Page 52 of The Last De Loughrey Dynasty (The Legacy of Aquila Hall #1)

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

ARCHER

“Archer, love, I’m so sorry.” My mother caught me by the arm as if I weren’t in a life-or-death situation right now. But for obvious reasons, she didn’t know that.

I just had to cross the ballroom to reach the door leading to the backyard. To the maze.

I pushed my mum’s hand away from me, not bearing to look at her. “I don’t want to talk right now.” The short explanation had to do it, but instead of letting me pass, she started caressing my cheek.

“All I ever wanted was for you to live your life in happiness. I’m sorry. I’m so terribly sorry, my baby,” she covered her mouth with her hand, attempting to hold back a sob.

While I hated seeing her like this, I really didn’t have the time right now.

I opened my mouth, but the dark voice of my professor came to words before I could, “Mrs Kingstone, if you’ll excuse us, I’d like a word with Archer about something urgent,” Kane had his hand on the middle of my back, pushing me away from my mother towards the door. He smiled at her, not waiting for my mother to reply.

The others joined us as we walked civilly out of the stuffed room to avoid gaining any unwanted attention.

“You let him go?” I hissed in Naomi’s direction, who nodded over to Mai.

“Maisie said he’d be helpful.”

“Well, her visions haven’t been helpful in the slightest lately,” I muttered as we finally reached the door leading to the backyard.

Maisie made a choked sound, her hands trembling at her sides, “it’s not my fault, it’s Chadwick’s. He poisoned everything.” Tears still coated her cheeks, and the concern seemed to almost steal all the air from my lungs.

“Did you see Doe?” I almost didn’t want to ask because I feared what she might tell me.

I wish I’d known, I wish I’d questioned everything more, and maybe then we wouldn’t be in this situation.

Mai’s chin trembled as we ran down the stairs. She didn’t look at me.

I stopped her for a second, taking hold of her face, forcing her to look at me. “What did you see?”

“I saw Nathaniel,” she sobbed.