Darke Academy 4: Lost Spirits (23 page)
Read Darke Academy 4: Lost Spirits Online
Authors: Gabriella Poole
Gently Sir Alric touched the Urn, and the light faded. Cassie became aware that even the birdsong and the chatter of monkeys had been silenced; now they started up again as if they had to make up for the pause. A gecko scuttled for cover behind a grinning Maasai mask. A breeze blew through the window, making Cassie shiver and rub her arms.
‘I’ll be damned,’ whispered Ranjit.
‘Not any more,’ remarked Jake drily.
‘What
was
that?’ Isabella’s voice was hoarse, and she rubbed her eyes – not only, Cassie decided, because she couldn’t believe them.
‘They fused.’ Sir Alric looked as stunned as they were. ‘Did you see that? Of course, of course you did. Good lord, their spirits fused.’
Ranjit reached out a trembling hand to touch the smooth carvings of the Urn, so very still and silent now. ‘How?’
Cassie barked a sudden laugh. ‘They’ve beaten you. Beaten us all!’
Sir Alric shook his head, but he didn’t look angry, only mystified and a little awestruck. ‘Yes, they have. They won’t be separated again.’
‘But they can hardly go to war, either,’ said Cassie.
‘Indeed. That’s going to be one very powerful spirit.’
Ranjit drew his hand away from the Urn, with a single regretful smile. ‘Bye,’ he told it softly.
‘Have fun, you old bat,’ whispered Cassie, as tears stung her eyes again. ‘You’d better be careful who hosts this one, Sir Alric.’
‘Oh, I will. The Council and I will make sure of that. I don’t care how long it has to wait; it’ll get someone who can cope with it. Someone who won’t misuse it, either. And now.’ He turned back to Ranjit and Cassie with a thunderous scowl.
Cassie flinched slightly. ‘What?’ they said together.
‘For heaven’s sake.’ Sir Alric sounded more irritated than ever, but as if he was simply fighting his own instincts, beating down his own regrets. ‘Go on. You’d better kiss the human.’ He added, grumblingly: ‘Both of you.’
Cassie had never been so happy to do as she was told. She felt Ranjit’s arms go around her, and she was already reaching for him. Their lips met, and the spark of energy and heat that raced through her veins was nothing supernatural.
All human, she thought, blissful in his arms. All human.
C
assie and Ranjit were silent as they strolled along the beach watching the sky deepen to an apricot twilight. Egrets were flying to their roost in the mangroves, beach vendors gathering up their soapstone wares, handlers leading tired camels home. Normal, Cassie thought. Normal life in Kenya. I wonder what normal life was in Paris, in New York, in Istanbul … Well. Maybe one of these days they’d go there, and finally find out.
‘So,’ she asked Ranjit at last. ‘You still actually fancy me? I’m not so
gorgeous
as I was.’
He grinned, and pulled her closer against him. ‘I fancied you before you were Few, remember? You’re gorgeous enough for me.’
‘Know what? You’ll do, as well.’ She came to a stop and kissed him yet again, fingers threading into his silky hair, drawing him so close she felt as if they might melt into one, like their spirits had. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered into his ear. ‘Thanks for what you did. Losing your spirit. I never expected that.’
He gave a light shrug, and kissed her again. ‘I lost my spirit and I gained you. It wasn’t a contest.’
They kissed again, and Cassie wished it would never end …
‘Get a room, you two!’
The yell from along the beach made them jump apart with surprise. Ranjit’s face broke into a grin and he waved at the figures coming towards them. Cassie laughed.
‘Look who’s talking,’ called Ranjit.
The bantering words unexpectedly sent a shard of grief through Cassie’s chest. They reminded her of … A shadow crossed her face as the other two strode up to them, swinging their linked hands.
‘I miss him. I wish he was here,’ Cassie said.
Ranjit didn’t even ask who she meant. ‘I know,’ he said softly.
‘Yup. Here we are, the Four Musketeers.’ Jake and Isabella had reached them, and Jake touched Cassie’s arm gently. ‘And strictly speaking, we should have been five.’
‘We’d have been none at all, if Richard hadn’t been there.’ Isabella took Ranjit’s hand and smiled. ‘Let’s just think of it that way. Always.’
Together, the four of them walked further north on the sand.
‘Better watch out for muggers and lions.’ Jake nudged Cassie. ‘We haven’t got special protection any more.’
‘True.’ She laughed. ‘And get this! I have a spot!’ She pointed proudly at her chin.
‘Poor human!’ giggled Isabella.
Jake was first to grow sober again. ‘What you two did? Leaving your spirits? It was brave. And right. And … thanks.’ He blushed.
‘Least we could do,’ muttered Ranjit, staring out to sea. ‘Especially me.’
Jake came to a halt in the sand, seizing Ranjit’s arm and forcing him to stop too. ‘It wasn’t you, OK? I know that now. You didn’t kill Jessica. And you didn’t even try to kill me. That wasn’t really you either.’
‘Thanks,’ murmured Ranjit. ‘But it was, a little bit. With you, I mean, not Jess.’ He gave Jake a wry grin. ‘But really, thanks. That means a lot.’
‘We’ve got something to tell you two.’ Isabella’s expression had suddenly grown serious, and she clasped Jake’s hand tightly. Both of them had an anxious look, and neither seemed willing to say the next words.
Cassie would have to do it. So she nodded, pushing her hair out of her eyes. ‘Yeah, we know. You guys are leaving the Academy.’
Isabella’s eyes widened, and she cast a mildly suspicious glance at Jake. ‘Cassie! We’ve only just been to see Sir Alric. How’d you know?’
‘Nobody told me.’ Cassie tapped her temple. ‘Residual Few powers. OK, OK, I’m joking! We guessed, all right?’ She gave Isabella a hug. ‘There wasn’t much chance of you staying, after all this.’
‘We need to live a normal life for a while.’ Jake put an arm round his girlfriend.
‘I know,’ said Ranjit. ‘Makes it easier for us to tell you, anyway …’
Jake raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh, yeah?’
Ranjit gave Cassie a conspiratorial grin. ‘We’re leaving too.’
‘No!’ exclaimed Isabella in surprise.
‘Yep. You think I could go back next term anyway? Get bossed around by the Few, and have Sara throwing her weight around? I think not.’ Mock-horrified, Ranjit winked. ‘And it’s like you say. We need some normal life too. I’ll find somewhere to finish my studies, and Cassie will too. Whatever we do, we’ll be doing it together.’
‘And wherever you go,’ warned Isabella, with a dangerous look in her eye, ‘you’ll stay in touch.’
‘We wouldn’t dare not!’ Cassie laughed, and spun her friend round to walk back towards the Academy.
‘I for one value my ribs.’ Ranjit grinned at Jake.
‘And the spirits – or
spirit
– in the Urn? What’s going to happen to that?’
‘I bet you Sir Alric will persuade the Council to let him have the Urn back. You can’t have forgotten what a smooth operator that guy is. And he’ll find someone strong and good-hearted to take that pair on, you can be sure of it.’ Ranjit shook his head. ‘He’ll get his own way, like he almost always does. Luckily, Sir Alric Darke’s way is usually the right way.’
‘Not always,’ chimed Cassie, thinking of how hard she’d fought to be free of the Few.
Night was falling fast as usual, and the cicadas and frogs were starting to chorus. Cassie sighed. ‘I will miss the Academy. It changed my life. For better and worse.’
‘Funnily enough,’ said Jake, ‘so will I.’
‘So let’s make the most of it,’ Isabella grinned. ‘Mombasa oysters, anyone?’
‘You’ve got your appetite back!’ laughed Cassie. ‘I’ll race you to the dining room.’
‘Equal playing field, for once!’
‘Not likely!’ Cassie bolted into a sprint, running hard till she was as out of breath as any normal human being. Behind her she heard the pounding of the others’ feet as they raced at her heels. All the same, she made it to the great front doors ahead of them, and reached out her hands as Ranjit deliberately crashed into her and folded her in his arms.
‘Come on, then,’ he whispered as Jake and Isabella ran giggling inside ahead of them. He held the door for Cassie, and took her hand, kissing her with lingering promise.
‘School’s out, Cassandra my love. Welcome to the rest of our lives.’
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