Gabriella Poole: Divided Souls (Darke Academy)

‘Yeah, I know,’ she said wryly, remembering the injection she herself had received at the start of the previous term. ‘Those Tears are

strong stuff.’

‘Astonishingly strong stuff,’ he murmured.

Cassie eyed him closely. She was desperate to ask what he had done with the Knife, and the Pendant, but she held her tongue.

‘In any case,’ Sir Alric said, standing once more, ‘I suggest you get back to classes, or people will begin to speculate on your absence.’

‘Right. Because they’re not talking already at all.’

He opened the door and stepped back. ‘It will work out, Cassie.’

She walked past him without a backward glance. His promises meant as much as his version of truth. She felt his stare, and even some

odd sense of his regret, but she didn’t once turn back to look at him.

The Asian side of Istanbul looked almost close enough to touch. Drinking strong black coffee, Cassie and Richard sat silently, overawed

by the view of the massive Rumelihisari Fort and the narrow blue neck of the Bosphorus.

‘They used to call it “Throat-Cutter” when they built it,’ remarked Richard, sitting back in his wooden chair and staring at the fort.

‘Must’ve been impossible to get past it.’

‘Seems appropriate.’ Cassie smiled at him. He seemed strangely subdued, and in the mood for gloomy introspection. It wasn’t like him,

but it was understandable.

Still hungry, she glanced at Richard’s untouched plate, and with a brief wink he slid it across the flowered tablecloth. Hesitating only for a

moment, she shrugged and tucked into what was left of his white cheese, bread and olives. Breakfast at the breezy wooden café tasted like

the best she’d ever eaten. It must be the fresh sea air, and the long taxi ride … and the narrow escape from death. Again.

For some of them, at least.

But she was trying not to think about Jake, and Isabella, just for the moment. She couldn’t. If she did she’d go mad. Closing her eyes

briefly, she inhaled the salty breeze. Guilt or no guilt, it was good to be alive.

‘Thanks, Cassie.’

She stopped chewing. ‘You don’t have to keep saying it. Honestly.’

‘Not for that. I mean, for not telling Sir Alric about the Jess thing.’

‘How do you know I didn’t?’ she said, smiling a little.

Richard rested his elbows on the table. ‘He had me into his office for a debrief yesterday afternoon. If he’d known about Jess, about me

delaying Ranjit … I’d have been gone by this morning. Out on my ear. You know that.’

‘Couldn’t do it to you.’ She shrugged, then added quietly, ‘I’ve lost enough friends.’

‘Well, thanks. Especially since I deserve to be out on my ear.’

Cassie dropped her chunk of bread on to the plate and clasped her hands. ‘Richard … could you not have told me earlier? It would have

explained such a lot.’

And, she didn’t add, it might have helped her persuade Jake of Ranjit’s innocence, long before any of this had happened. Things might

have turned out differently. But Richard must know that. She wouldn’t rub it in.

‘I’ve tried to tell you. Really. It was never the right moment.’ He gave a rueful smile. ‘When would it ever have been?’

‘I know. I understand, I do. I just wish you’d trusted me enough to try and explain.’

‘But I did try. Remember that night on the beach? I was this close to telling you. And then …’

She raked a hand through her hair, biting her lip hard. ‘Oh God, of course. And then Yusuf’s corpse washed up. Of course. I’m sorry.’

‘And then in your room the other night, when we were looking at that printout? I tried again then but … we got distracted.’

She found herself blushing, remembering that impetuous kiss and the way it had made her feel.

Suddenly Richard looked alarmed. ‘I didn’t know, Cassie. I didn’t know what Katerina was planning, or I’d never have been involved. You

believe that, don’t you?’

She met his eyes. ‘Yes. I do, Richard.’

He bowed his head and rubbed his temples. ‘I’ll never forgive myself for that. Or for … for having put you in this position in the first

place. I thought … I thought I was doing a good thing, getting you initiated, but—’

Reaching across the table, she placed her hand against his cheek. ‘It’s OK, Richard. It wasn’t you who killed Jess; it was Katerina and

Keiko. And as for what happened with me. Well …’ She sighed. ‘It’s water under the bridge now. It’s OK.’

‘It’s not. But I’ll have to live with it.’ He gazed up at her, then placed his own hand over hers, holding her there.

‘Richard.’

She should pull away now, she really should. It wasn’t appropriate, it wasn’t … a good idea. But she couldn’t pull back, physically