Page 27 of The Last De Loughrey Dynasty

Archer didn’t argue with Jesse, he just looked around. His eyes met mine, and I could feel my cheeks burn slightly as his gaze travelled down my body the second I stood up. It wasn’t his eyes onme—it was the costume. The corset highlighted my chest, and I wasn’t sure if I was even allowed to walk around the school like that. The version of the ballet costume Natalie Portman wore in the filmBlack Swanwould have been far too uncomfortable to stand, walk, or sit in, so my mother (or rather, the designer she hired) had created a more comfortable corset similar to the original dress, paired with a skirt that was easier to move and dance in.

Naomi jumped up and approached Archer, smiling sweetly at him. “What do you think, Archie? Do I look sexy as Morticia Addams?”

Archer’s eyes flicked from me to her. “I won’t ever think about the words ‘sexy’ and ‘you’ in the same sentence,” hereplied, clearly uncomfortable with the thought of doing exactly that.

At first glance, it might seem like Archer and Naomi could be a couple—both stunningly gorgeous, forming an admirable image together. But after a while, it became obvious that their relationship was more sibling-like. Naomi just enjoyed annoying him.

“Boring,” she sighed, eyeing him with a frown. “What are you supposed to be?”

“He’s Billy Loomis from the originalScreamfilm,” I answered before he could, earning a questioning look from Archer.

“You like horror films?”

“My oldest cousin forced me to watch them with him when I was thirteen. I grew fond of them.”

I missed Elijah. He was my cousin on my father’s side, and we only saw each other when our parents pretended to be a happy family for Christmas or other occasions.

Archer couldn’t respond because the door to the bathroom opened, and Maisie stepped out with Nathaniel behind her.

“You two are like rabbits, isn’t that exhausting?” Naomi cringed in disgust.

The two were dressed as Romeo and Juliet from the nineteen ninety-six film, in the angel and knight costumes. As an extra touch, there was streaked nude pink lipstick around their mouths and on Nathaniel’s throat.

“You two got something… like all over your faces,” Jesse gestured to his own face, causing Maisie and Nathaniel to look at each other. My roommate gasped quietly before she softly giggled. She walked over to her desk, grabbed a makeup wipe, and cleaned her boyfriend’s face.

“I apologise, my love,” she whispered, still laughing at the outcome of their ‘getting ready’ situation in the bathroom.

Nathaniel looked at her like she was his whole world, but he didn’t say anything.

“But I must say, the lipstick suits you, lad,” Jesse joked, walking over to pat his friend's shoulder. Nathaniel just glared at him. “That was a compliment,” he defended himself.

Maisie cleaned her own lips before walking over to her bin and tossing the makeup wipe away. There had always been a certain grace in the way she moved, but in that white dress, she looked almost like the reincarnation of an angel. Tiny wings were strapped to her back, further cementing that thought.

“Doe, you look gorgeous!” She commented blissfully, rushing over to me to inspect my costume up close. “The makeup, the hair, the diadem, the dress! You’re drop-dead gorgeous!” The thought of hearing someone speak about me like they truly saw me lifted my spirits in a way I couldn’t describe.

“You look so beautiful, Nathaniel must be a lucky guy,” I smiled at her, squeezing her hands in mine.

“Indeed, I am,” Nathaniel replied from the other side of the room. Maisie let go of me and hurried over to her bed as best she could in her heels. She grabbed her white purse and hooked her arm through Nathaniel's.

“We should hurry down to the ballroom before all the good snacks are gone,” she remarked. The others didn’t hesitate before making their way out of the room.

I was the last to leave, switching off the lights and locking the door behind me.

To my surprise, Archer had walked slower than the others, which was a blessing because the corridors felt different today—frightening.

Taking a few quicker steps, I caught up with him and could feel his eyes on me as we continued walking together.

"I might prefer you in lighter shades of colour, but you look remarkably beautiful tonight, Dorothee."

I was about to say thank you when I remembered, so I straightened my posture and gave him a tight smile. “The corset suits me excellently, and I must say, the style of your hair makes your high cheekbones look outstanding. A rough but suitable look for you, Archer.”

To my astonishment, I received a sincere smile in return.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

DOROTHEE

It lookedlike Aquila Hall was aiming to win a contest to see who could decorate the most in their school. Candles hung from the ceilings, making them seem like they were floating above us, and whoever decorated this room must be a big fan of spider webs because they were everywhere.

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