Gabriella Poole - Divided Souls (Darke Academy)

worried but there’s not much I can do about it, is there? I’m sure he’ll turn up and then I’ll just be left feeling foolish.’

‘All right, Cassie, all right. Let’s not fight about it.’ Isabella linked her arm through Cassie’s. ‘Why don’t we go somewhere on the

mainland? Do something to take our minds off it all?’

‘Well, funny you should mention, actually. Uh, Ayeesha and some of the others were talking about going across to Beyoglu.’ Cassie

cleared her throat, embarrassed again. ‘You know, hang around Cukurcuma, do some shopping. Shall we go with them? I kind of said I’d go

…’

‘Oh, how could I possibly resist hanging out with the Few? I could carry their shopping bags.’

Cassie raised an eyebrow at her roommate’s snarky tone. ‘You sound just like—’

‘Hmm?’

… Jake, thought Cassie, finishing her sentence in her head. Even with Isabella’s improved outlook, it probably wouldn’t be tactful to

mention him, especially if she was trying to persuade her friend to come along with them to the mainland. Instead, Cassie grinned.

‘Anyway, don’t be stupid. We’ll probably have to club together to carry yours! But listen, seriously, Isabella, I won’t go if you don’t fancy

it.’

‘In that case …’ Isabella paused, then laughed. ‘No, come on, let’s go!’

This hadn’t exactly gone to plan, Cassie had to admit to herself as the six of them negotiated the busy, chic little streets of Cukurcuma.

Things had started off OK as they explored the sleek, modern, glass-fronted furniture warehouses which butted up against the historical

buildings of sand-coloured stone, and she’d been enjoying looking at the beautiful, vivid upholstery materials piled high in antique stores

together with vintage marble basins and intricately weaved carpets. But it was becoming increasingly apparent that Isabella was starting to

feel a bit left out in the midst of Cassie’s attempts to integrate more with the Few.

‘What about this vanity table, ladies?’ India said as she eyed a beautifully carved dresser in a small boutique off one of the cobbled

streets.

‘Seems appropriate,’ Isabella said, barely making an effort to keep her comment under her breath. Cassie gave her a warning glance.

‘Yeah, looks good,’ she said, ignoring her friend.

India gritted her teeth, visibly annoyed by Isabella’s snipe, and turned to the other Few girls. ‘I’ll get it shipped back home then, shall I?’

She wandered off towards the store owner, credit card in hand.

Cassie cringed. Some of Isabella’s mild snarkiness was starting at times to turn into outright confrontation, and she felt a little caught in

the middle. The other girls weren’t exactly being as inclusive as they could have been, to be fair. All in all, the tension was putting a strain

on the outing. Cassie had begun to regret inviting Isabella a little. But just thinking that gave her a jolt of guilt. After all Isabella had done for

her. After all Isabella had sacrificed …

Mind you, at least Isabella wasn’t looking so miserable now. There was a sharpness and a spark to her moodiness that was oddly

reassuring – more like the old, feisty Isabella – even if it was a little unnerving. Her attitude reminded Cassie more and more of how

confident and spirited Isabella had been in previous, happier terms, when a certain someone was the focus of almost all her energies. In

fact, if she didn’t know any better, Cassie would think Jake had been in touch with her roommate …

But of course he hadn’t. Cassie would have known soon enough if he had. Isabella would have woken her up at two am, jumping for joy

on her head.

Still, an atmosphere was an atmosphere, and she could have cut the one between her and her roommate with a blunt knife. But she had

to befriend the Few, and Isabella knew that. Besides, some of them were really decent people, like Ayeesha. Cassie respected them, she

liked them, and it wasn’t really as if she had a choice in any case. Isabella could surely understand that?

Cassie couldn’t even use retail therapy as a means of distraction in the way that the other rich girls at the Academy could. While they

gasped and giggled over yet another mind-blowing, wallet-defying handbag, and Isabella made critical comments about their taste, Cassie

tried to focus only on her surroundings. Something besides the tense atmosphere between the girls was making her uneasy, but she

couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. A certain movement, something pricking her senses, but she couldn’t think what.

Estelle, she thought, can you feel that?

Yes, my dear , came the anxious reply, but Cassie’s ‘conversation’ was interrupted by more bickering amongst the girls. She convinced

herself that it couldn’t be anything too serious, or Estelle would have alerted her to it sooner. Anyway, it was silly, because this part of

town was outrageously pretty. The lanes wound down steps between old houses with prettily painted shutters and window boxes that