The S.T.F. Files, Book 4: DIATON

Family

Riza

I paced back and forth. Something was not right. I just could feel it.

“Riza, do you need me to get March to sit up here, you can’t seem to concentrate?”

“No no no,” I insisted to ‘Gretto for about the millionth time, “I just need to concentrate”

“There’s something on your mind. You never pace, especially while flying. What’s wrong?” ‘Gretto hit auto pilot and put his headset around his neck. I did the same with mine.

I really didn’t know what to say at the moment, I just said the first thing that I could think of, “maybe Damien was right, it was gonna be easier with Meteors!”

‘Gretto looked at me dumbfounded, “what the hell?”

I used that opportunity to dash out of the room and to the back of the plane. Everyone looked at me funny, but I didn’t care.

The door to the bathroom was slammed shut and locked. I rolled up my sleeves and tried to use water to wash off the scars. They still were there.

“Why won’t you go away?!” I shouted at them. I soon dug through the first aid kit and took the knife for the gauze wrap and cut a line dead center through both of them. They then disappeared.

“Huh…I can’t believe that worked…” I looked at my clean forearms with astonishment. There had to be something wrong. Was I dreaming?

I pinched myself but nothing happened. I tried and tried again. Nothing.

There was a knocking on the bathroom door, “Riza, is everything okay in there? They sky just turned blood red again.” Damien sighed, “please tell me you’re not doing anything stupid.”

“Not at all” I state. “I’m fine. I really am” I stare at my image in the mirror while panting heavily. What was wrong with me? Why was this so hard?

I blink and see Elizabeth in the mirror. There was nothing left for me to do but scream. I must have been going crazy.

The image leaps out of the mirror—it was her! How did she get here? She tackles and strangles me down against the bathroom door. I could barely breathe.

"Riza! Open up! What's going on?!" Damien pounded on the door behind me. I couldn't do anything. I tried my best to push Elizabeth off of me, but nothing worked.

She smiled a cocky grin that was more cocky and evil than 'Gretto's and Nada's combined. "How does it feel like to be losing?"

"G-g-get off m-me." I choke out. My vision was rapidly fading. There was nothing left to do. Damien continuously banged on the door.

"Riza stay down!" I finally heard. It was Dimitri. A fist bombarded right through the door and grabbed the doorknob from the inside. The door was yanked open and I fell to Dimitri's feet. Damien was about to jump onto Elizabeth before a bubble appears around her and she disappears.

I cough and curl up against Dimitri's legs. He grabs me and holds me next to him, healing my wounds. My legs were too shaky so I fell right into him. I couldn't stand. I could barely hold onto him.

I continue to cough as I regain strength. I did my best to balance on my own. It was hard.

It was the way Dimitri held me that was irritating. By that, I mean amazing—no. No. It was horrible.

It must have been something Sam did. It must have been. It had to have been.

Everything but my heart was after Dimitri. He was irresistible now. He wasn't mine. 'Gretto is mine. Aly has him. I don't like him. My past keeps trying to catch up. But I've changed. I know I have changed. 'Gretto...