Page 12 of The Last De Loughrey Dynasty (The Legacy of Aquila Hall #1)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

DOROTHEE

Archer wasn’t lying when he said the chapel was tiny. There was the altar and about five rows of benches. That was it. It looked more like a barn. But it was honestly a beautiful place. The sunlight shone through the coloured windows, casting a beautiful light into the space, with artwork telling many stories.

I was never particularly religious. All I longed for was peace. And if no one could grant me that wish, I thought perhaps the Lord could. My aunt was a devout Catholic, and she suggested praying. Before anything else, she recommended that my mother take me to see a priest, as she thought I might be possessed.

If I were a witch, perhaps I shouldn’t set foot in churches anymore. But since I didn’t know what I was, I assumed my presence would be... excused?

There was no one else here at the moment, which made the place feel a little eerie, though that was probably more to do with the path I’d taken to get here. Walking through these forests would never be the same again. All I could think of were the witches who had been hanged in this area.

After removing my jacket and draping it over the bench, I sat down in the front row and gazed at the massive cross in the centre of the church.

“Thank you for bringing me here. Things have gotten better since I’ve been at Aquila Hall. Maybe Mum was right, perhaps I needed this.” I looked down at the crystal necklace that gleamed against my maroon jumper. “Maybe the crystal Archer gave me really is protecting me.” I looked back up at the cross and smiled. “I also don’t think I’m mad anymore. After so many years of praying for you to make it stop, I didn’t believe this day would ever come. To feel sane for the first time in years.” A little laugh escaped me, and my eyes began to well up. “Right now, I have no explanation for what’s going on, but I needed this. To know I wasn’t what everyone has preached me to be all my life.”

From the corner of my eye, I noticed a girl sitting down beside me on the bench. Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open before she quickly apologised, “I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

The girl looked about my age, maybe a year or two younger. Beautiful tight curls reached down to her shoulders and framed her tanned face. She was so strikingly gorgeous, she almost looked like a doll, especially with her wide dark eyes. I think I had seen her a few times before in the corridors, she always waved at me with a friendly smile.

“It’s alright. I just got a little emotional.” I wiped my eyes with the cuffs of my jumper before the tears could fall.

“Don’t hold back your tears, let them be. I personally think emotions are beautiful,” she said softly, placing a hand lightly on my shoulder. I could barely feel her touch, but her comfort surrounded me like an aura. “This is the perfect place to release your emotions. I used to come here every day after classes. Here, no one judges you but the Lord Himself, and He does not judge.” She beamed, as bright and light as her voice sounded.

“You used to?” I asked quietly, noticing that she was speaking in the past tense, not the present.

The girl looked away from me, her gaze drawn to the cross, as though memories tugged at her very soul. “Yes, I sort of lost my connection to... all of this. Fate had different plans for me, I suppose.” A hint of sadness echoed in her voice.

Her eyes drifted dreamily over the coloured windows.

“I’m Dorothee,” I introduced myself, and she turned towards me again, smiling brightly, all her sadness vanishing so suddenly that I almost wondered if I had imagined it.

“My apologies for not introducing myself earlier. I’m Gwyneth, but everyone calls me Gwyn.”

“That’s a beautiful name.”

Her eyes lit up. “Dorothee is lovely too. I once had a friend named Dorothee.”

I chuckled. “What a coincidence. I do hope she was kind and didn’t spoil the name Dorothee.”

Gwyneth’s smile faltered slightly, and this time I was certain I saw a flash of sorrow in her eyes. “She was the kindest person I’ve ever known. Sadly, our paths split after some things happened a few years ago.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“It’s alright. Sometimes, people aren’t meant to stay in your life forever. Dorothee was one of them. But I’ll meet her again. Someday, when we’re all free spirits,” she added, her tone hopeful.

I nodded, gently cupping her hand with mine. “You’ll see each other again. I’m sure of it.”

Gwyn closed her eyes, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth at my words. “I wanted to tell you to keep an eye out for the secrets hidden in the dead of night, Dorothee.”

I frowned, utterly confused by her sudden change of subject. “I’m sorry, what do you mean by that, Gwyn?”

Her dark eyes snapped open, and for a moment, it felt as if they were staring right through me, into the depths of my soul. “Your friends like to sneak around. You should follow their lead to uncover the secrets that are yours to know.”

“Wait, you know them?” I asked, puzzled. I didn’t recall seeing her with any of them, nor had they ever mentioned her around me.

“I know plenty of people, but I prefer to watch rather than participate,” Gwyn said, giving me an half answer. I wasn’t fond of when people did that. Every question deserved a clear answer. Speaking in circles was unnecessary and frustrating.

“Then what are the secrets?”

“I’m not allowed to spoil that for you. You’ll have to follow their path when the stars are ready to tell their tales.” Gwyn sighed softly as she stood. “I must be off now. Don’t want to be too late for my date by the lake, but it was lovely to meet you, Dorothee.” She turned quickly on her heels and hurried towards the arched doors. I grabbed my coat and followed after her.

“Gwyneth, wait!” The doors had already swung shut by the time I reached them. I pushed against the heavy wood, but as the cold air hit my skin, Gwyn was already gone. If I had known where the lake was, I would have followed her, but the sun was already setting, and I didn’t fancy getting lost in the woods, forced to spend the night out in the dark. All I could do now was follow the path back to school and save my questions for the next time I saw Gwyneth.

The words of the girl I had met in chapel kept me awake that night. I lay in bed, staring at the old ceiling. The only light in the room came from the moon and the stars shining through the large windows. It was one fifty-four in the morning, according to the clock on my nightstand, when I heard the sound of my roommate’s bed creaking and soft footsteps on the floor. Closing my eyes, I pretended to be asleep, as I usually was at this time of night. I heard something shift before Maisie tiptoed away, and the creak of the door echoed in the stillness.

Once I was sure she was gone, I sat up in bed and waited a few minutes. There was no way I could just get up and follow her, not after Gwyneth had accused them of sneaking around, hiding secrets in the dark. Maisie was probably just spending the night in the boys' dorm, where she wasn’t allowed. Right now, it seemed likely that she was slipping under Nathaniel's duvet and burying herself in his arms.

I lay back down and turned onto my side. Sleep eventually took over, and when I next woke, Maisie was back in her bed. Perhaps it had all been a dream, just a seed Gwyn had planted in my mind, and I had let it grow. No. Stop. I wouldn’t bury the truth any longer. It was time to follow the white rabbit down the hole and uncover the bitter truths.

“Maisie, do you sometimes sleep in Nathaniel’s room?” I asked, as we were getting ready.

Brushing her short hair in front of the golden mirror, Maisie chuckled. “Heavens, no. Nathaniel shares his room with Jesse, and he quite enjoys my company. Nathaniel gets annoyed the moment Jesse pulls out scary films, because, in his eyes, when I’m over, we’re all supposed to have fun together.”

I stared at her reflection in the mirror for quite a while, the truth slowly sinking in. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I put on my pearl earrings, then stood up and grabbed my bag, heading for the door.

“We’ll be late for history if we don’t hurry, and who knows, maybe we’ll end up burned at the stake for whatever Professor Kane decides to make up,” I said, recalling her words from yesterday. Despite my best efforts to mask it, coldness coloured my tone.

Maisie rushed after me, locking the door behind us before hurrying to catch up. She stumbled against my shoulder, loosening the bun at the nape of my neck. We’d spent too long at breakfast, and I hadn’t had time to braid or neatly arrange my hair as I usually did. I pushed my hair off my shoulders with an uncomfortable grunt, irritated by the tickling sensation. I quickened my pace, wanting to walk alone without Maisie beside me, constantly brushing against me.

I liked her, but I didn’t want anyone touching me—not today, not with my mind working so loudly.

“Is there a chance you’re angry with me, Doe?” my roommate asked, from behind.

I swallowed the truth. “No, I just don’t like being late.”

And perhaps you just confirmed that Gwyneth was right.