Rachel dropped her hand. She didn’t answer for a long time. Colour rose to her cheeks.
‘Actually,’ she said when the silence had stretched on too long, ‘there’s something —’
‘Allie! Rachel! Are you in here?’ Zoe’s high-pitched voice floated across the library, cutting Rachel off.
‘Back here.’ Allie shot Rachel an apologetic look but, to her surprise, Rachel appeared almost relieved.
‘You’re late for Night School.’ Zoe appeared at the end of the row, already in her black training gear, hopping from one foot to another.
Allie glanced at her watch – it was five past eight. They’d been here much longer than she’d thought. Only now did she notice how quiet the library had become.
‘Shit,’ she muttered. ‘We’re screwed.’
Zoe nodded so hard her ponytail flew. ‘Zelazny says to get your arses in motion or he’ll put you in detention until you don’t know any other way of living.’
She emulated the history teacher’s gruff bark so perfectly Allie had to laugh, despite everything.
‘Zoe, sometimes you’re actually scary,’ she said, climbing to her feet.
‘Really?’ The younger girl beamed.
Allie and Rachel followed her across the mostly empty library.
‘We’ll talk later, OK?’ Allie said, keeping her voice low. ‘I want to know what you were about to say.’
‘Sure,’ Rachel said. ‘No worries. It’s not important anyway.’
18
When Allie and Rachel ran into the training room a few minutes later, shoe laces dangling and still straightening their Night School gear, the room was packed.
‘You’re late,’ Zelazny barked.
‘Sorry Mr Zelazny,’ they chorused.
Allie braced herself for a lecture, but he let it go at that, turning back to the junior students he was training without another insult or complaint.
She and Rachel exchanged surprised looks. The teachers were definitely not themselves right now.
The older students had gathered at the back of the room, where they’d carved out a space from which younger students were banned. They threaded their way across the room to join them.
With the guards, teachers, and all the students, the small, square room was pretty crowded. So it was only when she reached the back section that Allie saw Sylvain.
His head was down and he was listening to something Lucas was saying.
Allie’s chest tightened.
When he raised his head, even though he was still mostly turned away, she could see the high planes of his cheekbones, his finely carved jaw. She searched for signs of pain or imminent collapse, but he looked exactly the same. No scars.
Spotting her, Lucas said something to Sylvain, who glanced up.
For the tiniest fraction of a second their eyes met.
Then he turned away again, shifting his position so she couldn’t see his face.
Blood rose to Allie’s cheeks. For a second, she just stood there, momentarily uncertain of what to do. When she saw Rachel, Nicole and Katie were talking in a corner, she hurried to join them.
‘Hey, so, what’s going on? Anything happening?’ The words came out unbelievably cheery, but none of the others seemed to notice.
‘Apparently we’re patrolling tonight.’ Rachel sounded disapproving.
‘And we get to play teacher.’ Nicole, too, seemed less than happy.
Allie looked back and forth between them. ‘Play teacher?’
‘We’re taking the juniors out,’ Rachel explained. ‘It’s their first patrol.’
No wonder she didn’t seem happy. The junior students were far too young to be put into such danger.
‘Why is all this happening all of a sudden?’ Allie asked. ‘I thought the guards were handling the patrolling now.’
‘Apparently, so many guards are off searching for Nathaniel, they’re spread thin here.’ Rachel’s voice was low. ‘They need us to fill the gaps.’
‘Bollocks,’ Allie whispered, unable to disguise her shock. What a stupid night to be late. If she’d been on time, she could have at least tried to talk Raj and Zelazny out of this.
This was the worst time for the school to be unprotected. Nathaniel had to be watching them like a hawk right now.
‘Listen up, people.’ Zelazny’s voice cut through the buzz of conversation like a chainsaw. ‘Raj Patel will hand out your assignments. He’s overseeing tonight’s activities. I want quiet.’
Raj, who Allie hadn’t even noticed before now, stepped into the pool of light at the centre of the shadowy training room.