MEDUSA 𓆙 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 [English Edition]

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟐 • The next night

WHEN VIPERINE LEFT the forest, Riven's hand and hers entwined as if they were two people in love. She knew there was something strange going on.

She was right; her instincts never failed. As they approached Alfea, they noticed the doors of the SUV stolen by Beatrix were wide open and screaming for her and Bloom. Viperine heard her ask what those things on the fairy's wrist were that were hurting her.

Viperine cut her way through the eager crowd, whispering about murder and secrets. Bloom was pale. Beatrix had metal bindings chained to her wrists—runic restraints. Shit, they must really hurt.

Terra, Aisha, and Musa advanced as a single block. Bloom walked away from Terra's father and threw herself against her friends, hugging them.

"We were worried about you," Aisha said.

"What did Beatrix and Viperine do to you?" asked Terra, worried. "The two together killed Callum."

"You don't have proof of that, girls," said Dowling, along with Silva and Harvey. "And Viperine wasn't with them."

Terra and her friends gaped, shaking their heads in disbelief.

"No," cried Terra. "No. Viperine was there. I saw her leaving Queen Luna's assembly."

"I saw her leave too," Aisha said. "Bloom, tell her that Viperine was with her."

"She certainly wasn't at school," said Musa.

Viperine snorted, squeezing Riven's hand in a signal that it was time. They took a step forward, Viperine with the biggest smile of not understanding what was happening.

"Yes, I was," she said. "I didn't feel well in the assembly and left early."

"I saw you hanging out with Riven," Terra accused, more hysterical than ever.

"Maybe because he's my boyfriend and he was taking care of me," she hissed. "Tell them, Riven, love."

Riven swallowed hard. He shouldn't be afraid; he'd done it so many times. How do you plan on apologizing? She'd asked seductively. Viperine was more than a normal girlfriend; she was intense, sexy, and determined. People looked up to her. I want you to lie for me.

"We were together at the assembly and as soon as we left it," he replied. "Viperine had a headache. I took her to my room, and we ended up falling asleep."

That didn't make sense to Sky, who was listening to everything in the background. Viperine didn't have a headache. She and Riven left the assembly and went to the East Wing. After arguing, Viperine disappeared with Bloom and Beatrix.

Sky already knew her well, knew exactly what she was capable of. Automatically, he knew she was lying to get rid of something. But what about Riven? What did he have to gain by lying for Viperine?

"They're lying," Terra said, not accepting that answer. "Viperine wasn't even in Alfea. She has to be involved with Bloom's disappearance."

"Why would I lie?" Viperine asked, shrugging. "What would I get out of it?"

Sky crossed her arms. That was her very first question. Viperine was up to something big, he was sure of it. What was she up to, then, Sky would find out... Whatever it takes.

◈

BEATRIX NEVER IMAGINED that Alfea would still have some use from when it was a military place. However, she noticed that they still kept things the same, but now they had classes.

She was held in a huge cell in a shed at the back of the school, guarded by several specialists. Apparently, now he must be some kind of criminal.

The empty cell echoed his best cries of pain, feigned as Dowling tried to search his mind. Lightning streaks outside. Even so, maybe his screams were heard, or not. It didn't matter since she was sure the specialists stationed outside the shed would whisper about them in the morning.

"Farah, she's not going to talk," Silva said, slightly uncomfortable with the shouting.

"I can make you," he replied, his eyes gleaming.

"You're hurting her," he insisted.

"What I'm doing is pushing my way through her mental defenses, it's painless," she explained. "That's a scene."

Beatrix smiled her biggest mischievous smile, getting up from the bed and facing the Alfea director and the specialist director. Chills ran through Silva's body.

"Will anyone believe you?" asked Beatrix wickedly. "I have my doubts. My story is better. That's what they'll whisper through the halls when this is over. They'll say. Beatrix was troublesome, everyone knew it, but the director was totally obsessed."

Dowling cut in sternly, "Callum was attempting to assist you. Why did you kill him?"

"'Dowling went to her cell every night and poked violently at her fragile mind,'" she continued hissing.

"You're not fragile at all," he advanced. "Where did you go with Bloom? Did she help you break into my office?"

"Beatrix's screams echoed through the school."

"The burns have been there since she arrived," she reminded her, ignoring her. "Does it have something to do with them? "

"'Then one night, the screaming stopped,'" she concluded. "No one knows what happened to the poor girl, but everyone knows the culprit."

Beatrix knew she wouldn't be able to stop Dowling from seeing her memories; she already knew very well where she'd been and who she'd seen.

"Who is the snake?" ordered Dowling. "You took Bloom to Aster Dell and had a snake with you."

The same snake that tried to strangle me, thought Silva. It was a Medusa, an evil creature that should have been extinct by now. There was no record of a Medusa in the last decade. Where did that one come from? And how had he arrived in Alfea? But why?

"You know there's a Medusa walking around Alfea, don't you?" Dowling said, Beatrix didn't answer. "Who is she?"

"I don't know," she hissed.

"Yes, you do." She didn't accept it. "Terra was so insistent that Viperine was with you. Should I investigate her next?"

"Medusas are extinct," said Beatrix. "They were all murdered in cold blood by people like you."

Dowling took a step back, Beatrix's words taking her by surprise. Silva swallowed, a series of strange shivers hitting him. He felt as if he was being watched... But there was no one there without him, Farah, and Beatrix.

"Wasn't that the story you wanted to hear, Headmistress?" Beatrix teased. "I'll try harder for the next night."

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9.21.22

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