“Yes. You can influence and manipulate light. It seems to be your strongest power, although I suspect you will have all three abilities.”
I looked at him. “Three abilities?”
“Our people are made up of three different types of influences. Water, Wind, and Light. It’s one or the other, but a few handful can control more then one, and only a few rare can manipulate all three. You are one of those rare Sara. You’re a mixed species. You’re father and mother, they were from two different sets of clans, and you’re the result of that. You’re the first of you’re kind, and that’s what makes you so unique..”
I nodded, not really understanding everything he was saying, but too tired to ask for more details.
“And those other guys from tonight, they want my power?”
“Not them specifically, they work for your uncle.”
“And if they he gets it, what happens?”
“They won’t get it.” My eyes flew to Adan’s at his intense response.
I looked at Andres again. “If they get it,” I asked again, “what will happen?”
He looked away. “Everyone will be destroyed.”
I nodded. “So no pressure.”
“Nothing will happen to you Sara. You have an entire army, a kingdom that will make sure that never happens.”
“I’m scared.” I confessed quietly. I had been staring at my hands, but I looked up to get Andres reaction.
“That fear will motivate you to be a great ruler. There is nothing wrong with fear. You were born for this Sara.”
I didn’t like that an entire population of people’s lives dependant on me, and the kind of ruler I was going to be. I didn’t want to be the cause for blood shed, lived lost, and a kingdom torn apart because I failed to do the one thing I was born to do: Save them all.
“I want to believe that I can do this.” I wasn’t talking to one of them specifically. “I want to have the faith that you do, but I don’t.” I looked up at them. “I can’t be responsible for an entire world I know nothing about. Please,” I begged, “please don’t make me.”
Adan rushed to me, kneeling in front of me, he took my hands in his. His eyes bore fiercely into mine. I could feel the weight of his stare, it was encasing me.
“I know this is scary. You have every right to be terrified, confused, and angry even, but you can do this Sara. Not because you were born too, but because you’re the strongest person I know.”
“These abilities make me strong-”
“No,” he said firmly. “You, you are strong Sara. What you are, what you can do, they don’t define who you are, they don’t limit what you’re capable of doing.” I couldn’t help the tears that started to fall. “You’re so much more than any of that, you’re extraordinary all on your own.” His thumb brushed my cheek gently, before his fingers weaved in my hair, wrapping around my neck. He pulled me close, his forehead resting against mine. “Believe in yourself the way I do.” He whispered softly.
I closed my eyes, knowing what my decision was going to be. If I chose not to go, a kingdom would be destroyed. If I went, there was a possibility that it could still be destroyed, but at least I would have tried. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes, no longer trying to keep him from my thoughts. Adan was smiling at me, and more than anything I wanted to return it. I wanted to wrap my arms around him, I wanted to lose myself in his warmth. Being with Adan was like being consumed by thousands of flames, a slow fire burning.
He seemed confused, but he smiled deepened. Standing he looked down at me. “I think there is a chorus to a song out there somewhere dedicated to us Spitfire.” Adan said. “Let’s set this world on fire Sara. We will definitely burn brighter then the sun.”
He held out his hand to me, waiting for me to take it.
I stared at his hand for a minute. Looking up at him, I pushed aside the last desperate plea my body tried to scream at me. I stood up, and looked at him. He dropped his hand away, his smile faltering and he was shaking his head, refusing what I was about to say before I said it.
“This thing between us… it can’t continue.” I finally said.
The pain in his eyes was too much for me to bear and I looked away. It was the first time I had noticed Andres was gone.
“No!” he growled.
“If being together was the right thing to do, it wouldn’t be hurting so many people Adan.”
“I don’t care-”
“Please,” I begged. “There are rules Andres said. You and I were never supposed to know about each other. There was a reason for that.”
“To hell with their reasons.” He said angrily. He took a step closer to me, his eyes pleading with me the way my heart was. “We tried doing the apart thing Sara, it didn’t work, remember.”
“The circumstances are different now.” I argued. Having him this close to me, I was starting to forget why this needed to be done. “You’re family needs you, and you’re engaged to be married.” The thought of him being with someone else, it was too much to endure.
“I already explained that, I told you that was my mother desperate attempt to keep me-“
“Safe! For some reason she thinks I’m going to be the one to kill you Adan, and I’d rather you marry and be with someone else than let that happen. Can’t you see that?”
“She doesn’t know what she is talking about. Nobody knows what’s going to happen yet Sara.”
“I’m not willing to take that risk.” I said simply. “I will go back with you and Andres, but after that, I can’t see you anymore.”
I tried to sound firm, but my body was rebelling, pushing me toward Adan until I had to physically force myself to stay where I was. Unfortunately, he knew what was happening too. His arm shot out, wrapping around my waist, bringing me up against him. I couldn’t help the sigh that escaped my lips at the feel of his body against mine. My body’s betrayal was bitter sweet as it arched into Adan’s welcoming warmth.
“You don’t want this Sara, I can feel it. I know you’re trying to do the right thing, I understand, but this isn’t it.”
I saw the kiss coming, I expected it to be hard and angry, but the minute his lips touched mine – it dissolved. I knew I should have pushed him away, I swear that’s what I meant to do, but instead my arms slipped around his neck pulling him closer. I could feel the heat developing in my chest, spreading through my body and into his. We were melting into each other.
Pulling away, he nipped gently at the sides of my mouth, his lips sweeping down my neck. “Please don’t do this Sara.” He growled.
Before I could answer I heard Andres clear his throat. I froze, blushing furiously and he looked just as uncomfortable. Adan was the only one who seemed irritated at being interrupted. Lifting his head, his eyes found mine, waiting for Andres to speak.
“It’s your mother Adan.” Andres said and I could see him hold out the cell phone toward Adan.
And just like that the spell was broken. Reality was a hard slap in my face with just four little words. Adan cursed, not bothering to look in Andres’s direction. “Tell her I’ll call her back.”
“It’s important.” Andres said.
He sighed, “I’ll be right back.” he whispered to me, and turned to take the phone from Andres. Putting it up to his ear, he walked away.
“Is everything okay?” I asked Andres.
“I’m not sure, she wouldn’t say”
Figures, I thought irritated.
Walking up to me, Andres still looked uncomfortable. “Sara-”
“I already know what you’re going to say Andres and I told Adan I couldn’t see him anymore.”
Even if it hadn’t looked like that when he walked up, I thought to myself.
“Even if I was okay with it, the council won’t be. They won’t let it happen.”
“I’m the Princess; don’t I get some kind of veto card?”
“It doesn’t work like that.”
“Of course not. Why would it.”
“Even if we don’t understand it, they have your best interest in mind Sara.”
“Who is this council anyway?”
“They’re made up, of three of the oldest Dragonflies.”
“Will I meet them?” I asked, feeling a little intimidated,
“Possibly.” He cleared this throat and I realized he had something else on his mind. “I have something for you. Something from your parents.”
He took a something from his back pocket and handed it to me. I took it from him. Examining the slightly damaged folded envelope, I looked at him.
“What is it?”
“A note your mother left for you. I found it shortly after we escaped from the island. She wanted me to give it to you when I told you about everything.”
I stared at the aged old envelope, feeling a mix of emotions. I knew my parents were gone, but I felt like reading this, opening the letter was finalizing everything and I wanted to hold on to them just a little longer.
Andres and I both looked over hearing Adan’s approaching footsteps. Slipping the letter into my back pocket, I instantly knew something was wrong. I could feel it pouring off of Adan.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He looked up from the cell phone, his gaze finding mine and it was all I could do not to run to him.
“It’s Nicholas and Ana. They were ambushed and captured.”
Flutter
Epilogue
I am
“Do you have everything?” Andres asked.
“Yes.” I said.
I gave him my bag to put into the trunk of the car. Everything consisted of the new toothbrush and toothpaste Andres had bought just hours ago, and a week worth of outfits that I would be able to change into on our trip.
Giving what remained of our house one last goodbye glance, I turned toward him. “I’m really going to miss this house.” I told him sadly.
“Me too mija.” He said closing the trunk to sneaking in his own glance.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you about something.” I said walking to the passenger side door, opening it.
“Yes?”
“We’re going to Spain.”
He laughed. “Is that a question.”
“I wasn’t finished. People in Spain speak Spanish, how am I suppose to communicate with them?”
“Some of them know English. And for those who don’t you’ll have me until you get better at speaking it.”
“Okay I guess. Are you ready?”
“Yep.” We climbed into the car and Andres started it up and pulled out of the driveway.
As we drove through Flagstaff, Phoenix bound; I realized this was probably going to be the last time I was ever going to be here. Just like everything else, it was a bittersweet feeling. We passed by my job and I could see the closed sign hanging on the door. Andres had given me a day to say goodbye to everyone before we had to leave. Maggie had been first, I hadn’t expected it to be so hard to say goodbye, but it had been. She had become a great friend, and I felt oddly close to her.
Saying goodbye to Elizabeth and Scott had been harder, and not only because I was close to them, but because they wanted answer I couldn’t give. I had told them that Andres had gotten another job and that with the fire destroying the house, he was going to take it. They both had been understandably shocked, Eli was devastated and after a lot of crying on Eli’s and my part, I watched them until they disappeared from my review mirror.
Andres turned onto the exit for Phoenix, putting Flagstaff officially in our past. I was hypnotized by the pine trees that flashed past my window. I was going to miss Maggie, Elizabeth and Scott, but their loss wasn’t enough to help me forget the loss I felt when Adan had left. After he had gotten the call and the news of his Brother and Fiancée being captured, he had been on the first plane out of Phoenix.
He hadn’t wanted to leave me, but Andres didn’t want him to stay. Of course he didn’t say that in those words, but it was obvious. Andres had reassured Adan that we would be fine with David and Rhys traveling along with us, and he had reluctantly left. Andres hadn’t given Adan the chance to be alone with me before he left and I was only partly thankful for that. Having to go through that with Adan again would have definitely killed me. Before leaving Adan ad given me a note, a note that I still had yet to open. I could feel it burning a hole in my back pocket, along with the note from my parents. Also unopened.
I didn’t know what I was going to say to Adan when I saw him again, but I had plenty of time to work that out. Relaxing into my seat, I tried to enjoy the final hours I had left of just being Sara.
Soon I was going to become Sara Alejandra Marquez… I was born into a world unknown, and my fate was sealed. Defender to a kingdom awaiting my arrival, I was their only hope.
I am… The Dragonfly Princess.
Acknowledgement
I have been waiting a long time for the day when FLUTTER would finally be finished, and now that it is, it doesn’t quite feel real yet! There are so many people that have helped support me and my journey through this all, for which I am incredibly thankful!
From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely love you all.
I want to thank my family for their unyielding love and for always being there to listen to my freak outs. To my sister, Samantha, for helping me when I first started writing Flutter. For being there for me to bounce ideas off of and not being afraid to tell me when something needed to changed. And to my brother, Steven, for staying up with me until the sun came up while I wrote. I love you both so much!
There is no greater support system than that of my family and friends.
To my beautiful daughters, for loving me unconditionally - even when your laundry was in piles, and your routine became less than ideal. I love you more than words can say. And to my husband, Robert, for being my tech hero & being there to help me figure out all the publishing stuff.
I love you more you guys more than words can say.
A very special thank you to Lilly, I am so happy that I have found you as a friend! Thank you so much for always being there at 24/7, whether it was to help edit something big or small, or just to talk me through one of my many melt downs toward the end.
I simply adore you.
For anyone & everyone who has or will buy & read, Flutter – I can’t thank you enough for your love and support. I hope you enjoy reading it and fall madly in love with it as much as I have!
xoxo - Mel
Flutter
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