Allie couldn’t understand why she hadn’t already been debriefed. No one had sat her down to discuss what had happened in France. Why she’d been rushed home.
But she didn’t have time to think about it as Eloise, the librarian, pulled her into a nervous, barely there hug that ended as quickly as it began. They’d been quite close before Allie had accused Eloise, wrongly, she now believed, of being Nathaniel’s spy. Allie glanced at her, wondering how she could apologise for everything that had happened because of her allegation, but Eloise dodged her gaze.
Then Jerry, the science teacher, stepped between them and pumped her hand warmly. ‘It’s good to have you back.’
After he let go, he took off his wire-framed glasses and polished them with a cloth, smiling in his usual distracted manner as the others took turns welcoming her.
As she smiled and made appropriate comments, Allie scanned the room for Carter. She couldn’t see him – but then, the teachers were all in the way.
‘Allie!’ An elfin girl with huge brown eyes and long, dark hair fought through the crowd to her side.
She pulled her close, strong arms tight around her neck. ‘Welcome back!’
‘Thanks, Nicole.’ Allie grinned. ‘It’s good to be back.’ She glanced down. ‘How’s your leg?’
‘All better.’ Nicole stood on one leg and bent the other, demonstrating its wellness. ‘Ready to fight.’
The last time Allie saw Nicole was the night Nathaniel attacked the school. Nicole’s leg had been broken in the melee.
‘I heard what happened in France.’ Nicole’s French accent thickened as she lowered her voice. ‘Thank God you’re OK. Sylvain is very good on the bike, no?’
Nicole had grown up with Sylvain; they were as close as siblings. So Allie wasn’t surprised she already knew the details.
At that moment, Sylvain walked across the classroom. Like her, he was back in his school uniform – gone were the elegantly loose shirts and chinos he’d worn in France. But he managed to look sexy anyway.
‘Yeah,’ Allie said, smiling at him. ‘He’s good on a bike.’
As he stepped up to join them, his eyes turquoise in the light, Allie thought of her dream. Jo’s voice. ‘Make up your mind.’
For just a second, her smile faltered. She wished Dream Jo would mind her own business.
In France, she and Sylvain had grown closer as friends but nothing else had happened, in part because they were so rarely alone. Surrounded by a constant coterie of guards, his parents, their staff and Rachel, there was no way even to talk about things that mattered.
Yesterday had been their first real time alone. And Nathaniel ruined it.
‘I thought Isabelle was going to let you sleep,’ Sylvain said. The way he said it made it seem oddly intimate – like he was somehow involved with her sleep.
Allie blushed.
‘Zoe …’ she said, trying to recover her cool. ‘She was my alarm clock.’
The way he arched one amused eyebrow made her think he knew why she’d blushed.
‘If someone was going to wake you up,’ he said, ‘I’d rather it was me.’
Allie’s blush deepened. She tried to think of a tart response but her brain wouldn’t cooperate.
Looking back and forth between them, Nicole’s lips curved up in a knowing smile. She’d been trying to get them together forever.
‘Take your seats. We need to get this meeting under way.’ Zelazny’s voice was like a glass of cold water thrown over their conversation.
The history teacher stood at the front of the room, glowering at them over his clipboard.
Allie was surprised to find she was almost happy to see him. She remembered how he’d stood in front of the school’s main door, overrun by Nathaniel’s guards, trying to keep order even as the guards dragged students away against their will. Until that moment she’d really thought Zelazny might be Nathaniel’s spy at the school. But when she’d seen how frightened he was – how furious – she’d decided it couldn’t be him.
As Zelazny continued to complain and bluster, the small crowd began to settle until Allie could finally see the rest of the room. She looked around again for any sign of Carter.
He wasn’t there.
She was trying to ignore the pang of disappointment she felt when she spotted a head of glossy, flame-coloured hair.
‘Wait,’ she said, leaning forward to get a better look. ‘Is that … Katie Gilmore?’
Nicole nodded. ‘Yes – she’s been helping us. Her parents are friendly with Nathaniel so her knowledge of how he works has been very useful.’
Allie was stunned. Katie had never been included in senior meetings. She’d helped them out at the end of last year but … only a little.
This was the inner circle. These were the school’s elite.
Katie wasn’t even in Night School.
But there wasn’t time to ask for more information. The room had quietened. Still puzzled, Allie sank into a seat at the back between Sylvain and Nicole as Zelazny yielded the floor to Isabelle.
The headmistress stood at the lectern, looking out at them with tired eyes.
‘We’ve called this meeting to discuss renewed security issues. Now that Allie has returned,’ she flickered a smile in Allie’s direction, ‘the security schedule will change. I’m sure we all are aware that, as soon as Nathaniel finds out she’s here, he’ll redouble his efforts. Therefore, we’ll be enhancing patrols on the fence line and increasing security throughout the building. Effective immediately, there will be a guard in the girls’ dorm wing every night, all night.’