My toes gripped the inside of my flimsy water shoes as the hill tilted beneath me, and I wished I had been frozen with better shoes on. One foot in front of the other, I inched my way down holding my hands out in front of me, hoping that would be enough to catch myself if - cross my fingers and knock on wood - I fell. I decided to distract myself from the last few yards to the shed by thinking about something else; I would probably be less clumsy that way.
I knew what I was going to think about, and I didn’t even try to stop it this time, he had been there in the back of my mind since I had walked away. I hadn’t heard him or seen him since we had started down the mountain without him. I kept turning around, expecting to see him there, but he never was. That didn’t change the fact that I knew he was watching me. I may not have been able to see those icy blue eyes in the darkness, but I could feel them.
He was watching my every step.
I wanted to see him one more time. I had to see him one more time. I felt that if I reached the shed without seeing him one last time, I wouldn’t see him ever again.
That’s when I felt it.
I skidded to a stop and tilted my head, narrowing my eyes and trying to concentrate on the tingling sensation inside my head. I had felt it just minutes before, but it hadn’t been strong enough to completely catch my attention, but it did this time. My scalp began to tingle, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on edge, and sending a thrill of shivers down my spine. I waited to see what was going to happen next. I wasn’t scared, but my breathing came faster now, as if my lungs were starving for air.
Look at me Sara
It was so low that I couldn’t be sure that’s what I was hearing. The whisper melted over me and I shivered. My footing slipped a little, and I tried to be as still as I could, not wanting to disturb whatever was happening to me right now. I held my breath and waited. My body was tingling all over now, different now than moments ago. This was the same charge only it felt a billion times stronger, like I was being caressed by tons of electric ribbons, and my head tingled.
I know it probably wasn’t the best idea to turn around, but even as I told myself that I shouldn’t, and that I wouldn’t see anything, I couldn’t help but peek behind me.
Look at me!
I hadn’t expected it.
Maybe if I had, I could have avoided everything that happened next.
The urgency inside the hushed message caught me by surprise, and the small slip of concentration was all it took.
Everything happened so fast that I didn’t have time to prepare myself for the fall. I let out a terrified scream as I began to plummet out of control down the mountain.
“Sara!” Andres’ scream echoed the fear in my own screams
I spun on my stomach, my hands desperately clawing at the ground, trying to grab anything that would catch me or at least slow me down. The sleek snow might as well have been ice with the way I sped down. I was only dimly aware of the sharp, painful stabs that struck my stomach, thighs, and back as I slid down. My hands and fingers grasped at everything that covered the ground, as my body wiped away the snow, revealing the gravel underneath. My finger nails caught on the small rocks, and dirt that was embedded in the damp ground, and I tried to ignore the pain as my nails were pulled from flesh. I could almost hear Andres shouting in the background, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying.
It felt like I had been falling for an eternity. Not that I was in any hurry to rush to my death, I just couldn’t stand the unknown. I couldn’t tell if it was better not being able to see when I would hit the rocks, or worse because I couldn’t see when I would hit the rocks. I didn’t want my last thought to be of what waited for me below, and then suddenly his face was all I could see. His eyes held mine and as outrageous as it sounds, while I waited to die, I instantly felt calmer just seeing him. The tension in my arms and shoulders relaxed as I stared into his eyes. He looked frightened and crazy, and I wanted to reach out and comfort him.
I closed my eyes for the quickest second, and when I opened them we were back in the woods standing face to face. He looked confused at first. His head darted from side to side and I smiled. When his eyes found mine again he looked almost…amazed. He took a step closer to me and those electric blue eyes hypnotized me, drawing me toward him. The blue pools were magnified against the bluish glow that outlined his body, making the silver hairs in his fur shimmer. At first, I thought the radiance illuminating his body was from the cascade of the pale moonlight, but looking closely I realized it wasn’t from the moon at all. I lifted my hands, flipping them back and forth, examining the orb of light around my own silhouette.
I looked up at him, “How are you doing this?”
I didn’t need to ask him if he was the one doing this, somehow I knew it was him.
Sara!
My name was a snarl that ripped the illusion, causing the colors of the serene forest to blur and fade away, and once again I was staring at the background as it distorted past me. I knew it would be any minute now, any second now; I would be plummeting off the side of the mountain. My muscles clenched in anticipation of the impact.
Sara, the voice was full of panic and fear. You have to grab on, hurry!
My head whipped to the side. I gasped as I saw the wolf running next to my falling body.
To what?! I thought. I knew there was no time to ask anything else, even though a million questions screamed at me.
Before I knew what was happening, the earth spun out and rotated beneath me, and I was tossed around in the air like a doll. I squeezed my eyes shut, and gasped when I felt the sharp edges of his teeth at the back of my neck. I heard the tear in my wet suit as his fangs penetrated the flimsy fabric. The minute I felt muscle and fur, I wrapped my arms and legs securely around him, and closed my fingers around fists full of his hair, holding on to him tightly as we came to a sudden halt. I flinched as my body was thrust roughly against hard muscle and bone.
The only sound to be heard was the violent rhythm of our breathing, which was a perfect symphony of unison. I could feel the sharp rise and fall of his body against my chest. The thump of his heartbeat knocked against the inside of my wrist in time with my own. After a few seconds the beats slowed, but continued to keep in time with each other. I didn’t want to open my eyes, or move, or let go of him. He seemed perfectly content with letting me cling to him for however long I wanted, which was why I squirmed in protest when I felt myself being pulled away.
“Sara,” he said gently. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” The concern in his voice melted away my resistance, and I let myself be untangled from the wolf.
I waited until Andres had lifted me away, and my feet were planted securely on the ground, before I let my eyelids flutter open. Andres was peering into my face, his expression twisted in terror at what he had just witnessed.
“Sara?” he whispered. He was waiting for me to reassure him, or to freak out, whichever one he was leaning toward, I wasn’t exactly sure.
“Can you tell if anything is broken?” He asked.
I tried not to flinch when his hands gripped my upper arms, holding me upright in the process.
“I think-” My voice slipped, and I gritted my teeth to keep in the tears that so desperately wanted to fall.
“No,” I finally said when I was semi-sure I had my emotions under control. “No I don’t think anything is broken.” I hurt everywhere.
Although a PHD was also not one of my qualifications, I was pretty sure nothing had been broken.
“Are you positive? Can you stand if I let go?”
I nodded and his hands dropped away hesitantly. He continued to stare at me intently until he was satisfied I wasn’t going to collapse. He ran his hand through his hair, and let out a long and deep breath that I was sure he had been holding in. He placed his hands on his hips, turning his body from side to side, and I turned away because my head began to spin at the subtle swaying of his body, and I didn’t feel like spending anymore time on t
he ground.
“Do you think you can walk the rest of the way? It’s not far, but I can carry you the rest of the way easily.” Andres said.
My line of sight landed on the tops of the sharp rocks, which glistened menacingly under the moonlight. The realization of how close I had come to smashing into those rocks had the blood draining from my head, leaving my entire body feeling cold, and I shook visibly from the effects. I turned my head away from the terrifying sight, because my head began to spin again. I realized that Andres was staring at me, waiting for a response to a question that I couldn’t quite remember being asked.
I tried to be strong, I needed to be strong, but even as I pleaded with my body, I felt it happening for the second time tonight, and I was helpless to stop it. I could feel my muscles turning to jelly, and the ringing in my ears became deafening. I tried to speak, I tried to warn Andres what was about to happen, but my tongue felt numb and I couldn’t form words.
My knees gave out, buckling under my weight, and I waited for my body to absorb the pain from yet another fall, but strong arms encircled my body from behind, cradling me in delicious warmth. Familiar warmth. A shadow cast from the moon covered my face, and I tried to make out the figure, but my eyes fluttered, and my head fell backwards as I drifted into unconsciousness.
The last thing I remember hearing, before everything went black, was the howl of My Wolf.
Adan
I stared down at Sara’s wilted body in my arms.
I tried not to relish in the extreme pleasure I felt, having her so close to me again while her Watcher stood not more then a few feet away, seeming both surprised and unsurprised by my sudden appearance. Trying to drag my eyes away from her beautiful face, illuminated brightly under the moon light, was almost physically impossible for me to do, but I didn’t know how long her Watcher would allow me to continue to ignore him.
I hadn’t expected to show myself to either one of them this soon, but the overwhelming need to catch Sara as she collapsed, had over-ruled that decision. When I lifted my head he was staring at me, arms folded across his wide chest, his eyes narrowed in my direction. His expression changed for a moment when he saw me, his eyes grew wide, and I knew he was wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He shook his head, and again I knew he was dismissing the possibility as quickly as he had considered it. He went back to scowling.
“And you would be?” He finally asked.
“My name is… Nicolas Sir.” I responded, hoping the lie was for the best. “I’d shake your hand, but…” I glanced down at Sara’s peaceful figure briefly before returning to his stunned expression.
“Nicolas?... Nicolas Delacruz?” He asked, the tone of surprise matching the look on his face.
“Yes Sir.” I was use to getting this reaction at the mention of my family’s last name.
“So your father would be…” His question trailed off.
“Alberto Delacruz, Sir.” I answered.
“And your brother would be… Adan Delacruz?” He asked, again his tone was surprised.
“Yes he would be, Sir.”
He didn’t say anything at first, but when he did his tone was sincere. “They are both great men. I’m honored to meet any part of the Delacruz bloodline.”
“Yes, they are, and thank you Sir.”
He merely nodded, and his posture un-tensed just a little. He looked down at Sara, and for a moment grief clouded his eyes, and I knew exactly what memory he was thinking of. It was gone seconds later, and he looked back at me, and his eyes narrowed once more.
“What exactly are you doing here Prince Delacruz?”
“Maybe we should take the Princess to the shed,” I suggested. Not that I was ready to let go of her, but it was getting colder, and I wanted her to be comfortable when she woke. “Then I will explain what I can, and my companion can explain-“
“The Light Fighter.” It wasn’t a question, it was an accusation.
I wasn’t confused by his tone; we both knew that I had screwed up by leaving Sara to nearly drown. I would take whatever her Watcher threw at me.
“Yes, Sir. He’s waiting back at our camp for you. He will explain everything once we’ve finished getting Sa- the Princess settled.” I silently cursed myself. I needed to be more careful in the way I addressed her.
His only answer was a curt nod, before he took the lead and began walking toward the shed. I fell in line behind him. My steps were swift and polished as I climb down the mountain, and I knew she would be safe in my arms.
When we reached the shed he bent down, and unzipping a hidden pocket at the ankle of his wet suit, removed a small silver key. He started to insert the key into the lock, but stopped and turned to look at me.
“How did you get this open?” He wasn’t asking how I got it open without breaking the lock; he was asking how I got past the protection spell to get the lock open.
“My grandmother experiments with spells, Sir.”
“Hmp.” Was his only response, as he palmed the key and removed the lock, then held the door open. He stood back and I walked past him, drawing Sara closer to the warmth of my body when I felt her shiver.
Walking over to the small cot in the corner of the shed, I wanted to take my time releasing her, so I knelt down with slow preciseness. Laying her down, I removed my arms from underneath her, and lifted the cool blanket to cover her. A second later a flicker of reddish light danced along the walls of the shed, the colors casting shadows over Sara. Her skin shimmered, coming to life in the blazing glow.
The Watcher cleared his throat loudly, with obvious intent to interrupt my stolen moment with his Princess. I stood and tore myself away from the face that would forever haunt me. When I was fully facing Andres, he stood next to the small fireplace, casting his dark, looming shadow against the wall. The shed, not that I knew of many sheds with built in fireplaces, wasn’t very big. The Watcher, his Cimmerian shadow, and I filled up most of the small space. There was a second cot, with spare blankets underneath, on the opposite side of the room. Three totes occupied an area on either side of the room, and were labeled FOOD, CLOTHES, and MISC, in permanent marker. If I breathed in deeply enough I could still smell the harsh scent of the marker.
“Well your Highness, I’m waiting.”
At his mocking tone, my attention snapped back to the situation at hand. I needed to act like a Prince now.
“I was sent here to help find the Princess.” I said simply.
He snorted. “No disrespect your Highness, but why would they send the Prince of Wolves, and an inexperienced Light Fighter to come looking for the Princess? And how exactly were you able to find her, us?”
I gritted my teeth. What he really meant was: why did they send a bunch of kids to do this job.
“I am 19 years old, Sir and haven’t been considered a child since the day I was born. As far as Aaron, the Light Fighter, he is exceptionally-“
“Strong?” He said. “Yes, but what good does that do, when he doesn’t know how to control the extent of his power?”
“In his defense Sir, Princess Sara had already started the defrosting process on her own and on you as well.”
He was taken aback by that. “What? Are you sure?”
“Yes Sir. When I, err we, found her, she was awake and distressed.”
His face twisted, and I knew he was feeling the trepidation I had felt too.
“Forgive me your Highness,” He said sincerely. “The Princess means a lot to me and my people.”
I let out a sigh, and my hostility quickly faded. He was worried about her, and that’s what made him act out of anger, which was something I could easily forgive.
“No apology needed. She means a lot to my people too, and I would never have purposely put her in more danger then she currently faces.”
I let myself glance back at her, but only for a second.
He was staring at me suspiciously.
“I am Andres Cortez,” he said with a small bow at the waist.
His laugh was deep and rich, holding a tiny hint of his Spanish background. “A legend huh?”
“Yes, Sir.”
His laughter faded and he looked back at Sara. “She’ll be awake soon. I think it would be best, if you didn’t let her find you here like this.” He said, referring to my human form.
“Sir?”
“You’d have to be human not to feel the energy you give off, and even they might be able to sense it. Not to mention, the strong reaction she has toward you.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off. “I don’t know why she reacts to you as she does, but she does and since you won’t be accompanying us home, I don’t think it’s wise that she meet you. She is strong and extremely talented, but she isn’t aware of the world she comes from. I’m sure she feels the connection, but she doesn’t realize it for what it is.”
I nodded slowly, but didn’t say anything.
“Now, where can I find, what was his name? Aaron?”
“Yes Sir. He is waiting up at our camp, not too far from here.” I pointed in the direction of our camp.
“Great, more walking.” He complained, and I felt the corners of my mouth twitch. “And he’ll be able to fill in the rest of the details?”
“Yes Sir.”
“And the Princess?”
“I’ll watch her until you return Sir.”
He seemed reluctant to leave, but he needed answers. He nodded and walked toward the door and I followed closely behind.
“One more thing your highness,” He said, when we were outside.
“Yes Sir?” I stood there, hands folded behind my back.
“Stop calling me ‘Sir’.”
This time I couldn’t help the grin that appeared on my face.
I watched as her Watcher walked off in the direction I had pointed him in.
I momentarily felt bad that I wouldn’t be there to warn Aaron of the danger that was about to walk into our camp. The change to my body came easy to me as I chuckled to myself. I laid on the ground, with a soft thump that sent out little flakes of snow in every direction around me. I wasn’t far from the shed door and I laid there and listened to the sound of Sara’s breathing.
Flutter (The Discover Series) Page 13