It was only when they lost their balance and stumbled into a gawping first year that Cassie felt Ranjit’s arms loosen. Blushing fiercely, Cassie released her own grip and backed out of the embrace. For a moment she was unable to speak, let alone meet Ranjit’s eye – though she could feel the incredulous gaze of the students surrounding them. And she could certainly hear the barely stifled whispers that erupted around the atrium.
‘I’m not believing what I’m seeing …’
‘Oh. My. God.’
‘Him? Him and her?’
‘Ranjit Singh? I knew he had a thing for scholarship girls, but I mean …’
Ranjit cleared his throat, and Cassie finally looked up at his sheepishly grinning face.
‘I guess that cat’s well and truly out of the bag, then,’ he chuckled.
Tentatively, he reached out and put one hand on Cassie’s shoulder, steering her off to a corner out of the collective stare. Cassie hadn’t imagined her heart could beat any faster than it already was, but it leaped again at his gentle touch.
‘Yeah, looks like it,’ she replied. ‘Sorry … I’m not sure what happened there.’
‘Um, neither am I.’ His golden-brown skin flushed. ‘I missed you,’ he laughed. ‘If that wasn’t obvious.’
Cassie couldn’t repress a huge smile. ‘Me too. It was a long Christmas, eh?’
‘You’re telling me.’
She wondered if he was mocking her a little, but his face was as sternly beautiful as always. There was something else in his expression too, a yearning that matched her own. Damn, he was hot. A voice on a mobile phone was one thing, but she’d forgotten the sheer animal presence of him. She could practically sense his heart beating faster, and she knew instinctively that he wanted to touch her again – almost as much as she wanted him to …
Whoah, Cassie!
Without even thinking about it, she’d stepped towards Ranjit and caught herself just before she could fall into his arms again. This was going too fast. After what had happened, she was a little embarrassed. Maybe even a little scared.
Estelle’s promise came back to her. You’ll never have to be scared of anything again, Cassandra …
Not strictly true. She’d managed to scare herself, getting carried away like that in public. She felt herself flushing as she imagined the eyes of the whole school on her.
‘Cassandra?’ Ranjit looked a little wary himself. Like her, he’d taken half a step forward before he stopped himself.
‘Sorry,’ she mumbled. ‘Guess absence made my heart grow even fonder than I’d thought.’
Ranjit laughed. ‘I know what you mean!’
‘Look, maybe I should go and, um, freshen up. I haven’t found my room yet, and I should say hi to Isabella properly. But we could meet for a coffee later?’ she ventured.
‘Yeah. That’s probably a good idea. Five o’clock?’
‘That’d be great.’ She checked her watch. ‘Actually, how about four-thirty?’
He grinned. ‘Four-thirty it is!’
‘Great. See you then.’ As she smiled and turned to walk away, Ranjit reached out suddenly and took her hand gently in his. The warmth of his skin sent a fresh flutter through her body.
‘Wait. Before you go – you’re OK, right? At Christmas when we spoke on the phone you sounded …’
‘I know. I’m fine now. Honestly. I’ll fill you in this afternoon.’
He held her gaze for a moment, as if to make sure she was telling the truth. For a moment there was a suggestion of the roiling, fiery glow she’d seen in his eyes more than once, but Cassie couldn’t look away. His hand squeezed her fingers more tightly. The gurgling trickle of the fountain seemed amplified, and the sound of expensive heels on marble. Then the shrieking giggle of a Year Nine made both of them jump. Releasing her hand, Ranjit shook his head self-consciously and smiled.
‘If you say so.’
‘I do. I’ll see you later for that coffee. I’m buying!’
‘OK. Where are we going?’
‘Don’t sound so nervous, rich boy.’ She winked. ‘This is New York, isn’t it? I’m sure I’ll find a suitably seedy joint.’
Ranjit’s deep, honey-tinged laugh echoed around the atrium. God, she thought, you could bottle that sound and sell it to lonely girls the world over.
‘Find me a seedy joint then, Cassandra Bell. I’ll meet you back here.’
‘Don’t be late.’ She gave him a mock scowl.
He grinned. ‘I wouldn’t dare.’
Well, she’d done her best to introduce Ranjit to the sleazy and the downbeat, but they didn’t seem to be part of this New York. Sir Alric certainly had his standards, and he’d obviously brought the Academy to this neighbourhood for a reason.
Out on the streets, staring up at the gigantic buildings in wonder, with her breath pluming in the frosty air, Cassie happily let Ranjit take over the hunt. Coffee, after all, had only been an excuse to be alone with him; that, and to experience the city she’d missed on her arrival. She could forget for a while about monsters and demons. Walking north on Fifth Avenue, just one anonymous couple among the brisk and smartly dressed crowds, she could barely choose where to look next – so it was just as well Ranjit seemed to know his way around. He steered her down East 78th Street to Madison Avenue and a chic and glossy café that served a bewildering selection of coffees to chic and glossy customers.
‘Jeez. You’re paying after all, I’m afraid.’ Unwinding her scarf, Cassie raised her eyebrows at the price list as they ordered.
‘It’ll be worth it.’ He nudged a mug towards her. ‘Though why you’d want to put cinnamon syrup in fine coffee, I can’t imagine.’
‘Mm-mm. Good as the Tears of the Few,’ she murmured mischievously, relaxing a little for the first time. ‘Perks a girl up no end.’
Ranjit blinked in surprise. ‘Sir Alric gave you the Tears?’
‘Oh yeah.’ She winked. ‘I’m a special case, me.’
‘Wow.’ Ranjit shook his head anxiously. ‘Did he mention—’
‘That I can’t do it all the time? Yeah, he did. Thanks for the reminder.’ Cassie’s jaw clenched. So much for feeling relaxed.
‘So now you’ve got to learn to feed.’
‘So I’m told.’
‘Right … um …’ Ranjit seemed to read the displeasure on Cassie’s face, and played for time by swallowing hot coffee too quickly. Sucking in a breath, he winced. ‘Is it going to be Isabella?’
‘I don’t know. Look, do we have to talk about this now?’
Ranjit smiled apologetically. ‘No. Sorry.’
Cassie took a sip of coffee. She didn’t want to be angry. Not now, not with him. With a sigh, she set down her cup and ran her finger round the rim of it. ‘How much time do you reckon I’ve got before I have to decide?’
‘A few weeks. Maybe less.’ Ranjit lowered his voice to a murmur as a waiter passed by. ‘Your hunger has developed faster than anyone could have predicted. It’s incredible, Cassandra.’ With something like admiration, he added, ‘Unprecedented!’
‘You sound like Sir Alric,’ Cassie replied. ‘And not in a good way. He’s the only other person who calls me Cassandra. Well, apart from …’
‘Estelle,’ Ranjit finished. ‘Would you rather I called you Cassie?’
‘You know what? I think I would.’
‘Then I will. Cassie.’ With a smile, he put his hand over hers.
Damn, she thought. That did feel good. And strong. And supportive. Slowly she linked her fingers into his.
‘You never wanted me in the Few, did you?’
‘No, I didn’t. I didn’t want you involved in any of this.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘But it’s done now.’
‘And I would have been involved anyway,’ said Cassie, with sudden realisation. ‘One way or another. It was Isabella who was supposed to be initiated, wasn’t it? She was the obvious candidate. So I guess I would have been her life-source?’
Ranjit’s hand tensed. Then he nodded slowly,
his eyes roaming her face. ‘Perhaps. But I would have done what I could to stop that too.’
Cassie frowned. She’d have preferred that scenario to the one in which she now found herself. Wouldn’t she? If Isabella had joined the Few – if she’d asked Cassie to be her life-source – what would Cassie have done?
She knew perfectly well what she’d have done. She’d have refused. Run a mile. Screamed the place down and called the cops.
As if reading her thoughts, Ranjit said, ‘You know, you can feed without her knowledge. Even though she knows what happened to you, there are ways round—’
‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘I’m not going to lie to my best friend. Sir Alric says he’ll teach us both.’ In a mutter she added, ‘If she agrees, I mean …’
‘It’s for the best, Cassie. You have to know how to feed safely. And if it’s done right, it really doesn’t do any harm.’
Shutting her eyes, Cassie gave a frustrated moan; then she felt Ranjit’s hand squeeze hers once again. He sighed deeply and turned to Cassie with an attempt at a smile.
‘Look, I’m just glad you’re here, and you’re OK. We’ll get through it … together.’ He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips, lingering for a moment before pulling away. ‘And about this …’ he murmured, pressing his forehead to Cassie’s.
‘Yeah?’ Her voice was hoarse.
‘I think it might be a good idea for us to try and take it slow. I mean, I don’t know what happened in the atrium but it felt almost … out of control?’ He looked cautiously at Cassie, and she nodded and smiled.
‘It did. Not that I’m complaining.’
‘Me neither. It’s just that, given our circumstances and … past experiences, I just don’t want anything to go wrong for us. We should be careful.’
Ranjit ran a reassuring hand along Cassie’s arm and turned to drain the rest of his coffee. Cassie stared down at her own barely touched drink. She’d hardly thought about it before, but the way he’d said past experiences, and the expression on his face when she mentioned that she had been destined to be Isabella’s life-source, spoke volumes. How could she have forgotten?
Jessica.
Jake’s sister had been involved with Ranjit before she died. In fact, she was meant to be meeting him the night she was lured to her death. The girl who finished up drained of her very essence by Katerina and Keiko was the same girl everyone said looked like Cassie. The thought of it made her head spin. OK, this could be weird.
‘Cassie?’ Ranjit’s voice brought her out of her reverie. ‘We should get going. You look tired.’
His beautiful face smiling down at her, and his hand gently laid on her shoulder, made her head spin once more – but for the right reasons.
This is ridiculous, she thought. You’re not Jessica. It’s not the same. Don’t talk yourself out of this before it’s begun.
Forcing a smile, she stood up. ‘Tired? Come on then, I’ll race you back to the Academy!’
CHAPTER FOUR
The corridor was dark. Cassie was running, urgently searching for something. Someone. She rounded the corner into yet more darkness. No, not darkness – two eyes, glowing red, were there ahead of her. Looming out of the black. Coming towards her. No. She was moving towards them …
There he is, Cassandra! Grab him. Take him, He’s the one for us. Don’t let him convince you otherwise. We belong together. We need him.
Cassie’s arms reached out blindly, snatching at the void.
You don’t want to be alone, do you, Cassandra? Reach for him. Grab him. We don’t want to be alone. We want them both. You and I, he and his . . .
‘Ranjit?’
Cassie’s voice was a growl, echoing through the empty space. She lunged forward once more, her hands grabbing on to something. Shoulders: hunched, muscular. His bare skin almost burning under her touch. Then his arms, encircling her, squeezing her until she could barely breathe. Her fingernails like claws, digging into the flesh of his back.
Yes, Cassandra. Don’t let him go! We mustn’t let go!
‘I won’t.’
You won’t. You won’t? But you’ve abandoned me! Why have you abandoned me, Cassie? There’s a part of me alone, you know. The part we left behind.
‘What? I’m here! Estelle?’
You felt that void, didn’t you, dear? Only for a little time, but you felt it. Imagine being trapped there. It’s not nice. Why are you being so unkind? Poor, poor Estelle. Are you going to let me stay out here, Cassandra? Are you going to keep me apart? Keep us apart?
HOW COULD YOU?!
Cassie woke with a start, shaking. Throwing off the blankets, sweating and gasping for breath, she sat up straight and raked her fingers through her hair. It was still dark: the faint glow from outside was street lighting.
It was a nightmare, that was all. Cassie sighed. With all that had happened, it was a wonder she hadn’t had more bad dreams. She gave a wry half-smile. Sometimes it seemed like her whole life now was a bad dream. It didn’t help that she had Estelle inside her head, messing with her mind. Although all was quiet now, so maybe the spirit had spent her fury for the time being and Cassie could sleep in peace.
Still, her heart continued to thrash, and it wasn’t just from fear. She had a terrible sense of sadness, guilt and regret in the pit of her stomach, almost in spite of herself.
Poor, poor Estelle …
Cassie rubbed her fingertips against her temples, groaning inwardly but not making a sound in case she woke Isabella. Part of her was sorry for Estelle. When the ritual that was supposed to bind them together forever was interrupted, part of the Few spirit had been left stranded outside Cassie’s body, divided from the rest. Ever since, Estelle’s voice had begged Cassie to let her in. But even if she knew how to do that, Cassie was far from certain that she wanted to. Fractured visions of the Few woman’s past revealed her to be proud and strong, yes, but also vindictive, cruel and selfish. If she joined fully with Estelle, how could Cassie be sure that she wouldn’t follow the same path?
Fumbling for the tumbler of water on her nightstand, the back of Cassie’s hand bumped against one of her framed photographs. Irritably, she picked it up to move it aside, and froze.
Something was wrong. The frame felt strange beneath her fingertips. She brought it close to her face. Even in the dim glow of an artificial dawn, her hand trembled.
The metal frame had melted. That was how it looked, anyway. Twisted, buckled and warped – as if it had been left too close to a fire. The grinning faces of Patrick and the Cranlake kids had melted into hideous masks. Alarmed, she reached out to touch the nightstand. It was quite cool. Cassie swallowed hard. Swinging her legs down on to the floor, she picked up the other photograph, the one she had surreptitiously taken of Ranjit at the end of last term. It too was badly distorted: the silver frame looked as if it had turned liquid in the night then re-solidified, like candle wax. And Ranjit’s shyly smiling face – it was unrecognisable.
She stroked it remorsefully, tears springing to her eyes. What had she done?
Hang on. What made her think she’d done anything?
A feeling, that was all …
Miserably, she cursed, but not far enough under her breath. In the other bed Isabella stirred and stretched, yawning. Cassie had barely enough time to shove the melted pictures under her pillow before Isabella blinked sleepily. Her roommate yawned and smiled.
‘Morning, Cassie. Mmm …’ Abruptly she sat up. ‘Hey! We’re in New York!’
Cassie shook her head. She instantly felt a little more cheery. How could Isabella be bursting with such enthusiasm at this hour? Her friend hadn’t changed since Paris – which was kind of nice, when so much else had. Affecting a drawl she said, ‘Chill, honey. It’s six o’clock in the morning. Ain’t sun-up for an hour.’
Isabella rolled her eyes. ‘Cassie, that accent is more South Carolina than South Bronx and even I know it. Now …’ Slumping back on to her bed, she rubbed her hands with glee. ‘What shall we do t
oday?’
‘Um, apart from start school, you mean?’ asked Cassie.
‘Yes, yes, apart from that. This is the City that Never Sleeps! And neither should we!’
‘Uh-huh.’ Cassie didn’t bother mentioning she already had a head start in that department. ‘You know the first class is maths, right?’
‘No. No, no, no! I shall not even think about it!’ wailed Isabella. She paused and then gave Cassie a sidelong glance. ‘We need to talk about you, Cassie.’
‘Oh, God.’ Cassie sighed. ‘Not again. First Ranjit, now you as well. Can’t we talk about someone else?’
Isabella folded her arms crossly. ‘Cassie. I let you off yesterday because you were meeting your Indian prince – which you need to fill me in on as well, by the way.’ She paused to give Cassie a wink. ‘But I know you’re not telling me something. You fainted at the airport! You did not look so terrible and starved just from missing breakfast or having a bug. It’s because of what they did to you, isn’t it? At the Few ceremony?’
Cassie rubbed her neck. ‘Yes,’ she mumbled.
Isabella nodded, her eyes narrowing. ‘Right. And what have you done about it?’
‘Sir Alric had a … er … solution.’ Cassie smiled brightly, hoping an explanation would stall Isabella’s questions for now, even if she was being economical with the truth. She needed time. More time. ‘Literally, I mean. A liquid solution.’
‘You mean drugs?’ Isabella’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘Cassie, I’m not sure—’
‘Please, Isabella, it’s nothing to worry about.’
‘Oh?’ Isabella folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. ‘If it is nothing to worry about, why are you still so unhappy? I know you better! Why are you so nervous and sifty?’
Blood Ties (Darke Academy) Page 3