For a moment Carter didn’t look up and she thought he might refuse. But then he straightened and hoisted his spade. ‘I suppose I don’t want to get pneumonia either.’
The shed had no heat but it did have doors to shut out the rain and a bench in one corner to keep them off the cold floor. After hanging her dripping hat and wet scarf from a rusty nail jutting out of the wall by the door, Allie shook out her damp hair sending a spray of cold water around her. Her hair was getting longer; it hung below her shoulder blades in long, dark strands.
‘I kind of miss your red hair.’
Spinning around, she found Carter sitting on the bench watching her. When they’d first met she’d had dyed red hair. She’d let it go back to its natural colour months ago.
‘You do?’ She held up a strand, studying its darkness dispassionately. ‘I always feel weird when I dye it now. Like, I look in the mirror and it’s not me.’ She dropped on to the opposite end of the bench with a sigh. ‘Then again, maybe that’s not such a bad thing.’
‘Why?’ he said. ‘Don’t you like you?’
‘Sometimes,’ she shrugged. ‘Not so much right now.’
‘Why not?’ he said.
She gave him a look that said she was quite certain he knew the answer to that question already.
‘Oh,’ he said, dropping his gaze. ‘That.’
‘Yes. That.’ She crossed her arms tightly. ‘Can we talk about that?’
Carter made a noncommittal gesture.
‘Look, I just…’ Allie searched for the right words. ‘I feel really weird about what happened. And ever since then we’ve both been avoiding each other, and being all cold around each other. It’s like we were getting better at being friends and now we’ve taken this giant step backwards. And I…’ She sighed, her shoulders slumping. ‘I hate that.’
Carter shifted on the rickety bench and it swayed unsteadily.
‘I know,’ he said. ‘But I just… I guess I don’t know how to handle this.’ He was studying his hands intently. ‘You have this way of confusing me. I think I know what I want and then you come along and everything gets muddled up.’
Allie knew that feeling well. ‘You do the same thing to me.’
Carter rubbed his eyes. ‘The thing is – Jules and me – we’ve been friends since the first day she came to Cimmeria. Did I ever tell you that?’ Allie shook her head. ‘We were just kids. I was this angry, messed-up orphan. She walked in on her first day at Cimmeria with her expensive suitcases and her nanny, took one look at me and said, “My name’s Jules. I’m your new best friend.”’ He chuckled at the memory. ‘And she was right. We were always friends after that. She was so confident and determined. We studied together, grew up together, joined Night School together… I guess it was always sort of inevitable that we’d get together some time. But when it happened at the winter ball, it was an accident. We’d had too much to drink and it just… happened. The next day I thought it was a mistake. But then, as time went on, I thought maybe…’ He hesitated. ‘Maybe this is right. She knows me so well and… we get along. It’s different with her.’
She knew he didn’t mean to hurt her but his words cut with the precision of a razor blade. The one thing she and Carter had never done well as a couple was to get along. The idea that he and Jules didn’t argue – that they just understood each other – somehow felt like another indication of her own failure as a girlfriend.
‘Then, the other night, you and I were running through the woods together, and… it was like it used to be. And I just looked at you and remembered how things were between us – the good things, anyway. And then… I don’t know. I lost it. I messed up. I’m sorry, Allie, but I care about Jules. She’s important to me. I can’t…’ Spots of colour had appeared high on his cheeks. ‘If she ever found out what happened…’
This was the opening Allie had been waiting for.
‘She won’t,’ she assured him fervently. ‘Not from me. And you mustn’t ever tell her. I didn’t mean to kiss you either. It was an accident. Like a… a car crash or something. We were out there alone, it was dark and we’re used to kissing. But now we have to pretend it never happened and learn how to be friends. We were good friends once. Really good friends. I want us to be that again.’ Her voice was passionate. ‘I can’t lose you all over again, Carter. Please. Just… be my friend.’
Clearly surprised by the depth of her emotion, he turned to face her. ‘You never lost me, Allie. Not really.’
She knew that wasn’t true.
‘We lost each other. And if we ever get together I think it will happen again.’ Her voice was resolute. ‘Let’s just be friends for ever, Carter.’
He met her gaze. ‘I will always be your friend, Allie. For ever. I swear it.’
When her last class finally ended that afternoon, Allie hurried down the grand staircase, her heavy book bag thumping rhythmically against her hip with each step. She was nearly at the bottom when she heard someone call her name.
She turned to see Katie heading her way. Her hair hung in long copper curls that flamed in the afternoon light.
‘I’ve been looking for your… what should I call it? Gang.’ Katie said the word with obvious distaste. ‘I need to talk to you.’
Allie rolled her eyes. ‘Gang. Friends. Whatever. What’s up?’
‘My parents got in touch with me.’
Allie frowned – Isabelle hadn’t been around to take phone calls for students. ‘Got in touch? How?’
Katie gave her a bored look. ‘Seriously, Allie? They can do what they want. If they want to talk to me they talk to me. You know, it would help if you just didn’t argue with me for, like, once.’
Allie held up her hands. ‘So fine. You talked to them. Is everything… OK?’
‘No, everything is not bloody OK,’ Katie snapped. ‘Would I be standing here talking to you if everything was fine?’ She adopted a wheedling tone. ‘Oh, hi, Allie, I just need to tell you that nothing interesting happened.’
Allie fought to control her temper. ‘Jesus, Katie. Don’t have a breakdown. Just tell me what you need to tell me.’
‘I can’t believe you’re the only people who can help me.’ Katie sounded disgusted. Glancing around to make sure no one could overhear them, she lowered her voice. ‘They told me they might like to go away this week, and that I might come with them. They said I should pack a bag just in case.’
‘What…?’ Allie began. But as the word left her mouth she realised what Katie meant. ‘Oh.’
‘Exactly.’
Allie looked at her in dismay. ‘This week?’
Everything was about to happen – they were so close to identifying the real spy. They’d found the key, now they had to confront the instructors, form a plan, expose Zelazny, use him against Nathaniel in some way. And the Night School instructors were all still missing. The students were unprotected. Everything was half finished.
‘Bollocks, bollocks, bollocks. Katie, we’re not ready!’ Desperation made Allie’s voice rise. ‘It’s too soon.’
‘Well, get ready.’ Katie didn’t appear sympathetic. ‘We need a plan. Like, now. I do not want to be dragged out of here by one of my parents’ thug bodyguards like poor, stupid Caroline.’
‘We’ll come up with something today,’ Allie promised her. ‘In the meantime, if they show up, hide. You have time to find places to go. The roof, the attic, the old cellar, the carrels in the library – the chapel has a priest hole; I can show you where it is.’
As she listed all the places she’d used to hide from teachers earlier in the term, Katie looked bleak. Clearly this wasn’t the great escape plan she’d expected.
She ran her fingers through her vivid hair. ‘This is such a nightmare.’
‘Don’t worry.’ Allie tried to sound positive. ‘We’re working on a plan. We’re meeting now to talk about it.’
‘I hope…’ Katie bit her bottom lip. ‘I hope you come up with something. Because this is bad.’
Her b
luster had evaporated. She looked like a scared kid whose world was spinning out of control. Allie, who had never seen her looking anything but confident, didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t comfort Katie.
Besides, the others were waiting for her.
‘I guess I better go…’ When she took a step away, though, Katie followed her.
‘Hey, uh… wait.’
When Allie turned back to her she said, ‘If you ever want me to come to one of your meetings, I could do that. And, you know… help.’
Forgetting to keep her face blank, Allie gave her a look of pure astonishment. The redhead appeared anxious and almost… lonely. As if she was the one left out of things.
Last winter Allie had asked her why she’d never joined Night School when she could have had anything she wanted, and she’d given her a flippant answer. But there must have been a reason why she’d so deliberately avoided the power group at the very heart of Cimmeria Academy.
But this wasn’t the time to ask. So she nodded in a brisk, business-like way.
‘I’ll talk to them.’
‘Her parents told her it’s happening now?’ Nicole’s expressive eyes darkened.
‘She didn’t know the day for certain,’ Allie said. ‘But maybe this week.’
Carter’s jaw tightened. ‘If she’s right we’re screwed. We’re not ready.’
They were gathered in the far corner of the great hall. Pale afternoon light trickled through the enormous windows behind them. The vast ballroom with its polished oak floors and huge fireplace held only a few tables and stacked chairs, waiting for the next elegant event; its emptiness made it feel even more cavernous.
Although they were alone, they talked quietly; if they spoke any louder their voices echoed in the hollow room.
‘I’ve asked for word to be passed to my dad that I need to see him tonight,’ Rachel said. ‘He really can help us if we let him.’
‘Is it time to tell him what we know?’ Sylvain asked, turning away from Rachel to face the others.
When nobody responded, Rachel’s face reddened.
‘Come on. We can trust my dad.’ Her voice rang with frustration. ‘I don’t know how many times I have to say it. He’s on our side.’
‘I agree with Rachel,’ Nicole said. ‘I believe Raj Patel is loyal.’
‘I don’t doubt his loyalty,’ Sylvain said evenly. ‘But I think anything we tell him will get to Isabelle. Because of that loyalty.’
‘It’s true,’ Carter said. ‘Are we ready for Isabelle to find out what we’ve been doing?’
‘Not everything,’ Zoe interjected. ‘I mean, we don’t want her to know we went out to the cottage to talk to Eloise, or that we broke into her office. That would not make her go, like, “Yay. My favourite students.”’
‘So we leave those parts out. Agreed?’ Sylvain looked around the group – everyone nodded except Rachel. Sylvain held her gaze for a long moment. ‘Rachel?’
Finally she nodded her reluctant approval.
‘But we’ll have to admit we broke into Zelazny’s rooms,’ Allie said. ‘Otherwise we can’t explain the key.’
‘Agreed.’ Carter said. He turned to Allie. ‘Did Katie say anything else?’
‘Nothing much,’ she said hesitantly. ‘Except that… she kind of… wants to… join us.’
‘What?’ They chorused, and their voices echoed around the empty ballroom like a ricocheting bullet (What? What? WHAT??).
And so Allie found herself in the bizarre position of defending Katie Gilmore. Something she’d never thought she’d do in her life.
‘She says she could help. She seems really scared. I think…’ She sighed, forcing herself to say the next words. ‘I think she’d be useful. Even though she’s an evil cow, obviously.’
‘Oh God.’ Rachel sounded horrified. ‘Do we have to?’
‘Her parents are hard-wired to this school, and she has very strong connections to the board and to the students whose parents are on Nathaniel’s side,’ Sylvain said thoughtfully. ‘They think she’s on their side, so they tell her things. Allie’s right. She could be very useful.’
She gave him a grateful look and he held her gaze – the light from the window illuminated his eyes like cobalt glass. It was hard to look away.
The others were still arguing about Katie.
‘She’s vile,’ Nicole said.
‘She’s insulting,’ Rachel said.
‘Crazy,’ Zoe muttered.
‘But we should invite her to join.’ Carter looked around the group. ‘Right?’
With clear reluctance they all nodded. There was no getting around it.
‘Great,’ Allie said, not thinking it was great. ‘I’ll tell her.’
‘She shouldn’t come to all the meetings,’ Sylvain said. ‘I believe we can trust her but we can’t be certain yet. So we cannot have her there when we’re talking to Isabelle, or…’ His gaze glanced off Allie’s. ‘Like yesterday.’
‘Good point,’ Carter said. ‘She’s very connected to things, but she’s not Night School and she’s not Rachel so we’ll only invite her to certain meetings.’
‘God help us,’ Rachel said.
After dinner that night, they gathered again in a corner of the crowded common room to wait for Raj Patel.
Rachel, who had talked to the guards that afternoon, was adamant he would come but, as time ticked by, she grew antsy – looking up from her chemistry homework every time anyone walked through the door.
‘Worst case scenario,’ she said as ten o’clock passed with no sign of him, ‘he just shows up in my room and I have to tell him everything myself.’
‘If he does, just knock on the wall,’ Allie suggested. ‘Then I can come over and back you up. And also stop you from saying all the things.’
‘He’ll come soon.’ Rachel looked around hopefully. But the spacious room with its leather sofas, bookcases stacked with board games and books, and tables topped with chessboards, was populated only by chattering students. Someone was playing Clair de Lune on the piano in the corner as others gathered around urging him to play something more lively.
Allie turned a page in her unread history book. The music – like everything else going on – was distracting. She was falling behind on her work. It was impossible to focus with so much happening. Lessons just seemed to be a tiresome interruption in her otherwise interesting day, and yet she’d promised Lucinda she’d make good grades.
From beneath lowered lashes, she glanced over to where Sylvain sat across from her in a deep leather chair, his chin resting on his hand. He looked lost in thought; she wondered what was consuming him – she had a feeling it was Zelazny.
Nearby, Carter was writing a geography essay – his neat handwriting slowly filling the page. Ever since their talk in the garden, he’d acted with extreme normality towards her, including her in conversations and even smiling sometimes. Things still felt formal with him but at least he wasn’t ignoring her.
Something Katie said popped into her mind and she sat up straight, looking around the group brightly. ‘Maybe we should have a name.’
The instant the words left her mouth she regretted it.
The others stared at her blankly.
‘Excuse me?’ Rachel said. Nicole stifled a musical giggle.
‘Like, for our group.’ Allie squirmed in their collective incredulous gaze. ‘It’s just… Katie… called us a gang.’
‘I don’t think we need a name.’ Carter was trying not to laugh. ‘Most of the good ones are taken anyway.’
The others tittered. Allie could feel heat rising up her neck. She wondered if there was some way to dissolve into the floor. She glanced desperately at Sylvain, but he didn’t seem to be paying attention. There was no one to save her from this.
‘Besides, if we’re secret we don’t need a name because we can’t talk about us,’ Zoe pointed out. ‘Night School isn’t really a name – it’s, more like… a description. It’s at school and it meets at night.’
>
‘God. Just drop it. All right?’ Allie tried not to look at anyone. ‘Forget I said anything.’
‘So,’ Rachel said, deflecting the attention so Allie could recover, ‘we should be keeping an eye out for my dad. He has this way of sneaking up on you.’
‘He does! It is incredible.’ Nicole sounded admiring. ‘I don’t know how he does it. He just’ – she waved a graceful hand – ‘appears. He is very talented in that way. Very graceful.’
‘Yeah.’ Clearly nonplussed by Nicole’s enthusiasm for her father, Rachel glanced at her askance. ‘Anyway. We need to be careful what we talk about. We don’t want him to overhear anything.’