Page 91 of The Last De Loughrey Dynasty

Only one date that was in the near future was relevant for us, and that was New Year’s Eve. There’d be a special dinner in the great hall, some games could be played until the clock hit midnight, and we’d celebrate the new year with fruit punch under the observation of Doctor Anwir Chadwick and…Professor Asher Kane.

Of course, Kane had to stay here for the holidays too.

That was great, just great.

We had to figure this out, but if he didn’t suspect we were looking for the Book of Shadows, and we were trying to confront him about it, we would have revealed that fact. So we had to find a carefully thought-through solution.

“Thank you, we’ll be there for New Year’s Eve,” Doe promised, and I eyed her from the side. “We will?” I asked her in a whisper, and she placed her hand on my arm, smiling brightly at me and then at Chadwick. “Of course we will! Welcoming the new year alone would be terribly miserable.”

When I even for a second frowned at her, as soon as she squeezed my arm, I knew she was acting to convince Chadwick that she was happy to be with people now. I looked at the man standing in my door, not bothering to smile because if the way she fake chirped beside me wasn’t revealing her lie, then my smile would. I never smiled at any of the teachers, especially not him. “Sure,” was all I said.

Chadwick nodded, happy about our promise to attend the celebration. I was about to close the door in his face when he stopped me from doing so by placing his hand on it. “I have toremind you that girls aren’t allowed in the boys’ dorm, nor the other way around.”

“Yes, we know. I just wanted to catch Archer since we have a library date to find some stories to keep us entertained during the rest of the holidays. So sorry that I disregarded the rules. It won’t happen again.” I would have teased her for acting like she couldn’t hurt a fly, but I just wanted Chadwick to finally leave, and Doe was doing more for that to happen than I. She stepped out of the room to convince him we were just about to leave.

Chadwick waved her lazily off. “No worries, I didn’t see anything. Now, I don’t want to be the cause of interruption. Just pay attention for this not to happen again. The consequences will be detention that will follow as soon as the classes start again.”

Doe nodded like a good little student, and I stepped out of the door, pulling it closed behind me. “If you’d excuse us now…”

“Yes, of course. Have a pleasant day. If you need anything, Professor Kane and I are available at all times. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served at the usual times.” Just as fast as Chadwick appeared, he left.

Doe hit me in the arm and I frowned at her. “What?”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest as if the reason she assaulted me was obvious. “You’re being so rude to him.”

Oh, that.

I shrugged, turning in the direction towards the library. “As you might have noticed, I prefer to be rude than polite. It’s a personality trait.”

She jogged up to my side. “No, it’s not. You’re actually pretty nice behind that mask of yours. Besides, Anwir is kind and—”

“Anwir?”

“Anwir Chadwick,” she explained.

“I know his first name. It’s just weird that you call him by that.”

Doe shrugged. “He said I can call him what I want, and calling him by his surname makes our conversations during our sessions seem kind of awkward.”

I pursed my lips. “Those sessions are supposed to be kind of awkward. You’re not supposed to become close with your psychologist.”

“You’re unreasonably disapproving of me trusting him. He’s not like the others I’ve been to. He actually listens to me, and he’s not prescribing me pills after pills and telling me that I’m hard work…”

“I just want you to be careful with him,” I said, taking the steps downstairs two at a time, watching two thirteen-year-olds playing tag on the stairs.

Doe grabbed the cuff of my jumper and pulled herself closer to me, so the kids wouldn’t be able to hear what she was saying. “Concern doesn’t suit you.”

I scoffed and eyed her, pulling her closer by laying my arm around her shoulders as we hurried towards the library. “You prefer me careless, fallen star? That could be a deadly wish.”

She turned her head to look at me. “I prefer you with your pretty mouth closed when it comes to my life.”

“As long as you keep calling my mouth pretty, I grant you that wish of yours.”

She gaped at me as her cheeks turned a crimson shade. Doe pushed her elbow into my side, but it didn’t make me let go of her. If anything, I just squeezed her a little tighter to my side.

“Don’t be ashamed. I like the shade your face turns when you look at me,” I assured her, the smile audible in my voice. Letting go of Doe, I grabbed the used handle of the library door and held it open for her to step in. Which she did, but with an annoyed attitude.

“If you haven’t noticed—and you should have by now, since your favourite thing is to admire me when you think I’m notaware—I blush easily. When I’m happy, sad, angry, or nervous. I can’t control it, and some might say it’s the curse of a ginger.”

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