Flutter (The Discover Series) (2 page)

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 clos
ed 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
.

“I don’t think I can-”

“Just start it,” Alejandro whispered, interrupting her.

Before she could respond, the doors were thrown open and three hunters filled the doorway. They stopped short, scanning the room.

“I thought you said you heard voices!” The first hunter demanded of the two behind him, scowling at the darkened room.

“We-“

“There-“

The hunters stumbled over their words, trying to come up with an explanation for the dark, empty room. The one who seemed to be the leader, took a few steps farther into the room, the wood floors creaking under his weight. He stopped.

T
he entire room was vacant.
No place to hide.

“Is it an ill-“

One of the hunters began to ask, but the leader quickly silenced him.

“Quiet you idiot!”

He took a few more steps into the emptiness and eyed the
area
suspiciously. His eyes roamed over every detail of the room before lifting his arm, waving his hand through the air. He waited, searching the darkness for signs of deceit.

Alejandro, Reyna and Andres watched, frozen as the leader closed his eyes and formed a circle with his hands. He twisted them back and forth, until thin wisps of grey and silver light flowed from the center of his hands a hazy ball of light forming between them. He twisted again and pulled his hands apart, dividing the light into two. Turning his hands so his palms faced out, he started pushing them back and forth, creating shadows of light in the air.

Reyna looked at Andres, terrified. They knew exactly what he was trying to do. He was trying to destroy the illusion and it didn’t matter who was holding the creation, he
would
succeed in overthrowing it.

After a few minutes nothing happened, and he closed his fingers into a fist, and the light was extinguished. He turned on his foot, facing the double doors. Shoving the other two roughly out of the way, he stalked out of the room.

“They are here somewhere!” he bellowed with rage. “Keep searching!”

The other two followed, closing the doors behind them.

“They’re gone,” Andres’s voice was tight.

Reyna, Alejandro and Andres looked at each other, and then their eyes fell to the child who was now sitting up, alert in her fathers arms. She stared back at them with wide, jungle green eyes that sparkled and matched her mothers. She smiled, waving a chubby little fist in the air.

“Did you-”
Andres asked.

“
No.” Reyna
responded.

“Did she-”

“Yes.” She breathed.

“How could she?” Alejandro asked.

“Because she is strong.”

She answered slowly, smiling proudly at her daughter. The feeling was bitter-sweet because she would never see her daughter’s full potential.

“We need to hurry.” Alejandro finally said.

No one had wanted to be the first to interrupt the moment.

“Do you think she can keep it constructed?” Andres asked.

“Of course she can, can’t you my love.” She cooed sw
eetly at the Princess and she
giggled
,
nodding her head.

The three of them stepped through the illusion; it quivered and blurred around their silhouettes, but remained intact. They could hear the hunters stomping through the rooms below them. They were running out of time. If they wanted to get the princess out of here they had to move fast, or it would be too late.

Alejandro moved first.

Dropping to the floor he pushed away the thick rug, and pulled open a door that led to a tunnel hidden beneath the Princess’s room.

“Through here.” He didn’t need to tell Andres where it led. “Adan will be there waiting for you,” he explained. “He’ll help you get to the boat. You have to go now!”

Alejandro started to panic as the intruders got louder. There were more of them swarming the castle now, and they wouldn’t stop until they found them. Until they found her.

Any second now they would realize what had been done, and they would come back looking for them.

Andres knelt next to the opening in the floor, and looked at Alejandro and then Reyna. There were so many things he wanted to say to them; but he only nodded, knowing that was enough. Alejandro and Reyna each leaned forward, giving their daughter one last kiss and hug. Andres jumped down into the tunnel, landing lightly on his feet. He looked down at the Princess, but she was looking at her parents. She didn’t completely understand what was going on, but she could sense their urgency.

“I’m
shadowing her creation. I’ll continue to hold it until I know you’re far enough away.” She told him

Andres nodded, and paused before he turned away. Once he started, he didn’t waste any time moving through the tunnel; it was pitch black, but he knew exactly where he was going.

Reyna knew precisely when Andres and Sara were out of reach of her shadow. She knew she was the one holding the illusion on her own. Every breath she took, every movement she made, caused the illusion to shimmer and threatened to melt away; but she knew Andres needed more time, and that was all the encouragement she needed to keep the illusion together.

Her head was pounding, and she wanted to collapse to the floor to mourn her daughter’s absence, but she could hear the hunters making their way up the stairs again, and she forced herself to focus.

Alejandro moved to stand next to her, and the apparition trembled violently around them. She looked at him, and couldn’t help but fall in love with him all over again. They were together, and if this was the way it had to end, she wouldn’t have had it any other way. His hand found hers, and together they intertwined their fingers around each other’s and held tight.

Alejandro bent down and kissed Reyna softly on the lips. He lingered there as he brushed his lips over hers, back and forth. It was a bitter-sweet kiss, and Reyna c
ouldn’t help the tears slowly fa
lling down her cheeks. Alejandro found the salty paths, sweeping the tears away with his lips, kissing the corners of her mouth. Leaning his forehead against hers, he stared into her eyes, wanting to tell her so many things. But it was too late.

The doors to the chambers were thrown open.

Their time was up.

Andres

Once I neared the end of the tunnel, I ducked low, and took in my surroundings.

The tunnel had been built under the castle grounds, and covered three and a half miles, leading directly toward the edge of the island. It was still another fifteen miles to the ocean, and the only way off of the island.

Reaching the end of the tunnel; I crouched down, waiting, listening for any of the hunters that might still be surveying the escape routes. I hid behind the blades of long grass that grew over the entrance, disguising the opening of the tunnel. Stopping for a moment, I looked down at the Princess. She had fallen asleep again during our getaway.

There was a heavy mix of smells in the air; the muggy smell of the dirt that surrounded us, the smell of grass; and the thick overpowering smell of smoke and burning wood. I couldn’t see much beyond the long blades of grass, except for the sky; and only because it looked like it was on fire as the orange tint from the burning fires highlighted the horizon. It was quiet now; I could no longer hear the clamor of horses, or the screams of the innocent people that had once inhabited the island.

The silence of the night made it easier to hea
r
when the ground above us began to rumble.  The echo of hoofed feet, bounced around inside the tunnel; and I shielded the Princess as dirt and earth fell around our heads.  I could hear men talking; they had found the King and Queen.  My heart sank at the news, but the Princess had been nowhere inside the castle, and now they knew someone was trying to leave the island with her
. I flattened my body against the ground as much as I could, ignoring the roots that stuck out all along the walls of the tunnel, scratching my face. Bits of debris slid off the sides, burring into the thick mess of my hair, and inside of my shirt. An impression of my body formed in the damp dirt as I used it to camouflage myself.

There was nothing I could do but hope that they rode on, and that the Princess would stay asleep until they had. Looking down at her again she looked so peaceful; blissfully unaware of what was happening to her home, and the people who were fighting and dying to save her. She needed to get off the island, and if it was the last thing I did, she would.

             
I didn’t know much about Adan’s history, but I knew that the King and Queen trusted him, and knew he was somehow very important to Sara’s future as the Princess of
Encanto
; so I would trust him too.

The sudden squirming of the Princess brought my attention back to her, and I realized she was awake again. Smiling down at her, I lifted my finger and pressed it to my lips. She responded by making the same gesture, lifting her eyes, and tilting her head from one side to the other, trying to figure out where she was.

My attention was refocused on the men outside the tunnel when I heard one of the hunters speak.