Nobody else in the room seemed surprised by the news, so Allie tried not to show how taken aback she felt. There’d always been security at Cimmeria but the guards had kept their distance. The idea of stationing them in the dorm wing to watch the girls constantly was a bit creepy.
As if she knew Allie was thinking this, Isabelle glanced at her. ‘The system of placing guards throughout the grounds in key locations has proven effective so we’ve expanded it. The communication system has also been enhanced—’
‘Wait. You’re still using it?’ Allie was stunned. After Nathaniel hacked the system, she felt certain they would drop it.
‘Much has changed here while you’ve been away, Allie,’ Isabelle said. ‘Raj has brought in a talented tech expert who’s helping us learn to fight Nathaniel on his own level. I’ll explain more later.’ She turned her attention back to the group. ‘Obviously, as per the revised Rules, the new patrol rota will not be put on paper. You’ll be told your time and it’s your—’
The classroom door opened suddenly. Isabelle’s voice trailed off.
Turning to see who it was, Allie froze.
Carter stood in the doorway, staring at her with an expression of utter disbelief.
5
Five
‘Carter, you’re late again,’ Isabelle said with an unsurprised sigh. ‘We’ve spoken about this. And we will speak of it once more, after this meeting. Take a seat.’
But he didn’t seem to have heard her. He just stood in the doorway, eyes locked on Allie. He looked furious.
‘Now, Carter.’ Isabelle’s voice sharpened.
Wrenching his gaze away, he slunk to a seat at the back of the room as far away from Allie as he could get.
As Allie watched him with increasing dismay, he sat stiffly, staring straight ahead.
He was thinner than she remembered – his cheekbones were too sharp, and his uniform seemed too big on him. His dark hair had grown long; a lock fell into his large, brown eyes and he left it there.
When it was clear he wasn’t going to look at her again, she slowly turned back to the front, a worried frown creasing her forehead.
Something was terribly wrong.
It was a strange meeting, and soon Allie was too busy trying to figure out what was going on at the school to worry about Carter. Isabelle was right: much had changed at Cimmeria while she’d been gone.
Nathaniel was only mentioned once or twice and the events in France weren’t discussed at all. Even the school’s strictly-enforced Rules were no longer the same. The old Rules on electronics and communications equipment had been dropped and new Rules seemed to have been brought in helter-skelter. The guards were in charge. Students were tightly controlled and constantly watched.
The situation felt dangerous and futile. Everyone seemed afraid. Or, worse, resigned.
It was as if the fight was already over.
Why did they bring me back? Allie wondered with a rising sense of panic. If all we’re going to do is give up?
She’d so longed to come back to Cimmeria – to see everyone again. She’d missed them all so much. But now that she was here nothing was as she’d left it. It didn’t feel like the same place.
When the meeting ended, the other students gathered around her.
‘Let’s go outside,’ Nicole said. ‘It’s nice out.’
‘We could play football?’ Zoe suggested.
Nicole wrinkled her nose. ‘Sports are so boring.’
They settled down to bickering in a way that seemed so comfortable Allie got the feeling they must do it all the time. As they headed to the door, she hung back.
Carter was still in his seat. Isabelle stood over him, speaking in a low voice. He listened without apparent emotion. Neither of them seemed to notice Allie as she stood in the doorway watching them.
Feeling out of place, she hurried into the hall to where the others waited.
Warm summer sunshine streamed through the windows on the landing and they walked together down the stairs just like they used to – Nicole and Zoe chatting in animated tones about the patrol schedule, Sylvain laughing softly at something Zoe said – but it wasn’t the same.
Nothing is the same.
Allie blew out her breath.
Nicole shot her a curious look and fell into step beside her.
‘It must feel strange being back here again.’
Her voice echoed in the hollow stairwell.
‘It’s weird,’ Allie admitted. ‘So much has changed.’
Nicole nodded. ‘It’s very different now. Ever since the attack.’
‘The security is mental,’ Allie said. ‘Is everyone cool with that? It’s all very police statey. Which seems, like … not great.’
Nicole considered this. ‘I suppose we didn’t think we had much choice. Things got very dangerous. When things are dangerous you protect yourself.’ She shrugged. ‘It’s natural.’
They were walking slowly, and Zoe and Sylvain disappeared around a corner ahead. Normally she’d hurry after them but today Allie wanted to take in the familiar beauty of the old school building. Its chandeliers and tall ceilings had always seemed so permanent. Solid.
Now, it all felt fragile.
The sweeping expanse of hallway was lined with old oil paintings in heavy frames showing Cimmeria at various phases in its history. The building grew and shrank, advanced and retreated, brightened and dimmed as they moved.
The school had always been here, she reminded herself. It would always survive.