Gabriella Poole - Blood Ties (Darke Academy)

‘Nothing. I told you.’

‘Richard often sounds like he’s talking about nothing.’ Isabella had a steely, thoughtful look in her eyes, and she seemed

uncharacteristically rational. ‘But he always knows more than he lets on.’

Cassie gave a deep sigh. It all seemed suddenly, impossibly difficult. If only bloody Ranjit had come good, how different this all could

have been. ‘I told you. He clammed up, so I walked off. Oh, and then he shoved a book at me, even though it was him that dropped it, and

before I could give it back he ran away.’

‘He – ah!’ Isabella clapped her hands. ‘That’s it. That’s it! Where’s the book?’

‘Here.’ Cassie patted her bag. ‘But I told you it isn’t mine, it—’

‘Ye of little faith!’ Isabella snatched the book from Cassie’s hand as she drew it out. It was an old guidebook to New York City. Riffling

through, Isabella gave a sharp cry of triumph and brandished the volume in her friend’s face. The page where she’d opened it was folded

down at the corner.

‘Cassie! Don’t you see? Richard told you where they’re taking Jake!’

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

‘A weapon. We’ll need some kind of a weapon.’ Cassie pulled Isabella back towards the Academy. ‘Something that we know works

against the Few.’

‘Uh-oh. You’re not thinking about … Keiko’s knife?’

‘Yes, I am.’

Good girl! It’s exactly what you need, you’ll see!

Glancing at Isabella, Cassie decided against letting on that the demon in her head was giving her tips on strategy. The strange knife that

they’d managed to turn on the homicidal Few girl had seemed to take care of Keiko quite efficiently last term. Jake had taken the knife after

he and Isabella had rescued her at the Arc. Cassie wasn’t sure quite what significance the strange weapon had, but from Estelle’s agitated

reaction, she figured there must be something powerful about it. And they’d need all the help they could get.

Yes! Find it, Cassandra. Find it!

Yes, yes. Shut up, Estelle.

Heh! You’ll be needing me soon.

Isabella was shaking her head. ‘But you don’t even know where …’

‘It’s in Jake’s room,’ said Cassie decisively. ‘If he managed to hide it before Vaughan took him, it should still be in there somewhere.’

They rushed back into the lobby of the Academy, and Cassie jabbed furiously at the call button for the lift, which seemed to take forever

to arrive. When the doors at last slid open on the third floor, the place was quiet. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Cassie edged into the

corridor. ‘C’mon, there’s no one around.’

Isabella followed her cautiously. ‘You think the knife will still be in there even? The police sealed off the room after he was taken away.’

‘Seals are for breaking.’ Cassie pushed aside the police tape strung across Jake’s door and tried the handle. ‘Gimme your hair clasp.’

‘How do you … all right.’ Shrugging, Isabella slipped a silver pin from her hair and watched as Cassie slid it into the lock.

‘C’mon, c’mon …’ Cassie jiggled her improvised lockpick impatiently.

‘Someone’s coming!’

Cassie hissed a curse. She’d been so focused on the lock, she hadn’t heard the approaching footsteps. Now she realised she’d

recognise the stealthy footfalls anywhere – Marat.

There was nowhere to go. Cassie hesitated for a moment, then Isabella seized her hand and pulled her further down the corridor.

Imperiously she rapped on another teak door.

As Marat’s footsteps came closer, Isabella muttered something under her breath in Spanish, but her face lit in a huge smile as the door

was flung open.

‘Perry! Angel!’ Before the startled American could slam it in her face, she had stepped neatly over the threshold, pulling Cassie with her.

‘Here we are!’

Cassie started for a moment – Perry Hutton was Richard’s roommate. She glanced around but there was no sight of him. She instead

smiled sweetly at the loathsome Perry.

‘What the— Now, look, Isabella …’

‘Did I get the wrong date?’

‘There isn’t a date! What the hell are you on about? You’re not my type, sweetie. And what’s she doing here?’

Isabella maintained her smile, but her voice developed an edge as she pulled the door shut behind them. ‘Be quiet, Perry. We’ll be out of

here in a second.’

‘You’ll be out of here now!’

‘Throwing out one of the Few? Oh Perry, darling, you are so brave!’

That shut him up. Perry’s eyes flickered uneasily in Cassie’s direction. ‘Sure, Isabella. Whatever.’