Gabriella Poole - Divided Souls (Darke Academy)

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