Hidden Truths // Riven

05

CHAPTER V:

❄︎ THE STONE CIRCLE ❄︎

"i had to learn to control my emotions"
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Demi

"Aisha, you can't tell anyone," I pleaded. "I'll get in so much trouble. Sky will find out and then rumors will start... Please, I don't need that."

"You should have thought of that before you invited him in," Aisha said, and then she sighed, giving me a little bit of hope. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

I let out a breath of relief and said, "Thank you."

Once I was ready for the day – wearing a white crop top cami, jean shorts, and a light blue blazer – I made myself hot cocoa.

"Get a good sleep last night?" Musa asked as I waited for the cocoa. "I felt someone new come inside."

"Nothing gets past you, huh?" I responded.

"You've no idea," Musa replied. "So, who was it?"

But Musa turned away, thankfully, after hearing the door open. I looked to see who it was and saw Stella walking inside.

"Oh, that outfit's so similar to yesterday's," Musa spoke. "Same designer?"

"Do you know how I feel about that joke or shall I tell you?" she retorted. "Where's Bloom?"

"She had a rough night, thanks to you," I replied. "Was your night rough as well?"

Stella scowled at me and said, "I didn't think those things were real— "

"But we all saw," Musa interrupted her. "It was creepy as hell. It looked like it wanted to kill her."

"What about my ring?" Stella asked.

"No 'are you okay, Bloom?'" I questioned. "No, 'I'm sorry?' That's quite typical coming from someone like you."

Stella glared at me saying, "Excuse me?!"

She was about to say another thing, but she stopped herself. I heard footsteps from behind me and turned around. Bloom had stopped before us.

"That... " she began, trying to find the words. "burned – burned thing took it."

"What?"

"Calm down, Princess," Musa told her.

"Don't tell me to calm down, and don't use my title as an insult," she snapped.

"Wait, are you actually a princess?" Bloom asked with a small smile in disbelief.

"Yes, I am, actually," Stella told her matter-of-factly. "My mum is the Queen, and the ring you lost is one of the crown jewels of Solaria. That might not mean much to a First Worlder so feel free to ask your suite-mate how big of a screw-up that is."

"Almost as big as giving it to her in the first place," Aisha joined in, defending Bloom. "Dowling has the creature locked up, which you would know if you were here last night when she gave us an earful."

"And if people knew there was a Burned One even in the First World temporarily?" Disaster," Musa added.

"Well, I didn't tell her that I lost the ring, and I'm sure if we do, then— "

"We will do no such thing," Stella said sternly.

"Really taking the whole princess thing to heart, aren't you?" I commented. "You're not even Queen yet and you think you're different from the rest of us."