Echo's shift didn't seem all that eventful. A few customers wishing her happy birthday, the same with colleagues. A few getting a piece of birthday cake, her best friend Evie had specially made for her. By the end of the shift Echo had been relieved, no more customers or things going astray. Just like that morning she set off for the short walk home. Being hyper vigilant of the things around her, the dark allies, snapping twigs and unusual sounds. Yet nothing seemed to be out of place. The gut feeling Echo had throughout the day, didn't seem to settle, instead it got stronger the closer she got to home.
"Papa?" called Echo, upon entering the townhouse, finding it dark as If no one was there. Yet she could have sworn she'd seen her father's car parked in the driveway. "Papa" called the silver eyes woman again, turning the lights on, the feeling of dread settling in the pit of her stomach. "Papa" yelled Echo, upon finding her dad passed out on the floor. The things he had hold of, when she left earlier scattered around him. Without a second thought Echo reached for her phone, wasting little time in calling for an ambulance. An internal fight to get the words out. Yet she couldn't help but notice the mark on his forearm, how it looked so raw now and appeared as if someone had burnt the mark into his arm.
The wait at the hospital was the worst. Echo's mind taking her back to the ambulance, as the paramedics seemed at a loss. The doctors hadn't been much better, neither could tell her why her father had collapsed or why he had yet to wake up. The nurses just saying there was nothing medically wrong with him.
"Miss Rovia" called Dr Warwick, the head doctor on her father's case. He'd politely asked her to wait in the waiting room, when they arrived. He'd tried to reassure her everything would be okay, and he'd get to the bottom of the problem quickly. But even the round-faced blonde seemed confused on what was happening and at a loss for answers. Even more so when one of his colleges had a similar situation mere hours before hand with a different patient. "Does your father have any underling medical issues or was he in an accident?" asked Dr Warwick, looking to the clipboard in his hands, as if trying his best to hide just how clueless he was.
"Er, he was in car accident when I was a toddler. Mangled the right leg" replied Echo, trying to remember anything, even if it was something small and seemed so insignificant at the time. "There was a mark on his forearm this morning. When I found him, it was like someone hard burnt it into his arm" added the silver eyed woman, noticing the confusion to cross the doctor's features, as if he recognized the story or something was wrong.
"There was no mark on either forearm Miss Rovia" spoke Dr Warwick, his dark eyes shinning with sympathy and curiosity. Yet he put the mistake down to the stress she was likely going through. "I'll come and let you know if there are any changes" added the round faced blonde, as if he didn't want to stress her further. He soon turned on his heels and left through the creaky wooden doors behind him. Echo stood in shock for what seemed like forever, there was a mark on her father's forearm, she'd seen it as clear as day, yet the doctors hadn't. She was sure the paramedics in the ambulance had seen something, as one pointed to his arm, where the mark had been.
"It's called the Mark of Kane" came a voice from behind Echo, the same deep voice from earlier on, although this time it was far softer. When Echo turned, she was greeted with the sight of Finnick. He seemed unsure about himself or at least in what he was supposed to be doing. "It only appears when a deal with the Vampire King Kane is due" elaborated Finnick, gently leading her to seats in the furthest corner of the room, as if wishing to use the shadows to hide the conversation from others there. Once in the corner Finnick held something out to Echo, what appeared to be an old paper file. Old enough where the once crisp white paper was now slightly discolored. "I know you don't understand, but everything that's happening now, is happening because your dad loves you more than anything" whispered Finnick. Before gently placing a soft kiss to her temple and reluctantly leaving, although it appeared as if he intended on returning, as he left his phone and jacket behind.
Echo on the other hand seemed even more confused. The Mark of Kane. She read about that years ago, her papa had gotten her a book full of mythology back then and put a sticky note in the chapter. She knew it was essentially a deal with the devil. Kane would grant something in return for something else. A blood contract, bounding whoever made the deal to their word, otherwise they'd die. The midnight haired birthday girl questioned if that was what was happening now, if so, what had her father made the deal with Kane for and why. Her attention soon turned to the paper file, she wondered if the answers to her questions were hidden inside, at the same time she began to make connections to Finnick. He appeared the same day her father collapsed, now was here at the hospital, surely that wasn't a coincidence.
Slowly she opened the file, seeing a newspaper clipping about a fatal car accident taped to the inside. The date being the day after the one she and her parents had been involved in, when she just four years old. The accident that had taken her mother away. The news clipping saying two dead, with Echo assuming the other was the driver of the second car. Although something on the police report gained her attention. There under death, was her mother's name. Isabelle Melene Rovia. And Echo Makkari Rovia, her name. She had been the second victim.
"What?" questioned Echo as she quickly slammed the paper file shut, throwing it on the seats opposite her. Tears in her eyes as she tried to make sense of it all. "How could I have been the second victim? this is all part of a cruel prank by Connor" whispered Echo, trying her hardest to understand and hold back the rush of emotions. Her legs soon gave out, forcing her back to the seats, her head in hands as she learnt forward. Nothing made sense and only Connor would be cruel enough to pull a prank like this, and put as much detail in.
"I wish it was a cruel joke" softly spoke Finnick, having return moments prior. He'd seen as Echo paced around the small area, as every emotion passed over her beautiful features. Yet he hadn't said anything, instead he stayed quiet. He could recall the day Wyatt come to him, with the details on his assignment to retrieve Echo. He spoken his mind, saying how much he wished they could leave the seven women alone, even how cruel it was to drag them away from everything they knew and loved. To throw them into a world that wasn't their own and torn in two.
Finnick reached out to comfort her, not surprised when she flinched away, her distrust and suspicion clear to see. Something he would have congratulated her for in any other circumstances. But on this occasion, he was trying to help her. At least attempting to make it easier. Something he wasn't expecting some of his brothers to do. Although he had faith Valentine and Lucian were trying their best with the remaining six women.
"I know its difficult" began Finnick, his sea blue eyes solely focused on Echo. He found himself wanting to help her, to look after her and make everything okay. "The deal your dad made with mine, was to bring you back. He'd lost your mother; he couldn't live with losing you too" explained the prince. Revealing whom he was to her, once again seeing as the distrust shone brightly in her silver eyes and she moved away from him. Almost as if she began to believe he was the reason her father was in this situation.
"Who are you?" questioned Echo, her voice strong but barely above a whisper, as she tried to contain and control the rush of emotions. All of it was too much for her. "What do you want?" she added, almost in fear for what she was about to hear. Even so she refused to take a seat. She refused to do anything but listen to what would say, to answer her questions. "What's happening to my father? How come the doctors can't see the Mark of Kane?" rambled Echo, as she attempted to word the questions running through her head. She didn't care how crazy she sounded to others in the nearby area, she just wants to know what was going on and why now.
"My name is Finnick. I'm the seventh vampire Prince of Grisha. My father King Kane made a deal with your father seventeen years ago, you don't remember the accident because your memory was likely erased by Brandon" started Finnick, refusing to hide the truth, even more so when he could clearly see she wasn't going to accept anything but the truth, and would see through any lies he tried to spin. "The deal your dad made with mine. Kane would bring you back, in return you would come to Grisha on your twenty first birthday, as one of the seven princesses. Once you fulfill your part, your father will be returned to you" explained the vampire prince, looking to Echo, as if to gage how she was taking all of it. A mixture of disbelief, stress and worry all painted on her features.
"What exactly is my part?" asked Echo. Her expression changing to surprise, as if she was shocked those words had even left her lips. Even Finnick had seemed taken a back by her question. As if expecting to do far more explaining than he had. Yet at the same time he seemed thankful, almost as if he had picked up on Lucas attempting to subtly tell his only daughter the truth over the years, little things she would one day understand, in preparation for what he knew was coming.
"Coming with me and the others to Grisha. Eventually marrying one of us and potentially become queen" slowly spoke Finnick, unsure of his own words and how Echo would react to them. Almost instantly a questioning look appeared on her features, when he said others. "Others being two of my brothers Valentine and Lucian. And the remaining six princesses, who are going through or gone through a similar thing to you" explained the seventh prince. Doing his best to be clear with her, without sounding like a lunatic, if she didn't already think he was one. "You can visit home once a month, until you marry. After that it will depend on how well you adjust to being a vampire" concluded Finnick, being weary when he spoke those words.
Echo on the other hand didn't seem to fight the idea, instead she appeared to give up. Her papa was the only family she had left. Everyone else had disappeared from her life after the car accident. Her best friend Evie was the only one to really accept her for who she was. Yet the question soon come to Echo. Who were the six other women caught up in this and where were they now?
"Who are the other six? Where are they now?" asked Echo, concern in her voice. If they had been told the same thing she had, then they too would feel like everything they knew was falling apart. They too would feel like they were breaking on the inside and possible questioning everything they thought they knew. Finnick nodded gently, finally Echo allowed him to be close to her, although it still obvious she didn't trust him.
"Mira Leaver, Katherine Moore, Jessica Monroe and Maggie Finch are at the Tudor mansion not too far from here, with Valentine. Lucian is here with Evie Devitt, in a similar boat as I am in with you" answered Finnick, revealing the names of the other six women. Noticing how Echo quickly looked at him when he spoke the name of Evie Devitt, clearly recognizing the name.
"Evie Devitt" repeated Echo, wondering what the odds were of her best friend also being caught up in all of this. "5'1, brunette, innocent grin, normally has her hair in bunches?" asked Echo, describing her best friend. Finnick on the other hand, swiped through his phone for the picture of the woman in question. Holding the phone out upon finding the photo he was looking for. Echo smiled, as if in disbelief, yet again she questioned if fate had a part in bringing them together.
"You know her?" asked Finnick, finding relief in Echo's reaction. He found himself pleased she wouldn't be alone. Even more so when he knew the journey ahead wouldn't be an easy one, nothing in Grisha was ever easy and most of the time, was never what it seemed. Echo simply nodded to his question, that was her Evie, her best friend. The woman whom she often called a sister since they were so close. Evie's mother was the closest her own father had come to moving on after her mother's death.
"She's my best friend. Like a sister. We met in our first year of school" stated Echo, at least finding relief knowing she wasn't going through this alone. She still had someone, just as she was becoming determined to be there for Evie too. After all the two had been through so much together, there seemed to be no reason why that would change now. "Will my dad and her mum be, okay?" asked Echo, moving some of her disheveled midnight hair from her face, almost like she was removing the veil of uncertainty from between herself and Finnick.
Finnick on the other hand simply nodded. He knew nothing would happen if those under the banner of princess, went to Grisha as was agreed on, all those years ago. The coma would protect them from most things. When the deal was complete those in the coma would wake up, like nothing had happened, like they had just fallen asleep.
"The coma is magical. It will protect them from any illnesses and most other things" answered Finnick, picking the discarded paper file up and hiding it in his long leather jacket. As if to remove the object of hurt and protect Echo from its contents, at least until she was ready to read through it again, hopefully on her own terms. "He'll be returned to you Echo. I'll make sure of it" promised the vampire prince, sincerity ringing in his voice. He soon stood, holding out a hand to her, similar to how he did that morning, yet this time more inviting and with a promise he'd be there every step of the way.