Echoes of Silence by Elana Johnson Read Free Book Online Page B

“Oh, yes. First, please.”
    I had no idea what he meant, but the black-robed man scratched another note.
    “Perhaps you will tell me your name tomorrow.” The Prince released my hand and turned to table forty-three. I sat down clumsily, replaced my hands in my lap, and stared at the intimate spot where his lips had been, imagining a bruise blooming and snaking around my wrist like a bracelet.
    Embarrassment kept me from participating fully with the other girls. The word tomorrow kept parading through my thoughts, drowning out the mindless chatter about the Prince’s good looks.
    My irrationality fled, and reason settled into my mind. I couldn’t stay in this compound until tomorrow. The jittery feeling in my stomach and the weakness in my legs, however, told me I couldn’t plan and execute an escape before then. As the girls were dismissed, I vowed I would get myself out of this situation as soon as my strength returned, no matter what Olive and I could gain financially.
    I flowed with the crowd as we left the ballroom, and Matu gestured for me to follow him. I stumbled after him and Castillo, all sound melting into a dull roar. Before I knew it, Castillo swung open the door leading to my suite.
    “So, His Majesty is quite handsome, no?” His soothing voice chased away the disbelief of what I’d just done.
    My head snapped up; feeling rushed back into my limbs and life back into my mind. Castillo held his head cocked to the side, a contemplative grin on his face.
    “Are you mocking me?” I asked.
    He shook his head no, but his green-brown eyes said yes. Matu stood next to him, his face devoid of all emotion.
    “I heard you made quite an impression on His Majesty.” Castillo took my arm and gently guided me into my suite. “Good night, princess.”
    Before I could tell him to stop calling me that, or ask him how he’d heard anything when dinner had only just ended, he retreated into the hall and closed the door behind him.

Seven
    Sleep was a luxury for girls who lived in towers with their sisters, who hemmed trousers for nobles, who knew exactly what would happen when the sun rose.
    I was not that girl now, so I didn’t sleep. With Helena’s replenishing, magically infused bath water, the large dinner I’d eaten, and my solitude, I had felt mostly whole again. Certainly well enough to sing a simple detection spell, as only a little magic was needed. A complicated spell-song to aid my escape, on the other hand, would require more magic than I had at the moment.
    I waited until I felt certain the entire city slumbered, and then I crept into the courtyard beyond my room. Darkness blanketed everything, but I didn’t need light to sing. Above me, the wind still whistled around the rooftops. I listened to it, warring with myself about whether I should sing my magic to life or not.
    Worry gnawed at my innards. I risked detection by using song-magic so near to those who could seize me, imprison me, drain me of my power.
    But somewhere in the compound behind me, the Prince lived. I wanted to know where, and I wanted to know if he had personal guards I would meet the next morning. I needed to know what his true motives were, and I had to confirm that Olive had submitted my application. Perhaps the song would even rebound with a reason accompanying the vision.
    A chill emanated from the stones as I drew a cleansing breath. The silence felt absolute, buried under so much darkness, but I broke it with my melody. The notes flowed seamlessly from low to high and back again. The magic left my body, swirling away into the depths of the night.
    A rush of dizziness made the ground sway beneath my bare feet. I opened my eyes wider, hoping the vertigo would pass quickly. It did, but I still sank onto a wicker chair near a small table.
    Minutes passed, and my skin pimpled in the cold. My impatience started to get the best of me, and I began humming the spell-song again, but quickly cut it off when the image from the location