Secret Lives (8 page)

The girl gave an unnerving chuckle. ‘Oh, it’s only a
myth
. A warning from the ancients. Gods should not be treated lightly, you see? Gods should not be mocked. I mean, take this little tragedy …’

Almost against her will, Cassie found herself following Keiko across the hall, to where one marble woman cowered at the feet of another. The supplicant had lifted one pathetic hand, to shield herself or to plead for mercy. The woman above her, axe poised to strike, didn’t look like she knew the meaning of the word.

‘This is your namesake, did you know?’ Keiko touched the pleading marble hand. ‘Cassandra. Do you know about Cassandra’s curse?’

Cassie shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.

‘She was a prophetess. Ever so fine and clever, because her prophecies always came true.’ Keiko sniffed. ‘Cassandra was never wrong. Oh, yes, she always knew when something terrible was going to happen. But no one would ever believe her.’ Her smile was very unpleasant. ‘No one.’

Cassie cleared her throat. ‘That’s a bummer.’

‘Isn’t it just? This is Clytaemnestra, who murdered her when Agamemnon brought her back from Troy. Cassandra knew that would happen, too. She refused to enter the palace, screaming that she smelled blood.’

‘I see.’ Cassie’s heart beat furiously. ‘And nobody believed that either?’

‘Nobody believed that either.’ Keiko shook her head with mock sadness. ‘And so she entered the palace.’ She nodded at Clytaemnestra’s axe. ‘And got what was coming to her.’

‘Poor old Cassandra,’ said Cassie, keeping her voice level.

‘Indeed.’ Keiko sighed, but then something seemed to snap inside her. ‘Well, let’s not waste any more time.’

‘I don’t need your help,’ said Cassie stiffly. ‘Don’t bother coming with me. I won’t tell Sir Alric.’

‘You are
too
kind. As is he,’ hissed Keiko.

‘Oh, yeah?’

‘Yeah. You don’t fit in,
Cassandra
. You think you’re so clever, don’t you?’ All her mock courtesy had dissolved, and she snorted with contempt. ‘You’re an exercise in public relations, and don’t you ever forget it. You’re here for our benefit, not the other way round.’

Cassie clenched her fists to stop herself slapping Keiko.
Don’t lose it, Cassie. That’s what she wants
. ‘What’s his problem, anyway? Why’s Alice not allowed in the common room?’ Sarcastically she added, ‘
Few business
, is it?’

Keiko didn’t answer. Backing off a step, then two, she reached out a hand to stroke the flank of the terrified stag. Her fingers trailed across the cold marble to caress the snarling muzzle of one of the hunting dogs. Cassie shuddered. It was some carving. The fangs looked as if they were sunk in real flesh.

‘Keep out of it, Cassie Bell, if you know what’s good for you.’ Keiko turned on her heel, then tucked her glossy hair behind her ear and smiled back at Cassie.

‘And sleep well.’

CHAPTER NINE

‘N
ever mind statues.’ Isabella stood with her arms folded and an expression of thrilled determination on her face. ‘That’s what I call a
proper
Hermès.’

‘You do my head in.’ Cassie raised her eyebrows. ‘You could buy a small country for that price.’

Isabella stroked the soft, buttery leather of the bag. ‘And what would I want with a small country? Let me buy you one too, Cassie! It will never let you down. It is not an indulgence, it is an investment!’

‘A small country?’

Isabella dug her in the ribs, so hard that Cassie’s giggle came out in a gasp. ‘A Hermès bag, you
philistine
.’

‘Uh-uh. No way.’ Rubbing her side, Cassie shook her head firmly. ‘I’m happy with the one I’ve got.’

Not strictly true – six months on she still felt guilty about shoplifting it – but she liked her chainstore bag all the same. Anyway, she wasn’t going to start letting Isabella buy her stuff. She’d have a string of polo ponies before she knew it, and where would she put them? She grinned.

‘What’s so funny?
Oui
,’ Isabella told the assistant imperiously. ‘I’ll take it, please.
Vous
accept this card, yes?
Merci
so very
beaucoup
.’

‘Your French is diabolical,’ Cassie told her as Isabella flipped her credit card on to the desk. ‘Better than mine, though.’

‘Not true. And mine serves my purposes anyway! Come along, shopping makes me terribly hungry. I’m buying lunch and don’t you
dare
argue. What was it you wanted to ask me?’

Reluctant to talk in front of the haughty high-priestesses of the boutique, Cassie waited till they were out of the door, and inside a restaurant on the avenue Montaigne. She slunk into the seat she was shown, awkward again. This place was even posher than the Academy’s dining room. Trendier, too.

‘Let’s have the
poule au pot
. It’s wonderful.’ Isabella gave the waiter a dazzling smile and returned the massive menu so enthusiastically it flew like a frisbee. ‘Come along, Cassie. Out with it. You have been a cat in a hot tin bath all morning.’

‘
On
a hot tin
roof
,’ said Cassie. ‘You nearly decapitated a waiter.’

‘Do not change the subject.’ Isabella wagged a finger.

‘Isabella.’ She hesitated. ‘Why would anyone go to the Few’s common room in the middle of the night?’

Opening her elegant shopping bag, Isabella peered into it with a smile of satisfaction. ‘I don’t know. Forgot their books? Meeting a boyfriend?’

‘No.’ Cassie tapped her fingernails on the table. ‘It was some sort of gathering. At two o’clock in the morning.’

‘Really?’ Isabella fiddled with her new purchases, distracted. ‘They have Congresses at strange times sometimes. Don’t worry.’

‘It can’t have been a Congress. Sir Alric didn’t know about it. He turned up and he was furious. Oh, and anyway, Alice was there?’

Isabella was suddenly all ears. ‘
Alice?
’

‘You know, Keiko’s—’

‘Yes, yes, of course. But
Alice
?’ Isabella sounded sulky. ‘Why her?’

‘Just what I’d like to know.’

‘It’s obvious, isn’t it? They want to enrol her. Make her a member,’ said Isabella in a voice tinged with bitterness. ‘Oh yes, Alice will suit the vacancy very nicely.’

Cassie stopped drumming and clasped her fingers together. ‘I don’t think so. They weren’t interviewing her for the Few. I’d take a bet on it.’

‘It is all the same to me, you know. I am not concerned. There is no need to try to make me feel better.’

‘No. No, I swear I’m not. I’m just sure that wasn’t why she was there. It was the way they—’

‘Sh!’ Straightening in her chair, Isabella patted her hand urgently. ‘Stop. Don’t say any more.’

Following the none-too-subtle jerk of Isabella’s head, Cassie found herself pinned by an icy blue gaze.

Three tables away sat Katerina Svensson and three older girls, sixth formers. Katerina didn’t smile, and neither did Cassie.

‘Did it just get colder in here?’ She nudged Isabella and giggled, but the laughter died on her lips as the restaurant door opened again. ‘Oh,
hell
. It’s
him
. No! Isabella, don’t look!’

Too late. Isabella’s whole face brightened as she waved. ‘Jake. Hey, Jake!’

‘Can you act a bit cooler yourself?’ muttered Cassie. ‘Hard to get, that kind of thing?’

‘But I’m not,’ Isabella said mischievously. ‘Not where he is concerned. Hey,
Jake
!’

But Jake Johnson, thought Cassie, had no chance of getting to their table. Poor Isabella. Katerina had turned, laying a delicate hand on Jake’s arm as he passed, smiling up beguilingly.

‘Jake,
darling
.’

Cassie could read Katerina’s lips, though she couldn’t hear her over the lunchtime murmur of voices. The Swedish girl cast a sly sneer at Isabella as Jake came to a besotted halt. Leaning down, he kissed her proffered cheek and said something. Katerina laughed and clasped his fingers, and Cassie waited with a sinking heart for Jake to sit down and wrap an arm round her.

He didn’t. Cassie frowned, surprised. Smiling, Jake straightened, and released the Swedish girl’s hand. Katerina’s smirk evaporated as Jake turned away, towards Cassie and Isabella. Cassie had to put her hand over her mouth to hide her grin of delight. That expression on Katerina’s face? She wanted to cast it in marble for posterity, and stick it on a bust in the entrance hall.

‘Hi, Isabella. Hi, Cassie.’ Jake yanked out a chair and sat down. ‘Isabella, you haven’t been shopping
again
? Did Daddy mortgage the ranch?’

Isabella punched his arm. ‘You wound me, Jake. Always, you wound me.’

‘Speaking as the Kettle, Miss Pot, I find that remark pretty ironic. Whatcha bought?’

Cheeks pink with pleasure, Isabella lifted her bag and opened it for his inspection. As he examined the contents, Cassie looked to the side again.

‘Does your back hurt?’ she said dryly. ‘’Cos it’s full of daggers.’

‘Huh?’ Jake turned, but Katerina had swiftly averted her venomous stare. He scratched his neck, blushing. ‘Oh. Katerina. She’s OK.’ His hawkish features melted into a helpless smile. ‘Well. Incredible, actually.’

‘Incredible,’ muttered Cassie. ‘You got that right. I wonder where her pal Keiko is.’

‘In detention,’ said Jake, winking at Cassie with wicked satisfaction. ‘She was called to Sir Alric’s office this morning. Got an absolute rocket, apparently.’

‘Really?’ said Cassie, feigning surprise. So Sir Alric hadn’t quite finished with the wretched girl last night? She couldn’t help grinning, though. ‘Poor Keiko.’

‘Oh dear. Sir Alric does get annoyed sometimes, even with the Few.’ Isabella managed to sound concerned. ‘And is Katerina upset that you are sitting with us?’

‘Nah. Why would she be upset? I just wanted to talk to you … guys.’

Cassie heard the slight hesitation, and realised Jake was entirely focused on her. She gave him a frown. Not only did the boy have a sinister sleepwalking habit, he had about as much tact as Katerina. Deliberately she smiled at Isabella, not Jake. ‘Yeah? What about?’

‘Actually, Cassie, I wondered if I could have a … word?’

Cassie wondered if her foot would reach far enough to give him a good hard kick. ‘With us? Course you can. What do you want?’

‘Well, I …’ He fidgeted, half-turning towards Isabella.

Cassie saw the flush creep up Isabella’s throat and darken her face. Abruptly, the Argentinian stood up, her linen napkin crushed in her fist. ‘I’m sorry. I am being obtuse. Of course, it is something private.’ She bent down to kiss Cassie’s cheeks and snatched up her shopping bags. ‘You know, I am not so hungry. I’ll see you back at school, Cassie.’ Managing one over-bright smile, she turned and walked out of the restaurant.

Cassie couldn’t miss Katerina’s satisfied smirk.

‘That was really rude,’ she hissed, standing up sharply. ‘I’m going with her. You’ve got anything to ask me, you can ask in front of my friend.’

His fingers gripped her wrist. ‘Cassie, please.
Please
.’

‘Get stuffed.’

‘I’m sorry, OK?’ His voice was a desperate whisper. ‘Listen, I’ll make it up to her. I swear I’ll apologise.
Please
stay, Cassie. This is important. Really important.’

She scowled at him. ‘You’ll make it up to her?’

‘Yeah. Um, yeah, I promise.’

Cassie gave him a hard smile. ‘Flowers.’

‘What?’ He blinked.

‘Flowers. That’s the only way to apologise to a girl. Don’t you know anything?’

‘Flowers?’

Bitchy inspiration struck. He really ought to pay for this. ‘Make it an orchid. A
good
orchid.’

‘OK, OK, I promise. Now will you listen to me?’

‘Five minutes,’ she snapped. ‘And let go of me.’

He released her wrist, as if shocked he was still holding it. ‘What were you up to last night, Cassie?’

She hesitated, surprised by his directness, then sat back down. ‘Isn’t that kind of a personal question?’

‘Come on, please. Don’t play games. This is serious.’

‘Yeah? How serious?’

Picking up a fork, he turned it over and over in his fingers. ‘Cassie, what were you doing on the third floor last night?’

‘Sleepwalking. I guess it’s a common habit, right?’

There was an awkward pause.

‘Look, I …’ He took a breath. ‘I’m only—’

‘Yeah? You’re only what? What’s
your
game, Jake?’ She couldn’t suppress a furious sneer. ‘Are you that desperate to follow the Snow Queen around?’

He dropped the fork back on to the linen tablecloth. ‘Cassie, I know it looks weird, but I swear I’m not doing anything wrong. Please, will you just tell me why you were there?’

‘Not till you do, sunshine.’

‘All right.’ He ran his hands across his scalp. ‘Will you just tell me this? I know Darke tore a strip off Keiko, but what did he say to you?’

‘Not much.’ She shrugged, scanning the room for a distraction. Where the hell was that waiter?

Jake wasn’t letting it go. ‘Did he— Was he threatening?’

‘Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘What about Ranjit?’

‘
What?
What about him?’

‘Did
he
threaten you? In the common room, I mean. Did he say anything?’

Cassie hesitated.
But he wasn’t there, Jake
…

Thoughtfully she bit her lip. There was no reason to lie to Jake. But there was no reason to trust him, either. ‘No,’ she said at last. ‘Ranjit didn’t threaten me either. Why would he?’

Jake didn’t answer. He seemed troubled.

‘I need to go now. I hope you’re fond of chicken, ’cos you’ve got two mains to get through.’ She stood up. ‘And pay for.’

He looked as if he might grab her wrist again, but managed to restrain himself. ‘Cassie, will you please be careful?
Really
careful?’

‘You certainly are a patronising git, aren’t you?’

‘Maybe.’ Jake grinned, just. ‘But I’m serious.’

‘So am I. Don’t you dare hurt my friend’s feelings again.’

‘Round here?’ He gave her a thin-lipped smile. ‘I’m not the one who does the hurting.’

Cassie turned on her heel, throwing Katerina a last ferocious glower. She could feel the girl’s loathing, and Jake’s stare, so she walked out very carefully. Now would be the worst time in the world to trip over her own feet.

Parisian elegance, she told herself grimly. And pride.
I’m a student at the Academy, dammit!

She wasn’t going to let them forget it.