Gabriella Poole - Blood Ties (Darke Academy)

‘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.