Sunset Legend

• 6 •

I blinked, then blinked again against the darkness. The floor beneath me was a cold, uncomfortable stone. Finally after a few minutes my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I used the dirty wall to steady my wobbly legs as I stood. I stumbled forward until my hands met freezing metal bars.
"Hello?" I cried out, my voice raspy and in need of water. My voice echoed, traveling through the empty space.
Had Mas kidnapped me? Was he really the bad guy? Or was he back in the castle wondering what happened because he hadn't got to me yet? Am I in the Frosts dungeon? Was he planning some sort of revenge on me?
My breathing quickened, my heart beating loud enough that it too was echoing through the empty space. I began to walk backwards before tripping over a stone and falling on my bottom.
A blinding light filled the air as I sat sprawled on the floor. I had to shield my eyes for a minute before I could see clearly. I was in fact in some sort of cell. A painted black hallway laid ahead of it.
"You morons really brought her down here. She's our friend, you idiots. I can't trust you to do anything." The voice belonged to a female who appeared before the bars. She had bright orange hair that was curled beautifully down her back, a braid on the front of her head. Her eyes almost appeared black. She was skinny, but her arms were sculpted smoothly from working out. She was smiling at me, her teeth as white as mine. "I am so sorry. Ray and Sol can't follow instructions for shit."
I watched as she flicked the key in the lock and dragged the cell door open. I watched as two men appeared behind the beautiful girl. One was huge both in height and in muscle. He had black hair and a five oclock shadow. I could see the tattoo of a circle with lines going out of it on the side of his neck. The other man was an average height, a little less toned then the others. His hair was yellow, bright yellow that made his dark eyes glow. I noticed the same circled tattoo on his wrist.
"Let me introduce ourselves. I am Summer. This monster," she pointed to the taller man, "is Sol and that is Ray." She pointed to the one yellow hair, showing the same tattoo on the side of her pointer finger. I swallowed, itching for anything to drink as I nodded once. Suddenly aware of the slim nightgown I was wearing, I stood slowly and wrapped my arms around myself.
"We obviously misunderstood Jaxon. Sorry for putting you down here," Sol said. I didn't say anything as I thought about him being the one to hold me as I was kidnapped. Summer glanced between us before instructing the men to let Jaxon know I was awake before pushing them away.
"You are probably confused as hell right now. Things will be explained over the next few days. Let me show you your new room and get you into comfier clothes, yeah?" She took a step towards me to see how I would react. I just nodded numbly, indeed lost as hell. She smiled, it was friendly and comforting, as she took my hand. My feet walked along the cold stone as she lead me out of my cell and up a set of stairs.
The door swung open and the breath was knocked out of my chest. I stood in a large room accented with golds and maroons. Black couches sat in a half circle facing a tv that was huge. The carpet was gold on white floors. The walls were painted a deep red. Two large oval windows almost from the floor to ceilings overlooked rolling hills in the distance. My feet with a mind of their own pulled me towards the view. I stood before the window, over looking the stunning green grass that was glowing orange. I was looking at the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen in my entire life. The sun was half hidden behind a hill. The sky was a swirl of oranges, reds, and even hints of purple. It was stunning.
"Welcome to the lands of Sunsets, Solstice." I didn't want to look away from the jaw dropping view, but this was the only voice I recognized. Mas stood in the middle of the room, hands tucked into his black jeans that seemed too dark for the red v-neck shirt he wore. His hair was the undeniable blond I knew from before, but his eyes were now a soft gray. They were almost glowing orange as he smiled at me. My breath hitched, realizing I wasn't seeing things the night of the meeting. They were glowing. His skin was warm, clearly sun-kissed. His muscles similar to the men before. He stood watching me, the glow slowly fading as I stood silent, half facing him.
"Can I have some water?" I croaked. Mas nodded, ordering Summer to receive me a glass.
"Sure thing, Jaxon." I felt my eyebrows pull together as she walked away. Jaxon? This was the Jaxon they were talking about?
"Jaxon?" I whispered. He nodded, slowly stepping towards me as if I was animal that could take off running at any second. I couldn't run, my legs were unsteady.
"I was under cover before. Besides, you look a little different too right now." He stared into my eyes with such intensity I began to feel light headed. He was looking at my golden eyes for the first time in a year. He was a foot away from me now. I realized I had to lift my chin a little to be able to look at him. His hand moved to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. I began to blush, not at him but at the thought of my blinding white hair in such a warm toned place. "I prefer the gold. It fits you much better," he said, gently.
Summer came bouncing in with the cup of water. She handed it to me with a smile on her face. I took a long sip of water, the water soothing any scratchiness I had.
"What is this?" Jaxon hissed abruptly, grabbing my chin and carefully moving my head so he could fully see my face. I watched as his eyes widened for a second before his jaw clenched. "Why is there a bruise on her face?" Jaxon snapped his attention to Summer who only shrugged.
Ray and Sol were in the back of the room, trying to tip toe along the wall and out of the room. Jaxon spun around and was in their path before I could blink.
Ray ran a hand through his hair that was barely past his ears. "Listen. We accidentally banged her head off the door when we were leaving."
Jaxon turned his attention to Summer. "Take her to her room. Dinner is in an hour." I took another sip of water before letting Summer take my elbow and guide me past the men. Sol looked ready to fight as we walked into the hallway. The hallway was painted gray, but it was anything but dull. Specs of purple and pinks ran throughout the wall. The tile here was still white. She turned left and we were headed up a swirled stairway.
The last door on the right was mine. Summer swung open the door and let me walk in first. "If you need anything, girl, I'm in the room next door." She pointed to the right. I nodded and gave a shaky smile because she was nice. I think I would like her. She smiled back with more force before closing the door behind her as she left.
I looked around at the white walls. It would of felt like home if the furniture wasn't a mix of colors. My bed blankets were a swirl of red and oranges, the desk a cool gray, a couch bright yellow, and a vanity a soft maroon. I waddled over to the couch below the oval window. From the other side of the house all you could see was the soft glow over the lands and the colors swirling in the sky.
After admiring the view for a few minutes, I turned to one of the two doors in the room. I guessed correctly as I opened the door to a large closet. It was filled wall to wall with clothes of all the expected colors and shoes. I decided on a shower first, I felt the griminess of the cell from the basement.
I tried the other door in the room, it lead to a bathroom designed in golds and grays. I jumped when I saw my reflection in the mirror. My hair was knotted in random spots, my skin looked dull. I flinched when I noticed the bruise that had Jaxon furious. It was a deep purple the size of two quarters on my cheek bone. With a loud, heavy sigh, I stripped and got in the shower to wash away the last few hours.
Thirty minutes later I stood observing myself in the full length mirror on the wall in the bathroom. I had chosen a very simple rusty orange tee shirt dress that landed right above my knees. My heart was beyond happy that I was not expected to dress in the fanciest of clothes just around the castle. It was obvious I was in another castle from the length of the hallway I had to walk down or the stair case. I braided my white hair in two braids down my head. I looked a little more alive besides the nasty bruise on my cheek. With a silent prayers to the snow angels Bells sent me, I left the safety of my room and started down the hallway. My feet padded lightly against the carpet that lined it.
"Mas? You could of picked any name and that's what you pick?" I heard Summer say as I started down the steps. Someone laughed.
"Yeah. It's like ChristMAS because ya know, winter stuff," Jaxon said. More laughter. I walked down the short hallway that lead to the large room that was awaiting me.
The four of them were sitting on the black couches, Jaxon catching them up on what they had missed while he was gone. When my foot thumped lightly on the first step in, Jaxon's focus shot to me.
"I was to beginning to think you ran away," he teased, pushing himself off the couch and almost hopping over to me. Summer was looking over her shoulder at us on the couch that was facing the other way.
"Do you feel better?" She asked before Jaxon could say whatever he was opening his mouth for. I nodded in her direction before turning to him.
His eyes were coming back to mine after checking my attire. "You look lively in our colors." He was right. The whites had always made me look paler, almost dead. I loved the orange and how it made me skin appear more alive.
Jaxon took another step closer to me, his eyes moving back and forth as he looked over my face. "I could fall in love with those eyes." He whispered it so quietly for a minute I thought I had imagined it while I stared into his gray ones. However, after the last few weeks I had, I knew that everything I experienced was very real.
"Why am I here?" I finally spoke, my voice strong and crack-free after drinking even more water after my shower.
"She doesn't know?" Sol said from the couch across from Summer, who shot him a look that clearly said to shut his mouth.
"I don't know what?" I questioned, looking at the unfamiliar faces before turning to the one I knew.
"A lot of things, Solstice. Not tonight though. You deserve a night of fun." A wicked smile tugged at his lips, but it was nothing like the evil ones from the prince of the South. It was a smile promising the night ahead.