Blood

Chapter Twenty Nine: Unspoken Truths

I crept through the halls, my footsteps careful and deliberate. The moonlight streamed through the windows, casting long, twisted shadows along the stone floor. The dorms were eerily quiet, the silence wrapping around me like a shroud. This was the first time I had ventured out like this, and I had no intention of being caught. Alistair had a way of keeping tabs on everyone, and I needed this to stay under the radar.

Approaching Riona’s window, I knocked softly, my heart picking up a beat. The last thing I wanted was for her to turn me away or make this harder than it already was. We just started talking recently so I had no idea how she would react. She was the first person that came to my mind when I was thinking of who to go to for assistance in finding 'Him'.

After a moment, the window creaked open, and her tired eyes peered through the dark. The suspicion in her gaze was immediate, but there was also a trace of curiosity.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered, her voice barely audible in the night.

I forced a grin, trying to appear more confident than I felt. “There's something I need to talk to you about. I would appreciate it if you opened up before Alistair catches me here and nails me to the wall.”

Riona's expression didn’t soften, but she opened the window enough for me to slip inside. I climbed through, feeling the cool night air rush in with me. Her room was just as neat as I imagined it would be—no surprises, no distractions. Just the essentials, just her.

I moved toward her bed and sat down next to her, but I kept a careful distance. It wasn’t that she was standoffish; it was just that Riona liked her space, and I wasn’t about to cross any lines.

"So," she started, eyeing me with a mix of amusement and suspicion, "you and Lira now, huh? That's nice."

I blinked, caught off guard by her words. This wasn’t how I thought the conversation would start. "What are you talking about?" I stammered, a little confused. "Alistair paired us, not me. Besides, I’m here for something else."

Riona raised an eyebrow. "Something else?" she repeated, the curiosity in her voice sharpening.

“Yeah,” I said, trying to regain my composure. “I overheard Alistair say something about ‘him’ being back and us not being ready to take him on. Do you have any idea about what he could’ve meant?”

Her eyes drifted toward the ceiling, her mind already working through the possibilities. "No, not really. Alistair was never the best at sharing important information," she admitted.

"I think we should do some digging around," I said, turning to face her fully. "You're a witch, right?"

Riona’s lips twitched with mild amusement. "Most of us here are. The heartstone usually picks witches, warlocks or mages as its protector because we're the most powerful."

"Yeah, yeah," I replied, rolling my eyes. "You don't have to rub it in."

She studied me for a moment, her expression unreadable. "You're not a warlock?"

I shook my head. "I’m not."

She raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Then what are you?"

I leaned back against the wall, a slight tension in my shoulders. “We’ll talk about what I am later. For now, we need to know what’s going on.”

Riona snorted, lying down on her bed. "Ask Galen, then. He’s usually keen on doing anything that he’s not supposed to be doing. I’m pretty sure this qualifies as one of the things we shouldn’t be doing."

I shook my head. "I don’t want to involve him. He’s a bit… extra. He’ll take it too far and get us all in trouble."

Riona’s expression turned to amusement, and she raised her hands in mock surrender. "Fair enough. Then why don’t we just do it ourselves?"

"We could," I agreed, "but we would need backup in case we encounter ‘him’ first."

She thought about it for a moment, then casually suggested, “So Aiden, then? He'll be the best suited if we ever encounter trouble.”

I groaned inwardly at the thought of Aiden. “Ewww, no. He’ll make it all about himself and try to prove a point that he’s better than the rest of us.”

Riona stifled a laugh at my expression, but I wasn’t kidding. Aiden’s ego was something I wouldn't want to deal with alongside whoever 'he' was.

"Kaelin is still new," I said. "She wouldn’t want to get herself into trouble in her first semester. I think that leaves us with Isolde or Lira."

Riona tilted her head. “I think Isolde would be better suited. Her ice mage powers would come in handy.”

I hesitated. Isolde was powerful, but she also terrified me. “I agree,” I said, “but she scares me. She’s the type of person who can murder in cold blood and not break a sweat.”

“Fair point. I guess we’re down with Lira, then.” Riona said sounding a bit disappointed. It really felt like she wanted anyone else other than Lira.

I nodded. “I’ve worked with her before. She’ll be on board. Unless there’s a reason why you don’t want us to go for her.”

Riona shrugged, unconcerned. “Nope. There isn’t. Go ahead.”

I stood up, stretching my arms. “Alright, thanks. I don’t know how we could find out who ‘he’ is, but I think I know where to look. Give me a sec. Let me go brief Lira about our suspicions.”

I made my way to the window, my heart pounding a little faster than it should’ve.

Just before I stepped out, I turned back to look at her. Riona had already settled back into her bed, her eyes closed, but I could feel her gaze linger on me, like she was watching me a little more closely than usual.

I pushed it out of my mind, it could be my subconscious playing tricks on me. I went out the window and before I could get to my dorm, I saw Kaelin.