Page 109 of The Last De Loughrey Dynasty

Jesse groaned, annoyed, “Spit it out, Kemble. You know, we’re all noisy.”

Nieko chuckled and took his time as he emptied his cup, having the others kick his legs off them. “Alright, alright. My sister, who’s in second year, has heard how Mrs Fanning talked to Headmaster Shaw on the phone about dinner.”

Rebecca rolled her eyes with a scoff, “and? My father has dinner with his colleagues too. Most people use dinner or lunch as an opportunity to talk about business.”

She certainly wasn’t wrong. My parents used dinner often to talk to colleagues about their cases.

Nieko rested his elbows on his knees and grinned cheekily. “Do colleagues say,‘I can’t wait for the fun part’? For me, it sounds a lot like getting it on after dinner.” My jaw dropped insurprise, and whispers broke out about how Mrs Fanning was married and much younger than our headmaster.

Looking up, I eyed the darkening sky, night calling to take over as red hair caught my attention and I noticed Cassandra watching us keenly from one of the balconies in the girls’ dorms. Compassion took hold of my heart. Everyone from our year was here except for her.

I turned to Jesse, tapping him on the shoulder to gain his attention. “I’m right back, need to use the restroom.” I gave a quick explanation and handed him my drink before I hurried inside and down the corridors towards the dorms. Cassandra wasn’t spending her evening watching us having fun from afar. She would join us, and I won’t tolerate anyone hating her presence.

I saw her standing near the staircase leading to the bedrooms for the older...and wealthier students. While Aquila Hall claimed everyone here would be treated with equality, it was clear that this claim was nothing but propaganda. Archer could own a room all for himself, while others lived together with three other people in a smaller room.

“Come on, Cassandra, you don’t have to keep your distance,” I told her, holding out my hand to show her that she should come down with me to join us.

Cassandra didn’t move, her eyes narrowing to the stairs before she sighed sadly. “They don’t want me there. And if I go anyway, I’m only making myself a target against my will.”

Closing the distance between us, I gave her a sad smile. “I know how it feels to be targeted just because you’re you. But I won’t let that happen tonight, alright? And if it happens anyway, you can spend the rest of the night with Maisie, Naomi and me in our room.”

The expression of the sixteen-year-old girl brightened. “Really? I always admired your friendship with them. The wayyou laugh together seems so honest. I dreamed of having something like that with someone. Just one friend would be enough.”

Reaching out, I took her hand in mine. “Friendship comes when you least expect it, perhaps I can–” I frowned at the feel of her hand in mine. “You’re freezing.” Her skin was so cold, it felt like she was burning my own.

“I don’t feel cold. I feel… nothing.”

My breath suddenly became quicker as my eyes darted from our hands up to her face, where her hair was falling down on her shoulders in the sway of the veil. I gasped in horror and threw my hand over my mouth, letting go of her.

Cassandra’s young features looked at me with confusion, before she moved her head to look at the stairway. I followed her gaze to a limp body hanging there.

For a moment I couldn’t move–I couldn’t breathe.

“I wish you could have talked to me sooner,” the spirit whispered, and I screamed as the reality of her death hit me. But not a sound could pass my lips as a strong hand came up around my mouth and dragged me away into the shadows, before heavy footsteps stalked down the corridor where I had just come from.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

ARCHER

My drink startedto taste like life wasn’t so serious after all. The more I thought about how ridiculous my whole damn destiny was, the more I thoughtfuck longing, and just make her mine.

It was that easy.

It certainly wasn’t.Do as you please and risk her death, bastard.

The voice of sanity called from somewhere in the back of my mind, and I blinked away the haziness that had formed in the form of clouds in my head. And suddenly, I remembered why I kept my hands off alcoholic drinks. Because it felt like escapism from all the problems in my little pathetic life.

A memory flashed before my eyes as the voices of my classmates' boring conversation faded.

I was twelve. Having not even hit puberty yet when my eyes spotted the bottle of liquor on the kitchen counter.

My mother likes her smelly drinks. They help her relax. She clung to that black cup with such a firm grip, I used to wish she’d clung to me instead. When the staff left with the trays of finger food and glasses filled with drinks, I reached for the bottle and went up to my balcony. The champagne had tasted dry, andI remember how odd that feeling was because it was a liquid I consumed and liquids didn’t taste dry.

I’d drunk myself to oblivion that day, not aware of what the bitter drink I consumed really was. The only thing I knew was that I wanted a way out of my head. Silencing the voices I believed lived within.

“What are the police doing here?” Someone asked, pulling me out of my thoughts as I blinked the memory away.

I frowned at the police car that pulled up in the gateway of the school, followed by an ambulance. Everyone got up and out of their seats, confused, as Mrs Fanning walked over to our group with a tissue held to her nose.

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