✔ 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝔹𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕦𝕤 Fate: The Winx Saga

12. Protective Shadows

Sky

I race after Octavia, desperate to calm her down. We really need to talk about her running from her problems, both metaphorically and literally. My hands are still stinging, blood dripping heavily. Shit. They should have closed up by now. I glance up seeing Riven and I have reached the barrier.

"Fuck!" Riven shouts out.

"She must have gone through." I say hastily, rushing forwards to cross myself.

"No, Sky- wait. Your hands"

I whip around, protests already falling out of my mouth but when I look down at the injuries. I freeze. They're covered in black veins. As if they had been filled with tar. My stomach churns at the thought. What the hell is going on Tavi?

"Find Harvey and send Silva after me if I take longer than an hour." Riven says, clasping my shoulder.

I look at him - really look at him - his eyes are pleading, glancing between me and the blackened flesh. I tense at the desperation in his eyes. This is his way of apologising, he would never say it out loud but- he needs this. He needs to do this. To help someone.

"Go" please trust me to do this. He says.

I nod, watching as he breaks back into a sprint. Riven crosses the barrier and I stay still, waiting till he is out of sight before turning back to school.

My hands have gone numb but I can feel a burning sensation begin to fill the blackened veins. Tavi has got a shit load of explaining to do. I make it back to the courtyard, fairies and specialists alike are hanging out. Fuck- weekend. They'll all be out of class and filling the hallways. They can't see me like this, they'll ask questions. About how I got injured. How Tavi did this. Why did she do it. They'll think she's a threat. I turn hastily, walking as fast as I can to the specialist block.

"What happened to you?" A cocky feminine voice asked.

I looked to my left seeing a short redhead with dark lipstick smirking at me.

"Excuse me?" I ask, glancing around only to see we were the only ones on the path.

"Your hands." She arches a manicured eyebrow in question. She drops the smirk, her staring blue eyes darkening. "I know those marks anywhere."

I tense, feeling the air around me crackle to life. How-

"Octavia." She drawls, " and I are old friends."

I straighten up, angling into a fighting stance as my instincts roar to life.

"I don't know what- or who you are talking about." My voice is low and dark. That ridiculous smirk curls over her face.

"Oh?" She steps toward me. "So you have been trailing after my friend for the last week and a half like a lost puppy?"

I pause, glaring at her. Some dark primal instinct rises. Who does she think she is? How dare she threaten what is mine.

"Where is she?" She asks, her voice low. But her eyes- something small and dark flickers there. Wrath builds at her tone.

"Listen, and listen well." I demand, stalking towards her.

"I don't know who you are." She opens her mouth mockingly to respond. "And I don't care." I snap and she stops with a pout. "Whatever you think is going on, isn't. Stay away from me and my friends. Or so help me Helios, I will rip your fucking heart out."

She blinks.

Shock contorts her features. For a second, just a second, I see a rage similar to mine burning in her eyes. Then it's gone, replaced with that condescending look.