Page 121 of The Holy Academy of Witches

Theo straightened, his hand curling into a fist at his side, “You and Addi- Adeline” he corrected quickly, but not quick enough. Cillian’s eyes flashed to mine but I refused to meet them, “-are dating?”

“No.” Cillian said slowly, “Me and Sage.”

Sage hung her head in defeat. Theo looked to her in surprise, I didn’t fail to notice his hand relax as though this revelation wasn’t as worthy of violence. Interesting.

“Since when? How? Why?”

“Umm…” Sage fumbled for answers, she looked at me for help but Theo followed her gaze and turned on me.

“You knew about this?” He asked, disgust clear on his face. I swallowed the pain which rose in my throat like vomit.

“Yes.” I answered honestly.

“Theo I didn’t mean to not… I kinda thought when I told Mom…” Sage stammered.

“MOM KNOWS?!” Sage looked ashamed for a moment before drawing herself up, squaring her shoulders.

“Yes. I told her at Christmas.”

“How come I’m the last to know?”

“Because you’re the last to ask!” She snapped. Theo swallowed and had the balls to at least look remorseful for his apparent lack of contact with his sister.

“Come on, let’s get on with this before we’re seen.” I brushed past Theo, joining Cillian. Linking my arm in his, I forced him to lead the way. Sage gave me a look of gratitude as she walked beside us.

“So you said on the phone that you think this statue is located in the atrium?” Cillian clarified quietly as we made our way deeper into their campus. We had chosen to meet at 4am, a time we were all pretty sure no one would be around. Though we were all casting repelling charms every 15 minutes to be certain.

“Yes. The first statue is facing this direction.”

“Nothing else in its path?”

“Not directly, no. I think it’s too much of a coincidence that the line of sight includes the atrium, when it’s your Academy’s oldest building.”

“I agree.” He replied, before whispering the repelling incantation under his breath, and motioning with his hand around us.

“How much further is it?” Sage asked nervously.

“I thought you were a fan of breaking the rules?” Cillian said, giving Sage a knowing smirk. She turned away, muttering under her breath. Cillian chuckled, ignoring Theo’s glare, and pointed for us to cut through some hedges growing on a slight incline ahead. He pulled some of the branches aside and held out his hand for Sage to take. She glanced at Theo before accepting and he pulled her with ease through the opening he had created. Their touch lingering till Theo cleared his throat. He clambered up the hill and through the bushes without Cillian’s help.

I trudged up the slope, reaching for a branch to steady myself where the ground was particularly slippy with early morning frost.

“Theo, help her, you idiot,” Sage said, nudging her brother forward. He grit his teeth and begrudgingly held out his hand without so much as looking in my direction. I tried once more to climb the slope without his help but when the thin branch I was holding snapped in my hand, I slid backwards. Theo grasped my forearm, steadying me. Our eyes snapped to one another at the contact. His touch scalding. My lips parted on a breath as he held me there, suspended on the slope in the cold. His eyes darted to my mouth and back again, his pupils dilating. I swallowed the emotions building in me; the action snapping Theo back to reality. His expression darkened before he simply let go of my arm and I abruptly slipped back down the hill. He laughed cruelly and turned away. I felt like I had been slapped. The sting of his continued rejection further hardening my heart and fuelling my bitterness.

“Theo!” Sage slapped him on the chest and made to try and help before Cillian gave her arm a tender squeeze and reached down to grab me. I held onto his hands as he pulled me effortlessly through the parting created in the hedges.

“Thank you,” I said to Cillian before giving Theo a look which would bring a weaker man to his knees.

“Do you know what’s going on there?” I heard Cillian whisper to Sage. I turned to glare at them both and caught Sage’s shrug.

“Back to the purpose of our lovely visit, please!” I said waving for Cillian to continue on his way.

After some discreet lock-picking by Theo, we entered the atrium through the large French doors. Sage whispered a “wow” as she looked around. The atrium was one vast space, its ceiling double height and entirely made of stained-glass. Trailing foliage stood in each corner, stone benches placed around the edges of the room accompanied by the occasional fruit tree or tropical plant. As we walked further into the room, lights of all different colours danced across our skin, the effect coming from the moonlight filtering through the beautiful glass above.

“I’ll say.” I replied, echoing her sentiment.

“Women…” Theo muttered as he walked directly to a statue standing in the centre of the room. “This the one?”

“Does that look like Virgin Mary to you?” I asked.

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