Why? Why would you risk your life for me?

'Sylvain, you will see the doctor when you leave this room or as God is my witness I will put you on the next plane to France.' Isabelle's angry voice jerked Allie back to reality. She turned to Mr Patel. 'What do we know?'

'On-the-ground shift change was at midnight tonight two members of incoming staff received messages from my phone telling them they weren't needed.' His tone was brisk and businesslike. 'They followed protocol alerting me via our alternative messaging network. That's how we knew something was planned for tonight. We trebled our staff and we are certain Nathaniel's people got nowhere near the building.'

'Have you identified how many of his people were on the grounds?' Isabelle asked.

'We know of three.'

Three. There was another. Allie tried not to think about what would have happened to Sylvain if the third person had stopped her from stabbing Gabe.

'Where are they now?'

Mr Patel cleared his throat. 'My team believe they've left the grounds but I'm not convinced. The building is surrounded by my guards, and there are four inside the building patrolling.'

'So we don't know where they are.' Her tone was unforgiving. 'Allie.' When the headmistress turned to face her, Allie could see that she was pale and her skin was tight across her sharp cheekbones. 'Tell me what happened.'

Talking quickly, Allie explained the letter, the meeting, everything Christopher had told her about Nathaniel and somebody working 'on the inside'. She told her what he'd said about everything except Isabelle herself she couldn't bring herself to say that right now.

As she spoke, Isabelle's face changed. Colour flowed into her cheeks and her golden brown eyes glittered with rage. She and Raj Patel exchanged a look heavy with meaning.

'I am so angry with you two right now ...' She rubbed a hand across her forehead as if to clear her thoughts. 'We will talk later about the way you both broke The Rules. And the chances you took, especially you Sylvain.' She fired a glare at him. 'You more than anyone should know better. I'm putting it off until then because I do not trust myself right now not to expel you both for this. Dammit!' She slapped one hand down on the desk with a bang. 'You put yourselves and the school in danger,' Isabelle said. 'And you both know better.'

For a long moment, she gazed over Allie's head at the tapestry of a knight and maiden that took up one whole wall. When Allie tried to speak she raised a hand in a warning.

'Not one word,' she snapped.

For what seemed like a very long time they all sat still. The only sounds were the occasional creak of an old beam settling and their breathing.

'OK.' Isabelle's voice had returned to normal. 'Allie, you broke every rule I hold dear and you betrayed my trust. You are on very thin ice right now. Sylvain ...'

The anger in her eyes was so raw Allie felt a wave of fear for him.

'I will need you to debrief the others about what you've learned. I'll set up a meeting in the usual place for first thing tomorrow that's presuming you are able to attend.' Their eyes locked as she added, 'You'll be lucky if Jerry Cole doesn't try to have you expelled from Night School. But you knew that.'

'What? You can't throw Sylvain out,' Allie protested, sliding forward in her chair. 'I made him ...'

'That is no excuse for somebody as experienced as Sylvain to do what he did tonight.' There was no sympathy in Isabelle's voice, only resignation. 'He risked both of your lives. He knows The Rules better than anybody here. He knew what punishment he would face if he did this.'

Shocked, Allie turned to Sylvain, but he was watching Isabelle through swollen eyes.

He went with me, knowing he could lose everything? Guilt and confusion did battle in her mind.

'I think it's best if you don't go to that briefing, Allie,' Isabelle continued. 'Zelazny will have to be talked out of expelling you. If you're there it will be worse. I'll send for you later.'

'I want to be involved,' Allie said, sitting up straight. 'Whatever happens next. I want to help.'

'I rather think that you needn't worry about that,' Isabelle said icily. 'At this point you're in it up to your eyebrows whether you like it or not.'

TWENTY.

'Are you OK? You really should go and see the nurse.' As they stood in the hallway near Isabelle's office, Allie studied Sylvain's battered face worriedly. He'd stopped bleeding, but one eye was swollen shut, and his jaw was so bruised his mouth barely worked.

'I will.' His good eye blinked at her.

'How's your ...' She gestured at her neck.

He gave a weak shrug, and then winced. 'Fine, I think.'

Talking seemed to hurt him and, as they stood in awkward silence, Allie could think of a thousand things she wanted to say but she didn't know how to say them. Or whether if she did it would convey what she really felt.

And what did she feel anyway?

Thank you for nearly dying for me. Thank you for risking everything for me. Thank you for being there for me. What are we going to do now?

Instead she said, 'Do you want me to come with you? Do you need help?'

'I'd rather do it,' he said painfully, 'myself.'

'OK.'

'Well,' he said after a long pause. 'Bye.'

As he turned in the direction of the infirmary, her hands curled into fists so tight her nails dug crescents into her palms. Was she really going to let him just walk away after all that happened tonight without saying anything? He'd nearly died for her. She'd nearly killed someone for him.

What's happening here?

'Sylvain!'

Her tone was sharp and, creakily, he turned to look at her.

'Thank you.' Frustrated by her own inability to say what she meant, or even to know what she meant, she held her hands up helplessly.

For a brief second his battered gaze held hers. Then his swollen lips tried to curve upwards.

'Any time.'

The sound of footsteps and voices in the hallway woke Allie late the next morning. For a brief moment she didn't know where she was and she sat up in a panic.

She was in her own room, her own bed.

After watching Sylvain make his way to the infirmary last night, she'd trudged up to her room and tumbled into bed, stopping only long enough to strip off her dirty clothes and pull on a T-shirt. She'd been sure she'd never fall asleep, but exhaustion had taken over so quickly she hadn't even dreamed about Christopher.

Christopher.

Now bright sunlight flooded the room, and she pushed her tangled hair out of her eyes so she could see the alarm clock.

Nine o'clock.

Jumping to her feet, she grabbed a towel and hurried down to the bathroom, not even seeing the girls she passed in their uniforms, who glanced at her curiously.

After rushing through a shower, she threw on a clean uniform and clattered down the stairs; a worry headache had already begun to throb. She had to know what had happened while she slept. Had Sylvain been expelled? Had they found Christopher or Gabe?

And Carter ... At the thought she skidded to a stop.

She had to find Carter before he learned what had happened last night. Either way he was going to be so angry when he found out she'd gone with Sylvain.

Her stomach contorted and she grabbed it with one hand. When was the last time she'd actually eaten? Not yesterday. Maybe the day before?

Isabelle's office was her first stop, but it was empty, the lights turned off. The common room was busy, but nobody she recognised was there.

She was halfway to the library when she spotted Jules walking towards her.

'Hey, Jules, do you know where Carter ...' she started, but her voice trailed off when she saw the anger in her eyes.

'Allie, what the hell were you thinking?'

'I-' she tried, but Jules cut her off.

'I've just been given a vicious bollocking by Isabelle. She says you sneaked out last night and met your brother and Gabe,' Jules hissed, looking around to make sure nobody was listening. 'All the senior Night School students have been called into a strategy meeting about what to do next. Frankly, I can't believe you haven't been expelled yet.'

The injustice sent heat rising to Allie's face.

Met Gabe? MET Gabe? I tried to kill Gabe ...

'After all that happened last term, how could you?' Jules continued, clearly furious. 'How could you invite Nathaniel's people here?'

Allie tried not rise to the bait. There were things she needed to know and getting angry wouldn't help.

'I know you're angry, Jules, but, first, has Sylvain been expelled?' she asked crisply.

'Not yet,' Jules said gracelessly.

Allie ignored the last comment. 'Is he OK? Have you seen him?'

'He's a mess, but he's alive,' Jules said. 'No thanks to you and your brother.'

Closing her eyes, Allie allowed herself a moment of relief. Then she squared her shoulders and faced the prefect.

'I'm sorry you got in trouble because of me. I would never put Cimmeria in danger knowingly. I didn't invite Christopher he just came. And, yes, I wanted to see my brother. I had to know ...' Her breath caught and she paused. 'I just had to.'

Jules did not seem placated. 'Sometimes it seems like all you do is put Cimmeria in danger, Allie. Everything was fine until you came here. And, maybe it's unfair of me to say this, but sometimes I really wish ...' Allie flinched, and Jules stopped, biting her lip. 'I'm sorry. I shouldn't ...'

'No. Don't apologise.' Allie said, straightening her spine. 'I deserve that. You know, I am trying ...' But her voice trailed off. What was the point? Nothing she said would make things different. 'I'm just ... sorry.'

As she said the last words she was already walking away; her ribs felt tight around her lungs, and she had the awful sense that everything had gone horribly wrong.

If Sylvain was fine and hadn't been expelled then there was one thing Allie needed to do before finding Isabelle and facing whatever happened next. She needed to talk to Carter.

As she walked down the wide hallway through crowds of chatting students, relaxing on a Saturday morning, her steps were slow and reluctant. If Jules knew what had happened, then Carter probably did, too. He knew she'd kept Christopher's letter a secret from him, and shared it with someone he hated. That she'd lied to him.

He'll never forgive me, she thought. And why should he? I'm a liar. Like everyone else in my family ...

So lost was Allie in self-incrimination that Jo had nearly walked past before she'd spotted her.

'Hey, Jo, have you seen ...' Her voice trailed off as she got a good look at her friend; Jo's face was red and raw from tears, her short blonde hair rumpled, her uniform buttoned up crooked. 'Are you ... Jo, what's the matter?'

'Is it true?' Jo stared at her with red eyes. 'What everybody's saying. Is it true?'

'I don't ...' Allie's mouth went dry and the pounding in her head grew louder and more insistent. 'What is everyone saying?'

'Did you see Gabe last night? Here?' Jo's voice rose, and Allie could see people stopping to look at them.

Taking Jo's hand, she tried to pull her out of the hallway towards the kitchen but Jo recoiled, yanking her hand free and slapping hard at Allie's wrist. The slap stung and Allie pulled her hand back before she could hit it again.

'Jo, calm down.' She looked at her friend with concern, and chose her words carefully. 'Yes, I saw Gabe last night. He was sneaking around the grounds.'

'What ...' Jo stared at her as if she were trying to focus. 'What was he doing here? Why did you see him?'

Allie didn't know how much of what happened last night was freely known and she lowered her voice. 'Christopher came to see me.' The memory of Gabe carrying her brutally through the woods made her stomach churn. 'Gabe was with him.'

'Why didn't you tell me?' Jo's accusing tone was unexpected, and Allie stared at her blankly.

'Tell you what?'

'You went to see Gabe and you didn't tell me.'

'Jesus, Jo.' Allie fought to keep her temper. Jo clearly wasn't herself and getting angry wouldn't help. She didn't know what had happened, and anything involving Gabe made her irrational. 'I went to see Christopher and only Christopher. I just wanted some answers. I didn't know Gabe would be there. He showed up without an invitation. And we shouldn't be talking about this.'

For a long moment Jo's eyes searched hers. 'You wouldn't talk to Gabe without telling me, would you?'

'No, Jo,' Allie said sadly. 'I wouldn't do that. But you need to stop thinking about Gabe. He's not good for you. He's not good for anyone.'

'I know that,' Jo snapped. '"But ... Don't you see? I never got to ask him why he did what he did.'

Allie thought about her own driving need to ask Christopher why he left her family and for the first time she thought she understood Jo's irrational attachment to Gabe.

'I promise you,' she reached for Jo's hand and this time she didn't hit her, 'if Gabe ever gets in touch with me, I'll tell you.'

A short time later, her hand shook as she raised it to knock lightly against Isabelle's door. The pounding in her head had worsened now, and was more like a jazz drummer beating away at the inside of her skull. But she had to keep going.