Blood Ties (6 page)

‘Well, I’m glad you are.’

Isabella glared at Jake. ‘I mean, I guess you’re probably right,’ he hastily qualified.

But he didn’t look at Cassie as he spoke. She knew that he had long suspected Ranjit of having killed his sister. Even Katerina’s confession that she and Keiko had committed the crime hadn’t been enough to convince Jake that Ranjit wasn’t in some way responsible. And Cassie had to admit there were still unanswered questions. Ranjit had been due to meet Jess the night she was killed, but Katerina had sent someone to delay him. Who had that been, and how much did they know about the plot? Cassie wasn’t sure she wanted to find out – and even if she did, she had a feeling Ranjit wouldn’t say.

Jessica Johnson. The dead girl felt like the elephant in the room in so many of her relationships, sometimes it was almost as though she was still alive and there at the Academy …

‘Jake—’ Cassie began.

He shook his head and nudged her good-naturedly. ‘Hey, ignore me. I’m sorry. I’ve not quite forgiven or forgotten yet, I guess. But I’m here, and that’s something. Anyway, we’re under instructions from this beautiful girl here to lighten up. Sorry, baby,’ he said, putting his arm around Isabella’s shoulders as they made their way down the hall.

‘No problem,’ Isabella said, glowing at his compliment.

Jake cleared his throat, and moved swiftly on to another topic Cassie wasn’t keen to discuss.

‘So anyway, when am I going to find out what happened in Darke’s office, huh? I want to know what he said. What did you do, Cassie? What did he do?’

‘Um …’

‘You look a hell of a lot better now, that’s for sure. Was it something to do with, uh, feeding?’ Jake’s voice was casual, but it couldn’t quite hide the urgency behind his question, and Cassie began to worry he’d jumped to the right conclusion. ‘Come on, what happened? Fess up.’ He attempted a smile.

Cassie glanced at Isabella and noticed the very slight shake of her head. Taking a deep breath, she once again couldn’t quite meet Jake’s eye. ‘Sir Alric gave me a shot of something. Kind of a drug. But not a drug.’

Jake stayed silent for an agonising moment. At last he said, ‘A drug?’

‘Yeah. Not dangerous or anything. It’s something the Few can take. To ward off the hunger.’ That wasn’t a lie, after all.

‘Oh.’ He looked dumbfounded. ‘So, the feeding thing?’

‘I just got the injection, and … now it’s all fine.’ Behind her back, Cassie crossed the fingers of both hands.

‘Really?’ Jake frowned, and then made a face. ‘Well, that’s great. Why the hell didn’t you tell me? It seems pretty straightforward. God, you had me worried there, you know, with what Keiko did and all.’

‘Yeah. No. I mean, I’m fine now.’ Cassie could barely raise a smile. Guilt twisted her gut.

He smiled ruefully back. ‘Well, I’m glad you’re OK, anyhow.’

‘Uh, cheers.’

‘Right,’ harrumphed Isabella, a nervous note in her voice. ‘Are you happy now, Jake?’

Her boyfriend grinned and gave her a faux-meek nod.

‘Then I need to talk to Cassie.’ She wagged a finger at Jake and linked arms with her roommate. ‘Alone!’

‘Hey, what can’t I hear?’ he asked plaintively.

Isabella let go of Cassie’s arm and wrapped herself around Jake’s neck. She planted an enthusiastic kiss on his lips then pulled away. ‘Girl talk.’

It seemed to convince him. He raised his hands in defeat. ‘OK. In that case, I’m definitely going. See you later, girls.’

Isabella grinned and waved him goodbye.

When he’d disappeared from sight, Cassie exhaled deeply. ‘I feel like a shit,’ she muttered.

Isabella clasped her hand. ‘Thank you, Cassie.’

‘For what? Lying to him?’

‘For being discreet. I don’t want him to know about the feeding. It will bring back too many painful memories of Jess.’

Cassie let Isabella precede her into the elevator. ‘He’s got to know eventually.’

‘Yes,’ conceded Isabella miserably. ‘But not yet, hmm?’

‘The longer we leave it …’

‘The longer he’ll be happy. Ignorance is blissful, isn’t it? So let’s not tell him just yet.’

‘OK,’ sighed Cassie as the elevator door slid silently open at their floor. ‘But I want a favour for keeping my mouth shut.’

Isabella slipped her arm through Cassie’s. ‘Name it! A polo pony?’

Cassie giggled. ‘As if. All I want is a shot on your laptop, to check my emails and stuff ?’

‘Ooh, you ask so much.’ Isabella tossed her hair dramatically, then laughed. Sweeping into their room and flinging her bag on to her bed, she patted her laptop. ‘There you go!’

Cassie logged on, found her webmail folder and scrolled down through the messages. A couple of emails from the kids back at Cranlake, including some really bad jokes which made her laugh out loud. Otherwise nothing but special offers from websites she’d visited. Boring.

There was one more. Although she was expecting it, the sender’s name on the last message in the folder hit her with a jolt. With a flush of guilt, she took a deep breath.

From: Patrick Malone

Subject: Fw: Fw: How’s things?

Give the man his due, he was persistent. He had sent the same email three times now, with minor variations. How was New York? How was the flight? Was she OK? He hadn’t heard from her – was something wrong? Could she just reply to this, or better yet call him, so he’d know she was OK? Cassie, could you please just acknowledge this? How are you feeling?

She sighed. How was she feeling? Not ready to talk.

Definitely not ready to confront what had happened at Christmas, or what Patrick might know …

Gently she stroked the touchpad, guiding the cursor to the delete button.

Delete this message?

Hesitating only for a moment, she clicked ‘Yes’.

CHAPTER SIX

C
assie took a deep breath. It seemed a daring act of sacrilege just to touch the beautiful inlaid common-room door. The patterns were so intricate, so delicate, she was afraid she might break the wood.

But let’s face it: that wasn’t why she was hesitating. She eyed Ranjit nervously as he stepped forward and placed his hand on the gleaming silver handle.

‘Relax. It’ll be fun,’ he murmured, reaching down with his other hand to take her own. She rolled her eyes and tried to smile. Ranjit turned the handle and the door swung open.

As they walked in, Cassie took a breath. Why had she been expecting the same Parisian common room, with its antiques and dark fabrics, jewelled lamps and glassware? This vast space, only a floor below Sir Alric’s penthouse office, was flooded with light from its glass walls and the frosty blue sky beyond. The leather sofas were clean-lined and ivory-white; the furniture was sleek and minimalist but visibly expensive. Her trainers squeaked on a pale hardwood floor as they crossed the room under stares that ranged from surprised to friendly to violently hostile.

‘Hey, you two!’ Cormac leaped to his feet, and Ayeesha gave them one of her radiant grins. ‘Good to see you both. Come along in and meet the others, Cassie.’

It was extraordinary, she thought, the way the big clique that was the Few was split into its own small but very intense sub-cliques. The people she’d expect to be together were together, classified by personality and general niceness – or lack thereof. The bond between certain Few members, and the division between certain Few groups, was invisible but obvious. They were like small galaxies revolving around each other but never touching. Between some groups, the air almost vibrated with tension. She got the distinct sense, too, that some of the members of each group deferred to the others in a way that seemed to be nothing to do with age.

Whatever the reason for the divisions, all of the room’s inhabitants were temporarily united in watching Cassie and Ranjit, and eyeing their clasped hands with interest. Unconcerned, Cormac was gesturing expansively round the room. ‘… and Sara, of course. And you’ll know Vassily and India from last term, and Yusuf. Sorry, I’m sure Ranjit can introduce you, I suppose you don’t need me to tell you all this.’ He gave a warm chuckle. Cassie smiled back, ever-so-slightly beginning to loosen up.

Then the common-room door opened again, and she immediately stiffened with tension once more. The voice she heard calling an elaborate greeting to a group of students in the corner was horribly familiar.

Richard.

Startled, Cassie glanced over at him: how could it have slipped her mind that he would most likely be in the common room? Maybe she’d wilfully forgotten. As their eyes met, he doffed an invisible hat, smiling tentatively, but thankfully saying nothing. Ranjit eyed him warily.

Cormac had returned to flop down on a plush sofa beside Ayeesha, and Cassie sighed deeply. ‘OK, that’s that experience over. Can we go now?’ she whispered through gritted teeth, though a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.

Ranjit looked down at her tense face and laughed infectiously. His gaze held hers, and Cassie found herself rooted to the spot, calmed by his intense stare. She stared back at him, mesmerised, until, almost in slow motion, Ranjit wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers. Time seemed to stand still as she melted into his kiss, forgetting her reservations until a loud cough nearby abruptly made her very aware that they were still standing in the middle of the room. Eyes were turned in their direction again. Cormac seemed quietly amused; Richard looked stricken.

‘Not again,’ she mumbled, grinning sheepishly. ‘Aren’t we, uh, a little on display here?’

‘Oh. Of course, let’s, um …’ Ranjit shook his head a little as if to clear it, and guided her to another plush sofa tucked into a corner of the room. As they went, a burst of good-natured laughter rang out from Richard’s group, but Richard didn’t seem to be sharing the joke. His eyes were still on Cassie, filled with some undefinable emotion. Then they reached the sofa and sat down, Ranjit put his arm casually around her shoulders, and her heart floated.

Forcing Richard’s expression out of her head, Cassie cleared her throat. ‘I admit it. This is kind of cool.’ She lowered her voice. ‘And I’m glad to see they seem just as shocked to see you here as they do me.’ She prodded Ranjit’s side playfully. He flushed, and Cassie was surprised to see that he looked a little embarrassed.

‘I guess so.’

‘How come?’ Cassie gave him a puzzled look.

‘After Jess died, I kept my distance from the rest of the Few. I knew one of them must have been responsible, but I didn’t know who. I suspected all of them. I hardly came to the common room at all last year. It made it kind of hard to have close friendships. And they’re wary of me for other reasons.’

‘Such as?’

Ranjit sighed. ‘The Few respect power – it’s how we define ourselves. And I’m strong, Cassie. One of the strongest of the Few at the Academy. I make people nervous – or jealous.’

With a smile, Cassie reached up and ran her fingers through his jet-black hair. ‘You’re telling me,’ she said. He gave a quiet laugh. ‘How do they know you’re so powerful anyway? How can they tell?’

Ranjit looked at her quizzically. ‘Don’t you see it?’ he asked.

Cassie shrugged. ‘Nope.’

‘Try. Look at the others now. Let yourself sense their strength.’

Trying not to be too obvious, Cassie shifted in her seat so she could see the rest of the room. ‘What do I do?’

‘Just relax. Open your mind and it’ll happen.’

Feeling intensely awkward, Cassie stared at her classmates. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, slowly, she began to discern a glow that seemed to come from within each of them. A ball of light that hovered around where their heart would be. ‘They’re beautiful,’ she breathed.

‘It’s the Few spirits,’ whispered Ranjit into her ear. ‘The brighter the light, the stronger the spirit.’

Some of the lights glowed softly, others burned more powerfully. Cormac’s light was low and steady, but Ayeesha’s was as bright as a spotlight. The Bajan girl had to be seriously powerful. Casting her eyes over the rest of the room, Cassie could suddenly see that the group divisions were almost all to do with power.

Yusuf, his spirit almost as bright as Ayeesha’s, was surrounded by a trio of less powerful Few, as if they were relying on him for patronage and protection. In the far corner, a group of much weaker lights had gathered together, almost like they were seeking safety in numbers. Richard was among them, and Cassie was surprised to see that the English boy’s spirit was little more than a candle flame. Odd, she had always figured him for a big player among the Few …

‘Now look at me,’ murmured Ranjit, and his velvety tones brought Cassie’s attention back to him. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw his dazzling spirit. It blazed from his chest like a fallen star, eclipsing all others in the room.

Or almost all.

Glancing down, Cassie saw for the first time the glow from her own body – as bright as Ranjit’s, it seemed, but different. Rather than being concentrated in her chest, her own light seemed somehow diffuse. As she reached out to touch his face, she could see an aura surrounding her arm, like a halo. Shaking her head, she let the vision fade.

‘I’m different,’ she said quietly.

Ranjit took her hand. ‘You’re perfect.’

Cassie felt her heart skip a beat. She smiled back at him shyly. ‘If you say so.’

‘So now you’ve seen them as they truly are,’ grinned Ranjit. ‘Maybe it would be good to get to know some of them better. There are actually some decent people among the Few, y’know.’

She leaned forward and skimmed his lips mischievously with her own. Something about his gaze was like a magnet; she couldn’t seem to keep her hands off him.

‘I know there are,’ she whispered pointedly.

‘Well, if you change your mind on that, at least you’re a little fond of the indecent ones too.’

‘Huh?’ Cassie frowned.

Ranjit nodded towards Richard, now lounging alone on a corner sofa flicking through a copy of the National Enquirer.

‘What do you mean, I’m fond of him?’ She pulled back a little, bristling.

‘Well, he never stopped flirting with you from August to December—’

‘Oh, and that’s my fault, is it?’

Ranjit stiffened, his eyes suddenly narrowing. ‘No, but you’ve hardly taken your eyes off him since we came in.’

Does he think we don’t want him? We do! Cassandra, you must convince him!

Cassie froze at the reappearance of the all-too-familiar voice inside her mind. Beside her, Ranjit’s hand slipped out from behind her neck as he turned to face her. ‘Come on, Cassie. It’s pretty obvious he’s interested in you. And you did like him. I barely had a look-in last term, until you—’

‘Huh!’ she interrupted, incredulous. ‘I liked him fine, till he tricked me into hosting some goddamn demon.’

And we thank him for that, my dear!

Cassie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to ignore Estelle’s interjections. The old bag had been quiet since the nightmare, why was she back now?

Ranjit’s eyes flashed. ‘Demon? Is that what you think? What does that make me, then?’

‘Ranjit, why are you being like this?’ Cassie hissed, turning her body to square up to him more fully. He glowered back for a moment, then, with a deep breath, his look softened. He reached over and touched her knee.

‘I’m sorry, Cassie. I didn’t mean to …’ Ranjit lowered his voice. ‘Look, I’m sorry. Maybe now’s not the time to talk about it.’

Cassie slewed her gaze left and right. Sure enough, a few of the smirks had returned now that she and Ranjit had raised their voices to each other. Taking a deep breath of her own, she slid her arm hesitantly back through Ranjit’s.

‘OK … What if I just forgive you, then?’

‘Great. What if I just don’t mention Richard Halton-Jones again?’

‘Even better.’ Cassie gave him a slow grin. Setting her jaw, she decided to put the whole episode behind her. ‘Anyway … what’s happening today in the world of the Few?’

‘I think the plan is to watch a movie. Fancy it?’

‘Yeah, sure.’

Just as she spoke, one of the older students nearby lifted a remote control and blinds began to slide down the massive windows. With a click and a hum, a huge screen began to descend from the ceiling and the state-of-the-art projector lit up.

‘OK, definitely cool,’ she said, awed. ‘Maybe this common room thing isn’t so bad after all.’

As the lights dimmed, Cassie relaxed into the soft leather of the sofa, trying to forget the image of Ranjit’s face, eyes narrowed, jealous and so quick to bridle. She’d never seen that side to him before. They obviously still had a lot to learn about each other. Anyway, wasn’t she glad he was jealous? In a way it was nice. Reassuring. Had she overreacted? Was she wrong to have bitten his head off? Probably. But it was only a minor squabble, and he seemed to have forgotten it already.

Sighing, she closed her eyes. The cosy darkness enveloped her, and after a moment, she forgot the film – forgot most things – as she found herself concentrating only on Ranjit’s closeness. The intoxicating smell of his body through his shirt. The rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. She felt her fingers clutch his tightly. If she stopped over-analysing everything, she might even forget her worries altogether …