‘Of course.’ There was something frosty about Isabella’s tone.
‘I mean, I’d invite you too, but …’
‘It’s Few Only.’
Cassie swallowed, feeling like dirt. ‘They made that pretty clear. Or I’d have asked you when I first heard, obviously.’
‘I understand. There are some times when the Few make the rest of us welcome, and others … well. I understand. I hope you have a lovely time.’
Cassie couldn’t bear to hear that clipped tone in her friend’s voice. ‘Isabella, come on. I’m sure there’s other stuff you want to do with me out of your hair for an evening. Then we can take the time to plan our night properly, make it really cool—’
‘Uh, yes.’ Quite abruptly, and to Cassie’s astonishment, her friend’s face had brightened, as though something had just occurred to her. ‘What am I saying? You’re right. Look, don’t be sorry, Cassie. I’m sorry! That was so graceless of me. You are to go and have a good time.’
‘Really?’ Cassie blinked with shock.
‘Really! It’s OK, I could … I could use some time to myself. Honestly, I mean it! Go and have fun.’
‘If you’re sure …’
‘Of course I am. Besides, a party means I can still work on that make-up of yours, no?’ Isabella grinned devilishly. ‘Let’s get you looking your best!’
Speaking of which … Cassie almost didn’t dare ask. ‘Isabella, I—’
‘What? Oh, I know what it is. I know that look.’ Isabella’s smile became ever so slightly more forced.
‘You know I wouldn’t ask. It’s just—’
‘No, Cassie, of course, it’s OK. Of course you need to feed. Don’t worry. Really.’ Isabella couldn’t quite meet her eyes, she noticed. ‘I insist. I told you, we want you looking your best.’
‘Thanks, Isabella. I appreciate it.’
Isabella took a deep breath and brightened again. ‘Besides, then you will have to submit to a makeover. Payback, yes?’
‘Yeah. Payback,’ Cassie mumbled, nodding but uncomfortable with the word. She owed her friend some of the control back after what she put her through, it was true. ‘Isabella.’ Cassie hugged her friend. ‘You are a star. Incorrigible, but a star.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
The island had a different atmosphere to the Academy’s – it felt somehow more free-and-easy, less formal – but it had the same dusky-scented beauty, and the small palace (Cassie had an inward giggle at the concept) shared the same splendid architecture and intricate decoration. Cassie stood at a stone balustrade, one hand resting on the warm gilded wood of an arch, champagne cocktail in the other. Across the silky pewter of the twilit Bosphorus she could see floodlit domes and minarets picked out against an indigo sky, and the cries of muezzin were clearly audible in the evening air. The loveliness and strange loneliness of it made her heart ache in her chest like the broken spirit of Estelle. Sometimes it was hard to tell which was which.
Behind her there was a hubbub of conversation, occasional squeals or guffaws, the bass throb of music. It was a good party, but it felt oppressively hot in that room with its magnificent vaulted ceilings and its rich dark fabrics. Cassie had slipped off Isabella’s stilettos, and was enjoying the sensation of soft and expensive Turkish rug between her toes. She wished she could afford to buy one, but then where would she put it? The TV lounge at Cranlake Crescent? Grinning, she took another swallow of cocktail and felt it zing straight to her head.
Well, back to the fray …
She didn’t bother to put the Manolos back on. She liked the barefoot feeling, and it wasn’t as if she needed the extra height. The Few students were treating her with respect now, even the ones who didn’t hold her in much affection; people were greeting her cheerfully and drawing her into their conversations. They were all rich, elegant, polished to within an inch of their privileged lives, yet their eyes seemed drawn to her like a magnet as she passed, and in more than a few of those gazes there was deference, and even a little fear. She liked being Few, she realised with a happy jolt …
A cut-glass voice sliced into her reverie. ‘Oh look, if it isn’t ding-dong Bell again. Nice frock. Where do you think she got it? Primark? Or just nicked?’
Cassie halted. Trust Sara to try and spike her evening. Turning, Cassie glared right into the sixth former’s face as she stood by the bar next to Mikhail – the person to whom the girl was supposedly directing her comments. Sara’s face twisted with distaste at Cassie’s reaction, but she couldn’t help flinching a little. Remembering, no doubt, how Cassie had dealt with her at a similar bar in Carnegie Hall that February …
Honestly, the girl was tragic. Did she really imagine that Cassie cared any more what she thought? Still, it was fun to watch the fear flit across her face, chasing out the hatred.
‘All alone, Cassandra?’ That was Mikhail, sidling closer to Sara, though Cassie couldn’t tell if he was supporting the English girl or looking for safety in numbers. ‘No date? Oh, that’s right. Ranjit’s turned all Harry Houdini on us and disappeared. Poor thing. Perhaps our prince is after a taste of the high life, having slummed it last term?’ He arched an eyebrow at Sara pointedly.
Cassie drew back her lips to show her teeth. The light in the room was suddenly a little redder. ‘Want to come out from Sara’s skirts and say that again, Mikhail?’
‘How dare you, you utter chav. Who do you think you—’
‘Would you like to find out exactly who I am?’ She let the red flood her eyes. Damn, she hadn’t wanted to let them get to her. If the little dick hadn’t brought Ranjit into it—
‘Cassie! Hey!’ An arm slipped round her waist, surprising her enough to let a little of the red drain from her vision.
‘Oh, Richard,’ drawled Sara. ‘Trust you to lower yourself.’
‘Well, we know he isn’t fussy,’ added Mikhail bitchily.
‘And you should know, Mickey, my lad.’ Richard gazed solemnly into Cassie’s eyes, then looked back at the other two with an innocent smile. ‘Doesn’t Ms Bell just look set to stun? We ought to be careful, it could be dangerous just to look at her the wrong way.’
Sara took an involuntary step back. She looked furious at herself, but there was no hiding her instinctive nervousness.
Richard let it go, his small victory achieved. ‘Please dance with me, Cassie. You’re the best-looking girl in the room. Bar none.’
Cassie grinned. It wasn’t just that she was glad of a diversion. Richard looked exceptionally good in a tux. And his eyes were alight with mischief, which couldn’t help but make him even more attractive. ‘Why, thank you, Richard. I’d be delighted.’
She didn’t wait to watch the fury on the faces of Sara and Mikhail, but turned and let Richard guide her to the cleared space where people were dancing.
‘Hmm, bit of a smoochy one, isn’t it?’ she said dryly as she twined her arms round his neck.
‘I’m not the one choosing the music,’ he murmured. ‘You looked like you needed an escape – a peaceable one, anyway. And you do look fantastic, I wasn’t joking, so I thought I’d take my opportunity where I could get it.’
Cassie angled her head up to look at him, expecting the usual glint of wickedness in his eye, but it was missing. Instead he looked almost wistful.
A little taken aback, she glanced down at Isabella’s scarlet dress. ‘It’s borrowed.’
‘Who cares?’
‘And anyone would look fantastic after Isabella’s ministrations.’ This was ridiculous; she felt quite flustered. ‘You’re just doing that charming thing again.’
‘I can’t help it. It’s in the blood.’
Speaking of blood, she could feel his. She could feel it throbbing through his veins, feel the thud of his heart against her chest. It should have made her nervous, but she found she liked it. Almost involuntarily she nestled closer against him. After tensing a little with surprise, he relaxed and held her closer.
‘Bugger,’ he said softly in her ear as the music chang
ed. ‘I hate this song.’
‘Good. Me too.’ She drew back from him.
‘Too fast for me anyway. I’d fall over my own feet.’
She laughed. ‘Highly unlikely,’ she shouted as the volume and the beat soared. ‘I might pop out for some air, I’m roasting.’ She hesitated. ‘Care to join me?’
Outside, clutching new drinks for both of them, Richard leaned on the balustrade beside her and handed her a glass. Nervously he turned his own in his hands. Once again she noticed how strong they looked, the knuckles prominent, the sinews etched on his skin. Nice hands. Attractive hands.
‘So, um.’ He seemed to be casting around for safe conversational topics. ‘What’s going on with Ranjit?’ He’d failed. ‘I, uh, I haven’t seen him around much lately. Are you—’
‘No,’ she interrupted. ‘We’re not. D’you know what, let’s not talk about him right now.’
‘You mean, you don’t know where he’s got to either? You haven’t seen him?’ He paused. ‘You must be worried.’
‘No,’ she lied. The night was black velvet now, the stars glittering over the sea and the city. She didn’t want to think about Ranjit, not at the moment. And Estelle was maintaining a low snarky bitching at the back of her brain, a moan about the inferiority of a mate. She wanted to drown her out. What business was it of hers? It wasn’t as if she even regarded Richard as a ‘mate’, was it?
And yet, she was enjoying his closeness, more than she cared to admit. His arm was touching hers, and she didn’t want to pull away. Actually she wanted to lean closer. Even as the thought occurred to her, she felt her breathing quicken. Weird. But it was hard to catch her breath, she realised, only because her heart was skipping and thudding in her ribcage.
Stunned, she turned her head, and found he was looking at her with an expression that suggested he was feeling something too. The same shock, the same intensity. Unable to pull her eyes away from his, Cassie took a deep breath and—
‘Hey, you guys! Quit hiding!’
They both spun on their heels in unison, breaking the contact of their bodies. Richard cursed under his breath, a wry grin on his lips.
‘Ayeesha! What’s up?’ Cassie covered her confusion with a grin. ‘Where’s Cormac? Off his face?’
Ayeesha mock-gasped and slapped Cassie’s arm cheerfully. ‘Nah, he’s good. We’re all planning a trip into town, check out some nightclubs. It’s sociological research!’
‘Sounds good to me.’ Richard turned to Cassie with a casual tilt of his eyebrow.
‘Mikhail said he was coming, unfortunately, but I’ll make sure he behaves,’ said Ayeesha with a glower in the direction of the snotty Russian boy. He didn’t see it, being wrapped round Saski. ‘I saw him and Sara trying to bait you earlier – nicely handled, by the way. I’ve already given him an earful about how he’s been acting.’
‘I’ll bet you have!’ Cassie laughed, then shook her head. ‘Nothing to do with that, but you know what? I think I’ll call it a night.’
‘Really?’ said Richard, with an edge of disappointment.
‘Really.’ She touched his hand and smiled. ‘Nothing personal, seriously. It’s not you and it’s certainly not Mikhail. It’s Isabella. I felt kind of guilty leaving her, she’s understandably been finding things difficult lately, and I don’t want to be out till all hours. If I head home and give her some gossip, hopefully she’ll forgive me for not being around so much this term. And I do owe her for this dress.’
‘Good point.’ He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, his lips lingering a moment longer than was necessary, making her skin tingle.
Single and ready to tingle, Cassandra … Are you still trying to deny it?
Cassie blushed, ignoring Estelle as Richard continued.
‘See you tomorrow, maybe?’
‘Uh, sure. Go on, have fun. See you, guys. Oh, but Ayeesha?’ She paused. ‘Don’t let him get into any trouble, will you?’
Ayeesha gave an unladylike bellow of laughter, then hooked her arm through Richard’s and led him off. Cassie gazed after them wistfully, then shook herself. It would have been fun – maybe too much fun. But quite honestly she was glad of the break. She needed to have a good hard think about a few things.
‘Hi, honey, I’m home!’
Cassie barged happily into the room they shared. She’d missed Isabella, she realised; a night out just wasn’t the same without the wild-haired, wild-brained Argentinian. They had to get back on some kind of even keel. Isabella’s was the friendship she valued most in the world, for heaven’s sake.
For a fleeting second Isabella didn’t seem to hear her. She was at her desk in the far corner, tousled head bent. ‘It was great to see you,’ she told her laptop softly.
Ah. She was engrossed in a webchat. As she raised her head, seeming to feel Cassie more than hear her, she snapped her head round swiftly and broke it off. A click of the mouse closed the chat window.
‘Hi!’ There was a crimson tinge to Isabella’s cheekbones.
‘Hey!’ Bouncing down on the bed closest to her friend, Cassie smiled. ‘Who were you chatting to?’
‘My mother. She says hi.’ The crimson shade deepened.
‘Oh! Your dad too?’
‘Nope. I mean, yeah, I’m sure he sends his love as well.’ Hurriedly Isabella closed the laptop.
‘No, it was just, I thought I heard—’ A male voice? A weirdly familiar one, at that. Cassie shook herself. Few hearing she might have, but she was more than a little tipsy. She could have been mistaken. Maybe …
But it was none of her business. And the important thing was getting back on solid ground with Isabella, not interrogating her.
‘Have I got some gossip for you!’ Cassie gave her roommate a broad grin.
‘Good!’ Isabella clapped her hands, her expression relaxing. ‘That’s the only reason I allowed you to go to the party! Now, just before you start, wait five – I got hold of that bottle of champagne …’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
‘Ouch. Ouch, ouch, ouch.’ Cassie rolled over on to her face, dragging a pillow over her head to shut out the morning light. The distant wail of muezzin and the soft cooing of a dove echoed painfully in her head. ‘Never again,’ she moaned into the mattress.
It was long minutes before she could ease herself into the light of a new day. Blinking groggily at the other bed, she saw her roommate was still fast asleep and snoring. The sleep of the just, Cassie thought, rolling her eyes in envy. Oh, blimey, even that hurt …
Stumbling to the glass-walled shower she turned it on hard and hot. That felt better. The pink-brown dove was at the bathroom window now, chirping its head off, but it sounded more soothing now than painful. Cassie closed her eyes blissfully, letting hot needles of water wash away her headache.
Then, suddenly, a scream pierced through the dull fuzz in her head. A blood-chilling, desperate howl.
The dove flapped away in fright. Cassie slammed the water off and stood for a moment, befuddled, her heart slamming against her chest with the shock. Then, snatching up a towel, she ran back into the bedroom.
She sighed with relief. Not Isabella. The Argentinian girl still snored peacefully, face obscured by her mess of mahogany hair. Cassie hopped from foot to foot, quickly towelling herself dry, and wondered if she’d imagined the scream.
Then it came again, shattering the morning quiet. It came from outside in the corridor, but echoing through the open shutters of the courtyard. Hauling on jeans and dragging a T-shirt over her head, Cassie flung open the door and ran in the direction of the screaming.
By the time she’d found the source, the hysterical screams had turned to wailing sobs. Clustered around a crying girl was a group of other students, all of them in various states of undress and bemusement. The girl was crouched on the ground, but then she suddenly leaped to her feet, flailing, batting them away.
Cassie darted forward instinctively, seizing her arms. ‘Sh! Calm down, what is it? What’s wrong? Hey!’
&nbs
p; The girl fought her for a few seconds, but then seemed to recognise Cassie almost at the same moment as Cassie recognised her.
God, it was Saski! The new third-year Few girl. Cassie drew back, staring at her but still holding fast to her arms. The girl she’d last seen giggling in Mikhail’s embrace, heading down to the launch jetty with him to go and ‘research’ nightclubs.
‘Quiet,’ she whispered to the sobbing girl. ‘Calm down!’ Turning to the ogling hordes, she saw there were no other Few. Ah, no wonder they were brimming with such hungry curiosity. With a deep breath, Cassie drew herself taller and reluctantly mustered her Few authority.
‘All right, end of show. Go on, get out of here. Can’t you see she’s upset?’ She glared at the more reluctant ones. ‘Seriously, this is nothing to do with you. We’ll sort it out.’ They seemed to understand what she meant by ‘we’, even if Cassie wasn’t exactly sure what the Few would be able to do about whatever it was that was upsetting Saski so much. Still, it was enough to send them packing; the crowd dispersed, muttering, back to their rooms.
Ignoring the bitchy comments whispered in her direction, Cassie helped the hysterical girl to her feet and pulled her towards an alcove. At least all this had done for her hangover.
‘What is it, for heaven’s sake? Hey! Settle down, Saski, and I’ll try and help you!’
The girl took gulps of air, sniffing and rubbing her eyes, and at last the juddering of her body calmed down enough for her to say something intelligible.
‘M-Mikhail!’
‘Mikhail?’ Cassie narrowed her eyes. ‘What about him? What’s he done to you?’
‘Nothing! He’ll never do anything again! Oh my God. Oh my God. He’s dead!’
Cassie’s breath stopped in her throat. Arms tightening around the girl, she felt her heart thrash. ‘What? Don’t be silly. You had a nightmare—’
‘NO! He’s dead. He’s dead!’ The girl’s voice was nothing more than a whisper now as she gasped in sobbing lungfuls of air. Cassie stroked her head and tried to calm her. At last she managed to murmur, ‘I went to find him in his room this morning. But just as I got there, some p-police arrived and … H-his roommate’s in with Sir Alric right now.’
Darke Academy 3: Divided Souls Page 9