A Siren's Echo

Chapter 8: Your Secret Is Safe With Me

"Excuse me" I say to Dimitri "I need some alone time." He looks at me in confusion. "Echo I'm sorry if I was pushy I know this is a lot." 

"No no thats not it. I just want some time to think." I say standing up and gently guiding him to the door. "I will be down in a little while. I promise" I say. 

"Well alright. Should I have them start on your room or..." he trails off. I pause. I dont really know if I want to stay here. This is a big decision and at this point I don't have a lot of options. I cant just leave and run the streets with my powers so new. Staying with Dimitri for a little while wouldnt hurt. I nod my head and his face lights up so bright it reminds me of the moon on the lake of the fishing village we used to stay at. He rushes to me and wraps his arms around me. I'm not much for hugs. The only hugs I usually get are from mother's companions she has when they leave. I awkardly wrap my arms around him and pat him a couple of times. He pulls back looking kind of hurt and turns and leaves. I think about going after him and explaining why I am not a good "hugger" but decide against it.

As soon as my door closes I rush over to the stack of books I have and start reading. It says specifically in the book on our history that Leida was killed by the women when they rioted. There were only three options: she was still alive and became queen, it was purely coincidental that someone else had her name, or she was simply named after Leida by her ancestors. But who would name their child after a woman who destroyed half the Siren race and caused the other half to be exiled? I know I have to find out. The curiosity is weighing on me but I am not strong enough nor do I have the powers to find out. And even if I did what would I do? Storm her home and question her and then what? Leave? Kill her like those women would? Either way something isn't right and I will find answers eventually.

I walk downstairs and see my mother. I straighten my dress as I walk down the corridor.She smiles. "I heard you are choosing to stay with Dimitri. Good choice." she beams. I look at her and smile. "I'm glad you think so mother." 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner Echo its just that I didn't want you having all these ideas about running away back to your father. It wasn't safe."

I stop. Slowly I turn to look at her and suddenly it all rushes to me. Going house to house, never knowing where we would sleep, all the pitiful or disgusted looks from strangers, wondering who my father was, the birthdays alone, the nights wondering where my mother was. Everything poored into me and all that came out was. "Why would I ever want to run away from you mother." I stared at her with my face completely emotionaless. Her expression changed immediately to a mixture of embarassed, guilty, and angry. Her mouth opened and closed a few times and then she said "Yes why would you want to run away from someone who gave you shelter and food and beautiful clothes and jewelry."

"And never showed up for dinner because she was out eating fresh lobster with a new man every night. And showed up every once in a while to toss me a necklace. And took me to a different house every week for me to stay holed up in." I had never spoken to my mother like this. She was never around for me to. It felt incredible and horribly horribly frightening at the same time. She looked completely shocked. She turned away and started walking away. Before she got just out of ear shot she called over her shoulder. Try reading thoughts."

I ran over to one of the servants who was on a break it appeared. I recognized him. He was the one who was being scolded by Fiona earlier with that girl and I knew he would be perfect to try thought reading on. I sat next to him while he ate and pulled out a book. I pretended to read for a while. And then focus on him. I try to listen. It doesn't work. I have no clue what I'm supposed to be doing with this power. I try again. Nothing. Then I try something new. I try seeing his thoughts and suddenly I'm not in the room anymore. Everything is black except for this large mass of tangles. It looks like a huge mess of thread that is woven in and out. I walk to it and as I get closer to the white threads and focus specifically on each one, they enlarge and I see pictures and words written on them. When I glance away from specific ones they shrink back down to size. I see one of him fishing, one of him reading,  and one of him working. Towards the middle I see a thread with the maid. I reach over the other tangles and touch it and when I do I realize I am no longer in the room with the giant ball of threads. I cant still feel the thread in my fingers but now I'm standing in a black room.

I reach my hands out and feel walls on either side of me so I know its small.

"Danielle I love you." I hear a man's voice say. It makes me jump and my heart starts racing as I realize others are in the room with me. "I love you too." I assume Danielle is the maid and God only knows what theyre doing in the closet. I hear the sound of kissing and then it stops. The servants voice says "I'm saving up. I swear I am. I'm going to buy you a little house so we can have some little ones of our own. We wont have to answer to anyone. We can go wherever we want."

"Honey I love that you're saving but I will still have to work here even if we leave. I can't do anything else."

"I'll be a fisherman. I'll fish day and night and then eventually you wont have to work."

"Those are lovely dreams but-"

The door swings open. Light poors in and Fiona is standing there with a look of shock and anger on her face. Now that there is light I can see what she sees. The maid and servant holding each other in a dark closet. My hand was inches away from a mop. She grabs the servant by the shoulder and yanks him out of the closet. "This is what you do when you're supposed to be working? When Master Dimitri gave you a home and pay? You sneak off to the closet with young women?" Fiona yells. Daniells starts crying and the servant starts apologizing. He begs her not to fire him and she continues to scold him. I let go of the thread and find myself back in the dark room. I look around at more pieces of thread and see a few more encounters with Danielle but nothing that interests me.

I picture myself back at Dimitri's and there I am. Still staring at my book and the servant is still about to take a bite of his soup. That whole memory happened and no time passed. My mind races thinking about all of the things I could know. All of the ideas, all of the memories, all of the secrets.