The Darke Academy series:

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 Children�s Books

This e-book edition published in 2010

The author�s 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 Children�s Books

a division of Hachette Children�s Books

338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH

An Hachette UK company

www.hachette.co.uk

PROLOGUE

�Hey, 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.

�What�s 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.

�Aren�t you hungry, Cassie?� piped up Jilly Beaton sweetly from the head of the table. �That�s not like you. You�ve been eating us out of

house and home for a fortnight.�

Cassie dug her nails into her palms. Jilly�s bitchy remarks had been increasing ever since she had got back from Paris. Normally, Cassie

wouldn�t 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, you�re 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, what�s up?� he said. �You�ve 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 weren�t going to hit the spot � ?

Impossible.

�I�m just missing my friends,� she mumbled. �Y�know?�

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

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

�Who�s Ranjit?�

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

Patrick�s 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.

�He�s not your boyfriend, then?�

�No, he�s 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. �It�s � 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. She�d 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 didn�t understand what the Few truly were. What Ranjit truly was. Gods and

monsters, he had once joked bitterly. So which was he? Cassie didn�t know. She wasn�t 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,

it�s good to hear from you.�

�Are you OK?� He sounded concerned.

�I�m fine. Fine. Just a bit � �

�The hunger is growing, isn�t 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 won�t be long, Cassandra. A week and a half. Will you be all right?�

�I�m 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 I�m 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 bat�s been quiet lately. I hope she�s curled up and died of hunger.�

�I don�t think that�s going to happen, Cassie.�

�Yeah. I know.�

�Take care of yourself. Please?�

She smiled, couldn�t help it. �Course I will. And I�ll see you soon.�

�Can�t be soon enough.� He gave a low laugh. �Listen, I have to go. I�ll 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. She�d 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 didn�t want them

any more.

Yes, and if you give up breathing for a while, you�ll lose the taste for oxygen!

Cassie stiffened.

Well, really, my dear. You do amuse me!

Ignore her, Cassie told herself. Ignore her.

Easier said than done. Just the sound of Estelle�s voice in her head was enough to send the hunger sweeping through her with renewed

force, so that she almost lost her balance, tipping forward.

She heard a door open and close. Footsteps. A voice �

�Cassie? Are you OK?� Patrick�s tone was concerned.

She leaped to her feet, fists clenched. OK? Why did he keep asking her that? Of course she was OK! His constant flapping around her

was really beginning to grate. He should stay out of it, if he knew what�s good for him.

No! What made her even think that? Patrick was only trying to be thoughtful; he had done so much for her.

Estelle�s whisper was like the caress of a serpent. And he could do so much more, my dear .

Patrick looked nervous under Cassie�s steady, feverish stare. Yes. Estelle was right. A good friend like Patrick would always give of

himself. She could rely on Patrick. He was strong, young, confident. Full of life. Perfect.

�Cassie?�

She was just so damn hungry. Her lips stretched into a rictus smile. �I�m fine.�

Don�t talk. Let him come closer. I can smell him �

Patrick took a pace back, and she thought she saw him shiver. �Stop messing about, Cassie. Your dinner�s getting cold.�

You seem warm enough to me.

�OK, I�m sorry. I�ll leave you in peace.� He was turning away. �Come back when you�re ready.�

�STOP!�

She launched herself from the step, almost flew after him. Seizing his collar, she yanked him back, spinning him around. Her fingers

found his jaw, gripping him, tugging him towards her. He tried to pull away, but he didn�t stand a chance. Not a chance. Since the ritual, she

was stronger than she�d ever been. More than strong enough to overpower this � mortal. Cassie laughed out loud.

Patrick�s eyes were full of terror, and his panicked breath was in her face. She could smell him again: oh, the life of him! Her lips were

pulled back when she caught sight of a figure beyond the glass panel of the front door. For an instant, her heart seemed to stop, and she

stiffened and growled a challenge. A face snarled back at her, feral and mad, like a rabid animal. And then, with a sickening jolt to her gut,

she knew. It wasn�t some monster trying to break into the house. It was her own reflection.

�Oh my God!� She let go of Patrick so fast he crumpled to the floor. She stumbled back and away from him.

His terrified eyes were locked on her, the bright blue dilated almost to black. She expected that. But she didn�t expect the words that fell

from his mouth.

�Oh God, Cassie. Not you. Not you!�

What?

For half a second she stood, hands over her mouth, staring at Patrick. Then she turned on her heel and fled. She didn�t slow down as

she took the stairs two at a time, crashed into her room, furiously grabbed a chair and jammed it under the handle. There. That was as safe

as it got. As he got.

Cassie slumped to the floor, exhausted. It could have been worse, she told herself, as her heartbeat slowed. So much worse.

Who was she trying to kid? She�d lost control. She could have hurt Patrick. Killed him even. Jamming her fists into her mouth, Cassie bit

down until she drew blood. A few more days, that was all. A few days and she�d be back at the Academy. Back with its mysterious principal,

Sir Alric Darke. He must be able to help her fight this. She�d see no one until then �

But Cassandra, my sweet, I must FEED!

The plaintive, angry voice echoed and bounced around her skull, which felt so light and empty. She was dizzy with hunger. But she�d

control it. It was just a few days. Only a matter of time �

That�s right! In the echo-chamber of her head, Estelle sounded vindictive and starved, but triumphant. Oh yes, Cassandra, my dearest

girl! Only a matter of time �

CHAPTER ONE

The carousel jolted into life as baggage spilled on to it. Cassie stood penned in the crush, overwhelmed with the sheer noise and bustle of

JFK, desperate to spot her tatty suitcase so she could get the hell out of there. A tall, sweating businessman on one side, a mouthy old

lady on the other, both of them shoving and manoeuvring, hanging like vultures over the turning baggage belt. Neither seemed like prime

candidates to feed upon, but beggars couldn�t be choosers �

Oh, no. Stop that! Cassie wanted to cry but she didn�t have the energy. Tucked tightly into her window seat, avoiding looking at the

passenger next to her, she�d seen the dawn come up behind the Statue of Liberty as the plane had circled in, but she hadn�t cared. Hadn�t

cared about the symbolism of it � sunrise on her own New World. Hadn�t cared about the beautiful symmetry and skyline of the city. She�d

just wanted the plane to land so she could draw a clean breath of air, a breath that hadn�t been round everyone�s lungs already so that it

tasted of them. She�d just wanted to be gone from that crush of humanity, crammed into the aircraft like an untidy life-force buffet.

Well, at least she�d controlled her appetites. Seven hours. That was something to be proud of, wasn�t it? That was an achievement.

Of course, my dear! And you were so right. I�m glad we restrained ourselves. Airline food. So dry and tasteless .

Cassie spluttered a tight laugh out loud despite herself.

�Hey, honey, wanna move along there?� The businessman barged her out of the way to seize his case.

If she hadn�t staggered sideways into the resentful old lady, she�d have fallen over. Now she could feel herself swaying, her reserves of

strength almost gone. The man�s stale perspiration was overwhelming. The sour-and-salty tang made her nostrils dilate. It was only sweat

but it was infused with the vitality of him. He was hot and his overburdened heart was pounding: she could hear it, feel it. Oozing out of his

pores, his scent clung to her nostrils like � a plate of chips. Yes, that good. Cassie licked the upturned corners of her lips, focused on his,

watched his breath pant out and in �

Cursing, he pushed past her, banging his case on her shins, and was gone. Missed her chance. Tears sprang to her eyes, and Cassie

didn�t know if they were tears of relief or fury.

Missed! No! We missed him! Estelle sounded half-demented. Find someone. Find someone NOW!

Vaguely, Cassie was aware that her own case had just swept by, held together with a recognisable old bungee of Patrick�s, but she took

no notice. She was scanning the crowds hungrily now, and she wasn�t worrying about anything any more. Anything except�

That one! That one, quick!

Turning dizzily on her heel, she locked on to the figure Estelle meant. It was young, strong, female. Slender but toned, and striking in a

dark Mediterranean way. It had a child with it but the child was passed into its father�s arms with a kiss and a word and a smile, and now

the young, strong female was turning with a click-click-click of heels and making for the toilets.

Not it, she! yelled Cassie inwardly. She! She�s a human being�

Yes, yes. Whatever. She! Quick! WE�LL MISS HER!

Backing up swiftly, hunger jarring against the thrill of the chase zinging through her veins, Cassie pushed her way through the crowd

and followed the click-click-click. Funny that she could hear it so acutely through the noise and the bustle and the endless distorted public

announcements. It was as if her whole being was focused on the sound of those heels, every nerve in her body locked on to the female. A

little way ahead, it � she � swung open the door of the toilets. Click-click-click. Cassie quickened her step, silent in beaten-down trainers.

Almost there. Almost there!

HURRY!

Yes, Estelle, we�ll feed. We�ll FEED!

�Cassie!�

The shriek of greeting penetrated her concentration. Just. Her purposeful steps wavered.

�Cassie Bell! Darleeng!�

A mosquito. Buzzing, bugging. She wanted to swat it, kill it. Leave me alone, she wanted to scream. I need to�

Something barrelled into Cassie, knocking her off-balance and enveloping her in a warm, expensively scented hug. �CASSIEEEE!�

For a fraction of a second Cassie fought the embrace, throwing a starving glance at the toilet door as it clunked gently shut on the

human and its life-force.

Then she came back to herself with a jolt that was almost painful. What had she done? What had she nearly done!

�Isabella?� Close to tears, Cassie returned her tight embrace, hanging on to her best friend as if she was all that was keeping her sane.

Yes, this one, then! She�ll do! She�ll do, I tell you!

NO! Her inner snarl was fierce enough to shut Estelle up. For now.

�Oh, Isabella. Am I glad to see you.�

�And I you! Did you come off the London flight? It landed five minutes before the one from Buenos Aires! Serendipity! Wonderful!� The

girl was still talking in constant exclamation marks, thought Cassie fondly as Isabella tossed her glossy mane of silky brown hair. �And

Jake is waiting for us! I have texted him, he is outside, in the terminal!�

�And you stopped to say hello to me?� Cassie raised her eyebrows weakly. �I�m flattered you didn�t run over me to get to him.�

Isabella had doted on the handsome New Yorker ever since he�d joined the Academy. Having finally got together at the end of last term,

the pair had barely had a week together before Isabella flew home to Argentina (first class, natch). If she was impatient to get her hands on

Jake now, it was hardly surprising.

�Oh, Cassie!� Isabella laughed, but her eyes darkened a little as she held Cassie�s shoulders and studied her face. �You look so beautiful.

Too thin, yes? But very, very beautiful.�

�Gee, thanks. Flattery�ll get you everywhere.� She grinned weakly. Her head was really swimming now. It was the excitement, she told

herself. And the jet lag. Whatever. She just needed to be calm for a while.

But Isabella was laughing again, still bubbling over with enthusiasm. �I can hardly wait for us all to be together again! You and me and

Jake! Yes? Come on, let�s go!� Abruptly she released Cassie.

�Sure. Let�s � go ��

But that was easier said than done without Isabella�s supporting arm. Swaying, Cassie felt her knees buckling under her. She�d have hit

the ground if Isabella hadn�t caught her elbow in her strong polo-player�s grip.

�Cassie? Cassie?�

Cassie frowned. Isabella�s voice seemed to have gone all funny over Christmas. Weird. Distant.

Fading.

Or maybe that was herself. In the dark now. In a cold, black void.

And disappearing �

CHAPTER TWO

�Cassandra? Cassandra!�

Another familiar voice. She couldn�t place it, but it was powerful, reassuring. She�d be all right now, she knew. Maybe because she was

dead. She must be dead, because the airport hubbub had vanished and she was floating in a serene bubble of calm.

�Cassandra!� The gravelly tone was more insistent now. A hand slapped her cheek, then the other one. �Cassandra, come back.�

Against her will, she forced her eyelids open, groaning. The blurred face was just as familiar as the voice. Ascetic, fiercely handsome, and

frowning with concern.

�S�r Alric ��

�That�s right. Wake up.�

Blinking against bright light, Cassie levered herself up, clutching cushions for support. A sofa. A huge leather one. For a moment she

thought she really was dead, and in an especially comfortable afterlife, because she could see nothing but acres of blue sky. Then she

registered the glass walls surrounding her, and skyscrapers glittering in the morning sun, and the wintry treetops of �

Central Park!

Above the trees the sky was diamond blue, streaked with white wisps of plane trails. She blinked woozily at her very own angle on the

spectacular New York skyline.

Or rather, Sir Alric Darke�s angle.

She came to properly, with a jolt. Tried to stand up, but fell back. She heard a little yelp of relief, and Isabella was at her side again,

flopping down next to her and hugging her. Cassie gazed blankly around at the plush, stylish office.

�What a fright you gave me! Oh, Cassie!�

At last her companions were coming into focus. Isabella, of course � and Jake, standing close by, looking hugely relieved if a little wary

of his surroundings. As she met his warm brown eyes, he gave her a weak grin. �Hey, Cassie. Good to see you.�

�Jake. It�s good to see you too.�

That wasn�t strictly true. Cassie was more than just glad to see him � she was overwhelmingly relieved. Last term, Jake had discovered

more of the Few�s secrets than it was safe for any outsider to know. Cassie hadn�t been sure if he�d ever come back to the Academy after

finding out that his fellow pupil and the former object of his affections, Katerina Svensson, had murdered his sister, Jessica. The

temptation to blow the whistle on the institution that had covered up the crime and let the Few girl off with mere expulsion must have been

overwhelming. Yet here he was, standing in the principal�s office.

What had brought him back? His affection for Isabella? A strange sense of transferred sibling loyalty to Cassie, the girl who everybody

said had looked just like his dead sister? Or was he back to deal with the �unfinished business� he�d spoken about at the end of last term?

Her feeble smile for Jake faded as she turned, a little reluctantly, to Sir Alric. He hadn�t changed � his handsome features as striking as

ever. There was something strained about his grey eyes, and he didn�t smile, but he didn�t look angry either.

�Hang on � how did � ?� Cassie rubbed her forehead furiously. The last thing she remembered was the baggage belt grinding by, the

smell of human sweat, the crush and the heat. And needing something. Needing it so badly she�d abandoned �

�My case! I left it! I didn�t��

�It�s OK.� Isabella flapped a dismissive hand. �I picked it up for you.�

�But how did you��

�It�s the right one, don�t worry.� Isabella giggled. �I knew which one was yours. I�d recognise that slaughtered old thing anywhere.�

Cassie shook her head, perplexed only for a moment. �Knackered, Isabella. My knackered old case. But security? Immigration? How did

you��

�When you fainted, Isabella contacted me straight away,� explained Sir Alric. �I have connections in the Department of Homeland Security

who were able to expedite matters.� He shot a guarded glance at Jake, as if he was afraid to say too much. �Now, I�m sure you wish to be

with your friends, but first we have issues to attend to, you and I. Isabella and Jake, please. I must talk with Cassandra. Alone.�

Isabella and Jake glanced at each other doubtfully. Cassie tried to look up to give them both a reassuring nod, but the mere sight of her

two friends was enough to bring the hunger shooting back through her like a lance, taking her breath away with its ferocity. Staggering to

her feet, she stumbled against Sir Alric. His hand fell on her shoulder in what might have seemed like a kind gesture of support � except

that his fingers were gripping so tightly he was bruising her. Cassie barely noticed the pain though; she could feel the tautness of her own

muscles, coiled like springs in her desperation to feed, and she knew Sir Alric was actually restraining her.

�Now, Isabella, Jake. Please leave us.�

Jake frowned at the steely edge of the principal�s tone. �I�m not sure �� he began.

�It�s OK, guys.� Cassie reached out and took Isabella�s hands, squeezing them a little too hard. �I�ll be fine. See you soon. Promise.�

�You�re sure?� asked Jake, eying Sir Alric with open hostility.

�Sure.� In fact, she wanted them gone, desperately. She wasn�t sure how much longer she could last without pouncing on one of them.

�Honestly, Jake. Please go, it�s fine.�

Taking a breath, the young American took Isabella�s hand. �We�ll be outside. See you soon, Cassie.�

�Yep,� she said weakly, gritting her teeth into a smile. Oh please, please GO!

She had a last glimpse of Isabella�s worried face as the door shut behind her friends, and then she closed her eyes, swaying with

hunger.

Cassie felt Sir Alric�s hand pressing her back on to the sofa, and she managed to prise open her eyelids in time to see the sinister and

ugly porter Marat coming towards her, bearing a small leather case. Where had he appeared from so silently? She propped herself groggily

forward.

�You need to feed, Cassandra.� Sir Alric�s voice seemed to echo around the room as Marat gently set the case down on the mahogany

coffee table in front of her.

�I can�t.�

�You�ve gone weeks without it. You�re dying. I should never have let you leave at the end of last term, but I didn�t expect this. I don�t

understand why the hunger in you has grown so fast, but it has. And you must satisfy it.�

Too weak to cry, she put her face in her hands, moaning. �I can�t.�

�You must,� snapped Sir Alric fiercely. �You think you�re being selfless; in fact you�re being self-indulgent. I�m sorry for what happened to

you, Cassandra. I�m sorry you were tricked into this. But I have a responsibility to the Few spirit as well as to you.� He nodded to Marat,

who slipped a silver key into the front of the case.

Unsteadily, Cassie followed the porter�s movements. The lid of the case bore a symbol that she recognised immediately: a two-inch

pattern of intricate, interlocking lines that she�d seen before, branded on the skin of certain select students at the Darke Academy � as well

as blurred and broken on her own shoulder blade. She didn�t know what the pattern meant, but she knew what it denoted.

It was the mark of the Few.

Marat lifted the lid and Sir Alric stepped up to the case, gazing reverently at the row of crystal phials inside. Each one was also engraved

with the Few mark, and was beautiful enough on its own � but the translucent contents glowed like liquid pearl, sending shimmers of light

through the delicate crystal. For a moment Cassie was so mesmerised that she almost forgot her ravening hunger.

Sir Alric nodded to the porter again. The small container Marat drew from his pocket couldn�t have been more different from the lovely

case: a white plastic clip-lid box. Snapping on latex gloves, he flipped it open without ceremony and withdrew a sealed plastic packet. This

he tore open, producing a disposable syringe.

Cassie�s eyes widened. �What�s that?�

Sir Alric too was donning gloves, and he had turned cool and businesslike. �Call it an interim measure, Cassandra.�

Delicately, Sir Alric inserted the needle into one of the phials and drew out a small measure of the pearly liquid. �You must learn to feed.

But this,� he said, lifting the syringe, �will give us a few days� respite.�

�What is it?� She eyed the needle with dread. �What is that? I won�t let you put that in me!�

As she tried to squirm aside, Cassie felt powerful hands grip her shoulders, pressing her back against the sofa and holding her in place.

Marat. He�d moved behind her and she couldn�t get away. God, he was strong, his vice-like hold too strong to escape, but she still struggled

violently as Sir Alric approached her. For an instant she saw regret and sympathy in his face, then it hardened.

�Be still. This is the only way. It�s for your own good, Cassandra.� Sir Alric�s voice was entirely cold as he leaned over her wriggling,

kicking form. �And for everyone else�s, too.�

She felt his thumb rub a spot on her arm, then the hot sting of the needle.

Cassie feared for a moment that she�d been electrocuted. This must be what it felt like, mustn�t it? A savage current running through her,

bringing her so fiercely alive she couldn�t think clearly. Coldness raced through her veins, followed swiftly by heat � and strength.

Shrugging off Marat�s hands, she sprang up, her body rigid, her fists clenched. The awful, tearing hunger had vanished, as if she�d been

released from constraining jaws, but her vision had turned to a blinding blur, spots dancing in front of her eyes as she lost her balance and

again collapsed on to the leather upholstery, squeezing her eyes shut to try to clear her vision �

When she opened them again, Sir Alric sat in an armchair, facing her, his fingers steepled under his chin. Marat and the case had gone.

�So, Cassandra. How do you feel?�

The memory exploded into her mind. She sat up angrily. �What was that stuff ? Tell me what it was!�

He didn�t react to her fury. �It�s a distilled solution. From the tears of the first Few, a thousand and more years ago. Do you think I offer it

to everyone? Consider yourself lucky. It�s extremely powerful.�

Cassie took a breath, absorbing the news. Not drugs, then. Not poison. Maybe something that could help her �

�So I can do this instead? Inject that stuff instead of feeding from other people?� Her eyes lit as relief swept through her.

�No,� Sir Alric said abruptly. �This is a one-off. What you saw in the case is all that exists. There is no question of you having it all. You will

learn to feed. Like the rest of us.�

The despair returned in double measure, her brief new hopes crushed.

Taking advantage of her stunned silence, Sir Alric stood up. �You cannot starve the spirit that is inside you, Cassandra. Without the Tears,

you would soon have reached a crisis point. When the desire to feed finally got too much, you would have lost control and attacked

someone. That person could have been hurt, or even killed. And it could have been anyone.� He paused for chilling effect. �Including

Isabella and Jake.�

�I didn�t know,� she gasped. �I didn�t realise.�

�Of course not,� replied Sir Alric, his voice softening slightly. �That is what the Academy is for, Cassandra. It is my duty to teach each new

member of the Few how to feed safely, so they are no danger to themselves or those around them. When the time comes, I will do the

same with you. But for now, the injection has given you some breathing space. I think you needed that. So I�ll ask again: how do you feel?�

�Better,� Cassie admitted. �Much better. Can I go now?�

�Of course. Your friends will be worried about you.�

�They�re just outside. They said they�d wait.�

Sir Alric smiled wryly. �I�m afraid you�ve been asleep for most of the morning, Cassandra. Your friends left more than two hours ago. I

explained to them that you needed to rest, although Mr Johnson took quite some persuading. They�ll be down in their rooms now, I

imagine. You have a great deal to discuss with them.� He paused. �Especially Miss Caruso.�

�What do you mean?� said Cassie, her voice tightening.

�Cassandra, your stamina astonishes me. You fought the hunger for far longer than I could have expected. But now your luxury of

choice is at an end. Except, perhaps, in one respect.�

�Oh?� Cassie raised her head.

�To learn how to feed safely, you will need a partner � a life-source, if you will. That is why all students who are members of the Few are

assigned a roommate who is is not. So you have a decision to make, Cassandra. You may move in with a new roommate, one to whom you

have less � emotional attachment.� Sir Alric lifted his hands in an elegant shrug. �Or��

�Don�t say it,� she blurted.

�I must, Cassandra, I�m sorry. You must learn to feed on Isabella.�

CHAPTER THREE

The atrium was spectacular. It couldn�t be more different from the Academy in Paris, but this Upper East Side building had its own

breathtaking architectural beauty, all sleek glass and marble. The building�s height was dizzying, seeming to turn and sway as Cassie

stared up to the glass roof high above her. The sky beyond was still such a gleaming blue it made her feel faintly giddy. The clean, modern

lines of the walls were softened only by the pool and foliage in the centre of the atrium.

Cassie grinned, pausing to dip her fingers into the cool water and stare up at the figure in the middle of the fountain. �Hello, old girl,� she

whispered to the bronze sculpture. �Haven�t got rid of that bloody swan yet, have we?�

Leda, of course, didn�t react, still reaching dreamily for the savage god-swan above her. At her bronze feet, water trickled out of the stone.

Ferns and trailing plants grew in a wild profusion, twining round rocks and spilling on to the polished marble. And among them, of course,

were the orchids. Cassie touched one black petal with a fingertip. Sir Alric�s little pets, Ranjit had called them. That figured. Sir Alric liked the

beautiful, the rare, the dark �

Cassie was surprised how pleased she was to see all the other familiar statues. In the winter light that flooded in from Fifth Avenue, they

gleamed alabaster white from their places around the edge of the vast central hall: Achilles and Hector; Narcissus; Diana and Actaeon. And

the one that always chilled her spine: Cassandra and Clytaemnestra. Cassandra, the girl who nobody believed. Cassandra, who entered a

house that smelled of blood �

With a shudder, Cassie remembered huddling beneath that statue, waiting to feel the bite of Keiko�s knife. Yet here she was now: in many

ways the same as the homicidal girl who had helped Katerina murder Jake�s sister. Now she too was a freak � maybe even a monster, like

Keiko. She wasn�t feeble Cassandra any more, the helpless little victim. She was closer to the bloodthirsty Clytaemnestra. One of the Few.

And what did that mean, to be one of the Few? Cassie gazed at her reflection in the water. Back at the airport, Isabella had suggested

that she had grown more beautiful. Cassie hadn�t noticed any change, but now she looked closely, perhaps her cheekbones were slightly

more defined, her yellow-green eyes more striking.

But she knew that there was more to the Few than just pretty faces. She had seen their superhuman strength and fighting skills at first

hand. And now that the constant hunger to feed wasn�t drowning out all other sensations, she could feel some of that strength in her own

muscles, making her feel relaxed and confident in a way she hadn�t before.

Beauty, strength and confidence � a heady combination. But all dependent on the feeding. Draining the life-force from some innocent

person.

Sucked dry � That was what Isabella had said when she�d told Cassie about Jessica�s death. Her body was damaged. Was there a

chance Cassie could do that to Isabella in turn? No. She wouldn�t � couldn�t � let that happen. But Sir Alric had made it clear that Cassie

had to learn to feed.

So she couldn�t go on being Isabella�s roommate.

But she couldn�t bear that. Isabella was her best friend.

So she�d have to learn to feed safely from Isabella.

But if something went wrong �

It was impossible: Cassie�s mind could only lead her in inescapable loops. Around her, other students were hurrying in for the new term,

gossiping and bitching and laughing, trailing chauffeurs and expensive luggage in their wake. Could she share a room with one of those

spoilt brats? No � it was unthinkable, and no doubt they�d say the same. Frustrated, Cassie turned to go. Colliding with a warm body, she

was caught and held.

�Oh! I�m sorry.�

�Don�t apologise.� The voice was warm, familiar, amused � and it sent her heart into orbit.

�Ranjit!�

Before another word could pass her lips, Cassie found that they were suddenly pressed urgently to the handsome boy�s own. Her eyes

closed, and she could feel Ranjit�s hands pressing into the small of her back, his mouth moving against hers. She felt herself rising on to

the tips of her toes, her fingers tangled into his glossy black hair, pulling him towards her, and she could hear Ranjit draw breath sharply

through his nostrils as he kissed her more and more deeply, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

It was only when they lost their balance and stumbled into a gawping first year that Cassie felt Ranjit�s arms loosen. Blushing fiercely,

Cassie released her own grip and backed out of the embrace. For a moment she was unable to speak, let alone meet Ranjit�s eye � though

she could feel the incredulous gaze of the students surrounding them. And she could certainly hear the barely stifled whispers that erupted

around the atrium.

�I�m not believing what I�m seeing ��

�Oh. My. God.�

�Him? Him and her?�

�Ranjit Singh? I knew he had a thing for scholarship girls, but I mean ��

Ranjit cleared his throat, and Cassie finally looked up at his sheepishly grinning face.

�I guess that cat�s well and truly out of the bag, then,� he chuckled.

Tentatively, he reached out and put one hand on Cassie�s shoulder, steering her off to a corner out of the collective stare. Cassie hadn�t

imagined her heart could beat any faster than it already was, but it leaped again at his gentle touch.

�Yeah, looks like it,� she replied. �Sorry � I�m not sure what happened there.�

�Um, neither am I.� His golden-brown skin flushed. �I missed you,� he laughed. �If that wasn�t obvious.�

Cassie couldn�t repress a huge smile. �Me too. It was a long Christmas, eh?�

�You�re telling me.�

She wondered if he was mocking her a little, but his face was as sternly beautiful as always. There was something else in his expression

too, a yearning that matched her own. Damn, he was hot. A voice on a mobile phone was one thing, but she�d forgotten the sheer animal

presence of him. She could practically sense his heart beating faster, and she knew instinctively that he wanted to touch her again � almost

as much as she wanted him to �

Whoah, Cassie!

Without even thinking about it, she�d stepped towards Ranjit and caught herself just before she could fall into his arms again. This was

going too fast. After what had happened, she was a little embarrassed. Maybe even a little scared.

Estelle�s promise came back to her. You�ll never have to be scared of anything again, Cassandra �

Not strictly true. She�d managed to scare herself, getting carried away like that in public. She felt herself flushing as she imagined the

eyes of the whole school on her.

�Cassandra?� Ranjit looked a little wary himself. Like her, he�d taken half a step forward before he stopped himself.

�Sorry,� she mumbled. �Guess absence made my heart grow even fonder than I�d thought.�

Ranjit laughed. �I know what you mean!�

�Look, maybe I should go and, um, freshen up. I haven�t found my room yet, and I should say hi to Isabella properly. But we could meet

for a coffee later?� she ventured.

�Yeah. That�s probably a good idea. Five o�clock?�

�That�d be great.� She checked her watch. �Actually, how about four-thirty?�

He grinned. �Four-thirty it is!�

�Great. See you then.� As she smiled and turned to walk away, Ranjit reached out suddenly and took her hand gently in his. The warmth

of his skin sent a fresh flutter through her body.

�Wait. Before you go � you�re OK, right? At Christmas when we spoke on the phone you sounded ��

�I know. I�m fine now. Honestly. I�ll fill you in this afternoon.�

He held her gaze for a moment, as if to make sure she was telling the truth. For a moment there was a suggestion of the roiling, fiery

glow she�d seen in his eyes more than once, but Cassie couldn�t look away. His hand squeezed her fingers more tightly. The gurgling trickle

of the fountain seemed amplified, and the sound of expensive heels on marble. Then the shrieking giggle of a Year Nine made both of them

jump. Releasing her hand, Ranjit shook his head self-consciously and smiled.

�If you say so.�

�I do. I�ll see you later for that coffee. I�m buying!�

�OK. Where are we going?�

�Don�t sound so nervous, rich boy.� She winked. �This is New York, isn�t it? I�m sure I�ll find a suitably seedy joint.�

Ranjit�s deep, honey-tinged laugh echoed around the atrium. God, she thought, you could bottle that sound and sell it to lonely girls the

world over.

�Find me a seedy joint then, Cassandra Bell. I�ll meet you back here.�

�Don�t be late.� She gave him a mock scowl.

He grinned. �I wouldn�t dare.�

Well, she�d done her best to introduce Ranjit to the sleazy and the downbeat, but they didn�t seem to be part of this New York. Sir Alric

certainly had his standards, and he�d obviously brought the Academy to this neighbourhood for a reason.

Out on the streets, staring up at the gigantic buildings in wonder, with her breath pluming in the frosty air, Cassie happily let Ranjit take

over the hunt. Coffee, after all, had only been an excuse to be alone with him; that, and to experience the city she�d missed on her arrival.

She could forget for a while about monsters and demons. Walking north on Fifth Avenue, just one anonymous couple among the brisk and

smartly dressed crowds, she could barely choose where to look next � so it was just as well Ranjit seemed to know his way around. He

steered her down East 78th Street to Madison Avenue and a chic and glossy caf� that served a bewildering selection of coffees to chic and

glossy customers.

�Jeez. You�re paying after all, I�m afraid.� Unwinding her scarf, Cassie raised her eyebrows at the price list as they ordered.

�It�ll be worth it.� He nudged a mug towards her. �Though why you�d want to put cinnamon syrup in fine coffee, I can�t imagine.�

�Mm-mm. Good as the Tears of the Few,� she murmured mischievously, relaxing a little for the first time. �Perks a girl up no end.�

Ranjit blinked in surprise. �Sir Alric gave you the Tears?�

�Oh yeah.� She winked. �I�m a special case, me.�

�Wow.� Ranjit shook his head anxiously. �Did he mention��

�That I can�t do it all the time? Yeah, he did. Thanks for the reminder.� Cassie�s jaw clenched. So much for feeling relaxed.

�So now you�ve got to learn to feed.�

�So I�m told.�

�Right � um �� Ranjit seemed to read the displeasure on Cassie�s face, and played for time by swallowing hot coffee too quickly.

Sucking in a breath, he winced. �Is it going to be Isabella?�

�I don�t know. Look, do we have to talk about this now?�

Ranjit smiled apologetically. �No. Sorry.�

Cassie took a sip of coffee. She didn�t want to be angry. Not now, not with him. With a sigh, she set down her cup and ran her finger

round the rim of it. �How much time do you reckon I�ve got before I have to decide?�

�A few weeks. Maybe less.� Ranjit lowered his voice to a murmur as a waiter passed by. �Your hunger has developed faster than anyone

could have predicted. It�s incredible, Cassandra.� With something like admiration, he added, �Unprecedented!�

�You sound like Sir Alric,� Cassie replied. �And not in a good way. He�s the only other person who calls me Cassandra. Well, apart from ��

�Estelle,� Ranjit finished. �Would you rather I called you Cassie?�

�You know what? I think I would.�

�Then I will. Cassie.� With a smile, he put his hand over hers.

Damn, she thought. That did feel good. And strong. And supportive. Slowly she linked her fingers into his.

�You never wanted me in the Few, did you?�

�No, I didn�t. I didn�t want you involved in any of this.� He smiled ruefully. �But it�s done now.�

�And I would have been involved anyway,� said Cassie, with sudden realisation. �One way or another. It was Isabella who was supposed

to be initiated, wasn�t it? She was the obvious candidate. So I guess I would have been her life-source?�

Ranjit�s hand tensed. Then he nodded slowly, his eyes roaming her face. �Perhaps. But I would have done what I could to stop that too.�

Cassie frowned. She�d have preferred that scenario to the one in which she now found herself. Wouldn�t she? If Isabella had joined the

Few � if she�d asked Cassie to be her life-source � what would Cassie have done?

She knew perfectly well what she�d have done. She�d have refused. Run a mile. Screamed the place down and called the cops.

As if reading her thoughts, Ranjit said, �You know, you can feed without her knowledge. Even though she knows what happened to you,

there are ways round��

�No,� she said firmly. �I�m not going to lie to my best friend. Sir Alric says he�ll teach us both.� In a mutter she added, �If she agrees, I mean

��

�It�s for the best, Cassie. You have to know how to feed safely. And if it�s done right, it really doesn�t do any harm.�

Shutting her eyes, Cassie gave a frustrated moan; then she felt Ranjit�s hand squeeze hers once again. He sighed deeply and turned to

Cassie with an attempt at a smile.

�Look, I�m just glad you�re here, and you�re OK. We�ll get through it � together.� He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips,

lingering for a moment before pulling away. �And about this �� he murmured, pressing his forehead to Cassie�s.

�Yeah?� Her voice was hoarse.

�I think it might be a good idea for us to try and take it slow. I mean, I don�t know what happened in the atrium but it felt almost � out of

control?� He looked cautiously at Cassie, and she nodded and smiled.

�It did. Not that I�m complaining.�

�Me neither. It�s just that, given our circumstances and � past experiences, I just don�t want anything to go wrong for us. We should be

careful.�

Ranjit ran a reassuring hand along Cassie�s arm and turned to drain the rest of his coffee. Cassie stared down at her own barely touched

drink. She�d hardly thought about it before, but the way he�d said past experiences, and the expression on his face when she mentioned

that she had been destined to be Isabella�s life-source, spoke volumes. How could she have forgotten?

Jessica.

Jake�s sister had been involved with Ranjit before she died. In fact, she was meant to be meeting him the night she was lured to her

death. The girl who finished up drained of her very essence by Katerina and Keiko was the same girl everyone said looked like Cassie. The

thought of it made her head spin. OK, this could be weird.

�Cassie?� Ranjit�s voice brought her out of her reverie. �We should get going. You look tired.�

His beautiful face smiling down at her, and his hand gently laid on her shoulder, made her head spin once more � but for the right

reasons.

This is ridiculous, she thought. You�re not Jessica. It�s not the same. Don�t talk yourself out of this before it�s begun.

Forcing a smile, she stood up. �Tired? Come on then, I�ll race you back to the Academy!�

CHAPTER FOUR

The corridor was dark. Cassie was running, urgently searching for something. Someone. She rounded the corner into yet more darkness.

No, not darkness � two eyes, glowing red, were there ahead of her. Looming out of the black. Coming towards her. No. She was moving

towards them �

There he is, Cassandra! Grab him. Take him, He�s the one for us. Don�t let him convince you otherwise. We belong together. We need him.

Cassie�s arms reached out blindly, snatching at the void.

You don�t want to be alone, do you, Cassandra? Reach for him. Grab him. We don�t want to be alone. We want them both. You and I, he

and his . . .

�Ranjit?�

Cassie�s voice was a growl, echoing through the empty space. She lunged forward once more, her hands grabbing on to something.

Shoulders: hunched, muscular. His bare skin almost burning under her touch. Then his arms, encircling her, squeezing her until she could

barely breathe. Her fingernails like claws, digging into the flesh of his back.

Yes, Cassandra. Don�t let him go! We mustn�t let go!

�I won�t.�

You won�t. You won�t? But you�ve abandoned me! Why have you abandoned me, Cassie? There�s a part of me alone, you know. The part

we left behind.

�What? I�m here! Estelle?�

You felt that void, didn�t you, dear? Only for a little time, but you felt it. Imagine being trapped there. It�s not nice. Why are you being so

unkind? Poor, poor Estelle. Are you going to let me stay out here, Cassandra? Are you going to keep me apart? Keep us apart?

HOW COULD YOU?!

Cassie woke with a start, shaking. Throwing off the blankets, sweating and gasping for breath, she sat up straight and raked her fingers

through her hair. It was still dark: the faint glow from outside was street lighting.

It was a nightmare, that was all. Cassie sighed. With all that had happened, it was a wonder she hadn�t had more bad dreams. She gave a

wry half-smile. Sometimes it seemed like her whole life now was a bad dream. It didn�t help that she had Estelle inside her head, messing

with her mind. Although all was quiet now, so maybe the spirit had spent her fury for the time being and Cassie could sleep in peace.

Still, her heart continued to thrash, and it wasn�t just from fear. She had a terrible sense of sadness, guilt and regret in the pit of her

stomach, almost in spite of herself.

Poor, poor Estelle �

Cassie rubbed her fingertips against her temples, groaning inwardly but not making a sound in case she woke Isabella. Part of her was

sorry for Estelle. When the ritual that was supposed to bind them together forever was interrupted, part of the Few spirit had been left

stranded outside Cassie�s body, divided from the rest. Ever since, Estelle�s voice had begged Cassie to let her in. But even if she knew how

to do that, Cassie was far from certain that she wanted to. Fractured visions of the Few woman�s past revealed her to be proud and strong,

yes, but also vindictive, cruel and selfish. If she joined fully with Estelle, how could Cassie be sure that she wouldn�t follow the same path?

Fumbling for the tumbler of water on her nightstand, the back of Cassie�s hand bumped against one of her framed photographs.

Irritably, she picked it up to move it aside, and froze.

Something was wrong. The frame felt strange beneath her fingertips. She brought it close to her face. Even in the dim glow of an artificial

dawn, her hand trembled.

The metal frame had melted. That was how it looked, anyway. Twisted, buckled and warped � as if it had been left too close to a fire. The

grinning faces of Patrick and the Cranlake kids had melted into hideous masks. Alarmed, she reached out to touch the nightstand. It was

quite cool. Cassie swallowed hard. Swinging her legs down on to the floor, she picked up the other photograph, the one she had

surreptitiously taken of Ranjit at the end of last term. It too was badly distorted: the silver frame looked as if it had turned liquid in the night

then re-solidified, like candle wax. And Ranjit�s shyly smiling face � it was unrecognisable.

She stroked it remorsefully, tears springing to her eyes. What had she done?

Hang on. What made her think she�d done anything?

A feeling, that was all �

Miserably, she cursed, but not far enough under her breath. In the other bed Isabella stirred and stretched, yawning. Cassie had barely

enough time to shove the melted pictures under her pillow before Isabella blinked sleepily. Her roommate yawned and smiled.

�Morning, Cassie. Mmm �� Abruptly she sat up. �Hey! We�re in New York!�

Cassie shook her head. She instantly felt a little more cheery. How could Isabella be bursting with such enthusiasm at this hour? Her

friend hadn�t changed since Paris � which was kind of nice, when so much else had. Affecting a drawl she said, �Chill, honey. It�s six o�clock

in the morning. Ain�t sun-up for an hour.�

Isabella rolled her eyes. �Cassie, that accent is more South Carolina than South Bronx and even I know it. Now �� Slumping back on to

her bed, she rubbed her hands with glee. �What shall we do today?�

�Um, apart from start school, you mean?� asked Cassie.

�Yes, yes, apart from that. This is the City that Never Sleeps! And neither should we!�

�Uh-huh.� Cassie didn�t bother mentioning she already had a head start in that department. �You know the first class is maths, right?�

�No. No, no, no! I shall not even think about it!� wailed Isabella. She paused and then gave Cassie a sidelong glance. �We need to talk

about you, Cassie.�

�Oh, God.� Cassie sighed. �Not again. First Ranjit, now you as well. Can�t we talk about someone else?�

Isabella folded her arms crossly. �Cassie. I let you off yesterday because you were meeting your Indian prince � which you need to fill me

in on as well, by the way.� She paused to give Cassie a wink. �But I know you�re not telling me something. You fainted at the airport! You did

not look so terrible and starved just from missing breakfast or having a bug. It�s because of what they did to you, isn�t it? At the Few

ceremony?�

Cassie rubbed her neck. �Yes,� she mumbled.

Isabella nodded, her eyes narrowing. �Right. And what have you done about it?�

�Sir Alric had a � er � solution.� Cassie smiled brightly, hoping an explanation would stall Isabella�s questions for now, even if she was

being economical with the truth. She needed time. More time. �Literally, I mean. A liquid solution.�

�You mean drugs?� Isabella�s hand flew to her mouth. �Cassie, I�m not sure��

�Please, Isabella, it�s nothing to worry about.�

�Oh?� Isabella folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. �If it is nothing to worry about, why are you still so unhappy? I know you better!

Why are you so nervous and sifty?�

�Shifty ��

�Out with it, Cassie Bell!�

Defeated, Cassie went over and slumped on to Isabella�s bed. �Remember what I told you about Keiko and Alice last term? About seeing

Keiko kind of feeding on Alice? Well, that�s how the Few stay alive.� She sighed miserably, trying to avoid meeting Isabella�s eye. �They

draw life-energy from someone who�s non-Few. And, apparently, that�s something I�m going to have to do too �� Cassie trailed off. She

hadn�t the heart to carry on any further, to ask the question out loud.

Isabella didn�t reply. Maybe, thought Cassie, she was remembering Cassie�s horrible description of Keiko draining the life out of her

helpless roommate. Or her boyfriend�s sister being sucked dry �

The air seemed to crackle with tension as the silence stretched on and on, but Cassie couldn�t bear to look up to see the horror and

revulsion on Isabella�s face. Any minute now, it would all be over. Isabella would leave the room. She�d go to Sir Alric and demand a change

of roommate. Of course, she�d say they�d still be friends, but she�d never quite forget what Cassie had asked of her. She�d never quite

forgive�

�OK.�

�What?� Cassie wasn�t sure she�d heard correctly.

�I said OK. You will feed from me.� Seeing Cassie�s incredulous expression, Isabella flapped her hands. �Look, I�m not saying this is ideal.

One thing is for sure, I had a very different view of the Few before I knew all this craziness was involved. But another thing I know for

certain is that you�re not like Keiko. Not a bit like her. She was insane. You, on the other hand,� Isabella grinned, �well, you have your

moments. But you are my very good friend, Cassie Bell. If this is what you need, then this is what we need to do.�

Cassie could only stare at her. �Isab��

Isabella interrupted, holding up her hand. �Hold on. Alice did not know what Keiko was doing, did she?�

�No.� Cassie picked at a chewed nail. �The Few have a special drink. It makes your roommate forget everything. They think it�s kinder.�

Cassie finally made herself look at Isabella�s face, but there was no disgust on it. She was nodding, intent and serious.

�Yet you don�t want to deceive me, Cassie. You have told me everything, and that shows you trust me. Thank you. So I will be honest

with you, because I trust you too.� Isabella raised a warning finger. �You must never give me this drink. I won�t ever be tricked or lied to.�

�Isabella, I don�t know��

�Cassie, you need to feed. That�s obvious. It�s why Sir Alric is so worried about you, yes?� Isabella grasped Cassie�s hands.

�He � yes. He said he�d teach me, show us how to do it safely.�

�Well, Sir Alric is a good man. He knows what is necessary and what is or isn�t dangerous. Don�t worry, Cassie.� Isabella�s smile was

cautious but sincere. �If he shows us how to do it right, then it will be fine. I�ll be your � what do you say?�

Cassie swallowed. �My life-source. But wait, Isabella. What about Jake? He�ll never allow you to do it.�

�Jake is not my boss, he�s my boyfriend,� sniffed Isabella. �You�re right, he won�t like it, but this is my decision. I am not Jessica and you

are not Keiko. And anyway, maybe what he doesn�t know won�t hurt him.�

�You can�t keep it secret from him, Isabella.�

�Why not? A girl is entitled to some secrets,� Isabella replied, her dark eyes flashing. �When the time is right, I will tell him. He will

understand.�

Cassie stared at her roommate. Wasn�t this the perfect outcome? She�d been honest with Isabella, and Isabella had agreed freely.

So why did she still feel like a piece of dirt?

�All right.� Cassie breathed out and smiled. �Thank you. Thank you, Isabella.�

�You�re welcome. Just make sure you don�t overindulge.� Isabella grinned. �I am sure that my life-energy must be very strong stuff!�

�There�s no way in hell I�m getting anywhere near you until Sir Alric�s taught me everything there is to know about this feeding thing.�

Embarrassed, Cassie bit her lip self-consciously. How had they come to this?

Isabella looked at her roommate and giggled.

�Your face is a picture, Cassie Bell. It will be fine. Besides, being one of the Few is not all bad news, huh? What about Ranjit? I heard how

he swept you off your feet in the atrium yesterday. Surely he is some comfort?� She grinned wickedly, and Cassie couldn�t help but smile

too.

�Look,� Isabella continued, her eyes sparkling with mischief, �I wish this whole Few thing had not happened. But it has happened, and

you�re in. And seeing as it�s Fate Accomplished, you might as well have some fun being Few, no?�

Cassie was about to correct her when she thought: no, Fate Accomplished is quite appropriate.

�Isabella, I�m not going to start throwing my weight around.�

Isabella sniffed. �Hmph! Since Christmas there isn�t enough of you to throw.�

Cassie smiled wryly.

�And of course you won�t play the Queen Bee, that wouldn�t be you.� She grabbed Cassie�s arms and shook them. �Don�t forget, you are

still you.�

�I hope you�re right.�

Isabella ignored her. �Hey, you can invite me to the oh-so-sacred common room. And extra time off for being Few means more time on

Madison Avenue.�

�How did I know you�d work shopping into this somehow?� Cassie said, a genuine smile finally crossing her lips. She purposefully stood

up and stretched. �Come on, let�s get dressed and find some breakfast. It�ll take me at least an hour to look as good as you look right now.

And let me tell you, you don�t look great.�

Isabella threw a pillow at her. �Swine. Anyway, it isn�t true. You look very beautiful since you had your famous �solution�. But wait till you

start feeding on me!� She preened, licking a fingertip and smoothing an eyebrow.

Cassie managed to laugh. Taking hold of Isabella�s ankle, she started to drag her out of bed. �Let�s get going, girl. You can�t avoid Herr

Stolz for ever, you know.�

�True.� Isabella threw off her bedclothes and jumped to her feet, pouting. �But with my powerful new roommate, I was hoping I could.�

Cassie giggled. �We all have our problems. I get to be possessed by a demon, you get to face the deadly algebraic equations of the maths

master.�

�You know, Cassie?� Isabella sighed. �I�m not sure which is worse ��

CHAPTER FIVE

Cassie remembered all too clearly the way she�d felt at the beginning of last term, the fish-out-of-water awfulness of it. She must have

looked a bit like a fish, too, if the handful of new students were anything to go by � all wide eyes and gaping mouths. She smothered a

smile, feeling sorry for them, but a little superior too. She wasn�t the hopeless newbie any more: it was almost as if she belonged here. And

that felt nice, it really did.

She�d lost Isabella in the throng of students in the atrium, excitedly squealing greetings and indulging in excitable one-upmanship about

holidays in exotic locales. As she made her way towards Herr Stolz�s classroom, Cassie noticed at least one familiar face of her own. Jake

was standing near a bank of sleek lockers with electronic keypads. He looked slightly nervous as Cassie approached.

�Hey, Jake! How�s it going?�

�Uh, hey, Cassie. I�m OK, how are you? Feeling better today?� He reached over and gave her an awkward hug, and Cassie felt her heart

sink. It had taken months for her and Jake to overcome their mutual wariness. Then, just as they had become real friends, events had

taken over. Now, as well as being a walking reminder of his lost sister, Cassie was also one of the Few � part of the group responsible for

Jessica�s death. No wonder there was tension between them; his feelings towards her must be almost as mixed up as her own. She only

hoped she�d be able to show Jake that he could still trust her � and prove it to herself �

As they made their way into the classroom, Cassie�s attention was drawn to a pale, nervous red-headed girl who had dropped her maths

books outside the glass door. A tall boy appeared slickly at her side. He crouched down to help, touching the redhead�s elbow in a way that

sent a visible shiver through the poor creature. She gazed at him awestruck as he passed her books into her arms, and finally Cassie

caught sight of his face. Foppishly handsome, with a dazzling grin.

Richard Halton-Jones.

Cassie felt cold. Obviously he hadn�t changed: still an incorrigible flirt. Show him someone � anyone � that walked upright on two legs

and he just couldn�t help himself. She�d once thought it was endearing; now the memory of their last encounter felt like a punch in the

stomach. She�d liked him, trusted him, even started to believe that he was interested in her too, and look where that had got her. Richard

was the one who�d lured her to the Arc de Triomphe and a ceremony she�d wanted no part of. She didn�t care that it was at the request of

the elderly Madame Azzedine, who had taken a shine to Cassie, and deemed her the perfect new host. If it weren�t for him, she wouldn�t be

in this mess.

Averting her eyes sharply, she edged past Richard and into the classroom, hoping he wouldn�t take any notice of her. After all, he was

lucky he hadn�t been expelled. Surely even someone that brazen must be ashamed to be around her after what he had done �

Apparently not. A hand squeezed her arm, halting her in her tracks.

�You have no idea,� he murmured, �how different you look.�

She spun on her heel to glare at him.

Around them, the last students were rushing into class, still loud with gossip and the excitement of a new term, but Herr Stolz was now

standing at the front of the room, clearing his throat, tapping his fingers on the desk.

Richard ignored him. �Hello, Cassie.�

�Class is starting,� she said crisply.

He ignored that as well. �You look � amazing.�

�Thanks.� Her voice was arctic.

�Ah. You sound different, too.�

Was she imagining it, or was that a touch of sadness in his voice? Who cared? Turning away, she saw Isabella breeze into the classroom

and fling herself at Jake, almost toppling his seat over. That raised a smile, though Cassie noticed that Jake, who had been scribbling

furiously in a notebook, still looked a little distracted. Cassie frowned � after all the time it had taken for Isabella to win him over, she�d have

hoped Jake would pay her best friend a little more attention. She slid into a seat next to the pair.

�Steady on, Isabella! You�ll damage the furniture.�

�Ah, Cassie! There you are! Fear not, Jake�s manly body is sturdy enough to hold little old me.� Isabella fluttered her eyelashes at her

boyfriend, who finally put down his pen and swiftly kissed her nose.

Surveying the room properly for the first time, Cassie realised that the sleek, modern desks and chairs were probably too well-made to

give way in any case. They were fantastically stylish compared with the traditional wooden furniture that had filled the Academy back in

Paris. In fact, they looked as if they�d been carved from lumps of blue ice by Phillipe Starck himself.

�Cassie!�

She turned to see where the call had come from, and found herself staring at a small clique sitting at the back of the classroom, slightly

apart from their fellow students. Some of them seemed to regard her with loathing, some with cautious smiles, but all were, without

exception, stunningly good-looking.

The Few. Her new �family�.

Ayeesha and her Irish boyfriend Cormac, two of the more friendly-looking, waved enthusiastically. The Bajan girl called her name again

and beckoned her towards an empty desk next to where they were sitting. Ayeesha looked genuinely welcoming, and didn�t make Cassie�s

antennae tingle the way some of the others did. Surely she hadn�t been one of the dark, hooded figures at the Arc de Triomphe ceremony.

Surely � Remembering the sinister horror, Cassie shivered.

�I think you�re being summoned,� Jake said, his dry humour not quite covering the note of disdain in his voice.

Cassie averted her eyes hurriedly. �Don�t be daft. I�m not going over there. I�m sitting with you guys, same as always.�

�Ah, we are honoured, Ms Bell!� A mischievous singsong lilt was in Isabella�s voice, but Cassie�s sideways look stopped her short. The

last thing she needed was to give the impression that she wanted to be treated differently now, especially around Jake � she was already

wary of his feelings towards her.

Cassie nudged Jake and forced herself to smile. �Oh, I get it. You want to get rid of the third wheel so you can have Isabella all to

yourself, eh?�

Jake chuckled and held up his hands in mock protest, but his grin quickly faded as he glanced at someone approaching behind her. �I

think we have the full complement of wheels,� he muttered, turning away.

�Is this seat taken?�

Cassie looked up sharply and her heartbeat broke into a sprint.

�Ranjit!� Cassie felt her face redden at the undisguised enthusiasm in her voice. �Um, hi. No, it�s not taken.�

�Can we come to order, please?� At the front of the classroom Herr Stolz was attempting, with little success, to exert his authority.

�Welcome back, all of you. Mr Singh, if you could take a seat, please? We must begin.�

Ranjit nodded a nonchalant apology in Herr Stolz�s direction before sliding elegantly into the chair beside her. Isabella looked at Cassie

and giggled; Jake remained silent and unsmiling. Ignoring the low ripples of surprise surrounding her (maybe not everyone in the school

had seen their clinch in the atrium after all), Cassie opened her textbook and smoothed down its pages carefully. She flushed as Ranjit half-

turned his head to her and smiled.

A tingle on the back of her neck told her that more eyes were upon her. She glanced quickly up and turned in her seat, expecting to find

half of the Few drilling daggers into her back.

So it was a surprise to meet only Richard�s steady, miserable gaze.

Richard must have got some of his joie de vivre back over the course of the lesson, cheered by his own good-natured taunting of the

hyper-serious teacher. When he approached Cassie at the bell while Ranjit was delayed by Herr Stoltz, he was all charm once more.

�You�re angry with me. You�re angry with me! Cassie, sweet girl, I can�t bear it. I shall kill myself. No, I shall throw myself on the streets. I

shall sell my body for a few groats and die, pale and thin, in a garret. I shall waste away. I shall write desperate, terrible poetry. I shall��

�Shut up, Richard.� Cassie turned away, adjusting the heavy pile of books in her arms as she peered through the jostling students, trying

to catch sight of Isabella and Jake. They were already out in the corridor and all wrapped up in one another. She glanced around for Ranjit,

but now he was speaking to his roommate, a lean Danish boy called Torvald.

�For you, darling, I�ll shut up,� Richard said smoothly.

�In my dreams. In everyone�s dreams.�

�I�m still in your dreams?� He clasped his hands to his heart, mock-swooning.

Cassie scowled, cross with herself. If she got drawn into his silly banter there was a chance she�d forgive him. And he didn�t deserve to

be forgiven. �Bugger off, Richard. I mean it. Surely you must realise that your little act is totally wasted on me now.� Cassie walked

deliberately away towards Isabella, stopping at her roommate�s side with a feeling of vicious satisfaction. Richard was left standing in the

doorway; she could see his reflection in the glass, looking lost and genuinely wounded. Good.

The thought of Richard was banished from her mind by a jolt of electricity as Ranjit returned and placed one hand gently on the small of

her back. Ayeesha and Cormac followed closely behind him. A little reluctantly, Cassie turned to them and smiled. �Hi, guys.�

�Hey, Cassie, Ranjit,� called Ayeesha as she approached. She turned to Ranjit and nodded with obvious respect. Cassie still didn�t have a

full grasp on the hierarchy of the Few, but there was no doubt who was top dog. A little thrill of power went through her at the thought that

she was dating him. A smile twitched at Ranjit�s lips, as though he knew what she was thinking.

�Don�t wander off,� continued Ayeesha. �Come up to the common room. We should show you around, Cassie.�

�We�re going there now, thought we�d skip English lit,� added Cormac.

Cassie took a breath. In spite of Isabella�s obvious interest, she�d been half-hoping she could avoid the Common Room: the elite,

exclusive, sacrosanct common room of the Few �

�Uh, well, I have a free period now, so I thought I could catch up on a bit of unpacking and stuff. And I don�t know about cutting class ��

�Oh, don�t worry about that. Come on! Come and meet the others. Have a chat. Get to know us all.�

Was she anywhere near ready for this? For small talk with people she might last have seen behind red hoods, chaining her down at the

mercy of Estelle Azzedine? She didn�t even know which ones they were �

�Go on, Cassie!� Isabella chimed in, jiggling her arm. �It sounds like fun.�

Jake looked thunderous. His silence spoke volumes for Cassie, and she opened her mouth to decline the offer. But just then, three sixth-

form girls swept past towards the atrium. One of them � Sara, was it? � shot her a supercilious glance and muttered something sotto voce

to her friends, prompting a fit of giggling. Cassie couldn�t make out exactly what was said, but she�d distinctly heard the word common, and

she was pretty sure they weren�t talking about the room.

Sara was Few, Cassie knew that. Did her eyes look familiar? Had she seen those cool, grey-blue irises through a slit in a red hood? Rage

rose up in her. There was only one way to find out �

�You know what?� Cassie told Ayeesha loudly. �Actually, that�d be great. I�ll come along later on this afternoon.�

�Great! See you then.�

As Ayeesha and Cormac walked off, Cassie�s heart sank. She regretted being so impulsive. She really wasn�t ready to face the common

room. Cassie eyed Jake self-consciously as Ranjit turned to her and took her hand.

�I�ve got a couple of things I need to take care of too. But I�ll come and meet you after your English class and we can head up there

together.�

Cassie smiled as she watched him stride gracefully away. How did he know exactly the right thing to say? With Ranjit at her side, the

common room suddenly wasn�t such a daunting prospect.

�Ugh. Socialising with the chosen ones. I can�t wait.�

�Cassie!What did I tell you about looking on the bright side? Embrace the good things! If I had the chance to skip boring old English lit, I

would have jumped in it!� Isabella dug her elbow into Cassie�s ribs.

�Ouch! Jeez, Isabella!�

�So � you and Singh are making a go of it, huh?� Jake said, his voice tight. Cassie could tell he was about as keen to ask that question

as she was to answer it. She shuffled along beside them, keeping her eyes on her battered trainers.

�Uh, yeah. I know it�s a bit awkward, but he�s one of the good guys, Jake. I�m certain of it.�

�Well, I�m glad you are.�

Isabella glared at Jake. �I mean, I guess you�re probably right,� he hastily qualified.

But he didn�t look at Cassie as he spoke. She knew that he had long suspected Ranjit of having killed his sister. Even Katerina�s

confession that she and Keiko had committed the crime hadn�t been enough to convince Jake that Ranjit wasn�t in some way responsible.

And Cassie had to admit there were still unanswered questions. Ranjit had been due to meet Jess the night she was killed, but Katerina

had sent someone to delay him. Who had that been, and how much did they know about the plot? Cassie wasn�t sure she wanted to find

out � and even if she did, she had a feeling Ranjit wouldn�t say.

Jessica Johnson. The dead girl felt like the elephant in the room in so many of her relationships, sometimes it was almost as though she

was still alive and there at the Academy �

�Jake�� Cassie began.

He shook his head and nudged her good-naturedly. �Hey, ignore me. I�m sorry. I�ve not quite forgiven or forgotten yet, I guess. But I�m

here, and that�s something. Anyway, we�re under instructions from this beautiful girl here to lighten up. Sorry, baby,� he said, putting his arm

around Isabella�s shoulders as they made their way down the hall.

�No problem,� Isabella said, glowing at his compliment.

Jake cleared his throat, and moved swiftly on to another topic Cassie wasn�t keen to discuss.

�So anyway, when am I going to find out what happened in Darke�s office, huh? I want to know what he said. What did you do, Cassie?

What did he do?�

�Um ��

�You look a hell of a lot better now, that�s for sure. Was it something to do with, uh, feeding?� Jake�s voice was casual, but it couldn�t

quite hide the urgency behind his question, and Cassie began to worry he�d jumped to the right conclusion. �Come on, what happened?

Fess up.� He attempted a smile.

Cassie glanced at Isabella and noticed the very slight shake of her head. Taking a deep breath, she once again couldn�t quite meet Jake�s

eye. �Sir Alric gave me a shot of something. Kind of a drug. But not a drug.�

Jake stayed silent for an agonising moment. At last he said, �A drug?�

�Yeah. Not dangerous or anything. It�s something the Few can take. To ward off the hunger.� That wasn�t a lie, after all.

�Oh.� He looked dumbfounded. �So, the feeding thing?�

�I just got the injection, and � now it�s all fine.� Behind her back, Cassie crossed the fingers of both hands.

�Really?� Jake frowned, and then made a face. �Well, that�s great. Why the hell didn�t you tell me? It seems pretty straightforward. God, you

had me worried there, you know, with what Keiko did and all.�

�Yeah. No. I mean, I�m fine now.� Cassie could barely raise a smile. Guilt twisted her gut.

He smiled ruefully back. �Well, I�m glad you�re OK, anyhow.�

�Uh, cheers.�

�Right,� harrumphed Isabella, a nervous note in her voice. �Are you happy now, Jake?�

Her boyfriend grinned and gave her a faux-meek nod.

�Then I need to talk to Cassie.� She wagged a finger at Jake and linked arms with her roommate. �Alone!�

�Hey, what can�t I hear?� he asked plaintively.

Isabella let go of Cassie�s arm and wrapped herself around Jake�s neck. She planted an enthusiastic kiss on his lips then pulled away.

�Girl talk.�

It seemed to convince him. He raised his hands in defeat. �OK. In that case, I�m definitely going. See you later, girls.�

Isabella grinned and waved him goodbye.

When he�d disappeared from sight, Cassie exhaled deeply. �I feel like a shit,� she muttered.

Isabella clasped her hand. �Thank you, Cassie.�

�For what? Lying to him?�

�For being discreet. I don�t want him to know about the feeding. It will bring back too many painful memories of Jess.�

Cassie let Isabella precede her into the elevator. �He�s got to know eventually.�

�Yes,� conceded Isabella miserably. �But not yet, hmm?�

�The longer we leave it ��

�The longer he�ll be happy. Ignorance is blissful, isn�t it? So let�s not tell him just yet.�

�OK,� sighed Cassie as the elevator door slid silently open at their floor. �But I want a favour for keeping my mouth shut.�

Isabella slipped her arm through Cassie�s. �Name it! A polo pony?�

Cassie giggled. �As if. All I want is a shot on your laptop, to check my emails and stuff ?�

�Ooh, you ask so much.� Isabella tossed her hair dramatically, then laughed. Sweeping into their room and flinging her bag on to her bed,

she patted her laptop. �There you go!�

Cassie logged on, found her webmail folder and scrolled down through the messages. A couple of emails from the kids back at Cranlake,

including some really bad jokes which made her laugh out loud. Otherwise nothing but special offers from websites she�d visited. Boring.

There was one more. Although she was expecting it, the sender�s name on the last message in the folder hit her with a jolt. With a flush of

guilt, she took a deep breath.

From: Patrick Malone

Subject: Fw: Fw: How�s things?

Give the man his due, he was persistent. He had sent the same email three times now, with minor variations. How was New York? How

was the flight? Was she OK? He hadn�t heard from her � was something wrong? Could she just reply to this, or better yet call him, so he�d

know she was OK? Cassie, could you please just acknowledge this? How are you feeling?

She sighed. How was she feeling? Not ready to talk.

Definitely not ready to confront what had happened at Christmas, or what Patrick might know �

Gently she stroked the touchpad, guiding the cursor to the delete button.

Delete this message?

Hesitating only for a moment, she clicked �Yes�.

CHAPTER SIX

Cassie took a deep breath. It seemed a daring act of sacrilege just to touch the beautiful inlaid common-room door. The patterns were so

intricate, so delicate, she was afraid she might break the wood.

But let�s face it: that wasn�t why she was hesitating. She eyed Ranjit nervously as he stepped forward and placed his hand on the

gleaming silver handle.

�Relax. It�ll be fun,� he murmured, reaching down with his other hand to take her own. She rolled her eyes and tried to smile. Ranjit turned

the handle and the door swung open.

As they walked in, Cassie took a breath. Why had she been expecting the same Parisian common room, with its antiques and dark

fabrics, jewelled lamps and glassware? This vast space, only a floor below Sir Alric�s penthouse office, was flooded with light from its glass

walls and the frosty blue sky beyond. The leather sofas were clean-lined and ivory-white; the furniture was sleek and minimalist but visibly

expensive. Her trainers squeaked on a pale hardwood floor as they crossed the room under stares that ranged from surprised to friendly to

violently hostile.

�Hey, you two!� Cormac leaped to his feet, and Ayeesha gave them one of her radiant grins. �Good to see you both. Come along in and

meet the others, Cassie.�

It was extraordinary, she thought, the way the big clique that was the Few was split into its own small but very intense sub-cliques. The

people she�d expect to be together were together, classified by personality and general niceness � or lack thereof. The bond between

certain Few members, and the division between certain Few groups, was invisible but obvious. They were like small galaxies revolving

around each other but never touching. Between some groups, the air almost vibrated with tension. She got the distinct sense, too, that

some of the members of each group deferred to the others in a way that seemed to be nothing to do with age.

Whatever the reason for the divisions, all of the room�s inhabitants were temporarily united in watching Cassie and Ranjit, and eyeing

their clasped hands with interest. Unconcerned, Cormac was gesturing expansively round the room. �� and Sara, of course. And you�ll

know Vassily and India from last term, and Yusuf. Sorry, I�m sure Ranjit can introduce you, I suppose you don�t need me to tell you all this.�

He gave a warm chuckle. Cassie smiled back, ever-so-slightly beginning to loosen up.

Then the common-room door opened again, and she immediately stiffened with tension once more. The voice she heard calling an

elaborate greeting to a group of students in the corner was horribly familiar.

Richard.

Startled, Cassie glanced over at him: how could it have slipped her mind that he would most likely be in the common room? Maybe she�d

wilfully forgotten. As their eyes met, he doffed an invisible hat, smiling tentatively, but thankfully saying nothing. Ranjit eyed him warily.

Cormac had returned to flop down on a plush sofa beside Ayeesha, and Cassie sighed deeply. �OK, that�s that experience over. Can we go

now?� she whispered through gritted teeth, though a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.

Ranjit looked down at her tense face and laughed infectiously. His gaze held hers, and Cassie found herself rooted to the spot, calmed by

his intense stare. She stared back at him, mesmerised, until, almost in slow motion, Ranjit wrapped his arms around her and pressed his

lips to hers. Time seemed to stand still as she melted into his kiss, forgetting her reservations until a loud cough nearby abruptly made her

very aware that they were still standing in the middle of the room. Eyes were turned in their direction again. Cormac seemed quietly

amused; Richard looked stricken.

�Not again,� she mumbled, grinning sheepishly. �Aren�t we, uh, a little on display here?�

�Oh. Of course, let�s, um �� Ranjit shook his head a little as if to clear it, and guided her to another plush sofa tucked into a corner of the

room. As they went, a burst of good-natured laughter rang out from Richard�s group, but Richard didn�t seem to be sharing the joke. His

eyes were still on Cassie, filled with some undefinable emotion. Then they reached the sofa and sat down, Ranjit put his arm casually

around her shoulders, and her heart floated.

Forcing Richard�s expression out of her head, Cassie cleared her throat. �I admit it. This is kind of cool.� She lowered her voice. �And I�m

glad to see they seem just as shocked to see you here as they do me.� She prodded Ranjit�s side playfully. He flushed, and Cassie was

surprised to see that he looked a little embarrassed.

�I guess so.�

�How come?� Cassie gave him a puzzled look.

�After Jess died, I kept my distance from the rest of the Few. I knew one of them must have been responsible, but I didn�t know who. I

suspected all of them. I hardly came to the common room at all last year. It made it kind of hard to have close friendships. And they�re wary

of me for other reasons.�

�Such as?�

Ranjit sighed. �The Few respect power � it�s how we define ourselves. And I�m strong, Cassie. One of the strongest of the Few at the

Academy. I make people nervous � or jealous.�

With a smile, Cassie reached up and ran her fingers through his jet-black hair. �You�re telling me,� she said. He gave a quiet laugh. �How do

they know you�re so powerful anyway? How can they tell?�

Ranjit looked at her quizzically. �Don�t you see it?� he asked.

Cassie shrugged. �Nope.�

�Try. Look at the others now. Let yourself sense their strength.�

Trying not to be too obvious, Cassie shifted in her seat so she could see the rest of the room. �What do I do?�

�Just relax. Open your mind and it�ll happen.�

Feeling intensely awkward, Cassie stared at her classmates. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, slowly, she began to discern a glow

that seemed to come from within each of them. A ball of light that hovered around where their heart would be. �They�re beautiful,� she

breathed.

�It�s the Few spirits,� whispered Ranjit into her ear. �The brighter the light, the stronger the spirit.�

Some of the lights glowed softly, others burned more powerfully. Cormac�s light was low and steady, but Ayeesha�s was as bright as a

spotlight. The Bajan girl had to be seriously powerful. Casting her eyes over the rest of the room, Cassie could suddenly see that the group

divisions were almost all to do with power.

Yusuf, his spirit almost as bright as Ayeesha�s, was surrounded by a trio of less powerful Few, as if they were relying on him for

patronage and protection. In the far corner, a group of much weaker lights had gathered together, almost like they were seeking safety in

numbers. Richard was among them, and Cassie was surprised to see that the English boy�s spirit was little more than a candle flame. Odd,

she had always figured him for a big player among the Few �

�Now look at me,� murmured Ranjit, and his velvety tones brought Cassie�s attention back to him. Her breath caught in her throat as she

saw his dazzling spirit. It blazed from his chest like a fallen star, eclipsing all others in the room.

Or almost all.

Glancing down, Cassie saw for the first time the glow from her own body � as bright as Ranjit�s, it seemed, but different. Rather than

being concentrated in her chest, her own light seemed somehow diffuse. As she reached out to touch his face, she could see an aura

surrounding her arm, like a halo. Shaking her head, she let the vision fade.

�I�m different,� she said quietly.

Ranjit took her hand. �You�re perfect.�

Cassie felt her heart skip a beat. She smiled back at him shyly. �If you say so.�

�So now you�ve seen them as they truly are,� grinned Ranjit. �Maybe it would be good to get to know some of them better. There are

actually some decent people among the Few, y�know.�

She leaned forward and skimmed his lips mischievously with her own. Something about his gaze was like a magnet; she couldn�t seem

to keep her hands off him.

�I know there are,� she whispered pointedly.

�Well, if you change your mind on that, at least you�re a little fond of the indecent ones too.�

�Huh?� Cassie frowned.

Ranjit nodded towards Richard, now lounging alone on a corner sofa flicking through a copy of the National Enquirer.

�What do you mean, I�m fond of him?� She pulled back a little, bristling.

�Well, he never stopped flirting with you from August to December��

�Oh, and that�s my fault, is it?�

Ranjit stiffened, his eyes suddenly narrowing. �No, but you�ve hardly taken your eyes off him since we came in.�

Does he think we don�t want him? We do! Cassandra, you must convince him!

Cassie froze at the reappearance of the all-too-familiar voice inside her mind. Beside her, Ranjit�s hand slipped out from behind her neck

as he turned to face her. �Come on, Cassie. It�s pretty obvious he�s interested in you. And you did like him. I barely had a look-in last term,

until you��

�Huh!� she interrupted, incredulous. �I liked him fine, till he tricked me into hosting some goddamn demon.�

And we thank him for that, my dear!

Cassie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to ignore Estelle�s interjections. The old bag had been quiet since the nightmare,

why was she back now?

Ranjit�s eyes flashed. �Demon? Is that what you think? What does that make me, then?�

�Ranjit, why are you being like this?� Cassie hissed, turning her body to square up to him more fully. He glowered back for a moment,

then, with a deep breath, his look softened. He reached over and touched her knee.

�I�m sorry, Cassie. I didn�t mean to �� Ranjit lowered his voice. �Look, I�m sorry. Maybe now�s not the time to talk about it.�

Cassie slewed her gaze left and right. Sure enough, a few of the smirks had returned now that she and Ranjit had raised their voices to

each other. Taking a deep breath of her own, she slid her arm hesitantly back through Ranjit�s.

�OK � What if I just forgive you, then?�

�Great. What if I just don�t mention Richard Halton-Jones again?�

�Even better.� Cassie gave him a slow grin. Setting her jaw, she decided to put the whole episode behind her. �Anyway � what�s

happening today in the world of the Few?�

�I think the plan is to watch a movie. Fancy it?�

�Yeah, sure.�

Just as she spoke, one of the older students nearby lifted a remote control and blinds began to slide down the massive windows. With a

click and a hum, a huge screen began to descend from the ceiling and the state-of-the-art projector lit up.

�OK, definitely cool,� she said, awed. �Maybe this common room thing isn�t so bad after all.�

As the lights dimmed, Cassie relaxed into the soft leather of the sofa, trying to forget the image of Ranjit�s face, eyes narrowed, jealous

and so quick to bridle. She�d never seen that side to him before. They obviously still had a lot to learn about each other. Anyway, wasn�t

she glad he was jealous? In a way it was nice. Reassuring. Had she overreacted? Was she wrong to have bitten his head off? Probably. But

it was only a minor squabble, and he seemed to have forgotten it already.

Sighing, she closed her eyes. The cosy darkness enveloped her, and after a moment, she forgot the film � forgot most things � as she

found herself concentrating only on Ranjit�s closeness. The intoxicating smell of his body through his shirt. The rise and fall of his chest

as he breathed. She felt her fingers clutch his tightly. If she stopped over-analysing everything, she might even forget her worries

altogether �

CHAPTER SEVEN

Cassie swore under her breath and considered for the fifth time whether hurling her monitor through a seventeenth-floor window would

be considered grounds for expulsion.

At the start of term, the new computer science teacher Mr Jackson had seemed a soft touch. But now, a few weeks in, he�d turned into a

monster. Their latest project � designing a new section of the Darke Academy website � could have been fun as well as interesting, had Mr

Jackson not insisted on including such a complex sequence of animations and graphics. Cassie had always been a dab hand at web

design, but she was sick of the sight of Dreamweaver. Her own dreams were trouble enough.

Estelle�s nocturnal visits were getting more frequent � three in the last week � and although there had been no repeat of the melting

photo frame incident, Cassie couldn�t shake the notion that the two events were somehow connected. She had considered asking Ranjit

about them, but she knew that he found it disturbing that Cassie could hear Estelle�s voice, and she didn�t want to make him

uncomfortable.

Cassie sighed, refocusing on the screen in front of her. Perhaps Jake could help � the boy seemed glued to his laptop these days,

whether in or out of class. She�d never had him pegged as a computer geek, but maybe �

She slipped out of her chair and hurried silently across the room, keeping low to avoid the roaming gaze of Mr Jackson.

�Hey, Jake, can you��

�Cassie!�

Jake practically jumped out of his skin. Flushing red, he scrambled to minimise the window on his screen, but not before Cassie�s

astonished eyes had caught the words stamped across the top of the page.

THE DARKE ACADEMY STUDENT RECORDS � CONFIDENTIAL

�Jake, what was that?� demanded Cassie.

�Hell, Cassie,� Jake replied, trying to laugh it off. �You gave me a shock and a half.�

�You�re supposed to be designing the front page, not hacking into the school records system.� Cassie sighed in exasperation as she

tugged the mouse from his hands. �What are you doing anyway? Trying to fiddle your chemistry grades?�

�Hey, don�t�� protested Jake. �Aw, Cassie �� He threw up his hands in disgust as Cassie pulled open the window.

Her stomach turned a backflip. She turned to Jake, but he was staring at the tabletop and wouldn�t meet her eye.

�Jake, do you have any idea how much trouble you could get into for doing this?� Cassie demanded. �This is Katerina�s personal file!

What the hell are you playing at?�

�Just leave it, Cassie. It�s none of your business.�

�None of my business? She tried to kill me, remember?�

Jake�s eyes blazed. �Yeah, well she did kill my sister. Remember that? Did you think I was just gonna let that go?�

�Jake, we�ve been through this��

�She admitted it, Cassie! She told us she killed her, and she laughed. And all Darke did was expel her. Is that fair? Well, maybe it is for the

Few, but I don�t subscribe to their idea of justice.�

Cold fear clutched at Cassie�s bowels. �You�re not thinking of going looking for her, are you, Jake? Tell me you�re not.�

�Ask me no questions, Cassie, I�ll tell you no lies.�

�Jake, listen to me.� Cassie struggled to keep her voice as reasonable as she could. �Promise me that you�ll stop this. Please. We both

know that Katerina killed Jess, but there�s no way of proving it, even if you find her.�

Jake sighed bitterly. �At this moment, I�d settle for just finding her, Cassie. And that�s easier said than done. The address in this file is in

Sweden and I�ve already checked it out. The Svenssons sold the place a month ago and left. No forwarding address.�

Relief swamped her. With the Few�s network of connections, surely there was no way Jake could find Katerina if she didn�t want to be

found.

�Please, Jake. I know it�s hard, but you have to let this go.�

Jake�s gaze was apologetic. �I can�t, Cassie. I owe it to Jess. I�m going to find Katerina. She�s going to be punished for what she did. I

swear it.�

�Mr Johnson? Miss Bell? I wasn�t aware that you were working on this project together?�

Cassie started at the teacher�s voice.

�Um, no � sorry, Mr Jackson, I was just asking Jake about editing HTML code,� she mumbled.

�Well, call me traditional, but I think it�s usual for questions in class to be directed to the teacher.�

�Yes, sir,� muttered Cassie, gritting her teeth.

�So why don�t you come on back to your seat and I�ll see if I can help.�

As she made her way across the classroom, Cassie shot a final pleading look at Jake, but he seemed to be concentrating on his own

screen. He looked determined. As determined as she�d ever seen him. This was going to be trouble �

CHAPTER EIGHT

�Y ou know, I�ve never had a date in a railway station before,� said Cassie.

Ranjit grinned. �You don�t know what you�ve been missing.�

No kidding. Cassie was really pleased when Ranjit had suggested a bit of sightseeing together earlier that afternoon. She�d felt as if a

distance had opened up between them after their spat in the common room, and Cassie had been hopeful that his suggestion of an

afternoon alone could be enough to change that. However, when he brought her to a train station she wasn�t quite so sure it was going to

be the romantic reconciliation she was hoping for after all.

Luckily, it didn�t take long to change her mind when Ranjit led her up to the Oyster Bar. Even with her limited experience of such matters,

Cassie had a glimmer of hope that the crustaceans might provide an early-evening aphrodisiac �

�Good, aren�t they?� Ranjit looked up from under his long, dark lashes and grinned. As he returned to his plate of expensive shellfish,

Cassie eyed her fellow diners. The three women at the next table were animated, laughing at some juicy piece of gossip. She watched their

mouths, sniffed delicately at the scent of their breath. Their lively auras were almost more appealing than oysters, but she wasn�t afraid of

attacking them. Not yet. Inside her, the hunger was quiet. The Tears of the Few were still doing their job, thank goodness. She still had time.

�You�re all right, aren�t you?� Ranjit asked, reaching a hand over to touch hers.

Her skin tingled. �Absolutely.� As if to prove it, she swallowed another oyster, and leaned contentedly back in her chair. The ceiling above

her was stunning: vaulted and tiled and glowing with light. �What a beautiful place.�

�I know it sounds weird, but the main terminal�s even better.� He laughed. �Are you finished? I�ll get the bill and we can go upstairs.�

Dropping his napkin on the red checked tablecloth, he nodded to a waiter. Handing over a shiny black credit card, he paid without checking

the amount. Cassie gave a short, private laugh. The casual wealth of the students at the Darke Academy never ceased to amaze her.

Ranjit walked around and helped her into her coat, and she smiled as he rested his hands on her shoulders for a fraction longer than

necessary.

�Hey, is everything cool with you and Jake?�

Cassie hesitated, surprised at his question � and on guard after what had happened when he�d brought up the subject of Richard. �Yeah.

Why wouldn�t it be?�

�I don�t know. I just haven�t seen him hanging out with you as much as usual recently. I know he�s not exactly thrilled with the idea of us

being together. And after what happened to Jess, I can�t imagine he�s happy about you feeding on Isabella either.�

Cassie silently cursed his perceptiveness. Jake had indeed been keeping his distance since their �chat� in computer science. But how

much could she tell Ranjit? She wasn�t ready to let anyone else know about Jake�s one-man campaign to bring Katerina to justice, that was

for sure.

She bought a little time by knotting her scarf carefully. At last she gave Ranjit an apologetic grin. �Yeah, you have a point. Things have

been a bit � tense. But actually, he doesn�t know about the feeding thing yet.�

He raised his eyebrows. �Really? Well, maybe that�s for the best. But how long do you think you can keep it from him? Jake isn�t stupid.�

�I know.� Cassie made a rueful face. �But we haven�t actually done anything yet, so it�s not like we�re actually lying. And Isabella really,

really doesn�t want him to know.�

�Yeah. I can believe that,� Ranjit said. �Still, that�s a pretty amazing friend you�ve got there.�

�She�s very brave,� Cassie replied quietly. �Braver than I�d be. Anyway, we�ve got an appointment with Sir Alric tomorrow. Isabella and me.

He�s going to give us our first � um, tutorial.�

�Good. It will be much easier for you to get used to the idea of being one of us once you�re surer about the feeding.�

She shifted uncomfortably at his choice of phrase. �One of us�. The reminder that Ranjit was as much a member of the Few as those

sinister figures who had lurked, hooded, in the shadows during her ritual. He had spoken a little about the dark nature of the spirit inside

him, the �personality clash� they had � a bad spirit in a good person. Like Cassie and Estelle, perhaps. Was she falling for a monster?

Was he?

Of course not, my dear �

Cassie tensed. As they walked towards the stairs, Ranjit sensed her discomfort.

�Cassie � I know things are a little different for you, and it�s going to take some getting used to, but I promise you, it�s not all bad.�

�That�s easy for you to say � you don�t have your spirit interrupting your thoughts at random intervals.� She turned and gave him a half-

hearted smile, but couldn�t keep it up. She was suddenly on a downer.

�I mean, you�ve got more of a sense of unity, even if you do struggle with your nature. I�m an outsider even amongst the outsiders. And

I�m nothing like any of you lot. You�re all rich, suave, privileged. I�m a Scholarship, for God�s sake, on top of everything else �� She trailed

off and stopped at the top of the stairs, taking a ragged breath. People brushed past them as they stood facing one another. Ranjit reached

over and took both her hands in his.

�You �� he leaned in towards her, �need to stop worrying so much. I may not be able to talk to my spirit, but I�m still on your side. I do

have some idea what you�re going through. Believe it or not, I don�t just breeze through life without a care, despite what you might think.�

He seemed to be trying to comfort her, but there was a faint edge to his voice. He paused for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut as if trying

to block something out. Without opening them, his lips found hers. Then after what seemed like forever, he pulled away. A small whimper

escaped from Cassie�s mouth. Or was it just inside her head �?

Finally, wordlessly, he grabbed her hand and guided her down the stairs. For a moment all thoughts of their problems went clean out of

her head as they came to a halt.

�Oh, wow,� Cassie breathed.

They were standing in the main concourse of Grand Central Station, below its iconic clock. Around them, commuters and tourists

swarmed through the huge space, but she could only stare at the colossal arched windows, the elegant stonework, and most of all, the

extravagantly beautiful painted ceiling. Once her attention was caught, she couldn�t look away.

She turned, dizzy with staring upwards. �It�s the zodiac.�

�Yes.� Ranjit had his hand on her elbow, steadying her. �Painted the wrong way round. See?�

�I wouldn�t know. Is it?�

�By mistake, yes. The Vanderbilt family commissioned the work early last century. When the error was spotted, they said it was

deliberate. They said it�s as if we�re looking down on the stars. A God�s-eye view.�

Slowly, Cassie turned around again, taking it in. �I like that,� she murmured. �A God�s-eye view. How appropriate.�

�All right, Cassie Bell. So now we�ve got the first awkward date out of the way ��

�Mmm?� Awkward was right.

�Please can I take you out again?� His words rushed out. �Properly?� His sheepish grin ruined her. �Valentine�s Day?�

Cassie took a breath. She�d never had a real Valentine�s date before: in fact, if it hadn�t been for the hearts-and-flowers displays in every

shop front, she�d have forgotten the day was approaching.

�OK,� she said slowly, suddenly feeling hot.

He cocked an eyebrow, and the expression of mock outrage on his face made her laugh out loud.

�Sorry � yes. Yes, I�d love to.�

�Wonderful!� His smile lit up his whole face, making him look altogether different. Cassie couldn�t help wishing she could give him that

look more often.

�So am I allowed to ask where we�re going?�

�No, absolutely not. It�s a surprise.�

�Great.� She squeezed his arm mischievously. �It�s not as if I�ve had enough of those.�

�Ha ha. Hey, it�s still pretty early. Want to go and take a look at the trains?�

She slipped her hand into his as they moved through the hurrying crowds. �So, what have we got here? Thomas? Percy? The Hogwarts

Express?�

He laughed and squeezed her fingers. �Bog-standard Metro-North trains. But you never know. Keep your eyes peeled.�

They walked slowly, taking in the sight of thousands of New Yorkers and tourists. She took a moment to just enjoy being with Ranjit,

and not being in a hurry to go anywhere. �It�s like a dance. How can this many people never bump into each other?�

�I never thought of it that way. You�re right, it is pretty amazing. What else can we do here? Do you want to take a look at the shopping

concourse?�

�Ha! I get enough of that with Isabella!� Cassie chuckled, over the whistle of a train about to depart.

�I confess, that�s a relief.�

Letting go of Ranjit�s hand, Cassie backed away and looked upwards, craning her neck. �Who�d believe a railway station could be this

entertaining?�

�Well, you know, they nearly demolished� CASSIE!�

Out of nowhere, a figure was sprinting towards the departing train, shouldering Cassie violently aside. Taken completely by surprise, she

stumbled sideways with a cry of shock.

She was aware of a train pulling in, of the deafening noise of it as she teetered on the edge of the platform, and the high shriek of what

might have been a whistle or a terrified onlooker. Her arms flailed wildly in the air as she fell towards the track.

Then Ranjit snatched hold of her, his iron grasp dragging her desperately back to safety. As he clutched her wrist and finally pulled her

clear, she felt the rush of wind in her hair from the train, the solid platform under her feet, and the tight grip of Ranjit�s arms.

�It�s fine. She�s fine. Thanks.� Pale with shock, he waved away a few concerned commuters, and in seconds they were left alone, the

crowds once more sweeping past. Cassie could feel his muscles trembling beneath his coat.

�Thanks, Sir Galahad.� Her voice shook.

�Jeez, that was close.� Ranjit held her tighter. �Who was that idiot?�

�Dunno. Bloody New Yorkers. Late for a meeting, I guess.� Cassie managed to choke out a laugh.

The train the figure had caught was pulling away. Ranjit gave it a last glare, then hugged Cassie again. �Are you sure you�re OK?�

�Yeah. Honestly.� She shivered, and he pulled her coat tighter around her.

�Know what? I think we�ve had enough sightseeing for today.�

�I agree. Railway stations, eh? Entertaining, but dangerous too.� She smiled shakily. �Let�s go back.�

CHAPTER NINE

Cassie didn�t sleep well that night. Every time she began to drop off, she�d feel the rush of the train, hear the shriek of its whistle. And in

the uneasy half-dreams, there were no hands to seize her and pull her away � instead she reached out, pulling Ranjit down with her. In the

dreams, she just kept on falling, falling, Estelle�s voice ringing in her ears �

Yet again, she started awake, breathing hard. It was still night outside, but she fumbled for her watch and peered at it in the faint city

glow. She groaned. Feeling hopelessly sleep-deprived, she swung her legs out of bed for fear of falling back into a doze. That would be just

typical.

�Time to get up. Hey, partner. Wakey, wakey.�

Isabella snored on until Cassie pummelled her awake, and then she tried to burrow back under the covers. �Cassie, no ��

�Cassie, yes. Get up, girl. We have to go and see Sir Alric, remember?�

�Tomorrow. It can wait till tomorrow ��

�It is tomorrow, Isabella!�

Finally, Cassie resorted to the tried and tested trick of pulling her roommate out of bed by the ankles. Isabella only woke properly when

she thudded to the floor. Cross and bleary, she blinked up at Cassie through her tangled mane, then shoved it out of her eyes.

�Oh, yes. Of course. Sorry. We have an appointment, don�t we?�

By the time they were both dressed and heading for Sir Alric�s office, Isabella irritatingly seemed almost as bright and breezy as always.

If she was feeling tense, she covered it well. It was Cassie who felt heavy with tiredness and brimming with nerves.

As she raised a fist to knock on his door, it opened. Cassie recognised the smiling Few boy who was leaving the office.

�Hi, Paco. Hi, Louis.� Isabella smiled at his roommate behind him.

�Morning!� Paco seemed absurdly lively for the early hour. His eyes fairly sparkled and he glowed with energy. Louis, though, was

yawning. He gave Cassie and Isabella a sleepy smile.

�You too, huh?� He rubbed his eyes and shook his head.

�What?� said Cassie.

�Extra Latin tuition first thing. Pain in the derri�re, non?�

Cassie could only laugh weakly and nod, but she didn�t miss Paco�s sly wink, aimed only at her. She ignored him as Sir Alric called them

into the room and the door closed on the boys.

�Cassandra. Isabella.� He bestowed reassuring smiles on each of them. �Thank you for coming.�

�Not really optional, is it?� pointed out Cassie dryly.

Sir Alric gave a brief laugh. �Isabella, welcome. Cassandra tells me that she has spoken with you about her � special needs. And that

you have agreed to become her life-source. I take it you�re still sure about your decision?�

Isabella smiled tightly. �Of course.�

�Not many people have the luxury of choice in this matter,� said Sir Alric gravely. �As you know, most roommates are unaware of the true

nature of the Few.�

�Yes, Louis for example?� Isabella interjected, arching an eyebrow disapprovingly. �He does not know that Paco is feeding from him?�

�No, he does not. But let me assure you that whether or not the life-source is aware of what is happening to them, if it is properly

performed, the feeding process is entirely harmless.� Sir Alric gestured towards two large, dark leather chairs. �Please take a seat, both of

you, and I�ll do my best to answer any questions you have before we begin.�

He sat opposite them, folding one long leg over the other and regarding them expectantly. Cassie�s heart raced � she didn�t know where

to begin. She glanced over at Isabella, but she seemed at a sudden and uncharacteristic loss for words as well. Sir Alric broke the silence.

�Well, firstly, perhaps it might be useful for you both to think of these sessions in the same manner as any of your other lessons. What

we are hoping to achieve here is part of the core aim of the Academy � to prepare our students for life outside these hallowed walls. Indeed,

you may wish to think of the Academy itself as a training ground of sorts.�

�Training ground?� Cassie ventured.

�Yes. As you know, here at the Darke Academy we select students that we believe have the potential to be suitable hosts for the Few. The

academic setting provides the chosen Few with the opportunity to obtain the skills and personal connections necessary to become leading

members of society.�

�And the rest are just here as snacks?� Cassie was becoming less sure about this idea by the second.

�The other students,� continued Sir Alric, unruffled, �serve a vital role in our world. And by extension, the world at large. In giving of

themselves � their life-energy � they help to nurture our future leaders, artists and scientists � individuals vital to humanity. And in return,

they are the beneficiaries of an unrivalled, world-class education that will stand them in good stead in their own lives.�

Cassie let out a mirthless laugh. �Vital to humanity � ?� she began, but Isabella leaned forward and held up one hand.

�But why do you have to do it without our consent? And why does each member of the Few have to feed on their roommate, in

particular?� she asked, her brow lined with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

Sir Alric steepled his fingers and began again cautiously. �Over the years, we have found that secrecy is the best policy. Not everyone

would be as accepting of the Few as you have been, Isabella. If the world knew the truth about us � about our strengths and skills and

what we need to do to maintain them � how long do you think it would be before we found ourselves branded monsters? Feared and

persecuted wherever we went. No. There is safety in secrecy, and it is for that reason that most members of the Few choose to keep their

roommates ignorant of what is happening to them.�

Isabella nodded.

�As for why we insist that each member of the Few feeds only on their roommate,� continued Sir Alric, �if the Few were allowed to feed at

random, there would be the risk that one student might be fed on by more than one of the Few, losing too much of their life-energy. It is

when that happens that feeding can become dangerous. But if each member of the Few only feeds from their roommate, that danger is

avoided. It is merely a precaution, another measure of how seriously we take your safety.�

Cassie was shaking her head.

�Is there a problem, Cassandra?�

�You make it sound so easy. But what about Keiko and Alice? What about what happened to Jess, huh? What about the Few who decide

that they�re not going to follow the rules of your so-called system?� She almost spat the last word.

�In any society, there are those who stray from the path of law. When that happens, they are punished.�

Cassie laughed incredulously. Jake�s angry words from their computer science lesson rang in her ears. �So Katerina was punished for

killing Jake�s sister by being expelled? Call me unreasonable, but that�s one case where the punishment doesn�t seem to fit the crime.�

Sir Alric unfolded himself from his chair and stood up, his expression hardening. Cassie felt a pang of fear alongside her anger and

nerves.

�I understand your feelings, Cassandra, but we are not here to discuss Katerina Svensson. Her punishment was decided by powers

beyond your knowledge and my control. What is more important now is that you are given proper training in how to feed, and monitored to

ensure that you do not make the same mistakes she did.�

Sir Alric�s tone carried a definite ring of finality. Question time was over.

�Now, I have another appointment shortly, so we should begin. Isabella, if you could please come over here.� Sir Alric gestured to the

space in front of him. �And you here, Cassandra.�

Cassie took up the position indicated in front of Isabella, her palms sweating. Isabella giggled nervously and puckered her lips.

Sir Alric arched a perfect eyebrow. �What are you doing, Miss Caruso?�

Isabella glanced uneasily between Cassie and Sir Alric. �Cassie said that when Keiko fed on Alice it was like she was kissing her. So I

thought ��

�Keiko�s method was not the manner by which we recommend this process should be undertaken. Her proclivities were cruel, and her

decision to feed in that manner merely reflected those proclivities. Direct mouth-to-mouth feeding is more powerful, but also more harmful.�

�Phew! Finally some good news!� Cassie managed to crack a smile. �No offence, Isabella, but you�re not really my type.�

�None taken, darling,� Isabella replied, winking.

Sir Alric smiled as well, then shook his head. �Let�s not get ahead of ourselves. Cassandra, take hold of Isabella�s wrist, like so �� He

demonstrated, wrapping his index finger and thumb tightly around her own wrist. Cassie reached over and did as he said, shuffling her feet

uncomfortably.

�So far, so good,� Isabella said, nodding encouragingly to Cassie.

�A little tighter,� said Sir Alric briskly. Cassie tightened her grip on Isabella�s wrists, watching her roommate closely. She could feel her

pulse underneath her thumbs. Sir Alric continued.

�Now, you must think, all the time, Cassandra. Think about what you are doing, about the importance of it. Think about Isabella as well

as yourself. Don�t ever let yourself go onto automatic pilot; that�s when you�ll lose control. Start slowly. Do you understand?�

She nodded, swallowing.

�Now, Isabella � this may feel a little unusual,� said Sir Alric, his voice calm and level. �But I am here. You have my word that you will not

be harmed.�

�OK,� said Isabella, sounding uneasy.

�Are you sure you want to go through with this?� asked Cassie.

�Sure. Honestly, Cassie. I trust you.�

�Yeah, but I�m not sure I trust myself,� Cassie mumbled, her mind flying back to Cranlake Crescent and the moment she had attacked

Patrick.

�Then I will trust you for both of us.� Isabella�s smile was shaky, but her voice was firm.

�Right,� said Sir Alric, putting a hand on Cassie�s shoulder. �Both of you close your eyes.� He paused. �Now, Cassandra. Take a deep

breath and try to relax.�

Cassie did as he said, but nothing seemed to happen.

�Once more. Concentrate.�

Sir Alric�s voice faded as Cassie drew a second deep breath. This time there was a change. As she breathed in, her senses seemed

somehow to be heightened. Beneath her fingertips, Isabella�s pulse was pounding, racing. She could sense the life-energy flowing through

her roommate�s veins.

�That�s it,� murmured Sir Alric.

Now Cassie could feel a prickling sensation all over her skin, a humming inside her head, a bright glow behind her eyelids. She was at

once both light-headed and totally, completely alert, and she realised she was still inhaling, her lungs seemingly no nearer to being filled.

�Concentrate,� came Sir Alric�s voice once more, over the buzzing in her head. Cassie slowly opened her eyes, still breathing in, her

fingers coiled tightly around Isabella�s slender wrists. Blinking, she noticed Isabella�s own eyes were squeezed shut, her mouth hanging

slightly open, a barely perceptible sigh emitting from her lips, and Cassie instinctively knew that the endless breath coming out of her

friend and into her was the life-energy she needed. Filling her with power �

Yes, my dear! That�s it! Feed me, Cassandra!

With a choking noise, Cassie dropped Isabella�s wrists and took a pace backward. Isabella�s eyes opened lazily, and she coughed,

rubbing her eyelids as though she was trying to wake up from a deep slumber. Cassie�s heart was racing, not just out of alarm at what she

had been doing, or the reappearance of Estelle�s voice, but from the huge, almost overwhelming rush of vitality. She�d never felt more alive.

It was as though her senses were all snapped into hyper-focus.

�Yes. Good control, Cassandra,� said Sir Alric. Cassie jumped, almost surprised to find he was still standing beside them. �Well done, both

of you.�

Cassie turned to Isabella tentatively. �Are you OK?�

Isabella paused, then let out a short laugh.

�That�s it?� Incredulity flooded her voice.

�Isabella? Are you sure you�re��

�I�m absolutely fine,� Isabella said. She looked up at Cassie and grinned, then threw her arms around her friend in a tight hug. �See, I told

you, Cassie Bell. There was no need for all that build-up! No sweat.�

Cassie nodded, still a hint of doubt lingering in her mind.

�Yeah. That was � I guess it was less involved than I expected. Still, I don�t know if it�s something I want to do on a regular basis.� Her

head was spinning.

�Regular feeding is a must, Cassie,� said Sir Alric seriously. �As you have seen, if done properly, it is a simple and harmless procedure. But

if you leave it too long � if you let yourself become too hungry � that is when you make mistakes and lose control. And that is when people

get hurt.�

He walked to the door and placed a hand on the doorknob. �For the moment, the Tears of the Few will help to sustain you. As long as

their effect lingers, you will not need to feed as regularly as the other Few. You have done well today, but as soon as you feel the hunger

growing, Cassandra, you must let me know, and we will meet again.�

Sir Alric Darke opened the door. �Until then ��

CHAPTER TEN

�I look ridiculous.�

�You do not. You look gorgeous!�

Cassie and Isabella stood together in front of the mirrored wardrobe, Isabella impossibly elegant in jeans, leather boots and red

cashmere, Cassie obsessively smoothing and tugging at the dark-green silk of her borrowed dress.

�You don�t like it? You don�t like my dress!�

�Isabella, I love your dress. It�s what�s inside it that looks like an idiot.�

�Tchah! You are blind as well as stupid.� Isabella tossed her hair. �I�m looking stunning, darling, and you look twice as good as me. Of

course, I�d like to think I am at least a little bit responsible for that.�

Cassie grinned. Things between her and Isabella had been surprisingly normal since the feeding tutorial, much to Cassie�s relief. Even

so, whatever Sir Alric said, she was planning to stretch things out as long as she possibly could before putting her friend � and herself �

through the strange experience again.

She blinked at her reflection in the mirror. Her light-brown hair had had a proper cut � courtesy of Isabella again: how was she ever

going to pay the girl back for this kindness as well as all the others? Now styled and smoothed, it had a satiny gleam. Isabella had chucked

all Cassie�s congealed and broken old lipsticks and eyeshadows into the bin, and worked some kind of magic with her own vastly

expensive make-up kit. Staring into the mirror was like looking at a different person � a new, way-better-looking version of herself. She

chuckled sardonically at her reflection and again pulled at her dress uncomfortably.

Isabella was right about one thing: she�d let herself get too thin � an invading spirit and the subsequent trauma would do that to a girl �

but the colour of the fabric did bring out her eyes. The contrast with the rich, dark green made her yellow-green irises look brilliantly pale

and piercing.

Her friend gave an exaggerated sigh. �Trust me, you look fabulous, OK? Now get your Jimmy Choos on. You�re going to party with your

beau!�

�Get your Jimmy Choos on, you mean,� remarked Cassie under her breath, but she felt a thrill of glamour as she slipped into the

gorgeous stilettos. �Am I going to be able to walk?�

�In these shoes you do not walk, Cassie, you stalk.�

�Sure, whatever you say. I just wonder where I�m going dressed like this. I wish we were going to Coney Island with you guys.�

Perhaps she might even have had a chance to talk to Jake about his extra-curricular activities. Jake was still avoiding being alone with

Cassie, and she was certain it was so that she couldn�t pressure him to give up the hunt for Katerina.

�Don�t be silly, your date will be so glamorous.� Isabella shook her head and sighed. �Though mine is romantic, isn�t it? Jake and I shall

stroll on the boardwalk, arm in arm. We shall eat Nathan�s hot dogs. We shall ride the Cyclone!�

�Uh-huh, so you have an excuse to scream and hang on to his neck.�

Isabella gave her a suggestive smile. �What else is a rollercoaster for? Ah!� She gave a shriek of delight as a knock rattled the door of

their room. �Here he is!�

Here, as a matter of fact, were both of them, though they obviously hadn�t planned to arrive together. Ranjit and Jake stood awkwardly,

as far apart as they could reasonably be, their body language screaming their discomfort. As Isabella flung the door wide, their relief was

palpable.

�Hey, gorgeous.� Jake�s stiff expression melted into a huge grin as he swung Isabella in his arms. �You look terrific!�

�Do not sound so surprised!� She kissed him with shameless enthusiasm. �Shall we go and be tourists?�

�I am dying to be a tourist in my own city. Even if I can�t take you somewhere expensive,� he muttered, with a slightly resentful glance at

Ranjit�s tuxedo.

�Hey! Just being with you is priceless!� Isabella punched his arm.

Meanwhile, Cassie found she couldn�t meet Ranjit�s eyes. She made herself clasp her fingers just to stop herself fiddling with her dress.

Oh, God. What if she�d got this horribly wrong? What if he was embarrassed to be seen with her? What if �

His shoes were right there, though, so she had to look up and smile at him. That was when she knew it would be OK. His expression was

one of startled awe, and there was even a hint of crimson in his dark cheekbones.

�Cassie.� He drew in a long breath, and shyly offered a yellow rose. �You look � beautiful.�

�You too,� she blurted before she could stop herself. It was true, though. The tux must have been hand-made for him, perfectly fitted to his

lithe body. She swore she could make out the lines of his muscles under the expensive fabric.

�Well, you guys.� Jake was clutching Isabella�s hand, hesitating at the doorway and clearly desperate to leave. �Have a good time.�

Ranjit cleared his throat. �You too. Enjoy yourselves.�

Isabella was stifling laughter. �Happy Valentine�s Day,� she mouthed at Cassie. Then Jake was pulling her out of the room, the door

swung shut, and they were gone.

Ranjit released a huge sigh of relief, and Cassie giggled.

�Cassandra Bell,� he grinned. �Let�s get out of here.�

It wasn�t a long ride by yellow cab, but Ranjit insisted they couldn�t walk � �not in those fantastic shoes� � even though Cassie would have

liked the fresh winter air. She only realised they had a deadline when the cab was pulling up on the corner of 57th Street and Seventh

Avenue.

�Oh my God,� she breathed as she stepped out of the cab. �I�m at Carnegie Hall.�

�How do you get to Carnegie Hall?� smiled Ranjit. �Practise, practise ��

She giggled as she took his arm. �That�s a terrible joke.�

�That�s a really old joke.� He glanced at his watch. �We�d better take our seats. Come on.�

Cassie would have been happy sitting behind a pillar in the back row of the balcony, but they were guided to a box on the first tier, right

at the front and overlooking the stage directly. It was such an exposed position she would have felt quite self-conscious, if it hadn�t been

for Ranjit�s comforting hand in hers.

Then the curtain rose and she was instantly swept away by the music. Funny, she�d never heard anything by Richard Strauss in her life,

and barely a note by Tchaikovsky or Beethoven, but straight away the music felt as if it belonged to her alone. Mesmerised, she was only