The last three days I
had
dreamt he’
d been here
in my r
oom 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 hop
ped
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
cobble
stoned 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 f
ire, 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 w
here 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 giggle
s from the night of the B
all? 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, N
oah! I did enjoy myself at the B
all, 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 w
as 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.