Gabriella Poole - Divided Souls (Darke Academy)

‘Sit on the bed, you dreadful old lush.’ Richard nudged him down on to it. ‘Come on, sit straight.’

Perry tilted woozily, righted himself and giggled. Shutting one eye, he watched Cassie suspiciously as she sat beside him. Richard took

her hands firmly and clasped them round Perry’s wrists.

‘Whoah there, angel,’ Perry objected, eyeing Cassie’s hands. ‘No offence, you being Few and all, but you’re not my type.’

Anxiously Cassie glanced at Richard, but he shook his head. ‘Ignore him. He won’t remember a thing, will you, Peregrine? Right, Cassie,

off you go.’

‘Richard, I’m not sure. I mean, I’m not used to him. What if I go too far?’

‘Trust me, you won’t, beautiful. I need to feed as well, so I want half myself. Honestly, don’t worry, I’ll stop you.’

Oh for heaven’s sake, Cassandra. He’ll do!

Estelle was right: she was hungry. They both were. Taking a deep breath, closing her eyes to focus, Cassie began to feed.

He was different from Isabella, that was for sure. As his life-force throbbed out of his veins and poured into her, she felt the usual heady

fizz of youth. But it wasn’t the same. She felt a distinctive maleness. It surged through her, almost knocking her backwards, but as she

opened her reddening eyes and righted herself, she felt the essence of him filling her. He was all arrogance, confidence, a petulant sense of

entitlement; and for a moment so was Cassie. Pride expanded her ribcage. She was elite. Always had been, always would be.

And then Richard was prising her hands from Perry’s wrists, gently but firmly. As the link broke she stumbled back, satisfied. The pulse

in her chest faded with the red light of her eyes.

Not at all like Isabella. Not nearly as good. But he certainly plugged the gap for the time being.

‘My turn.’ Richard took her place, clasped his thumbs over Perry’s wrists and began to feed.

She didn’t leave it too long, or at least she didn’t think she had. Cassie assumed Richard’s weaker spirit had nothing like the appetite and

the needs of Estelle. When Cassie judged he’d taken about half a feeding, she put a hand on his shoulder, and he broke off without effort,

pausing for his eyes to return to normal. He was breathing a little faster as he stood up, but then gave a short intake of breath.

‘Damn,’ he said.

‘What is it?’

Richard nodded at Perry. The boy’s eyes were half open, but they were glazed and blurry. Slowly, like a toppling tree, he fell backwards,

sprawled across the bed, a feeble sigh escaping his lips.

Richard leaned over him, pressing his ear to his chest.

‘Tell me he’s alive,’ begged Cassie faintly.

‘Course he is.’ Richard stood up, sounding relieved. ‘I think we might have overdone that a bit. But he’ll be fine.’

Perry’s eyes drifted shut and he fell asleep with an idiotic smile still on his face. Richard puffed out a relieved breath.

‘OK. If you’re sure.’ Cassie shook herself, still feeling a little strange with Perry’s essence inside her, but it was subsiding now,

swallowed up by her own life and Estelle’s. ‘Listen, thanks, Richard. I do appreciate this, really. You’re very generous, but I really don’t think

I can do it all the time.’

‘You’ll have to. Till Isabella snaps out of it.’

‘I know. But I hate having to drug someone – even him – and it’s not exactly safe, is it? We’ve got no idea how far to go when there’s two

of us.’

‘I’m sure we’ll get the hang of it.’

She shook her head firmly. ‘I’ll find an alternative. I don’t want to end up killing somebody.’ Somebody else, she added mentally. ‘Anyway,

half a feeding isn’t really enough, is it?’

‘Not for you, that’s for sure. I could just about manage, but … well.’ Richard shrugged. ‘It’s a stopgap.’

‘Thanks again, Richard.’

‘Any time,’ he said, his eyes locking on hers. ‘And listen, beautiful, I mean that. Anything I can do to help.’

It seemed perfectly natural to lean into him. His spirit might not be the strongest, but as pure boy he was all protective chivalry, and she

found she needed that. Almost instinctively, she wrapped her arms around him, and he returned the hug, squeezing her teasingly, then

leaving his arms to relax around her comfortingly. Pulling back a little and turning her face up to his, her arms still wrapped around his

muscular torso, Cassie studied Richard’s face closely. It was getting so familiar. She found she liked it. A lot. Even more when it was leaning

closer to hers, lips slightly parted, eyes a little puzzled …

Wait, no. This was crazy, wasn’t it?

And yet it felt so natural, the way they leaned in towards each other. He was a friend, she thought. A good friend, as it turned out. And she

really needed a friend right now.