Chapter 45
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
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‘Are you sure you’re ready for this?’ Iris was asking me for what must be the fifth time.
I laughed gently. Quietly. ‘Yes. I need this, Iris.’
She nodded. ‘Okay, then it’s time.’
We stood together in a clearing at the edge of the woods, near the school. A few hours ago, the fire brigade had arrived on the Island to distinguish the fire. It had managed to rip through half the forest, but it didn’t reach the school.
I probably would have felt guilty about that if it had.
At least a little bit…
Chief Sinclair was missing.
I’d definitely seen him at the ceremony.
He stood behind Draven – and my father – but had vanished when the fire began.
He was either dead or on the run with the few remaining members of the cult.
The police, who had arrived alongside the fire brigade, had begun a manhunt around the island, picking up the majority of the Society, and the ambulance services had taken the injured away to be treated.
I was assured that, if they survived, it was going to be an incredibly long time behind bars for all of them.
There weren't enough of them left now to continue on the way they had been. But possibly enough to still cause a nuisance.
Only time will tell.
The police asked a lot of questions. Answering them felt strangely like breathing again – like the weight of the entire world had finally slid from my shoulders.
For the first time, I could tell the truth.
All of it. And I knew it was safe to do so, because every member of the Society had been here tonight.
I had seen them, which meant none of the officers standing in front of me could belong to it. Sinclair had been working alone.
I’d need to be wary of them recruiting someone in the force in the future, if they ever attempted to make a comeback.
The paramedics had taken a look at both of our injuries – and Adora’s – but we were all going to be fine.
At least physically.
They’d taken Adora to the hospital just to be on the safe side, as the arseholes had drugged her to get her into that clearing. Iris had tried to go with her, but they assured us she was in good hands.
‘She’s here,’ Iris’s soft voice snapped me back to the present. Nodding, I placed my hand gently into hers. My heart began pounding when I saw her.
‘Isobella,’ I whispered. She stood about six feet away, translucent and still, though her hair was floating around her shoulders on an eerie breeze. She still wore the dress… the same dress they’d put Adora in. The same dress she… died in.
‘She can’t talk to you,’ Iris said calmly. ‘But she’s here to listen.’ She looked at me encouragingly. ‘Take all the time you need.’
I thought about how to begin… How to say I was sorry for all that happened.
She was dead, and it was largely my fault.
I cleared my throat. ‘Isobella,’ I said her name again, anxiety eating at me.
‘I know that we can’t go back in time, but…
’ I squeezed the fist that wasn’t holding Iris, so tight it hurt.
‘Please know that I wish for it every second.’ I paused.
‘Not a single day goes by where I don’t think about what you sacrificed.
’ I felt Iris squeeze my hand in support.
‘I am truly, from the bottom of my heart, sorry for what happened to you – and for the part I played in it.’
‘Keep going,’ Iris whispered. I was thankful she was here with me.
‘I could stand here and apologise for the rest of my life, and trust me, I want to, but more than anything, Isobella… I want to say thank you.’
I thought I saw her head tilt slightly.
‘It was you who found Iris. It was you who warned her. Without you, she never would have discovered what was happening around here and been able to stop it. And we never would have been brought together. Not to mention that you saved us tonight, Isobella. It’s because of you that we’ve defeated them.
We’ve ended it. Forever. Think of all the lives we’ve saved.
You’ve saved.’ My cheeks grew damp and I blinked away the tears.
‘Nothing can ever change what happened to you, and it will eat away at me every day for the rest of my life. But thank you, Isobella, for everything.’ I heaved in a tight breath. ‘Thank you,’ I said again.
It was quiet for a moment. I looked at Iris and found her staring up at me, eyes full of strong emotion.
We both turned back to Isobella, as a small, sad smile graced her face. She nodded slowly, just once.
Suddenly, a bright light enveloped her, illuminating the forest, brighter than the remaining embers of the fire. It was glittering and gentle and… beautiful. Our eyes met and I could have sworn I saw her mouth the words, “Goodbye.”
The light swirled around her for a moment before fading away. When the clearing was once again dark, Isobella was gone.
‘What just happened?’ I whispered to Iris.
She smiled sadly, a tear slipping from her eye.
‘She found peace.’
Iris lay with her head on my lap, Boo curled up on her stomach. I stroked idle circles on the bare skin of her shoulder as she read a book aloud to me. A romance… which I thoroughly enjoyed insulting at every opportunity – even when she slapped me lightly on the arm for it.
Adora had gone home.
Three days after the events of that night, she’d come to tell Iris that she’s taking the rest of the term off to be with family.
I couldn’t blame her. The last few days had been hard.
Iris told me that her friend had neither eaten nor drank.
Since returning from the hospital, she spent most of her time in bed, and would only speak to Iris.
I felt awful for her – we both did. Iris was sad too, of course, over Rory’s betrayal, but her pain was nothing compared to Adora’s. She was inconsolable. She’d lost her first love.
After she’d told us she was leaving, everything happened very quickly.
We helped her pack. I gave them space as Iris and Adora said their farewells, and then we watched yesterday morning as her parents car departed down the cobblestone driveway.
I’d held Iris as she sobbed. She’d understood, though, and promised to write every few days.
Especially to keep her updated on how the school was running under its new management…
Me.
At first I was incredibly against the idea, but after Iris and Professor Graves had teamed up against me, I was convinced. Even if purely to keep an eye on any extra curricular activities that may or may not include yearly sacrifices.
It was a new dawn for Ashcroft University.
Or should I say… Blackthorne University.
Iris had thrown a shoe at my head when I’d told her, but eventually she came around to the idea.
I’d told her we needed to bleach the past. I refused to let the victims be forgotten – that’s why we were planning a memorial service and a brand new clock tower in the courtyard in their honour – but we needed a fresh start, and a new name was step one. For the school, and for us.
And I was beyond happy to have Iris at my side.
‘I can’t believe they were okay with it,’ she said with a laugh.
‘They had to be. I gave them the choice to accept our relationship, or I would refuse the job.’ I’d stayed true to my word and officially asked Iris to be my girlfriend, as promised. She’d been so happy that her ‘yes’ came out as more of a sob. ‘And they didn’t exactly have any other candidates.’
Especially after so many of the teaching staff had turned out to be either Society members or sympathisers.
Even the fucking janitor was a member. The only two faculty that I knew, without a doubt, were innocent, were Professor Graves, and Mr Williams – who was made unemployed when Draven was fired and arrested, but I’d since hired him to be my own assistant.
I’d always liked him. Besides, he made a great drink.
Iris stretched out on our new bed in the Headmasters chambers. Boo shot up at the inconvenience, scowled at her adorably, and jumped off the bed, disappearing into the office – through the wall.
‘I’ll never get used to that,’ I said breathily.
‘To be honest… me either.’ She giggled and kissed my hand.
‘Well,’ I said, ‘we have two weeks… any thoughts?’ The school board had decided to close the university for a grace period, to allow the families of the victims to grieve now that they finally had the answers they deserved.
Iris grinned at me. ‘Shall we have date night tonight?’
‘Definitely.’ I ran my fingers through her hair, the strands as soft as velvet against my skin. ‘Where?’
‘Where?!’ she said, feigning offence. ‘Our greenhouse, of course,’ she smirked. ‘I’ll bring the blankets, you bring the wine.’
Warmth enveloped me as I took a moment to consider where we were. What we’d been through. It had been a tough road, but we’d come out the other side stronger.
Together.
I smiled at her, widely. ‘Deal.’