Burning Bridges Read Free Page A

still trying, but everything takes time I guess. ”
    “ So , she ’ s happy? You ’ re happy? ” Shadow spoke slowly, as if hesitant to ask.
    I nodded.
    Thankfully, Shadow left it at that and didn ’ t speak of Everlae again . Town was just a few miles from the palace , but the walk felt like a journey through eternity.
    “ You seem frustrated today, Echo, ” Shadow mentioned as we made a shortcut through a n alley pathway. “ If I didn ’ t know you any better, I ’ d say you were nervous. ”
    “ Nervous about what? ”
    She pointed to my gown. “ Your dinner with the Prince. Isn ’ t that why you got all dressed up? ”
    I glanced down at myself and sighed. I didn ’ t want to talk about Everlae, but that didn ’ t mean I wanted to talk about myself , nor Prince Noah . I thought about telling her that the mere thought of gazing at him made my stomach acids burn, but I knew Shadow wouldn ’ t have been okay with it as Everlae had been . Shadow was rebellious in her own way, yes, but she knew when it came to the family ’ s wealth you were to do everything Father asked of you.
    “ Yes. A little excited . ” My eyes wa ndered as I searched for another matter to discuss. “ So why are we going into town? ”
    She pointed to the wooden gates that opened to the markets at the end of the streets. Two guards stood around holding swords longer than my arms and stolid, blank looks on their faces. They stared straight ahead as if they were waiting for something to magically fall from the heavens. It was normal protocol since the Hunters had fig ured out a way to breach the bo rder singlehandedly so many years ago , but they were foolish to think anyone felt safe. No one had felt secure in this Haven since my Father declared the rules of the prison arena , another issue I didn ’ t need on my mind. 
    “ Just follow me, ” Shadow continued, taking me by the hand and pulling me forward. “ Ezily wants to show you something. ”
    Ezily?
    I turned my attention away from the guards and met eyes with Ezily, Shadow ’ s way-too-friendly friend. Her black ringlets glimmered in the daylight as she waved over at us, the brush of freckles above her nose even visible from where I stood. I never knew her much since she was also a Tigress and moved around cities quite a lot, but from what Shadow had told me, she was very skillful with a knife.
    “ Took you long enough, ” she whined , pushing us through the gates of the town. Delicious aromas of dragon fruit, freshly baked bread, and recently bloomed strawberries hung in the air, causing my stomach to rumble despite the fact that I had just eaten lunch.
    Ole Sampson Greenhorn, Thediby ’ s greatest fisherman, was up to his old tricks again, swindling newcomers into buying pink salmon tenfold the usual expense. The three of us smiled and waved over at him, and he toothlessly grinned back.
    Beside his parlor was Miss Bluejay, who worked from her own home and had a bizarre obsession with raspberries. She was the nicest lady you could ever meet, that is, until you went anywhere near her kitchen. The woman insisted that all her customers waited outside, where she could keep a watchful eye on them through the window. Shadow and Ezily always joked that she discreetly stuck her foot in all her pies when no one was looking, but I knew it was something else. The woman obviously had secrets, secrets she probably didn ’ t want anyone to know about. As weird as I thought it was, I really couldn ’ t blame her.
    “ Shadow says you want to show me something? ” I asked, turning my attention away from Miss Bluejay ’ s house.
    “ That I do. It ’ s nothing bad, don ’ t worry, ” Ezily replied, watching me from the corner of her eyes.
    I shook my head and watched Teagon, an old frie nd of mine, zip by on his horse wagon . He tipped his hat, a sign of respect to a Royal, and was on his way. “ I find a hard time believing that , seeing as how every time I wander off with you