Stay

fifteen.

"How dare you just leave like that without telling us?"

"Nadura I-"

"We were worried sick about you!"

"Samirah-"

"We thought the worst had occurred!"

Aaliyah conceded as she realized that neither one of her friends would be willing to let her explain what happened. At least, not until they scolded her into the next millennium.

She jumped when she heard her name."What?"

"Answer us!"

"How can I when you refuse to give me the opportunity to explain myself?"

Samirah and Nadura froze as they turned to look at each other.

"Talk."

Aaliyah rolled her eyes and was about to explain herself when she remembered something that Ta-er al-Safer said back in Russia.

"Were you not told of my being banned from saying anything?"

"Of course." Nadura shrugged. "But this is us. Surely, you could have indirectly informed us that you would be leaving."

Aaliyah felt a headache coming. All she wanted was to walk back in the bathroom and stay there until Oliver sent for her. After a short conversation with Taila - who left not even five minutes after Aaliyah woke up - she'd gone to bathe and put on a change of clothes.

Taila's sudden appearance hadn't bothered her as much as the woman being in her room had. For some reason, she sensed no negative energy surrounding Nyssa's sister. However, Taila's surname was surprising.

Aaliyah assumed Nyssa was an only child.

Yet, there was Taila, which led to the question of why she was not the Heir to the Demon.

Aaliyah made a mental note to ask Oliver the story behind Ra's apparent estranged relationship with his daughters.

"You are okay though, right?" Samirah questioned in a softer tone.

Aaliyah shook her head. "I am fine."

Nadura ever so slightly narrowed her eyes, "There is something different about you."

"What?"

"Never mind," she shook her head and sat down on the edge of Aaliyah's bed. "So...where did you go?"

Aaliyah froze. What was she to tell her? The both of them? She was confident that she was not to share anything that had happened in her absence, but it was so hard to conceal such monumental happenings from her closest friends.

She had a feeling that Samirah would be easier to deceive, but Nadura would be a different story.

She would see right through the lie.

"I do not know the exact location." It wasn't a total lie. She never did learn exactly where in Russia they were staying. "It was modern though. I wore American-like clothing."

"What did you do there?" Samirah asked as she took a seat next to Nadura.

Everything. "Nothing really."

"You honestly mean to tell us that you were gone for an entire week and have nothing of the monument to share?" Aaliyah was taken back by her friend's tone; Nadura was borderline livid. It was natural for her to want to know what happened, but Aaliyah felt as though there was more to her persistence than just friendly concern.

"Why is that so hard to believe?" She countered.

"How easily you have assimilated into the League's customs of withholding the truth." Nadura scoffed and shook her head before raising her left brow. "Or is itWarith's customs?"