Prologue
Echo
“I don’t think you are making the right decision.” The drawl that reached my ears sounded almost bored.
My hand paused above the bag I was filling up with clothes as fast as I could shove them in it, the tremble in it making me curl my fingers into a fist. The sun was creeping behind the mountains, casting the sky in dark orange and purple hues, while lighting bugs gathered around the streetlamps below the castle, turning the city into a nighttime fairytale where shadows spread through my rooms.
All it did was remind me that my time was up.
It was now or never.
Overhearing my parents talking the night before—okay fine, I snooped—triggered my fight or flight instincts. Especially when I heard my father’s deep voice announcing it was time for me to accept my responsibility and marry my betrothed. A male I’d never seen in my life, but I’d heard plenty about him.
Oh, yes.
I knew all about his arrogance, greed for power, and heartless ways. The womanizer who screwed his way through the realm, leaving broken hearts all over the place. Every time he was mentioned in my presence, people tried to hide the pity in their eyes. I’d die before I allowed them to chain me to someone like that, responsibilities and destinies be damned. I’d forsake my right to the throne tonight. It wasn’t like I wanted it anyway. All I’d ever wanted was to be free and happy. No gossip, no drama, no politics. And definitely no man-whores, thank you very much. Backstabbing and power plays had never been my thing.
Now that I was of age—one hundred and twenty-three to be exact—it was time for me to get married, to slowly start ruling the kingdom instead of my parents. Those were our laws, and the fact that my father was the one who’d made those laws just added salt to an already open wound, but I was good at ignoring things like that. Just like I was good at forgetting about his cruel punishments, and his constant reminder that I needed to learn to keep my mouth shut. “No one wants to hear what you think, Echo. Simply sit there and smile, dear.” His voice bounced around my skull.
Deflecting was my superpower, if I could say so myself.
Those archaic laws were a dark cloud looming over my head most of my life, so at the age of fifty, I’d started looking for a way out. Too young to care, but old enough to know that if I wanted to have at least a semblance of a decent life, I needed to get the hell out of there. I’d heard stories about other realms, places where no one would dare look for me, and they sounded like a wonderful way to get my butt out of this predicament, but not even I wanted to visit most of them. But one had gotten my attention.
The human realm.
That world of humans had become my final destination as soon as I had done the research. I could hide there, blend in, and my father would never find me. Humans resembled us, to a point, and I wasn’t too bad with glamour and illusions. I could totally pull it off if I played it smart. All I’d have to do was lay low and hide my powers. That couldn’t be hard. My father could marry the oaf he’d picked for me at birth himself.
Teeth grinding, I glared at the bunched-up stuff in my half-filled satchel. More shadows formed in the corners of my chambers as the sunlight dimmed even more. Cold sweat trickled down my spine. It took everything in me not to turn around and take out all my fear and anger out on my familiar. Proto was a troglodyte, a true ruffian to fit his barbarian breed, that for an unknown reason had picked me to bond with for the rest of our lives. Something unheard off in my kingdom, much to my father’s dismay. They didn’t bond with anyone, not even themselves, at least from what I’d read about them.
Why he had decided to shackle himself to me was a mystery.
The heir to the Seelie throne should’ve had a phoenix or a unicorn, or something equally sparkly and majestic bonding with them. Me? I got a vicious creature, a half lizard, half feral cat with attitude problems, a penchant for farting at inappropriate times, and a mouth he couldn’t control. The deep blue fur, yellow spots on his back, the orange scales poking out as bumps on his spine, and his long, barbed tail didn’t make him exactly inconspicuous either. With two rows of razor-sharp teeth and his red, glowing eyes, he was a walking—or in his case wobbling—nightmare that scared the fates out of everyone that had the misfortune to set their eyes on him. Proto’s appearance made sure he was noticed when he popped up out of nowhere, but of course only when it suited him. He was never there when I needed his help. If you ask my family, it was just one more disappointment to add to the list of many when it came to me.
“I didn’t ask for your opinion.” Muttering through clenched teeth, I swallowed the lump squeezing my throat. “I know I told you that you won’t be able to show yourself where I’m going, so you can stay here. There is really no need to follow me.”
“I don’t think that’s how this works, girly,” he droned, yawning as he stretched further along the windowsill. “Where you go, I go. I had a feeling you would show me the world. That’s how it’ll always be with us.”
“Oh, goody,” I deadpanned, making him snicker before a loud fart ripped from his behind. I jumped a foot of the ground. “I must’ve been cursed at birth.” At my comment, he snorted and cackled before disappearing into thin air. I didn’t fool myself into thinking he would leave me alone and stay away.
Deeper shadows formed around my chambers, stretching over my bed and walls, covering the golds and purples I decorated my space with until they were nothing but various shades of grey. Seeing all the riches and opulence disappear was somehow fitting. This was what I’d wanted: to leave it all behind and forge my own life, my own destiny away from my oppressive and cruel father, away from my never satisfied and cold mother. But most of all, away from a life without love. I’d seen how well that worked out for my parents. They couldn’t even stay in the same room unless it was to deal with matters of the court. There were no small smiles, no brushings of hands. Just cold, unemotional conversations in clipped tones. They even had separate rooms on the opposite sides of the palace, for fate’s sake.
It was worse than a death sentence, at least from my perspective.
I was running from years of fake smiles and pretending to be someone I’m not, of biting my tongue because it wasn’t proper, and above everything else, of all the years with no passion or laughter. I wanted love. A fluttering in my belly, sleepless nights imagining that first kiss, warm hugs, and passionate nights. I wanted someone to look at me the way I’d seen males look at their mates: with sparkling eyes and hunger burning in their gazes.
My lungs were fighting for air that wouldn’t seem to come. The palace had become a place where I couldn’t breathe, tall walls like iron bars of a cage that were suffocating me. Chest contracting, I looked at my dress, the soft silver silk shimmering in the glow of the sunset like a dying star trying its best to leave a mark in the world. To remind people it was there.
That it lived.
Just like I wanted to do.
Ripping it off with shaking hands, I stabbed my legs into the soft pants I’d snatched from one of the maids, tugging a long sleeve shirt over my head as soon as I was done with it. Wrapping my long lavender hair in a messy bun, I pulled on my boots before straightening to glance around my rooms one last time. I should’ve felt sadness … or melancholy. But I didn’t. No, swirling inside me was anxiety and excitement. I would no longer be Echo Darkwing, the heir to the Seelie throne after tonight.