipped cream on the stack of waffles and licked it clean from my finger. It was sweet—so sweet—and I couldn’t help smiling. The plate of food oozed of nothing but fat and grease, but after eating baked crackers and cheese in the presence of company for a good majority of my life, it was the perfect escape. Ayden laughed down at me and rubbed whipped cream from my cheek. “What? You think this is funny?”

“Quite hilarious, actually. It’s only whipped cream, costs nothing in the market.”

“It’s luxurious. I wish we had it back at the palace.” I looked down at my hands and frowned. “Not that I belong there, but what does it matter now?”

“Echo—”

“No. I don’t want to talk about it.” I dug my finger through the whipped cream again and offered it to him. When he smiled and leaned forward to lick it off, I smeared it on his nose.

He looked up at me through thick eyelashes with a hilariously wicked grin on his face. “Okay. Not so funny after all. But this is.” He scooped his finger through the cream and flicked it straight at me. I gasped as it landed on my eye.

“Ayden. Grey,” I chided, wiping it from my face. I blinked several times, but the paste still left a sticky residue on my skin.

“Echo. Abbeny,” he mocked, a big smile on his face. His wiped the whipped cream from his nose and, again, he flicked it at me.

“That’s it. Waffles be damned.” I scooped up the entire gobbet of whipped cream on the waffles and, before he could catch me, smudged the whole thing in his face. His reaction was slow as he wiped it all into his hair and blinked through the cream at me. He licked his lips and smiled.

“You look a bit underdressed there, Echo. Let me help you with that.” Ayden grabbed my hands and held them away from my body as he snuggled his head in the nook of my shoulder and rubbed his whipped-creamed hair on my face. I screamed out and tried to push him away, but he only held me tighter. I don’t think I’d ever laughed so hard than when I did then. Ayden held me close to him and he flipped whipped cream just about everywhere, and although I knew I would be covered in the stuff afterwards, I never wanted him to let me go.

He quickly pulled away and looked down at me through the paste all over his face. I was still throwing a fit of laughter, but managed to get out, “Okay! You win.” I smiled and cringed at the feel of the whipped cream in my ear. “You win. Happy?”

“Very.” He cleared the whipped cream from my lips and gently placed a kiss to them. I sighed in his arms and closed my eyes to the sensations assailing me. Ayden’s kisses were already so sweet, but with the whipped cream on our tongues, I could have sworn he’d taken me to another world.

I was first to break away and as I glanced up at him, I couldn’t help but laugh. I ran my fingers through his hair and tried my best to rid it of waffle toppings. “You asked for it.”

“That I did,” he whispered against my lips. “But onto more important things. How do you expect to hide here for forever?”

“It shouldn’t be so hard.” I looked away from him. “I’d be lucky if they even bothered to search for me. If I’m not a Princess, who am I?”

“You’re Echo.”

“Obviously,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “It’s just weird. I didn’t know who I was to begin with, but now I really don’t know. Did I ever meet my father? I’m sure I would remember him, wouldn’t I? I must look like him.”

“Why do you worry about him so?” Ayden asked.

“Why shouldn’t I?” I countered. “I must’ve met him, he named me. If I could only remember who he is or what he looks like… If he had kept me, would I have grown up a different person?”

Ayden brushed a tress from my eye and smoothed his thumb over my forehead. “Maybe you were too young to remember? And I don’t think it was about him keeping you, but your Mother forbidding him to see you. That is assuming he still lives. You a different person? I don’t see that possible. Growing up in Old Haven would have made you tougher, but your fiery attitude would remain the same.”

“I have a fiery attitude?”

“Yes,” he said, laughing that laugh that came from deep within his chest. “Oh, yes.”

“Really?” I asked, my eyebrows furrowing.

He kissed my lips and murmured, “And you annoy the hell out of me.”

I arched a brow in confusion, but all words left me as he pressed his lips to mine again. Gods, I was never going to get used to the way he made me feel. He broke away too soon and sat up on the bed, glancing out the window. I took the time to admire his god-like features, and even though whipped cream covered his face, his violet eyes stood out magnificently. I’d meant to ask him where they came from, but it always slipped my mind, as did the world when I was around him.

“What do you say we go for a hike?”

Sitting up, I grabbed a napkin from the tray and wiped the whipped cream from his face. He watched me with a smile. “I’d like that. A lot, actually.”

“Good. Because I have something to show you.” He took the napkin from my hand and began cleaning off my face. It was odd, him touching me, but familiar at the same time.

“Under one condition.”

“And what’s that?”

“You have to promise to not bring up New Haven or anything about my mother again. They won’t find me.”

“How are you so sure of that? Won’t they have guards looking for you, pictures everywhere?” he asked.

I bit my lip and said, “I haven’t left the palace since I cut my hair until now. Without it I look like a normal Hunter.”

Ayden nodded. “Okay, I’ll take your word for it. Though, I would rather you wear a hat or scarf regardless. And we need to do something about your clothes.” He left my side and wandered out the door, returning with a simple gown. He handed it to me and I caressed every inch of the dress, marveling in its soft cotton and pastel colors. “It’s my mother’s. Fortunately, you both are small. It should fit you.”

I smiled up at him and muttered, “Thank you. It’s beautiful. But what about your mother?” I frowned as I remembered him telling me how sick she was. It seemed like forever ago, but it was merely days. “How is she feeling?”

“Better,” Ayden said. I noticed his voice no longer held a mournful edge. “The medication is working and she’s able to do things on her own again.”

“That’s really great to hear, Ayden.” I turned towards the window and watched the house I presumed to be his family’s. I’d only been inside once and he’d been in such a rush to get me out as soon as he’d noticed. I’d watched him talk to his sister in a way I hadn’t expected. At the time I guessed I assumed all Hunters were aggressive and mean, but after seeing him with her, I thought differently. I knew now that Ayden would never hurt me, and I clung to that. “Can I see her?”

He knew exactly what I meant. “I don’t think that’s such a great idea, Echo.”

“So am I never going to meet your family? If they are anything like you, I am sure I will love them.”

“It’s not you I’m worried about,” Ayden whispered. “What if they recognize you? My father is a drunk who will do anything for the extra money. What if he turns you in?”

“What if he doesn’t recognize me? What if he doesn’t turn me in?”

He sighed. “There’s that fiery attitude.” I watched him as he drove his fingers through his wild hair that still had remnants of the whipped cream, and sighed. “I think your eyes will give it away, but okay. If my mother asks, you’re a friend.”

“A friend? And how oddish are my eyes compared to yours, Ayden?”

Smiling, he pointed to the dress in my hands and I smirked. “Just put the dress on. I don’t bring other women over at all, so my mother will be quick to assume the best.”

“Which is what, may I ask?”

“That I’m giving her a grandchild.” Ayden chuckled and walked out the door, closing it in behind him.

I sat staring at the door a moment longer and tried not to smile. I lost, of course, but with Ayden it was expected.  I was going to meet his family. Before excitement had time to take over, anxiety reared its evil head. What if they didn’t like me, or worse, saw right through me? Not that I had anything to prove to them, but if Ayden accepted me here, I wanted them to accept me, too.

I dressed quickly, darted into the bathroom to wash off the whipped cream from my face, and turned to the mirror on the wall. I wanted to ask him for a towel so that I could help myself to a shower, but I feared becoming a pest too quickly. I’d ask him later.

The dress fit me smugly, but not too close for discomfort. I tried to imagine a much older me in a dress like this, but I just couldn’t see it. I wondered if I looked all right, seeing as the dress unveiled curves not even I know about, and cringed at the thought. When did it ever matter what I wore? I sighed. It began to matter when I started falling for Ayden effortlessly and subconsciously, but willingly.

I walked out into the kitchen to meet him and Ayden’s eyes caught mine with a fixated glare. “Wow,” is all he said. He rubbed the back of his neck and visibly fought to look away.

I frowned. “How do I look?” When he gave me a once over, my stomach lurched. “Oh my gods. Say I look like your mother, Ayden, and I’ll scream.”

“My mother?” He shook his head and laughed. “No, definitely not my mother. You look…beautiful, and simply so. No pearls or glitter this time, it’s different. I like it.”

“I like different, too.” I stood across from him at the table and watched him watching me. We said nothing for a long moment, and then I finally motioned towards the door. “Did you eat anything? I’m sure your family is eating breakfast if you wish to join them.”

He scowled, but nodded in agreement. “Your excitement to meet my family is too much.”

“So, can we go?”

“Are you serious?”

I walked around the table to take his hand. Deadpanning him, I tried my best to hold back a smile. “This is the face of a very serious girl you wouldn’t want to upset.”

“And I would do anything to make her happy,” Ayden whispered. Catching me off guard, he pulled me close and kissed my lips. His lips still tasted of the whipped cream and I smiled.

“I suggest washing your face before it raises questions.” I smoothed a finger over his eyebrow. “Big questions.”

“Sure. I’ll meet you outside.” He kissed me again before moving to the bathroom.

I was met with murky clouds and a dimmed sun as soon as I stepped out the door. The air didn’t seem as stiff as it did the first time I was here, but breathing came easier. I crossed through the yard and went straight for the bleeding heart garden beside the house. The flowers’ pink petals looked a shade darker than the ones in New Haven and I quickly assumed them to be dying.

I jumped at the sound of an opening door as it screeched on its hinges. Across the yard an old man stepped off his veranda with a flashlight in his hand and made for his cellar at the side of his tattered house. I stared at him and held my breath, waiting patiently on a moment I knew would come all too soon with bated breath. But instead, when the old man caught me hidden in the garden, he smiled and continued on his way like he hadn’t noticed anything different. I heaved a sigh and slumped against house.

“Hey, are you okay?” Ayden stepped out of the cabin and called over to me. His hair was free of whipped cream and he strode across the yard to me. “Echo?”

I snapped out of my mental funk and nodded at him. “Yeah, of course. Let’s go.” He took my hand and led me up the stairs to the back door. My heart beat quickened erratically in my chest and I fought to keep my breathing under control. Gods, I was going to meet his family. I bit down on my lip till the point of pain as Ayden turned the knob and pushed the door open. He led me in and my first reaction to the house was warm. Pictures hung on the walls in the living room, making the place seem more personal than Ayden’s cabin. Though the furniture was outdated and the rugs long overused, the house was cozy and unexpectedly welcoming. I followed him through the house and to the kitchen. I hesitated at the sound of voices, but Ayden urged me forward with a tug on my hand.

A woman with pale green eyes and a smile worth a thousand words greeted us. “Ayden, honey,” she said. Her eyes hadn’t found mine yet, but when they did, her smile never faltered. “Oh, and who might this be? Francis, do you see this?”

Ayden groaned at my side, but never let my hand go. I didn’t know if he acknowledged the fact, but if we were playing the ‘friend’ card, it would have been best if he let me go. “Mother,” he groaned.

A man with a black mass of hair on his head, an untrimmed goatee, and a bulky figure faced us as he finished drying dishes at the sink. I panicked at his expressionless eyes and silently thanked the gods Ayden hadn’t let me go after all. “Who is this, Ayden?”

I spoke before Ayden had a chance to. From the look in their eyes, they hadn’t a clue who I was. I was immensely grateful. “Aleksandria. But you can call me Aly.”

“Do you have a last name?” Ayden’s father asked. Ayden tensed at my side and gripped my hand tighter.

“Esolen,” I said. “Aleksandria Esolen.”

“Hm. Never heard of you.”

“Oh, hush up, Francis. Ayden’s brought home a guest.” Ayden’s mother moved surprisingly fast as she stood and came to me. She gave me a hug even Ayden hadn’t anticipated and I let go of him to hug her. I was unsure, of course, but such kindness was so foreign I felt myself giving in to the moment. If only my own mother had been this way to me, I thought remorsefully. Maybe I wouldn’t have run away. I glanced at Ayden over his mother’s shoulder and took back the thought. Even though I ran for the sake of freedom, I ran for him, too. Regardless of the lies I’d grown up in, I would have found a way to him.

“Hi,” I said as she broke the embrace.

“Call me Carys, honey. Please, do sit. Are you hungry?” She smiled at me and I hesitantly smiled back.

Glancing at Ayden, I said, “No, actually. I’m quite full.” Ayden hid a smirk to the best of his ability, but I didn’t bother. I still had enough leftovers in my ear.

Carys sat me down on a chair at the table and took her time getting around the kitchen. “How about some tea then, huh?”

“Sure. I’d lo—”

“She a friend, Mother,” Ayden growled. It was only the second time he spoke up since we entered the kitchen.

“I know. I can’t offer her some tea?” Cays actually seemed disappointed.

“Not that kind of tea, no.” Ayden kicked off the wall he leaned against and sat in the chair beside me. “We’re not staying long; I just thought I could bring her by.”

Dishes clanged in the sink behind us as Ayden’s father continued the dishes. Between his parents, he seemed the colder of the two. Not that Carys was cold, but it was what my mind assumed they would be as Hunters. All the poison of New Haven was proving to be wrong.

“How long have you known each other?” she asked, crossing her arms in her lap.

“Awhile,” I said.

“Not long,” Ayden added.

I blushed and averted my eyes to the tabletop. I could feel Ayden’s heated glare on me as I said, “Five weeks, but it’s felt like forever.”

“Are you together?” she asked cheerfully.

“Mother,” Ayden groaned, slouching in his chair.

“Carys, stop interrogating the children,” Ayden’s father said from the sink. He turned to face me and his eyes seemed friendlier. “Call me Francis.”

I nodded and offered him a smile. Turning back to Carys, I murmured. “No, not quite.”

“We’re friends.” Ayden looked at his mother with annoyance, but I caught the compassion behind it.

“Friends,” I confirmed. It was a complete lie, of course. Neither Ayden nor I knew exactly what we were, but we were the furthest thing from ‘friends’. Last night and this morning proved that.

“Alright. Well, do you live here? I’ve never heard of an Esolen family in Shadow Hills or Loracre.”

“She’s from Radcliff,” Ayden said quickly, shooting me a look.

“So far?” Carys gasped. “What brings you all the way here?”

“Ayden,” I wanted to say. Instead, I settled for, “My father changes jobs a lot.”

“Oh?” Carys smiled at Ayden. “So, you have something in common with Ayden. We used to move around a lot, but finally settled down here in Shadow Hills. It’s not too bad, right?”

“Definitely not.”

I slouched back in my chair and Ayden and I sighed at the same moment. We stared at each other and seemed to think the same thing: we’re going to Hell. I didn’t think I could lie so much, but I had. I even managed with a straight face. How I did it was beyond me.

“So, where are you off to?” Ayden’s father, Francis, dried his hands with a small towel and met us at the table. When he came into the light over the table, I noticed his eyes were the lightest shade of purple. That was probably where Ayden got his peculiar irises from. I knew I got mine from my father as well. Maybe it was a Hunter thing.

I hated it the moment I thought it. I was half Hunter and the realization of that didn’t hurt nearly as much as my own mother lying to me. I was a bastard, and instead of my mother coming clean when she felt I was of age, she continued to lie on. If I hadn’t put the pieces together and hadn’t been so curious in the first place, I would have never known. I would have continued to live a lie—a life that did not belong to me.

Again, I felt myself asking, who am I? Where I belonged had become obvious the moment I kissed Ayden, but the fact that Echo never really existed still held true. It now became a harrowing burden that spoke legions.

“A hike,” Ayden finally said. It seemed he, too, was lost in his thoughts.

“A hike? In this weather? It’s been storming for the past three nights, Ayden. I don’t think that’s wise,” his mother said.

“We won’t be long.”

“And where do you live?” Francis asked suddenly.

Ayden answered for me. “She just moved here, Father. She wouldn’t know.”

Before he could question us further, the back door flung open and a young boy and girl trudged through dressed in dirt from head to toe. It reminded me of the day Shadow had first taken me to the market to practice with Ezily. We’d returned and mother had absolutely thrown a fit. Now, though, as the apparent twins walked up to the table, Carys smiled at them and looked at them with love.

“We caught one,” the young boy said, raising a dead fish at the end of the line for his mother to see.

“You did. Set it over on the counter and I’ll cook it up later,” Francis said. The boy smiled and did as instructed.

“I wasn’t so lucky this time,” the girl chirped in. “Storm’s got all the fishes running away from me.” Carys smiled and kissed her cheek. With that, the girl seemed content. No yelling, screaming, or threatening of baths. It was almost as if I stepped into a complete different world. The New Haven slogan popped into my mind and I cringed.

Two Worlds, Two Wars.

“Who are you?” the young girl asked, breaking me from a reverie.

“Oh, I’m Aly. What’s your name?”

“Misty Grey,” she mumbled with a smile. She was missing a couple of teeth still and didn’t look any older than twelve. Though, as I glanced down her neck, I noticed a tribal tattoo—intricate in every way—on her shoulder. I found it rather odd, but then all of them had the same tattoos, even Ayden. Hell, Ayden had a lot. I just never noticed them until now.

“Misty’s a very pretty name. It suits you.”

“Thanks. Ayden calls me Mis sometimes, but I prefer Princess because that’s what I want to be when I grow up.”

The smile faltered on my lips. She didn’t mean that. Obviously, she had no idea what she was talking about. “Oh? You want to know a secret, Misty?” She nodded and Carys, Ayden, and Francis watched me closely. “Being a Princess is so boring. What’s most important is finding, being, and keeping yourself. That’s the best part about growing up, relying on morals that never get old.”

“Really?” she asked.

“Really.”

Beside me, Misty’s brother tugged on Ayden’s arm and Ayden dragged his gaze from me unwillingly. I heard the boy whisper, “Is that the witch? The one who casts spells?”

I frowned and watched them. “What?”

“Nothing,” Ayden said too quickly. “This is my younger brother Milo. He tends to speak his mind. Often.”

I smiled at Milo, but his lips didn’t as much as twitch. He stared me down as if I’d suddenly intruded upon his territory.

“Well, you’ve met the family, Aly. Family, you’ve met Aly. Now it’s time to go.” Ayden stood to his feet before either of us could get a word in and pulled me to my feet.

“But—”

“But we should go.”

“Be safe,” Carys called after us as Ayden hauled me out the back door. When we were out of the yard and walking down the dusty roads, he began to laugh.

“What could possibly be so funny? And did your brother call me a witch?”

He stopped laughing to say, “He did, but he misunderstood something I told him. It’s nothing, really.” He snickered again and I reached out and punched his shoulder. I thought it was a pretty solid punch, but when my knuckles cracked and he barely flinched, I knew I’d failed.

“I don’t find that funny,” I mumbled, rubbing my swollen knuckles. “But Misty is adorable, despite her interests to become a Princess. You have a nice family, Ayden.” I crossed my arms over my chest as we walked, noticing other people walking the streets. None of them seemed to notice who I was.

“Nice? I wouldn’t use that word, but thanks, I guess.” I could tell he wanted to say more, but suddenly decided against it. “Come on, it’s this way.” He took my hand in his again and my mind turned back to the night I first left with him. It had felt like this—safe. Only, this time I wasn’t scared and I had no doubts. I loved him and was crazy enough to follow him anywhere.

To the moon and back.

I suddenly remembered Isobeli and wanted to cry. We hadn’t talked in weeks, and now that I had left, I fearfully wondered if I would ever see her again. If I wanted to escape this life, I wanted her next to me every step of the way. My heart wept silently for her, but I allowed all thoughts to slip away as I delved deeper into the forest with Ayden.

“Where are we going?” I lamented, feeling thorns at my legs through the dress.

“Just over there.” He pointed through the trees. “Trust me, it’s not far. You’ll love it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, now close your eyes.” He stood behind me and covered my eyes with his hands.

Locked in darkness, I said, “This isn’t you going crazy and slaughtering me in the middle of the woods is it?”

His chuckle reverberated from his chest to mine and I smiled. “Tempting, but no. Just watch your step and don’t peek.”

“Funny. How do you suppose I watch my feet with your hands over my eyes?”

He was quiet for a second, and then I heard him give out a short laugh. “Good point. Okay, just keep walking and trust me. We’re almost there.”

With his hands around me, Ayden led me further and further into the forest until I thought we’d seriously gotten lost. Every time I asked where we were, he kissed me just to get me to shut up. I couldn’t complain, of course, because his lips were my biggest weakness, but I still would have liked to know where he planned on taking me.

Finally, we stopped and Ayden whispered in my ear, “When I let go, you have to be very still. One movement and you’ll scare them off.”

Scare them off? “Okay, I promise.”

Ayden silently counted to three and released his hold on me. My vision came back in a blur and settled on the sun poking out behind a cloud. Then I saw the slight movement below me and nearly swallowed my tongue as I gasped. I let out a hysterical giggle as I watched the millions of butterflies alighted on the thousands of bleeding hearts around us. It was, by far, the hugest and most colorful garden I’d ever seen.

“Shout something,” Ayden whispered, a smile on his face.

I shook out my hands and screamed, “I’m free!” My voice echoed in the clearing and within seconds the butterflies had taken flight, capturing us in a fluttering sea of pinks, yellows, and blues. I clung to Ayden’s side and didn’t dare let him go. When wings brushed my cheek, I laughed as if I’d just discovered the meaning of life and reached out to touch them. I spun in circles and reveled in the way they responded. I allowed myself this time, feeling alive in this moment.

When all the butterflies had long gone, I glanced back at Ayden and asked the question that seemed to be on my mind the whole time. “How did you find this place?”

He shrugged and guided me further into the clearing, being careful not to step on the hearts. “I found it when I was smaller, maybe around ten. I was angry about our move here to Shadow Hills and just kept running until I found myself here.”

“And what is here?”

“I don’t know. Some sort of garden, but in a way, it’s not. I’ve never seen those kind of butterflies anywhere but here.”

I smiled big and squeezed his hand. “I love it. Thank you.” I brushed a stray hair from my face and climbed to my toes to kiss him. Like always, I melted against him. If it weren’t for his hands placed securely around my waist, I would have fallen to the ground.

When the kiss ended, Ayden said, “This place makes me think of you. Your smile, your hair.” He grinned and kissed my nose. “Your lips…your eyes. Eyes so blue I swear I can see my soul within them like my own view of clarity. In the light they are almost iridescent and they light up every time I see you. They are only a part of you, I know, but they make you that more special. So…innocent and pure.”

I smiled slightly and allowed his words to carry with the wind. They would never grow old as I would never tire from him. Ever. I kissed him again and said, “Truthfully, you are the first to ever be so honest with me. That’s all I ever wanted, and while others found it ridiculously hard, you give the truth so freely. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

The glint in his eyes told me he loved the sound of that. When we settled into the grass and watched up at the sky as funny shaped clouds rolled by, seconds that had turned into hours seemed to come and go faster than either of us wanted them to. The sky bled an inky red-orange as I lay in Ayden’s arms and he told me hilarious stories of his family. I only wished I had stories of my own, something good to remember. But all I had were broken dreams and a broken heart. There was nothing funny about that and I refused to bring up the already forgotten past.

Forgotten? Probably never, but I sure as hell could ignore it.

“What are you thinking?” Ayden whispered.

I sat between his legs and played with the torn thread of his pants. He told me he liked them that way and it gave him an ‘edge’, but I had only laughed to hide my confusion. It did give him a bit of a bad boy look, but clothes weren’t important to me. He—himself as a whole—was all I needed to worry about.

“I’m thinking I really loved today. I can’t thank you enough.”

“But…” Ayden added, his forehead furrowing.

I sighed and faced the clearing and open skies. “But my mind has been on everything New Haven since I woke up this morning. I wonder if they’ve even begun the search for me. Or maybe they already know where I am.”

Ayden’s arms tightened around my waist and he held me closer. “Didn’t we promise to not talk about it? And anyway, you can’t expect everything to just disappear, Echo. It’s the memories that hurt the most that last the longest.”

I considered his words as I lay in his arms, refusing to move or do anything but think. “I have a feeling that this will not be easy, no matter how bad I want it to be. I can’t picture my father ever being okay with this, especially after he threatened your life.”

“He can’t take you from me,” Ayden said simply. “He’s taken enough, and while I can admit I did nothing to stop him before, I refuse to let him take what’s left of my happiness.”

I took his hand in mine and pressed our palms together. I smiled at the way his practically covered mine. “I refuse as well. There is only so much time I have on this world; I do not want to spend it alone if I can spend it happily with you.”

“You mean that?” Ayden asked. He feathered a kiss to my cheek and I sighed.

“I do.”

“So, you’ll fight?”

I thought about my life in New Haven and how much it differed from my two nights in Shadow Hills. Maybe I was wrong when I thought there to be no differences in the people. Inferiority put Old Haven people in difficult situations where contemplating death was the easy way out. It humbled them—most, if not all—and made them look at life from a different perspective. Even in the light of this, they strived. That was one thing New Haven lacked—perseverance. When things got old, they traded it for new. When things weren’t going according to plan, tempers fumed and people were slaughtered. If only they could see the world from the other side of the country like I could, maybe they’d wise up. Maybe they wouldn’t.

Looking Ayden in the eyes and finding my reason to strive, I said, “I’ll fight.”

T W E N T Y–

F I V E

Ayden

It wasn’t possible that I could get any happier. This was it, and Echo here with me was the highlight of my being. It’d been only two days, but she’d quickly made her stay here comfortable. She fascinated me in the smallest ways and managed to make me fall even more in love with her every second. She was such a free spirit and I’d finally found the sanity I’d been craving in her.

“A is for apple,” she sang. Milo and Misty stared at her in awe. It was the silliest song I’d ever heard, but just the fact that Echo was singing it made it sound brilliant. We’d been out here in the back yard by the garden for hours, Echo attempting to teach them a few words. They knew very little, but were fast learners like myself.

“A is for apple,” Milo and Misty sang in unison.

“See, not so hard, right? And it’s really fun to sing.” Echo smiled at the twins and I laughed when Milo deadpanned her.

“What’s so fun about singing?” Milo countered. He crossed his arms across his chest and his sandy brown hair fell into his eyes.

“Oh, shut up, Milo,” Misty grumbled. “I quite enjoy the singing. Thank you for teaching us Aly.”

At that, Echo smiled. “You’re very welcome. Did you know Ayden knows it too? He can sing the whole thing.”

I groaned and looked away.

“Does he?” Milo asked, a challenge in his tone. “Okay, I’d love to hear it, tough guy.”

“I’d like to hear it, too,” Misty chirped in.

Echo smirked at me and said, “I’d love to.”

I rubbed the back of my neck and shook my head at Echo. This was a game to her and I could see it in her eyes. She was a complete tease, knowing well that I didn’t want to sing the song. “I’d rather not.”

“Oh, please. Pretty please, Ayd,” Misty whined. She gave me that look I could never resist and Echo’s devious smile grew wider.

“Okay, but just once.” They nodded and I began singing the damn song from A to Z. When I hit the high note I heard someone laugh, but continued to sing till the end anyway. When I finished, I said, “Happy?”

Milo and Misty immediately busted into fits of laughter and I scowled at them. Echo, on the other hand, had the softest smile on her lips as she regarded me. “Very. You earned yourself a reward, Ayden Grey.”

“Wait, why does he get the reward?” Milo sniped. He jabbed his thumb in my direction.

“Fine, all of you get a reward.”

The twins and I said in unison, “What kind of reward?”

“A reward kind,” Echo quipped.

Misty’s forehead furrowed and Milo just sat staring at her. “I feel as if there is something we’re missing, Milo. What is a reward kind of a reward?” Misty asked whimsically.

“I don’t know, but she’s scaring me.” Milo pulled Misty to her feet and dragged her in the direction of the garden.

I bit back a smile, but Echo didn’t think it was so funny. “What did you tell him? He doesn’t seem to like me very much.”

“It’s nothing,” I replied with a smirk. “But I think we need to talk about my reward.”

“Really, do we?” A smile came to her lips and she moved closer to me until our arms touched. “I don’t think you’ve earned yourself a reward quite yet. Tell me what you told him.”

“I’d rather not talk at all.” When I leaned in to kiss her, she turned away, making me feel like I’d done something wrong. Though, when I caught the look in her eyes, I knew she was purposely trying to annoy me. “So that’s my reward, huh? A kiss.”

Echo rolled her eyes and tried her best not to smile. It never worked, of course. “What did you tell him, Ayden? I want him to like me, but the boy is insistent on making me feel like a pariah.”

“I told him you casted spells on me,” I said curtly with a coy smile. When she gasped I added, “I was trying to tell him how I felt about you, but he seems to assume you’re a witch.”

“And what did you say about me?” she asked.

“That you’re really hard to look away from and your dimples make me smile.” I touched her cheek and felt her shiver. “Telling him that you aggravate me and make me love you at the same time may have led him to believe the whole witch thing, but it was worth the reaction from him. He’ll get over it.” I leaned in closer to her and she stared up at me longingly. “Do you know how badly I want to kiss you right now?”

“Yeah? I think you’ve earned it,” she whispered, her eyes on my lips. “But one last thing.”

“What?”

“Do my dimples really make you smile?”

Laughing, I said, “Rhetorical question. I’m taking my reward now.” My lips met hers in a sweet embrace, the smell of her peach-scented hair overwhelming my senses. We got lost in the moment for only a second before ice cold water broke us apart. Echo shrieked and moved from me, shaking off the water from her hair. When I looked to my left, Milo stood there with the garden hose in his hands.

“Why the hell did you do that?”

Milo dropped the hose and smiled. “Witch, remember?” he whispered.

Sighing, I stood to my feet and brushed myself off. “I think we need to talk.” I pulled him over to the side while Echo and Misty tended to the garden. “You can’t keep calling her a witch. When I said she casts spells, I meant that I really loved her and was enthralled by her.”

“I thought she’s just a friend?” he asked. “That’s what you told Mother.”

I knelt down to his level and spoke softly, concealing my frustration to the best of my ability. “She’s not my friend, Milo. She means a lot to me and I love her. I lied to Mother because really bad things might happen if they figure out there is more between us.”

Milo crossed his arms and stared back at me. He was as stubborn as I was. “Why? What’s going on? Who is she, Ayden?”

“Aleksandria Esolen, exactly who she said she is. She’s just different, okay? Stop being so mean.”

Milo nodded and, for now, it would suffice. I wasn’t sure if he would warm up to Echo as fast as I would have liked, but it was a start.

“Did you talk to him?” Echo asked when I came to stand behind her.

“Yeah. Something like that. Look—”

“Ayden, Aly. Come, I want to show you something,” Mother called from the house. I glanced over my shoulder and sighed.

“We were actually planning to head for the markets.”

“We were?” Echo asked silently behind me.

Mother shook her head and looked at Echo. “It’ll only take a moment.”

“And then we can go?” Whatever Mother had to show us had to be important, but so was me taking Echo to the markets. Probably even more so.

“Yes, now can you get in here? Milo and Misty get ready for a bath!” Mother walked back into the house and the twins groaned as they followed suit. She sat us down at the kitchen table as she brewed something on the stove. Over her shoulder, she said, “How have you enjoyed your stay, Aleksandria?”

“Quite well, thank you,” Echo muttered. She rubbed her hands down the front of the dress she wore and occasionally played with the thin fabric. I grabbed her hand to stop the nervous habit and she smiled up at me.

“And does your family know you’ve been staying with Ayden? I would love to meet them.” Mother moved from the stove and took the seat across from us at the table.

“Er, yes.” Echo, as humble as she was, nodded her head and decided to ignore the upbringing of her family.

“Her father owns a butcher shop and thought it would be better if she stayed with me while he takes care of the moving in business and all that,” I said.

“And how does he know you?”

“Work.” It was the first thing that came to mind and Mother never knew my working schedules anyway. “I worked for him for a while, which is when I met Aly.”

“Oh? Well, I wanted to show you what came in the mail today. It’s for Aly.”

Echo stilled at my side and my curiosity was officially piqued. How would anyone even know Echo was here? How would they know to address it to Aleksandria? Fear prickled up my spine and anxiety dominated, shedding light to a disturbing reality. When Mother walked into the living room to get the package, I turned to Echo and she stared helplessly back.

“Someone knows I’m here, Ayden,” she whispered.

“Who, though? And how did they get this address? Were you followed?”

She shook her head fervidly. “No, I wasn’t. I’m sure. The only one who knew where I’d gone was the guard at the border.”

“Liamik.” Echo nodded and I sighed, slouching in the chair. “No. He wouldn’t have said anything. The man’s a rebel himself; he hates working for the King.”

“And he’s the only Warrior there. The rest of the guards are Hunters.”

The clock on the wall ticked loudly as we sat in the deadening silence. At that moment, I think the both of us realized the kisses, the hugs, and the talks wouldn’t be enough, ever. Saying all that you needed would never suffice, not when we had death to worry about.

“I’ve seen what they do to people in those chambers. Ayden—”

I took her hand in mine and kissed her knuckles. A tear fell from her eye and she quickly rubbed it away. “We don’t know what’s in the package yet. I don’t want to talk about that right now, or ever.”

She nodded and turned her attention back to her dress. I released her hand the same moment Mother walked back into the kitchen with a box in tow. She looked at us inquiringly, but said nothing. “Here.” She handed the box to Echo and Echo’s hands shook as she took it and began to open it.

“It’s addressed to me,” she whispered.

“Yes,” Mother agreed. “But there is no sender address, not even ours. Just your name. I asked Ashlynn, but not even she knows the sender.”

“Not even a name?” I asked. Mother shook her head.

Echo removed something small wrapped up tight in silk from the box and rested it on her lap. She glanced up at me and I shrugged. I hadn’t a clue what was in it, but I was curious to find out.

“Oh, and there’s a card, too.” Mother reached into the box and pulled out a pink envelope.

“You didn’t read it, did you?”

Mother frowned at me. “No, of course not, Ayd. It’s the girl’s business, I’m not nosy.”

Sighing, I watched Echo as she unraveled the silk and held in her hands a small embroidered hair brush fit for a little child. She stared at it and fought back the tears. “And there’s a letter?” she finally said after moments of silence.

I handed it to her and she quickly opened it. As she read, her lips moved as if she was consuming every word. When she finished, she handed it to me and speculated the brush.

The letter read:

Dear Echo,

I can only begin to understand the pain I’ve put you through, but I apologize and hope that you will one day forgive me. In your hands is something that once belonged to your father’s mother. He gave it to me when you were born. I wouldn’t blame you if you hate me for keeping him from you, but you must know that I loved him, still do. I can’t say I regret my mistakes, though I can admit I made some terrible ones. But having you and loving him I will never apologize for.

I’m giving you the brush because it’s the only thing I have left of him. And yes, he is a Hunter. It is why I wanted so much for you to be different, to not end up like me—unhappy and living a lie. It’s best I don’t tell you who he is, but given the chance to know you, he would never forsake you. He is a good man, Echo, and a proud father, but I couldn’t do it with him. I was already married to the prince, you see, and dishonoring my family was ludicrous. I raised you as the King’s heiress, but I’ve always known you were your father’s daughter.

Don’t worry how I know where you are staying, it is not important. Like I’ve said, I see things. In a way, I should have seen this coming and I should have stopped you. I was too naïve, and I am afraid it is too late for me. But it isn’t for you and Ayden. Listen carefully, my sweet daughter, you must keep away from Shadow Hills. Stay as far away as you can. I’ve tried to stop the King, but he was a born tyrant. He knows of your lineage and will not hesitate to throw you into the chambers if he must. The wedding has long been forgotten and he only seeks revenge. Swear on your soul you will stay away, or I have failed us both.

Dearly,

Abriel Emélle Desi

The letter felt heavy in my hands. I wanted to say something, but I just didn’t know what. Questions ran through my mind as I tried to make sense of it all. Why was she saying all of this now, when it was too late? What things did she see and didn’t the King see that Echo looked nothing like him? What shocked me the most, though, was the fact that Echo’s mother had signed with a different surname. Desi was Hunter cultivated for sure, but I had no clue whose name it was.

“What does it say, dear?” Mother asked. I had momentarily forgotten her in the room until she spoke.

“It, uh, doesn’t say much. Just that they found it in her old home and wanted to return it to its rightful owner.”

“It even has my name on it?” Echo whispered in disbelief, more to herself than to me or Mother.

“It even has her name on it, look at that.” Mother arched a brow, but I decided to ignore it. I took Echo’s hand underneath the table and she smiled slightly for my mother.

“Thank you for this,” she said. “We can go now, Ayden.”

“Be careful out there,” Mother called. She went back to the stove and began preparing what looked like supper. “And Ayden, you buy her something to wear other than my old clothes.”

I kissed Mother’s forehead and Echo and I escaped into the waning daylight.

“HOW is it that such a happy moment can become a bad memory in a second?” Echo asked as she ate her ice cream. She’d put her hair in pigtails, so I couldn’t help smiling when I looked at her. “I mean, the gods must hate me. All I’ve had is bad luck. I don’t even know what to make of that letter, Ayden. My mother has got some nerve.”

“Do you have a clue who your father is?” I asked. I glanced around the small market that was just the ways from home and was glad that no one watched Echo peculiarly. I refused to bring her to the larger market in fear someone would notice her. She was mine, and no one was taking her from me.

We’d done a little shopping with what money I had left. Echo didn’t seem bothered by the fact that it was her mother’s money, but it troubled me to no end. Since I was forbidden from New Haven territory, it meant I no longer had a job. Not that I wanted it in the first place, but it was money I didn’t have. I managed to get a new job at a factory here in Shadow Hills and it was paying fine, I couldn’t complain.

“No, I-I don’t. But I’m done listening to my mother, she had her chance and she chose to lie. I didn’t even understand half of the things she mentioned, but I’m not leaving your side.” She spooned ice cream into her mouth and smiled at me.

“Yeah?”

“Yes, absolutely.” She leaned forward, and with a cheeky grin, she kissed my lips. “I can kiss you all day.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Echo smiled and ran her hands through my hair. “Me too. So, let’s not worry about the letter, okay? Let’s just enjoy our moments together. You’re probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

I kissed her again and asked, “How much do you know about swords?”

Her eyebrows arched, but she didn’t look so surprised. “Swords? Why?”

“I’ve always wanted to learn. I can only fight with my hands, but in this world that will get me nowhere. I want to be prepared, is all. I want to be able to protect you, the right way. Will you teach me something?”

A small smile danced across Echo’s lips and she nodded cheerfully. “You know I will.”

“Good, because nothing will keep me away from you.”

“Nothing?” She fed me a spoon of her ice cream and I took it with delight. “Not even a border?”

I frowned at her words. Five weeks ago I feared that border, I envied it. Now, I sat next to my reason to be fearless, my reason to love. The border seemed but a forgotten shadow of the past and I cared little about revenge. Echo did this for me, and I was forever thankful.

“Nothing.”

▪Echo▪

That night I didn’t sleep.

One minute I was curled up in Ayden’s arms and singing him to sleep, and then the next I was being catapulted into a nightmare I couldn’t begin to fathom. Darkness clouded my vision and I felt myself stumbling through the abyss with nowhere to go and nothing on my mind. I tried to remember why I was out or where I was, but nothing came to me. I was lost and I knew it.

I glanced down at my body and took note of the fact I was in the dress Mother had made for the wedding. The train tailed behind me, covered in dirt and torn at the edges. It looked black in the darkness. It stunned me that I even had it on, but I was more surprised by my hands and the way dirt clung to me as if I’d been hiding out in the forest for years. I tried to brush some of the dirt from my bodice as I walked and tried to remember my reason for being out alone at night.

My hand felt something cold around my neck and I reached up to touch it. A necklace, I thought, shaped like a heart.

Ayden.

My heart beat quickened in my chest and my feet moved faster as if they, too, longed for the comfort only Ayden could bring. Grabbing my dress at the hem, I ran forward through the dark screaming for Ayden. I noticed then that my muscles ached and how quickly I began to lose my breath. My voice grew hoarse, but I screamed anyway. I was answered each time with silence, though, and I lost my fight little by little.

I stumbled over something hard and fell to my knees. Tears rolled down my face and they tasted bitter on my tongue.

Ayden. Where are you?

A hand touched my shoulder gently and I turned expecting Ayden. Though it was dark, his violet irises shone bright. “Ayden? Oh gods, Ayden! I thought I lost you.” I climbed to my feet and jumped into his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck. I cried into his shoulder and refused, even for a second, to let him go.

When he pulled me away, I expected him to say something. Preferably something that would explain why we were here. Wherever ‘here’ was.  Instead, he mumbled something incoherent and pointed behind me. I began to ask him what he was talking about when I heard the coughing.

I peered over my shoulder and saw a tall mountain I hadn’t seen before. Alwaenia was naturally a flat country, so for a mountain to be in the middle of the way was ridiculous. I moved closer and a rancid smell overtook me. It smelled like rotten flesh and burnt hair. A sudden burst of light flashed and I saw the mountain clearer. When the smell and the coughing finally made sense, I immediately wanted to turn back. But when I glanced behind me, Ayden was long gone.

“Echo!” a voice called out. I searched the darkness for the familiar voice, but found no one. “Echo!”

The same burst of light went off again and I wandered towards it. The voice called out for me insistently and I followed. I barely made it to the mountain before I felt a tug on my dress. “Help me,” the same voice screamed. This time I knew who it belonged to.

“Issy? Issy, where are you?” I thought I’d been dreaming, but in this moment as I looked for Issy in the starkness, I’d never felt so wide awake.

I found Issy on the ground just below the mountain and nearly dived for her. She was curled up into the fetal position with her hands around her calves. I knelt down and immediately took her face in my hands. I cringed at the sight of blood.

She coughed and said, “Echo, I’m so sorry. I tried to stop them.”

“Stop who, Issy?” I wiped the blood from her nose and the tears from her eyes.

“I tried, but I failed, Echo. I am so sorry,” she mumbled.

“Isobeli, you aren’t making any sense! I’m getting you out of here.” I wrapped her arm around my shoulder and tried to pull her up. She screamed in pain and pushed me away.

“No! You can’t save me now, it’s too late.”

“Are you mad?” I about shouted to the heavens. Isobeli was the only reason I’d survived life in New Haven all those years. I couldn’t go without her. “Come on, I’m taking you to Ayden.”

“It’s too late!” Issy screamed. Her eyes found mine and she smiled through the blood and tears. “To the moon and back, Echo. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. You just need to kill them. Kill them all.”

“Who are you talking about, Issy?”

“The people trying to hurt you. You need to get out, Echo. Get out. Get out now! Leave!” Issy screamed the words over and over again until it was all I could hear. She scared the hell out of me, but it was Isobeli and I wasn’t leaving her side.

“I’m not going anywhere, Issy. I can’t leave you here, you’re bleeding! Please, let me help you.”

Isobeli stopped screeching long enough to turn her head to me and say, “You need to help yourself before it’s too late, Aleksandria.” Her voice was blood-chilling and oddly calm. Before I had time to make sense of it, she began screaming again and it pierced my eardrums to the point where they began to bleed. Reality shattered like glass and I was thrown back into the wide abyss of nothing…

I awoke with a start and a hoarse scream erupted from my throat. My body was covered in sweat and my nightgown stuck to my body. I was, once again, greeted with darkness and I could have sworn I was still in the dream.

“Echo? Are you okay?” Warm lips pressed against my temple and an arm wrapped around my shoulders. Without thinking, I leaned in closer and sighed, thoughts of the nightmare still plaguing me.

“Yes, I think so.” My head lay against his chest and I clung to him as if he’d disappear if I dared let him go. After the dream I had, it wasn’t an impossibility.

“What happened?” Ayden asked.

“I had a bad dream. Gods, it was awful.” New tears welled in my eyes and he held me closer. “Issy was dying and you-you…I don’t know. You were there, but then you were gone. There was a mountain and a light. I was so confused.”

Ayden shushed me and lay me back on my pillow. I was no longer tired, but lying in bed with him seemed perfectly ideal. A storm raged outside the window like a bad omen. “It was just a dream,” he crooned. He kissed my shoulder and for a while we said nothing. I could have lost myself in his embrace if only Issy’s face hadn’t been on my mind—her screams, the blood, the tears. Her words.

You need to get out, Echo. Get out. Get out now! Leave!

“What is this? Her!”

The voice was so foreign I had assumed it was all in my head, but when Ayden turned and jumped from the bed, I knew it wasn’t. A tall girl with dark eyes, black hair, and a deep complexion stood in the doorway dripping with water. Her clothes stuck to her body and the bag around her shoulder looked heavy. Her tattoos told me she was a Hunter.

“Feven?” Ayden said.

Feven?

“Yeah, it’s me,” the girl said, eyes shooting to me. “Who’s she? I leave to come back and you’ve already got me replaced?” Her eyes hardened with tears.

“You left!” Ayden screamed. He paced the room and ran his fingers through his hair. “You left, Feven. And I didn’t replace you.”

“No, I guess not. I was going to ask you if I could stay the night, but I see you’ve got other things to do. I was never good enough for you anyway.”

When the girl named Feven stormed out from the room, Ayden followed her out. I remained in bed and listened to their conversation in the kitchen.

“Where’d you find her, Ayden?” Feven asked. “Is she your new girlfriend now? I saw the way you held her. Like you cared!”

“Are you saying I don’t care about you? Feven, you left! Twice, if I can remember. What happened to this person you were staying with?”

“He’s married!” Feven’s voice cracked and I sunk lower into the blankets.

“You’re kidding. You were messing around with a married man, and then you expect me to just take you in again? Don’t you think I’ve given you enough chances to prove yourself, Feve?”

“You’re all I have, Ayden! I-I thought he loved me, but his wife miscarried and he said he couldn’t do it with me anymore. I just want to matter for a moment. Not her, not him, but me.”

I heard Ayden sigh, and then say, “Did I not make you feel like you mattered? I invited you into my home, you met my family, and that still is not enough for you?”

There was a brief pause just before Feven belted out, “I loved you, I still do! But you wouldn’t give me the time, you saw right through me, Ayden. But you notice her, that girl in your bed? You’ve known her probably weeks and yet she gets all the attention I’ve worked years to get from you.”

“It’s not the same,” Ayden whispered. “Feven, I love you, you know that. I don’t know what I did to lead you on, but my love for her is different from my love for you.”

“You love her,” Feven said with finality. Footsteps sounded and she said, “Have a nice life with her, Grey.”

A door slammed, and then I heard Ayden groan. I didn’t know what to think of what had just happened. I was speechless, that much was true, but I couldn’t help thinking: Feven’s real?

Ayden walked slowly back into the room and I sat up in the bed. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

I went to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. “It’s okay. Who was she?”

“An old friend. She’s going through some things right now.”

I nodded and hugged him tighter. “She loves you.” I wasn’t mad, surprisingly. I couldn’t blame her. There was a lot to love about Ayden. But the way she spoke to him bothered me, the way she seemed to share a lot of history with him. I couldn’t speak of Ayden that way, and I envied her for it. But now that I had him, I would make sure that sometime soon I could speak of him in such a way.

Ayden pulled my chin up to him and he softly kissed my lips. “I know she does, but I’ve already placed my love elsewhere and I’m really glad with the decision I made.

“I am, too.” I stepped up on his feet to kiss his lips and he laughed. He was at least a foot taller than me and I constantly had to tiptoe to kiss him.

The kiss ended too soon for my liking. “I’m really happy you’re here, Echo.”

“I can’t imagine being anywhere else.” I sighed and rested my head on his chest. “Besides, you—”

I loud knock interrupted me and Ayden hesitantly broke away. When neither of us moved, the knock came louder. No voices. “Probably Feven again. Stay here.”

I went along anyway and stood behind him as he pulled the curtain to a window aside and glanced out. I wondered why Feven was back. Maybe she’d come to apologize or scream at me. Either way, she seemed like no threat to me. She looked belligerent and probably used that against people, but I was stubborn and adamant.

Ayden stepped away from the window and I saw his face blanch. “Echo,” he whispered to me. Another loud knock came from the door. “Go back to the room and pack your things in a bag. Hurry.”

I nodded and left for the bedroom with no questions asked. I didn’t have much, only a few dresses from Carys and the gowns Ayden bought for me at the market. I threw it all into a bag and tied it shut, my heart beating frantically in my chest. I stared out the window for a long moment and froze when I heard the knocking stop and then the shattering of glass. Through the window in Ayden’s room I could make out a man in black, a sword just as dark in his hands. I screamed inwardly and willed my feet to move, but they wouldn’t. Things were just happening too fast.

You need to get out, Echo. Get out. Get out now! Leave!

The glass before me shattered into shards and I screamed as they bit into me. I heard shouting and then hands grabbed me.

“Echo! Just keep running, go!” Ayden yelled. He held my hand as he pulled me through the small cabin. I dared a glance behind us and saw the men in black equipped with swords. I noticed the embroidery on the hilts and my feet stumbled to keep up with Ayden.

The King had sent them to kill us. I knew it, but it was just too hard to believe. Was this it, then? Had we walked into our deaths blindly?

“Ayden, there isn’t anywhere to run!” I yelled.

“Listen to the girl, Hunter,” a guard barked, trudging towards us with great speed.

Ayden groaned and pushed me through the bathroom door. He locked it quickly and then turned to face me. “You’re going out the window. I’ll give you a lift.”

“How did they find us so soon?” I cried. The guards pushed against the small door and I winced.

“Listen to me, we’re not dying. Not here, not right now. Do you hear me?” He held my face in his hands as I cried.

“But Ayden—” He kissed me before I could get another word out.

“Get on my shoulders.” Ayden stepped up on the toilet and leaned forward so that I could climb up on his back. He stood and brought me closer to the window. “Flip the lever to unlock it. The ground isn’t too far down so you should be fine.”

“Okay,” I said with shaking hands.

“Echo, hurry.” As he said it, the door splintered and I heard a hinge give into the guards’ onslaught. I flipped the lever and the window cracked open easily. Cold rain and a harsh wind hit me, but I pushed myself up and out. Just as I had both my legs out the window, the last hinge on the door gave way and Ayden ran to keep them out. I shook my head at him, but he frowned.

“Ayden, let’s go!” I yelled.

“No, go on! I’m coming.” The door continued to open little by little and I panicked.

“I’m not leaving you, Ayden. I refuse to.”

“Do you trust me?” he grunted.

“With my life.”

“Then go!” he yelled. I gasped and the tears came non-stop. Instead of staying to argue with him, I dropped myself from the window and I fell to the ground with a start. I ran without stopping and pressed on when I hit the forest. I thought about turning back, but that would have gotten us nowhere. Ayden would get out and he’d be fine.

Seconds washed away with the rain and as I waited for Ayden in the dark woods, I had the strangest feeling that I’d been here before. I wondered if his family was okay, or if the neighbors had heard anything. Knowing the King, he would have made sure no one knew about this. The guards were silent and hid in the darkest shadows until we were alone, stealing the night and depriving it of its secrecy. That’s how they worked.

Sighing, I turned back to see Ayden running towards me with my bag and his in tow. I exhaled a breath I didn’t know I was holding and ran to him. “Are you hurt?”

“A little,” he whispered. He took my hand and held tight. “We need to get out of here.”

“And go where?” I asked.

“Don’t worry, I know just the place.”

T W E N T Y–

S I X

Ayden

Echo’s hand shivered in mine as we rushed down the dusty streets of Shadow Hills. She glanced around the neighborhood and then at me. I’d never read her so loud and clear in that moment; her eyes spoke legions. I wanted to comfort her, but all I could think about was getting her to safety and away from the guards. It wasn’t even about me anymore, always her. I would lay down my life for Echo and in that small second I saw the guards outside the window, I realized that.

“I can’t run anymore, Ayden,” she gasped. Her face was red from exertion and her hair unruly and wild.

I stopped for a second and glanced back at her. “We can’t stop, they’ll find us. The house is just over the hill, trust me.”

Her hands on her waist, Echo nodded slowly as tears trickled down her face. I would have kissed every one of them away and took my time doing it, but that risked death and losing her—two different punishments, but it would hurt me all the same. I took her hand again and we wandered through the dark streets as silent as shadows. There was only one place I thought safe to go, really. I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to help us even if that meant sheltering runaways from the King.

The rain hadn’t let up at all. What should have felt like a generous soul cleansing from the gods felt more like a sin, a cry for help, and all the tears shed over pain and the loss of victory. This was the penalty for love, for loving Echo. I couldn’t say I hadn’t seen it coming from the beginning, but I expected more time with her. Though I knew her a lot better than I did five weeks ago, she still remained a mystery to me. I wanted to waste time on her and not have to fear losing her the minute I turned around. She’d made me out to be the person I was meant to be, not the person New Haven had thrust upon me. There weren’t too many people in my life who made me doubt myself, so Echo had achieved something so great, and yet so naturally. We were so different, but somehow our bad collision worked out perfectly.

We made it over the hill and my legs had grown weary. Instead of giving up, though, I mustered up all the strength I had and pushed on. The house came into sight and I sighed when I spotted a light on through the windows. Echo was still soundless beside me, but she held onto me with everything she had. And that was enough.

We ran through the house gates that barely sat on their hinges and crossed the yard. I knocked my knuckles against the door and waited.

“Where is here?” Echo asked.

I had a momentary flashback to the first night I’d taken her with me. She’s said the exact same thing and was dripping in water from the rain. Now, though, she looked wiser and older. She didn’t look like the scared girl who’d practically begged me to kidnap her. She looked every bit of the woman I’d given my heart to.

“It’s an old friend’s. He’ll keep us sheltered until I figure something out.”

“Will you?” she asked, lips trembling. “Will you figure something out?”

I opened my mouth to push away her doubts the same moment the door opened and a small woman with red hair stepped out. She watched us cautiously. “Can I help you with something?”

“Yes. Is Giovanni here?” I held my breath as I waited for her to answer.

The woman nodded and called out to Gio in the house. Echo melted into my side and I sensed her fear. I could have only imagined her thoughts; it was one foreign place to another. But I’d promise her the end of this soon, and we’d be smiling and we’d be together. The destruction of the world could meet us in days and we’d cling to that last hope.

Giovanni came up beside the woman and stared out at us. There was a mixture of shock and grief on his old face, and then finally understanding. He glanced out at the barren roads and motioned us inside.

The house was just as I remembered. Dark, warm, and crowded. Giovanni had six kids so I could see the reasoning. He sat us on the couch opposite from him and his wife, the redhead, moved to the kitchen. He ran his hand down his face and sighed. “Before I start, you should see something.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, tossing it over to me without a word. “Read it.”

I opened it up and the first thing I saw was my face. Glancing down lower, I saw Echo’s. In big bold letters under the sketches of us were the words: $500,000 reward if found and returned to the King dead or alive! Echo’s hair was drawn short so I wondered if anyone realized he’d put his own supposed daughter up for sale. I crumpled the paper in my hands and didn’t bother showing it to Echo.

“What is this?” I barked. I threw it back at him with a scowl.

“It’s a grant. While you two were off in your own world for the past three days, the King was busy announcing you as renegades. He says he no longer has a daughter named Echo and the New Haven kingdom has foolishly believed him.”

“It’s true,” Echo murmured.

I glanced at Giovanni and shook my head for him to ignore it. I would explain everything later, not now. “We just need a place to stay until morning. I’ll find Adamo and we—”

“And you’ll what, Ayden? Keep running? Tonight was only the beginning. You got away for now, but how long do you think it’ll last?”

He was right. I knew it, of course, but I chose not to acknowledge it. I couldn’t afford to lose Echo. Not now, not ever. I would fight until my last breath to ensure her safety.

I glanced up at Giovanni and nodded. “This means war. I’m not running, I’m fighting.”

Giovanni tilted his head and really looked at me. The corners of his mouth twitched with a small smile and I knew he understood.

“AM I doing this right?” Echo called from the field. She stood out amongst the many bleeding hearts while Kale and Ciprean practiced throwing their daggers at trees like Echo had taught them.

“What do you mean? Try it again.” I came up behind her and wrapped my hands around her leather-clad waist. Tamara, Giovanni’s wife, had given her a few things to wear for when we went out to practice in the field. They fit her smugly, but she insisted on wearing them. I didn’t complain, she looked great and as a Tigress should.

“I feel like I’m doing this all wrong. You guys picked up on the swords and daggers so quickly, why can’t I do this?”

I moved around the tree she stood in front of and watched her. She’d tied her hair up in a ponytail and was doing her best at hand-to-hand combat. She wasn’t a bad beginner, she just lacked confidence. “Just try it again.”

Sighing, she stood with her left foot forward and focused all of her attention on the tree. She counted to three and then rear-kicked the trunk with a hard blow. She’d been at it for hours and while she wasn’t seeing improvement, I was.

“I’m not hitting the target, Ayden. I’m hitting the tree, but not the target.” She blew out a shaky breath and backed away from the tree.

“You’ll get it, stop stressing yourself out.”

“And if I don’t? I’m a big part of this plan, Ayden.”

I nodded slowly as I regarded her. The whole night had been spent revising a plan to escape. It wasn’t about revenge, but freedom. There was no way the King was letting us go so easily, and Giovanni saw no other option than to fight. I knew he and his family were risking their lives to help us. And so were Ciprean, Kale, and Adamo. I’d dragged them all into this mess and I was determined to drag them right back out.

“This is really important to you, isn’t it?” I asked her.

Echo nodded. “It is, and I’m scared. We’re breaching a border that is guarded by many and running foolhardily into the King’s arms. Gods, it’s so hard to imagine he is not my father. He was the only one I knew.”

“I’m sorry about that, Echo, but we won’t even be long. You’re only to get Isobeli and your mother and bring them back. The guys will take care of the rest. Everyone will meet here and we’ll escape into the woods.”

“And just us, alone?” she said incredulously. “I can’t die out there, I have too much to live for now. Within days we’ve become fugitives and are now plotting a war! We’re going to kill people, Ayden. I can’t lose you.”

“You won’t.” I went to her and held her tight. “We’re not going to slaughter everyone in sight; we’re going for the King. Not to kill him, but to declare our freedom. Don’t you want that? To be free?”

“It’s all I’ve wanted,” she whispered. “I’m so frightened that I’ll lose myself in this, though, that I’ll lose you. Do you even know how much it pains me to think of you as dead? It’s unnatural and unthinkable.”

Echo’s voice was soft and barely above a whisper. Of course I had my own doubts, but they were subtle. I believed in Giovanni, I believed in Echo. That was all the affirmation I needed.

“Echo, look at me.” Echo glanced up and I noticed the tears in her eyes. She was crying so much lately, but I didn’t blame her. There was a time for everything and she deserved this moment. “We’re not hiding, we’re not running. We’re going to fight for this. Burning bridges, remember?”

Echo smiled. “Yeah, I remember. I get the flames, you get the bridge?”

I laughed and glanced over at the guys watching us in the field. “Sounds perfect.”

“You kids practicing or what?” Giovanni called.

Echo kissed me, and then walked over to him. “Yeah, sorry. It was partially his fault, anyway.” She jabbed a finger in my direction. “It’s the lips.”

Adamo whistled and wiggled his eyebrows. Giovanni gave me a disappointing look and I merely shrugged, laughing silently to myself.

“What can I say? It’s the lips.”

T W E N T Y–

S E V E N

Echo

I was to be wedded in two days. Not that I feared anything, but I couldn’t see how time had flown by so fast. I was grateful for the time I had with Ayden and wouldn’t take it back for the world, but every time I allowed my mind to drift, I thought about the impending war, I thought about my mother, and I thought about Isobeli. I worried myself to the point of depression; I don’t think I’d ever cried so much in my life.

Ayden managed to make all the pain go away with a single kiss, though. With his words alone, he made me feel secure and fearless.

“What does that one look like?” I asked him, pointing to the cloud over our heads.

“A duck,” he said.

“Really? I’d say it’s more of a rabbit.”

“A rabbit?” He laughed and shook his head. “No way. That’s clearly a duck, do you not see the bill?”

“I see ears. Rabbit ears.” Still laughing, Ayden rolled over on the blanket we’d laid out in the field and turned to watch me. We started calling this place The Bleeding Heart Garden awhile ago, and it seemed to fit. I always wondered what was beyond the green hillside, my thoughts of a different world beyond Old or New Haven conjured anew. “What was school like for you?” I asked him silently.

“Didn’t you go?”

I faced him and stroked the side of his face. I could never get enough of looking into those eyes. “No, not really. My mother taught me everything I know right there in the palace until I had turned seventeen. Shadow and Everlae were taught that way as well. Caesar, my older brother, was the only one who went to an actual school to learn.”

Ayden groaned and crossed his eyes, making the matter seem a lot less serious. “You didn’t miss much. I kind of wish I hadn’t gone, actually. I don’t remember learning a thing.”

“And what about church? Did you go?”

Frowning, he said, “No. My mother is very religious, but my father and I are at crossroads. We don’t know what to believe. Milo and Misty are oblivious to the whole thing.”

“You know,” I muttered, staring out at the wispy clouds, “I’m not sure what to believe either. Mother told me that there are many gods and we should thank them every day, but Issy once told me that in Kylon they believe in one god. It’s a lot to take in, so I just sort of ignore it. The way I see it, if there is a god or gods, Alwaenia wouldn’t have been so horribly destroyed.”

“But then everything happens for a reason,” Ayden stated. “God or gods, they must have a reason. I just have a hard time figuring out what it is.”

I sighed in agreement and blew my untamed hair from my face. In the last moments when you know you are about to put everything on the line, you find out a lot about yourself. In a way, I guess you never know how strong you are until you are running for your life. You never notice how important the people are around you until they are gone.

I was determined to survive this.

Pushing back the hair from my face, Ayden whispered, “I love you.”

“How much?” I teased.

“Another rhetorical question, right? Because there is no limit to the kind of love I have for you, Echo—it’s infinite and unconditional.”

“You mean that?” I mumbled against his lips.

He smiled and said, “I may be a lot of things, Echo, but—”

“You’re not a liar,” I finished. “Not with me.”

When my lips touched Ayden’s, I couldn’t help the tears of joy that came. I was just so happy and alive that, for the moment, nothing else mattered but this feeling of total bliss. It encased me from the inside out and every nerve in my body sparked, flew, and then finally exploded in a euphoric ecstasy.

Breaking away, I playfully poked him in the eye and he winced. “I’m going to go blind with all the poking you’re doing.” He laughed, flashing that cocky grin. I poked him in his side just to see what he would do and he yelped out again. “That’s it. Someone needs to learn how to keep their hands to themselves.”

I rolled to the end of the blanket before Ayden could grab me and jumped to my feet. He chased me around the field as I ran in circles trying to escape him, and my cheeks burned from smiling so much. I’d only seen Ayden smile when he was with me, but his smile reached new limits then; a beautiful, glorious memory I’d treasure for eternity.

“What lesson are we learning, Ayden?” I taunted with a smile.

He watched me from a foot away with a heated glare. I stared back. “What lesson? No, love, we’re adlibbing. First thing is first: you reap what you sow.”

In a heartbeat, I was running in the other direction and up the hill. He followed me, of course, making my getaway a lot more impossible. “It was just one poke!” I yelled. I opened my mouth to speak again, but his arms snaked around my waist and pulled me back. He swung me around and poked me until I thought I’d see stars.

“It was only fair,” he whispered breathlessly, setting me back down on the ground. He kissed my temple and I sighed, laying my head back on his shoulders.

“I love you,” I muttered. My back pressed to his chest, I glanced up and kissed his lips. If kissing was a language I was sure we’d know it well. If it could measure the amount of love you felt for someone, our love was infinite after all. Even when we hugged I felt a special connection to him. It was in his loving embrace that I sought solace, where I found it, and where I would keep it. Our love was enchanting and magical, secretive and special. Overall, though, it was ours and we would treasure it.

“Tell me something I don’t know about myself,” I whispered once I’d broken the kiss.

Ayden’s chest vibrated with his laughter. “That’s an easy one. When you’re upset or nervous you play with the thread of your dress like a cat does yarn.”

“I do not.”

Ayden nodded.

“Okay, well when you’re upset you continuously comb your fingers through your hair. Not that it’s a bad thing, I love your hair. It’s a cute habit.”

Shaking his head, Ayden mumbled, “I can’t say the same.” I knew he was joking, so I lightly elbowed him in the chest to get my point across. “Okay, okay. I was kidding. You’re cute when you’re mad.”

“That’s what I thought.” I pointed to a cloud in the sky and his eyes followed. “What about that one?”

“A rabbit,” he said.

“You’re kidding. That looks like a rabbit, but the other didn’t? That’s clearly an octopus.”

“An octopus. In the sky?”

“It can happen. I suppose.” I held Ayden’s hands around my waist and closed my eyes. I could have fallen asleep right then. With all the practicing we’d been doing, I barely had time to sleep.

“It looks more like a turtle to me,” a voice said. Ayden and I spun around and searched for the person in the clearing. My first reaction was to assume it’d been in my head again, but when I saw Noah striding slowly towards us, I knew the only thing in my head was fear.

Ayden immediately pushed me behind him as he faced Noah. His muscles tensed and my breathing slowed to short gasps. “Who are you?” Ayden asked.

“Who am I? Well, I was going to ask you the same question. I also want to know why you have your grimy hands all over my woman.”

Woman? I balked inwardly and tried to hold back a laugh.

“Don’t worry about who I am. But she’s not going anywhere with you, whoever you are.”

“Ayden,” I whispered. I noticed then that Ayden really had no clue who Noah was. The fact that Noah had that over him frightened me.

“That’s right,” Noah crooned. “Tell him who I am, lovely.”

I blanched and took a step away from him. “What do you want, Noah?”

“What I’ve always wanted.” Noah took a stepped towards us and that’s when I saw them. The men dressed in black and embroidered swords emerged from the woods and crowded around us. I took another step back, but no matter how far I went, I still felt trapped. “I’ve always wanted you.”

“No,” I lamented. I took Ayden’s hand and began pulling him the other direction. “Noah, leave us!”

“Who is he?” Ayden growled.

I shook my head at him. “My betrothed, the Prince of Delentia.”

“That’s right,” Noah added. “And I’m here to claim what’s rightfully mine.” The guards closed in and they grabbed for Ayden. He tried to push them away, but when they wouldn’t let go, he punched one of them in the face and they fell to the floor.

“Let him go!” I cried. I pushed through the mass of men tackling Ayden to the floor and continued to yell for him.

No, this couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not when things had been going so well.

Two guards held Ayden in a hold with his hands behind his neck and he groaned in pain.

“Let him go! As Princess of Thediby, I command you to release him!” I yelled at the guards. I shoved at one of their chests and they laughed. If only I had a sword.

“We know all about your secret, Echo. We know you’re not the King’s daughter.” Noah smiled and a guard stepped up behind me and held my hands behind my back.

My eyes went to Ayden and I finally gave in and began to cry. “Ayden, do something! You promised.”

“Echo, I—” A guard cut him off with a blow to his face and I shuddered.

“Don’t hurt him, please!”

“You are pathetic, Echo.” Noah came face to face with me, and from the corner of my eye I saw the guards take Ayden away. I started to hyperventilate and the barrier between reality and dreams grew dim. This couldn’t be happening. “I will admit that I contemplated keeping you for my own enjoyment, but I would grow tired of you too soon. So, I’ve decided to hand you over to the King. Not that I need the money, of course, but I’d love to see you and your indolent lover battle it out in the arena.”

I shook my head violently and sneered, “You bastard! I hate you. You’re worthless and conniving. You don’t even deserve to be breathing right now.”

Noah watched me and laughed. “I believe it is you who is the bastard, Echo.”

Growing weary of his games, I said, “You will die by my hands, Noah. I rue the day I ever met you. Y-you sick, arrogant son of a—” Noah slapped me across the face and I tasted the familiar flavor of blood. No man had ever hit me or even dared to. It sparked my ire and set it ablaze.

“Look what you made me do, Echo,” Noah chided.

I smiled and, gathering the saliva in my mouth, spat out the blood in his face. I elbowed the guard holding me in the gut and he shied away. Not missing a beat, I grabbed Noah and kneed him in the groin. “Rot in hell,” I told him. I ran in the direction of the woods, screaming at the top of my lungs for Ayden. I tripped over logs and thorns snagged at my dress.

“You can’t keep running, Echo!” Noah called. “You’re already dead!”

I ran further into the forest and thanked my lucky stars when I espied the guards dragging Ayden through the evergreens. He was putting up a fight, but there were too many of them. I jumped through the underbrush and screamed, “Let him go or die!”

The guards turned to face me as I trudged forward and Ayden watched in horror. They’d hurt him, and that had made me angrier than ever. Revenge was sweet, but blood was sweeter.

“Echo!” Ayden suddenly screamed out. My eyes went to him the same moment an edge of a sword shot out and nearly took my head. Its cold steel nicked my jugular and I smelled my blood in the air around me. I looked up the sword at Noah.

“You are not fit to be a Princess, Echo. If that is even your name. You are an abomination, a lie, a monstrosity. According to the King, you shouldn’t even exist. And that you won’t.” Noah removed the sword from my neck and I watched as he licked my blood from the blade. He motioned towards the guards holding Ayden and they began to back him out of the woods.

I screamed until my voice grew hoarse and cried until I couldn’t anymore. My eyes had averted to the ground after long moments of crying, but when I looked up again, Ayden was gone.

“Why are you doing this?” I whispered. My voice echoed through the trees and I realized Noah was gone, too. The guard pushed me in the opposite direction of Ayden and his nails bit into my wrists.

“This means war,” I said to him. The guard laughed, but said nothing.

This is love. This is your life, Echo. Own it. Start over. Fight.

PRESENT DAY

T W E N T Y–

E I G H T

Ayden

SIPHON’S
CITY, NEW
HAVEN

I’d never felt so fearless like I did now. There were only two guards left after the other two ran off to call in help, and Echo and I made a silent decision who would get who within the one glance we shared. She nodded her head at me and the same flicker of love I saw in her eyes weeks ago stared back at me. This was no longer a fight for them, but for us and for love. For freedom and a lifetime with her. Every moment I’d spent with her flashed through my mind and I held onto them like a tangible thing.

“It seems there’s been a disruption,” the Announcer proclaimed to the audience. People still continued to scream.

A guard went for Echo and she twirled a dagger in one hand with a sword in the other, eyeing him with distaste. Sensing the fight in her, the guard unsheathed his sword and pointed the tip of the blade at her. Echo smiled and, moving as fast as I knew she could, pelted the dagger at the man and it stuck him in his chest. He cried out in pain and reached to pull it out the same moment Echo ran and kicked the dagger in deeper. He fell to the ground and she looked over at me with a smile.

“Fight! Fight! Fight!” the crowd roared around us. I barely had time to register anything before a hand was clamping around my throat. The second guard, beefy and short compared to his partner, had snuck up on me with intention to take me away, but by the way he looked at me with insobriety told me he didn’t have it in him.

So, I let him off easy.

I struck him in the chest with two quick blows just to get him off and swept my foot behind his legs. He fell to the ground, sand flying up around him, and I twisted his wrist until he screamed out and I heard the cracking of bones. Quickly dropping a kick in his side, I turned and looked for Echo.

Unmoving, she stared up at the balconies and I followed her gaze to the King. He looked at us as if he was considering something and nodded his head at the King of Delentia. Both Queens were missing.

“Bring in more guards!” the Announcer bellowed. I gawked at him and never wanted to kill someone so much in my life. The gates on Echo’s side slid open and five guards slipped through. My heart skipped a beat and my mind shifted back into focus. I had to get Echo to her mother and her cousin.

“Echo!” Her eyes met mine and she seemed to snap out of it. She nodded as I pointed towards the other gates. A guard stood watch, but before he could unsheathe his sword, Echo punched him in the face with the hilt of her sword. He slumped against the wall, unconscious, and I took advantage of the time I could spare us and fished out the keys from his pocket.

“What are you doing?” Echo asked, breathing heavily as she watched the oncoming guards.

“Buying us time.” I jammed the keys into the lock of the gates and they clicked shut with a twist. “Okay. Let’s go.” I took Echo’s hand and we ran through the fortress and away from the guards. Voices grew louder above our heads as we went deeper into the arena’s sector.

“This way,” Echo whispered, pulling me down a long corridor, “Mother wasn’t on the balcony so I’m assuming she is up in her sacred chambers here. If not, she will be at the palace. But that’s too far from here on foot.”

I nodded at her and hoped her mother was in her chambers. “And Isobeli?”

Echo was quiet for a second. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen her in weeks. She could be anywhere.”

“Well, let’s just pray she’s with your mother, then.”

We broke into a large foyer and we spun in circles with a desperate need orient ourselves. It wasn’t as grand as the one in the Royal palace, but it was huge, nonetheless. Down the hallway we’d come, footsteps sounded up the corridor.

“Upstairs is this way.” Echo pointed to the staircase across the foyer.

Shaking my head, I said, “No. You go, I’ll fight them off. Remember: get them out, find Adamo, and head for the garden.”

I could tell it took everything for her to comply. “And you’ll be there? Waiting for me?”

“I’ll try.” We jumped at the nearing footsteps. If it wasn’t for the wreck going on in the arena, people would have been inside and wandering, making our escape not so sweet.

“No trying with me, Ayden. You promised,” she sneered. I would have taken the time to tell her how cute she was when she yelled at me, but the moment was too critical.

I grabbed her face and kissed her. “No trying, got it. Now go.”

I watched her take the stairs and thought about going with her as she ebbed into the darkness. It killed me to leave her on her own, but I knew Echo would manage; she was stronger than she thought. Though grief was all we had to hang on to, if I didn’t make it out, Echo would. Giovanni would make sure of it

I turned to meet my attackers head-on and froze at the sight of the man in front of me. Noah, Echo’s betrothed, and the man I wanted to kill.

T W E N T Y–

N I N E

Echo

Mother’s chamber floor was darker than I expected. The torches that usually lit the hallways had long burnt out and I walked in silence. I gripped the sword in my hand, running my fingers over the diamonds set in gold and whispering words of encouragement to myself. Though I was fully aware that I was alone, I didn’t buy into the false victory for a second. Mother wouldn’t just be sitting around and waiting for me, nothing ever worked out that easily. The most I could hope for was that Isobeli was near. And alive.

I reached Mother’s door and mustered up all the courage I had to open the door. It cried out on its hinges as I flung it open. Grasping the sword at my side, I slowly entered the room and took note of the curtains, the vanity, and the empty bed. Everything looked the same, so I didn’t bother to go snooping. I was only looking for Mother and so far I hadn’t found her.

I suddenly heard splashing in the bathroom and moved towards it without thinking. “Mother?” I said, opening the bathroom doors.

I found Mother on a bench beside the tub and watched her dip her fingers into the water. She smiled to herself and sighed. “The brush. Bring it here, Echo.” She said, staring straight out. I opened my mouth to ask how she knew it was me, but she quickly added, “Hurry. We haven’t much time.”

The brush. She must’ve been talking about the brush she’d sent me, because I had no other. I untied it from the strap on my thigh where I’d hid it from the guards underneath my dress. The act caused me to remember that I’d lost the necklace from Ayden. Of course a sensible person would say it could be re-bought, but the necklace was a one of a kind and it meant everything to me. I sighed and gave the brush to mother.

“Sit,” she instructed, pointing to the ground below her. I sat and I had a mental flashback of this very moment, just somewhere else. The room zoomed in and out of focus as Mother untied my hair and began brushing through it. “Dreams, Echo, they will be your power and your only weapon in this war. The enemy is great, but you will be greater if you would just trust yourself.”

“What dreams, Mother?” I mumbled. A brush through my hair felt magnificent, I’d forgotten how much I loved it when I was small.

“Close your eyes and see for yourself.”

I did as I was told and as soon as my eyes were shut, the normal darkness that would overcome me was replaced with a very bright light. It erupted and a thousand images flooded through me at once. One of Ayden fighting Noah, another of Adamo and Ciprean taking down a guard at the borders, and the last of Issy running down the streets of Thediby as if she was being chased. The images changed before I could piece them together and my mind raced to keep up with them.

The next images surprised me even more. The first was of Old Haven wrecked and desolate. Broken homes and burning buildings. Though Old Haven was bleak compared to New Haven, it didn’t look as grave as this. Images changed and it showed people from Old Haven running through the border and meeting those of New Haven in a futile fight. A tear rolled down my cheek at the sight of all the dead souls stacked on top of each other like a monument worthy of praise.

That’s when I remembered my dream and the mountain I’d seen. No, not a mountain, but a heap of rotting bodies.

“What was that?” I whispered, opening my eyes. The bathroom came back into view and I sighed.

Mother stopped brushing my hair and whispered back, “We only dream of things we know and people that we’ve seen.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

Mother chuckled and handed me back the brush. “You have much to learn about where you come from, Echo. You are the only one of your kind—a Hunter and a Warrior. You don’t understand the kind of power you withhold.”

I stood to my feet and stared down at her. “You have to tell me what’s going on. What are these images?”

My mother looked away from me then and glanced out the window instead. “You should go. You’ve already wasted enough time. Isobeli…she needs you.”

“What?” Pieces of my dream came back to me and I remembered seeing a dying, helpless Issy. I didn’t have the strength to give in to the fear, but it was there and it was waiting.

I had to find her.

“Mother, we need to go. Ayden and I have—”

“It is too late for me, Echo. Go now, before it is too late for you as well.”

“But—”

“Go!”

I sprinted through the open doors and fled down the stairs. When I reached the foyer, Ayden was gone. I wanted to throw my hands up in frustration, but there was no time for a tantrum. I just hoped he was all right. Checking for signs of guards, I made my way out of the building and took in the harrowing sight. People ran wildly down the streets: some chasing, some being chased. A group of guys were busy pushing down a lamppost and it fell into the street, glass shattering everywhere on the sidewalks. A woman across the lane held a torch to a building and I watched as it slowly caught aflame and began to burn from the bottom up. I’d only heard of something like this once and they were always stories told from the hearsay, never facts. It’d only happened once in Alwaenian history and that was when King Valentine had been murdered

We’d started a massacre.

An ear-piercing screech caught my attention and I followed it in hopes of finding Isobeli. I rounded a street, and as I suspected, I found her. But it wasn’t how I wanted to see her, not at all. Seeing her crumble to the floor in a heap of blood broke my heart to no end. I ran to her, and just like in my dream, I stumbled every step of the way there.

“Issy?” I whispered, pulling her to me. Blood covered the front of her dress and her skin felt clammy and cold. “Gods, Issy what happened to you?”

“Echo?” she muttered.

“Yeah, it’s me. Who did this to you?”

Instead of answering me, Isobeli held up her hand and showed me a rutted piece of paper covered in her blood. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I took it and read: You did this. I noticed the handwriting right away—the King’s, the man who I thought had been my father for seventeen years but now wanted to see me dead.

I took her face in my hands and demanded, “Tell me who did this to you.”

“Si… Silas,” Issy stuttered.

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach and I felt the need to vomit. The man could evoke such feelings, but they were stronger now than ever before. I held Issy close to me and forced her to stay awake, desperate with my will to keep her alive.

Where was Ayden? Where was the righteous King in all of this? Why weren’t the other cities doing something?

Horse hooves thudded against the pavement behind me and I turned to see Adamo on a white stallion. I wanted to question him, but Adamo was his own kind of crazy.

“Get her out of here,” I called to him, holding Issy in my lap. “I need to find Ayden.”

“Did you talk with the King?” he asked.

“No. He hid from us like a fool. The only thing he offered was this.” I threw the piece of paper up to him and Adamo read it silently.

“A damn fool he is. But we need to get out of here before things get crazy.”

“Crazier than this?” I cried, motioning to the screaming mass of people around us. “All Royals have seemed to disappear and you do not call that crazy?” I held Isobeli to me and carried her to the horse. She mumbled something incoherently, but that was enough to tell me she was alive. She slumped against Adamo and he cringed.

“Don’t get my friend killed,” he sneered.

“Wouldn’t even dream of it, Adamo. I love him just the same.” I watched as people terrorized the city and frowned. “Where are all the guards in this?” The sun had begun to set and a weary orange glow took the city.

“Dead. All of them. Now find Ayden and get back to the clearing. The plan didn’t work, Echo. I’m sorry.”

“Did we lose anyone?”

“No.” Adamo readied his horse and held onto Isobeli. “Be careful out here.”

I nodded and Adamo rode away, the white stallion a gleam in the setting sun.

T H I R T Y

Echo

I went back into the Royal arena to search for Ayden. A mass of people had crowded into the foyer and I immediately thought the worst. My heart pounded in my ears with a staccato ferocity you’d only hear when the love of your life was in danger, that moment of complete apprehension and the only thing that mattered was them.

Running through the screaming crowds and pushing people away, I wondered if love was truly worth all this, if this was the price I could afford pay. I’d known the consequences would be great, but I relied too fully on the bond I shared with Ayden to help us survive this. We were strong, and stronger together, but it only took the death of one to ruin the other. It would take what freedom and hope I had. If a day without Ayden made breathing impossible, living a life without him wasn’t fathomable. He was the lifeline I needed to keep my head above the water, my only rescue against the storm. Hunter or not, I loved him.

I made it to the center of the foyer, bodies packed around me, and searched for Ayden’s face. My eyes frantically searched the place, but still found no signs of him.

“Burn it to the ground!” the crowd yelled. A window smashed and shards of glass flew everywhere. The people had gone mad and seeing as the Royals had vanished, they were taking their frustration out on anything they could get their hands on. They’d lost themselves in a frenzy even lost to this world.

“Echo!” someone yelled. I whirled around and dove through the crowd in the direction of Ayden’s familiar voice. I looked for his face and the traces of violet, but I stared back into unfamiliar brown eyes that seemed bottomless and cold.

“Ayden!” I screamed back, my voice cracking. The air grew stiff as I continued to push my way through throngs of people. I had long left the foyer and escaped into the bowels of the arena. Marble floors and glass ceilings were replaced with dirt-packed walls and cement. After spending a whole night down here in imprisonment you would think one got used to the screaming, crying, and the sounds of people being beaten mercilessly. But you couldn’t—wouldn’t. As you slept curled up on the sodden floors wet with your own blood, it was all you thought about. Death always had a mysterious way of greeting people.

A loud grunt came from down a dark hallway and I turned to follow it. Blood colored the walls and the floors, casting an eerie vibe to the chambers. The place was death incarnate, meant to trap souls of the damned. Though I had indeed spent a night down here, I’d closed myself off to everything till the point where I couldn’t feel. Twenty-four hours had been spent away from him, twenty-four hours of thinking he was dead. If tears could measure pain I was sure I’d endured enough for the both of us. The sword sheathed on my hip had never felt so heavy.

“Ayden?” I whispered, entering the sector. The smell of death—stale and rancid in every way—burned my nose and sent a retching feeling through my gut. I swallowed it down and moved further into the room.

Ayden sat unmoving in a chair, thick ropes tying him down. Scars and blood covered his body and if it wasn’t for the slow movement of his chest, I would have thought him dead. I stopped worrying about the pace of my heart for the moment and ran to him, lifting his head to inspect the cuts on his face.

“Ayden. Ayden, wake up!” I tapped his face and pushed the hairs out of his face. He still sat unconscious, but he was breathing. I unsheathed the sword from my waist and slashed the thick ropes in half, untying the rest from around his legs and wrists. “I’m getting you out of here.”

“Echo…” Ayden murmured. I pulled his arm over my shoulder and held him around the waist. When I tried to pick him up, he screamed out. The minute he stopped breathing would be the death of me, and I wasn’t ready to give up yet. No, not on him. “No, Echo. Don’t…”

I blinked the tears from my eyes and held him tighter. “Ayden, look at you. I need to get you to the garden.”

“Cyrus,” he whispered.

“What?” I looked up the same moment I heard the door slam and the lock slide into place. I looked into the darkness before me and froze. A figure moved from behind the door and the fear that had been lurking behind all this time finally seeped its talons into my throat.

Noah.

“I can’t say that I’m surprised you came back for him, Echo.” Noah crooned. He stepped out of the shadows and I noted his all-in-black outfit and the tattoo at his nape. I never noticed it before, but with the deep collar he wore, it was easy to tell the tattoo was of an asp.

“Get out my way,” I berated. “Do you not see the war outside? There is no time for your little game!”

Noah moved closer to us and I took the next step back. Ayden groaned and clung to me. “Oh, I see what’s going on. Great, isn’t it?”

“Great? There’s a massacre going on out there! You should worry about escaping yourself. It seems the King has fled his kingdom.”

“For now, yes,” he said to me. Noah glanced at Ayden and smiled. “It’s all a part of the big plan, Echo. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that everything happens for a reason?”

Ayden mumbled and he struggled to open his eyes through swollen lids. When his head slumped against my shoulder, I thought he’d fallen beneath the wings of unconsciousness again. Instead, he whispered, “Don’t move,” and reached for my waist to draw my dagger.

I went on like nothing had transpired. “What big plan? To ruin New Haven and kill thousands of people? Is that your idea, Noah, really?” Furtively, I eyed the door and its lock. No keys; I only had to slide it open and we were out.

“Not just my plan, Echo,” Noah said, his voice resonating off the walls. “The people’s plan.”

“Now I know you’re crazy,” I murmured.

Noah’s eyes flashed to me and they sunk into a deeper grey-brown. “Am I? I’ve anticipated this day for so long, a massacre that will finally put an end to the waiting. Not only is our victory within reach, but the construction of a new nation is already in procession.”

Ayden whispered in my ear, “When I count to three, go for the door.” I sighed in response, but didn’t look at him.

“That’s nice to hear, Noah, but whatever you’ve planned, I don’t want to be a part of it.”

“Oh, no. Never you. You’ll just get in the way like you always have. The King was right.”

And that’s when it finally clicked. “You are a conspirator, aren’t you? In allegiance with the King.” It seemed so crazy spoken aloud, but the talks of a new nation gave him away.

Noah’s smile widened, and he said, “You’re smarter than I thought.”

“But why would a King want to ruin his own kingdom?” I asked incredulously.

Ayden silently counted to one.

“This is not a kingdom, Echo. Compliance is the key, and with it we hope to achieve nothing but greatness.”

I snarled. “You are very vague.”

Noah cocked his head and took another step towards us with his hands deep in his pockets. “Do you understand that Cyrus does not have complete control? He is King, yes, but there are others. What would happen, do you say, if all the other Kings were to die?”

I held my breath.

Ayden counted to two.

“What have you done?” I asked breathlessly.

“With three other Kings out of the way and Old Haven soon blown to smithereens, we will rule.” A cryptic look took Noah’s face and I shied away. It was amazing how much people could change right before your eyes. I’d thought Noah to be a rich Prince who had no morals, but now I was looking into the eyes of my very enemy. At that moment, I didn’t know who I was more afraid of: the King or Noah.

“There’s just one problem with your plan,” I said to him. His eyebrows arched as he regarded me. “I’m not dead yet.”

“Three!” Ayden shouted. He moved from me and I darted for the door. Ayden had always been deft when it came to fighting, but with a wounded leg it seemed almost impossible how fast he’d moved.

Noah seemed startled, but quickly reacted to the dagger Ayden had pointed at his chest. “Echo, go!” Ayden shouted. I stared back at the door, and then at Noah wrestling to get the dagger. They fell to the floor and Ayden quickly threw a punch to Noah’s face. I frowned, my hands gripping my sword and itching to do something, and decided I wouldn’t run anymore. I was a Tigress and I was going to fight as one. I wasn’t leaving Ayden to battle a war alone.

Noah kicked Ayden in the chest and Ayden fell back against the stoned wall with a grunt. The dagger slipped from his reach and Noah moved to get it. “Touch it and I’ll kill you,” I reprimanded. My breathing grew heavy and I began to see red. Not only did he hurt Ayden, but he’d raped me free of the freedom it’d taken me everything to attain.

“You’re brave,” Noah said. He moved away from the dagger and as soon as he’d gotten far enough from Ayden, I kicked him in the gut and threw him to the ground with another kick to his groin. Taking his hands and twisting them behind his back until I heard a crack, I pressed his face to the cold wall and kept my eyes on his feet.

“That is nothing new, Noah,” I growled, stooping and pressing the blade of my sword to the back of his neck. “Since you and the King are so friendly, I want you to deliver a message to him.”

“So, you’re not going to kill me?” Noah asked with a smile on his face.

“No, that would be too easy.”

“And way too much fun,” Ayden called, standing to his feet.

“You’re kidding, because I’m not saying anything. According to the King, you are already dead. Alwaenia is already dead.”

Fed up with Noah’s vagueness, I stabbed him in the shoulder with my sword and he cried out as he bled out on the concrete. “I’m quite crafty with a bow and arrow, Noah, but I think swords are definitely my thing.”

“Okay! Okay!” he yelled out. “What’s the damn message?”

Ayden watched me. “Tell the King Aleksandria Esolen said this isn’t over. Tell him she said it’s only begun and she won’t stop until diversity rules all.” With a grunt, I pulled back my sword and kicked him to the ground.

“We should go,” Ayden said. I nodded at him and we headed to the door.

All of what I’d said was true. The King—the man I’d believed to be my father—had started something I was gladly willing to finish. They weren’t taking Alwaenia like conspirators did so long ago. They weren’t taking Old Haven from the people who deserved more, from the people who were more. I was determined to change this nation and kill whomever I had to. The thought alone scared me, but five weeks had changed me.

Ayden suddenly yelled out. I turned to face him, but he was already a step ahead of me. Noah had lodged the dagger into his back and stood watching me in triumph. Before I could regret my decision to let him live, though, Ayden slugged him three times in the face and he fell to the ground.

I jumped and screamed, “Ayden, let’s go!”

He leaned forward and whispered into Noah’s ears. “Threaten my mother again and I’ll make sure you don’t live to see daylight.” With a final kick to the chest, Ayden crossed the sector to me and I helped him out of the door. He limped pretty badly, but he could walk for the most part.

“Echo,” Ayden whispered as we made our way through the empty corridors. “Are you smiling?”

I didn’t get his meaning until I looked up at him. “No. We haven’t reached the end yet.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that.” Ayden held me close to him and I took the moment thank the gods for our survival. Our plan hadn’t worked and our freedom was still a fragile thing, but we had each other and that would do.

The foyer had cleared once again and we made our way out the arena doors. I wondered about Mother, Everlae, and Shadow and tried to suppress the tears. When I tried to remember happy moments before things led up to this point, I got nothing. I only had this moment and every second spent with Ayden. If someone had told me mere weeks ago that loving a man would lead to my own demise, I would have thought them crazy. Now I knew, and I was eager to fight.

The night still bled an inky orange and I held tight to Ayden as we stared out at the ruined houses, burned bridges, and dead bodies. The air smelled stale as if rain was approaching and estranged survivors still loitered in the streets. Sweat, blood, and tears—we went through it all, and yet we hadn’t even reached the end. This time, though, I was sure we were ready to take on the world if need be. A border couldn’t stop us now.

Just beyond the horizon, Ayden and I gazed out at the setting sun. “Today is yesterday’s victory, yesterday is tomorrow’s conquest, and tomorrow is today’s war. Though I face death, I am not fearsome.” Ayden nodded and I looked on with pride.

This is love. This is your life, Echo. Own it. Start over. Fight.

Stay alive.

###

THE SECOND VOLUME IN THE BLEEDING HEART TRILOGY…

DECEIVING DESTINY

DECEMBER 22ND 2012

Acknowledgements

This story would be nothing without Him, so I want to thank God for giving me this remarkable ability to share my love for writing with the world. It’s only by the grace of Him that I have made it thus far. Secondly, I want to thank my loving parents. I know as they are reading this, they probably have big smiles on their faces. I know, guys, I love you too.

I also want to thank Chamera Sampson, Jennifer Don, Dominique Goodall, R.K. Ryals, and Tianna Scott. You girls rock and are a huge impact on this entire journey. You guys have encouraged and inspired me from the very beginning and I hope you will to the very end. This wouldn’t have happened without you girls, so thanks again.

Thanks to Carley Zucco for putting up with me through most of this. HUGE thanks to Silviya and her amazing talents! The cover of this book is wonderful and it’s all thanks to you! You’re friendly and trustworthy—two attributes I find so rarely in this world.

Thanks to Shanna Roberson, Alicia Chunn, Nyzeera Green, Bella Belikov Colella, Michelle Figley, and my family for being some of the best supporters EVER!

And last but surely not least, I want to thank Saline Elder and Naomi Garcia: my girls. When I need a break from writing you guys always seem to be right there and that means so much! Thanks to everyone who has supported me (you know who you are!) in the biggest and smallest ways. You guys have made this experience memorable, something I will definitely never forget. I love you guys from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet.

-N.R.

About the author

Born in New York and raised in Pennsylvania, Nadège Richards has traveled to six other states and two countries, but aspires to travel the world some day. Forever a lover of Art and all things pertaining to Literature, she hopes to obtain knowledge from her writing career, rather than popularity. She wrote her first novel about aliens and goats in the 8th grade and has had a passion for story-telling ever since. Her friends and family are her biggest inspiration. She enjoys being part of the Indie community and sharing her stories with the world.

When not reading, writing, and blogging obsessively, she’s usually found hiking, studying, camping, or at home with her family. She’s been a martial artist for two years, a singer for three, and always seeks a common ground in everything. She considers her writing very personal, as she’s always been a private person. She enjoys writing about what could or should happen, rather than what did happen—she’s a dreamer and a procrastinator.

For more information on Nadège and her new releases:

Blog: http://www.authornadegerichards.blogspot.com

Website: http://www.nadegerichards.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NadegeRich

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NadegeRichards

Table of Contents

Copyright

Dedication

O N E Echo SIPHON’S CITY, NEW HAVEN

T W O Ayden

T H R E E Echo THEDIBY, NEW HAVEN

F O U R Ayden SHADOW HILLS, OLD HAVEN

F I V E Echo

S I X Ayden

S E V E N Echo

E I G H T Echo

N I N E Ayden

T E N Echo

E L E V E N Ayden

T W E L V E Echo

T H I R T E E N Ayden

F O U R T E E N Ayden

F I F T E E N Echo

S I X T E E N Ayden

S E V E N T E E N Echo

E I G H T E E N Echo

N I N E T E E N Echo

T W E N T Y Ayden

T W E N T Y- O N E Echo

T W E N T Y- T W O Echo

T W E N T Y- T H R E E Ayden

T W E N T Y– F O U R Echo

T W E N T Y– F I V E Ayden

T W E N T Y– S I X Ayden

T W E N T Y– S E V E N Echo

T W E N T Y– E I G H T Ayden SIPHON’S CITY, NEW HAVEN

T W E N T Y– N I N E Echo

T H I R T Y Echo

Acknowledgements

About the author