Gabriella Poole - Divided Souls (Darke Academy)

Why would she hide it? Unless Isabella knew something. Unless Jake had something to do with …

… oh, God …

Cassie felt sick. If it had been an option she’d have bolted from the room and straight to the toilets, but that would attract too much

attention and way too many questions. There must be an explanation. But how could she expect Isabella to explain anything to her, let

alone something as sensitive as this? They’d been growing more and more like strangers since they’d stepped off the Mistral Dancer .

But still, they were friends, weren’t they? They’d be friends for ever. Or at least that was what she used to think. All Cassie could think

now was how much needed fixing in their relationship. She’d hardly been the greatest friend to Isabella: disdaining her for the company of

the Few, treating her like a second-class citizen. And yet she’d had to, and that was Isabella’s fault too, for kind of seeming to resent

Cassie’s new status, and being so stand-offish with the other Few …

Her head whirled. All she knew was what a bloody mess this was. Besides, she didn’t even know for sure that Isabella did know about

Jake. And if she didn’t – well, Cassie wasn’t going to be the one to tell her.

It was just that she couldn’t help remembering that moment when she’d come back to their room. A male voice on the webchat. Isabella

so absorbed she didn’t even hear Cassie come in. The look on her face when she finally did see her. And Isabella’s recent, magical mood

change …

A voice said her name. Starting, coming back to the present, she saw that the Few were all standing up, talking in low voices, leaving in

small solemn groups.

‘Cassie,’ said Richard again.

‘Sorry.’ She shook herself. ‘I was miles away.’

‘I noticed. I’m not surprised. I wish we could go for a drink. That’s the trouble about being stuck on this bloody island, isn’t it?’

She rubbed her forehead, laughing shakily. ‘I hadn’t thought of it like that, but you’re dead right. I suppose it’s deliberate.’

‘Yeah. I was thinking that. The bastard.’ He grinned, then grew serious. ‘He gave you a bad time, Darke, did he?’

‘It’s not that. He was perfectly polite and pleasant, as usual. But just no damn use at all. And I’m just, um … confused.’ She sighed. ‘And

worried.’

Richard’s eyebrows knitted together with concern. ‘Well, look, there’s half a bottle of red left from the party. Why don’t we grab it and take

it down to the beach?’

‘I don’t think—’

‘Listen, Cassie.’ He lowered his voice as they left the common room and he closed the door. They were last out. ‘If it’s about last night,

I’m sorry – I mean, I don’t want you to think— I promised I wouldn’t give you any hassle. And I didn’t mean to. You just … you look like you

could use someone to talk to.’

She shook her head violently. ‘No. It isn’t that. Honestly.’

‘You’re sure?’ He sounded so uncertain she put a hand on his arm and smiled.

‘Positive. And actually I would like a walk on the beach, but I think I should clear my head rather than make it fuzzier.’ She suppressed

the corners of her mouth from turning up at Richard’s slightly disappointed look. ‘D’you reckon you could lay your mitts on some cold

Coke?’

‘Your wish?’ he grinned, reopening the common room door behind him, then bowing deeply before disappearing inside. ‘My compulsion.’

They didn’t walk, as it turned out. Cassie was so tired, all she could do was perch on a rock and drink thirstily from the chilled litre of Coke

that Richard had snaffled from the common room. Tiny waves lapped idly against the small crescent beach, edged with phosphorescence in

the starlight. She could smell the flowers in the garden, drifting smoke and traffic fumes from the city, and that gentle, ever-present

Bosphorus breeze. Something small rustled in the undergrowth at the edge of the beach: a cat, maybe. Floodlit spires and domes glowed in

a pale line where the city lay across the glossy water.

She needed this. Some peace, just for a moment, something undemanding. She tilted the bottle to her lips once more.

Richard lay flat on the rock beside her, hands folded on his stomach, gazing up into the sky. He seemed to be going to great lengths to

avoid touching her. So it was funny that she felt more comfortable in his company than she had in anyone else’s for what seemed like a

very long time.

She’d always sort of got on with him, she thought, even when she hadn’t liked him very much. It wasn’t just the charm, it was something

else … his vulnerability, maybe? Or just his sheer animal attractiveness; that might well have something to do with it. Closing her eyes, she

smiled to herself in the darkness. Over the last year she’d fallen for him, been let down by him, fallen for him again, then been betrayed in