Chapter 13 - Riley
I was leaving my office and heading down the hallway to exit. But I found Janella sitting on the bench.
“Janella, what are you doing here?”
She gave me a soft smile. “I thought we could go have lunch.”
“Oh, that's nice. I'm starving. What were you thinking?”
Janella wrapped her arm around mine, and we walked together as one. She beamed as she stepped, humming something.
I pushed the door open, and as we stepped outside, I froze. I noticed there were bodies all over the ground, and blood was pouring out of them. My eyes widened. “Oh, my god.”
Then a sharp pain stabbed me in the back, and I tumbled forward. Laughter filled the air, and I turned to look at Janella. She had a knife in her hands that was covered in my blood.
“Janella, what did you do?”
“What had to be done.” She twirled the knife, and pain started to shoot down my spine. “You really shouldn’t open up so easily, Riley. You never know who’s going to stab you in the back.”
“Why would you do this? This isn't you.”
She gave me that wicked grin again. “That’s just it, Riley. This is me. This was all part of the plan.”
I jerked up in my sleep, gasping for air. I quickly reached for my lamp and flipped it on. The room lit up, and I stared looking around in a panic. I could feel my heart racing, and I was sweating all over. What the hell!?
It was a nightmare, but it felt so real. She looked so much like herself and yet twisted at the same time.
I showered, hoping it would help put the nightmare behind me. But it didn’t. I kept replaying it over and over in my head. The look in her eyes and the knife in her hand.
I headed to the office early. I tried to shake the feeling off because it was just a nightmare. I knew Janella, and she wasn't like that. She might have had a mouth on her, but that was as far as the evil went.
Philip, my Beta, came into my office. “Hey, Riley.”
“What?” I snapped.
Philip froze in the doorway. “Okay, someone's a little grumpy today.”
I rubbed at my forehead. “No, I just didn't sleep well. What is it you need?”
“I was just letting you know it was lunch time. Do you want me to run out and grab you anything, or do you have your lunch figured out already?”
I shook my head. “I have my lunch. You go.”
He paused in the doorway for a moment. “You sure you're okay? Need to talk about anything?”
I told Philip pretty much everything that went down. He was my right-hand guy when I needed anything. But even this was something I didn’t want to talk about. “I’m fine. Head out for lunch.”
He gave me a wave, and I turned, looking outside my window. I drummed my fingers on my chair. I should probably get out of my office and go for a walk. Maybe that would help with my mood.
I left my office and headed to the park across the street. I waved at some pack members but tried to keep my talking to a minimum. I could tell my irritation was getting the better of me.
And then I spotted her. She was standing at the far end of the park by herself. She had a book in her hands while she was holding her other hand up. I frowned, realizing that she was training.
Why hadn't she told me she was training? And why was she training alone? I figured she would have asked another witch for help. Or at least someone.
I headed in her direction, and I could hear her talking to herself the closer I got. “Okay, it says to relax your muscles. Allow your mind to shift into a calm and safe space. Think about something happy.”
“What are you doing?”
Janella jumped, the book flew from her hands, and she turned, looking at me with wide eyes. “Jesus Christ. Don't you know not to sneak up on people like that?”
“You're out in public. You should have expected that someone was going to come up to you and ask what you were doing, Janella.”
She grabbed her book and slammed it shut. “No one has come and bothered me.”
“You still haven't answered my questions. What are you doing?”
“I'm training.”
“Why are you training here?”
“Because it said to go to a quiet location and someplace within nature. I figured this was a perfect location.”
“Why didn't you tell me you were training?”
She pulled herself up. “Why does it matter? You're not a witch, so you can't help me.”
“You don't know that I can't help you.”
She sighed. “If I want your help, Riley, I'll ask.” She grabbed the book and started to walk away. I crossed my arms, my mind thinking back to the nightmare.
The next three days, I found her at the park during my lunch break. Each time, I wondered why she wasn't asking for help. Every time I was going to head over, she was magically gone.
By day four, I was just straight out annoyed.
She hadn’t asked for my help. Refused to talk about it at the house when I asked.
She almost seemed to be avoiding me about it.
And that damn nightmare kept looming over me like a dark cloud.
I stormed out of my office and made my way over to where she was sitting on the ground with her damn book.
“Alright, this is enough.”
She looked up from her book. “Excuse me?”
“You can't just sit out here alone all by yourself like this.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
“Because it's weird. You should have someone working with you. Someone watching you.”
She frowned. “Riley, I'm perfectly fine training by myself. I'm not even bothering anyone.”
“You're bothering me.”
“How?”
“You just are, so either move or invite me to help you.”
“Fine, I'll just move.”
“You can't move.”
“Jesus, did someone shit in your breakfast for something? Why are you making such a big deal about this?”
“Because you shouldn't be practicing by yourself. I told the Council members that I would watch after you, and you keep sneaking around to do this.”
She waved a hand. “How is this sneaking? I'm out in the middle of the park. Anyone can see me.”
I grabbed her book. “No, more practicing by yourself.”
“Give me my book back, Riley.” She got up and reached for the book, but I held it out of her reach. “You are acting insane.”
“You can have it back later.”
“Riley, give it back.” She shoved, trying to grab at the book, but I only held it up higher.
“No.”
She pulled her hands up, and suddenly a wave of electricity hit me, and I went fumbling back a few steps. I couldn't catch myself as I landed hard on my ass.
Janella's eyes were wide as she stood stunned. She looked down at her hands and then back at me. The book was now on the ground in the middle of us.
“Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it!”
I blinked, processing what just happened. I smiled. She just used her magic on me. “Oh my god! You just used your magic.”
She looked at me like I was crazy. “Are you insane! Did you not just see what I did to you?”
“You used your magic.” I pulled myself up and hurried towards her. “You used it. Did you see that! I went flying like two feet!”
“Yeah, I know! Because I just fricking threw you.” She reached up. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry. I don’t even know how I did that.”
“Stop apologizing.” I pulled her into my arms. “You have magic, Riley! You pulled it out and everything.”
She softly smiled, and I could see her eyes start to sparkle with giddiness. I pulled her tighter and leaned in for a kiss. She seemed surprised and sank against me.
We both pulled away, and she had a blush covering her face. She reached down for the book and pulled it tightly to herself.
“Can I please join you for your training? I think I would have a lot to offer you.”
She looked at me. “Why?”
“Because I told the Council I would watch after you, and I want to be there when you have breakthroughs like this.” After watching her for a few days, I felt a tug to be near her. I wanted to spend time with her, and I felt she was pushing me away.
She chewed on her cheek for a moment. “You don't know magic, though.”
“That's okay. I can do whatever you want. Let me help.” I would be happy just sitting with her. I just wanted to be included.
“Why do you want to help me so much?”
“I want you to feel like you belong here, Janella. No offense, but sitting out here by yourself and talking to yourself is a little weird.”
“I wasn't talking to myself.”
“You were,” I corrected. “And I want you to feel like you belong this time. I know you didn't before, but this time is different. So, let me help where I can. Let me help with this. Let me make up for everything. Or at least let me try.”
She sighed. “Fine, but I can refuse any ideas that you have. Understood?”
I nodded, and I watched a small smile form on her lips.