Blood Ties (Darke Academy)

by Gabriella Poole

  Yesss …

  Estelle’s voice inside her mind, echoing her thoughts once more.

  Together, we must be, all of us … !

  Suddenly, Cassie felt Ranjit’s fingers in her hair, tugging it, pulling it taut. She gave a gasp of pain but then drew his mouth to hers once more. She sucked his lower lip between her teeth, biting down hard, almost drawing blood – there was an urgency, a violence developing between them, but she felt powerless to break their embrace …

  ‘STOP THIS AT ONCE!’

  The barked order was sudden and fierce. Ranjit’s head snapped back, breaking contact. Cassie growled in frustration. It took her a moment to realise that Sir Alric stood beside them, framed in the doorway of his office, his shoulders tense and his hands clenched into fists.

  Ranjit seemed stunned into silence for a beat, licking a drop of blood from his lips. ‘I’m sorry—’

  Don’t apologise, lover …

  ‘Don’t apologise,’ Cassie heard herself echo, and the words brought her back to cold reality. Had Ranjit been apologising to her, or to Sir Alric?

  ‘I think both of you should proceed to your own rooms forthwith,’ said Sir Alric through gritted teeth.

  Ranjit nodded, looking shaken. Cassie frowned. What was his problem? Of course it was a bit embarrassing to be caught kissing by the principal, but they weren’t really doing anything really wrong, were they?

  Ranjit stepped away from her, very deliberately. She shook her head, and gave a mirthless laugh.

  ‘Night, Ranjit.’

  ‘Goodnight, Cassie.’ His eyes still held a shade of longing.

  Frustrated, she turned away without a second glance at Sir Alric. But as she walked down the hall she heard the principal’s voice, low and severe.

  ‘A word before you go, Mr Singh.’

  Cassie turned, confused, and saw Ranjit give her a brief last glance before disappearing back into the office. What was that about?

  Next time, my dear, we must try harder. This simply will not do …

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  ‘Jake? What are you doing here?’

  Cassie had been trying to turn the door handle quietly so as not to wake her roommate, when the door suddenly swung open, making her jump. Why would Jake be leaving her and Isabella’s room so late in the evening? Then she remembered the couple’s date, and couldn’t help allowing a little smile to cross her lips. ‘Oops. Hope I haven’t interrupted anything?’

  Jake’s face was serious. ‘Uh, Cassie, can I talk to you for a sec?’

  Her heart skipped a beat. He’d been avoiding her for weeks, why did he want to talk to her now? Had he found out about the feeding? No, he wouldn’t even be speaking to her if that were the case. Did he know what had happened earlier with Katerina? She wasn’t expecting to have to deal with that aspect of the evening’s events quite so soon …

  Jake stepped outside and pulled the door shut quietly. ‘I’m glad you’re back. Isabella’s gonna need someone with her tonight.’

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘We just had a bit of a scare at Coney Island is all. It’s OK. She’ll be fine once she’s had a chance to rest.’

  Cassie’s brow furrowed. ‘What happened?’

  ‘Maybe it’s nothing.’ He seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then muttered, ‘I think we’re all just a little tense, maybe imagining things.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  Jake forced a smile. ‘Look, just do your girl thing, look out for her, and I’ll catch up with you guys when I can tomorrow.’

  ‘I thought we were all going to hook up in the morning and go to Chinatown? You know, Isabella’s whole plan to hang out and do normal things?’ She smiled, but Jake’s face was serious again.

  ‘Not in the morning. I have a few things I need to take care of.’ He leaned over and kissed Cassie briskly on the cheek. ‘Night.’

  Cassie stared after him, bemused. This was definitely one of the strangest nights she’d ever had. She turned away and inched the door open.

  ‘Cassie?’ Isabella sat up in bed.

  ‘Yeah, it’s me. Busted. I was trying to be quiet …’

  ‘It’s OK. I was awake.’

  Cassie peered at her friend in the dimness as she closed the door. Isabella was hugging her knees, staring not at Cassie but at the wall. ‘Hey, what’s going on? Jake said something happened on your date.’

  ‘Uh …’ For once Isabella seemed to be lost for words. ‘It … ah … didn’t go quite to plan.’

  Isabella was trembling, Cassie noticed. Sitting down beside her, she put an arm round her. She felt cold. A sense of dread rose in her.

  ‘Isabella, what happened? Did you guys have a row or—’

  ‘No! No, nothing like that.’ Isabella shook her head violently. ‘It went really well, to start with. We were having a great time. Then – oh, it was horrible, Cassie. I know this is going to sound crazy …’ She trailed off, and Cassie’s eyes widened with worry at Isabella’s glum features.

  ‘What is it, Isabella?’

  Isabella rubbed her goose-pimpled arms. ‘It’s just … well, I think someone tried to abduct me.’

  ‘What? Isabella! What the hell happened?’

  Isabella exhaled. ‘We were at the back of the line for the rollercoaster. There was a really long wait, and so Jake had offered to go and get me some cotton candy while I kept our place. After a few moments, I felt a hand reach around from behind and grab me …’ She looked up at Cassie, her voice dropping to a whisper. ‘I thought it was Jake being playful, but then they were dragging me away, and there was a hand over my mouth. I couldn’t scream … It was only because Jake came and saw. He shouted – oh Cassie, you should have heard him! You would have thought he had seen a ghost he looked so frightened. Then a security guard came, and whoever it was dropped me and ran before they could catch up …’

  ‘Isabella, that’s awful!’

  ‘If Jake hadn’t seen what was happening … If he hadn’t shown up when he did, I don’t know what would have happened.’ Isabella shivered, hugging her legs tighter.

  ‘You’re safe now.’ Cassie squeezed her shoulders comfortingly. She shook her head. ‘Why on earth would someone do that?’

  Isabella shook her head. ‘I don’t know. Maybe they wanted my handbag? Jake said he thought he saw someone watching us when we were riding the carousel, but I thought he was just being paranoid. But now … Oh Cassie, I don’t want to think about it any more.’

  ‘Of course not. Look, you should try and get some rest.’

  ‘I’ll be all right, Cassie.’ Isabella paused, huddling under her bedclothes, then smiled again weakly. ‘But I am a terrible friend – I haven’t even asked about your date! Was it fabulous?’

  ‘Well.’ Cassie gave a short laugh. ‘Ours was kind of eventful too …’

  ‘Wow.’ Isabella made a show of resetting her dropped jaw as Cassie finished relating the story of Carnegie Hall, the strange powers she had exhibited, and Sir Alric’s inability to explain what had happened. She left out the part about him catching her and Ranjit kissing. Something about the intensity of their clinch made her uncomfortable talking about it. And she has to ask Isabella not to tell Jake about Katerina.

  ‘Cassie, I don’t know what to say. That’s some date. But I’m sure Sir Alric is going to figure out what happened.’

  Cassie studied her friend for a moment. There was a faint glimmer of trepidation in Isabella’s eyes, but that was understandable given what Cassie had just described. She shook her head, trying not to think too hard about it all. ‘Yeah. Up until all that happened, it was amazing. Mind you, I was thinking I’d have swapped the whole experience for a Coney Island hot dog, but now I’m not so sure.’

  ‘Funny how things went wrong for both of us, isn’t it?’

  ‘Mmm. Hilarious.’ Cassie grimaced.

  Isabella gave a great sigh. ‘Cassie. Let’s forget it for tonight. It’s as you said. We both need some sleep.’


  RANJIT!

  Cassie was running again. Running towards him, everything was bathed in that nightmarish red glow, and …

  RANJIT!

  Catch him, hold him …

  I WILL, ESTELLE! THIS TIME WE WON’T FAIL …

  ‘Cassie? Cassie!’ Isabella’s face loomed into view, her expression a mixture of amusement and concern. ‘Hey, Cassie? Wakey-wakey, as you say!’

  Blearily, Cassie pulled down the covers and blinked at her roommate. ‘What’s the time?’

  ‘Time to get up. Come on. All night you were tossing and turning, but this morning – you sleep like a stick! I thought I was bad …’

  ‘Sleep like a log, Isabella. Like a log.’

  Cassie sat up, her face hot remembering her dream. At least Isabella seemed to have cheered up after last night. She was amazed at the girl’s ability to compartmentalise –

  she’d trade that skill for the invisible force thing anytime.

  ‘Come on,’ Isabella chirped. ‘We need a change of scene. Particularly as I bet you anything you’re the hot topic around these parts this morning.’

  ‘What?’ Cassie rubbed her eyes. ‘Oh God, yes. Carnegie Hall.’

  Isabella was right – Sara would have come running back to tell the rest of the Few about the freakish powers of their newest member. Cassie groaned.

  ‘Let’s get out of everyone’s way,’ suggested Isabella. ‘We’ll head to Chinatown early, have breakfast?’

  ‘Sounds like a good idea to me,’ agreed Cassie, swinging herself out of bed. She was barely awake, but already she could feel the hunger for life-energy gnawing at her. Sir Alric’s instructions about regular feeding came back to her, but she brushed them aside. She wasn’t ready to try feeding again. Maybe some normal food would help take her mind off it.

  ‘Great,’ beamed Isabella. ‘I’ll call Jake and let him know.’

  ‘Uh, Isabella.’ Cassie turned to her roommate. ‘Jake said he can’t make it this morning. Didn’t he tell you last night?’

  Isabella looked confused. ‘Can’t make it? Why not?’

  ‘I … He didn’t exactly say,’ admitted Cassie reluctantly.

  ‘He said he’d meet us later.’

  Come to think of it, that was a pretty poor show. What could be more important than comforting your girlfriend the day after someone had tried to abduct her? Isabella seemed to be wondering that too, judging by the hurt expression on her pretty features. Then she rallied, briskly pulling on clothes, and as usual turning out carelessly elegant even though she barely seemed to check what she hauled from the wardrobe.

  ‘Well, at least that means after we eat, we could go and hit some shops, no?’

  ‘Mmm, I’ll definitely need to line my stomach then!’ Cassie hopped awkwardly into her jeans, then rummaged frantically in a drawer for a sweater.

  Isabella had moved on to her make-up before Cassie had even brushed her teeth. She was humming to herself and comparing two lipsticks as Cassie observed her from the en suite bathroom sink. Must have decided to put the Coney Island accident right out of her mind, she thought. That was probably for the best. Swiftly, she exited the bathroom, quickly running a brush through her hair.

  ‘Nearly there. You ready?’

  ‘Uh-huh. Now, where did I put my bangle?’ Isabella swept her hand through the chaos on her nightstand, then stopped. ‘Oh no!’

  Her cry of horror got Cassie’s attention straight away. ‘What?’

  Wordlessly, Isabella lifted the bangle on one finger. It was one of her favourites: chunky and fun, like a very beautiful piece of costume jewellery, but made out of solid 24-carat gold.

  And it had melted.

  Cassie stared at it, dangling on Isabella’s finger. Her friend’s face was stricken, but she couldn’t get out a word of sympathy. Her throat seemed to have seized up altogether.

  ‘How did this happen?’ wailed Isabella, trying to force the warped gold on to her slender wrist. ‘I must have left it too close to the radiator.’

  Or maybe too close to me, thought Cassie dully. Isabella’s nightstand was between her bed and Cassie’s. And the melted-wax look of the metal was hideously familiar …

  ‘Ugh! Oh well. Never mind.’ Isabella tossed the ruined bangle on to the bed and forced her face into a smile. ‘I won’t let it spoil our day. Come on!’

  I’ll probably take care of that, Cassie thought as they gathered their coats and bags and scarves and headed out. What the hell was going on? How could she be melting solid gold bangles and silver photo frames in her sleep?

  She remembered Sir Alric’s words: Perhaps you can project some of your power beyond yourself.

  Well, if this was something to do with her power, then that power seemed to making its presence felt more and more strongly. Was it reaching out to those close to her? Oh, God …

  If she could destroy solid metal, what could she do to flesh and bone?

  What could she do to her friends?

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ‘Well, this certainly is a change of scene.’

  Dodging a fish seller, Isabella tucked her arm cheerfully through Cassie’s. ‘Just what we both need.’

  That was for sure. Cassie was glad to get away from Fifth Avenue and Central Park – all the Upper East Side environs of the Academy – so it was fun to squeeze into a tiny old Chatham Square teahouse for breakfast. Afterwards, they strolled through Columbus Park and meandered aimlessly through the bustling vendors and tourists on Mulberry and Canal Streets. In crowded lanes and shop fronts, decorations from Chinese New Year still lingered, tatty but cheerful. In spite of herself, Cassie felt her mood lift.

  It was noisy, rowdy and chaotic; between the shouts of vendors, the blare and roar of cars and the music spilling from restaurants, Cassie could barely hear herself think. More to the point, she couldn’t hear Estelle think. And despite the growing hunger inside her, the drifting scents of temple incense and cooking food made it all but impossible to smell human breath, even for her heightened senses.

  How Isabella heard her phone she couldn’t imagine, but the girl stopped suddenly and answered it. Cassie could hear nothing of the conversation, but from her roommate’s doe-eyes, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to guess who was calling.

  ‘Cassieeee,’ wheedled Isabella, flipping her phone shut and sidestepping a vendor selling ripped-off DVDs. ‘That was Jake! Is it OK if we meet up after all?’

  Cassie came to a halt by a stand piled with leaf-wrapped packets of rice. ‘Uh, of course. Why wouldn’t it be?’

  ‘Well, you know …’ Isabella shook her head at the rice seller and they moved along. ‘I have noticed that it’s been a bit awkward between you and him these past weeks, no?’

  Cassie cursed silently. Not Isabella as well. Why did she have to have such astute friends …

  ‘Well, we are keeping a pretty big secret from him, Isabella,’ Cassie replied disingenuously. ‘I feel bad about it.’

  She couldn’t bring herself to explain the real reason for the tension. Isabella would freak out big time if she knew Jake was hunting for Katerina.

  ‘So do I, but it’s for the best, Cassie. You mustn’t tell! Swear it. You mustn’t. If you think that being part of the Few is affecting your friendship with him now, imagine if he knows about the feeding!’

  Cassie shuddered. She could imagine all too well. ‘Yeah. I know.’

  ‘Things will work out. He adores you, Cassie. It’s just that he’s got issues, you know that. About Ranjit. And Jessica. And …’

  Cassie gave an exasperated moan, raking her fingers through her hair. ‘Look, I can’t blame Jake for being loyal to his sister. But if he’d just try to get to know Ranjit a little he’d be able to see that he would never have deliberately led Jess into the trap. I can understand that us being together is hard for him …’ She tailed off. ‘It’s kind of hard for me too,’ she said, mostly to herself.

  Isabella patted her arm. ‘Well, Jake and Ranjit will come around to each other event
ually. They have to – we need to be able to double date!’ She smiled, then gave a loud dramatic sigh, flinging out her arms so violently she almost knocked a wrinkled old lady off her bike. ‘But if you would rather not see Jake right now, I can call it off …’

  ‘Don’t be crazy, Isabella. Of course we’ll meet up with Jake!’

  Isabella grinned. ‘I knew you’d say that.’

  ‘Oh did you now! Drama queen. Don’t wave your arms again, you nearly killed someone. Where are we meeting?’

  ‘Outside the Lincoln Center, on the West Side. One o’clock.’ Isabella checked her watch, and walked faster, calling back happily to her friend. ‘We’ll have lunch, do some retail therapy … It’ll be like old times, Cassie!’

  ‘You can think about lunch already? You amaze me.’ Swallowing her misgivings, Cassie laughed. ‘Come on, then. And don’t you dare call another cab. We’ll take the subway.’

  Isabella was racing ahead of Cassie with every step – she must have been dying to meet up with Jake. The Argentinean girl was as happy as … as a polo pony in fresh hay, or something. It was quite reassuring to see that it was possible to be so into someone despite all the craziness around them. It gave Cassie hope for her and Ranjit.

  All the same, when they reached the Lincoln Center plaza and caught sight of Jake sitting on the edge of the fountain – tapping at his laptop, again – Cassie couldn’t help hanging back. She wasn’t sure how long she could conceal the fact that Katerina, his sister’s killer, was swanning around this very city. Jake, though, jumped up straight away, shoving his laptop swiftly into its case and jogging over. As soon as he could bring himself to let go of Isabella, he gave Cassie a quick hug too, though there was some tension in his eyes she couldn’t quite read – as though he was hiding something, holding something back … Isabella seemed oblivious.

  ‘Now, where shall we eat? Oh, it’s so good to be together again!’

  Yes, thought Cassie, even though there was one vital person absent. Seeing Isabella link her fingers through Jake’s made her realise just how much she was missing Ranjit, despite having seen him only last night.