The sister in the dark

Chapter 7

As I run through the pristine corridors, tracking dirt along the carpet, I allow myself to breathe a sigh of relief. The search for Rose should be able to carry on uninterrupted. Come to think of it, I'm glad that I hid the necklace from my prosecutors. I'm pretty sure jewellery is against the rules too.

The walk back to the common room takes a lot less time than I expected. Maybe it's because there aren't any boys blocking the way, and I don't have a heavy suitcase to hinder me. Hirah is waiting outside the common room for me, a look of relief crossing her face when she sees that I'm alive, that I'm not physically scarred or carrying a shed load of paperwork.

"Have you got detention?" she asks immediately.

"No," I answer, "But he said that if I get in trouble again, there would be punishment." I pull a face at his idiotic warning.

Hirah laughs and leads me up the stairs to room 37. Her room. It's right across the corridor from mine, and inside it looks exactly like the one I share with Olivia.

"Who do you share with?" I ask.

"Nobody, at the moment," she tells me, "But I used to share with Charlotte. It was torture!"

"Hah," I laugh, "I bet it was!"

Just then, a knock on Hirah's window catches our attention. A dirty monkey-like girl is hanging from the window ledge above ours, frantically banging on Hirah's window. Milly! I think.

Hirah throws open the window and lets Milly climb in.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her.

"Visiting you, duh," she replies, "I want to know why the necklace was under the bridge, just as much as you do. But don't tell me I shouldn't have come, because I spent a lot of effort trying to get away from my older brother Hamika."

I pull out the necklace and place it carefully on the desk by the door. Still as turquoise and perfect as ever. Nothing scratched into the smooth gem, nothing etched into the silver setting. I turn it over and pick at the underside. My fingers furiously scrabble at the priceless gem, scratching at the silver and frantically trying to open the back.

And finally, finally I get it off. A little scrap of paper lies in a secret chamber inside the gemstone.

I tip it out, heart racing, and open it up.

There's a golden man, bow in hand, waiting for you with another clue.