The Ace of Queens ( Ace of Queens #7)

Prologue

Prologue

Many years ago.

The light touch of the butterfly made Clare want to giggle as Eden held her hand. She could feel the tiny creature's heart beat at the tip of her finger. The feathery drumbeat made her want to hum.

"Be very gentle, Clare Bear," Eden whispered. "You don't want to scare it away."

"Okay," Clare whispered. She held as still as she could and watched the butterfly with her wide gray eyes.

Eden smiled and tucked the little girl's hair behind her ears before looking over her shoulder at Alec. he gazed at her from the window with a stack of papers in his hand. Eden quickly looked away and shut her eyes. She felt her heart twist and turn and begin to hurt.

"Eden," Clare whispered. "My heart hurts."

"Oh," Eden's eyes snapped open. "I'm so sorry, baby doll. That's just me."

"Why are you sad?" Clare tilted her head to one side. She followed Eden's eyes to where her uncle stood by the window.

"Do you love Uncle Alec?" She asked.

"Clare," Eden gave a short laugh and shook her head. "What do you know about love, my little angel?"

"It hurts," Clare said looking at the butterfly on her finger tip.

"What hurts?" Eden wondered, worried the insect might be hurting the little girl.

"My heart hurts....." Clare frowned. "Because your heart hurts and you love Uncle Alec."

Eden didn't answer. She brushed the back of her hand over Clare's warm cheeks and sighed.

"I think Uncle Alec will like the butterflies," Clare held up her hand a little higher.

"You think so?"

Clare nodded her head. She lifted her eyes and watched Eden's eyes focus on one of the colorful creatures fluttering overhead. A small smile appeared on both of their faces as one of the butterflies began to float to Alec.

"Can I keep this one?" Clare asked Eden holding up her finger.

"I do think he really likes you," Eden smiled.

"I want to keep him forever," Clare carefully stroked the butterflies's wings with her free hand. She turned away from Eden and headed for the milkweed growing by the edge of the fountain in the garden.

"Mackey!" Clare hollered to her brother. "Don't come near me! I have a butterfly!"

"Okay!" Maksim said as he chased his own.

With slow and careful steps, Clare moved closer and closer to the fountain. She was about to reach out and pluck a milkweed flower when the air around her chilled like the dead of winter.

With a loud gasp, Clare dropped the plant and pulled her butterfly to her chest. She cupped her hand over it and shielded the thing against her heart as the sky above her grew dark and the wind spun out of control.

Frightened by the sudden change, the little girl looked over her shoulder to where Eden and Maksim stood a few yards away. Eden had her eyes on Alec and Maksim still chased his butterfly. No one noticed as the sky began to split open.

Clare's heart pounded along with her butterfly as the ground beneath her feet trembled. The horrifying sound of the sky cracking in half made her want to run away and hide in her father's arms. But she was too frightened to move. With her stormy gray eyes she watched as a figure began to descend from the heavens.