Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
IRIS
My back hit the cold stone of the clocktower wall behind me, the impact knocking the air from my lungs.
He was stronger than he looked, and a lot stronger than me.
Before I could recover, he was there. His face was in mine, his breath warm and wet on my cheek.
I could hear his friends laughing and snickering behind him.
I tried to wriggle away again, but he brought his fingers up to my chin, and forced my head towards him in a painful grip. His other hand reached up and twined around my ponytail. He clenched his fist around the strands and pulled painfully.
‘I think you should—’ he began slowly.
‘Not finish that sentence.’ The new voice was calm. Controlled. It cut through the courtyard like a blade.
The painful pressure on my upper arm vanished as Theo relinquished his grip and released me. I took a deep, shaky breath, feeling the burn in my lungs, and turned my head towards the new voice.
Professor Locke stood beside us. His posture was relaxed, standing tall and perfectly still. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, completely casual, and he didn’t even glance at me – his storm grey eyes were locked on the arsehole in front of me.
‘You will step away from her,’ he said quietly. ‘Right now.’
Theo swallowed, and I felt the sudden crack in his confidence. His cocky, vile expression fell flat. His friends had gone stiff behind him, their smirks wiped clean, all signs of laughter completely gone.
The entire courtyard went silent. Even the wind seemed to stop howling. The sound of waves in the distance ceased their crashing. And the gang of infants behind him dispersed quickly and quietly, scattering in different directions.
Professor Locke tilted his head slightly – the subtle movement was almost animalistic. Dangerous.
‘Do you need me to repeat myself?’ he asked, smooth and steady. ‘Are you not capable of following simple instructions?’
Theo backed away so quickly he tripped on the cobblestones and almost fell. He raised his hands as if in surrender.
‘Report to Headmaster Draven. Ensure that you tell him exactly why I sent you. Do not think that I won’t be checking with him later,’ Professor Locke continued calmly. His soft tone was far more terrifying than shouting could ever be.
Face as white as a ghost, Theo Archibald Whitlock the Third, turned on his heels and ran.
‘Are you injured?’ Locke asked, turning to me.
I could hear Theo’s footsteps fading away.
I shook my head, though my arm throbbed painfully.
My hands were shaking. I turned around and put my forehead against the cool stone of the clocktower, letting the cold seep into me as I tried to convince my lungs to work normally again. I hated myself for being that afraid.
I had been staring at the floor for some time before I remembered I wasn’t alone.
‘Hey,’ he said quietly.
The gentleness startled me. I stood back to my full height and turned towards him.
His expression was different now… The steel and coldness was still there, but the edges had softened.
He leaned forwards slightly so that we were closer to eye level, his voice low and steady, as though he were afraid of spooking me.
‘You won’t see him again,’ he said. ‘I can assure you of that, don’t worry.’
I took a slow and uneven breath, my heart rate slowly returning to normal.
‘Can I see your arm?’ he asked gently, taking a small step closer to me.
I hesitated for a moment, then dropped the shoulder of my cardigan, baring the skin of my arm to the crisp night.
Dark purple marks were already beginning to form where Theo’s fingers had dug into my skin.
Painful and throbbing. I tore my eyes away from the blooming bruises back to Professor Locke, just in time to see a muscle tick in his jaw. His features seemed to darken.
‘Are you able to get yourself back to your dorm room alone?’ he asked.
I took a deep breath and willed my brain to work. I looked down at my feet and imagined myself bumping into any – or all – of Theo’s cronies between here and the safety of my room. Then tomorrow… sitting in a classroom with him. A surge of panic rose to my throat and I swallowed it down.
I was shaking my head before I realised what I was doing.
‘Are you…’ he hesitated, a slight frown creeping into his expression. ‘Are you okay?’
The question caught me off guard. I hesitated. ‘Um… I think so.’
‘You think so?’
I nodded, though it felt uncertain. ‘I don’t know,’ I admitted softly.
He straightened, rolling his shoulders back. ‘That’s all right.’ He smiled, and it threw me more than the question had. ‘You might just need a distraction…’ He paused, thinking out loud. ‘What else can—’ He stopped, then nodded to himself. ‘Right. How are you settling in?’
What?
‘Oh, well, uh…’ I fumbled for an answer.
‘Stonewall’s really different from my life back home,’ I said.
‘It’s better, actually. Just… different.
’ I shoved my hands into my cardigan pockets.
‘I guess it’s taking some getting used to.
Especially having friends—’ I laughed slightly and then immediately cut myself off, realising what I'd said. Everything was quiet for a moment.
‘You didn't have many friends back home?’ He said the words casually, but his eyebrows furrowed as he shifted on his feet.
I tried to read his expression but I couldn't make it out. ‘No,’ I whispered, and looked back down at the ground, breaking our eye contact.
‘Miss Blackthorne?’
‘Yes?’
‘Are you happy here?’ he asked bluntly.
Surprisingly, I didn't need to think about my answer this time. I looked back into his eyes and nodded.
‘Good.’ We looked at each other for a long time.
The silence enveloped us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. My breath finally became steady and I realised my hands had stopped shaking. I was about to speak before he quietly said, ‘Can I show you something?’
‘What—?’ I started. ‘What do you mean?’
He let out a breath of air and looked around the dark courtyard, as if searching. ‘Follow me,’ was all he said.
The hallways were so cold at night. The empty corridors stretched on in every direction.
Rain had just begun hammering at the windows as we walked, and the moon had disappeared behind the clouds, plunging the school into darkness.
We navigated the stone corridors by the light of the sconces, stepping from shadow to shadow.
It was late enough, and the university was large enough, that we didn’t see another soul.
But that still didn't ease the worry in my gut.
I knew I shouldn't be following him. I didn't even know where he was taking me…
I just knew that I didn't care. And that thought terrified me.
We were silent except for my footsteps echoing after his. He walked on ahead, his steps unhurried.
We reached an iron spiral staircase, old and rusty. It curled downward into shadow, disappearing into darkness so I couldn’t see where it led.
‘Watch your step,’ he whispered, and he held his hand out to me.
Heart racing, I hesitated. Taking his hand felt risky. He was my professor. I was his student. This was not supposed to be happening. But the thought of my hand in his… the feeling I remembered from our brief contact in his classroom…
Before I could weigh the emotions threatening to overcome me, my fingers brushed his, and my breath hitched. The warmth of his palm spread through me, and he slowly began guiding me down the stairs.
The steps curved round, further and further down, until at last we stopped at an arched door at the bottom. Locke reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small metal key, intricately detailed with swirling patterns.
‘Not many people still know this is here.’ He spoke gently and quietly, as if he was scared he'd frighten me.
And then I thought… Maybe I was frightened.
The lock begrudgingly clicked open, and the door groaned as he pushed on it.
The air changed the moment I crossed the threshold and took in my surroundings. For a second, I could only stand there in the doorway, my fingers still tingling from his touch, my pulse too loud.
A sprawling greenhouse spread before me, a dazzling variety of colours beautifully contained within one huge room.
The walls and ceiling were glass – old and cracked in places, but still stunning.
I could hear the rain tapping against it, melodic in the otherwise silence.
The silvery lights from the stars high above dripped down into the space.
Vines dotted with little flowers climbed up almost every available surface, sprawling as if trying to take over.
‘Come,’ he said, placing his hand on my back. My breathing grew heavier.
We walked together through the maze of foliage. ‘These flowers…’ I said quietly. ‘They’re so lovely.’ I ran my fingers along the petals of a crimson flower – my favourite colour – and it shimmered softly in the moonlight.
I moved closer to admire a cluster of purple flowers that I didn't recognise. ‘You take care of this place?’ I asked, my voice quiet.
He graced me with one of his rare smiles again and it made my heart beat double.
‘Sometimes,’ he said gently, ‘but mainly it takes care of itself.’
I wondered how long this place had been here. It was obviously very old, but it had also been thoroughly maintained… it had clearly been loved.
I reached out to brush the tip of a fern, and the leaves shivered under my touch. Behind me, I felt his presence, closer now.
‘This…’ I whispered. ‘It's beautiful.’ I turned to face him, but his eyes were already on me.
‘I come here when I need solitude,’ he said quietly. His expression falling slightly into something I couldn't read.
‘Then why did you bring me here?’ I asked.
He hesitated for a moment before answering.
‘I felt like you could do with a piece of home.’ He stepped closer.
‘I—’ For a moment I didn’t understand, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion, and then it clicked. ‘You looked at my file…’ I realised. ‘You found out I used to tend the garden at the Children’s Home?’
He nodded but looked worried. ‘I know you have a love for botany. I thought maybe this would bring you some calm. A piece of happiness.’ The rain intensified outside, pelting the glass roof. ‘And I also brought you here because…’ His throat bobbed. ‘Well, I wanted to see if you’d follow.’
I didn't know how to respond, and before I could, he took a step towards me. It was only a small step, but big enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from him through the damp air.
Slowly, as if fighting an inner battle, he raised a hand.
It hovered slightly next to my face, before he carefully wrapped his fingers around a loose strand of my hair.
I shivered, eyelashes fluttering closed, as his fingers brushed the shell of my ear, tucking it back, lingering there longer than necessary.
‘Tell me, Miss Blackthorne…’ he leant forwards, lowering his voice. ‘Does it scare you? Being here with me?’
The heat that had been slowly growing in my gut bloomed into a warmth that consumed me.
‘I don't know,’ I whispered.
The corner of his mouth tilted up subtly, and his hand slipped away, leaving the ghost of warmth on my ear, but before I could dwell on it, his fingers gently twined in mine.
We were face to face, and less than a foot apart. I could feel his breath on me. He smelt like oak and parchment.
It was intoxicating.
Thunder rumbled from beyond the glass, reminding me where I was. I stepped back, heart still hammering. The movement felt wrong, like some invisible force was urging me to do the complete opposite.
‘I shouldn’t be here,’ I said, but my voice didn’t sound like my own.
His stormy eyes searched mine. ‘I'm sorry,’ he breathed. ‘I shouldn't have asked you to come here.’
For a long moment, the only sound was the storm outside. I watched the way his shoulders rose and fell as he tried to compose himself. ‘It's late,’ he said. ‘You should go.’
I nodded, though my throat felt too tight to speak. I turned away from him and walked quickly back towards the door, a coldness already creeping back in.
I left him standing alone in the ancient, magical greenhouse – and walked out.
As I neared my dorm room, I felt emotionally drained. For the past hour, I’d been walking the wet, windy grounds, my mind spinning. I needed to clear my head.
Soaked to the bone, I reached into my bag, pulled out my key, and unlocked the door.
‘Meow.’
‘Boo!’ I squealed as I saw the little fluffy cat sitting on the carpet in the centre of the room, as if he were waiting for me.
‘How did you get in here?’ I asked, confused.
Maybe Adora had let him in on her way out?
Although that seemed unlikely – she’d never mentioned Boo before.
I dropped my bag and shrugged off my wet clothing, then padded over to the rug and knelt down to pet him.
I savoured the feeling of his soft fur running through my frozen fingers.
He purred and nuzzled into my hand. ‘It's nice to see you again, little one.’ I pushed my hair out of my face.
‘How did you know where I live?’ I planted a little kiss on his furry head and then yawned.
‘I'm sorry, Boo, I'm so tired,’ I said sadly.
He tilted his head to the side and looked up at me with his bright eyes. ‘Would you like to stay here tonight?’
He squeaked out a small meow as if in agreement.
Gently, I scooped him up and walked over to my bed.
Placing him down on the soft duvet, he instantly melted into the black velvet sheets.
As I got under the covers, I manoeuvred around him so that we were both comfortable.
He attempted a few different positions until eventually he settled in the crook of my arm.
Pushing my face into his silky fur, I closed my eyes and fell asleep to the sound of his light purring.
Only a few hours must have passed, as the moon was still high in the sky when I woke – to the sound of something being pushed under my door.
Squinting to see through the darkness, I peered over to where a small sliver of light crept under the door from the sconces outside. A small envelope lay innocently on the floor.
‘Hold on, Boo,’ I whisper, gently moving him out of the way. He huffed at the inconvenience and resettled in a fluffy black heap at the end of the bed.
I got up and tentatively tiptoed across the room. Picking up the envelope, I pulled out a short, handwritten note in neat cursive. On it was one sentence.
“In case you ever need a piece of happiness.”
I reached into the envelope and retrieved the metal key with the intricate swirls from within, and I smiled.