Now Allie’s eyes were adjusting to the gloom and she could make out more faces. She saw most of the people she’d expected. Just beyond Sylvain stood Jules, the girls’ prefect. And she thought she saw Lucas standing at the back. But she couldn’t find Carter.
Zelazny’s tone changed and she tuned back into what he was saying.
‘To help us, we’ve brought in an expert in security who will teach you the principles behind the world’s best security. And I do mean the best – his skills are called upon not just by corporate executives but also by world leaders. The person I’m talking about is your new specialist instructor, Raj Patel.’
A murmur swept through the group and they clapped respectfully. Rachel’s father stepped out from the shadows to stand beside Zelazny.
Just seeing him there made Allie feel better. She smiled at him and waved, but he didn’t notice her.
Things won’t be so bad with Mr P. here. He’ll look out for me.
‘Thank you very much for that warm welcome,’ Mr Patel said. ‘I’m happy to be back at Cimmeria again, even under such serious circumstances. As Mr Zelazny mentioned, we’re refocusing this year on self-defence tactics. We’re also adding a new element, something we’ve never tried before. Now, I believe you have all been briefed on what happened with Gabe Porthus.’
At the mention of Gabe’s name Allie felt some of the oxygen leave the room. Mr Patel didn’t seem to notice.
‘Because of Gabe’s actions, this term we’ll address the concepts of betrayal and trust. A key question I have is, should you have known that Gabe could not be trusted? After all, many of you counted yourselves among his friends. Were there clues that he had switched allegiances? Clues that we should have seen? And, most importantly, is there somebody in this room we can’t trust?’ He moved like a panther, his footsteps silent, getting close to students and looking right into their eyes as if he could see into their minds. ‘Is there somebody in this room right now who plans to betray us?’
A shocked hiss followed his words, as if everyone let their breath out at once. Looking around, Allie could see they were all as thrown by this as she was. Her head swivelled back to Mr Patel. He seemed cold and distant. Not at all the way he’d been at the Patel family home.
Her heart sank. Maybe Rachel was right. Maybe she didn’t really know him that well after all.
‘Now,’ he continued, ‘my people are screening everybody at the school – every kitchen cleaner, teacher and student. If one of you is lying about who you are or what you’re doing here, rest assured we will find you. But I’ve decided that you should handle one element yourselves. You see, I’d like you to investigate each other.’
Someone gasped but Mr Patel was still talking.
‘You’ll be trained in how to detect signs of deception,’ he continued. ‘And then you will interview each other and report back to me. And, know one thing: lying in your interview is forbidden. If you lie we will find out. And then you will be expelled.’
With that bombshell, he turned to Zelazny. ‘Over to you, August.’
‘Quiet!’ Zelazny barked, glaring at the students, although Allie hadn’t heard anyone speak. ‘We’ll start today by appointing training partners – each one of you will have a partner with whom you will work throughout the term. This person will be your backup – the other half of you as far as Night School is concerned. You will be scored the same as your partner, so if your partner isn’t working hard I suggest you inspire them to try. If your partner fails, you fail. Your partner assignment is non-negotiable.’ He paused to glower at them again. ‘Do not even think about asking to have your assignment changed. There are no exceptions to this rule. Ever.’
He flipped a page on his clipboard. ‘Henderson! Your partner is Mitchell.’ Allie saw two boys she didn’t know walk to each other and silently high-five. ‘Richeau, your partner is Smith-Tivey.’ A girl with long dark hair walked over to a stocky, muscular boy. Allie chewed on the cuticle of her thumbnail and listened to her heart pound until he said, ‘West!’
She held her breath, hoping to hear her own name.
‘Your partner is Matheson.’
Allie’s shoulders slumped. Carter’s partnered with Jules?
Although Allie was less intimidated by the girls’ prefect than she used to be, Jules still had a way of making her feel insecure – she was so perfect. So Cimmeria-insidery. And such an old friend of Carter’s.
If Allie’d been partnered with him it would have been so perfect. They could have helped each other. Now she’d be with some stranger, and knowing Zelazny it wouldn’t be a very pleasant stranger …
She was so lost in self-pity when Zelazny finally read out her name she didn’t hear the name of her partner.
Panicked, she tugged on the sleeve of the person next to her. ‘Did you hear what he just said?’ she asked a tall, blond boy. ‘Sheridan and who?’
He gazed at her blankly.
‘He said Glass.’
The chirpy voice came from behind her. Allie spun around to see the small, ponytailed assassin from the hallway.
‘As in Zoe Glass,’ the girl said, cocking her head sideways. ‘That’s my name. Don’t wear it out.’
EIGHT
‘No!’ Allie turned to the younger girl in horror. ‘It can’t be you.’
‘Great.’ Zoe rolled her eyes. ‘Trust between training partners is super important. So I’m glad we’re totally starting out on the right foot.’