Night School: Resistance (Night School 4)

All he’d done was say something nice. Like friends do.

What if he’d noticed how she’d misconstrued it?

The very idea made her cheeks flame.

She hated herself.

She and Sylvain had something – something real. When he kissed her, she melted. And now they were back on track. Why couldn’t she just let it happen?

Why couldn’t she just let herself be happy with him?

She and Carter had once had a thing but it was over long ago. Now he was trying very hard to be her friend and she was being unbelievably stupid and messing everything up for everyone.

What really scared her was the thought that, if she wasn’t careful, she’d lose both Sylvain and Carter. She had to get it together.

Her mind was so occupied she hardly noticed where she was going, but it didn’t matter. She could walk through Cimmeria with her eyes closed and never hit a wall.

She reached the elegant first-floor landing with its tall windows and graceful statues without looking up. As she turned left towards the stairs leading up to the top floor her trainers beat a soft dirge against the oak floors.



At the top of the stairs she waved absently at the guard, who sat in her usual chair shoved back against the wall, and headed down the long, narrow corridor lined with white doors, each with a black number painted on it.

By now she’d convinced herself Carter hadn’t noticed her strange reaction.

Maybe everything would be fine.



Her thoughts were in such a hectic whirl by the time she reached her room she was on auto-pilot. She barely noticed she’d opened her door – force of habit dictated how far she turned the handle, how hard she pushed.

Inside, she flicked the lights on with careless familiarity. Dropped her bag to the floor in the usual place.

Only then did she realised someone was standing in front of her.

She stopped breathing.

‘Hello, Allie,’ her brother said. ‘I thought you’d never get here.’





23





Twenty-three





‘Christopher …?’ Allie’s lips wouldn’t move. The word came out in a terrified whisper.

He stood in front of her desk, his back to the open window.

‘It’s me,’ he said, turning his hands over as if that proved it. ‘And I’m not setting anything on fire so … please don’t call for help until you hear me out.’

Allie’s heart was racing but it seemed hard to move. It was like she’d walked into a dream. A nightmare.

Christopher was really here?

There’d been a time when talking to him was the only thing she wanted. Now she was afraid of him. And angry.

When she’d first found out he’d joined Nathaniel she wouldn’t accept that he was lost to her forever. Eventually, though, she’d had to let him go. She’d had to accept that he’d chosen the other side in this battle.

Now here he was again, right in front of her, smiling that familiar guilty smile. Like he’d just broken something and wanted her to promise not to tell Mum.

Resentment and hurt made her stomach churn.

‘What the hell are you doing here?’ Her voice was low and ominous. ‘How did you get past the guards?’

He gave a short laugh. ‘It wasn’t easy. Look, I’m sorry to show up like this but I had to talk to you.’

He sounded calm but Allie saw his Adam’s apple bob with nervousness. In fact, now that she was aware of it, she could see the tension in his shoulders, his arms, the way his hands kept moving.

His fear gave Allie strength. Reminded her where she was and all she’d learned.

He should be afraid.

She studied him steadily, letting him see her suspicion. Making it obvious. ‘Did Nathaniel send you? What does he want?’

His fingers twitched.

‘Nathaniel doesn’t know I’m here. If he finds out …’ His voice trailed off as if what would happen was unsayable. Unthinkable.

A cool breeze blew in through the open window behind him. Outside Allie could see no moon or stars – nothing but darkness.

Her eyes narrowed. ‘Now, why would you take a chance like that? I thought you were his loyal subject.’

‘I was.’ He leaned back against her desk. ‘I mean … I believed him. I do, still, believe him.’ He rubbed his hands across his face. ‘It’s just got confused, Al. It’s all confused.’

Allie couldn’t hide her incredulity. This new Christopher… where had he come from?

‘What’s confused?’ she asked, her voice sharpening.

‘Me.’ Christopher looked down. ‘He told me the truth about us … our family. And I thought he could make it all better. Give us what we deserve. But then he did things – really bad things. And now I don’t know what I believe.’

Allie, who knew all about the bad things Nathaniel had done, didn’t know what to make of any of this. Her brother seemed genuine. But for all she knew, this was an elaborate act. Part of some trick Nathaniel had devised.

If there was one thing she’d learned in the last year it was this: everyone lies. Even people you love.