Without You (Book 2 of The Blue Star) OUAT

Sunflower

Chapter 25

*Solstice*

Light leaked through the wooden door of Pan's living corders; Sun's rays sluggishly inched across the room as I stood in the entrance of his home. I gazed at the objects around me; the stained wooden chair was set nicely besides his oak desk, looking as it they've never been touched. His bamboo dresser was all alone in the corner, while his red satin bed was in the middle of the room. Two night stands were on either side of the bed with nothing laying upon them. My eyes glanced back to the bed, a burst of yellow caught my eye.

I walked forward and gently picked up a sunflower. Its golden petals felt soft and smooth against my fingertips. It gave off a pleasing aroma, something that made me smile slightly. I started at the dark center of the flower which reminded me of the black holes in space. Light was always around it, the Stars shined around them with a golden light like the flower's petals. Yet no matter how much light we Stars gave off, our golden rays never touched the center of the black hole; just how the petals never touch the center of the flower. I realized then it was a strange comparison, yet it somehow made sense in my mind.

"You fancy the flower?" An accented voice suddenly appeared, causing me to jolt with surprise.

I turned swiftly around to stare into bright green eyes of a supposed monster. Deciding I should keep calm, I played along with his charm-boy act. Smiling slightly, I nodded. "Why a sunflower though? Excuse me for saying it, but you don't seem like the kind of guy who would go pick flowers. Doesn't quite fit with the whole tough guy routine."

Pan snickered; I could tell he was amused by my teasing words. His eyes sparked with fire as he looked me; "Well, let's say I thought you could use it, telling what you've been through—you're memory loss and all. Perhaps lighten up your mood. Thought I'd be a little, what's the word," he paused as if thinking of what to say; " ah yes, thoughtful." His eyes locked onto mine; they were like traps, reeling me in like a fish hooked onto a fishing pole. He glanced down at my lips and back up again to my eyes. I knew what the sick bastard was thinking, yet my heart skipped a beat suddenly. Surprised at myself, I stepped back and my legs hit the back of the bed.

He didn't come any closer, he just stared at me with narrowed eyes. He suspected something. I sucked in a breath and diverted my gaze away. My heart pounded in my chest. I was unable to calm myself. Then he spoke—his words curious; "where were you Solstice?"

My pulse quickened at the way he said my name. His accent made my heart flutter; the sound soothing and deceptively welcoming. I didn't respond to him. I didn't trust my voice, I was afraid of it cracking under pressure. I breathed in, reminding myself I could prevail. All I needed to do was get Pan to remove the cuff.

After a few moments of an intense staring contest, Pan finally looked away with a slight smile of disbelief; "I know where you went. You went to Baelfire and Cyrus, didn't you?" He turned to look back at me; his eyes were now stone cold and emotionless. "To plot and plan?" He stepped away, pacing around the room as he snickered once again; "you know, you and Baelfire are just adorable. The way you two feel for one another is really quite touching." Then he turned, and in one stride was standing in front of me, glaring; "I hate him, but he's a pawn in my game. I've tried to be rid of him but he keeps returning, much like you." His hand snatched my chin as he brought my face closer to his own; "you will not speak, touch, glance, or even think about Baelfire any longer. You are mine. You are my property. If you disobey, you will never use magic nor regain your memories. Are we clear?"

I gritted my teeth, hating the way I must've looked. I felt weak under his embrace and I disliked it. But his grip began to harden while waiting for my response. Ignoring the stabbing pain in my jaw, I locked my gaze with his and nodded.

He searched my eyes, looking for any signs of my hidden lie. After a long moment which felt as if it could last forever, Pan finally let go and turned away. He casually paced around, pretending nothing happened.

I glanced down at the sunflower, and noticed it was trembling. I realized my hands were shaking. It was unclear why this was happening. It could've been from anger, sadness, or hate? I sucked in a breath, knowing that me breaking down in from of Pan would only darken his mood. I bit my bottom lip, holding back my anxiousness. I noticed just how much he scared me. He could be heartless, someone lacking emotion, yet he could also be kind and generous. He was definitely two-faced.

"When are you going to remove my cuff?" The words burst from my mouth before I can stop them.

Pan stopped pacing. He looked ahead for a few moments until he finally turned around to face me. "When?" He repeated with a raised eyebrow. He inched my way, his footfalls were teasingly sluggish. He eyed me carefully before speaking again; "Aren't you eager to regain your magic."

I gulped as he stopped in front of me. Our shoulders touched one another as he whispered in my ear. I could smell his scent; the fragrance of cypress and pepper invaded my nose.

"Yes actually." I turned my head to my right to gaze into his sparkling eyes. I was surprised at myself for my confidence.

Pan must've been impressed; his eyes widened at my words. A narrow smile formed on his face; "Confident are we? Well no matter, I need you to do something for me anyway." His gaze rolled down to my lips and back up to my eyes. "Tell me Solstice, do you know of Pandora's Box?"