SELCOUTH | FATE: THE WINX SAGA

13

"You're a changeling?!" I shouted at the new information.

"Why are you surprised? You already knew." Musa looked at me with a raised eyebrow. 

"I think I'd remember my suite-mate being a changeling." I laughed, returning to my salad.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Aisha leant forward in her chair.

"Yeah...I'm gonna go find Riven." I announced, leaving the room.

⏣

As I walked through the main hall I happened to glance up at the balcony.

My eyes landed on Riven and Beatrix laughing together and  standing awfully close.

When I had texted Riven earlier he had told me he had plans with Sky...but there he was. Not with Sky.

He made eye contact with me and offered me a smile to which I replied with an eye roll.

Riven furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before I walked off.

I walked straight out of the school and came to a stop at the end of the path.

I debated heading to my usual spot at the specialist training area but decided that I wanted to be alone and people would find me too easily.

I walked up to the barrier and ran my fingers along it.

Blue ripples erupting from my fingertips.

"Ava?!" Riven's voice shattered the silence.

I turned to look at him but he was looking around - he hadn't found me yet.

I pushed through the border and started to run deeper into the woods.

As I ran I began to think.

Just friends? Just friends? Yeah right and I'm the heir to a kingdom.

I heard Riven's voice faintly behind me.

Am I forgetting things? How would I forget Bloom is a changeling?

My pace picked up.

My father. My fucking father. God the next time I see him he's going to learn what the noise of a head being torn in two sounds like.

My breathing quickened.

What does Dowling know about my father. She definitely knows something but won't tell me.

How can I be so stupid?

To trust people I don't know.

To...To fall in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way back and would rather flirt with girls behind my back then deny it to me than admit he doesn't like me.

All the emotions and thoughts I had had over the past few days started to build up until I couldn't breathe.

"Fuck!" I screamed, coming to a stop.

I looked around at where I was but all I could see was trees and shadows.

I didn't even care that I was lost and that shocked me deeply;

When I first came to this school I couldn't be outside of a barrier for five minutes without having a panic attack...but here I was, stood in the middle of nowhere and I was fine...well if you call running away from everybody and wanting to kill your father, fine.

I felt my breathing slow to normal as I readjusted my skirt.

"God." I muttered, running my hands over my face.

A twig snapped behind me but I didn't turn.

"Ava?" Riven's voice filled my ears.

I felt my breathing pick up again.

"What?!" I spun round.

"What's wrong?" Riven stepped closer.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?!" I marched over to him so we were centimeters apart.

"You told me you saw nothing in Beatrix, that she was a friend! But I see you, once again, acting like you're in a fucking long-term relationship!" I shouted, my chest visibly rising and falling.

"Ava...I'm telling you...we are just friends." Riven tried to put his hand on my arm.

"Me or her, Riven?" I asked him.

"What?" Riven looked surprised.

"Me or her?" I asked again, confidence rising.

"You're crazy." Riven muttered, shaking his head.

"Maybe I am, but at least I'm not fucking prancing around with other people while leading someone on!" I pushed his chest making him stumble back.

"You know what?" Riven sighed.

"What?" I asked, daring him to cross me.

"I chose Beatrix." Riven stated.

I smirked.

"Surprise surprise." I laughed.

"You're fucking insane." He told me.

"You don't know the half of it." I shook my head.

"Whatever." Riven started to walk away.

I grabbed his shoulder and spun him.

As he turned to face me I struck my fist across his face, knocking him to the ground.

"The fuck?" Riven looked up at me, his hand on his eye.

"I'm crazy, remember?" I stepped over him, making sure to kick his body as I went.

Little did I know, as I walked away, someone followed along behind me, staying in the trees and out of site.

Someone who was meant to be dead.