Switched

Chapter 4

“Why do you tutor me?” I asked in a soft voice.

            The silence of the room swallowed my words, and the dark-haired boy eyed me with large brown eyes. “Because I’m being paid by your father,” he said plainly. He sat down in the chair beside me. The old wooden table set in the middle of the library creaked as he placed another book on it. “And,” he said, grinning, “I’m smarter than you.”

            I stuck my tongue out at him teasingly. I would’ve died if anyone other than him saw it. “Oh, hush, Easton. I read faster than you!”

            Easton glanced around. Then he scooted his chair closer to mine and gave me a sideways look, tilting his head in such a way I found flattering. “That does not mean a thing, milady.”

            “Chrissabelle,” I corrected.

            “I prefer Chrissa,” he said, winking at me.

            “I prefer Belle.” I said, crossing my arms and sitting back in my chair.

            Easton leaned toward me and held out a gentle hand to me. “I prefer teaching you to hunt today.”

            My eyes widened. “Really?”

            Easton smiled and stood up. “We can work on your education later. How about a trip to the woods, milady?”

            “Chrissabelle,” I sighed.

            Easton took my hand and helped me to my feet. “Chrissa.”

            “Belle!”

            Easton held up our enclosed hands. “I win.”

            I rolled my eyes.

            I was just not a lady that day. At all.

                   d   d   d

            The only hard part about getting out of the palace was getting out the back door nearest the stables. And that was a pretty easy task. No one saw us.

            We hurried into the shelter of the trees. Easton fortunately lived in the woods. He was offered a place in the castle, but he preferred to live with his mother to support her. She was always sick, and Easton could not bear the thought of losing the only family he had.

            “I have and extra bow you can use,” Easton said when the little cottage came into view. “Since this is your first lesson, we’ll start with target practice.”

            I groaned inwardly. I hated the boring beginner stuff. I never like being bad at something. I just wanted to get right to the part where I pass Easton up.

            Not this day, I wouldn’t. Not so soon.

            Easton opened the front door of his home. “Mother?”

            No response.

            “Mother!” he called out, louder this time.

            Still nothing.

            Easton dropped my hand and lurched into the main entrance room. The dining table was empty of people and dishes. The bed where Easton slept in the closest corner to the door was messy. Usually his mother made it for him.

            Something was definitely wrong.

            Easton disappeared behind the tarp hanging from the railing on the far side of the cottage. I heard him gasp, and that is when I ran to meet him.

            I pushed the tarp away to find Easton kneeling next to the frail body of his mother. The sickness had finally taken her.

            She was gone.