Gabriella Poole - Divided Souls (Darke Academy)

So, kiss him, or not kiss him? A no-brainer. Kiss him …

‘Richaaaard?’

He blinked, bit his lip. When he spoke, Richard’s voice was husky. ‘Damn. It wasn’t you that said that, was it?’

She gave him a wry smile, drew back, and shook her head.

As they both turned back towards the bed, Perry was half sitting up, rubbing his temples and frowning blearily at the pair of them.

‘Richard? What in God’s name is she doing here?’

‘You’re repeating yourself, old boy,’ murmured Richard, too low for him to hear, but Cassie had to muffle a giggle.

‘My cue to leave,’ she whispered.

‘Mm, I suppose so. I’ll look after the, er … the night-time snacks.’ He grinned, but there was a definite expression of regret on his face.

‘See you soon?’

She nodded, and smiled, her heart still thudding. ‘Yeah. See you soon.’

Closing the door behind her and sighing as she faced the corridor and the walk back, Cassie felt heartsick at the prospect of a lonely

night in her own empty room. And shocked to her core at how much she had wanted to stay in that one.

CHAPTER TWENTY

They couldn’t go on like this. Cassie knew it as soon as she opened her eyes next morning and saw Isabella’s neatly made and empty

bed. Not just because of the dangerous business with Perry – God, she thought with a sickening jolt, how could they have done something

so risky? – but because she couldn’t bear not having Isabella around. Whatever was wrong, it had to be fixable. She’d never had a friend

like Isabella and she was damned if she was going to lose her. And what was more, with each passing day, the threat of something bad

having happened to Ranjit seemed to grow more and more likely. If there was some connection with Jake, or something Isabella knew that

might help, Cassie was determined to find out.

She didn’t want to go to Alice’s room; she did not want to run into Alice, or worse, the two of them together. But, despite her ridiculously

svelte figure, Isabella always ate a huge breakfast; she was bound to be later leaving the dining room than Alice. Cassie could ambush her

there.

Hovering in the great domed atrium near the dining room corridor, listening to the sounds of breakfast without feeling any compulsion to

eat it herself, Cassie crossed her fingers. Apart from anything else, she was getting downright jealous of the amount of time Isabella and

Alice were spending together. She dreaded to think how they might bitch about the disadvantages of room-sharing with Few – and what

Isabella might let slip …

However, there was no sign of Alice yet. Killing time by wandering among the familiar statues, Cassie was so certain Alice would come

out first, she almost missed Isabella. If she hadn’t heard the click of Jimmy Choos—

Hurrying from the dining room, Isabella didn’t even see her; she was too intently focused on her phone, which was pressed to her ear.

But some instinct stopped Cassie from dashing out to intercept her. In the shadow of Odysseus and Circe, she went quite still, pressed

against the cold marble of the witch’s robe. There was a bright excited light in her roommate’s eyes.

Isabella was talking animatedly, but Cassie was well used to the gabbling speed of her voice. Together with her Few senses, heightened

after last night’s feeding, that meant she could catch almost every word. Which wasn’t doing anything for her peace of mind.

‘Fifteen minutes … no, twenty … will that do? Of course I’ll be there …’ Her voice lowered, but it remained urgent. ‘Yes, of course I’ll be

careful. Don’t worry. Nobody will see me … OK? Good!’

She wasn’t even going back upstairs. Her bag was over her shoulder and she was already out of the door and running down the

Academy steps.

Cassie knew she had only a moment to decide. Saturday morning. The bigger ferry boat would be in use, and it would be busy with

students going into the city. She could lose herself in the crowd. Besides, if Isabella did see her, would it matter? She was going into town

alone. To sightsee. Browse in the Grand Bazaar. Perfectly natural. No worries …

Her mind made up, Cassie walked swiftly out of the Academy, pretending not to hear Ayeesha calling after her. She’d been right: there

was already a large gaggle of students gathered on the small pier, laughing with the freedom of the weekend. She could see Isabella’s

glossy chestnut hair blowing in the breeze, up towards the prow.

Cassie slipped into the back of the crowd, making sure she was last to board. Not having a bag may have looked a bit suspect, but at

least she had her battered wallet in her jeans pocket, with enough lira for emergencies. Ignoring everyone around her, but shouldering

deftly through a gang of third years who were tall and numerous enough to hide her, she leaned over the stern and watched the boat’s