Marlene had been asleep for a day. Dr. Harvey told her friends it was normal, he had given her a sedative for the pain and to also let the disinfectant work to its full extent. They had told Dowling what had happened, that even with a fatal wound, Marlene had drawn on more power than she ever had in class at the stone circle. That she had controlled the weather, she had been lifted off the ground, and she had flown and killed the Burned one.
Dowling also suggested that is why she had been unconscious for so long because she was so drained from her magic usage, but Harvey had reassured them she was going to be fine since the Burned one who had cut her was dead. Though she would have a nasty scar, Stella and Sky had exchanged a knowing look. A scar to match the one on her neck. They wanted to say.
But they remained quiet.
Riven had heard about what had happened the morning after, he had woken up in his bed after the party, not remembering how he got there. A surprise, Alone, also a surprise. And had seen that Sky wasn't there either. He had assumed Sky had slept with Stella or Bloom, he didn't know, and headed down to breakfast as normal. That's when he heard, it was all anyone was talking about.
A first-year had seen Sky and the other girls arrive back at Alfea late last night holding Marlene's bloody body. He didn't believe it at first but then recalled her sudden exit last night, the look of terror when she read the message and that Sky hadn't been there this morning. He got up abruptly and speed walked to her suite.
He banged on the door, once, twice. Terra answered the door.
"What do you want, Riven?" She asked a cold line in her throat, she looked tired, he thought. Tired enough to have been out all night.
"Is it true?" That was all he said and she opened the door further and he saw all of them. Musa, Bloom, and Aisha were all asleep on the sofas in the shared space instead of their beds. He approached Marlene's area of the room and Stella and Sky sat at the bedside, Terra moved to the other side and helped some of the flowers on the night table grow.
"What the fuck happened?" He breathed, Sky turned at the sound of his friend's voice and hugged him. It took Riven by surprise but he briefly hugged him back.
"A Burned one," Stella told him and Riven felt his heart sink.
"She's- she's infected?" He said softly.
"No- she killed it Riv after she had been hurt. She killed it." Sky told him and began to tell Riven the events of last night. All of it, every detail. Terra had left, leaving the three with her still asleep in the bed.
Riven listened to every last word Sky told him. Every little word and more, the way his voice sunk, the way Stella looked as if she were about to break.
"What happened?" He asked once Sky was finished.
"Haven't you been listening?" Stella asked, her voice hard and cold, irritated by his stupid question when he had just been handed all the answers. "Sky just told you everything."
"Not everything, I don't mean what happened last night. What happened to make you care about her so much? What happened to her?" Riven's question took them both by surprise.
"She's our friend isn't that enough?" Stella snapped, trying to keep her voice low from the sleeping girls in the other room.
"Fine." Riven began to dig in his pocket, "What's this then?" He pulled out the newspaper clipping that he had taken off her desk last night before the party. Sky and Stella exchanged a look.
Riven began to read:
Four Orphans Attacked, One Missing. He read, Last December, in the St Bryor Home for Girls five were attacked by an unknown figure. Four of the girls were viciously electrocuted and burned, one remains paralyzed. The fifth remains missing, local authorities remain alert as they believe she jumped out the second-story window.
He held it up. "That was her, wasn't it? She attacked the girls she was living with and paralyzed one then ran away?" Riven said, his voice harsh.
"Where did you get that Riven?" Sky asked his friend and Riven put it on the bed where she slept.
"Does it matter? Your friend is a psycho." He spat.
"That's just an old article Riven, rubbish... You're mad if you think it's her." Sky told him, Riven scoffed.
"Then why did I find it on her desk?" He asked, pointing to the desk in the room, Stella stood.
"You have no idea what you are talking about, you have no fucking idea what she has been through. So keep your mouth shut." She half yelled at him.
"Why? I know enough, she's attacked people, Stella, girls she lived with."
"Who are you to judge her?"
"Riven, listen to me-" Sky told him, "You need to forget you found this. If she wants to tell you, she will but you cannot go asking questions about things you're not supposed to know about." Sky was saying but none of this was making any sense to Riven.
"That is such bullshit- why not just tell me? She will-" Riven was saying when Stella barked out a laugh. Stella glared at the boy, her heart hammering in her chest, her teeth clenched.
"Riven, you will not go asking her questions- do you understand? She has been through enough and if she wants to tell you she will..." She sat back down. "I've seen how she looks at you Riven...Don't ruin that."
Sky turned to his friend, "Please, just help her..." Riven's gaze slid to her, her face soft, her breaths rising and falling slowly, "She's strong Riv, like you. But she's exhausted."
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What do you think Riven will do? Pls vote and comment <3
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S P A R K Y • riven
قصص الهواةBOOK ONE Running away was never the plan, but Marlene couldn't stay after what had happened. After what she had done. A year later, she is going into her second year at Alfea where she is just trying to get by as a normal teenager but she's not norm...
