No, Estelle, she thought. No. You’re wrong.
We’ll see. We’ll see how he likes you when you’re ordinary. He’s Few! He’s beautiful, strong and fearless – like you are NOW! Why would he—
‘Oh, do shut up,’ muttered Cassie aloud.
‘Blimey!’ said Richard with mock indignation. ‘I was only telling you we’re coming in to land. I thought you might like to be ready to save our lives, in case there’s any turbulence.’
‘You are so never going to let me forget that,’ she laughed.
‘Certainly not. Though I do prefer my superheroes in a bit of Lycra …’ he retorted with a devilish grin.
Oh, she thought, she would miss her Few friends. There were so many of them she liked and trusted, and she couldn’t fool herself that she would see much of them once she was back living a normal, human reality. Would they resent her for getting rid of her spirit? Would they turn their backs on her, or not speak to her again after she’d done it?
The Few were elite, very much a community unto themselves. She might run into them now and again over her lifetime, but she’d never again have this closeness, this easy companionship of people who knew exactly what she was and respected her for it. She’d be giving up friends, a wonderful network, possibly a brilliant and successful future.
Quite, put in Estelle truculently.
Quite, thought Cassie grimly. But look what I’ll be gaining: Ranjit. And myself. I’ll be getting my life back. Estelle was silent, sulking again, but that didn’t bother Cassie. She’d rather the old bat kept her trap shut right now. She had more than enough to worry about in one mind.
The plane rumbled smoothly on to a grassy airstrip, and in mere minutes Cassie and her classmates were clambering out, stretching, grabbing their bags, pointing out their luggage to the drivers, laughing and joking and gazing around in delighted awe.
‘I am gonna like it here,’ declared Ayeesha.
‘What? Without a branch of Neiman Marcus?’ joked Cassie.
‘There’s one behind those bushes,’ announced the Bajan girl airily, pointing vaguely at her surroundings.
Cassie laughed, feeling the piercing regret once more, and just as quickly shooing it away. There was no reason, after all, why she couldn’t enjoy her friends’ company for now.
‘I wish Isabella hadn’t left,’ sighed Ayeesha, turning gloomy. ‘She’d have loved it here. With or without Neiman Marcus.’
Cassie simply nodded, deciding it was better to say nothing than actively lie. The rest of the school had been allowed to think Isabella had indeed left, but they’d find out soon enough that she was staying. Cassie hoped they wouldn’t blame her for that secrecy, too.
The camp was not far from the airstrip, and even knowing the extravagances of the Darke Academy, it was not what Cassie had been expecting. When Sir Alric had mentioned tents, she’d rather assumed the students might just be slumming it for once. But these ‘tents’ were the size of small houses, furnished with everything from desks to baths to elegant beds. Cassie whistled as she gazed around.
‘Well, this is rather nice,’ announced Alice Pritchard with a raised eyebrow, dumping her Louis Vuitton in one corner of their tent.
Cassie widened her eyes at the English girl in agreement. She’d be sharing with Alice while they stayed here – they were the only two without roommates – but she could live with that. Frankly, she could put up with pretty much anything, she thought, when the living conditions were this luxurious. There were even Persian rugs on the wooden flooring, for heaven’s sake.
‘Which bed do you fancy, then?’ asked Alice. She flopped into a chair and watched Cassie look at the two four-poster beds, each made up with cool Egyptian cotton bedclothes.
‘I’m fine with either.’ Cassie was a little surprised she was being given a choice, seeing as she’d never really got along with Alice. ‘I’ll have this one.’ She kicked off her sandals and jumped on to the nearest bed with a flourish.
Alice laughed back – a genuine laugh, Cassie thought – before growing serious again. ‘Listen, Cassie … I’m sorry about Isabella,’ the English girl said softly. ‘I know how close you two were.’
Cassie felt a small but vicious twist of guilt. ‘Yeah, I miss her,’ she said truthfully, and added, ‘I’m sure I haven’t seen the last of her, though.’
‘I’m certain you haven’t. She’s so fond of you. I know there was all that – trouble – last term.’ Alice swallowed. ‘But she’s really loyal.’
‘I know.’ Cassie smiled back, wishing she didn’t have to lie, even by omission. ‘She’ll be in touch soon, I’m sure.’
‘Well, you’ll let me know all her news when you get it, won’t you?’
For the first time, Cassie felt real warmth towards her. So Alice could be genuinely nice; who knew? She shouldn’t have been surprised, really. After all, Isabella had turned to the English girl last term, when she and Cassie had fallen out so horribly over all the business with Jake and the mysterious Few deaths. All that confusion felt like a lifetime ago. But Cassie knew it wouldn’t have been like Isabella to choose a complete villain or an idiot to room with when she’d temporarily moved out of their shared accommodation. Alice was a bit shallow and not that sharp, but she was a good person, Cassie thought with a stab of remorse. And she hadn’t even brought up Cassie’s contribution to the death of her former roommate Keiko …