Gabriella Poole - Divided Souls (Darke Academy)

‘And you want me to ask what, exactly?’ insisted Cassie.

He paused, glancing at some of the others. ‘What Sir Alric knows.’

‘What he doesn’t know,’ added Antonio.

‘How soon he knew it.’ That was India. ‘And why we know nothing yet. Why we’ve been kept in …’ she paused and smiled bleakly, ‘…

the dark.’

Vassily turned back to Cassie. ‘You get the gist.’

She nodded. Since the news of Mikhail’s death, her vague worries about Ranjit had coalesced into something ten times more frightening.

Whether it was over between them or not, she needed to do something concrete, and she needed to do it now .

‘I hope she’s not going to be emotional about this,’ snapped Sara.

‘She’s an official delegate of the Few,’ said Vassily, who Cassie was beginning to realise couldn’t stand Sara. ‘I think we can rely on her

not to be emotional.’ He gave Cassie a curt look, and she nodded once.

‘Then choose her sidesmen,’ he said, slumping back into his chair. ‘We’ll do this the correct way. Officially. And then Sir Alric Darke will

tell us what he knows.’

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

‘Cassandra Bell.’ Sir Alric Darke stood quite formally as his secretary opened the door to the delegation. A smile of satisfaction twitched

his mouth. She walked into the room, giving a last glance at her ‘sidesmen’. Ayeesha was solemn, but Richard gave her a reassuring nod

as Sir Alric dismissed them and the door was closed.

‘So, Cassie. Official delegate of the Few, no less. In two terms.’

‘I don’t really care about that. Not right now.’

She swept the room with her gaze. There was something odd about it since last time. Sir Alric himself, for a start. He looked almost

dishevelled – well, by his standards at least. His hair was rumpled from having his long fingers run through it, and his tie was slightly

loosened. She couldn’t even be sure he’d shaved today. As for the room, it was strewn with papers, folders, books. Cassie frowned. And

there was something different, something missing. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something …

He must have noticed her curiosity, because he looked quite shifty and displeased all of a sudden. ‘There’s a little disorder here; I seem

to have misplaced a file. Shall we go out to the greenhouse?’

As ever, it wasn’t really a request, so she followed him. He didn’t even give his young orchids a glance as he passed them; now that was

unusual. Curiouser and curiouser …

‘So.’ Sir Alric stood silhouetted against one of the glass walls lined with creeping vines, and folded his arms. ‘Please feel free to present

your request.’

Cassie cleared her throat, thinking she should play along with his formalities. ‘I – we, the Few – want to be made privy to any information

you have about Mikhail’s death. About Yusuf’s disappearance, and … and Ranjit’s.’ She took a deep breath, angry that she’d stumbled over

the name. ‘Because the Few believe that sleeping dogs shouldn’t be left to lie any longer. This is directly affecting us, and we have a right to

know.’ When she was finished, she was a little surprised herself at how severe she had managed to sound.

Sir Alric didn’t answer immediately. He nodded slowly, deliberately, and then smoothed a ruffled hair back into place, before folding his

arms again and finally meeting her eye.

‘I grant you, Cassie, the situation is unusual in that there does seem to be a connection between these disappearances. But as you’ve

told me yourself, Ranjit Singh keeps very much to his own schedule.’ He paused. ‘And as I’ve already asked you, I want you to let me know

if he gets in touch.’

‘What makes you think he’d get in touch with me?’

‘Come along, Cassie. Let’s not play games.’

She bristled. Here he was, quite literally in a glass house, and he was going to throw stones at her?

‘You seem very certain everything’s all right with him.’

‘Nothing is certain,’ he replied, his eyes stormy, severe. ‘But we both know that of anyone, you are the most likely person he would

contact. It’s important that anything pertaining to this matter is brought to my attention straight away.’ He raised an eyebrow pointedly.

Cassie clenched her jaw before taking a breath and speaking again, her voice low as she struggled to control the heat building behind

her eyes. ‘If you’re trying to suggest I’m keeping something from you, you’re dead wrong. There have been no secret rendezvous, no

clandestine meetings so you can stop suggesting that—’

‘Not even with a certain Mr Johnson?’

Cassie froze. ‘What?’

‘Have you been in contact with Jake Johnson?’