Gabriella Poole - Divided Souls (Darke Academy)

‘No, Miss Bell, I do not. Now Richard, Cassie, I suggest you take some time to rest; you are of course shocked. I will see you both in my

office tomorrow morning. First thing, if you please. And, Miss Bell?’

She matched his steely stare.

‘Be careful where you show off those powers,’ he growled, and strode away from them, back to the faithful Marat and that pathetic,

sodden cadaver.

Richard took her hand as they climbed across the rocks and up towards the Academy. She didn’t mind. It didn’t feel like a try-on, just

comforting.

‘I’m really sorry, Cassie,’ he said in a low voice. ‘You have the most god-awful luck. You shouldn’t have had to see that.’

‘Somebody had to.’

‘I’m glad—’ He hesitated and squeezed her hand. ‘I’m glad it wasn’t Ranjit.’

She gave a gasping laugh. ‘Me too.’ Then she sobered, very swiftly. ‘But poor Yusuf. God, I wonder what happened to him?’

‘Too much to drink. Slipped and fell in.’

‘Oh come on, Richard.’ She shot him a glance. ‘You saw him as well as I did. He didn’t drown.’

Richard was silent till they were in the corridors of the Academy, and then he kept his voice very low. ‘He might have, Cassie. Water can

do awful things. Fish. You know?’

‘Richard, the boy was like— God, I can’t even say it.’ Like a dried piece of meat left soaking in water? Like a used teabag, all shrivelled

up? She rubbed her hands violently against her jeans, trying to erase the tactile memory. Like a wet mummy. That was it. That body had

been desiccated. Soaked again afterwards, making it gummy as mucus, but sucked dry first. Cassie came to a halt with a sound of

revulsion, put her hands over her head and shut her eyes tight. ‘Richard, get real.’

‘All right,’ he sighed. ‘I’ll walk you back to your room.’

‘No it’s fi—’ She hesitated. ‘Actually, yes, OK. That would be great. Thanks.’

He took her hand again, and kept it firmly in his. ‘You don’t have to put up a front with me, Cassie,’ he said gently. ‘You’re scared, and

that’s understandable. More than understandable.’

‘Yeah.’

‘I am too.’ He turned at her door and pulled her into his arms for a tight hug. She could feel his breath against her neck, and it felt hugely

comforting, and oddly electric. ‘Night, Cassie,’ he whispered.

‘Night, Richard.’

She watched him walk away, a small thrill of lust giving way as the sense of dread reasserted itself. For a moment she was tempted to

run after him and confide, but that would be stupid. Richard didn’t know what had happened to Keiko. And she just couldn’t tell him about

Jake being in Istanbul.

So she could hardly tell him that Keiko’s corpse had looked just like Yusuf’s. Right after Cassie had thrust in the Knife. The Knife that

Jake still had.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Cassie paused with her hand on the door of her shared room and pressed her forehead to the warm wood. She was dreading the next

few minutes, but this had gone beyond tact, beyond discretion, perhaps beyond loyalty. She had to talk to Isabella about what was going

on.

Taking a deep breath, easing the door open and then shutting it firmly behind her, she stared at her roommate, feeling for the first time as

if she barely knew her.

Looking up, Isabella smiled. ‘Hey! I was beginning to wonder where you were. Common room again?’ she added, an eyebrow raised

sarcastically.

Cassie looked at her roommate, confused. ‘Well yeah I was, earlier. But it was hardly a social occasion. We’re trying to figure out what’s

going on. As you might imagine, everyone’s a bit on edge.’

‘Yes, I can imagine. I feel bad, this must all be so difficult for you,’ Isabella said, then paused, smiling awkwardly as Cassie noticed the

glitzy shopping bags by Isabella’s bed. ‘Yes, uh, we went shopping today. But I got you something too … Look. I thought it might cheer you

up, just a little?’ Isabella reached down and rustled one of the bags. ‘Do you like it? It’s silk.’ She handed Cassie a beautifully woven scarf,

but Cassie remained silent. The only thing she could think was: was Isabella feeling guilty? Was this actually designed to make her feel

better?

‘We went to Hussein Chalayan, and Umit Unal.’ Isabella continued babbling. ‘Honestly, Cassie. If you think I’m bad with a gold card, you

should see Alice …’

Cassie stared at her cheerful roommate, baffled. Then she realised. ‘Isabella. You haven’t heard? I thought it would have spread like

lightning.’

‘Heard what?’ Isabella was drawing something velvety and expensive out of one of the bags.