Allie shook her head, reaching out for the cup. ‘No, thank you,’ she added with belated formality.
A smile played on Lucinda’s lips as she handed her the cup on a matching saucer. ‘You remind me of your mother at your age. She always forgot to say “thank you” until the last second. Always so eager to move things along.’
It was weird thinking of Lucinda – a former chancellor in the British government and renowned advisor to world leaders, famous to anyone who ever watched the news – as her mother’s mother. It didn’t seem possible they’d ever been family.
Allie’s mother had run away from home after finishing at Cimmeria and had never looked back. She’d rejected her mother’s wealth and power in favour of a simple life, and she’d hidden her family history from her children. Allie had only discovered it all once she was at Cimmeria.
Lifting the teacup to her lips, Allie inhaled its lemony bergamot perfume.
‘Now.’ Moving the teapot out of the way, Lucinda settled back in her chair. ‘Let’s have a chat.’
Up close, Allie could see the delicate pattern of lines around her eyes – they didn’t look like laugh lines. You didn’t become as powerful as Lucinda if you didn’t have a spine of steel.
‘We have a situation here, Allie,’ Lucinda said. ‘I don’t have much time, but I think it’s important you should understand exactly what’s happening. Because you are in a great deal of danger. And I need you to be ready for whatever may happen next.’
‘The parents,’ Allie said, ‘they’re going to pull their kids out of Cimmeria, aren’t they?’
Lucinda nodded. ‘That’s Nathaniel’s plan. Then he’ll call for a vote of no confidence, his supporters will identify themselves, I’ll be voted out, they’ll take over the school and the entire organisation, I will be powerless, and he’ll be free to continue his takeover, which I think will damage much more than just Cimmeria.’
As she described how she would be destroyed, Lucinda appeared unruffled. She could have been describing an ordinary business day for all the emotion she betrayed.
‘Some of the kids don’t want to go,’ Allie said. She lifted her chin proudly. ‘We’re going to help them stay.’
Lucinda stirred her tea with a small silver spoon. ‘It’s a difficult situation. It would be very brave of them to try to stay but their parents will find a way to get them, I fear. They all have good lawyers and their children are underage. Nathaniel is very… resourceful.’
‘We can’t just make them go.’ Allie hadn’t considered that Lucinda might not approve of their plan. ‘They don’t want to. Surely they have the right to decide which side they’re on.’
‘Not until they’re eighteen they don’t,’ Lucinda said. ‘Allie, I’m not saying they shouldn’t attempt to stand up to their parents and stay here. Just… speak to Isabelle about it. Make sure she knows everything you’re planning. She can help you.’
‘Can she?’ Allie’s tone was resentful. ‘She’s been away throughout all of this. We’ve had do everything ourselves.’
‘She was never truly away. All you had to do was ask for her and she’d have been here,’ Lucinda chided her gently. ‘However, it certainly says a lot about you and the others that, instead, you made your own plans – found your own way. This is why you were chosen for Night School. I would expect nothing less.’
The glow of pride Allie felt from her words took her by surprise – she hadn’t realised how much Lucinda’s approval mattered.
‘The problem is, Nathaniel has our backs to the wall with this,’ Lucinda conceded. ‘It’s a masterful plan. There are few moves we can make to win.’
Allie clutched her teacup, considering what this meant. ‘On the phone, a few weeks ago… you said the organisation that runs Night School runs the government. Does that mean if Nathaniel takes over, he’ll control the government?’
‘I suppose I’d better start at the beginning.’ Tapping her chin with one finger, Lucinda considered her. ‘Have you heard of the Orion Project?’
Allie shook her head. She’d heard the term ‘Orion’ used somewhere at Cimmeria before, but she couldn’t place it.
‘That is the name of the organisation of which Night School and Cimmeria are one small part. It’s a private group of very powerful people – members of parliament, judges, lawyers, financiers, CEOs, the owners of media corporations…’ She waved her hand and her diamond ring caught the light, glittering like frozen fire. ‘I could go on but that should give you a sense of who we are.
‘There are similar organisations in other countries, but Orion is the oldest. I have been the head of Orion for the last fifteen years. It’s a position I essentially inherited from my father. You see, it’s always been a titular position…’ Shooting Allie a sharp look, she paused. ‘Do you know what “titular” means?’