Echoes Novel Novels & Stories

On my tenth birthday, my parents, the Don of the Falcone family and his wife, were murdered in a targeted hit. Because they took a sudden detour to pick up my custom birthday gift, they drove right into a rival syndicate's fatal ambush. My brother, Vincenzo, blamed my childish demands for their deaths. When Vincenzo took over as the new Don, his first act was to banish me to a remote convent to do hard labor. For eight whole years, he never visited me once. When I died on the operating table in the family hospital, he was standing guard right next door. He was watching his adopted sister, Lucia, get a heart transplant. He had saved her from a street shootout years ago. Just before I

I could only hope that my scent was bringing her some form of calm while she was like this. POV: Echo As soon as Atlas set me down, my mind began replaying everything I’d learned, everything I’d seen. It seemed my hidden past was just as devastating as the life I’d lived in Red Stone. My chest was heavy with the realization that I was just as alone in the world as Brady had always told me I was.

She turned to Elias, who was sitting across from her, his expression inscrutable. “Elias,” she said, her voice trembling. “I saw something… someone who looked exactly like me. She was standing on a cliff, whispering your name.” Elias’s eyes flickered with something that might have been a surprise or concern, but he quickly masked it with a calm demeanor. “Nyxterra is a place of echoes and shadows,” he said carefully. “It reflects the remnants of memories and emotions that have been lost or buried. It’s not uncommon for people to encounter visions of themselves or those they have known.”

I placed my hands on Scott’s chest, closed my eyes, and tried to recall that feeling of energy. Nothing. “Focus,” I told myself. I remembered the Moon Goddess’s voice: “Great pain and great love are equally powerful. Your heart has grown strong through both hatred and love.” Yes, to escape the shadows of my past life, I’d been willing to give anything. That intense emotion, that determination, was the true source of my power. A warm, golden light flowed from my fingertips, surrounding Scott’s wound. “What’s happening?” Derek stepped back, amazed. “She’s healing him,” Riley’s little head poked out from the basement door, eyes wide with awe. “Elena is a messenger of the Moon Goddess!”

she explained. “Some gift you’ve got there. What is the point of having visions if you can’t make them out?” Zephyra complained, albeit good-naturedly. “Who said it was a gift?” Ophelia replied before she turned somber again. “There is more, unfortunately. The oak is the door, ancient madness the key, and once it’s unlocked, it’ll never lock again. Something new will be born like the oldest goddess renewed.” Zephyra frowned, not sure what she meant by any of that. “Is any of that about the animals or the shifters?”

Smoke bloomed, black against the silver-drenched trees. But still, she didn’t look back. Not until she felt Echo’s hand slip into hers again, anchoring her. “What if they come after us?” Echo asked, voice quiet beneath the roar of the fire. Lydia didn’t blink. “Then they’ll find we’re not running anymore.” A beat passed. Then Echo nodded, her expression hardening. “Good. I’m tired of being a ghost in someone else’s story.” Lydia turned toward her fully now, the fire lighting both of their faces in orange and gold. Two mirrors. One scarred life split across two bodies.

One night, I walked in and found a stack of envelopes tied with twine. “What are those?” I asked. River smiled, tapping the stack gently. “Echoes,” they said. “Ready for release.” Calla’s Daughter – POV The second reading happened in a larger space. More chairs. More eyes. But she didn’t feel afraid this time. She brought the cassette player with her. After reading, she said, “There’s someone else I’d like you to hear.” And she played the lullaby. The room was silent again. But this time, she saw something new in the silence:

Everyone froze, staring at me as I smiled. ... Byron was dashing, but his usual vibe was cold and unapproachable. Now, though, his eyes sparkled with warmth. In his arms, the girl was cute. They were like two angels descending to earth, celestial yet real. One glance from them could make anyone fall hard, and I was no exception. Byron strode over, and Edith reached out to me, pouting. "You promised you and Daddy would pick me up, but it was Daddy. Am I not your favorite?"

With a heavy heart, she left the room, closing the door behind her, the echoes of Echo's cries reverberating in her ears. With each step she took, the echoes of Echo's cries seemed to diminish, drowned out by the harsh reality of their existence. Faith's resolve hardened, a flicker of determination burning within her. She would endure, for Echo's sake. And as she walked down the dimly lit hallway, she clung to the hope that one day, their cries would be replaced by laughter, their tears replaced by joy.