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“I swearI didn’t do anything,” I tell the girl. “My room is next door. I heard a scream and came to investigate. There was blood, so I checked it out. Look at the window.” I point. “There’s a blood smear there. Whoever is hurt went out of the window.”
The girl moves her head in the direction of my finger, but in an instant, her attention is back on me. The longer she stares at me, the harder it is to breathe. At first, I think I’m just having a panic attack, but as I gaze into her black pits for eyes, it dawns on me thatshe’sthe one crushing my chest, squeezing all the air out of my lungs.
I start to cough then flail, clawing at my throat.
“Gabrielle.”
I recognise the voice.Laila.I try to croak out a “help,” but it’s impossible with this invisible weight pressing on me.
Thankfully, Laila rushes at the blond girl, knocking into her shoulder. “Gabrielle, stop! You’re killing her!”
But Gabrielle is lost to some dark force inside her.
Laila mutters short, sharp sentences in another language.There’s awhooshof cold air that seems to hit Gabrielle square in the face. It’s enough to bring the girl to her senses. The black shadow dissipates from her eyes, and she staggers back, rubbing her jaw.
“What the fuck, Gabrielle? She could have died!” Laila yells.
“What was I supposed to think?” Gabrielle snaps. “Jenny is gone, and there’s blood everywhere, butshewas in here.”
“I heard a scream!” I protest. “I came to help.”
Laila looks around. “I need to get Octavia.”
Eyeing Gabrielle, I step closer to Laila. “I’m not staying here alone with her.”
Laila sighs and points at the door. “You get Octavia, then. She’ll be in her office.”
I hurry out and along the corridor. This is not how I envisaged my first day, and my hands are still shaking. Deep in my gut, I know something very, very wrong happened in that room. Part of me doesn’t blame Gabrielle for losing it, but holy shit, that was scarier than the room itself.
In my haste, I almost miss the spiral staircase. This time, I sprint up those steps, sweating once I reach the top.
Before I reach the office, Octavia appears. She’s striding effortlessly down the corridor, a group of students in front of her. I hold up a hand to get her attention.
“Kira,” Octavia says. “Are you all right?” I’m relieved she can read my expression right away. She clearly sees I’m shaken.
“There’s been a…” I pause. “Something bad has…”
She comes over and gestures for me to join her. “Lead the way.”
We walk as quickly as possible back to Gabrielle andJenny’s room, where Gabrielle is sitting down on a bed, brushing away tears, and Laila is examining the window.
“The bathroom,” I tell Octavia, not wanting to describe what’s in there.
The headmistress hurries in. When she steps back into the bedroom a few moments later, her face has paled. “I see. And we think that’s Jenny’s blood?”
“She either left or was dragged through the window,” Laila says.
“It’s a big jump down to the ground for someone who has lost that much blood,” I point out.
Octavia walks over to the window and places a hand on the pane. “She was afraid and in pain. But the other…” Her eyes widen, and she pulls her hand away as though she’s been burned. “The other cloaks himself from me.” She walks over to Gabrielle. “Come with me, child. I’ll have Larissa heal your pain. Laila and Kira, could you wait in your room for further instructions? We’ll lock this room for now.”
That’s it?“Shouldn’t we call the police?” I ask.
Octavia shakes her head. “They don’t interfere with our matters here. We deal with them alone and by our own laws.”
I shudder, hating to think what laws the auras in this world live by.Kill or be killed, probably.
Laila gestures for me to follow her, and we head back into our room. She flops down on her black duvet and lets out a long, tired sigh.
