Gabriella Poole - Blood Ties (Darke Academy)

‘What the hell?’

Shocked out of her trance, Cassie broke her hold. Isabella stumbled, gasping, to one knee. Then she fell back on to her elbows.

‘Enough, for God’s sake. Enough.’ Ayeesha pulled Cassie away from Isabella and shook her angrily.

‘What’s going on? Isabella? Cassie!’

All three of them turned towards Jake – Ayeesha embarrassed, Isabella pale and shaky, Cassie still buzzing with energy. Her fingertips

tingled, her brain tingled. She felt like she could spring up through the roof.

Jake’s face was a mask of incredulous fury. ‘You … fed on her? That’s what you were doing? You FED ON HER?’

Jake was paler than Cassie had ever seen him, his fists clenched. She wiped her mouth, breathing hard.

‘How could you?’ His words were barely above a rumble in his throat, dripping venom.

‘Jake, that’s enough!’ Isabella was breathless, scrambling weakly to her feet.

‘Isabella? Are you OK?’

Isabella forced a shaky smile, rubbing her wrists. ‘Fine. Jake, I’m fine. Don’t fret.’

‘But … D’you realise what she was …’ Jake’s voice faded and he slumped against the wall as the reality sunk in. ‘My God. Isabella – you

agreed to this?’

‘Yes. Yes, Jake. Look, I’m sorry, I …’

He turned on Cassie, raging. ‘How could you? After Jess? After you saw what Keiko did to Alice? You did this to your friend?’

‘Keiko? Keiko was not like the rest of us!’ Ayeesha interjected angrily. ‘Keiko was sadistic! She liked to hurt when she fed. And Alice

didn’t remember anyway!’

‘What difference does that make? Stay out of this!’ yelled Jake. ‘You’re just a monster like – like she is!’ He jabbed a finger at Cassie.

Cassie ignored him. Suddenly he didn’t matter. All that mattered was …

‘Isabella. Are you sure you’re OK? Did … did I hurt you?’

‘Seriously. I’m all right, Cassie. Jake, please …’

‘To hell with it, Isabella. You don’t care what I think, what this means to me …’

‘Jake, that isn’t true!’

‘Oh, really? You let this lifesucker feed off you and you weren’t even going to let me know? Fine. At least I know where I stand.’

‘Jake, please!’ Isabella reached out a pleading hand. ‘She didn’t hurt me. She won’t ever hurt me!’

His voice was a hiss. ‘You can say that to me with a straight face? Forget it, Isabella. But don’t forget – don’t ever forget – what they did

to my sister.’

With that, he turned his back and stormed out of the room.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

If she’d felt bad before, she was in a pit of misery now. Cassie had a horrible feeling she was never going to see Jake again. She was

longing for him to walk into the classroom, yet dreading it. He was never going to forgive her. Never.

She could barely even smile at Ranjit when he arrived and sat beside her. She could feel his perplexed glances, but she couldn’t take her

eyes off the door. Her heart skipped a beat every time it opened, but when the maths class started there was still no sign of Jake. Words

and figures floated in and out of her ears, unheeded. By the time class was over, she was so preoccupied she gathered her books together

and walked out without a thought.

‘Cassie!’ Ranjit was hurrying after her. ‘Hey. What’s up? Have I done something wrong?’

She hesitated. ‘You? No, of course not.’

‘So what’s wrong?’

Turning, she studied him properly. His handsome face did look anxious. ‘Sorry. Ranjit, I’m sorry. It’s Jake.’

Ranjit’s face took on a guarded expression. ‘What about him?’

‘He caught me feeding off Isabella on Friday. We haven’t seen him since. He hasn’t been to class or his room.’

Cassie bit her lip. Saying it out loud reminded her how awful the situation was.

‘Oh, hell.’

‘Quite.’ Unhappily she shifted from foot to foot. ‘First Katerina shows up again, then this …’

‘Hey, listen, maybe it’s for the best if he cools off away from the Academy for a bit, clears his head. I mean, he must have had some

inkling about you and Isabella? It can’t have been too much of a shock. He just needs some time to adjust.’

Cassie felt her hackles rise. ‘Adjust? I can’t really see that happening. Did he adjust to the knowledge of his sister having the life sucked

out of her?’ Something burned in her eyes, a pinprick heat that was already expanding.

Ranjit rubbed his forehead with his fist. ‘Sorry. Sorry, that was tactless. I didn’t mean—’

‘It was a stupid thing to say,’ she snapped.

‘OK. Cassie, he’ll come around. He’s got to.’