“I am old, child, even if you do not think so.”
“You can’t be old. Old people die. If you die, then there would be no one to take care of me,” young Arianna began to sniffle.
“Child, child,” Randolph comforted the small child as he hugged her. “You will never be alone. You have so many people that care about you. And remember, Devin promised he would watch over you some day when I am gone.” Arianna looked up to the camera before smiling. Quickly, she jumped off her grandfather and ran over to the camera. The camera shook as the person holding it tried to dodge the child running after them.
“And that’s why I’m going to marry him,” Arianna declared before the camera dropped to the ground. Feet momentarily blocked the view as a young Devin ran from Arianna. Lord Randolph slowly stood, and walked over to the camera while the two children ran around the ballroom.
“You are special. You have the power to change the world, and I am too old to stay around to see it happen. Good luck my child. Your destiny awaits,” Lord Randolph said to the camera. “And know that I love you, very much.” The computer screen was momentarily black before the loop restarted at the beginning. The same scene began again. Arianna watched the loop continuously until there was a knock at the door. Devin let himself into the room.
“They have all arrived,” Devin commented. Arianna stared at the screen and nodded. “If you want to wait, we can deal with this tomorrow,” he added. “I can tell them you’re too tired.”
“It won’t change anything, will it?” Arianna asked, finally looking up. “I’ll still have to deal with them?” Devin nodded. “Then we deal with it now.” Arianna looked down one last time at the child dancing with her grandfather. She smiled and closed the laptop.
“I love you too,” she whispered in the direction of the closed computer before accepting Devin’s outstretched hand.
“We do this together, right?” she asked, wavering slightly.
“Together,” Turner replied from behind Devin, offering his hand also.
Arianna left the room, not looking back. Destiny was waiting.
Coming Soon—Book 2: Becoming a Legend by B. Kristin McMichael
Chapter 1
Arianna Grace stepped on the brake harder than she expected, and the occupants of the car all jerked against their seat belts. Arianna blushed as she put the car into park. She had officially been driving with her driving permit for three months now, but she still couldn’t step softly enough on the brakes to keep everyone from lurching forward each time.
“Sorry about that,” she said with a giggle. Thomas Collins scowled in the back seat, having been jerked from the book he was studying. Thomas’ one year stint as Arianna’s personal guard was coming to an end in less than two weeks, and he was anxious to get on with his life. Part of getting on with life included getting his grades back up so that he could get into a good college.
“Stop apologizing,” Andrew Lucan said, flipping his dark curls out of his face. “Everyone is a bit choppy when just learning to drive. Arianna nodded, though not completely reassured. Legally, Andrew was old enough, at eighteen, to be teaching her how to drive, but he was really only a year older than Arianna.
“So, do you have a date for your birthday party at Gabriel’s yet?” Andrew asked as nonchalantly as he could.
“No, are you asking?” Arianna teased.
“Only if you’d say yes,” he replied. Andrew looked across the movie theater parking lot that they were now sitting in. After concentrating for only a few seconds, Andrew looked back to Arianna, who refused to look in the same direction.
“You didn’t tell him you were out with me?” Andrew asked.
“Um, no,” Arianna replied. Thomas’s head snapped up from the back seat.
“Not again,” Thomas complained quietly to himself.
“Ari, how is he ever going to trust me if you keep running around behind his back to see me?” Andrew asked. Technically there was no running involved, since they were driving, but Arianna didn’t think it was appropriate to add that.
“He’s never going to trust you,” Arianna wanted to elaborate as to the reason for that, but she had promised Devin she wouldn’t. Arianna glanced over to Devin Alexander. He looked perfectly relaxed, leaning against his car, staring down the road they had been driving on. His sandy blond hair drifted perfectly over his sky blue eyes. To the outside world, he was just a teen waiting for someone, probably to meet up with at the movie. A cool, collected teen standing around on a brisk spring day in just a t-shirt and jeans—his normal attire. But Arianna knew otherwise. His arms crossed his chest loosely, but his hands were pressed against his biceps a little too tightly. His thoughtful, aloof look was actually masking his worried, but angry, look. He seemed to be leaning against the car, but he was actually very tense, and he was ready to spring across the parking lot in an instant.