by Rue Volley
I cocked my head. “I don’t know; maybe I would be. Maybe I would be just like Van Helsing.”
I watched the muscles in his jaw tighten then relax. “A hunter? Not like it matters. Your future is written out. You have no say in it.”
I bit my lip and released it. “No, it isn’t.”
He nodded to me. “Sure it is. The daughter of two famous archaeologist’s? That’s what you’ll end up doing.”
“Don’t assume anything about me.” I know my tone sounded harsh, but he had hit a nerve.
He looked me over. “Why not? You obviously don’t believe in anything that you can’t prove, you dismiss things like vampires as if they couldn’t possibly be real and you don’t like it here, and you definitely don’t like me.”
I parted my lips. His reaction wasn’t what I expected at all. My hand lifted, not so unlike what always happened when my mom was about to give us a piece of her mind.
“You don’t know anything about me,” I spoke through gritted teeth.
He took a step toward me. “Really? I thought you appreciated the truth?”
I took a step back, and he took another step toward me.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do with my life, but I doubt that it’ll be anything close to what my parents do.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “You live in denial.”
“I do not!” I could feel my heartbeat speeding up.
“You do. You’ll end up just like them, not believing in anything.”
“You don’t know them or me,” I muttered as he continued to speak. I knew he was getting closer, but I was starting to feel dizzy with anger.
“Admit it, Echo. You just want to please them, so you will by becoming exactly what you were born to do. Why fight it? Why pretend like you can escape it? Just shut up and be a good little girl. You are destined to please them just as I’m destined to please my father.”
My fists clenched at my sides as his feet came into view. My eyes blurred from the tears that threatened to release themselves in a flurry of emotion.
“I’m not her,” I muttered.
“Who?”
I looked up at him, and a tear rolled down my cheek. “Midnight.”
“No, you aren’t.”
My blood started to boil.
He leaned forward and whispered to me. “Why did you have to come to Port Royal?”
I looked up at him, and my voice trembled as I spoke. “I had nowhere else to go!”
He stepped back from me as I rushed past him. He trailed me, quickly grabbing my wrist and stopping me dead in my tracks. His cold touch sent shock waves through me. I closed my eyes as his grip relaxed and he rushed in front of me. “Echo.” He was clearly distraught.
“Where are they?” I half whispered. I opened my eyes as his hand lingered close to my face.
“Who?”
I spun around and looked in every direction. “Come on out! I know you’re here. The games over, you’ve won!”
I lifted my hand and swung it wildly, ready to slap him across the face.
He caught my wrist, forcing me to stop. “No one is here but us.”
I laughed as I wiped the warm tears from my cheek. “Right.”
He stepped back from me. “Echo, I promise you that I came alone.”
The flood gates opened and I sobbed as I tried to catch my breath.
“Do you wanna know why I came here? Okay then, here’s some truth for you. I’m pathetic. I’m weak. Every hope that my parents had in the world died with my sister and I lingered there, like a horrible reminder that she was gone and never coming back. She will never be back, and that’s on me. ME!” I yelled as I hit my chest with an open hand. I pulled it out in front of me and stared at it in horror. “I, I had her. I had her hand in mine, and I felt her slipping away, and there was nothing I could do about it, nothing, and you know what? She chose me. Me.” I nodded as tears dripped from my chin. “She told me to live and then she was gone. It’s my fault that she’s gone. Mine. I’m the reason she died.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Echo.”
I shook my head and pointed at the mausoleum. “My empty coffin should be there, I should be the one who died, so now you know. Now you know everything you need to walk away from me. So do it! Walk away from me and don’t look back!”
He rushed in and wrapped his arms around me.
“I wish that I could, Echo Navarri. I wish that I could.” He leaned in and grazed his lips against mine, holding me as I trembled in his embrace.
Soft and bittersweet.
My first kiss.
I felt a warmth rising that started in the pit of my stomach and radiated out into every part of me. I reached up and touched his face as our bodies pressed against each other. We seemed to be two lost souls finding shelter in our shared misery.
Aching as one. Searching as one. Becoming one.
He groaned, moving away from me as quickly as he had arrived. I stood there with my chest rising and falling. He appeared distraught and completely out of his element. I didn’t expect to see him this way. He had seemed so confident about everything, but now he appeared frightened. It totally took me by surprise.
His eyes searched the ground. I took a step toward him, and he refused to look at me.
My voice cracked. “Thorn.”
His gaze lifted but the blue was now gone, and black was left in its place. I narrowed my eyes knowing it was a trick of the light; it had to be. He looked darker now, sorrowful. Tortured.
“You kissed me,” I said.
“It was an accident.” He quipped.
“Did you fall into my face?” I retorted.
“I’m sorry. I should go.” He said as he lifted his hand and I detected the slight tremor. His reaction to me solidified my growing love for him. He turned and started to walk away from me. I followed, but for each step I took he seemed to take five, and the distance between us lengthened until I was at the front gate to the cemetery and he had disappeared into the early twilight.
I reached up and touched my lips. They still hummed with excitement. His sadness lingered all around me, and I was drawn to his misery. It matched my own.
I glanced back at the cemetery. “You were right. It felt incredible, Midnight.”
I turned and looked down the sidewalk to my right and then to my left but he was gone, and I reluctantly started to walk home, selfishly hanging onto that kiss among the dead.
10
I walked home in a daze. I pushed on the gate with my mind swirling with thoughts of Thorn and the accident that had occurred between us. What did he mean by that? Had he kissed me out of pity? I was stopped dead when I spotted two shadows on my porch. It was Tailor and Bri. The look on my face preceded the obvious question.
“Um, what are you guys doing here?” I rubbed the side of my neck hoping that Thorn hadn’t told them what had happened. I don’t think I could take it if they had come to make fun of me.
Tailor walked down the steps, and Bri followed. They both stopped in front of me and gave me a once over. I was expecting something sarcastic until Bri chimed in.
“Listen, what we did was pretty crappy. We came to say we’re sorry.”
I sighed. “It’s a day for apologies, isn’t it?”
“What?” Tailor asked, and I sighed. “Nothing, listen, it’s okay. I get it. I’m the new girl; it’s called hazing, right?”
Tailor stepped up to me. “No, it’s called being jerks, and we’re sorry. Truce?” She asked as she pulled out a tall white cup and I could smell the vanilla latte. I took it from her with a smile on my face. “Coffee, okay, that’s a truce.”
“Good! Are you gonna ask us in or what?” She asked.
I hesitated. I wasn’t sure if I should. It was my aunt’s house, not mine, even though by birthright I guess the hous
e would go to me someday down the line. My eyebrows rose. “I should ask.”
“Tailor, don’t.” Bri murmured, and she ignored her.
My aunt opened the door and stepped out onto the porch as Tailor and Bri moved behind me and locked arms. “Echo, come inside, dinner is almost ready.”
I glanced behind me willing to ask if they would like to come inside for dinner but they were walking away and through the gates before I had a chance to open my mouth.
“See you tomorrow!” I yelled, and Bri waved back at me.
I turned back around and walked toward my aunt who waited until I was inside. She shut the door and flipped the lock, which I thought was odd. She turned and looked me over, placing her hands on my face and cupping it. “So, tell me everything.”
If only I could.
She eyed the coffee in my hand. “Is that for me?” She jested. I nervously grinned. “I’ll share.”
“Now that’s love.” she cooed, letting my face go, and my nerves started to settle back into place. “They gave it to me.” She stopped and turned around, knocking the cup to the floor with the swish of her hand. She immediately reacted to it. “Oh, honey! I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. I can grab a towel.” I walked into the kitchen, but she snatched one up and waved it at me. “My mess.”
I nodded to her and sat down at the large island in the middle of the room. I could smell the sweet aroma of tomatoes with a sprinkling of pepper.
She returned and tossed the towel in the sink, immediately running water over it. Luna stood there tapping the edge of the counter and then sprinkled some salt into the water. She leaned in and then grinned. I narrowed my eyes when she turned back to face me.
“It’ll get the stain out.”
I nodded to her. I had no idea what removed stains and what didn’t. I just had to take her at her word. She walked to the stove and started to shovel food onto a plate.
She stepped up and placed it down in front of me. “Here you go, sweetness.” I could smell the delicious roast, stewed potatoes, and fresh vegetables.
I wanted to eat, but one thing consumed my mind.
Thorn.
His voice, his eyes; the way he moved next to me. All of it wrapped itself around my thoughts and squeezed out the rest until all I could see was him. Only him.
Was this normal? Certainly, it couldn’t be. It bordered on obsessive, and I knew it, but I couldn’t stop. A spell had been cast, and I was its captive.
“Thorn,” I whispered.
“What’s that, dear?” my aunt spoke up as she sat down in her chair and placed a small chunk of tender meat in her mouth.
I quickly saved myself by deflecting. “Corn, this corn is so good. It just…wow. Delicious. The best I’ve ever had.” I nodded as I spoke, really trying to sell it. I shoved a forkful in my mouth and chewed with enthusiasm.
I swallowed as she paused and stared me down. Her expression wasn’t so different from my dad’s when he knew I was trying to fool him. I felt the need to switch topics.
“So, what’s up with you and Mr. Jenny?” I tapped the tip of my fork on the side of my plate. I didn’t know if it would work, but luckily she took the bait.
She stopped chewing and gave me a wink. She swallowed and took a drink from her tall glass, leaving small traces of milk behind. She licked her lips, and it disappeared. Luna placed her fork on her plate and toyed with the food. I had obviously hit a nerve with her. A good nerve, not a bad one.
Her eyes lit up. “I suppose I should divulge.” She pushed her plate aside, and the fork shifted, cradling itself between a large wedge of potato and what was left of the pork roast on her plate. My eyes shifted from the food back to her.
“James and I have been together for almost a year now. It was a rocky start, but anything worth having tries to break free. It just means you have to squeeze harder.” She tightened her fist.
Her words mattered to me, not only for her but for myself and what I had experienced earlier in the day.
Things do try to break free.
Thorn seemed so tortured as if he couldn’t decide whether to stay or go. That’s what intrigued me the most. The intensity of his stare, the weight of his words and of course that kiss, stolen away from me just as quickly as it had arrived. I could only hope he would do it again because I wanted that more than anything.
“Echo?”
I blinked and realized I must have been giving her my best zombie impression. The small wrinkle between her eyes was prominent. I had worried her by not responding.
“I’m so sorry; today was…interesting.” Interesting was a creative word to use. My mind wandered, and I could feel the kiss again. My lips tingled.
She tilted her head, and the large ponytail shifted to the right.
“Who messed with you?” her eyes narrowed.
I lowered my fork. I cleared my throat and with it the memory of Thorn in the cemetery. I tried not to grin, but I was, which set off her Spidey senses.
“Echo?”
I shook my head. “Well, first of all, I think you and Mr. Jenny are an awesome thing. I just wanted to put that out there, so there’s no weirdness. I mean no weird at all. None.”
She grinned. “No weird, huh?”
I waved my hand. “None, I really like him, I do. He’s cool.”
She rubbed the back of her neck, and a tiny grin turned her lip upward. I was so glad we could get that out of the way. I hate awkward, especially with people I have to be around every single day. She was free to date whoever, love whoever. I had no say in that, but I was relieved that she had chosen to be with someone who was so kind. Mr. Jenny made me feel safe. I love safety; it puts me at ease, and that’s exactly why Thorn confuses me. He isn’t safe at all.
“Well, that’s good to hear because I’ve sort of mentioned the idea of him moving into the house.”
“This house?” My voice cracked as I leaned forward.
She lowered her hand, and it hovered between us with a flip to the right. “Of course this one, do we have another house? I mean, I mentioned it before I knew you were coming.”
She made me laugh. Her sarcasm matched my own. “No, the other one, the one behind this one,” I said, and she scoffed at me. “Shush, Echo.”
She carried on. “Well, it isn’t set in stone, of course, and I would consult your dad before anything happened. This is as much his house as it is mine and I wouldn’t move anyone into it, especially while you’re here with me.” She tapped her chin. “In fact, is it even appropriate? Perhaps not. I may be crazy.”
I placed my chin in my hand. “Don’t worry about me. You do what you want to do, Aunt Luna. This house is so big I don’t know if I would even know he was here.”
She took a short breath and exhaled while tapping the island. “Funny you say that because he’s here, now.”
“What?” I asked as I scanned the room like he was hiding in a corner.
She pointed toward the ceiling. “He’s upstairs, in the library. He often comes and peruses the books.” She paused and tapped her chin with her index finger. “I hope he actually likes me, and this isn’t a ploy, you know, to get to the books.”
I laughed again. She was so eccentric and a bit paranoid. Both of which fit her. “That’s totally it, I’m sure. He wants the books.” I said with a nod.
Her eyebrow rose as she stood up. Her green and tan checkered shawl swung between her arm and thigh, tapping against her leg. “I knew it,” she muttered.
“No, I was kidding. I mean look at you, you’re a strong, independent woman with a killer personality, a beautiful house, and you can cook! He would be stupid to pass you up and try to use you for a dusty old library in the attic.”
Her expression softened. “Of course I am, and you’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
She placed her
plate in the sink. “Let’s go to the living room.” I looked upward, knowing that he was in the house didn’t freak me out but did remind me how large this place was. For someone to be here and me not know it could be disturbing.
I followed her out of the kitchen and took my chair by the fireplace. “So, is he staying?”
She approached the fire and poked the wood, trying to conceal her smile. I stood up. “I don’t care if he does. I really don’t.” I was totally prepared to go to bed so they could spend time together.
She turned back and grinned. “No, he won’t be staying, nor has he ever stayed.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, and a look of confusion overtook my expression. “Echo, I have a story to tell of love and loss.”
That sparked my interest, so I pulled the small throw that looked to be handmade, over my legs. It was constructed of square blocks in fall colors of deep red, orange, yellow, and green. I ran my hand over it and felt the smooth texture. She took a seat in front of me and then decided she needed something stronger to drink. “Hot Toddy?”
I laughed. “What’s that?”
“Tea and honey. It’s a blend of wonderful spices, warmed up and spiked with whiskey.” She stood up and pointed at me. “Yours will be virgin in nature, of course. No whiskey for you.”
I nodded to her. “I don’t think I could handle whiskey anyway, I tasted it once while we were on an expedition, but it was Midnight’s idea, not mine. She stole it from our parent’s tent while they were sleeping. I thought I would puke. It tasted awful.”
She grinned and pulled the shawl tight around her shoulders. “Midnight was a wild creature; you are not.” She walked out of the room, and her words bothered me. Midnight was a wild creature, and I was boring, tame, and predictable. Maybe that’s why Thorn ran away from me. Maybe if I were more like Midnight, it would be impossible for him to ignore me. Impossible for him to run away.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were up.”
I turned to face James as he stood frozen in the doorway. He had a book in his hand, and my eyes studied it more than him. He tapped his open hand on the top of it and faked a smile. I really didn’t want him to feel awkward here. His relationship with my aunt shouldn’t change because of me.
