ᴍᴏᴏɴʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴀꜱꜱᴀꜱꜱɪɴꜱ「 ˢᵒʳᵘʸ ᵛˢ ˢᵒᵏᵉᵉᶠᵉ 」

9 [scream]

There was a scream.

Not even five minutes alone and there is a scream coming from Sophie's room.

The Councillors were contemplating what to do with her while he and his friends tried to look like they were paying attention.

But the scream made everyone stop what they were doing.

There was another scream, and in no time he shoved his way past everyone and made it to her bedroom.

The door was open and he could hear a faint sound of running water.

And then a loud crash, like a thundering footstep in the rain.

"Help." A small voice whispered.

"Help." Said so softly it was almost drowned out by the water of the shower.

Grabbing a towel from the hanger, he rushed into the bathroom and prayed that Sophie wouldn't kill him.

Because she was taking a shower.

And she would be naked.

And this would be so fucking awkward to explain.

He was about to go in when he nearly slumped in relief. "Tam Song, step on more foot in that direction and you will lose your foot."

Thank you Grady!

So he threw the towel at Biana, "Help her!"

Not having to be told twice, Biana, along with Edaline and basically all the other women in the group—besides the Councillors, excluding Oralie—rushed in to help his blonde friend and shooed everyone else out of the room.

In no time Linh came out with a grim look on her face, telling them that they could go back in the room.

He was about to go in when Grady shoved him to the side. Tam ended up crashing into Fitz who broke his fall, but then ended up falling himself.

When they got in they saw Edaline crying and Grady rushing to hold her shaking figure.

Sophie was lying on her bed now, they'd somehow managed to get her into clothes. Her hair was still wet though and it caused this translucent pink water to drip down her pale face.

There was a gash on her forehead, but that pain seemed to come second to the look of pure pain displayed on her features. Her eyeballs were moving behind her eyelids and her jaw was clenched.

She was in a dream?

"She's burning up with a fever—Dex why don't you call your mother so she can use her ice to cool Sophie. And then why don't you call Elwin while you're at it." Edaline let go of her death grip on Grady and tried to busy herself instead of paying attention to her slumbering daughter.

Tam slipped out when Dex went to call his mother and Elwin. He couldn't stand being in that room filled with fake sympathetic Councillors, overprotective adults, and the absence of Keefe at Sophie's side.

It was funny, every time something bad happened to Sophie, Keefe was always waiting by her side and vice versa. It was odd not seeing his stupid blonde head on a pillow next to hers, counting the freckles on her face and the minutes it would take for her to wake.

It was odd watching Fitz do it in his place, holding onto Sophie's too pale hand and brushing her sweaty blonde hair back but then looking like he instantaneously regretted it.

He was sure the others felt that too when they looked at Fitz weirdly, but Tam didn't give a single glance back as he blended into the shadows and stayed there.