Page 120 of The Last De Loughrey Dynasty

Dorothee De Loughrey stood in front of me looking like the reincarnation of a star fallen straight from the gates of heavenin her champagne gold dress, which was the perfect mix of Mai and Naomi’s. The top consisted of a corset highlighting the soft curve of her chest where a bright star was centred, with an effect of different tones of gold to make it seem like it shone. The corset reached down to her waist, where soft tulle fell in many layers down to her ankles. My gaze went back up to her eyes, noticing that her completely free shoulders and arms were covered in golden glitter that harmonised beautifully with her shiny makeup.

Her copper hair fell down her shoulders in soft curls, the only thing styling it was a headpiece similar to a hairband, but made of metal. It was decorated with golden stars and pearls.

“You look beautiful.” There were so many more emotions I felt when I looked at her, but it seemed that no words would be able to describe her. I wasn’t even sure if a word to describe her beauty existed.

She took a step forward, laying her hands on my chest. “I do?”

“You are.” She was the ornament that gave the dress its beauty.

“You don’t look so bad either, Starboy. Your geek heart must be screaming in these clothes,” she laughed softly, and I joined her.

“It truly is, I’m going to eat, sleep and study in this vest from now on,” I joked, placing my hand on top of hers that still lay on my chest. “I have a present for you, and I believe it’ll fit beautifully with tonight’s attire.”

Doe grinned before she spoke in a quiet voice, “Perhaps I have a gift for you too.”

I crooked an eyebrow and frowned at her. “What is it?”

But Doe shook her head. “While I’m sure mine is better, you said it first.”

Reaching for my breast pocket, I pulled out a delicate golden bracelet, holding it hidden for her eyes in my closed hand for a moment longer. “It’s yours if you promise to save me a dance in my room after the ball.”

We wouldn’t be able to dance at the ball since her assigned partner tonight was Jesse and mine Naomi, which was terribly obvious in our garments. And besides that, I’m sure that we’d have enough to do tonight with our parents there and having to watch Kane the entire time. And while Chadwick volunteered to keep an eye on him, we all agreed that it was safer to handle this task together.

“Only if you promise to dance with me to my favourite song,” she demanded, and I nodded in agreement, taking her hand off my chest and bringing it up to my mouth.

“As you wish, my breathtaking star.”

“Then, of course, I’ll promise to save you a dance.” And with that, I put the bracelet on her wrist. Closing the clasp, I adjusted the golden band until the crescent moon and star faced her.

“Oh, Archer, it’s beautiful,” Doe said, pulling her wrist to her body to have a better look at it.

I reached out to brush my fingertips across her cheek until she looked from her bracelet up to me.

“We might be the star and the moon in this cursed fairytale, but we will reweave our destiny tonight,” I promised her. “We’re the only ones writing our fate.”

Doe entwined my free hand with hers and squeezed it tight. “If nothing happens tonight, we’re free, our curse is broken because we’ll break the cycle after three hundred years.”

I nodded. Every fifty years, the oldest heir to our bloodlines dies trying to fight it, heaping it onto the next poor fools being born almost thirty years later for the cycle to repeat itself until someone either breaks Hecate’s curse or chooses love overpower. All before us, they embraced death together, breaking nothing but their families’ hearts.

Maybe it had been a good thing we hadn’t found the Book of Shadows sooner, if that's what poisoned the thoughts of our ancestors.

“And we will, but you know what I would die to know right now?”

“What?” she asked, looking at me dreamily.

I smirked when I answered, “to know what your present for me is.”

She shook her head as she chuckled, “You’re noise.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

Instead of answering that question, she answered the one before that. “My family owns a cottage by the Jurassic Coast. I asked my mother if I could stay there with a few of my friends this summer, and she agreed.”

“A few of your friends?” I teased, preferring to spend the summer with her all alone beneath the stars.

Dorothee shrugged, “I’m still debating if I’ll invite them or just this arrogant arsehole from my school because he’s an excellent kisser and tragically, I’m quite the sucker for that.” She pushed past me to join the others, since we should keep going.

“Such a tragedy,” I agreed, wearing a smile on my lips at the mention of our shared kisses while I followed her.

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