Gabriella Poole - Blood Ties (Darke Academy)

Ranjit sucked in a breath, and his face paled. Then he shook his head violently. ‘No. No way, Cassie. You misheard.’

‘I did not!’

‘Then she was bluffing! Showing off! Posturing! It isn’t going to happen, Cassie. Please, you have to trust me.’

His eyes were pleading. She opened her mouth to say, Of course I do! But the words wouldn’t come. Instead, she broke his stare. ‘I don’t

care if you don’t believe me. She’s definitely got something planned for Jake and it isn’t the Confine. We’ve got to—’

‘No! No, Cassie, listen. You mustn’t get involved in this. Seriously, I’m really frightened for you.’ He put a warm arm around her. ‘Brigitte

will not do anything to Jake, not against the Council’s wishes. But she is hugely powerful. It’s you she’ll target.’

‘She already did! Or Katerina did anyway. Grand Central? It was her who tried to push me on to the tracks.’

‘What?’

‘Forget it. Look, Ranjit, we just need to help Jake. Please. If we get him out of the Confine then maybe—’

‘You can’t interfere with Council business, Cassie.’

‘No, but you can! Ranjit, I’ve seen the way they look at you here – the other Few, even Sir Alric. You’re powerful, you must have some

influence.’

‘No. No, Cassie, I can’t. The Council’s decision is final. None of us can go against them.’

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘You could try!’

‘Maybe I could, but I won’t. Jake is a danger to us. He knows too much. He could expose us at any time. Get the Academy shut down. I

don’t want any part of that.’ He turned aside so she couldn’t see his eyes. ‘I don’t want that any more than the Council does.’

Ranjit’s words took a second or two to sink into her brain, burning like hot lead. Then, with a deep, ragged breath, she tore his arm from

her shoulder, pushed him away and stood up.

‘That’s it, isn’t it? It’s Jake. You want to get rid of him. That’s what this is!’

‘No. No, that’s not it.’

‘Yes! From the way you’re acting, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was you that tipped off the FBI about those files – led your buddy Vaughan

right to him!’

‘Come on. Be realistic, Cassie!’ Ranjit snapped, rising to his feet to face her. ‘What do you know? You are newly Few, or part-Few at least!

You’re one of us now. Do you have you any idea what would happen if the Academy were to close? The Academy is the Few’s deal with the

world. It’s how the spirits find new hosts! It’s how we teach those hosts control! Without the Academy, the Few will descend into chaos and

random killing. Is that what you want, Cassie? If Jake destroys the Academy, he won’t destroy the Few. He’ll unleash them on the world,

unchecked. He’ll destroy more lives than you can count!’

The blood had drained from her face. She felt as if she was truly seeing him for the first time. ‘ You destroy lives! We destroy them! It isn’t

Jake, it’s the Few . Why should Jake, or anyone innocent, be punished for our existence?’

‘Because there is no punishment for the Few!’ he roared. ‘How do you punish an immortal spirit? How? I’m sorry about Jake, but there’s

nothing I can do. He’s unlucky, that’s all!’

‘Like his sister was?’ hissed Cassie.

‘Don’t you dare bring that up again, Cassie. Don’t you damn well dare!’ Ranjit’s expression twisted viciously, his eyes narrowing. ‘In fact,

I’ll tell you how to punish an immortal spirit. By splitting it! Leaving half of it in some disgusting void!’

The silence between them was electric. Cassie could hear her own heart thrashing, and she was sure she could hear his. On his

shoulder, she could see the familiar markings of the Few begin to smoulder red.

‘How dare you!’ she screamed.

I am split! Divided! He UNDERSTANDS! I told you, my dear, he’s the one for us! Grab him, take him …’

‘Estelle!’

The power surged through her so hard she almost stumbled, as if Estelle had physically thrown her towards Ranjit. When she jerked up

her head, her lips were drawn back from her teeth and the world was tinged with scarlet.

Ranjit was crouched, as if he was ready to defend himself. But he was straining towards her, too, about to attack. No, not attack. Just to

leap on her, seize her, own her …

His irises glowed vermillion. As the colour deepened to scarlet, it spread across the whites of his eyes. The colour, seen through her own

red mist, was the most intense red she could imagine. He let out a starving, longing snarl.

‘NO!’

Ranjit put his hands to his face, clenched into fists. His whole body shook, as if with a fever, but somehow, somehow he regained

control. When he brought his hands down, his eyes were no longer glowing red.