Tears of Blood (wlw)

riley

DEVYN POV

"I don't know why this keeps happening. How many times do I have to tell Sage and her minions that Andrea has nothing to do with the attacks. How do they even jump to these conclusions?" I rant to Yaseer as we head down the stairs and into the foyer.

"I want to believe that Sage has good reason. She is not stupid enough to take her for no reason." He replies.

"You don't understand. This has happened before, I think she just has something against Andrea."

"Devyn?"

"What?"

"I want to say something, but I'm afraid you won't like it." Yaseer takes a seat and I sit across from him.

"You can always say whatever you want."

"I'm concerned about your feelings for Andrea."

"What does that mean?"

"I think they're getting in you way. I think you're distracted." He fold his hands and looks at me with a stern look.

"Yaseer, you hardly know her. She's done more for me, than most of my family. She makes me feel..."

"Good. She makes you feel good. And I'm happy for you, but I just have this gut feeling, and it's not great. Something just isn't right. You feel too strongly for her, to the point where your love for her and your duty as an Ackerman may be blurred."

"I can't believe you're saying this! She's made me better-"

"I can only suggest and advise, it's up to you to do whatever you want. All I know is that things are going to get dark real soon, so you'd better get your mind straight." He gets up and leaves me sitting on the couch.

Fuck this.

I grab my car keys and I'm about to walk out when I hear someone call my name.

"Devyn?" Riley stands on the first step of the staircase clutching her nose.

"What happened?" I ask as I realize that blood was oozing out of her nose.

"I think my nose is broken."

"How? Why? Let me see." I run up to her and bend down to check on her nose.

"Riley!" Father's voice echoes in the hall. My jaws clench at the sudden understanding.

"Riley, was it father?" I ask in a quiet whisper. Tears roll down her cheeks as she looks down the hall to see our father standing there. He grunts and walks towards his office. My head spins with rage. I pick her up and place her in my car.

"We're going to get that fixed up, okay? It's going to be fine. You're the strongest out of all of us."

I drive to the hospital and Riley doesn't utter a word the whole ride there. The nearest hospital to us had a whole wing designated to the royal family. I hated it because we could use all that space to help actual patients, but my father keeps it.

"Ms.Ackerman, come this way." Before I could enter from the other side, the staff spots me and helps us in.

"Riley thinks she broke her nose, while playing, and I brought her here as fast as I could."

"Thank you, we'll have her looked at right away."

They place us in a room while the doctor checked Riley. This whole side of the hospital was empty. I took a walk around the halls to calm my nerves but nothing helped.

After a few hours, Riley is discharged and she falls asleep, so I carry her back into the car, letting her sleep in the backseat.

We head back home and I think of everything I want to say to our father. The road seems blurry as tears fill my eyes. I tuck her into bed when we arrive home. Kissing her forehead, I close her bedroom door when I spot Father.