What is Hidden
Page 23
Apparently, someone felt the same for Aiden.
I saw him sitting alone—unusual—under an ivy-covered trellis. Frozen and caught unawares, I ordered myself to turn around, but I couldn’t walk away from him. Then he looked up and I knew I had no excuse.
His lips quirked up in a small smile, but it was plain to see how uncertain he was around me. “Evie.”
“Aiden,” I greeted him hesitantly. “You’re alone out here?”
“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?” he said wryly. “I haven’t had a moment to myself since we’ve returned to the palace or I would have found you sooner.”
It dawned on me. “You’re waiting out here for me?”
“You’re never in your room, and the gardeners mentioned they’d had a visitor the past few days. I put two and two together. Please, come sit by me.”
I cautiously stepped forward, my blood pounding in my ears. Surrounded by ivy, it felt like we were completely isolated from the outside world.
“I know you’ve been avoiding me,” he said abruptly. “I can’t say I blame you. I still can’t believe I said those awful things to you. And you came after me despite it all.”
“I meant what I said,” I replied, then winced at the implications in my voice.
He was quiet for a moment. “I deserved that. I should probably clarify something, though, Evie. I meant what I said, too, when I said I wanted to marry you. I probably shouldn’t be saying this now, but I want to marry you now more than ever before. I regretted what I accused you of almost as soon as I left, but the Chameleon attacked and drugged me before I could fix my mistake.”
My heart was drumming, my breath coming too quickly.
“I don’t dare ask for your hand now. But I’m not giving up on you. I’ve been granted another year to find a bride before one is chosen for me. Another outdated tradition we’re throwing out to sea.”
I laughed softly. “I spoke to your parents, you know. When you were taken. They care about you a lot.”
“They speak highly of you as well.” His eyes searched mine. “Please tell me I’ll have a chance to ask you again before that year is up.”
My thoughts raced, and while I still felt the sting of his accusations, I also could not forget the way my heart had shattered when I thought he would die and leave me for good. Nor could I forget the warmth that filled me after his brief kiss in the hall. Did his one mistake—granted, a huge mistake—undo everything else about us?
“I can’t give you a definite answer,” I said finally. “But I won’t tell you that I’ll refuse if you ask me again in a year’s time.”
He scooped me up in his arms, burying his face against my neck, and I relaxed into his embrace. “That is more than I hoped for, my lady,” he whispered.
“Now cheer up,” I said wryly. “This somber, woe-be-gone prince does not suit you. I want my charming Aiden back.”
He laughed and pulled back, finally smiling. “And who am I to deny my lady-love her wish?”
Just like that, the suffocating tension between us crumbled, and we were simply Aiden and Evie again. A little battered, and a little broken, but all the better for it. At last, nothing more remained hidden.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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I want to thank everyone who has helped raise my book baby: Alissa and the wonderful team at Cedar Fort, for being the fairy godmother to my Cinderella story; Kris, for helping me take that final step; Adair, for being my sounding board and cheerleader; and all my early readers who’ve stayed with me through the long journey.
Also a huge thank-you to the Internet, particularly my friends and supporters on Tumblr, the hard-working people at NaNoWriMo, the welcoming and helpful writing community, and all the YouTube users who made researching glass throwing so much easier.
And lastly, thank you to my family, for supporting and encouraging me through everything.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
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What masks—literal or metaphorical—do we wear in our lives today?
If you lived in their world, what would your mask look like?
Imagine you lost everything in one night—home, family, and belongings. Where would you go? What would you do?
Evie is forced into many unfamiliar surroundings and must quickly adapt. How do you react to strange or new circumstances?
Why do you think Aiden acted the way he did when he saw Evie’s face?
Do you think the Marking system is fair? Why or why not?
Photo by Stephanie Staples
LAUREN SKIDMORE GREW UP IN KANSAS, WITH stints in Ohio and New York, and currently lives in Utah. She attended Brigham Young University where she earned a BA in English teaching and minored in Teaching English as a Second Language and Japanese. She then spent a year in Japan teaching and travelling. She hasn’t made it to Europe yet, but it’s on the list. She has been to thirty states in the United States so far. When she’s not exploring new places, you can probably find her on the Internet with fifteen windows open and looking at just one more thing before actually getting something done.
© 2014 Lauren Skidmore
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, whether by graphic, visual, electronic, film, microfilm, tape recording, or any other means, without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places, and dialogue are products of the author’s imagination, and are not to be construed as real. The opinions and views expressed herein belong solely to the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of Cedar Fort, Inc. Permission for the use of sources, graphics, and photos is also solely the responsibility of the author.
ISBN 13: 978-1-4621-0891-6
Published by Sweetwater Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 W. 700 S., Springville, UT 84663
Distributed by Cedar Fort, Inc., www.cedarfort.com
Cover design by Kristen Reeves
Cover design © 2014 by Lyle Mortimer
Edited and typeset by Melissa J. Caldwell
CONTENTS
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Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Acknowledgments
Chapter Discussion Questions