Hidden Truths // Riven

14

CHAPTER XIV:

❄︎ IN NEED OF ANSWERS ❄︎

"perhaps the lack of trust was my undoing"
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I looked around, making sure no one was watching me. I headed toward the place Beatrix was being held. Today was the day everyone was going to be at training. As expected, there was only one guard out today. Perfect... I took the bottle from my bag.

"Here goes nothing... " I muttered to myself.

But suddenly, someone grabbed my arm, spinning me around. They pushed me up against the wall, covering my mouth so I couldn't talk. They looked around the corner, then back at me and he pulled his hand away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Riven asked in a whisper.

"None of your business."

I tried walking away, but Riven had taken one of his sticks and thrust it in front of me. I turned and looked up at him, glaring, as he looked at me. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"If you're trying to get in there, you're crazy," he said.

I watched as his eyes strayed away from mine. And so, I took a step forward, the space between us becoming smaller, and I cupped his face in my hand. And then, our lips met. But what I had hoped to happen didn't happen. I pulled away, an awkward silence taking over.

"Did you just kiss me?"

Fuck myself.

Quick to save myself from this situation, I looked down at the bottle and took a hold of the stopper that sealed it.

Then suddenly, I felt a warmth against my jaw. Before I could even register what was happening, my head was being turned to him, and I met his lips again.

I felt almost dizzy – weak even. I melted into the kiss, to his touch.

I didn't want it to end, but it had to. I pulled away first, and before any of us could say anything, I took the bottle, then blew the smoke into his face. Instantly, his eyes fluttered shut and he began to fall. I caught him before he hit the ground and pulled him into the shed, closing the door after.

I walked towards the man guarding the doors. Before he could see me, I blew the smoke, and he was knocked out. Then, I grabbed the keys from his belt loop, unlocked the door, and went inside.

"Well, look who it is," said Beatrix, standing up. "Did Silva tell you the truth?"

"I don't even know if you're telling the truth," I responded. "I came for more answers. How do you know it was Silva? What's your plan? Why are you here?" She didn't respond. "Look, we've got all day. I knocked out the guard."

"Look at you," she said. "People like us do what we have to for us to get what we want."

"What did you come here for?" I asked again.

"I told you before," she said. "I want to uncover the truths."

"Well, something tells me you already know it," I said, glancing toward the door.

"Do you trust me?" Beatrix asked.

"No... "

"Good," she said. "You shouldn't. You can only trust yourself." She chuckled and said, "But I don't think you can do that either... You came here for more than one reason, didn't you?"