Nights of Fire & Ash

Chapter 2

When I awoke again, I was in a room that had a massive canopy bed that draped red and orange sheer curtains around me. I scanned the room, looking for any sign of life besides my own. It looked like morning. The sun shown in through the single window in the room that seemed to be high up to where I could see in trees and out to a meadowy field. The smell of rain washed in towards me. I was confused because when I had left my home it was a cold wintery night. Here, wherever here was, was a warm summery day. I swore that it was almost the winter solstice back at home.

My once torn and bloodied clothes had been replaced with a flowing nightgown that spread to my knees. That is when I realized that someone had to change me. Someone had seen me naked and had done who knows what else to my body. My clothes were nowhere to be seen. I made my way to the edge of the bed and slid to the floor. To my surprise, the wooden floor was almost cool but not cold enough that I was uncomfortable. The summer breeze flowed in through the open window. I peered outside to see two young female Fae walking around the gardens. They peered up at me and waved. I jumped backwards not knowing if I should wave back or if I should have even looked at them.

Suddenly, I realized that I needed to find a bathroom and quickly. There were three doors. I was sure one had to be an exit, and hopefully, one was a bathroom. I quietly tiptoed to the first door next to the bathroom to find something that resembled a closet. It was filled with all sorts of clothes. Probably enough to dress an entire village of people for an entire winter in the human world. I reminded myself that I needed to come back here and look to see if there was anything useful.

I closed the heavy door and headed towards a sliding door that hung off of a frame above the opening. It was there that I found a toilet, a massive soaking tub, and a vanity. This room alone probably could hold my entire cottage back at home. I relieved myself and then looked at the gigantic soaking tub. Back at home, we had something that looked like a round metal gigantic bowl that could barley fit one person, but most of the time, to conserve the energy it took to heat water in the fire, we would hurry to put as many of us in the tub at once. Most baths were a hastle at best. While I was running my hand over the marble stone, a voice appeared behind me.

"Well, I am glad to see that you have found your way around alright." I shot up straight and stared at my capture from the night before.

"No thanks to you." I muttered back. He rolled his eyes in return. I knew that I shouldn't be running my mouth to a creature that could literally snap me in half, but I couldn't help myself. I was pissed. Who wouldn't be?

"Well, since you are so smart and capable. I won't bother you for the time being. Breakfast is downstairs, and Echa laid you out a gown to wear. You won't be getting back your clothes from last night. They were disgusting, and no one wants to smell that wandering around the castle." The way he finished his sentence made me believe that he was just done with our conversation.

"Can you be a civilized being and tell me your name? Since you have already gone ahead and kidnapped me." I snapped at the back of his head.

"My name is Makiel. Since you're the real civilized being, what is yours?" He turned around and leaned against the wall.

"Raeva." I stood by the side of the bathtub trying to keep as much distance from us as possible.

"Well, Raeva, I will see you at breakfast. You look like you could use a real meal for a change of pace." He turned around and hurried out before I could ask any more questions. He was right. In the dead of winter, I would have been lucky to find half a portion of a small meal.

I waited until I heard the heavy door shut behind him before I let out a regular breath. My heart was pounding in my ears from trying to keep myself fully alert while he was in here. I stepped out into the bedroom again to find myself alone. Whoever this Echa person was, she had left before I saw her. I did see that she had obviously made the bed and laid out the gown. The gown looked too girly for my likings. I went into the closet where there had been other clothes, but all I found were dresses upon dresses that I figured would make me look even girlier.