Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
IRIS
‘I see you didn’t fancy waiting for us, then?
’ Rory called to Adora as he and I approached the dinner table.
We’d just entered the dining hall the next day, shaking off the rain from our coats and hair, to find that Adora had already turned the table into a small base of operations.
She had worksheets fanned out across the surface, with scattered pens, note cards, and various other study materials, although it appeared that one of her assignments was being used as a coaster for her coffee.
Feigning outrage, she flicked her hair behind her shoulder. She was perched cross legged on her chair. ‘I was at risk of starvation!’ She said, piling a fork full of food into her mouth and speaking without swallowing. ‘I can’t end that way… I’m just too important.’
‘That would indeed be tragic,’ I said, smiling as I set my tray down beside hers and sat.
Rory slid into the seat opposite us with a sigh that suggested his day had been less than fun.
‘You okay?’ I asked, watching him.
‘Yeah, sorry.’ He shrugged off his jacket, dragging a hand through his shaggy brown hair. ‘Long day. Professor Hart’s lecture ran over…’ He glanced between us with a dramatic pause worthy of Adora before continuing. ‘By two full hours.’
He began moaning about his day, and Adora shot me a sidelong look. I smirked. Catching on, Rory sighed, but then smiled himself. ‘Alright, fine,’ he said, the corners of his mouth betraying him as he tried not to smile. ‘It wasn’t awful … It was quite interesting, actually.’
‘Nerd,’ Adora quipped.
‘And proud!’ he replied with a grin. ‘How was your day, Dora?’
I loved the way he looked at my friend, his smile widening.
‘Uneventful,’ she said with a shrug. ‘I had a lecture this morning, then went to the library after lunch, and then I accidentally fell asleep on my notes. I drooled all over the ink and then had to spend an hour rewriting them.’ She indicated to the completely covered table between us.
We both laughed.
‘Impressive,’ Rory said, ‘A vital contribution to the curriculum.’
‘Truly inspiring,’ I winked.
‘You guys just don’t understand talent,’ Adora laughed.
An hour later, we were still in the dining hall, studying. I could feel a migraine beginning to bloom in my skull as I stared at the same chemistry equation for the fifth time. Letting out an exasperated sigh, I threw the paper onto the table and leaned back in my chair.
Dora glanced over, ‘You okay?’
‘I suck at Science,’ I grumbled.
Rory picked up my paper and looked at it. ‘I’m sure you don’t—’ He paused, ‘well…’
‘See?’ I groaned, leaning forwards and pressing my face into my palms.
Adora took the paper from Rory. ‘I’ll happily sit with you and go through it all, if you want?’
‘Really?’ I asked. ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?’
‘Of course not!’ She beamed at me. ‘Our first study session can be tomorrow.’ I smiled at her gratefully. ‘Meanwhile, this …’ She held up the paper. ‘Can go in the bin.’
I huffed out a breath – half a laugh and half a cry.
The clocktower chimed, loud enough for us to hear it from outside, the sound floating in through the windows.
‘Ah, sorry, ladies,’ Rory mumbled between shovelling piles of food into his mouth.
‘I’m afraid I’ll have to cut this wonderful dinner short.
I picked up an additional seminar this evening.
’ He finished chewing and picked up his plate. ‘I’ll catch you tomorrow, Iris?’
I nodded. ‘Indeed you will.’
‘Cool, and see you tonight, Dora?’
My friend grinned at him. ‘See you later, nerd.’
‘See you,’ he laughed, placed a kiss on her forehead, and left – his footsteps echoing in the vast space.
The university’s dining hall was huge, second only to the library.
It also felt older than the rest of the university, as if it had always been here and the rest of the campus had simply sprawled out around it over time.
The walls and floors were stone, uneven with age.
The ceiling arched high above us, patterned with dark wooden beams like a cathedral.
‘Okay, so don’t be mad,’ Adora said quickly.
Well, fuck.
‘What is it?’ I asked, hands rising to my temples.
‘So, I know you didn't want me to bring Rory into it…’ She started.
‘Oh no, Dora, please say you didn’t – it could be so dangerous…’
‘No! I didn’t,’ she said quickly, shifting in her chair so she was facing me properly. ‘Just hear me out, okay? I didn’t tell him anything.’
I raised an eyebrow, but nodded for her to continue.
‘So, I got him talking about his early years here,’ she said.
‘You know, before we were together.’ She pulled an overly dramatic sad face.
‘I had to establish what he possibly did with his time before me. How he coped.’ I smothered another smirk and just nodded.
‘Anyway,’ she continued, ‘I asked who he used to hang out with. Just casually. He gave me a few names, and one of them was someone I recognised – he takes Moral Philosophy.’ She tilted her head slightly, trying to remember. ‘Ollie… Ollie Green, I think?’
I didn’t know him personally, but I knew of him, he sat in the front row, but we’d never spoken. He was one of Theo’s cronies.
‘And then,’ she said, leaning forwards slightly so we wouldn’t be overheard, ‘I asked what the class was like back then. And I sort of casually slipped it in …’ She winced a little. ‘I said – “You didn’t happen to know anyone called Isobella, did you?”’
‘Subtle,’ I muttered.
‘I know, I know,’ she said quickly, waving it off. ‘Not my best moment. But it worked … He immediately said, “Oh, you mean Isobella Way?”’
My stomach tightened.
‘And I said yes, obviously. So, long story short, he knew of her, but not personally.’ She paused, her expression shifting. ‘But the weird part is … he had no idea she’s a missing person.’
I frowned, ‘What?’
‘He told me she transferred schools,’ she said quietly.
‘Oh…’ That was weird. ‘Why does he think that?’
‘That’s just apparently what the class was told, and no one ever questioned it… That’s fucked, right? Like maybe the school knew and chose not to say anything?’
‘Yeah,’ I cocked my head slightly, letting her words sink in. ‘Did you tell Rory that she’s missing?’
‘Oh, no no no,’ she said, palms raised slightly. ‘I already thought you’d be mad at me for saying so much.’ She smiled guiltily.
‘I’m not mad,’ I promised.
‘Okay, thank fuck for that.’
I laughed. ‘Dora, I have never once heard you swear until today.’
‘Yeah, well, today's been a day of revelations.’
I huffed out a breath, put my head in my hands. ‘It sure has.’
A few minutes passed of us eating in comfortable silence, before I heard a familiar voice.
‘Ladies.’
I flicked my head up to see Archer.
Here. At our table.
Right out in the open.
My eyes widened and chest thumped, and he smirked slightly as if he knew I’d panic… and found it hilarious.
‘You missed class again, Miss Blackthorne,’ he said, turning to me.
What?
‘Uhh… I, um, I don’t think I—’
‘Please don’t let it happen again,’ he cut me off.
‘This is your second warning now,’ he said, his eyes dangerous, though I didn’t miss the slight glimmer of amusement in them.
‘Your utter unreliability means you missed an assignment.’ His eyes flickered to Adora for the briefest moment. ‘But… luckily for you, I have it here.’
He rummaged inside his leather satchel. ‘Here.’ He pulled out a piece of parchment. ‘I’ll write the due date on it. Please ensure it’s completed and handed back to me by then.’
He pulled a pen from the front pocket of his bag and uncapped it, quickly scribbling the date on the top corner.
He folded the parchment and handed it to me.
My heart fluttered as our fingers brushed together.
‘I mean it, Miss Blackthorne.’ His brows furrowed, but the corner of his lips tugged up imperceptibly.
He was loving this. ‘Do not let it happen again. I don’t deal with slackers.
You’ll find yourself no longer permitted in my class if you don’t step up. ’
I had to work my own face into neutrality to stop from smiling.
‘Of course, Professor, I’m very sorry.’
He nodded sharply and turned away, but I couldn’t help but notice the subtle smile that broke out across his face as he did.
‘Oh my God, he is so strict!’ Adora complained, and I tore my eyes away from Archer’s retreating form. ‘Also, I didn’t know you missed another class? Are you okay?’
Um…
‘Oh yeah, I’m fine, I just overslept again,’ I lied, feeling really bad about it.
‘Well, I see that the roommate morning coffee delivery is an important thing, then,’ she laughed and continued eating.
Unfolding the assignment he’d given me, I just stared at it.
It was a blank parchment, except for a small line of hastily written script…
“Tonight, ten o’clock, greenhouse.”