Burning Bridges (28 page)

“
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 h
as 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 forwa
rd
and
kissed my forehead, I cried into his chest
.
“
It will all be over soon, p
rincess,
”
he crooned.
“
Eight days. Give it eight days.
”

Eight days…

T W E N T Y

Ayden

“
W
hat 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 m
inutes, 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. I
t 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 fami
ly, and her most of all. But my entire life was
s
pent
pleasing everyone else, making sure I didn
’
t disappoint and that everyone was taken care of.
Where did I come in
to play? It was a childish thought, but my happiness was important to me and, hell, if I was happy with Echo, ever
y
smile on my lips, ever
y
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 t
w
o 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 wa
s Echo my mind had conjured. Her
sm
ile, 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 comi
ng of f
all.
I looked down at Adamo and shr
ugged.
“
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.