Night School: Legacy

‘A reverse revolution? I like it,’ Rachel said.

While the self-pitying conversation continued, Allie looked around the crowded dining hall. The room was set up much the same for dinner as it had been over the summer. White tablecloths covered each round table. White china with the dark blue Cimmeria crest sat at every place setting, and the crystal glasses sparkled. The huge chandeliers glowed overhead. But there were no candles anywhere. Isabelle had announced they wouldn’t return until new, flameproof tablecloths and curtains arrived. At the moment the windows were bare …

Allie’s breath caught in her throat; her fork fell from nerveless fingers, landing on her plate with a clatter.

It was still very faintly light outside. And Gabe was standing outside the window. Staring right at her.





TEN





Everyone turned to look at Allie.

All the air seemed to be missing from her lungs as, pointing at the window, she struggled to speak. ‘It’s G … G …’

The word wouldn’t come out.

The others looked where she pointed but when Carter looked back at her he was clearly puzzled. ‘What is it?’

‘Gabe,’ Allie said clearly. ‘Outside the window. Watching.’

‘What?’ Jo jumped to her feet so quickly she nearly upset the table. A glass fell over with a crash and Allie heard water trickling to the floor.

As soon as she got the words out, Allie could feel the pressure on her chest ease. They all turned to look out the window. But Allie could see he wasn’t there. Outside there was only darkness and trees.

‘Are you sure, Allie?’ Carter’s eyes were serious.

God, how she wanted to say no. That it had been a trick of the light. But she’d seen his face, as clearly as she saw Carter’s now.

‘Positive.’

Allie looked up to where Jo had been, but she’d run to Isabelle’s table and was gesturing frantically. Even from here, Allie could see that she was hysterical. She watched as Isabelle at first frowned, trying to understand Jo’s rapid-fire delivery, then rose to her feet, waving for the teachers to follow. Jerry Cole ran from the room, presumably to notify Raj Patel’s security team. Putting her arm around Jo, Eloise led her out of the dining hall.

Glancing around the room, Allie saw that the other students seemed unaware of the drama unfolding. Most were eating and talking, although a few watched curiously as Isabelle approached.

‘Allie. With me. Now.’ The headmistress’ voice was sharp. Allie rose and followed her to the door; the others were right behind them as they walked into the silent hallway.

‘You’re absolutely certain it was Gabe?’ Isabelle’s voice was calm, but Allie could see the tension in the way she held herself. ‘It’s getting dark. It would be easy to make a mistake.’

‘Maybe you imagined it.’ Jo looked at her, tears of fear in her eyes.

Gabe had held such power over her when they were together, Allie thought. The idea of him coming back must terrify her.

‘It was him. I’d know him anywhere. Even in the dark.’

As she spoke, a muscular security guard dressed all in black walked up to the group. They all stepped back to make space for him. Turning towards Isabelle and Zelazny, the security guard blocked Allie and the other students out of the conversation with his body.

‘My team is outside the dining hall now.’ He lowered his voice. ‘There are no signs of him. The ground is soft but we found no footprints outside any of the windows. We’ll continue searching the grounds, just in case.’

He thinks I’m lying. Heat rose in Allie’s face. She tried to control her temper as she appealed to Isabelle. ‘Is that guy …’ She pointed at the security guard. ‘Is he saying I’m making it up?’

Carter rested a hand on her arm, as if to calm her down, but he said nothing and his gaze evaded hers.

He doesn’t know whether or not to believe me.

‘No, Allie,’ Isabelle said. ‘I asked him to make a report and he’s making it.’

She turned back to the guard. ‘Thank you, Paul. Keep looking and let us know immediately if you discover anything.’

With a curt nod, he strode to the door.

Zelazny turned to the headmistress. ‘It’s your call, Isabelle, but if it were me, I’d send them back on their normal patrols. She probably imagined it. She imagined something similar on a run the other night.’

‘I did not imagine it!’ Allie protested.

‘Did anybody else see him?’ The history teacher’s tone held a challenge as he looked at the other students.

Rachel, Carter and Jo exchanged looks. Allie glanced up at Carter imploringly, but he shook his head. He had seen nothing.

‘I don’t …’ Frustration made her inarticulate. ‘You believe me, don’t you?’

Carter looked uncomfortable. ‘I believe you think you saw something, Allie. But …’