Gabriella Poole - Divided Souls (Darke Academy)

Swearing, Cassie fumbled in her pocket, almost dropping the phone as she dragged it out.

‘Shut up,’ she hissed wildly, silencing it at last. Leaning back against the wall, trying to breathe without a high note of panic, she peered

at the illuminated caller ID.

Richard H-J

She was goggling at that, wondering what he wanted at this time of night, when something moved at the corner of her eye. Jerking her

head round, she went absolutely still, senses pricked.

At the end of the passageway. Someone, there. They’d retreated into the shadows; maybe even ducked round the corner. Marat?

No, she decided. The figure was too light on its feet, had moved too fast.

But not half as fast as she could.

Angry, her senses clicking smoothly into high alert, Cassie sprinted after the shadow.

Whoever it was, they were a fast mover. When she reached the corner it was already running for the stairs, vaulting over the banisters

and halfway down the first flight. Cassie reached the top of the stairs just as it vanished into the next bedroom corridor.

With a growl she leaped over the banisters in pursuit; no time for using the steps. She dashed into the corridor and caught the shadow’s

edge as it bolted round a corner. He wouldn’t get away. He, she, it wouldn’t get away. Cassie put on speed, skidding into the next

passageway, then sprang in a single leap down the next flight of stairs. She bounced off the far wall and recovered her footing, just in time

to see the figure dodge into a bedroom and close the door – but quietly, as if he thought he’d escaped detection.

She halted, smiling grimly, then walked to the room where the shadow had vanished. Raising her fist to rap on the wood, she stopped

short, breath stuck in her windpipe.

ALICE PRITCHARD

Alice. Alice, who hadn’t shared a room since the death of her roommate Keiko in the autumn term. Alice, who was now permitted a room

alone for the rest of her school career, unless she wished to share.

And now she did. Because Isabella had moved in.

So who was the shadowy prowler? Alice? Isabella? That didn’t make sense.

Cassie felt suddenly sick. There was one other person she knew who liked to prowl the school corridors. One person who held a grudge

that wouldn’t go away. Someone else who’d once been a scholarship student, but not any more. Someone who shouldn’t even be here …

Anger filling her as the shock drained away, Cassie hammered on the door. In less than two seconds, it was flung open.

Isabella’s face was stony, her lips compressed. She looked at Cassie with what seemed like all the defiance in her soul, and that was a

lot. For a fleeting moment Cassie wondered if she’d even get past the girl; then her eye was caught by a figure behind Isabella, and she

glared over her shoulder.

Tall, rangy, crop-haired, and a good bit colder-eyed than he used to be. He didn’t smile, but nor did he avert his eyes. A war of emotions

rattled through Cassie’s mind. It was unexpectedly good to see the American boy, despite it all. But all the deception, the unknown

motivations, the resentment in his gaze …

‘I knew it,’ she spat. ‘Jake Johnson.’

Isabella said nothing, but Cassie could her breathing hard, and she still barred the doorway like a bodyguard. There was no point trying

to play the Few card and bully her way into the room; that wouldn’t cut any ice with these two.

Cassie made a big effort to control her dangerous temper. After all, they’d been friends once, and they’d faced a lot together; whatever

had come between them, she was glad he was all right. Oddly glad, too, to see him back with Isabella. Breathing out slowly, Cassie

shrugged. She didn’t want a fight.

‘Look,’ she sighed, ‘just tell me what’s going on, please? Where’s Alice?’

The charge of tension seemed to leak from the air like grounded electricity. With a confrontation off the cards, Isabella looked a little less

sure of herself. ‘She’s gone to Ankara for the weekend. Her uncle works there. Cassie, I can’t tell you everything but I can explain what’s—’

‘No,’ Jake interrupted, putting his hands on her shoulders and moving her gently aside. ‘I’ll tell her.’

Cassie eyed him as she stepped into the room. ‘Have you got the Knife, Jake?’

‘Who wants to know? You, or Estelle?’

She kept hold of her temper, sighing deeply. ‘We’re the same, Jake; get used to it. You haven’t answered my question. Have you got the

Knife? Has Ranjit been in touch about it?’

‘What?’ Isabella looked baffled.

Jake gave his girlfriend a wary glance and said hastily, ‘I’m here because of Isabella. I’m here because I love her and I couldn’t stay away,

OK?’

Cassie eyed him sceptically. ‘Right. So why have you been following me?’