Solana
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Well, I figured it's about time to bump up this relationship. :D Just kidding. But Solace is becoming a thing (wink, wink). I hope you enjoy this next installment! :3
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How was I ever expected to express how I felt? Well, I obviously couldn't hide it very well, seeing as Kateri had noticed the change in me as clear as day. I couldn't explain it. He was... different. In a good way, of course. Every time I thought of him or saw him in the mansion, my heart would speed up. This wasn't love, right? That was something different. Then again, how could I know the difference?
Sighing, I drew my knees closer, leaning my chin between them as I sat facing the window, the chilly Autumn air filtering through the open glass. I'd made many friends here, animal and--mostly--human alike. It was strange.
With a shiver, I tugged a thick quilt over my bare legs, my skin turning an unhealthy shade of purplish-blue.
Now that I had funds to afford more clothes, some of the girls had forced me to go shopping with them and had bought me clothing... that was unusual for my taste. Cotton shorts and T-shirts? I'd never dreamed of wearing such things. Yet, there I was.
Someone knocked on my door, earning a shriek from my lips as I flailed. Who would want me? Maybe they have the wrong room?
Crawling, I made my way to the door, dragging the quilt along with me. When I reached the opening, I turned the knob, tugging it open to reveal a charming face adorned with a smile. Blushing, I scrambled backward.
“What are you doing on the floor, babe?” Ace grinned, peering down at me and offering a hand. hesitantly, I took his offer, allowing him to help me up.
Sheepish, I shrugged, still unsure of how I could act around him. He shook his head, letting out a short laugh.
“When will you learn that you can trust me?” he murmured, eying me down. Flushing even more, I shrugged, swaying on my feet. With a sigh, he snatched my hand in his. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk, shall we, angel?” After a moment of consideration, I nodded. However, when he tried to pull me out of the room, I refused.
“I... I’m not dressed properly,” I whispered, feeling my cheeks burn. His eyes flickered downward noticeably, and, laughing, he released his hold as he tried to hide his grin.
“Then get dressed, sweetheart! It’s about time we get to know each other a little better!” he chuckled, pulling the door shut behind him and presumably leaning against the wall adjacent to it.
Scrambling, I hurried to my dresser, banging my shin into the wood as I pulled out my white, ankle-length skirt and gray top. In hopes I wouldn’t keep him waiting, I tugged off my strange clothing and stepped into my usual attire. After slipping on a pair of magenta flats, I rushed to the door, yanking it open and breathing heavily.
Ace stared at me, wide-eyed.
“Doll, I didn’t mean you had to beat the world record,” he laughed, reaching for my hand. For some reason, I didn’t flinch away. This little fox was the only person who I’d permitted to lay a finger on me since my brother was still around. It was almost surreal.
Trust... it was such a delicate concept. Yet, even with its complexities, I found myself accompanied by the ideal whenever I was with Ace, no hesitation or even doubt corrupting it.
Blushing yet again, I cast my gaze downward, avoiding his eyes.
“I... ah... didn’t want to keep you waiting,” I murmured, scuffing my shoes on the ground. His laugh rang in my ears, pleasant and soft.
“No worries, Solana,” Ace shrugged, running his fingers over my knuckles. “Come on; let’s go for a walk.” Swallowing, I nodded, allowing him to tow me along.
As we neared the stairs, a familiar, scantily-dressed woman intercepted us, her predatory eyes scanning Ace’s tall form and glaring at me.
“My, my. And who do we have here? A handsome little devil and... you,” she purred, leaning back against the railing and tossing her golden mane behind her. Ace blinked. To my surprise, he seemed rather unfazed by her dangerously good looks.
“Not up for talking, I see,” she mused, pushing off and moving toward him. “That’s... understandable, I suppose. Such a charming man paired with this,” he eyes flickered to me with distaste, “scrawny peasant would only result in silence.”
“Miss, I don’t really know what your problem is, but I’d appreciate it if you back off,” Ace insinuated, taking a step away from her. She appeared displeased.
“Oh? Taking a stand against me, are you?” she cooed, narrowing her eyes. “I admire a man with passion. One who doesn’t back down. It’s so... marvelous.” Nervous, I swallowed, uncomfortable with where this was going. Vevila seemed to notice as she turned to me. “What? Do you have something to say, you little pixie? Are you going to defend yourself for once?” Knowing that two pairs of eyes were on me, I lowered my gaze.
“Ah... no...” I murmured, refusing to lift my head.
“Good. I wouldn’t expect anything different.”
“Solana, let’s go,” Ace ordered, tugging me away and toward the stairs, his face stoic.
“But... Ace... it’s ah... rude...” I began, catching both of them by surprise.
“What do you mean ‘it’s ru—” he started, an expression of utter disbelief on his features, only to be interrupted by Vevila’s sly comment.
“So Ace is your name, hmm?” she began, cutting between us. “How adorable. My name is Vevila, but you can call me whatever you’d like, handsome.” Feeling a surge of confidence from some unidentifiable place, I lifted my face to peer at her.
“Vevila, could you... ah... please... leave us alone? If... if you don’t mind, that is,” I asked, trembling. She stared at me in incredulity, but, with a scoff, she waved a hand over her shoulder.
“Oh, whatever. I have better things to waste my time on,” she called, striding away and swaying her hips. Ace’s stare bore into the side of my head, and, blushing, I turned to face him.
“Um, do you two have some history or something?” he queried, obviously confused. I shook my head. “Then why does she hate you so much? Why can’t you stand up for yourself?”
“I don’t know why she hates me,” I admitted, tugging at a strand of hair. “She doesn’t get along with any of the girls. And... ah... I’m just not very... good... at defending myself.” As soon as I’d lowered my eyes, he’d taken my chin in his hand, guiding my face so I was forced to look at him.
“Hey, don’t take it to heart,” he grinned, dropping his hold. “I’ll help you get some confidence, angel. I promise.” Shrugging, I didn’t acknowledge my faith in his words. I couldn’t help it; after a lifetime of being let down, it was habitual.
“Well... are we still going for our walk?” I suggested, hoping to get away from the subject. “That is... if you still want to...” With a kind smile, he nodded and led the way downstairs, keeping a light hold on my hand as we descended.
He was such a strange boy, and, though he’d seemed that way at first, he wasn’t as much of a flirt as everyone, specifically Kateri, had claimed.
It seemed as though everyone, minus the fairy, was crowded downstairs when we reached the first floor, their attention focused on individual tasks or other members.
As usual, Rano and Toño sat beside each other, their hands intertwined, as they spoke quietly with Karin. At the other end of the couch, Sam lounged, his eyes flickering up as we entered the room. Recalling our encounter, I couldn’t hide my discomfort, and, acting as though I needed to fix my hair, I tugged my hand from Ace’s grasp.
Call me crazy, but, ever since that strange day, Sam had seemed more distant, more... solitary. And it made me incredibly suspicious. Not that I’d ever call him out for it, it just made me uncomfortable.
Staring out the window, Griffin refused to acknowledge anyone’s presence beside Akira’s and Kuroshiro’s, his hands gesturing to various areas of the forest as he spoke in hushed tones. Whatever they were discussing, it seemed to be important.
Near the kitchen, Acacia’s frustration was obvious as she bickered with Ela, the occasional French spewing from her lips sounding harsh and not so kind. Ela continued to munch her celery, smirking in the green girl’s direction. Near the front hallway that led to the door, Alice was demonstrating some of her incredible acrobatic skills to an awed Colette, her graceful, prim applause displaying her excitement even with her glove-clad hands.
Perched on the loveseat, Travis struggled to coax Bellinda into having a decent conversation, her rebellion demonstrated by her intense star directed at the lit match. Poor Travis. I held in a laugh. The leprechaun was almost as flirtatious as Ace or Sam. But he’d never match up.
Since when did you become Kateri?
Speaking of the nymph, the instant we entered the area, her blue eyes turned to me and away from the T.V., a knowing smile creeping across her face. Eyes wide, I shook my head furiously, forbidding her from saying anything.
That night we’d spent watching movies (The Wedding Date was better than I’d have anticipated, mostly because Kateri’s comments were more entertaining than the film) and experiencing what wasn’t much better than a hair disaster (let’s just say there were too many barrettes and hair spray for my preference) was surprisingly fun, but I hated the interrogation section, especially since I hadn’t known how to answer the majority of her questions. That only made the situation worse, I’m afraid.
She giggled openly, offering a wink as she turned away. To my relief, Ace didn’t seem to notice.
After weaving our way through the crowd, we managed to find ourselves in the forest, sounds of nature enveloping us and soothing my mind.
We were silent for a considerable amount of time. To be honest, it was a nice change of pace. Having talked more than ever with Kateri and Ace combined, I was kind of exhausted. Maybe he found it a bit awkward, but it sure was refreshing to me.
However, when we came across a small brook nearly forty minutes from the mansion, I felt my head spin, the aching in my heart spreading to encompass my entire body. Within a few seconds, Ace noticed something was wrong, and, even though I couldn’t speak, he helped me to the ground, showing genuine concern. I shut my eyes tightly against the pain, the memory overwhelming the serenity I’d worked so hard to maintain.
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“Be careful, okay?” the young, winged girl pleaded, her eyes wide. The older boy laughed, shaking his head as he ruffled her tangled hair. Though their personalities and overall appearances were nearly opposite, their eyes were identical, but his were crinkled with amusement while hers were creased with worry.
“Lana, I’ll be fine. It’s just a few clouds. I’m not gonna get hurt,” he assured, offering that crooked smile of his. She sighed, wrapping her bony arms around him as tears filled her eyes.
“Don’t go out today. Please. Don’t take the risk.” Her voice wavered. “Adrian... I can’t lose you, too.”
“You’re not gonna lose me, sis. Calm down. I’ll be fine,” he chuckled, tugging his cap over his head. “Look, if you’re so worried, come down to the sea this afternoon; you can meet me there when my shift’s done. The storm won’t even hit us; it’ll go right over.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
For a few hours, she sat in the pathetic excuse of a home, rocking back and forth as she hugged her knees and staring out the window until she couldn’t take it any longer. A feeling of dread washing over her, she tugged on the oversized gray coat and fled the hovel, racing toward the beach. Right away, she knew her brother had been wrong.
The storm had hit. It had hit right over the sea. In the near distance, she could see the tiny fishing boat as it fought against the crashing waves, a torrential downpour accompanying the currents. Her breathing and heart rate accelerated, she shielded her eyes against the stinging rain, her gaze locked on the lone boat out at sea.
As she watched, helpless and useless, a large wave, bigger than all the other giants that surrounded the boat, swelled to its peak behind it, looming overhead with imminent doom.
When it crashed down, breaking and foaming, a scream tore itself from the girl’s throat.
“No!”
Then, it was over. The boat had been capsized, lost at sea, her brother serving as the ocean’s eternal prisoner.
She fell to her knees, tears racing down her cheeks.
“No. You promised, Adrian.” Sobbing, she covered her face, her eight-year old mind too feeble to handle such sorrow. “You promised.”
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Gasping, I opened my eyes to meet Ace’s concerned and frightened ones. As a breeze fluttered across my cheek, I realized two tears had escaped, and swallowing hard, I brushed them away.
“Solana?” he started, his eyes wide. “What... what happened?”
“Nothing,” I responded, my reply too quick. “I... I’ll be fine.” He didn’t believe me, that much was clear.
“Angel, I know what nothing looks like. That definitely wasn’t it.” After allowing him to help me up, I licked my lips wrapping my arms around myself. Internally, I debated on whether I should tell him the truth or not. After a minute of consideration, I made my decision.
So, I told him everything.
I hadn’t really meant to. When I started speaking, the words began to flow as steadily as the stream before us, but he didn’t seem to mind one bit. In fact, he seemed almost honored to hear my story.
My fear of water and the silver chain I wore around my neck, along with how I tended to flinch around physical contact, were all explained in the few minutes I spent talking. By the time I finished, Ace had engaged me in a firm, supportive hug.
“I’m sorry, Lana,” he cooed, the nickname striking a painful yet pleasant chord in my heart. “Thank you for trusting me. I’m here for you, now. I’m here. I promise.”
Though I wanted to believe his words, all I could think of how Adrian, my only brother, had been the last person to make me a promise. In my world, all promises were broken in the end. I could only hope things would be different from there on out.
And hope was all I really had left. Hope... and Ace.
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Don't even ask me why I love to make my characters have tortured pasts. It's so much fun! Tragedies are the best... right? :3 Comments are appreciated and encouraged! Thanks, guys!! <3
