Entranced~ I.L

~22~

Isabelle knew whose scream that was. It did not sound good, nothing had ever woken her up that quickly. She had practically darted to her door, opening it and rushing to the room opposite her.

The door, which was closed when she had left it slightly ajar the night prior. The door of the girl who couldn't sleep if her door was fully closed.

She moved to open it but nothing. It was locked but who had locked it? Talia was sleeping, someone dangerous was certainly in that room with her. That was the only explanation. And by now, surely a crowd had gathered around the door coming to investigate the noise.

"Is everything okay Izzy?" Jace asked, shoving forward to the front of the crowd to investigate the familiar voice screaming.

"Talia, her door's locked. It was open last night." Isabelle explained.

"Here," Jace pulled out his stele, moving in front of Isabelle to place an unlock rune on the door.

"Everyone go back to your rooms, Jace and I have this handled." Everyone left, following Isabelle's command with shared whispers as they all tried to figure out what was happening.

But the place was under high security at all times and surely whoever could have broken in would not have known which room Talia was staying in. They would have had to check other rooms and would have been caught in the act.

It was all too strange, and though maybe it was likely that somebody broke in, she felt something else was going on given how strange Talia was acting last night.

She heard a single pair of footsteps walking with staggered steps and she knew Talia had to be alone.

"Izzy, it's open," Jace snapped her from her thoughts.

"Can you give me a minute, I'll call you if I need another set of hands," Isabelle asked. She thought if it was something else then there was a high chance Talia might want to be alone. Maybe she'd make an exception for her girlfriend but not Jace.

He was about to argue but saw the sincerity in her eyes and conceded.

"I'll be in my room listening closely, call for me if you need anything."

"Of course." Isabelle wasted no time in throwing the door open, closing it behind her as her eyes scanned the room, calling out for Talia.

Her hands immediately flew to her mouth, a gasp slipping from her lips as she saw the blood staining the sheets and trailing on the floor in little droplets towards the bathroom with a mess of feathers on the bed.

Talia must have been injured. She quickly moved towards the bathroom door, finding that too was locked.

"Talia, open up. It's only me." No response. "Talia please," she tried once more, but to no avail. She let out a sigh as she pulled out her stele, placing an unlock rune on the door and opening it up.

The bathroom was a mess, things having fallen on the floor with little amounts of blood on the floor and walls.

She looked around for the girl.

"Talia please talk to me," she pleaded. "I know you're in here."

"Hmm," she hummed. She pulled open the cupboard doors, thinking the girl might be hiding in there but she was wrong.

She must have teleported away because there weren't many places to hide in this small place.

She pulled out her phone, quickly scrolling to the girl's number as she began dialling it.

But the noise was heard from the bathtub where the shower curtains only covered one section of it.

"Talia?" She spoke, walking closer. She pulled away the floral curtains and there she saw the girl. Except covering herself was a circle of blood stained, feathers in the form of a pair of wings and she couldn't help but gasp at the sight, only to see the wings curl in further to cover her more in response.