Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
IRIS
Adora was in our room when I arrived.
‘Hey, where have you been?’ she asked, jumping up from where she was lounging comfortably on the fluffy rug reading a book. She flipped her hair behind her shoulder. She was dressed in cosy pyjama trousers, an oversized jumper and bunny slippers.
‘Draven pulled me into his office,’ I said, slightly embarrassed, though I wasn’t sure why. It’s not like Dora would judge me for being slightly shit at Biology after fully accepting I could see ghosts.
‘What? Why?’ she asked, instantly switching into caring-friend-mode.
I smiled. ‘I’m okay, I promise. I just need to step up in science, that’s all.’
‘Wait… have I not been helping?’ Her smile dropped and I immediately felt guilty.
I pulled her into an embrace. ‘No, Adora, you’ve helped me so much.
I just need a bit more focus in biology, and I’ve been a bit distracted recently.
That’s all.’ She seemed concerned, and it was clearly hard for Adora not to say everything that came to mind, but she decided to let it slide this time. I continued, ‘Are you okay?’
She sat on the bed and flicked off her bunny slippers. ‘Yeah, I think so. As good as someone who’s about to assist in a séance could be, at least.’ She smirked.
‘How are you so calm?’
‘Pfft,’ she said, padding over to the wardrobe and plucking out some shoes. ‘What’s life without a few ghoulies?’
I said nothing as she finished getting ready. It was already midnight – Archer and I had spent a lot longer together than I’d thought. I busied myself for a while, stress-tidying the dorm, until the clock chimed…
It was time to go.
We crept along Ashcroft’s long and twisting corridors. Moonlight filtered in through the windows, pooling on the cold stone floors, while warm golden light from the sconces led our way.
‘Why is it so damn creepy at night?’ Adora whispered from somewhere behind me.
‘It’s okay, we’re almost there…’ I hesitated. ‘I think.’
‘How can you even tell? It’s pitch black!’ A crash sounded from outside one of the windows and Dora gasped. ‘What was that?’
‘I don’t know,’ I whispered, trying to hide the tremor in my voice. ‘Just keep moving.’
‘You’d tell me if you saw one of your flashes, right?’
‘Of course,’ I said, but I wasn’t entirely sure that was true. I didn’t want to cause her any unnecessary fear. Mainly for her own sake, but also because I needed both of our heads clear for this. For whatever was about to happen.
We turned the last corner towards the library. I approached the heavy wooden doors, but just as I was about to push them open, I felt Adora’s hand on my shoulder. I stopped.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked quietly.
I took a deep breath and nodded. ‘I’m okay.’
‘I’m here. I’m with you.’
I squeezed her arm and smiled, though it was probably too dark for her to see.
Pushing forcefully on the aged wood of the library door, it slowly creaked open like the gates of a medieval castle. The familiar library stood before us, yet it didn’t feel familiar. It felt dark, odd… and wrong, somehow. The air felt heavy, suffocating almost.
We slowly walked through the cavernous room.
The upper levels were cloaked in shadows, and they seemed to swirl, pressing in on us.
The main walkway was lit by small oil lamps, but the rest was dark, so when we reached the main desk and ventured beyond it into the library proper, it was so dark we couldn’t see three feet in front of us.
‘Um… Iris?’ I heard a small whisper behind me.
‘Yes?’
‘How are we supposed to do this if we, you know… can’t see our own feet… let alone Isobella?’
It was a strange feeling, the odd sensation that had come over me since crossing the threshold of the library. It was almost as if I could feel her.
Feel Isobella.
‘We should light some lamps,’ Adora said from somewhere in the dark.
My skin tingled. ‘I don’t think we need to.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I don’t know, exactly,’ I admitted. ‘I just have a feeling that we won’t need to…’
‘I don’t understand—’ she began, right as an oil lamp on a small wooden desk up ahead sparked to life by itself, its golden light bleeding out around it.
‘Adora…?’ I paused.
‘Wasn’t me…’ her voice was squeaky. Scared. ‘You?’
‘Nope.’
My breathing increased, my heart beating rapidly.
Suddenly, light blared all around us. Hundreds of candles and lamps flared to life.
Adora and I stared around us in astonishment – shocked, scared, but also entranced by the beauty of it.
Warm, golden light spilled everywhere, over every surface, every inch of book, paper, and scroll, flickering like fireflies.
‘Oh my…’ I heard Adora whisper. I turned to her. Her eyes were shining in the light, shimmering as she stared around the space. A smile bloomed across her face.
‘It’s beautiful,’ I whispered.
I scanned the library, looking for any sign of Isobella.
‘It’s—’ Adora said happily, but her sentence faded away.
‘It’s what?’ I laughed.
But no response came.
‘Adora?’
I turned to her, and I felt as if my heart physically dropped out of my chest.
‘Dora!’ I shouted. She stood in front of me, rigid as a statue, with her eyes rolled back in her head, shaking from head to toe.
I panicked and grabbed her shoulders. ‘Adora!’ I screamed. ‘Dora, listen to me!’ I shook her, but nothing happened.
Slowly, her body began to shake more violently, and then that was mirrored in myself when her mouth started to open.
It opened further, and further, and further. Her jaw unhinged itself and elongated and distorted so badly I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t make a noise. It was as though I was paralysed by fear.
Suddenly, Dora’s head snapped back so fast it made a sharp, sickening crack – so loud it echoed around the room. Her face looked to the heavens, and the most horrendous scream I’d ever heard released itself from her throat. It filled the entire room, my body, my mind.
Then it snapped back down.
‘Iris,’ the voice groaned.
But the voice was not Adora’s.
‘What’s wrong? Tell me how to help you!’ I screamed at her, my voice deafening in the silent library.
‘She’s gone.’ The voice came from Adora, but it wasn’t hers. Adora’s voice was happy, melodic, like sunshine personified. This voice was a horrible rasp, guttural and gravelly, as if it hadn’t been used for a long time.
‘Gone? Who’s gone?’ I asked. I pleaded. ‘What’s happening?’
‘Iris,’ the voice croaked. ‘Iris… Blackthorne.’
I felt my hair stand on end, felt every muscle in my body tense.
‘I… do not… have long,’ the voice whispered. I could still faintly make out Adora’s voice, overlapping and intertwining with the hoarse voice speaking.
It was something from a nightmare.
‘Isobella…’ I whispered. ‘Is that you?’
‘I could not… speak… before. Please… forgive me for… your friend.’ Each breath was filled with a grating gasp, as if physically paining her to speak.
‘Is Adora okay? What are you doing to her?’ I tried to speak calmly, remain rational, but it was fading fast.
‘She will be… fine. I’m sorry, this was the… only way.’ Dora’s whole body was completely still, her eyes open yet unseeing. The only part of her moving was her mouth. ‘Please… listen. I only have seconds. What you… seek, is a group.
‘A group? What do you mean?’
‘A society, they call themselves. But a… cult… is what they truly are…’
‘Please, Isobella. Tell me what you know…’ I took a deep breath before asking the most important question. ‘Who killed you?’
‘The masked men…’ She breathed. ‘The woods…’ She let out an inhuman wail, so gut-wrenching and pain fuelled that I felt tears prick in my eyes. ‘They call themselves… Discipuli de Neptūno. Once a year they kill… as… initiation.’ Suddenly Adora’s body twitched violently. ‘No…’
‘What is it?’
‘I’m out of time… I must go.’
‘No!’ I shouted, ‘Please, I need more information! Who are they?’
‘I must go now… or your friend will die.’ The twitching became more and more violent until her whole body was bucking from some invisible force. ‘Goodbye… Iris.’ A tear slipped from her eye, dropping silently down her face. My heart cracked open. ‘Aqua mortuorum,’ she whispered. ‘Mors Venit.’
An excruciating howl erupted from her, echoing around the room as Adora’s head, again, was snapped sharply upwards.
‘Thank you!’ I shouted. ‘Isobella… thank you, so much.’
But she was gone.
Adora’s body crumpled to the floor, knees buckling beneath her. Her lifeless, limp body bent at unnatural angles.
‘Dora!’ I cried. I dropped beside her, my hands slipping against her shoulders as I tried to lift her. Her head lolled to the side.
‘Adora, please!’ My voice broke. I was shaking her now, harder than I meant to, her name spilling out between painful breaths. I didn’t even notice when I started crying until my vision blurred – my tears dropping down onto her face.
Her skin was so cold.
‘No, no, no…’
She looked so pale. My fingers trembled as I reached for her neck, pressing beneath her jaw…
Nothing.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
I shifted my fingers and pressed harder.
Waited.
After what seemed like a lifetime… there was a faint pulse.
Relief flooded me instantly and I let out a sob.
Instinctively, I flung my cardigan off and covered her frail body with it.
Next, I took off my scarf and wrapped it around her.
I positioned my body so that I could lift her head into my lap and began stroking soft circles on the back of her hand.
We stayed like that for a long time.
My mind whirled… Should I take her to the medical wing? I could, but how was I supposed to carry her there? And what would I say?
Should I get Rory? He could help me carry her, but what would I tell him? He would ask questions and this whole thing was way too dangerous for anyone else to be involved in. Plus, there was no way I was leaving her here alone to go and get anyone.
Every few minutes I checked her pulse again, needing reassurance, needing proof she was still alive.
Time stretched.
My tears kept falling.
Then eventually, her fingers twitched. A heartbeat later, her eyelids fluttered – and finally, they opened.
I helped a weak, limp Adora into her bed, helping her remove her clothes and get settled under the blankets.
Upon waking on the floor of the library, she couldn’t remember what had happened.
‘Iris?’ She had said. ‘Where am I?’ Her voice was so weak.
‘You’re okay.’ Was all I said, over and over again. ‘You’re okay. You’re okay.’
But I didn’t know if it was true.
As soon as she was able to stand, we slowly walked back to our room, my arm wrapped around her, supporting her weight.
I’d tried to convince her to go to the hospital wing, but she refused. I then tried to get her to go to Rory’s dorm, so he could convince her, but she insisted she was okay.
Now, I sat on the edge of her bed, a concerned looking Boo perched silently at her feet, gently stroking her arm as she faded in and out of a troubled sleep.
This was all my fault.
After a long while, her gaze flicked up to meet mine, eyes wet and shining. ‘For a while tonight…’ she began softly. ‘I… I wasn’t me… was I?’
My throat grew tight, painful to swallow.
‘No,’ I shook my head. ‘No, you weren’t.’ My voice broke on the last word, my emotion cracking through. ‘I’m so sorry, Adora. I should never have let you come.’
‘Was it… worth it, though?’ Her voice was scratchy.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Did you find out anything?’
I smiled sadly. ‘You nearly died… and that’s what you’re asking?’
‘Was it worth it?’ she repeated.
‘I found out some important things,’ I whispered.
‘Things that may be able to help us.’ I was still softly stroking her arm.
Boo had moved to sleep on the pillow next to her hair, as if comforting her.
‘Isobella has helped us,’ I said, my brows pulling together. ‘But don’t worry about that right now.’
She just nodded slowly. ‘That’s good.’ Her voice was weak and quiet.
‘You need to get some rest,’ I began, but her breathing slowed and sleep overcame her by the time I’d finished my sentence. I leant forwards and pushed the hair out of her face.
‘Goodnight, Dora,’ I whispered, dropping a gentle kiss onto her forehead.