Becoming a Legend by B. Kristin McMichael Read Free Book Online

Turner.
    “ This was all she asked for from her uncle for her birthday,” Devin added. “Your freedom.”

 
     
    FIVE

    Arianna lifted her head off the satin sheets and looked around the room. It wasn’t her room at the Randolph manor; she was in Tricity, Turner’s childhood home. It had been several months since they were last here, but the place still smelled like Turner. The entire place felt like him, and the spot next to her was still warm. Someone had been there not too long ago. Arianna caught Devin’s scent nearby, but he wasn’t in the room. Arianna used her senses and looked around for the people she could track. Devin was outside the door in the sitting room. Turner was across the hallway in his own room. His family and guests who filled the house were sleeping still. Arianna paused. Just outside the city was Andrew.
    ‘ Good afternoon princess,’ he said inside her head.
    ‘ Is it afternoon?’ Arianna looked around the room for a sign of the time. Not a single clock was in view.
    ‘ Yes, and happy birthday,’ he added. He could actually add a smirk to his conversation going on in their heads.
    ‘ My birthday is tomorrow,’ Arianna replied, trying to grin back. Portraying emotion along with thoughts was more difficult for her, but Andrew always seemed able to read her better than anyone else.
    ‘ You’ve slept through two days. Why do you think I’m here?’
    ‘ You have a great desire to see me, and can’t go more than one day without me?’ Arianna teased . It was easy to fall into banter with Andrew. He understood her way more than Arianna wanted to admit.
    ‘That’s the obvious answer. Are you feeling okay?’ Concern laced his thoughts.
    ‘ I feel fine, why?’ Arianna felt tons of images all jumble past her. Andrew was thinking too fast for her to understand. He had a tendency to think fast when he was worried.
    ‘ How long have you been feeling sick?’ he tried a different way to ask her.
    ‘ I just got sick listening to all those old men plan my future without me. They actually suggested I get engaged I think. I’m not even done with high school.’ Arianna felt the humor as he silently laughed. At least he found it amusing. Arianna felt dread building, as she knew the council was serious.
    ‘ Welcome to the night world, our alternative monster universe where we marry our children off as soon as they can spawn more little night monsters.’ Andrew joked about her unwanted fate. ‘Time to get married. If I haven’t heard that suggestion a hundred times before.’
    Arianna laughed too. She sometimes did feel like she had entered some alternative monster universe. ‘Seriously, why are you here? I mean you can go anywhere you please. Why sit outside the city for days waiting for me to wake up?’ She tried to cover up her accusatory tone.
    ‘I’m concerned about you, and thus will follow you anywhere. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”
    ‘There’s nothing to be concerned about,’ she added . Everything felt fine now that she had slept.
    ‘ You just shut off mentally two days ago. I couldn’t feel your presence at all. Most of the time I can feel you. I was worried, so I came straight here. For most people, that disconnect only happens to when they die. Gabriel told me that you had passed out and were sleeping. Even if you were just sleeping, I should have been able to feel you. I’m worried about you.’ Andrew explained.
    ‘ You can feel me while I sleep?’ Arianna got sidetracked before she could verbalize what she was really thinking. Her face began to turn red, hoping he didn’t feel her dream a few nights ago that involved her and him kissing.
    ‘ Not thoughts, but more like feelings,’ Andrew tried to explain. ‘Two days ago, you turned off and made me worry.’
    ‘ That can’t be right. I feel fine. And two days haven’t passed. My birthday is tomorrow, not today.’
    ‘ Well, you weren’t. But since you’ve enough energy to argue, you must be