Night School - Endgame by C.J. Daugherty Read Free Book Online Page B

in the park but her muscles wanted to move.
    After a while, she and Nicole stopped to rest, leaning against a wall side by side. A short distance away, Rachel and Katie were trying out a basic spinning kick. While Rachel struggled a bit, the redhead performed the move with easy grace – leaping through the air and landing on her feet with the lightness of a cat.
    Nicole and Allie exchanged a surprised look.
    ‘What the hell?’ Allie murmured.
    As they watched, Katie executed the move again, just as perfectly the second time.
    A smile of understanding flickered across Nicole’s even features.
    ‘Of course. I forgot she studied dance,’ she said, her French accent gilding each word. ‘She’ll be a natural at this.’
    A short distance away, Zoe and Lucas were speed-fighting – doing the same moves the others had been doing, but much faster. Allie knew they were trying to see how quickly they could do it without missing a step or hospitalising each other.
    Raj walked up behind her with soundless steps. ‘I was going to stop them,’ he said. ‘But they’re having too much fun.’
    Allie’s gaze searched his face. ‘Anything new from Dom? About Carter?’
    ‘Not yet. But she’s working on it.’
    At that moment, Zelazny clapped his hands to get their attention. His voice boomed across the room: ‘Three mile run. Lucas and Zoe.’ He turned to where the two had stopped mid-fight, fists still raised. ‘Guide the junior students. Don’t,’ he added sharply, ‘lose any of them.’
    Zoe dashed for the door. Lucas gave Allie a grin as he sped by.
    ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I won’t let her hurt them.’
    ‘I hope Zelazny knows what he’s doing.’ Allie turned back to Raj, but he’d already gone.
    Nicole was gone too. She was over talking to Rachel, whose expression brightened instantly as Nicole whispered something to her.
    Seeing the two of them together sent a sharp stab of loneliness through Allie. They were so close now – always together. She and Rachel were close too, of course, but… not like that.
    ‘Allie.’ Katie waved for her attention.
    It was annoying how she managed to look effortlessly beautiful even now. Exercise had brought a glow to her cheeks and sent her shoulder-length ponytail bouncing into copper curls.
    ‘This running thing…’ Katie cast her a coy look. ‘Do I have to?’
    Allie rolled her eyes. ‘You’re going to fight this every step of the way, aren’t you?’
    ‘Of course.’
    Taking her by the arm, Allie dragged her into the shadowy corridor.
    ‘Everything we do here? You have to do it, too.’
    ‘God. Running is so dull,’ Katie complained.
    In that instant, her crisp, upper-class accent reminded Allie so strongly of Jo it made her chest ache.
    ‘Running is boring unless someone’s chasing you,’ she said. ‘Which around here is almost guaranteed. Let’s go.’

7
    B y the time Allie and Katie emerged through one of the old Victorian building’s many hidden doorways into a moonlit night, the other students had already disappeared.
    Allie didn’t like this – the group shouldn’t be separating right now. Especially when the younger students were out for their first night run. She could only hope Zoe and Lucas would keep them together.
    Katie peered around them. ‘Where do we go now?’
    ‘Let’s just take the usual route.’
    Katie held up her perfectly manicured hands. ‘Which is…?’
    ‘Which is follow me.’ Allie took off at speed, and Katie followed, complaining under her breath as they hurtled across he smooth grass.
    When they reached the woods, all light disappeared. Allie knew the forest footpaths like the back of her hand, but Katie didn’t. Almost immediately in her struggle to keep up, she tripped over a tree root and nearly fell.
    After that, Allie reluctantly slowed her pace. It was a quiet night – the only sound the rasp of their breathing and the drumming of their feet against the hard ground.
    Allie cast a sideways glance