Darke Academy 3: Divided Souls

by Gabriella Poole

  She couldn’t; just couldn’t. The memory of the price she’d paid – she and Ranjit – was just too bitter. They were not compatible, Sir Alric had said. They could not be together; their spirits were too dangerous, too volatile. He wouldn’t have saved her if they’d disobeyed him. No, he’d have let her go to the Confine, imprisoned indefinitely. His help had been conditional on their obedience.

  Bastard.

  Yes, said Estelle viciously. Yes, indeed.

  Except that he’s probably right, Estelle. Losing Ranjit was for the best. We both know that now …

  An inner smirk from the spirit, and a strategic silence. Estelle said nothing more.

  Breaking the awkward silence, Sir Alric said, ‘Cassie, come with me a moment.’

  She had no choice but to follow him. He led her beyond the courtyard and along secluded paths through the greenery, but he didn’t pause until he reached another, smaller paved courtyard through an arch hung with vines. Filtered sunlight glanced off the panes of a greenhouse, full of propagated black orchids in pots, but he led her straight through that too and into an opulent room that was clearly his office for this term. It was much darker in here, and lamps flickered, making the shadows leap. Did he always have to make his office so damned intimidating? Not for the first time she decided Sir Alric was downright manipulative.

  She recognised his usual desk, the lamp, the bookshelves, the antique globe. On a high shelf stood a stunningly carved jade urn that glowed in the dim sunlight from the window. She remembered that from last term, too. She nodded, looking around, as Sir Alric’s secretary withdrew discreetly to an anteroom.

  ‘That was not the usual entrance to this office, may I say,’ he said by way of an opener. ‘As a rule I’d like you to use the corridors.’

  ‘As a rule I will, then.’ Shrugging, she said, ‘Nice. Made yourself at home already, then. Bit different from New York, though, isn’t it?’

  ‘Indeed. I like a change of scene.’ Sir Alric smiled, ignoring her frosty tone. ‘I like changes altogether. There are many in you, Cassie, if I’m not mistaken. You seem happier. Certainly much better than you did last term.’

  ‘Yeah …’ she began.

  ‘You’re adjusting,’ Sir Alric asserted. ‘To your status, that is. And may I say, it suits you.’

  ‘Thanks,’ she muttered.

  ‘So I take it you’ll socialise a little more with the others this term?’ His voice was light but there was no mistaking his seriousness. ‘It’s good for the Few to stick together, and it’s never healthy for rivalries to develop. Unfriendly ones, at least. Enmities, shall we say?’

  ‘Yes. Let’s.’

  Again he ignored her sarcasm. ‘Your spirit is a powerful one, Cassie; you know that.’

  ‘Like she ever lets me forget …’

  ‘And your particular power entails responsibility.’

  ‘Oh great.’ This time she managed to laugh. ‘Now I’m Spider Girl.’

  He smiled with half his thin mouth. ‘I’m not the only one who will be monitoring your progress, Cassie. Please try to keep that in mind. You’re here because I persuaded the Council you could integrate. More importantly, that you could control yourself. You won’t let me down, I’m sure.’ He touched the velvety black petal of an orchid on his desk. ‘You’re like my plants here: dangerously unique. Your interrupted initiation saw to that. I’m extremely careful when I deal with these orchids, Miss Bell, and I intend to take the same care with you and your turbulent spirit. It’s what I promised the Elders, as you will recall.’

  ‘I think I may have some recollection, yes.’

  He lifted an eyebrow and met her gaze directly. ‘And whether my students approve of them or not, I do keep my promises.’

  She couldn’t miss the warning in his expression. Once again, he had the moral high ground. ‘Yeah. OK.’

  ‘Good,’ he said, smiling once more as if they’d just had a perfectly normal student–teacher conversation. He nodded and sat down behind his desk, lifting a folder.

  It was a dismissal. The secretary reappeared and held open the door to the anteroom. No pretty greenhouse route this time. Nodding to him, Cassie took a deep breath and left. She walked slowly through the richly wood-panelled corridors, gathering her thoughts.

  Damn. Darke always knew how to put a damper on a nice day. Finding that her hands were trembling slightly, she clasped them tighter around her books as she made her way back towards the courtyard.

  ‘Hey.’ She felt a light hand on her shoulder. ‘Did you get in trouble already, Cassie Bell?’

  ‘Huh?’

  Ayeesha smiled and jerked her thumb in the vague direction of Sir Alric’s office. ‘Saw you got summoned.’

  Cassie gave her a weak grin. ‘Not really. Just got my card marked, so to speak.’

  ‘Don’t let him bother you. He can be a sod, we all know that, but it’s only because he worries.’

  ‘Oh, he’s a regular sweet old grandpa-figure.’ Cassie rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help laughing. Ayeesha joined in.

  ‘Listen, we’re having drinks in the Few common room on Thursday. Seven o’clock, to celebrate the start of term. Join us?’ Ayeesha raised a hopeful eyebrow.

  ‘Oh! I … dunno, I—’

  ‘Don’t want to associate with us? Cassie! What could we possibly have done to offend you?’ She pouted jokily. ‘Actually, don’t answer that! Just come along anyway?’ She grinned. ‘We’ll make it up to you. Cormac makes a hell of a mojito.’

  ‘Oh, I believe that all right.’ Cassie bit her lip. ‘But I don’t know …’

  ‘Hey, look,’ Ayeesha said gently. ‘All those problems you had last term? Not feeding properly, losing control of yourself? None of that would have happened if we’d been there for you. All the Few, we’re supposed to look out for each other, and we didn’t.’

  Cassie wondered inwardly if Sir Alric had briefed the Bajan girl. ‘That wasn’t your fault—’ she began.

  ‘Well, not entirely, Cassie. But still. We need to make up for what we didn’t do.’ Ayeesha gave her a beatific grin. ‘And some of us do actually like you, despite all your efforts.’

  That made Cassie laugh out loud. ‘OK, you win! But I don’t do committees, right? Nobody’s going to try and make me run the Christmas raffle.’

  ‘Nah. We expect you to bake cakes, though, and knit stuffed animals.’ Ayeesha winked. ‘Seriously, though, you don’t have to get any more involved than you want to. We want to be your friends, that’s all. It doesn’t mean we’re all joined at the virtual hip, it’s cool. And it’ll keep Sir Alric off your back.’

  Cassie exhaled deeply. ‘That can only be good, I guess! OK, I’ll be there.’

  ‘Great!’

  ‘And Ayeesha …? Thanks.’

  With a last happy smile, Ayeesha slung her bag on to her shoulder and walked off. Cassie watched her go, unwilling to move till she’d gathered her thoughts, soothed by the echoing trickle and splash of the fountain.

  Things were back on track for her plans this term, then. Mean girl Katerina was out of the picture – so was Ranjit, for that matter – and Jake wasn’t here, which was rough on Isabella, but certainly made life generally calmer without his revenge-seeking … The whole damn scenario was a lot less stressful.

  So she was going to make a concerted effort to fit in. What was the point in fighting it? What was the point in resisting Estelle, rejecting her Few existence? There was no going back; everyone had told her so. She could fight it till she dropped dead of boredom and exhaustion, or she could make an effort.

  That’s my girl, Cassandra. Estelle’s voice was soft, and for once she didn’t resent it.

  That’s my girl.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Cassie took a deep breath as she surveyed the students’ eager faces around her. She loved field trips, especially here. It wasn’t that the Academy itself wasn’t a stunningly beautiful place to study and work, but to sail across to Istanbul itself, to see its great architectura
l jewels up close, was a thrill for Cassie. Besides, perhaps she was a little like Sir Alric in that way: she did like a change of scene. It gave her breathing space, thinking space.

  The sounds of the city were somehow muted in the grounds of the stunning Hagia Sophia mosque, softened by the splashing of fountains. Standing on the grass with the rest of the class, Cassie gazed up at its imposing dome and minarets, only half listening to Mr Haswell as he pointed out the Iznik tiling and the delicate beauty of the structure. The sun was warm on the back of her neck and for the moment she didn’t take notes, just clasped her book in her arms and basked in the atmosphere.

  She was completely relaxed, and she wasn’t expecting her neck to prickle with that now-familiar instinct. Frowning, she scratched at the back of her neck and turned.

  Where had he appeared from again? She was as sure as she could be that Ranjit had not been on the boat with the rest of them. But he must have been, because now there he was, his eyes locking with hers for a brief moment before he turned away. Nice of him to turn up for a class, she thought sarcastically. And he had been watching her for a while – the tingling of her skin meant nothing else. Now, though, he was blending with the rest of the class as they filed inside the building, his attention apparently intently focused on the soaring space within.

  The light beneath the great dome had an almost mystical quality, as if the dome was floating in air. Ranjit gazed up at it, seeming awestruck, then glanced at Cassie across the echoing chamber and broke into a mysterious smile. Cassie only just managed to stop herself smiling in return, because he looked … good. Very good. Not as well groomed and polished as usual – in fact he had a downright sloppy look about him, and his jaw was shadowed with stubble – but that only made him more gorgeous. She took a breath, forcing herself to walk away and ignore him.

  He didn’t try to follow her, and she was glad. As the class broke up into smaller groups, tasked with assignments she hadn’t even heard properly, she saw Ranjit break away from the crowd and head off on his own. As he left, he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, unfolding it and studying it closely as he walked.

  Oh, she was furious with herself. Even as she slipped out of the main building in his wake, she was livid. What was it about her that she couldn’t leave the boy alone? Hell, she was curious about what he was up to, that was all. Curious? Fascinated. He had no business sneaking off like that, acting all mysterious and—

  He’d come to a halt, beside the remains of an ancient basilica. Cassie stopped too, sidling into the shade of a wall, and she frowned as she watched him. Ranjit was studying the carved stone decorations as if he’d spotted the Holy Grail or something. He glanced around, checking that no one was near; then abruptly, he whisked his phone out of his pocket and started rapidly taking pictures.

  Bizarre. She backed away from him, suddenly not wanting him to catch sight of her. Whatever he was up to, she didn’t want to know. And she was very reluctant for him to know she’d been watching.

  He was striding on now, looking as though butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, making a show of comparing the wall of the former mosque with the photos in his guidebook. Cassie shook her head and turned away. Ranjit and his games were of no interest. At least, they shouldn’t be. She should go and find Isabella. What she shouldn’t do – no, no, no – was walk across now and investigate what he’d been photographing …

  Ah, she couldn’t help it. Nothing to do with Ranjit, she insisted in her head; it was a natural inquisitiveness. And, you know, maybe he’d seen something interesting and historical. Maybe it was something she ought to see. Or something that might shed some light on what he’d been going on about the other day. Or maybe something worth putting in her project?

  Oh, Cassie, stop kidding yourself.

  As it turned out, it was a pointless detour. Maybe he just had a stone carving fetish, because there was nothing else of interest on the basilica: elaborate, beautiful patterns etched in the stone, but rubbed to blurry shapes by aeons, and if they’d ever meant anything it was long forgotten. Cassie frowned and shook her head, irritated. She should have known, especially given the nonsense he’d been spouting lately, that it wasn’t worth trying to make sense of what Ranjit got up to. Now it really was time to find Isabella.

  It wasn’t difficult. When she found the front of the huge building again, her friend was just outside the great door, chatting to Mr Haswell.

  ‘Hey, Isabella, there you are. Are we going to check out the script on the walls? Do we have the translations …?’ Cassie tailed off as she noticed another tall, too-familiar figure a few metres away. As their eyes met, Sir Alric seemed almost as surprised as she was to see him there. Taking a deep breath, Cassie’s heart sank as he walked up to them. She forced a smile.

  ‘Sir Alric. Hi.’

  He returned her smile, but his wasn’t so over-bright; indeed there was something a little nervous about it.

  ‘Cassie. Mr Haswell.’ He nodded a ‘hello’ to Isabella as well, still looking a little uncomfortable. ‘I hadn’t realised your history class was coming here today.’

  ‘Yes, it was a late decision,’ Mr Haswell said, looking a little worried that perhaps he’d missed some protocol. Cassie couldn’t help but grin at him though, suddenly liking him more for putting Sir Alric off his guard. She spoke up.

  ‘How about you, Sir Alric? Doing some research?’

  ‘No. No, I was just taking in the sights myself. I haven’t been in Istanbul for some time.’ He gave them all a thin smile. ‘You must make the most of your visit, girls. Have you seen all the mosaics?’

  ‘Only the Imperial Gate mosaic so far …’ began Isabella.

  ‘There are many more. Why don’t you seek out the Emperor Alexander mosaic? It’s hard to locate, but well worth seeing. On the second floor.’ He eyed Cassie and Isabella expectantly, and they glanced at each other. They were dismissed, again.

  ‘And don’t forget the mihrab in the apse,’ called Mr Haswell after them as they headed into the building once more. ‘I want a study of the religious past of the museum.’

  ‘Did you ever feel like a primary school kid?’ murmured Cassie as they headed off obediently.

  Isabella giggled. ‘Sir Alric didn’t look too happy to find a class here. Probably wanted a peaceful afternoon!’

  Yeah, thought Cassie, glancing over her shoulder to see that Sir Alric had taken his leave of Mr Haswell and was striding towards the mausoleums. Maybe that’s all he wanted. A bit of peace? Somehow she didn’t think so, but Cassie didn’t care. Whatever was going on with Sir Alric, and Ranjit too, she wasn’t getting involved. Not any more.

  As far as she could in the Darke Academy, she was going to get through this term as a normal student.

  Don’t put yourself down, my dear. We’re anything but normal.

  Cassie smiled wryly. Estelle was right. But she was definitely done with secrets and lies, and wasn’t going to let curiosity get the better of her. She’d leave that to some other kitty …

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  ‘Thank God that’s over.’ Isabella flung herself backwards on to her bed. ‘I have never known such a terrible first week. How many maths classes can a girl stand? And as for chemistry! Chelnikov, he hates me!’

  ‘No, he doesn’t.’ Cassie dumped a pile of books on her desk. ‘He kind of likes his lab equipment intact, but he doesn’t hate you …’

  ‘It was an accident!’ insisted Isabella, tossing her hair out of her face and sitting up straight. ‘Ugh, let us forget the whole catastrophe. Alice suggested we go and try out 360 Istanbul? We can get all the Yusuf gossip from the other side, yes?’

  ‘You’re on!’ Cassie said, grinning. At least Isabella was proposing doing something fun. But then Cassie’s face fell. She’d forgotten …

  ‘Damn it. I’m really sorry, I can’t. Sorry, Isabella. I already promised Ayeesha.’

  ‘Promised Ayeesha what?’ Isabella frowned.

  Cassie felt her cheekbones burn. ‘That
I’d go to the common room tonight. They’re having drinks. Some kind of Few celebration of the start of term.’ Her voice trailed off.

  Isabella paused for a moment, unable to hide her disappointment.

  ‘Oh, right.’

  ‘Come on, Isabella. It’s just a couple of drinks. It’s not like they’re going to swallow me up.’ Cassie bit her lip. ‘Listen, maybe I could come and meet you guys afterwards. Or … I suppose there’s no reason I can’t cancel?’

  Isabella smiled, though it seemed a little forced. ‘No, Cassie, no. This is important for you. You have to socialise, get to know them as well. Really, don’t worry. It’s OK.’

  Cassie felt even worse, now that Isabella was being so sweet about it. ‘I don’t know …’

  ‘You’re to go to your drinks. Really. I’ll tell you all about the restaurant later.’ She gave Cassie a sly grin. ‘It’s very beautiful, though, apparently. Views right across the city and the sea, I hear …’

  ‘Don’t,’ groaned Cassie. ‘I’d rather be coming with you guys, honest.’

  ‘Next time, then.’ Isabella jumped up and began rummaging through her wardrobe. ‘Now let me see. For such a special place I should dress up. Maybe the Hussein Chalayan …?’

  ‘Stop it!’ Cassie flopped on to her bed, wishing heartily that she’d never accepted Ayeesha’s invitation, that she was going out on the town with her best friend and Alice instead. Then she jumped as she felt her phone vibrate.

  Cassie tugged it out of her jeans pocket and peered at the caller ID. Shocked, she snatched a quick glance at Isabella. The girl was still in a trance of indecision, holding a dress against herself and frowning into the mirror.

  Ranjit Singh, said the display.

  ‘Now what the hell do you want?’ Cassie murmured at the phone. She took a deep shaky breath, and then deliberately slid the phone back into her pocket. No way. Not when she was already feeling so bad about letting Isabella down. Not when she was so nervous about her visit to the common room, which was, oh yes, just the sort of occasion on which Ranjit would have found a way to let her down.