Gabriella Poole - Blood Ties (Darke Academy)

1 Secret Lives

2 Blood Ties

3 Divided Souls

Copyright 2010 Hothouse Fiction Ltd

Produced by Hothouse Fiction www.hothousefiction.com

With special thanks to Gillian Philip

First published in Great Britain in 2010
by Hodder Childrens Books

This e-book edition published in 2010

The authors moral rights are hereby asserted

All rights reserved. Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form, or by any means with prior permission in writing from the publishers or in the case of reprographic production in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency and may not be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

A Catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 444 90260 0

Hodder Childrens Books
a division of Hachette Childrens Books
338 Euston Road, London NW 1 3 BH
An Hachette UK company
www.hachette.co.uk

H ey, kiddo. Are we keeping you up?

The voice sounded familiar, but somehow muffled and distant. As if it was coming from the bottom of a well. With an effort, Cassie Bell forced her eyes open and blinked woozily at the sight before her. The table was set with thirteen places. At the centre sat a pasty-looking turkey, clearly only big enough for eight. Cheap supermarket own-brand crackers and a paper tablecloth. Fatty chipolatas and overdone sprouts.

Christmas, Cranlake Crescent-style.

Could it really be only three weeks since she was eating exquisite French cuisine from fine china and crystal in the elegant dining room of the Darke Academy? It seemed a lifetime away.

Whats the matter?

Cassie refocused on the sandy-haired figure across the table. Oh, yeah. Patrick. Her key worker. The only thing that had made coming back to her old care home bearable. She managed a smile.

Arent you hungry, Cassie? piped up Jilly Beaton sweetly from the head of the table. Thats not like you. Youve been eating us out of house and home for a fortnight.

Cassie dug her nails into her palms. Jillys bitchy remarks had been increasing ever since she had got back from Paris. Normally, Cassie wouldnt have given her the satisfaction, but her fuse seemed to be getting shorter every day.

Yeah, well I just lost my appetite, she snapped, pushing her chair back and getting to her feet. Excuse me.

Cassie Bell, youre not excused began Jilly, but Cassie was already out of the room.

Patrick caught her at the foot of the stairs, his face full of concern. Cassie, whats up? he said. Youve been acting funny ever since you got back from Paris.

Cassie paused for a moment. Where would she even begin? Tell him the truth about the Academy? About the mysterious group of students called the Few and their dark secret? About the ancient sprits that shared their bodies, instilling power and beauty but demanding in return that they draw life-force from their ordinary, human roommates? Could she tell him about what had happened to her in that black place beneath the Arc de Triomphe the interrupted ritual that had left part of the spirit that had lived in the body of Estelle Azzedine lodged in her own mind? Could she tell him about the strange, driving hunger that had been growing inside her ever since, and how she knew that turkey and chipolatas just werent going to hit the spot ?

Impossible.

Im just missing my friends, she mumbled. Yknow?

An expression of relief washed over Patricks face. Of course you are. Have you spoken to anyone today?

I had an email from Isabella last night. And one from, um, Ranjit.

Whos Ranjit?

Just, uh, a boy in one of my classes, replied Cassie, flustered. Why?

Patricks grin grew wider and his blue eyes glittered. Because you blushed when you said his name.

Oh, give over! Cassie gave him a playful shove.

Hes not your boyfriend, then?

No, hes not, she said hurriedly.

Uh- huh .

No. Really. Cassie twisted her fingers into the cashmere sweater that her friend Isabella had sent her for Christmas. Its complicated.

Ha! That was the understatement of the century. Her few snatched moments with Ranjit at the end of term had hardly given them time to define their relationship. All she knew was that her stomach twisted with longing every time he came into her mind, but that he was back home in India. Thousands of miles away. Shed just have to put up with missing him missing him like she could die of it. The feeling was so strong Cassie almost surprised herself.

Absorbed in her memories, she jumped at the sound of her ringtone. Pulling her phone from her jeans pocket, Cassie almost dropped it when she saw the name on the display. She felt the blood rushing to her face again.

Speak of the devil chuckled Patrick as he slipped back into the dining room.

Cassie winced inwardly at his choice of words. She still didnt understand what the Few truly were. What Ranjit truly was. Gods and monsters , he had once joked bitterly. So which was he? Cassie didnt know. She wasnt sure that he knew himself.

Pushing her worries out of her mind, she clasped the phone to her ear like a lifeline. Ranjit!

He must be able to hear the stupid grin she was wearing, even half a world away.

Cassandra. The soft warmth of his voice made her forget the freezing sleet and even, for a moment, the raging hunger. Happy Christmas.

Same to you. Breathless, she sat down on the stairs. It was criminal how much she missed him. Criminal, and deeply inconvenient. Oh, its good to hear from you.

Are you OK? He sounded concerned.

Im fine. Fine. Just a bit

The hunger is growing, isnt it?

Cassie was quiet for a moment. It was a relief to speak to someone who knew what she was going through. Ranjit had been there before.

Yes, she said at last, and laughed shakily. You got it.

It wont be long, Cassandra. A week and a half. Will you be all right?

Im fine. Honestly. I just She hesitated, then took a leap of faith. I miss you. A lot.

God, me too. The vehemence in his voice was shocking, coming from the normally cool and collected Ranjit Singh. He almost sounded relieved. I miss you and Im worried about you. Have you, ah, heard any more from Estelle?

Cassie swallowed. Ranjit was the only person who knew that the ancient spirit sometimes spoke to Cassie inside her head something unheard of among the Few. Once or twice. But the old bats been quiet lately. I hope shes curled up and died of hunger.

I dont think thats going to happen, Cassie.

Yeah. I know.

Take care of yourself. Please?

She smiled, couldnt help it. Course I will. And Ill see you soon.

Cant be soon enough. He gave a low laugh. Listen, I have to go. Ill talk to you again when I can.

Tears stung her eyes as her stomach twisted again. Bye, Ranjit. Merry Christmas.

And you. Again.

Cassie snapped the phone shut before she started to blub. She buried her face in her hands. Oh, this was ridiculous. She was supposed to be tough . Shed get through this. The hunger to feed, the hunger for Ranjit

Stop. Stop .

The trouble was, she was ravenous. Overcome with a desperate, intangible hunger for something beyond mere food. But there was nothing she could do except wait it out until the new term began. Then she might get some answers. And perhaps the waiting might help. Hell, if you stayed off chocolate long enough, you lost the craving for it. If you lasted a few weeks without cigarettes, you didnt want them any more.