The Survival of Four

Chapter 48

I laid there on the ground as the pain in my head increased. The black spots danced across my sight once again which was already blurry and unfocused. I stared into her bright, familiar blue eyes as she stood over me with my bronze, bloody sword grasped tightly in her hand. "You'll be dead before you know it."

I knew that voice. It was all too familiar. I pictured the face that seemed arrogant at times then innocent and naïve at others, in my mind. The sapphire eyes were so familiar to me because she shared the same ones as her brother. We trusted her, but for the wrong reasons. We gave her our trust because she was Dylan's sister and the daughter of Zeus, not because she had given us a reason to trust her. We had all been blindsided...the archer was Avrey.

#

I jerked up from the mattress as I woke up from the dream. I remembered who it was. I remember that night and what had happened. She wanted control. She wanted power. We were all standing by her side, not knowing her true intentions for coming to Safe Haven. She was so close to us. She already had everyone's trust. She could easily get the power she wanted—being Zeus' daughter. If she killed Kyle, myself, Dylan and Carson, she would have the right to watch over Safe Haven. She would be the only demigod with powers.

My breathing came out in pants as my heart pounded in my head. A sharp pain struck through my skull at my quick movement, causing me to cry out in pain. I quickly kicked the blankets off me, too eager to tell Kyle that I remembered the night before last. I reached toward the nightstand, knowing there was a lamp I could turn on to light up the dark space around me. I fumbled with the light and accidentally knocked a glass off the nightstand I hadn't known was there. The glass clattered to the floor, luckily not shattering, and water splashed across the ground.

Just a moment later, the guest bedroom door slammed open and the light switch was flipped on. Kyle quickly scanned the room, accessing the situation. "What's wrong? What happened?" He started between my frantic state and the water on the floor.

"I remember, Kyle," I explained immediately. "I know who the archer is."

He furrowed his eyebrows and wheeled his wheelchair toward me. "What? Who is it?"

My breathing continued to come out heavy and quick. "It's Avrey, Kyle. It's been Avrey this whole time."

He shook his head, his eyes never leaving mine. "Riley, that's impossible. She wasn't even at the haven when the attacks started," he recalled.

I threw my legs off the bed. "That's why all the attacks were in the woods. She couldn't risk coming in the haven because everyone would know she didn't belong here. She has been careful about everything this whole time," I rambled.

"Are you sure? Riles, she is trusted here. She is Dylan's sister—the daughter of Zeus. There isn't a reason for us not to trust her."

I sighed heavily and ran both of my hands through my hair, getting agitated. "That's exactly how she is getting away with this," I told him.

He sighed and started making his way back to the door. "I'll go talk to Dylan, okay? He is in the kitchen," he informed me. "How about you clean up the water and then join us?" He suggested. I nodded and watched him leave.

I jumped from the bed and made my way to the bathroom, ignoring the piercing pain in my head. I grabbed the first towel I found and took it back to the bedroom and sopped up the water. I placed the empty glass back on the nightstand and threw the wet towel into the hamper in the bathroom. Immediately after I was done, I made my way down the hallway to join the boys in the kitchen. I stopped before I reached the doorway once I overheard Kyle and Dylan talking.

"She was hit in the head pretty hard, she is probably misinterpreting the voice she heard. Avrey wouldn't do something like this," Dylan spoke. I leaned against the wall separating us and listened the best I could. "She hardly knows how to get around from living on her own in the woods for so long; she's not the type to go on a rampage killing people."

I heard Kyle next. "I'm worried about Riley, Dylan. I feel like everything is finally getting to her and she is getting overdetermined. She is going to get hurt. She wants to find the archer so bad, she has convinced herself it is Avrey."

I couldn't listen to them anymore and turned around the corner. Their eyes focused on me as soon as I came through the doorway. I stopped just inside of the room. "You think I'm crazy," I stated. I stared between them, waiting for their decision on how to respond to the situation. "After everything, you think I've gone crazy."

"Riley, you got hit in the head pretty hard," Dylan defended.

I nodded and crossed my arms. "You are right, I did. But I know who I heard. It was Avrey. I know it was." I shook my head, staring into their eyes. Dylan looked at me with disbelief and anger. Kyle, on the other hand, expressed sadness and sympathy in his. "You have to believe me," I told them. "She is going to kill me and Carson along with the two of you."

"Why in the world would she do that?" Dylan crossed his arms.

"Because she wants power! She wants control and she can't get that with us around," I spoke.

The son of Zeus sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Riley, let us help you."

"I'm not crazy!" I yelled. "I am right, guys. It is her."

Dylan sadly shook his head. "Riley, you know I want to believe you."

"Then why don't you? Because she is your sister?"

"Because the idea is crazy," he stated.

I nodded, uncrossing my arms. "Crazy, but true."

Dylan shook his head and looked down, obviously not believing me. I then looked at Kyle, my eyes pleaded with his. "Please. Tell me you believe me." His mouth tightened to a line and he looked away. Once he didn't respond, I spoke again with a sad smile plastered on my face. "Kyle, I'm not lying," I told him honestly.

He looked down at me, his eyes wanting to believe me. "I'm sorry, we don't have proof. She hasn't given us any sign of suspicion to give us any intention of suspecting her."

"But it was her," I spoke, my voice breaking.

Pain flashed through his eyes. "I'm sorry, Riles."

I shook my head, the nickname paining me. "I can't believe this. I should be trustworthy after everything the three of us have been through together." They didn't respond, which broke me into two. I abruptly spun on my heal and walked toward the door.

"Riley, you need to lay back down," Kyle said from behind me. "You still have a concussion." I ignored him and kept walking. They didn't believe me. I thought I had their trust. "Riley!" Kyle called. I picked up my pace and stormed out the main door, slamming it behind me.