The Dragon Stone ↣ Riven ↢

31: That's What Friends Are For

This was the one Rose had been after and a tremor of panic rippled through her body at the idea of the two of them being after the same thing - whatever that might be, she wasn't even sure herself - and she hoped it didn't show on her face.

Rose believed the book could help her figure out what language she had seen engraved in the walls of the ancient fire fairy cave as that was now the starting point of her investigation. It was just something about that cave that led her to believe it was connected to whatever was happening right now and though it wasn't much to go on, it was better than nothing. However, it wasn't clear to her how this book could be of value to Beatrix.

Rose slowly tilted her head to the side, contemplating on how to answer. "I am actually. But my guess is that you're not just going to hand it over."

The sly smile on Beatrix' face turned into a vicious grin as she took a few steps forward. "No. It's all yours," she said as she held out the book in front of her so Rose could grab it.

It was way too suspicious. Beatrix wasn't a nice person and she certainly never had been this helpful before. Why did she even have the book in the first place?

Rose reluctantly stretched out her arm but as her hand touched the book, Beatrix' grip tightened. "Though you should know, if you want to find out more about yourself and the secrets from your past, I'm the person who can help you."

The words caught Rose off guard, and she had to resist the urge to laugh. In what world could Beatrix be the solution to her problems and what the hell was going on?

Rose knew she couldn't trust her but after prying the book out of Beatrix' death grip, her curiosity got the better of her and she took the bait. "Why do you think you can help me? You don't even know what's going on."

"You're looking for answers."

Well, that part is obvious since I've been dedicating all my free time to frantic searches in the library, Rose thought cynically. "Answers to what?"

"You tell me."

Uhm, no. Definitely not.

Rose just rolled her eyes, making it clear that that wasn't going to happen but as she started to walk away, Beatrix grabbed her wrist. "You're in way over your head and you need help. Right now, I'm your best shot."

Rose contemplated ignoring her, walking away without glancing back, but something inside of her told her to stay. Desperation. Her search had been fruitless, and she was desperate for the tiniest bit of progression. But she still had to be careful.

She let out an exasperated sigh before prying her arm loose. "How could you know what I need?"

"Because I have eyes. The effect is all over you, Rose. You'd have to be blind, deaf and mentally challenged to not notice the change in your behaviour. It's what power does. Greed. You want more. Don't lie to me, I recognise the signs."

Oh, god. She really does know. Rose could feel the panic building up inside of her again, but she tried to seem uninterested. She was failing though. "So now what? You're going to help me solve my power problem?" She hesitated for a few seconds. "Seems very uncharacteristic of you."

Beatrix gave her that familiar fake smile, a smile so cold it sent chills up her spine. "Of course. That's what friends are for."

The two of them were definitely not friends, but before Rose could even react, Beatrix continued, "And more importantly, I'd like to know what power I'm up against."

Her voice was bitter and sharp, her eyes slitted and Rose realised her offer was purely out of self-interest. But she didn't care. Maybe a little help of the evillest person she knew was exactly what she needed to get answers.