Chapter 38 Riley #2
The other witch shrugged her off. “You caused that big scene to what? Get attention? You’re in now, so what do you plan to do?
Dazzle us all with your connection to Hecate?
As if the goddess would even show you the time of day.
” She got close to me again, but this time her face was inches from mine.
She was goading me and I hated to say that it was working.
“Attention?!”
She poked her finger into my shoulder. “Trainwrecks like you will give a bad name to this coven, no matter how hard you work. Stay, go, it doesn’t really matter to me, but you’ll always be looking over your shoulder, knowing that none of us actually trust you!”
“It’s so fucking ironic that you think you know this coven so well!”
“Riley…” Corrin hissed at my side.
I twisted my dampener ring around my finger. I tried to control my breathing, but I was too irritated, too pissed off. Fucking Lena, Chancellor Fowler and now this random bitch who decided that starting a fight with me was a smart move.
Geena snickered. “How about you give River a free pass to spend his time with someone who doesn’t become the school pariah in less than a month.
The poor guy deserves so much better than a lackluster witch.
You must be incredible in bed because everything else is well,” she moved her eyes over me as if she was unimpressed, “less than desired.”
She reached up and tapped my nose with her finger and everything in front of me vibrated. It was like my whole body was shaking. My ring shifted down my finger, the transition smooth and powerful with the way I meticulously tucked it into my front pocket.
Geena started to laugh, but the sound was caught in her throat. Choking sounds came from her, her fingers digging into her neck. She tried to gasp for air but just ended up on her knees, clawing at the ground and eventually looking up at me, an accusatory stare on her face.
Her friends tried to help her, but I didn’t care. I flicked my eyes up to the tree that was beyond the crowd of people, and I watched her body lift up from the ground and get propelled backwards by an invisible force. My invisible force.
I felt Corrin grip my arm, but I yanked away from her, shoving my way through the crowd.
“Miss Monroe!” Jamie yelled behind me.
I finally made it over to Geena who was crumpled on the ground, attempting to pull herself up. I pressed on her legs, keeping her grounded. She reached for her own dampener ring, but I pinned her arms to her sides.
“Tsk, tsk. What was the word you used? Lackluster?” I said the word with a flourish before I forced my power onto her left leg and heard the resounding snap of bone.
“Riley, stop!” I heard Corrin yell, but I ignored her.
“Stay back! Miss Monroe, stop what you’re doing.” Jamie demanded, as if her words meant anything to me. All I saw was red.
Suddenly, branches from the tree Geena was pressed against wrapped around me and started to rip me away from her.
They dug into my arms and chest. I whipped my head around, seeing Jamie move her hands in a fluid motion.
I scowled, feeling heat rise in my body.
Tiny sparks of flames scattered along the branches and those small flames became larger, wrapping around me.
The tree branch burned and eventually fell away.
I flicked my hand back sending Jamie sailing backwards.
Collective gasps and screams echoed but I didn’t hear them.
I was tired of everyone trying to undermine me.
I was tired of feeling like I had control just for the rug to be pulled out from under me.
I was tired of all the surprises I didn’t fucking ask for.
Geena wasn’t worth any of my effort. River would never want her and she was just a mean girl with nothing better to do than to put me down.
I knew all of that. Yet, I felt flames leave my fingertips and hit her jeans. I didn’t want to stop it. My other hand touched the ground and a trail of red and orange flames followed along the leaves and dirt, creating a separation between me and them.
“You have no idea what I’m capable of,” I gritted through my teeth. Geena writhed on the ground, the fire burning through her jeans and likely starting to hit her flesh.
A disturbing sensation hit my mind. It felt like someone was rifling around in there and I couldn’t stop it.
Different memories of mine were brought to the front.
Marianne’s bloody body. The vision of my dad falling out his window and the agony of me watching it.
The hurt I’d felt with my mom, Grayson, even fucking Asher.
My brain felt violated and like whoever was doing this was searching for something.
Wait, they weren’t searching. They were picking and choosing, plucking different memories and it made the flames worse.
I took my hands away from Geena and landed on my ass, shuffling backwards, needing it to stop. Pieces of my mind were being trifled with and I wanted to dig my fingers into my head to make it stop. This had happened to those witches Chancellor Fowler took, which meant whoever helped him was…here.
A loud howl penetrated the air and paws scraped along the ground. Beyond the flames I saw red eyes, which looked past me. I knew Mateo was looking at Corrin, almost like even as the alpha, they wanted her direction on what to do.
Mom! Tell them to open up the door. I need to be with you! I heard Beau in my head, but he was too far away right now. I tried to tune him out.
“Holy fuck! Wolves!” a witch cried.
“Did she bring them here?” another one speculated.
Riley, what the fuck is going on? Answer me, please! River’s voice in my head caused my breathing to stutter. Beau only acted up when I was in trouble and River was with him, so of course my boyfriend would think using his telepathy was necessary.
I—I…. I tried to think back, but my mind was too chaotic, it was too wild to concentrate on communicating.
“Fucking Seth, do it!” Someone screamed.
I didn’t know what was happening until a layer of water fell over us, cold and heavy.
Seth must have had the power over water.
It shook me to my core and I shivered, the memories going dormant and my mind becoming quiet again.
I heard Geena’s whimpering cries, clasping my hands over my mouth, trying to piece together everything I’d done.
I needed to get out of there. I needed help. I needed to leave.
Before I could gather my bearings, a shadowy figure embraced me and wrapped up in its wisps of darkness. The black smoke was one I knew and the last thing I saw before Grayson shadowed me away was Corrin’s face.
For the first time since we met, she looked scared of me.