Free Burning Bridges by Nadege Richards

with your hair? ”
    Amazed by how quickly she was able to change the subject, I decided to let it go. Any thoughts of sharing my dreams with Issy went right out the window. That left no one. “ Yeah, Mother did something fancy with it. Do you like it? ”
    She stared at me with a scowl. “ By tha t do you mean do I like the bee hive on your head? Well, then no. ” She plucked out a few more of the pins until my tresses brushed past my shoulders. “ There, better. You know, with those bright blue eye s of yours and insanely midnight hair, you don ’ t look like a Thedibian. More like a vagrant from the other side. You know, with their wild hair and eccentric colored eyes. ” She smiled, a joke hidden behind her words.
    “ Not funny. You make me seem like a pariah when you say that. ”
    Isobeli laughed and rested her head on my shoulder. “ You know I love you, Echo, and that ’ s all that really matters. Just between you and me, ” she said, grabbing my attention, “ if you did plan some crazy escapade, I ’ d follow you to the moon and back. Hell, mayb e even further if there is anything out there like you say. I might even be willing to die for it. ”
    “ Thank you, ” I whispered, leaning my head on hers. “ Though, I do prefer we go somewhere a little closer if possible. The moon, Issy? Really? ”
    She laughed silently at herself, and silence followed soon after.  It was nice, being able to talk to her. I just wished she wouldn ’ t shut me out like she did so often . It made me feel oddly alone.
    A maid walked out onto the balcony and called for me. “ The Prince wants to see you, ” he said. I sighed and looked dow n at Isobeli and shook my head solemnly.
    “ Tell him… ” I pulled the rest of the pins out of my hair and stood to leave. “ Tell him I ’ ll be right there. ”
    When the maid was gone, Issy whispered, “ You okay? ”
    Knowing she couldn ’ t possibly understand, I shook my head and said, “ No. This is my duty, right? So why fight it. ” I followed the servant ’ s trail back into the ballroom and looked for Noah in the midst of everyone here. To be honest, it wasn ’ t all that easy, seeing as this was probably the most people I ’ d ever seen in one place before. It didn ’ t help that most of the men wore masquerade masks, either. It was another part of our stupid tradition for the Grand Season ’ s Ball. I t was our way of welcoming the f all. Royals never wore them,  but those of a lower class had to.
    I started down the ramp that would lead me down to the dance floor, and not wanting to interrupt the dance procession, I pushed though the crowd of people without making myself visib ly known. That never seemed to work, though, and eventually some people tried to pull me aside to talk. Sad thing was, it was never anything interesting or worth listening to. Gossip was all anyone cared about in New Haven, and the gossip just had to be about me .
    In my haste to get free of the tangling mass of bodies, I managed to trip over someone ’ s gown and tumble flat onto the floor. For a moment the loud gasps that broke out around the room seemed for someone else, but as the stars shooed from above my head and I regained some sense, I realized all eyes were on me.
    “ Are you all right? ” a voice said from above me, distant, yet so familiar. His face came into focus, his mask the first thing I see. Beautiful , I thought. His eyes were so …
    Violet.
    I cocked my head to the side and tried to see if I was imagining things. And when that and blinking didn ’ t work, I knew.
    “ Excuse me, pardon me. ” Noah stood above me and sighed. He pulled me to my feet and m y hair c aught under someone ’ s heel. I yelped when it tugged at my scalp.
    “ I ’ m fine, ” I assured Noah and all of our onlookers. “ I just…um…missed a step, is all. Carry on. ”
    “ Is your head all right? ” Noah took me by the waist to sturdy me.
    I wanted to answer, but a half glance