The Four by Ellie Keel

Author:Ellie Keel [Keel, Ellie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

I was driven back to school by an unsmiling PC Werrill. I asked her where Lloyd and Sami were, but she either did not know or would not tell me. She took the coast road, and from the back seat I stared at the smooth expanse of grey sea. My entire body ached with tension.

As we pulled through the gates onto the long drive, another police car passed us, its driver raising a hand to Werrill. I craned my neck to see who else was in the car, but Werrill sped up. She parked next to the main steps, and I was surprised to see Sylvia standing at the top of them, surveying the empty drive. As I got out of the car, she started to walk back into the Atrium.

‘Sylvia!’ I must have sounded commanding, or perhaps desperate, because she turned around, her expression cold. ‘Who was in that car?’

She raised her eyebrows. ‘Why should you care?’

This was difficult to answer. Sylvia watched me struggle for a moment, and then shrugged. ‘It was Gerald.’

‘Why was he—’

‘You know,’ Sylvia interrupted harshly, ‘no one would blame you and your little friends if you followed in Marta De Luca’s footsteps.’

‘What?’

‘Run away. Like her. Leave High Realms. Get out of here, before things get any worse. Why don’t you just do that?’ She paused, her eyes narrow and unreadable as they ranged over my face and body. ‘It would clearly be better for us, but what you don’t seem to realise is that it would be infinitely better for you to—’

‘You bitch.’

‘What did you say?’

‘I said you’re a bitch.’ Panic was rising in my chest, compounded by all the strain of the afternoon, the sight of Gerald in the police car, the lack of information – and here was a valid outlet at last. ‘As if we’re the ones behaving badly – after what your friends did to Max. I hate you, Sylvia,’ I said, and the words surprised me, even though I meant them.

She looked at me quizzically, ignoring the indictment. ‘Max?’

‘He won’t be able to play the organ for weeks. I can’t believe you told—’

‘What on earth are you talking about?’

There was something in her voice – the slightest of tremors in those crisp, haughty vowels – that made me hesitate before telling her. ‘Rory stamped on Max’s wrist while Jolyon held him down.’

At these words, Sylvia’s face paled, and I knew immediately that there was no way she had been behind the attack. She said nothing for a few moments. Then, ‘Is he badly hurt?’

‘It didn’t look good.’ I watched her expression as many things flickered across it: dismay, fear, regret. For the briefest of moments I glimpsed the hinterlands which stretched behind her hostility, and before I could stop myself I said, ‘I’m sorry. I thought you—’

‘I know what you thought. There’s a great deal you have no hope of understanding, but let me make two things very clear.’ Her dark eyes were hard again. ‘First of all, I would never harm Max Masters.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.