Chapter Nineteen
Echo
After Dr. Dorian’s offer to help, we left his office, and parted ways. Rose gave me a hug, and Draco smacked Asher on the back in a friendly man goodbye.
I was tired from talking to so many people, and really wanted nothing more than to relax for the rest of the day, but I had to go talk to people at the restaurant.
Asher and I decided to grab some food while we were there because I was starving and got cranky when I didn’t eat often.
While we ate, we asked questions, and then talked to the ex-boyfriend.
He and Amanda had split up on good terms. Asher had filled me in on why they’d broken up, and it seemed like the ex knew that. He wasn’t jealous, which to me was odd. I guess they were just better as friends than lovers.
It was late in the afternoon by the time Asher pulled into his parking space, and I was mentally drained.
The only leads so far were the shoe polish scent, and that Amanda had gifts, which made her a target. Usually the victims had some contact with their killers, so I’m guessing it was someone from the church or the hospital. My gut told me it was the pastor or Dr. Bellmont, but I would need to dig deeper before jumping to conclusions. Many men polished their shoes; it could be coincidence and there was something else I was missing.
Of course, when Dr. Dorian said that the killer was only targeting those with powers, his eyes flicked to mine briefly, and I knew my parents must have had gifts, if they were murdered by the serial killer. I’d thought about that often, since I have powers, so maybe they did.
My mind was tired and wired at the same time.
“I know we just got here, but do you wanna get out of the city? I could use some of nature’s good old energy flowing through me. I’m sure you could too.” Asher sounded how I felt: drained and in need of a cleanse of the city and the pain living in it.
As we drove to the bridge to get off Seahill Island, we saw clumps of people standing with signs in their hands, protesting.
“Freaks, get out of our city.”
“No freaks in our schools.”
“Freak = Abomination”
I sighed, seeing the signs and the hate on those people’s faces. My city was being torn apart.
History showed what would happen in times like these.
This hate would create hate. People who have hidden their powers would feel unsafe, and if threatened, would become the threat people believed them to be.
I’d learned a long time ago that love and kindness went much further than fear to those who are hurting and have pain that doesn’t show on the outside.
There weren’t many that helped me after my parents died. I was tough, and I didn’t think I needed it, but there were few that kept being nice, no matter how much I pushed them away. A smile in the morning to someone in emotional pain goes a long way.
My eyes flicked over to Asher, who was focused on driving us out of the city.
I was still trying to push him away mentally. I knew it, and he knew it. But he wasn’t going to give up on me. I could feel it deep in my bones that Asher would fight for me, even if I had given up.
He deserved a true chance from me.
And I deserved the kind of love he was offering, right?
I swallowed a deep breath of air, and then released my thoughts.
“It’s going to be hard. My parents’ murder changed me in ways I’m not sure how to even come back from. But I believe in change, and I want to try with you. Truly try.”
I had to believe in change.
Not just for myself, that I wouldn’t be a miserable bitch anymore, but that I could be friends with people and maybe even enjoy their company.
That the people of Seahill could come together and love each other, instead of divide humanity.
If I could do better, people can do better, then the world would do better, and the better off everyone will be.
Asher looked over at me and grinned.
“Welcome to the light side, Echo. We’ve got kisses and cuddles to smother you with.”
I laughed.
He may be a tad ridiculous sometimes, but he didn’t hold back who he was, and he made me laugh more times than I could count in the past ten years.
We parked by the entrance to the national park and then went for a hike.
“I’m always more at peace in nature than in the city. But I can’t bring myself to give up Seahill,” Asher stated, and I found myself nodding to his words. I was the same way.
“Mind if I let myself be a little freer?” I asked nervously. Being in the wild as one of the wild was the most peaceful I could ever feel.
“Go for it; just don’t eat me.” He smirked, and I went off to undress myself behind a large tree.
“Any requests?” I called out to him, curious.
“Your favorite form,” he replied, and I couldn’t help but smile, knowing my favorite form was like reading my diary if I had one. The animal spirit inside everyone could tell you the most about the person, who they were as individuals. In modern culture, people laugh about spirit animals, but my people believed that every person had the spirit of an animal that made you who you were. Sometimes many, like a totem. But I still carried that belief.
Without much thought, I changed into my favorite form, interested to see Asher’s face when he took in the 360-pound grizzly bear.
I roared at him for kicks, to see if he would show fear, but there was none.
Just awe.
“I can see it,” was all he said before he started slowly walking down the trail, expecting me to join him.
“There’s not hunters around, right? I don’t have enough room in my apartment to nurse a big-ass bear back to health if you get hurt.”
I sniffed the air and couldn’t scent any human beyond him. I’d have known if there was another person out here with us.
We walked together down the trail in peace and quiet, enjoying each other’s company and being in nature. When we came to a stop by a bubbling stream, I decided to throw my inhibitions to the wind and enjoy myself. Bears could play as much as any animal could.
The water was cold, but I stepped in and splashed around. When I was in an animal form, I didn’t need to be civilized. I could just be free.
So, I splashed and tried to get Asher with the cold water, but he did some magic with his hands, and the water couldn’t touch him.
Cheater.