Free Daughter of a Monarch by Sara Daniell

around my face.
    “I kept control for the first time!” I squeal excitedly.
    He smiles. “That’s great; can you please take the spell you bound me with off now?”
    I laugh. “Yeah! Sorry!” I release him from the spell and go to move off of him, but he holds onto my thighs.
    “I didn’t say get off me.” He smirks.
    I can feel my cheeks redden. His hands are the first hands to ever touch me so intimately. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do.
    “Oh, ummm,” I stammer.
    His hands move to my lower back, and when his fingers lightly graze my skin where my shirt has raised up, it feels like bolts of electricity are coming from his fingertips. My breath catches in my throat, and I quickly move off of him and stand.
    He stands and dusts his pants off. I bite my lip as I stare at my ring. I’d look at anything before looking at him. The feelings and urges I just felt were new. I had never craved someone like that before.
    “Are you all right, A?”
    “My dad told me I couldn’t get involved with you.” My eyes meet his, and I can’t look away.
    “Do you always do what your dad tells you to?”
    I shake my head slowly.
    He moves toward me. I’m sure he can see the fear in my eyes. I’m not scared of him touching me again or even kissing me if he decides to. I’m scared of how vulnerable I am around him. I’m falling for him even though I know I shouldn’t be. Not with everything going on. It’d be selfish of me to pursue this.
    His hand finds mine, and our fingers mesh together. My whole body feels hot and tingly. His touch overwhelms me. I close my eyes.
    “I feel it too,” he whispers. “Don’t fight it. It’s impossible.”
    I open my eyes slowly and look up at him. He smiles softly and touches my lips.
    “What does it mean?”
    “Whatever you want it to mean.”
    “But how? We barely know each other.”
    “We don’t have to know each other fully to have an unbelievably ridiculous attraction to one another. It’s kind of pathetic how you’re on my mind every damn second of every damn day.”
    “So, what do we do now?”
    “I wouldn’t be opposed to a make-out session,” he teases.
    I shove his shoulder.
    We both turn when my grandmother walks out of the back door.
    “Lunch is ready.”
    She smiles and winks at me. I turn beet red. I bet she was watching everything from the window.
    After she goes back inside, Isaac looks at me. “I guess that means we should head in?”
    I bite my bottom lip. “Yeah.” My cheeks are still heated with embarrassment.
    We walk inside, holding hands.

 

    I WALK ALONG the shoreline at Paradise as a steady stream of tears fall down my cheeks. I miss my parents, cousins, Jett, Mason, and the few maids I consider family. But I couldn’t go back. Not until all of this was figured out.
    A?
    I sit down in the sand.
    I’m fine, Daddy.
    You’re mother and I aren’t. If something doesn’t happen soon, we’re coming to get you!
    You can’t! You have to let me fix this!
    Dad never responds. I don’t say anything to push him. I know there’s nothing I can say that will change a mind that is already made up.
    I feel arms wrap around my waist. I scream and throw power from every inch of my body. Whoever grabbed me is surely dead. I turn to see Isaac getting off the ground.
    “How are you still alive? Oh my god, Isaac! Don’t ever do that again!” I run over to him and help him all the way up.
    He stays bent over, his hands on his knees. He holds up a finger to me as he catches his breath.
    “Are you okay?” I ask worriedly.
    He nods as he grits his teeth. He straightens his body and looks down at me. “I feel sorry for whoever pisses you off.”
    I laugh and wrap my arms around him. I lay my head against his chest.
    “I’m so sorry!”
    His arms hold tightly to me. “I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that. Not with everything going on.” He lifts my chin. My cheeks are still wet from tears.
    “You’ve been crying.”
    “It’s no big