Flutter (The Discover Series) Read online

  Flutter

  FLUTTER

  The Discover Series

  Melissa Andrea

  Flutter

  FLUTTER Copyright © 2012 MELISSA ANDREA

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions

  thereof, in any form without written permission except for the use of brief

  quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Published by:

  Melissa Andrea

  Cover design by MAE I DESIGN

  Copyright 2012 by Melissa Andrea

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents

  either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used

  fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,

  business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Flutter

  To my amazing family

  Because you’re never ending support and encouragement for everything I do

  is something I will treasure forever.

  To my Husband

  Loving you is Red.

  To my Daughters

  You inspire me every day.

  To my Mother

  You have and will always be my hero.

  You are the reason I exist. The reason I breathe. The reason I love.

  Flutter

  A world unknown to all mankind

  A world I never knew I left behind

  Filled with enchantment and beauty

  Wings of honor & with honor comes duty

  A boy who’s love he’d have to hide

  Who was born to fight & protect with pride

  Our hearts were destined to intertwine

  A love so strong, a love all mine.

  A journey that only I must take

  Its starts the minute I will wake

  I soon will come to discover

  The magical force behind the flutter

  - Samantha Perez

  Flutter

  Prologue

  Invasion

  Alejandro burst through the double doors of the nursery chambers.

  As he stood there with his arms widespread, holding open the doors; his chest rose and fell rapidly, trying to drag air through his deprived lungs. His breathing was loud and haggard, and shouldn’t have been the only sound to fill the room; especially not with the chaos erupting outside the nursery windows. Dropping his arms from the door, Alejandro gave his horror stricken wife a once over where she stood in the middle of the room, clutching their sleeping baby girl closely to her chest. The spirit, the fire, in her eyes that she claimed proudly, was no longer existent.

  The straight, silky strands of her long, black hair cascaded elegantly down the length of her back, brushing against her curves. There was a slight tremble to her curvy figure, and he could tell by her clenched muscles that she was desperately trying to control the unwanted convulsion underneath her formal, floor length gown. The soft shade of champagne material complimented her naturally tan skin, and flattered her shape in a way that appealed to Alejandro’s eyes.

  She was nervously chewing her bottom lip, making it red and slightly swollen from the edges of her teeth. Her flawless complexion had been drained of its color and he knew that, like their kingdom, his beloved Queen was also holding onto her final thread. She was staring back at him with wide, wild eyes. The unique blend of green and brown tones, tinted with warm golden hues, no longer shone brightly. Untamed and free, her vivacious eyes reminded him of the jungle that surrounded them.

  Though their very existence was crumbling down around them, the desperation and pain that pulled at the corner of her eyes and lips didn’t alter her. devastating beauty one bit.

  Alejandro knew that if he didn’t live past tonight, her flawless perfection would haunt his spirit for eternity.

  His eyes traveled just past his wife, to the window behind her. A warm sunset rippled across the sky, leaving everything it touched in a glow of pink, blue and purple hues. Walking to the window, he stopped in front of it, looking at his wife as she faced the opposite way staring at their daughter. As the two stood shoulder to shoulder, Alejandro brushed his fingers against hers. She turned her head in his direction, and without looking up, linked her fingers with his.

  Turning back toward the window he rested his arm against the frame, letting his forehead rest against his forearm. The King gazed over their entire kingdom, leaving nothing untouched by his greedy eyes. His mind was busy, working to burn the image before him into his memory forever.

  The small village below was peaceful, quiet. He knew that, if only by deception, they were the only three on the island right now. The ocean that surrounded their small island had never looked calmer. Small waves were rolling in, washing over the beach and melting into the sand.

  Even from here he could see the small diamonds reflecting off the water, like the perfect illusion of twinkling light above the water.

  Dragonflies

  “It’s beautiful.”

  Even though the words had been whispered, the pain in his voice was evident.

  Everything they had built, the world they had created for their daughter, was being destroyed out of anger and greed, and it was his fault. Though he had known the consequences of his own selfish actions, he just couldn’t find it in himself to regret the decisions he had made. He didn’t regret the love he had found, or the daughter that love had created. He only regretted the burden his daughter would have to carry when the time came.

  Alejandro turned his attention back to the room; he had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t realized his wife had moved toward the center of the room. After a few minutes of watching her privately, she turned around and their eyes instantly connected. She could no longer hide the anguish that was burning inside the enchanted irises he loved so much.

  Reyna took one look into her husband’s eyes, and the tears that she had managed to keep from forming, pooled regretfully. They filled her eyes like liquid emerald pools, clouding her vision, until she could no longer see the man standing in front of her clearly.

  “Reyna,” Alejandro’s voice cracked in agony.

  At the sight of her distress the King rushed to her, desperate to make her feel safe; desperate to make his daughter safe.

  Before he could get close enough to pull them into his embrace, Reyna put out a shaky hand, stopping him. Roughly, she wiped away the unshed tears with the back of her hand. She was furious with herself for showing her fear and anger; making his torment worse. Nothing was going to change the outcome of tonight, no matter how many tears she shed.

  Her eyes fell to her sleeping daughter, her innocent Princess who would soon be safe from the imminent threat that would be storming the nursery any minute.

  Lost in thought; Reyna hadn’t realized Alejandro’s presence, until she felt the warm pressure of his hand on her back. His other hand came around to rest atop their daughter’s soft, black hair. Together they watched as she slept peacefully within the sheltered arms of her parents; both of them knowing this would be the last time they would all be together again. Making soft sighs in her sleep, the Princess’s smooth cheek nestled snugly against her mother’s breast, her heartbeat a sweet lullaby.

  “My Queen-” The urgency in the statement ended in an exclamation of awe. “Wow.” He breathed, looking all around.

  At the sound of the interruption, the King and Queen turned toward the sudden addition to the room.

  Following closely behind Alejandro, had been Andres, their most trusted Watcher and truly loyal friend.. Their kingdom was gone, their people were dying, and Andres was still devotedly by their sides; ready to die for
his King and Queen.

  Together Alejandro and Andres had barely managed to climb the steps of the tower leading to the nursery wing without tripping on each other, as they had raced to reach Reyna and the Princess. After securing the entire floor of the Princess’s quarters, Andres had returned to join them.

  Now, as he stood just inside the room, frozen in surprise - he was afraid to move in any closer. He could see the visible tremble of the simulated sunset, the peaceful depiction of their world beyond the castle grounds, and he knew it was taking all of the Queen’s energy to hold onto the bitter-sweet illusion.

  “My Queen, they’re coming.” He finally said with a slight bow to his head.

  At his words, the last of Reyna's restraint was defeated, and just like that, her trance was broken. The transient illusion had been weak and fragile under the circumstances. The muffled screams just beyond the created deception could be heard, and the entire scene wavered. Colors ran and blurred together, forming a rainbow of mist that faded away around them; leaving in place, the harsh reality of her kingdom, her people and their families being torn apart. Her posture slumped; she was completely worn out. The reality of what was happening was like a splash of cold water.

  She couldn’t save her kingdom.

  She couldn’t save her husband.

  She wouldn’t save anyone… but she would save her daughter.

  Even if that meant dying.

  Noise surrounded the small tower, and all at once she could hear the crackle of fire as it consumed the small village that formed their kingdom. She could hear the angry stomping of the rider’s horses as they rummaged through the streets of Encanto, and tormented the innocent people who lived there.

  As more armies of intruders surrounded the castle, the royal family’s hope was diminished; the attack had caught the castle unprepared and defenseless. The frantic voices of soldiers shouting below and the sounds of tortured howls echoed loudly, finally snapping Reyna aware of what needed to be done.

  Running to a beautifully carved, cherry-wood armoire, she pulled out her favorite blanket. Clear crystal beads created a diamond pattern on the shimmery, olive green material. She wrapped the Princess snugly inside as she tried to calm the excruciating pounding of her heart, caused by the knowledge that the time to escape had come.

  Staring down at the sleeping child, overfilling her arms, she begged time to stop as she tried to memorize every feature of her daughter’s face. She combed her fingers lightly through the child’s soft hair, smiling as the midnight black curls clung, coiling around her fingers. She traced a line over the baby’s dark eyebrows, down the curve of her nose, and over the silky skin of her closed eye lids. Her long, black lashes kissed the russet colored skin just below her eyes, fluttering softly, as her mother’s finger tickled the graceful curve of her plump cheek, and down the side of her neck. Reyna watched the gentle rise and fall of the Princess’s chest as she took each peaceful, sleepy, breath. Emotion squeezed the breath from Reyna’s body. She suddenly doubted her ability to let go of what was most precious to her. She held the child tighter to her chest, receiving only a small protest from the sleeping Princess.

  “Alejandro,” she whispered, looking up at him with eyes glistening like green gems.

  She clutched his arm, squeezing until the skin of her knuckles stretched and turned white in protest. Alehandro ignored the sting of her nails as they cut into the skin of his forearm.

  She shook her head frantically.

  “I can’t do this. I can’t let her go.” She pulled the Princess up so that her head was nestled against the warmth of her neck. “I thought I could go through with it,” she rushed on, “but I can’t. I can actually feel my heart breaking in half. There has to be another way. We have to find another way. Please, please,” She begged. The tears she had so desperately tried to contain spilled uncontrollably, running along the curve of her cheeks. “I can’t do it, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.” She repeated over and over, until her words became muffled by the King’s chest as he pulled her to him, pressing Reyna’s head against his chest.

  “Shh,” Alejandro whispered into her hair. His fingers found the back of her neck, under the weight of her hair, and he rubbed the soft skin hoping to calm her.

  When she was no longer chanting, he spoke. “Reyna my love, listen to me,” he soothed, catching her face and gently holding her cold cheeks between his hands, the pads of his thumbs tracing the smooth lines of her jaw and neck.

  “You can do this. I know you can.” He said fiercely. He peered deeply into her eyes, as if he were trying to channel the confidence she needed to continue with the plan they had formed.

  “I believe in you.” He said, pouring all the emotion he could into his words. “Sara is depending on you. You are the strongest women I know, and you have passed down that amazing strength to our daughter. I need you; I can’t do this without you my wife.” He pressed his forehead to hers, and her eyes squeezed shut letting free more tears.

  “We knew this was coming. He will take care of her for us, and when it’s time, he will do what he was destined to do for her.”

  Reyna pulled her bottom lip through her teeth a few times, before slowly nodding her head. He sighed, knowing they were accepting a future without their daughter. He kissed her roughly on the mouth before slowly releasing his wife and daughter from his embrace. Reyna looked down at her daughter one more time, and kissed her lips, her nose, her forehead; inhaling her sweet sent.

  The shouting was getting louder, closer. She knew they were running out of time; they would be ambushed if they didn’t hurry. She rubbed her fingers over her daughter’s cheek one last time and looked to her husband.

  “You have to take her from me.” Her voice trembled as she spoke. She couldn’t describe the gut wrenching feeling that consumed her, as she held the Princess out to her father. “If you don’t, I won’t be able to let her go.” She confessed.

  Alejandro took a step closer, and tenderly scooped the child into his arms, protectively tucking her head to his shoulder, resting his cheek against her hair. Tiny, chubby arms immediately circled his neck, curling herself closer to his familiar warmth, before her breathing became a sweet sound as she settled back to sleep.

  The pain Reyna felt the second her baby girl was no longer in her arms was unbearable and overwhelming. The intensity of the anguish nearly brought her to her knees, and she clutched her stomach gasping for breath; but she knew she had to continue, and she began to move around the room quickly.

  She picked up a pre-packed bag, which had been sitting on a rocking chair near the crib, and handed it to Andres. He was standing there, feeling helpless and confused throughout the entire scene. He frowned as his fingers closed around the straps of the bag. Puzzled, he looked at her, taking the bag from her shaky fingers.

  Alejandro, who had been talking very softly to his daughter in his native tongue, walked over to Andres. Looking away from his daughter, his eyes reflected a pain so visibly strong Andres wanted to turn away from the force of it.

  Alejandro slowly lifted his daughter toward Andres, staring at him, waiting for him to understand what he wanted, what he needed him to do.

  “Alejandro?” Andres questioned, looking toward Reyna, but she had turned to look out the window. She was vaguely aware of her husband’s voice in the background.

  Gone was the enchanting sunset, and in its place were bright orange flames that lit up the night sky, sending billows of smoke into the air, polluting their world.

  “You have to take her Andres. They can’t track you the way they can track one of us. By the time they have realized that you have taken her, you’ll be far enough away, it will be impossible for them to pick up your trail.” Alejandro was talking fast, his words coming out in one long breath. “Everything you need is in the bag. I’m sorry I didn’t explain this to you earlier, but I knew you…”

  The King trailed off, but Andres understood. He would have fought him, and not because he didn’t want
to protect the Princess; but because he would have died trying to protect all of them. At least this way, they knew she would be safe.

  “You can keep her safe, and when it’s time, you’ll bring her home.”

  And he would.

  Andres took the Princess and walked past Alejandro.

  “My Queen.” He said, wishing things could be different.

  “I know you’ll keep her safe Andres.” Her voice was hoarse. “Please bring her home to us, even if us, is only our memory.”

  “Of course my Queen,” he said adamantly.

  Reaching into a pocket sewn into the skirt of her dress, she pulled out a silver bracelet, attached to the dainty chain was a million dancing dragonflies.

  The Queen walked to Andres, and lifted her daughter’s arm. She secured the bracelet around her tiny wrist. Turning the Princess’s palm over, she lifted the small hand to her mouth and softly kissed her.

  That’s when they heard it.

  Three pairs of eyes shot simultaneously toward the closed doors. Reyna had turned completely; the layers of her gown swirling around her legs, the rustling of the fabric made the only sound in the room.

  “They’re here.” Reyna breathed, her heart slamming against her chest.

  “Hunters.” Andres confirmed.

  On the other side of the double doors they could hear someone growling orders; the castle had been invaded, and that meant everyone else was dead. They were alone. They could hear the rooms around them being searched. Footsteps stopped in front of their door, and they all held their breath.

  Alejandro was the first to break the silence.

  “Do it now Reyna!” He whispered urgently.

  She knew what he was telling her to do, but she was far too weak. She looked helplessly at Andres and a spark of anger lit her green eyes; she was angry at not being able to Create.