Legacy In Fire (Book 1)

Fractured Prince (Chap-13)

Song for this chapter is Nightingale by Demi Lovato

MAX'S POV

The lights flashed on and lit Max's eyelids to a vibrant hot pink. It was not a very masculine colour, but at least it held a semblance of happiness. He opened his eyes and as usual, the happiness was short lived. His hands and legs were bound to the corners of a rather inhumanly uncomfortable bed-if you could call it a bed; really people slept in these things? On his hands and feet, a sort of thick black material was woven and underneath it were thick gloves and socks. They would not have a repeated occurrence of what had previously happened they said.

The door swung open and in came two unwelcomed figures-the customary guards dressed in black. They'd been ever-present characters in his new unfortunate life, so much so that he'd given them nicknames: Raggedy-Andy and Muscle Face. Out of the two, he hated Raggedy more, though his hate for Muscle Face was still a force to be reckoned with.

"What'cha wanna do today," Muscle Face, asked as he approached, exposing his chipped and crooked teeth "pretty boy?" His face didn't look any less muscular today. His hair was a roily dark mess, and his face-that appeared to be on steroids-had erratic sprays of adult acne. Enough said, he wasn't very aesthetically appealing, and his personality wasn't a selling point.

"What about we get you a makeover?" Max attempted to pry his hands out of the knot-though he had tried on numerous occasions. "Muscle Face"

His grotesqueness loomed over Max then, his features coming into sharpness. "What 'bout me kick ya teeth in," he grinned, a repulsive action "then you'll need a makeova".

Raggedy Andy seemed to feel like it was his queue to intervene. Oh Raggedy, Raggedy, Raggedy; Oh how Max hated Raggedy. He was the reason that Max was trapped in here, that Jade was trapped in here. He'd darted them unconscious in that building. If Max could've just been a little more persuasive, he could've saved Jade, she would've been safe. He would be living over what happened to is mother again, he thought, and he couldn't endure it. At least he'll be suffering the same fate.

Though the curse of hideousness hadn't befallen upon Ol' Rags in drastic measures, he was still not up to par: his ginger beard was in disarray, and he wasn't the smallest piglet in the pen.

"Leave him alone Bill, we've got things we need from him today." He hit Muscle Face in the head. "Now stop the yapping and untie the boy. And you-" he pointed at Max "no funny stuff".

Max leered. Muscle face unlocked the bounds, and used his sweaty palms to remove the material on Max's hands and feet-the gloves and socks stayed on. They took him and shoved him into a dingy slice of bathroom.

"Got five minutes, pretty boy". Max heard Muscle say through the door. "Or I'm coming in." Max cringed at the very thought of that.

He splashed some water on his face, and dabbed toothpaste on his teeth, using his finger-these niceties didn't befit him at all. His face did not look at all pretty-to him; dark circles were pronounced under his eyes and he looked pale, his tan dwindling from lack of sun. He wished he had Jade's natural tan, she being only half-Caucasian had those luxuries. Jade, what he wouldn't give to-

"Two minutes!"

He had almost forgot. He had to do this now. He looked into the mirror; his reflection seemed to be virtually telling him not to do it. He stared at the lad in the mirror and he stared back. What a weird fellow, his mother didn't teach him proper etiquettes. Max almost smiled, right before he punched the boy in the mirror veraciously in the face, the boy attempted to throw back the punch but the glass broke before he could land the blow, and liquid red fell from where it was shattered. Max snatched up a shard of glass-a terrifyingly sharp one-before the inevitable entrance of the guards.

"Da hell happen'd in here?" Muscle Face looked enflamed for some reason Max did not ponder on for too long, he was too busy walking past them and then being hauled right back by Raggedy's arm. His face being so close to Max's then that he could smell the stench of cheese in his breath.

"What happened in there!" he shouted, and Max being so close to eat wasn't enthused.

"Could you detach yourself from me?" Max gave him a pointed look. "Your breath is rather fetid."

His grip on Max tightened until it somewhat hurt. His touch irked Max more than the pain did.

Max swung his arms in an arc, colliding with Raggedy's nose. "I said let go of me!"

He felt the knee to his back and the needle to his neck before his body went limp, though his eyes stayed open. They dragged him into a room; it was painted some strange shade of grey-yellow-green- it was indistinct and he wasn't a pundit in the field of colour like Jade was. In it was a single metal chair, and one of the walls was entirely one-sided glass. So he was going to be interrogated?

Raggedy and Muscle face left the room right before he could swear he saw the imprint of two shining red eyes on the other side of the impassable glass.

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As always, please vote and comment-ugh I sound like a broken record.

What did you think of Max's current living situation and how the chapter ended?