The Story of Us • Riven

Ch 25: Enchanted

"This was the very first page, not where the storyline ends, my thoughts will echo your name, until I see you again"

I grasped the picture frame in my hand as tears clouded my sight. I had just turned ten, she threw a small little party for me that included the Harveys, Silva and Sky. It was the only birthday party I had and it was the best I could've asked for. 

"You lied to me" I cried. 

I sat in the middle of my room, sobbing. I brought the photo to my chest, pretending I was hugging her. I heard the door open and close, quickly wiping away my tears. 

"Bri?" Gwen said. 

"Yeah" I said. 

"Rosalind wants you in her office" she said. 

I composed myself before opening my door. I immediately noticed Gwen's puffy eyes. 

"Were you crying?" I asked. 

"Um" she said. 

Gwen never cried, never. She was always in a good mood, she was the sunshine of our friend group. 

"What happened?" I asked. 

"Rosalind was trying to see what my skills were" she said. 

I brushed past her and made my way to my mothers old office. I refused to call it Rosalind's because it wasn't hers. Beatrix sat behind the assistants desk as I walked to the door, not bothering to knock. 

"Are you fucking nuts?" I asked. 

"I would watch your language with me" Rosalind said. 

"Or what? You going to torture me?" I asked. "I'm not stupid. I'm known as the daughter of Farah Dowling who 'falsely' imprisoned you. You could've easily expelled me and yet you didn't. Why is that?"

"You are not stupid, so I presume you know truly how powerful you are" she said. "With you and Bloom by my side we could do great things."

"Things that you want?" I said. 

She pursed her lips as I held eye contact. 

"I'm not going to be used as a pawn in game I don't want to play in" I said. 

"Let's see what Farah has taught you" she said. 

I held my head high as she walked towards her door. She turned around, motioning for me to follow. I took a moment before following her out the door. I looked over as Beatrix stood up behind the desk. 

"Do you need me to come?" She asked. 

"No" Rosalind said. "Stay here."

I glared at her before leaving the room. I walked a couple feet behind Rosalind as students and faculty avoided her at all costs. She stopped walking, looking out at the bastion. I looked at Sky who was talking with Oliver. I looked around for Riven until my eyes finally landed on him. He was smiling while talking to Kat. I tried hiding my smile when he turned around and looked at me. 

"It looks as though Andreas is seeing what Saul taught Sky" Rosalind said. "Now, it is my turn."

She continued walking again until we reached Stone Circle. 

"Lets see it" she said. 

I stood there not moving as she smiled. 

"I know you are powerful, Briar. There are no fairies alive that get to say they get me from probing their mind" she said. "I don't mean to gloat but I am the most powerful Mind Fairy, and here you are, the only fairy strong enough to keep me out."

"You could say I was lucky" I said. 

"There is nothing lucky about you" she said. "From what I've gathered, you have used earth, air and water. That leaves light."

"I can't" I said. 

"Bullshit" she said. "You didn't even try when you used earth and air, barely even tried with water. It is second nature to you."

I took a deep breath before holding my hand out. 

"Focus!" She said. 

I got flashbacks of training with my mother as a ball of light appeared. I pushed down the lump in my throat as the light went away. 

"Again!" She said. 

For hours I went over the elements with her until I could barely keep my eyes open. I was able to summon a ball of lightning before collapsing. Rosalind left me alone at the Stone Circle as I tried not to cry. For weeks I tried to compose myself, act as if I was fine in front of everyone. I didn't want to be seen as weak. 

"I don't think this is the best place to cry" Sky said. 

"I don't really have the energy to walk back to my suite" I said. 

I wiped my tears as he held his hand out. 

"I need the fresh air" I said. 

"We haven't really talked since.. ya know" he said. 

"Yeah" I said. "It's okay though."

"It's not" he said. "You're not alone. There's so many people here who care about you and know you're not okay."

"Everyone is making my mum out to be a villain" I said. 

I choked back my tears, looking down at the grass. 

"But we know she wasn't" he said. 

"She hid a lot of things from me but at the end of the day she was still my mother" I said. "Rosalind's psycho so she clearly had a reason to keep her imprisoned."

"Gwen and Millie said you've barely been eating too" he said. 

"Sky, if I want to talk about it I will" I said. "But I just need space."

I stood up, walking past him. I looked up to see Riven standing a few feet away with a blanket in hand. 

"We don't have to talk but I thought it'd be fun to look at the stars" he said. 

I nearly cried just because of the gesture. I nodded, following him to the bastion. Everybody had left, the sun was setting and the stars were beginning to show. The entire time he neither of us talked, laying on the blanket in silence. 

For a few moments, everything that happened meant nothing. I was just laying here with the one person who understood me, watching the stars. There was nothing in the world I would trade this moment for.. Nothing.