Stina's Story

Chapter one I guess

I'm staring at the ceiling, only half paying attention to what Sophie was asking Rayni. I'm on assignment for Team Valiant, asking Rayni if she had ever heard of Elysian. Sophie, Fitz, Keefe, Marella, and Maruca had returned from there recently, finding an elf who had been banished centuries ago because her ability had been deemed too dangerous.
At this point I'm done trying to be nice. The only way for me to help people feel better is to be who they expect me to be. And it saves me being hit by my mom. Yes, she hits me. Of all the secrets I keep, that's number 3: that my mother is abusive. Number two being the fact that I've loved Dex since I met my him, and number 1 being the incident when I was four.
"Stina, I'm sorry if you find this boring, but try to pay at least some attention," Sophie scolds.
"Yes ma'am," I reply automatically, snapping back to attention.
She gives me a strange look and I blush, looking at the floor now.
Every once in a while I slip up and say something polite or respectful; I know what her response will be.
"Don't be sarcastic please."
I sigh internally. It's always the same. No one can believe that I'm actually sincere. I'm a Heks, how could I be?
"Yes, be respectful to your superior Stina," Rayni baits. She wants a reaction, I'm not about to give her the satisfaction of one.
She looks over at Dex as he asks her another useless question. I can tell she likes him, or at least wants him.
Not going to react. Not going to say anything.
She starts playing with a lock of hair with a faint smile on her lips. She's flirting with him, but knowing Dex, he won't notice.
"Gisela was very careful about what she said around us, though she once muttered 'legacy' in her sleep."
"When were you around her when she was asleep?" Biana asks.
"She once fell asleep on the couch of our hideout."
"There were multiple hideouts?" Wylie clarifies.
"Yes, I don't know how many though."
"Do you know who all was in your hideout with you?" Dex asks.
Rayni waved an arm around to demonstrate the vagueness of her information. "There was two guys and another girl. I never saw any of them without their hoods on, but I'm sure none of the guys were as cute as you." She winks at him.
This, even Dex can't ignore. He blushes and stutters.
Don't react. Don't say anything.
"And I'm sure the girl was twice as pretty as you and maybe actually intelligent."
The words come out of my mouth, somehow escaping my filter.
Rayni opens her mouth to say something back but Sophie interrupts her.
"Can you two please just get along for five minutes?!"
"What if you told everyone why you hate me?" Rayni suggests.
"I don't hate you." I say truthfully, looking her in the eyes.
She rolls them and retorts, "you're a Heks, you hate everybody and everything that doesn't bow to your almighty will."
Out of the corner of my eye I see Dex hiding a smile. This breaks my heart more than anything Rayni said.
Put the shovel down I tell myself. I clench my jaw and look away, reddening from embarrassment. I know this is the reaction everyone wants so I give it to them.
It isn't enough for Rayni. She stalks over to stand in front of me.
She reaches toward my necklace chain and holds out the locket attached to it, which holds pictures of my best friend, her sister.
"I remind you of her, don't I? That's why you hate me." She whispers loud enough that the others can hear it.
"No," I whisper back, swallowing a sob. "It's why I can't hate you, no matter what you do or say to me."
Tears start rolling down her cheeks. I have a sudden longing to hug her, to comfort her, like she once did for me when I was younger.
"Maybe," Sophie says quietly. "It's more of a question of why you hate her."
"I hate her," Rayni whispers.
Here we go...
"Because she murdered my sister."