Burning Bridges (38 page)

“
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
k
new 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 K
ing.
”

“
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 i
s 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 i
s a good man, Echo, an
d a proud father, b
ut 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 in
to
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 f
or 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.

“
H
ow
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 n
othing 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
▪

T
hat night I didn
’
t sleep.

One minute I was curled up in Ayden
’
s arm
s
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 stum
bling through the abyss with no
where 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.