Chapter 1

 

Abomination

 

“Abomination!”

 The girls scatter. They flee the courtyard like pigeons from Mouser, the old priory cat. That is, everyone except Olivia. She turns to face Brother Westerman, fists planted on her hips and scowls right back up at the old priest.

“Aarrgggh,” he growls, his Adam’s apple bobbing madly under the loose flaps of turkey-like skin at his throat. Olivia thinks he looks like someone’s crossed a vulture and an emu to create the world’s tallest predatory bird.

Olivia’s heart pounds and she licks dry lips. “It’s been five years, Brother Westerman.” Her voice only cracks the tiniest bit. “There are girls at St. Giles now, so get over it.”

Most people, by the time they reach ninety-two, are bent over with the weight of all those years but Brother Westerman’s spine is long and broomstick straight. At her words, he seems to grow even taller.

Olivia gulps as his dark hooded eyes glare down at her over an enormous beak-like nose.

I’m twelve years old now. I won’t let him scare me!

He opens his mouth to bellow but no words come out. Brother Westerman gasps and steps back, making a sign of the cross with shaky fingers. He is staring at something on the ground in front of Olivia.

The coarse black material of his coat cracks like a whip as he turns and flees the courtyard.

What a strange old man.

Olivia’s legs tremble but she holds her stern look until Brother Westerman disappears inside the school. Finally, she looks down to see what had upset him so badly.

Olivia’s breath catches in her throat. A shadow stretches out before her. Large bat-like wings fan out from her shoulders and sharp, curved horns sprout from her head.

Reaching up, Olivia touches…only hair. She sighs with relief.

Squinting up, she sees bright sunlight blazing around the large demonic-looking gargoyle perched on the roof. She steps aside and the horns and wings separate from her own skinny shadow.

Olivia stifles a giggle…

Now, Brother Westerman will truly think I’m an abomination.

~~~

 

Lollie Duff and Darcy Steckel peek out from behind the wall to see if the cranky old priest has really gone.

“What did you do to old Westie?” Lollie asks.

“I have no idea.” Olivia glances at the gargoyle’s shadow with a secret smile. She doesn’t want to explain it to her friends. They’d just make a fuss and Darcy would spread the tale to the entire school by the end of the day.

“Looked like he saw a ghost.” Darcy adjusts her glasses.

“There’s no such thing,” Lollie protests, trying to hide a shiver.

“In fact,” Darcy starts counting off on her fingers, “there are at least three known ghosts who haunt St. Giles School. And that’s just the main building. Lots of people have seen dark figures roaming the grounds after dark—”

“Stop it.” Lollie looks down her nose at Darcy like only someone from the Heights can do. “My daddy says there’s no such thing as ghosts or goblins or any of those other things that go bump in the night.”

“Well, why are you shaking?” Darcy hides a smirk behind her hand.

“Am not.” The class bell rings and Lollie uses it to make her escape before Darcy can say another word.

“She was shaking,” Darcy says.

“You shouldn’t tease her like that,” Olivia says.

“I wasn’t teasing. There are strange things here.” Darcy sweeps her hand in a broad gesture around the school. “You and Lollie wouldn’t know. You’re never here after dark. Any of the boarders will tell you.”

Olivia shivers a little at the thought. At least the talk of ghosts has taken Darcy’s mind off her clash with Brother Westerman. Darcy is like a bulldog when she sniffs out a story.

~~~

 

In class, Olivia takes a seat next to Kellyanne Kazek, happy to have a break from Lollie and Darcy’s constant bickering. Olivia glances at Kellyanne to check what coloured ribbon she has braided into her wild boyish hair.

It’s iridescent purple.

Each day, Kellyanne wears a tiny coloured braid at her right temple—a small protest against the schools draconian uniform policy.

Kellyanne is the only person Olivia knows who can get away with using words like ‘draconian’ and ‘supercilious’. Supercilious is what she calls Lollie when she is being more ‘Lollieish’ than usual.

Olivia’s not brave enough to break the rules, even the small ones. But every day Kellyanne comes to school with a protest ribbon, it makes Olivia smile.