Gabriella Poole - Divided Souls (Darke Academy)

The question came out of left field, catching her completely off guard. It was a moment before she could catch her breath to answer. Even

then she didn’t cover herself with glory.

‘Eh?’ she said, shaking her head in frustration, then jumping as Estelle’s voice echoed inside her head.

The American boy! We should never have let him get out of our sight!

Sir Alric’s brow was furrowed, and he was watching her very closely. Cassie composed herself before she spoke again.

‘I haven’t seen Jake since last term. Why would I? He hates me. He wouldn’t send me so much as a postcard.’

‘Really?’

‘Really. I have absolutely no reason to lie. I haven’t heard from him. And he definitely has good reason to hate me, as I’m sure you’re

aware. I doubt I’ll ever see him again.’ In a mutter she added, ‘I’ll be spending my life making that up to Isabella.’

His gaze remained unrelenting, but he nodded slowly. ‘So you’re unaware that Jake Johnson flew into Istanbul several days ago.’

She didn’t think she’d ever been so comprehensively gobsmacked. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say, except – again – ‘What?’

‘He’s in Istanbul, Cassie.’

‘Where?’

He gave an elegant shrug. ‘I don’t know, exactly. We haven’t been able to track him down. He’s disappeared from view, and now he’s lying

low. I’ve been expecting him to surface, and up until now I’ve seen no reason to … make anyone else aware.’ He paused, and raised an

arched eyebrow. ‘Why do you think he’d come here, Cassie?’

‘I … don’t know. He’s … he still wants to get to the bottom of Jessica’s death, of course.’ She tried to be cool, but found she was

trembling. ‘That’s natural enough.’

‘Yes.’ Sir Alric nodded. ‘Indeed. Very natural.’

She swallowed hard. ‘Don’t you believe me?’

‘Yes, Cassie, I do. I think it’s clear you haven’t heard from him. And I don’t think you need to worry about Jake in particular. He isn’t

capable of harming a member of the Few, in any case.’

The line of sweat prickling her hairline must be obvious to him. She was certain he knew that she couldn’t speak because she didn’t

trust her voice.

The Knife. The supernatural, strangely powerful Knife.

Jake had it. That could harm the Few, all right. She’d seen it done. She remembered all that was left of Keiko: a smear of dried Keiko-

shaped dust on a marble floor in Paris.

She cleared her throat. ‘You still haven’t told me about Mikhail. And … the other two. What you know.’

Again he lifted his shoulders gently. ‘That’s because I know very little, Cassie. Possibly even less than you do.’

She eyed him closely. ‘If you say so,’ she said, barely concealing her suspicion. Sir Alric ignored her.

‘Now, a word about your new … status.’

She lifted her chin. ‘Go on.’

‘I’m pleased you have come so far among the Few in so short a time. Nevertheless, do not get complacent. As you are more than aware,

you are special, even for a Few member.’ Gently he touched the black petal of one of the propagated orchids pointedly. ‘Like I told you

before. You are unique, but that means others will be watching. And people could jump to conclusions about … unique situations. Do you

understand?’

‘Are you trying to say someone could accuse me of having something to do with this?’

Sir Alric fixed her with a severe glare. ‘I’m saying that I think you should take last term’s reprieve with the Council seriously.’

There was little more Cassie could say to that. She nodded, and walked back through his office with all the dignity she could muster.

Darke’s secretary opened the door, and let it swing shut with a soft clunk behind her. And until she was back in the corridors of the

Academy, she felt his granite eyes boring into her spine.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

‘Nothing. He didn’t tell me anything.’ She was still fizzing with fury and confusion, and the rest of the Few didn’t seem too upbeat either.

‘I knew she’d be useless,’ murmured Sara to the girl at her side.

The others ignored that, and so did Cassie. She’d never seen the elite Few so restless, so unsure of themselves, so … scared.

‘Is someone out to get us?’ Cormac finally voiced what they were all thinking.

‘Looks that way, doesn’t it?’ said Vassily. ‘And it looks as if we can’t expect any help from Darke.’

Cassie clamped her mouth shut, resolving to say nothing more. She’d done her bit: let the rest of them work it out from here. She had

other things to think about.

Like Jake Johnson being in Istanbul …

Did Isabella know? And if she did, why would she hide it from Cassie?