Sunset Legend

• 11 •

I caught Sol right as I stumbled off the last step on the stair case. My plan of attack was to jump on his back and knock him over. In my head I completely ignored the weight differences as I calculated my attack. I jumped as high as I could, which was just enough as my arms wrapped over his shoulders and my knees locked onto his hips. He didn't even flinch. His laughter roared through the rooms as I swore.
We were both laughing as we entered the room where the rest of the crew still sat. Now Ray was sprawled out on the couch, Summer perched on the end of another, and Jaxon sitting with a leg up on the last one while the tv was playing a movie.
Their heads turn to us, Sol basically giving me a piggy back ride now into the room. Ray shook his head before turning back to the tv.
"What the hell is this! Everyone becomes her friend before me," Summer pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. I grinned sheepishly, sliding off his back.
"She didn't come here just for you," Jaxon huffed from his spot.
"She didn't come here voluntarily, actually," Summer said, turning to look at him with a dramatic head roll.
"You'll get used to the bickering." Sol chuckled, going to sit on the other side of the couch that she was on.
"You dyed her hair. You guys are already friends," Jaxon replied. For a second, this seemed so normal as if it was just an average group of friends who didn't possess any magic.
It brought a smile to my face as I walked over to Summer. "He's right. I liked you first," I whispered loudly so everyone could hear. Her frown flipped into a smirk as she stared down Jaxon.
"Understandable," Ray mumbled from his couch. Sol nodded in agreement.
"Hey now. Was I not a good bodyguard?" Jaxon asked, looking at me as I leaned on the back of the couch with my stomach, my hands draping over it.
"You didn't talk to me for eleven months," I shot back.
"I wasn't allowed to," he grumbled. I only hummed in response. "Maybe we could reenact our dance?" I looked away from the pillow I was playing with to have his eyes lock on mine.
I thought about the first day we actually spoke on Winter Solstice. My face warmed at the dance we shared, how after one twirl he brought me closer. I remembered the way his eyes were glued to mine as he asked if I had any powers. He was trying to figure out why his queen wanted me.
"I like you, Solstice. Let's chat more, yes?"
His eyes began to glow a soft orange again as we stared at each other, lost in the memory. Now I was here, in a place I didn't know existed with amazing people.
"What dance?" Summer chirped, looking between Jaxon and I. His eyes dulled back to the charcoal gray as he raised an eyebrow at me that said, go ahead. Tell her.
"Your brother's a bit of a flirt."
Ray snorted loudly as Sol barked out a laugh. I looked at Summer now who was grinning like the cheshire cat.
"Interesting," she said quietly more to herself than me. She seemed lost in her own world so I turned back to Jaxon to see his reaction. He just sat their on the couch, one leg up on it with his foot shaking slowly. He winked at me before turning back to the tv.
I looked between the two couches that held Ray and Jaxon, deciding which one to sit on. The couches were long enough to probably fit six people anyways so if I sat next to Jaxon it wouldn't be close. My feet decided for me as I walked to the couch where Ray laid, sitting at the end so he could still have his space.
He pumped a fist into the air. "I am the chosen one!" I chuckled, bringing a red pillow into my lap as I sat cross legged. I felt eyes on me as I looked up at the movie. I glanced around to find out it was Sol's violet eyes watching me. When my eyes met his, a soft smile appeared. He was right, everything would turn out okay.

It was later in the evening as we sat at the large table in the dining room with another chandelier above our head as we ate the prepared spaghetti. It was delicious. The room was nothing short of beautiful from the rest of the house, using the same color palette for inspiration.
"So, I heard from the queen," Jaxon started, setting his fork down on the plate. I chewed slower. "She will be returning tomorrow night."
I felt eyes watching me so I looked at the perfectly cooked noodles on my plate. Tomorrow night I would meet the lady who rescued me from a hell I didn't know I was living in.
"Why...omf," Summer started then stopped as she glared at Jaxon, rubbing somewhere on her leg beneath the table. They had some sort of stare down over the food.
"Are you nervous?" Ray asked me, ignoring whatever they were doing, before shoving half the garlic bread in his mouth. I shrugged.
"Everything will be okay, yah?" Sol said, that promising look in his eyes again that made me feel secure, safe. I smiled lazily and nodded.
"You know what will be perfect? A swim. Just have a nice relaxing swim before tomorrow," Summer said after the stare down was over.
"I just ate. I'm going to look fat," Ray whined. Sol smacked him upside the head playfully. Summer rolled her eyes, but she couldn't keep the smile off her face either.
"I think that sounds perfect," Jaxon said. It was final. I didn't even know they had a pool.