1he uarke Academy serles

1 SecreL Llves 2 8lood 1les 3 ulvlded Souls

8CLCCuL
'P ey klddo Are we keeplng you up?'
1he volce sounded famlllar buL somehow muffled and dlsLanL As lf lL was comlng from Lhe boLLom of a
well WlLh an efforL Cassle 8ell forced her eyes open and bllnked woozlly aL Lhe slghL before her 1he
Lable was seL wlLh LhlrLeen places AL Lhe cenLre saL a pasLylooklng Lurkey clearly only blg enough for
elghL Cheap supermarkeL ownbrand crackers and a paper LablecloLh laLLy chlpolaLas and overdone
sprouLs ChrlsLmas Cranlake CrescenLsLyle Could lL really be only Lhree weeks slnce she was eaLlng
exqulslLe lrench culslne from flne chlna and crysLal ln Lhe eleganL dlnlng room of Lhe uarke Academy? lL
seemed a llfeLlme away 'WhaL's Lhe maLLer?' Cassle refocused on Lhe sandyhalred flgure across Lhe
Lable Ch yeah aLrlck Per key worker 1he only Lhlng LhaL had made comlng back Lo her old care
home bearable She managed a smlle 'Aren'L you hungry Cassle?' plped up !llly 8eaLon sweeLly from
Lhe head of Lhe Lable '1haL's noL llke you ?ou've been eaLlng us ouL of house and home for a forLnlghL'
Cassle dug her nalls lnLo her palms !llly's blLchy remarks had been lncreaslng ever slnce she had goL
back from arls normally Cassle wouldn'L have glven her Lhe saLlsfacLlon buL her fuse seemed Lo be
geLLlng shorLer every day '?eah well l [usL losL my appeLlLe' she snapped pushlng her chalr back and
geLLlng Lo her feeL 'Lxcuse me' 'Cassle 8ell you're noL excused' began !llly buL Cassle was already
ouL of Lhe room aLrlck caughL her aL Lhe fooL of Lhe sLalrs hls face full of concern 'Cassle whaL's up?'
he sald '?ou've been acLlng funny ever slnce you goL back from arls' Cassle paused for a momenL
Where would she even begln? 1ell hlm Lhe LruLh abouL Lhe Academy? AbouL Lhe mysLerlous group of
sLudenLs called Lhe lew and Lhelr dark secreL? AbouL Lhe anclenL sprlLs LhaL shared Lhelr bodles
lnsLllllng power and beauLy buL demandlng ln reLurn LhaL Lhey draw llfeforce from Lhelr ordlnary
human roommaLes? Could she Lell hlm abouL whaL had happened Lo her ln LhaL black place beneaLh Lhe
Arc de 1rlomphe Lhe lnLerrupLed rlLual LhaL had lefL parL of Lhe splrlL LhaL had llved ln Lhe body of
LsLelle Azzedlne lodged ln her own mlnd? Could she Lell hlm abouL Lhe sLrange drlvlng hunger LhaL had
been growlng lnslde her ever slnce and how she knew LhaL Lurkey and chlpolaLas [usL weren'L golng Lo
hlL Lhe spoL ? lmposslble 'l'm [usL mlsslng my frlends' she mumbled '?'know?' An expresslon of rellef
washed over aLrlck's face 'Cf course you are Pave you spoken Lo anyone Loday?' 'l had an emall from
lsabella lasL nlghL And one from um 8an[lL' 'Who's 8an[lL?' '!usL uh a boy ln one of my classes'
replled Cassle flusLered 'Why?' aLrlck's grln grew wlder and hls blue eyes gllLLered '8ecause you
blushed when you sald hls name' 'Ch glve over!' Cassle gave hlm a playful shove 'Pe's noL your
boyfrlend Lhen?' 'no he's noL' she sald hurrledly 'uhhuh' 'no 8eally' Cassle LwlsLed her flngers lnLo
Lhe cashmere sweaLer LhaL her frlend lsabella had senL her for ChrlsLmas 'lL's compllcaLed' Pa! 1haL
was Lhe undersLaLemenL of Lhe cenLury Per few snaLched momenLs wlLh 8an[lL aL Lhe end of Lerm had
hardly glven Lhem Llme Lo deflne Lhelr relaLlonshlp All she knew was LhaL her sLomach LwlsLed wlLh
longlng every Llme he came lnLo her mlnd buL LhaL he was back home ln lndla 1housands of mlles
away She'd [usL have Lo puL up wlLh mlsslng hlm mlsslng hlm llke she could dle of lL 1he feellng was
so sLrong Cassle almosL surprlsed herself Absorbed ln her memorles she [umped aL Lhe sound of her
rlngLone ulllng her phone from her [eans pockeL Cassle almosL dropped lL when she saw Lhe name on
Lhe dlsplay She felL Lhe blood rushlng Lo her face agaln 'Speak of Lhe devll ' chuckled aLrlck as he
sllpped back lnLo Lhe dlnlng room Cassle wlnced lnwardly aL hls cholce of words She sLlll dldn'L
undersLand whaL Lhe lew Lruly were WhaL 8an[lL Lruly was Cods and monsLers he had once [oked
blLLerly So whlch was he? Cassle dldn'L know She wasn'L sure LhaL he knew hlmself ushlng her
worrles ouL of her mlnd she clasped Lhe phone Lo her ear llke a llfellne '8an[lL!' Pe musL be able Lo hear
Lhe sLupld grln she was wearlng even half a world away 'Cassandra' 1he sofL warmLh of hls volce made
her forgeL Lhe freezlng sleeL and even for a momenL Lhe raglng hunger 'Pappy ChrlsLmas' 'Same Lo
you' 8reaLhless she saL down on Lhe sLalrs lL was crlmlnal how much she mlssed hlm Crlmlnal and
deeply lnconvenlenL 'Ch lL's good Lo hear from you' 'Are you Ck?' Pe sounded concerned 'l'm flne
llne !usL a blL ' '1he hunger ls growlng lsn'L lL?' Cassle was quleL for a momenL lL was a rellef Lo
speak Lo someone who knew whaL she was golng Lhrough 8an[lL had been Lhere before '?es' she sald
aL lasL and laughed shaklly '?ou goL lL' 'lL won'L be long Cassandra A week and a half Wlll you be all
rlghL?' 'l'm flne PonesLly l [usL ' She heslLaLed Lhen Look a leap of falLh 'l mlss you A loL' 'Cod me
Loo' 1he vehemence ln hls volce was shocklng comlng from Lhe normally cool and collecLed 8an[lL
Slngh Pe almosL sounded relleved 'l mlss you and l'm worrled abouL you Pave you ah heard any more
from LsLelle?' Cassle swallowed 8an[lL was Lhe only person who knew LhaL Lhe anclenL splrlL someLlmes
spoke Lo Cassle lnslde her head someLhlng unheard of among Lhe lew 'Cnce or Lwlce 8uL Lhe old
baL's been quleL laLely l hope she's curled up and dled of hunger' 'l don'L Lhlnk LhaL's golng Lo happen
Cassle' '?eah l know' '1ake care of yourself lease?'
She smlled couldn'L help lL 'Course l wlll And l'll see you soon' 'Can'L be soon enough' Pe gave a low
laugh 'LlsLen l have Lo go l'll Lalk Lo you agaln when l can' 1ears sLung her eyes as her sLomach LwlsLed
agaln '8ye 8an[lL Merry ChrlsLmas' 'And you Agaln' Cassle snapped Lhe phone shuL before she
sLarLed Lo blub She burled her face ln her hands Ch Lhls was rldlculous She was supposed Lo be Lough
She'd geL Lhrough Lhls 1he hunger Lo feed Lhe hunger for 8an[lL SLop SLop 1he Lrouble was she was
ravenous Cvercome wlLh a desperaLe lnLanglble hunger for someLhlng beyond mere food 8uL Lhere
was noLhlng she could do excepL walL lL ouL unLll Lhe new Lerm began 1hen she mlghL geL some
answers And perhaps Lhe walLlng mlghL help Pell lf you sLayed off chocolaLe long enough you losL Lhe
cravlng for lL lf you lasLed a few weeks wlLhouL clgareLLes you dldn'L wanL Lhem any more ?es and lf
you glve up breaLhlng for a whlle you'll lose Lhe LasLe for oxygen! Cassle sLlffened Well really my dear
?ou do amuse me! lgnore her Cassle Lold herself lgnore her Lasler sald Lhan done !usL Lhe sound of
LsLelle's volce ln her head was enough Lo send Lhe hunger sweeplng Lhrough her wlLh renewed force so
LhaL she almosL losL her balance Llpplng forward She heard a door open and close looLsLeps A volce
'Cassle? Are you Ck?' aLrlck's Lone was concerned She leaped Lo her feeL flsLs clenched Ck? Why dld
he keep asklng her LhaL? Cf course she was Ck! Pls consLanL flapplng around her was really beglnnlng Lo
graLe Pe should sLay ouL of lL lf he knew whaL's good for hlm no! WhaL made her even Lhlnk LhaL?
aLrlck was only Lrylng Lo be LhoughLful he had done so much for her LsLelle's whlsper was llke Lhe
caress of a serpenL And he could do so much more my dear aLrlck looked nervous under Cassle's
sLeady feverlsh sLare ?es LsLelle was rlghL A good frlend llke aLrlck would always glve of hlmself She
could rely on aLrlck Pe was sLrong young confldenL lull of llfe erfecL 'Cassle?' She was [usL so
damn hungry Per llps sLreLched lnLo a rlcLus smlle 'l'm flne' uon'L Lalk LeL hlm come closer l can smell
hlm aLrlck Look a pace back and she LhoughL she saw hlm shlver 'SLop messlng abouL Cassle ?our
dlnner's geLLlng cold' ?ou seem warm enough Lo me 'Ck l'm sorry l'll leave you ln peace' Pe was
Lurnlng away 'Come back when you're ready' 'S1C!' She launched herself from Lhe sLep almosL flew
afLer hlm Selzlng hls collar she yanked hlm back splnnlng hlm around Per flngers found hls [aw
grlpplng hlm Lugglng hlm Lowards her Pe Lrled Lo pull away buL he dldn'L sLand a chance noL a chance
Slnce Lhe rlLual she was sLronger Lhan she'd ever been More Lhan sLrong enough Lo overpower Lhls
morLal Cassle laughed ouL loud aLrlck's eyes were full of Lerror and hls panlcked breaLh was ln her
face She could smell hlm agaln oh Lhe llfe of hlm! Per llps were pulled back when she caughL slghL of a
flgure beyond Lhe glass panel of Lhe fronL door lor an lnsLanL her hearL seemed Lo sLop and she
sLlffened and growled a challenge A face snarled back aL her feral and mad llke a rabld anlmal And
Lhen wlLh a slckenlng [olL Lo her guL she knew lL wasn'L some monsLer Lrylng Lo break lnLo Lhe house lL
was her own reflecLlon 'Ch my Cod!' She leL go of aLrlck so fasL he crumpled Lo Lhe floor She
sLumbled back and away from hlm Pls Lerrlfled eyes were locked on her Lhe brlghL blue dllaLed almosL
Lo black She expecLed LhaL 8uL she dldn'L expecL Lhe words LhaL fell from hls mouLh 'Ch Cod Cassle
noL you noL you!' WhaL? lor half a second she sLood hands over her mouLh sLarlng aL aLrlck 1hen
she Lurned on her heel and fled She dldn'L slow down as she Look Lhe sLalrs Lwo aL a Llme crashed lnLo
her room furlously grabbed a chalr and [ammed lL under Lhe handle 1here 1haL was as safe as lL goL As
he goL Cassle slumped Lo Lhe floor exhausLed lL could have been worse she Lold herself as her
hearLbeaL slowed So much worse Who was she Lrylng Lo kld? She'd losL conLrol She could have hurL
aLrlck kllled hlm even !ammlng her flsLs lnLo her mouLh Cassle blL down unLll she drew blood A few
more days LhaL was all A few days and she'd be back aL Lhe Academy 8ack wlLh lLs mysLerlous
prlnclpal Slr Alrlc uarke Pe musL be able Lo help her flghL Lhls She'd see no one unLll Lhen 8uL
Cassandra my sweeL l musL lLLu! 1he plalnLlve angry volce echoed and bounced around her skull
whlch felL so llghL and empLy She was dlzzy wlLh hunger 8uL she'd conLrol lL lL was [usL a few days
Cnly a maLLer of Llme 1haL's rlghL! ln Lhe echochamber of her head LsLelle sounded vlndlcLlve and
sLarved buL LrlumphanL Ch yes Cassandra my dearesL glrl! Cnly a maLLer of Llme
CPA1L8 CnL
1he carousel [olLed lnLo llfe as baggage spllled on Lo lL Cassle sLood penned ln Lhe crush overwhelmed
wlLh Lhe sheer nolse and busLle of
!lk desperaLe Lo spoL her LaLLy sulLcase so she could geL Lhe hell ouL of Lhere A Lall sweaLlng
buslnessman on one slde a mouLhy old lady on Lhe oLher boLh of Lhem shovlng and manoeuvrlng
hanglng llke vulLures over Lhe Lurnlng baggage belL nelLher seemed llke prlme candldaLes Lo feed upon
buL beggars couldn'L be choosers Ch no SLop LhaL! Cassle wanLed Lo cry buL she dldn'L have Lhe
energy 1ucked LlghLly lnLo her wlndow seaL avoldlng looklng aL Lhe passenger nexL Lo her she'd seen
Lhe dawn come up behlnd Lhe SLaLue of LlberLy as Lhe plane had clrcled ln buL she hadn'L cared Padn'L
cared abouL Lhe symbollsm of lL sunrlse on her own new World Padn'L cared abouL Lhe beauLlful
symmeLry and skyllne of Lhe clLy She'd [usL wanLed Lhe plane Lo land so she could draw a clean breaLh
of alr a breaLh LhaL hadn'L been round everyone's lungs already so LhaL lL LasLed of Lhem She'd [usL
wanLed Lo be gone from LhaL crush of humanlLy crammed lnLo Lhe alrcrafL llke an unLldy llfeforce
buffeL Well aL leasL she'd conLrolled her appeLlLes Seven hours 1haL was someLhlng Lo be proud of
wasn'L lL? 1haL was an achlevemenL Cf course my dear! And you were so rlghL l'm glad we resLralned
ourselves Alrllne food So dry and LasLeless Cassle spluLLered a LlghL laugh ouL loud desplLe herself
'Pey honey wanna move along Lhere?' 1he buslnessman barged her ouL of Lhe way Lo selze hls case lf
she hadn'L sLaggered sldeways lnLo Lhe resenLful old lady she'd have fallen over now she could feel
herself swaylng her reserves of sLrengLh almosL gone 1he man's sLale persplraLlon was overwhelmlng
1he sourandsalLy Lang made her nosLrlls dllaLe lL was only sweaL buL lL was lnfused wlLh Lhe vlLallLy of
hlm Pe was hoL and hls overburdened hearL was poundlng she could hear lL feel lL Cozlng ouL of hls
pores hls scenL clung Lo her nosLrlls llke a plaLe of chlps ?es LhaL good Cassle llcked Lhe upLurned
corners of her llps focused on hls waLched hls breaLh panL ouL and ln Curslng he pushed pasL her
banglng hls case on her shlns and was gone Mlssed her chance 1ears sprang Lo her eyes and Cassle
dldn'L know lf Lhey were Lears of rellef or fury Mlssed! no! We mlssed hlm! LsLelle sounded half
demenLed llnd someone llnd someone nCW! vaguely Cassle was aware LhaL her own case had [usL
swepL by held LogeLher wlLh a recognlsable old bungee of aLrlck's buL she Look no noLlce She was
scannlng Lhe crowds hungrlly now and she wasn'L worrylng abouL anyLhlng any more AnyLhlng
excepL 1haL one! 1haL one qulck! 1urnlng dlzzlly on her heel she locked on Lo Lhe flgure LsLelle
meanL lL was young sLrong female Slender buL Loned and sLrlklng ln a dark MedlLerranean way lL had
a chlld wlLh lL buL Lhe chlld was passed lnLo lLs faLher's arms wlLh a klss and a word and a smlle and now
Lhe young sLrong female was Lurnlng wlLh a cllckcllckcllck of heels and maklng for Lhe LolleLs noL lL
she! yelled Cassle lnwardly She! She's a human belng ?es yes WhaLever She! Culck! WL'LL MlSS
PL8! 8acklng up swlfLly hunger [arrlng agalnsL Lhe Lhrlll of Lhe chase zlnglng Lhrough her velns Cassle
pushed her way Lhrough Lhe crowd and followed Lhe cllckcllckcllck lunny LhaL she could hear lL so
acuLely Lhrough Lhe nolse and Lhe busLle and Lhe endless dlsLorLed publlc announcemenLs lL was as lf
her whole belng was focused on Lhe sound of Lhose heels every nerve ln her body locked on Lo Lhe
female A llLLle way ahead lL she swung open Lhe door of Lhe LolleLs Cllckcllckcllck Cassle
qulckened her sLep sllenL ln beaLendown Lralners AlmosL Lhere AlmosL Lhere! Pu88?! ?es LsLelle
we'll feed We'll lLLu! 'Cassle!' 1he shrlek of greeLlng peneLraLed her concenLraLlon !usL Per
purposeful sLeps wavered 'Cassle 8ell! uarleeng!' A mosqulLo 8uzzlng bugglng She wanLed Lo swaL lL
klll lL Leave me alone she wanLed Lo scream l need Lo SomeLhlng barrelled lnLo Cassle knocklng her
offbalance and enveloplng her ln a warm expenslvely scenLed hug 'CASSlLLLL!' lor a fracLlon of a
second Cassle foughL Lhe embrace Lhrowlng a sLarvlng glance aL Lhe LolleL door as lL clunked genLly shuL
on Lhe human and lLs llfeforce 1hen she came back Lo herself wlLh a [olL LhaL was almosL palnful WhaL
had she done? WhaL had she nearly done! 'lsabella?' Close Lo Lears Cassle reLurned her LlghL embrace
hanglng on Lo her besL frlend as lf she was all LhaL was keeplng her sane ?es Lhls one Lhen! She'll do!
She'll do l Lell you! nC! Per lnner snarl was flerce enough Lo shuL LsLelle up lor now 'Ch lsabella Am l
glad Lo see you' 'And l you! uld you come off Lhe London fllghL? lL landed flve mlnuLes before Lhe one
from 8uenos Alres! SerendlplLy! Wonderful!' 1he glrl was sLlll Lalklng ln consLanL exclamaLlon marks
LhoughL Cassle fondly as lsabella Lossed her glossy mane of sllky brown halr 'And !ake ls walLlng for us! l
have LexLed hlm he ls ouLslde ln Lhe Lermlnal!' 'And you sLopped Lo say hello Lo me?' Cassle ralsed her
eyebrows weakly 'l'm flaLLered you dldn'L run over me Lo geL Lo hlm' lsabella had doLed on Lhe
handsome new ?orker ever slnce he'd [olned Lhe Academy Pavlng flnally goL LogeLher aL Lhe end of lasL
Lerm Lhe palr had barely had a week LogeLher before lsabella flew home Lo ArgenLlna (flrsL class naLch)
lf she was lmpaLlenL Lo geL her hands on !ake now lL was hardly surprlslng 'Ch Cassle!' lsabella
laughed buL her eyes darkened a llLLle as she held Cassle's shoulders and sLudled her face '?ou look so
beauLlful 1oo Lhln yes? 8uL very very beauLlful' 'Cee Lhanks llaLLery'll geL you everywhere' She
grlnned weakly Per head was really swlmmlng now lL was Lhe exclLemenL she Lold herself And Lhe [eL
lag WhaLever She [usL needed Lo be calm for a whlle 8uL lsabella was laughlng agaln sLlll bubbllng over
wlLh enLhuslasm 'l can hardly walL for us all Lo be LogeLher agaln! ?ou and me and !ake! ?es? Come on
leL's go!' AbrupLly she released Cassle 'Sure LeL's go ' 8uL LhaL was easler sald Lhan done wlLhouL
lsabella's supporLlng arm Swaylng Cassle felL her knees buckllng under her She'd have hlL Lhe ground lf
lsabella hadn'L caughL her elbow ln her sLrong poloplayer's grlp 'Cassle? Cassle?' Cassle frowned
lsabella's volce seemed Lo have gone all funny over ChrlsLmas Welrd ulsLanL ladlng Cr maybe LhaL
was herself ln Lhe dark now ln a cold black vold And dlsappearlng
CPA1L8 1WC
'Cassandra? Cassandra!'
AnoLher famlllar volce She couldn'L place lL buL lL was powerful reassurlng She'd be all rlghL now she
knew Maybe because she was dead She musL be dead because Lhe alrporL hubbub had vanlshed and
she was floaLlng ln a serene bubble of calm 'Cassandra!' 1he gravelly Lone was more lnslsLenL now A
hand slapped her cheek Lhen Lhe oLher one 'Cassandra come back' AgalnsL her wlll she forced her
eyellds open groanlng 1he blurred face was [usL as famlllar as Lhe volce AsceLlc flercely handsome
and frownlng wlLh concern 'S'r Alrlc ' '1haL's rlghL Wake up' 8llnklng agalnsL brlghL llghL Cassle
levered herself up cluLchlng cushlons for supporL A sofa A huge leaLher one lor a momenL she
LhoughL she really was dead and ln an especlally comforLable afLerllfe because she could see noLhlng
buL acres of blue sky 1hen she reglsLered Lhe glass walls surroundlng her and skyscrapers gllLLerlng ln
Lhe mornlng sun and Lhe wlnLry LreeLops of CenLral ark! Above Lhe Lrees Lhe sky was dlamond blue
sLreaked wlLh whlLe wlsps of plane Lralls She bllnked woozlly aL her very own angle on Lhe specLacular
new ?ork skyllne Cr raLher Slr Alrlc uarke's angle She came Lo properly wlLh a [olL 1rled Lo sLand up
buL fell back She heard a llLLle yelp of rellef and lsabella was aL her slde agaln flopplng down nexL Lo
her and hugglng her Cassle gazed blankly around aL Lhe plush sLyllsh offlce 'WhaL a frlghL you gave me!
Ch Cassle!' AL lasL her companlons were comlng lnLo focus lsabella of course and !ake sLandlng
close by looklng hugely relleved lf a llLLle wary of hls surroundlngs As she meL hls warm brown eyes he
gave her a weak grln 'Pey Cassle Cood Lo see you' '!ake lL's good Lo see you Loo' 1haL wasn'L sLrlcLly
Lrue Cassle was more Lhan [usL glad Lo see hlm she was overwhelmlngly relleved LasL Lerm !ake had
dlscovered more of Lhe lew's secreLs Lhan lL was safe for any ouLslder Lo know Cassle hadn'L been sure
lf he'd ever come back Lo Lhe Academy afLer flndlng ouL LhaL hls fellow pupll and Lhe former ob[ecL of hls
affecLlons kaLerlna Svensson had murdered hls slsLer !esslca 1he LempLaLlon Lo blow Lhe whlsLle on
Lhe lnsLlLuLlon LhaL had covered up Lhe crlme and leL Lhe lew glrl off wlLh mere expulslon musL have
been overwhelmlng ?eL here he was sLandlng ln Lhe prlnclpal's offlce WhaL had broughL hlm back? Pls
affecLlon for lsabella? A sLrange sense of Lransferred slbllng loyalLy Lo Cassle Lhe glrl who everybody
sald had looked [usL llke hls dead slsLer? Cr was he back Lo deal wlLh Lhe 'unflnlshed buslness' he'd
spoken abouL aL Lhe end of lasL Lerm? Per feeble smlle for !ake faded as she Lurned a llLLle relucLanLly
Lo Slr Alrlc Pe hadn'L changed hls handsome feaLures as sLrlklng as ever 1here was someLhlng
sLralned abouL hls grey eyes and he dldn'L smlle buL he dldn'L look angry elLher 'Pang on how dld
?' Cassle rubbed her forehead furlously 1he lasL Lhlng she remembered was Lhe baggage belL grlndlng
by Lhe smell of human sweaL Lhe crush and Lhe heaL And needlng someLhlng needlng lL so badly she'd
abandoned 'My case! l lefL lL! l dldn'L' 'lL's Ck' lsabella flapped a dlsmlsslve hand 'l plcked lL up for
you' '8uL how dld you' 'lL's Lhe rlghL one don'L worry' lsabella glggled 'l knew whlch one was yours
l'd recognlse LhaL slaughLered old Lhlng anywhere' Cassle shook her head perplexed only for a momenL
'knackered lsabella My knackered old case 8uL securlLy? lmmlgraLlon? Pow dld you' 'When you
falnLed lsabella conLacLed me sLralghL away' explalned Slr Alrlc 'l have connecLlons ln Lhe ueparLmenL
of Pomeland SecurlLy who were able Lo expedlLe maLLers' Pe shoL a guarded glance aL !ake as lf he was
afrald Lo say Loo much 'now l'm sure you wlsh Lo be wlLh your frlends buL flrsL we have lssues Lo
aLLend Lo you and l lsabella and !ake please l musL Lalk wlLh Cassandra Alone' lsabella and !ake
glanced aL each oLher doubLfully Cassle Lrled Lo look up Lo glve Lhem boLh a reassurlng nod buL Lhe
mere slghL of her Lwo frlends was enough Lo brlng Lhe hunger shooLlng back Lhrough her llke a lance
Laklng her breaLh away wlLh lLs feroclLy SLaggerlng Lo her feeL she sLumbled agalnsL Slr Alrlc Pls hand
fell on her shoulder ln whaL mlghL have seemed llke a klnd gesLure of supporL excepL LhaL hls flngers
were grlpplng so LlghLly he was brulslng her Cassle barely noLlced Lhe paln Lhough she could feel Lhe
LauLness of her own muscles colled llke sprlngs ln her desperaLlon Lo feed and she knew Slr Alrlc was
acLually resLralnlng her 'now lsabella !ake lease leave us' !ake frowned aL Lhe sLeely edge of Lhe
prlnclpal's Lone 'l'm noL sure ' he began 'lL's Ck guys' Cassle reached ouL and Look lsabella's hands
squeezlng Lhem a llLLle Loo hard 'l'll be flne See you soon romlse' '?ou're sure?' asked !ake eylng Slr
Alrlc wlLh open hosLlllLy 'Sure' ln facL she wanLed Lhem gone desperaLely She wasn'L sure how much
longer she could lasL wlLhouL pounclng on one of Lhem 'PonesLly !ake lease go lL's flne' 1aklng a
breaLh Lhe young Amerlcan Look lsabella's hand 'We'll be ouLslde See you soon Cassle' '?ep' she sald
weakly grlLLlng her LeeLh lnLo a smlle Ch please please CC! She had a lasL gllmpse of lsabella's worrled
face as Lhe door shuL behlnd her frlends and Lhen she closed her eyes swaylng wlLh hunger Cassle felL
Slr Alrlc's hand presslng her back on Lo Lhe sofa and she managed Lo prlse open her eyellds ln Llme Lo
see Lhe slnlsLer and ugly porLer MaraL comlng Lowards her bearlng a small leaLher case Where had he
appeared from so sllenLly? She propped herself grogglly forward '?ou need Lo feed Cassandra' Slr
Alrlc's volce seemed Lo echo around Lhe room as MaraL genLly seL Lhe case down on Lhe mahogany
coffee Lable ln fronL of her 'l can'L' '?ou've gone weeks wlLhouL lL ?ou're dylng l should never have leL
you leave aL Lhe end of lasL Lerm buL l dldn'L expecL Lhls l don'L undersLand why Lhe hunger ln you has
grown so fasL buL lL has And you musL saLlsfy lL' 1oo weak Lo cry she puL her face ln her hands
moanlng 'l can'L' '?ou musL' snapped Slr Alrlc flercely '?ou Lhlnk you're belng selfless ln facL you're
belng selflndulgenL l'm sorry for whaL happened Lo you Cassandra l'm sorry you were Lrlcked lnLo Lhls
8uL l have a responslblllLy Lo Lhe lew splrlL as well as Lo you' Pe nodded Lo MaraL who sllpped a sllver
key lnLo Lhe fronL of Lhe case unsLeadlly Cassle followed Lhe porLer's movemenLs 1he lld of Lhe case
bore a symbol LhaL she recognlsed lmmedlaLely a Lwolnch
paLLern of lnLrlcaLe lnLerlocklng llnes LhaL she'd seen before branded on Lhe skln of cerLaln selecL
sLudenLs aL Lhe uarke Academy as well as blurred and broken on her own shoulder blade She dldn'L
know whaL Lhe paLLern meanL buL she knew whaL lL denoLed lL was Lhe mark of Lhe lew MaraL llfLed
Lhe lld and Slr Alrlc sLepped up Lo Lhe case gazlng reverenLly aL Lhe row of crysLal phlals lnslde Lach one
was also engraved wlLh Lhe lew mark and was beauLlful enough on lLs own buL Lhe LranslucenL
conLenLs glowed llke llquld pearl sendlng shlmmers of llghL Lhrough Lhe dellcaLe crysLal lor a momenL
Cassle was so mesmerlsed LhaL she almosL forgoL her ravenlng hunger Slr Alrlc nodded Lo Lhe porLer
agaln 1he small conLalner MaraL drew from hls pockeL couldn'L have been more dlfferenL from Lhe
lovely case a whlLe plasLlc cllplld box Snapplng on laLex gloves he fllpped lL open wlLhouL ceremony
and wlLhdrew a sealed plasLlc packeL 1hls he Lore open produclng a dlsposable syrlnge Cassle's eyes
wldened 'WhaL's LhaL?' Slr Alrlc Loo was donnlng gloves and he had Lurned cool and buslnessllke 'Call
lL an lnLerlm measure Cassandra' uellcaLely Slr Alrlc lnserLed Lhe needle lnLo one of Lhe phlals and
drew ouL a small measure of Lhe pearly llquld '?ou musL learn Lo feed 8uL Lhls' he sald llfLlng Lhe
syrlnge 'wlll glve us a few days' resplLe' 'WhaL ls lL?' She eyed Lhe needle wlLh dread 'WhaL ls LhaL? l
won'L leL you puL LhaL ln me!' As she Lrled Lo squlrm aslde Cassle felL powerful hands grlp her shoulders
presslng her back agalnsL Lhe sofa and holdlng her ln place MaraL Pe'd moved behlnd her and she
couldn'L geL away Cod he was sLrong hls vlcellke hold Loo sLrong Lo escape buL she sLlll sLruggled
vlolenLly as Slr Alrlc approached her lor an lnsLanL she saw regreL and sympaLhy ln hls face Lhen lL
hardened '8e sLlll 1hls ls Lhe only way lL's for your own good Cassandra' Slr Alrlc's volce was enLlrely
cold as he leaned over her wrlggllng klcklng form 'And for everyone else's Loo' She felL hls Lhumb rub
a spoL on her arm Lhen Lhe hoL sLlng of Lhe needle Cassle feared for a momenL LhaL she'd been
elecLrocuLed 1hls musL be whaL lL felL llke musLn'L lL? A savage currenL runnlng Lhrough her brlnglng
her so flercely allve she couldn'L Lhlnk clearly Coldness raced Lhrough her velns followed swlfLly by heaL
and sLrengLh Shrugglng off MaraL's hands she sprang up her body rlgld her flsLs clenched 1he awful
Learlng hunger had vanlshed as lf she'd been released from consLralnlng [aws buL her vlslon had Lurned
Lo a bllndlng blur spoLs danclng ln fronL of her eyes as she losL her balance and agaln collapsed on Lo Lhe
leaLher upholsLery squeezlng her eyes shuL Lo Lry Lo clear her vlslon When she opened Lhem agaln Slr
Alrlc saL ln an armchalr faclng her hls flngers sLeepled under hls chln MaraL and Lhe case had gone 'So
Cassandra Pow do you feel?' 1he memory exploded lnLo her mlnd She saL up angrlly 'WhaL was LhaL
sLuff ? 1ell me whaL lL was!' Pe dldn'L reacL Lo her fury 'lL's a dlsLllled soluLlon lrom Lhe Lears of Lhe
flrsL lew a Lhousand and more years ago uo you Lhlnk l offer lL Lo everyone? Conslder yourself lucky
lL's exLremely powerful' Cassle Look a breaLh absorblng Lhe news noL drugs Lhen noL polson Maybe
someLhlng LhaL could help her 'So l can do Lhls lnsLead? ln[ecL LhaL sLuff lnsLead of feedlng from oLher
people?' Per eyes llL as rellef swepL Lhrough her 'no' Slr Alrlc sald abrupLly '1hls ls a oneoff WhaL you
saw ln Lhe case ls all LhaL exlsLs 1here ls no quesLlon of you havlng lL all ?ou wlll learn Lo feed Llke Lhe
resL of us' 1he despalr reLurned ln double measure her brlef new hopes crushed 1aklng advanLage of
her sLunned sllence Slr Alrlc sLood up '?ou cannoL sLarve Lhe splrlL LhaL ls lnslde you Cassandra
WlLhouL Lhe 1ears you would soon have reached a crlsls polnL When Lhe deslre Lo feed flnally goL Loo
much you would have losL conLrol and aLLacked someone 1haL person could have been hurL or even
kllled And lL could have been anyone' Pe paused for chllllng effecL 'lncludlng lsabella and !ake' 'l
dldn'L know' she gasped 'l dldn'L reallse' 'Cf course noL' replled Slr Alrlc hls volce sofLenlng sllghLly
'1haL ls whaL Lhe Academy ls for Cassandra lL ls my duLy Lo Leach each new member of Lhe lew how Lo
feed safely so Lhey are no danger Lo Lhemselves or Lhose around Lhem When Lhe Llme comes l wlll do
Lhe same wlLh you 8uL for now Lhe ln[ecLlon has glven you some breaLhlng space l Lhlnk you needed
LhaL So l'll ask agaln how do you feel?' '8eLLer' Cassle admlLLed 'Much beLLer Can l go now?' 'Cf
course ?our frlends wlll be worrled abouL you' '1hey're [usL ouLslde 1hey sald Lhey'd walL' Slr Alrlc
smlled wryly 'l'm afrald you've been asleep for mosL of Lhe mornlng Cassandra ?our frlends lefL more
Lhan Lwo hours ago l explalned Lo Lhem LhaL you needed Lo resL alLhough Mr !ohnson Look qulLe some
persuadlng 1hey'll be down ln Lhelr rooms now l lmaglne ?ou have a greaL deal Lo dlscuss wlLh Lhem'
Pe paused 'Lspeclally Mlss Caruso' 'WhaL do you mean?' sald Cassle her volce LlghLenlng 'Cassandra
your sLamlna asLonlshes me ?ou foughL Lhe hunger for far longer Lhan l could have expecLed 8uL now
your luxury of cholce ls aL an end LxcepL perhaps ln one respecL' 'Ch?' Cassle ralsed her head '1o
learn how Lo feed safely you wlll need a parLner a llfesource lf you wlll 1haL ls why all sLudenLs who
are members of Lhe lew are asslgned a roommaLe who ls ls noL So you have a declslon Lo make
Cassandra ?ou may move ln wlLh a new roommaLe one Lo whom you have less emoLlonal
aLLachmenL' Slr Alrlc llfLed hls hands ln an eleganL shrug 'Cr' 'uon'L say lL' she blurLed 'l musL
Cassandra l'm sorry ?ou musL learn Lo feed on lsabella'
CPA1L8 1P8LL
1he aLrlum was specLacular lL couldn'L be more dlfferenL from Lhe Academy ln arls buL Lhls upper LasL
Slde bulldlng had lLs own
breaLhLaklng archlLecLural beauLy all sleek glass and marble 1he bulldlng's helghL was dlzzylng seemlng
Lo Lurn and sway as Cassle sLared up Lo Lhe glass roof hlgh above her 1he sky beyond was sLlll such a
gleamlng blue lL made her feel falnLly glddy 1he clean modern llnes of Lhe walls were sofLened only by
Lhe pool and follage ln Lhe cenLre of Lhe aLrlum Cassle grlnned pauslng Lo dlp her flngers lnLo Lhe cool
waLer and sLare up aL Lhe flgure ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe founLaln 'Pello old glrl' she whlspered Lo Lhe
bronze sculpLure 'Paven'L goL rld of LhaL bloody swan yeL have we?' Leda of course dldn'L reacL sLlll
reachlng dreamlly for Lhe savage godswan above her AL her bronze feeL waLer Lrlckled ouL of Lhe
sLone lerns and Lralllng planLs grew ln a wlld profuslon Lwlnlng round rocks and spllllng on Lo Lhe
pollshed marble And among Lhem of course were Lhe orchlds Cassle Louched one black peLal wlLh a
flngerLlp Slr Alrlc's llLLle peLs 8an[lL had called Lhem 1haL flgured Slr Alrlc llked Lhe beauLlful Lhe rare
Lhe dark Cassle was surprlsed how pleased she was Lo see all Lhe oLher famlllar sLaLues ln Lhe wlnLer
llghL LhaL flooded ln from llfLh Avenue Lhey gleamed alabasLer whlLe from Lhelr places around Lhe edge
of Lhe vasL cenLral hall Achllles and PecLor narclssus ulana and AcLaeon And Lhe one LhaL always
chllled her splne Cassandra and ClyLaemnesLra Cassandra Lhe glrl who nobody belleved Cassandra
who enLered a house LhaL smelled of blood WlLh a shudder Cassle remembered huddllng beneaLh
LhaL sLaLue walLlng Lo feel Lhe blLe of kelko's knlfe ?eL here she was now ln many ways Lhe same as
Lhe homlcldal glrl who had helped kaLerlna murder !ake's slsLer now she Loo was a freak maybe even
a monsLer llke kelko She wasn'L feeble Cassandra any more Lhe helpless llLLle vlcLlm She was closer Lo
Lhe bloodLhlrsLy ClyLaemnesLra Cne of Lhe lew And whaL dld LhaL mean Lo be one of Lhe lew? Cassle
gazed aL her reflecLlon ln Lhe waLer 8ack aL Lhe alrporL lsabella had suggesLed LhaL she had grown more
beauLlful Cassle hadn'L noLlced any change buL now she looked closely perhaps her cheekbones were
sllghLly more deflned her yellowgreen eyes more sLrlklng 8uL she knew LhaL Lhere was more Lo Lhe
lew Lhan [usL preLLy faces She had seen Lhelr superhuman sLrengLh and flghLlng skllls aL flrsL hand And
now LhaL Lhe consLanL hunger Lo feed wasn'L drownlng ouL all oLher sensaLlons she could feel some of
LhaL sLrengLh ln her own muscles maklng her feel relaxed and confldenL ln a way she hadn'L before
8eauLy sLrengLh and confldence a heady comblnaLlon 8uL all dependenL on Lhe feedlng uralnlng Lhe
llfeforce from some lnnocenL person Sucked dry 1haL was whaL lsabella had sald when she'd Lold
Cassle abouL !esslca's deaLh Per body was damaged Was Lhere a chance Cassle could do LhaL Lo
lsabella ln Lurn? no She wouldn'L couldn'L leL LhaL happen 8uL Slr Alrlc had made lL clear LhaL Cassle
had Lo learn Lo feed So she couldn'L go on belng lsabella's roommaLe 8uL she couldn'L bear LhaL
lsabella was her besL frlend So she'd have Lo learn Lo feed safely from lsabella 8uL lf someLhlng wenL
wrong lL was lmposslble Cassle's mlnd could only lead her ln lnescapable loops Around her oLher
sLudenLs were hurrylng ln for Lhe new Lerm gosslplng and blLchlng and laughlng Lralllng chauffeurs and
expenslve luggage ln Lhelr wake Could she share a room wlLh one of Lhose spollL braLs? no lL was
unLhlnkable and no doubL Lhey'd say Lhe same lrusLraLed Cassle Lurned Lo go Collldlng wlLh a warm
body she was caughL and held 'Ch! l'm sorry' 'uon'L apologlse' 1he volce was warm famlllar amused
and lL senL her hearL lnLo orblL '8an[lL!' 8efore anoLher word could pass her llps Cassle found LhaL
Lhey were suddenly pressed urgenLly Lo Lhe handsome boy's own Per eyes closed and she could feel
8an[lL's hands presslng lnLo Lhe small of her back hls mouLh movlng agalnsL hers She felL herself rlslng
on Lo Lhe Llps of her Loes her flngers Langled lnLo hls glossy black halr pulllng hlm Lowards her and she
could hear 8an[lL draw breaLh sharply Lhrough hls nosLrlls as he klssed her more and more deeply
wrapplng hls arms LlghLly around her lL was only when Lhey losL Lhelr balance and sLumbled lnLo a
gawplng flrsL year LhaL Cassle felL 8an[lL's arms loosen 8lushlng flercely Cassle released her own grlp
and backed ouL of Lhe embrace lor a momenL she was unable Lo speak leL alone meeL 8an[lL's eye
Lhough she could feel Lhe lncredulous gaze of Lhe sLudenLs surroundlng Lhem And she could cerLalnly
hear Lhe barely sLlfled whlspers LhaL erupLed around Lhe aLrlum 'l'm noL bellevlng whaL l'm seelng '
'Ch My Cod' 'Plm? Plm and her?' '8an[lL Slngh? l knew he had a Lhlng for scholarshlp glrls buL l mean
' 8an[lL cleared hls LhroaL and Cassle flnally looked up aL hls sheeplshly grlnnlng face 'l guess LhaL caL's
well and Lruly ouL of Lhe bag Lhen' he chuckled 1enLaLlvely he reached ouL and puL one hand on
Cassle's shoulder sLeerlng her off Lo a corner ouL of Lhe collecLlve sLare Cassle hadn'L lmaglned her
hearL could beaL any fasLer Lhan lL already was buL lL leaped agaln aL hls genLle Louch '?eah looks llke
lL' she replled 'Sorry l'm noL sure whaL happened Lhere' 'um nelLher am l' Pls goldenbrown skln
flushed 'l mlssed you' he laughed 'lf LhaL wasn'L obvlous' Cassle couldn'L repress a huge smlle 'Me
Loo lL was a long ChrlsLmas eh?' '?ou're Lelllng me' She wondered lf he was mocklng her a llLLle buL hls
face was as sLernly beauLlful as always 1here was someLhlng else ln hls expresslon Loo a yearnlng LhaL
maLched her own uamn he was hoL A volce on a moblle phone was one Lhlng buL she'd forgoLLen Lhe
sheer anlmal presence of hlm She could pracLlcally sense hls hearL beaLlng fasLer and she knew
lnsLlncLlvely LhaL he wanLed Lo Louch her agaln almosL as much as she wanLed hlm Lo Whoah
Cassle! WlLhouL even Lhlnklng abouL lL she'd sLepped Lowards 8an[lL and caughL herself [usL before she
could fall lnLo hls arms agaln 1hls was golng Loo fasL AfLer whaL had happened she was a llLLle
embarrassed Maybe even a llLLle scared LsLelle's promlse came back Lo her ?ou'll never have Lo be
scared of anyLhlng agaln Cassandra noL sLrlcLly Lrue She'd managed Lo scare herself geLLlng carrled
away llke LhaL ln publlc She felL herself flushlng as she lmaglned Lhe eyes of Lhe whole school on her
'Cassandra?' 8an[lL looked a llLLle wary hlmself Llke her he'd Laken half a sLep forward before he
sLopped hlmself 'Sorry' she mumbled 'Cuess absence made my hearL grow even fonder Lhan l'd
LhoughL' 8an[lL laughed 'l know whaL you mean!' 'Look maybe l should go and um freshen up l
haven'L found my room yeL and l should say hl Lo lsabella properly 8uL we could meeL for a coffee
laLer?' she venLured '?eah 1haL's probably a good ldea llve o'clock?' '1haL'd be greaL' She checked
her waLch 'AcLually how abouL fourLhlrLy?' Pe grlnned 'lourLhlrLy lL ls!' 'CreaL See you Lhen' As she
smlled and Lurned Lo walk away 8an[lL reached ouL suddenly and Look her hand genLly ln hls 1he
warmLh of hls skln senL a fresh fluLLer Lhrough her body 'WalL 8efore you go you're Ck rlghL? AL
ChrlsLmas when we spoke on Lhe phone you sounded ' 'l know l'm flne now PonesLly l'll flll you ln
Lhls afLernoon' Pe held her gaze for a momenL as lf Lo make sure she was Lelllng Lhe LruLh lor a
momenL Lhere was a suggesLlon of Lhe rolllng flery glow she'd seen ln hls eyes more Lhan once buL
Cassle couldn'L look away Pls hand squeezed her flngers more LlghLly 1he gurgllng Lrlckle of Lhe
founLaln seemed ampllfled and Lhe sound of expenslve heels on marble 1hen Lhe shrleklng glggle of a
?ear nlne made boLh of Lhem [ump 8eleaslng her hand 8an[lL shook hls head selfconsclously and
smlled 'lf you say so' 'l do l'll see you laLer for LhaL coffee l'm buylng!' 'Ck Where are we golng?'
'uon'L sound so nervous rlch boy' She wlnked '1hls ls new ?ork lsn'L lL? l'm sure l'll flnd a sulLably
seedy [olnL' 8an[lL's deep honeyLlnged laugh echoed around Lhe aLrlum Cod she LhoughL you could
boLLle LhaL sound and sell lL Lo lonely glrls Lhe world over 'llnd me a seedy [olnL Lhen Cassandra 8ell l'll
meeL you back here' 'uon'L be laLe' She gave hlm a mock scowl Pe grlnned 'l wouldn'L dare' Well
she'd done her besL Lo lnLroduce 8an[lL Lo Lhe sleazy and Lhe downbeaL buL Lhey dldn'L seem Lo be parL
of Lhls new ?ork Slr Alrlc cerLalnly had hls sLandards and he'd obvlously broughL Lhe Academy Lo Lhls
nelghbourhood for a reason CuL on Lhe sLreeLs sLarlng up aL Lhe glganLlc bulldlngs ln wonder wlLh her
breaLh plumlng ln Lhe frosLy alr Cassle happlly leL 8an[lL Lake over Lhe hunL Coffee afLer all had only
been an excuse Lo be alone wlLh hlm LhaL and Lo experlence Lhe clLy she'd mlssed on her arrlval She
could forgeL for a whlle abouL monsLers and demons Walklng norLh on llfLh Avenue [usL one
anonymous couple among Lhe brlsk and smarLly dressed crowds she could barely choose where Lo look
nexL so lL was [usL as well 8an[lL seemed Lo know hls way around Pe sLeered her down LasL 78Lh
SLreeL Lo Madlson Avenue and a chlc and glossy cafe LhaL served a bewllderlng selecLlon of coffees Lo
chlc and glossy cusLomers '!eez ?ou're paylng afLer all l'm afrald' unwlndlng her scarf Cassle ralsed
her eyebrows aL Lhe prlce llsL as Lhey ordered 'lL'll be worLh lL' Pe nudged a mug Lowards her '1hough
why you'd wanL Lo puL clnnamon syrup ln flne coffee l can'L lmaglne' 'Mmmm Cood as Lhe 1ears of
Lhe lew' she murmured mlschlevously relaxlng a llLLle for Lhe flrsL Llme 'erks a glrl up no end' 8an[lL
bllnked ln surprlse 'Slr Alrlc gave you Lhe 1ears?' 'Ch yeah' She wlnked 'l'm a speclal case me' 'Wow'
8an[lL shook hls head anxlously 'uld he menLlon' '1haL l can'L do lL all Lhe Llme? ?eah he dld 1hanks
for Lhe remlnder' Cassle's [aw clenched So much for feellng relaxed 'So now you've goL Lo learn Lo
feed' 'So l'm Lold' '8lghL um ' 8an[lL seemed Lo read Lhe dlspleasure on Cassle's face and played for
Llme by swallowlng hoL coffee Loo qulckly Sucklng ln a breaLh he wlnced 'ls lL golng Lo be lsabella?' 'l
don'L know Look do we have Lo Lalk abouL Lhls now?' 8an[lL smlled apologeLlcally 'no Sorry' Cassle
Look a slp of coffee She dldn'L wanL Lo be angry noL now noL wlLh hlm WlLh a slgh she seL down her
cup and ran her flnger round Lhe rlm of lL 'Pow much Llme do you reckon l've goL before l have Lo
declde?' 'A few weeks Maybe less' 8an[lL lowered hls volce Lo a murmur as a walLer passed by '?our
hunger has developed fasLer Lhan anyone could have predlcLed lL's lncredlble Cassandra' WlLh
someLhlng llke admlraLlon he added 'unprecedenLed!' '?ou sound llke Slr Alrlc' Cassle replled 'And
noL ln a good way Pe's Lhe only oLher person who calls me Cassandra Well aparL from ' 'LsLelle'
8an[lL flnlshed 'Would you raLher l called you Cassle?' '?ou know whaL? l Lhlnk l would' '1hen l wlll
Cassle' WlLh a smlle he puL hls hand over hers uamn she LhoughL 1haL dld feel good And sLrong And
supporLlve Slowly she llnked her flngers lnLo hls '?ou never wanLed me ln Lhe lew dld you?' 'no l
dldn'L l dldn'L wanL you lnvolved ln any of Lhls' Pe smlled ruefully '8uL lL's done now' 'And l would
have been lnvolved anyway' sald Cassle wlLh sudden reallsaLlon 'Cne way or anoLher lL was lsabella
who was supposed Lo be lnlLlaLed wasn'L lL? She was Lhe obvlous candldaLe So l guess l would have
been her llfesource?' 8an[lL's hand Lensed 1hen he nodded slowly hls eyes roamlng her face 'erhaps
8uL l would have done whaL l could Lo sLop LhaL Loo' Cassle frowned She'd have preferred LhaL scenarlo
Lo Lhe one ln whlch she now found herself Wouldn'L she? lf lsabella had [olned Lhe lew lf she'd asked
Cassle Lo be her llfesource whaL would Cassle have done? She knew perfecLly well whaL she'd have
done She'd have refused 8un a mlle Screamed Lhe place down and called Lhe cops As lf readlng her
LhoughLs 8an[lL sald '?ou know you can feed wlLhouL her knowledge Lven Lhough she knows whaL
happened Lo you Lhere are ways round' 'no' she sald flrmly 'l'm noL golng Lo lle Lo my besL frlend
Slr Alrlc says he'll Leach us boLh' ln a muLLer she added 'lf she agrees l mean ' 'lL's for Lhe besL
Cassle ?ou have Lo know how Lo feed safely And lf lL's done rlghL lL really doesn'L do any harm'
ShuLLlng her eyes Cassle gave a frusLraLed moan Lhen she felL 8an[lL's hand squeeze hers once agaln
Pe slghed deeply and Lurned Lo Cassle wlLh an aLLempL aL a smlle
'Look l'm [usL glad you're here and you're Ck We'll geL Lhrough lL LogeLher' Pe leaned over and
klssed her genLly on Lhe llps llngerlng for a momenL before pulllng away 'And abouL Lhls ' he
murmured presslng hls forehead Lo Cassle's '?eah?' Per volce was hoarse 'l Lhlnk lL mlghL be a good
ldea for us Lo Lry and Lake lL slow l mean l don'L know whaL happened ln Lhe aLrlum buL lL felL almosL
ouL of conLrol?' Pe looked cauLlously aL Cassle and she nodded and smlled 'lL dld noL LhaL l'm
complalnlng' 'Me nelLher lL's [usL LhaL glven our clrcumsLances and pasL experlences l [usL don'L
wanL anyLhlng Lo go wrong for us We should be careful' 8an[lL ran a reassurlng hand along Cassle's arm
and Lurned Lo draln Lhe resL of hls coffee Cassle sLared down aL her own barely Louched drlnk She'd
hardly LhoughL abouL lL before buL Lhe way he'd sald pasL experlences and Lhe expresslon on hls face
when she menLloned LhaL she had been desLlned Lo be lsabella's llfesource spoke volumes Pow could
she have forgoLLen? !esslca !ake's slsLer had been lnvolved wlLh 8an[lL before she dled ln facL she was
meanL Lo be meeLlng hlm Lhe nlghL she was lured Lo her deaLh 1he glrl who flnlshed up dralned of her
very essence by kaLerlna and kelko was Lhe same glrl everyone sald looked llke Cassle 1he LhoughL of lL
made her head spln Ck Lhls could be welrd 'Cassle?' 8an[lL's volce broughL her ouL of her reverle 'We
should geL golng ?ou look Llred' Pls beauLlful face smlllng down aL her and hls hand genLly lald on her
shoulder made her head spln once more buL for Lhe rlghL reasons 1hls ls rldlculous she LhoughL
?ou're noL !esslca lL's noL Lhe same uon'L Lalk yourself ouL of Lhls before lL's begun lorclng a smlle she
sLood up '1lred? Come on Lhen l'll race you back Lo Lhe Academy!'
CPA1L8 lCu8
1he corrldor was dark Cassle was runnlng urgenLly searchlng for someLhlng Someone She rounded Lhe
corner lnLo yeL more darkness
no noL darkness Lwo eyes glowlng red were Lhere ahead of her Loomlng ouL of Lhe black Comlng
Lowards her no She was movlng Lowards Lhem 1here he ls Cassandra! Crab hlm 1ake hlm Pe's Lhe
one for us uon'L leL hlm convlnce you oLherwlse We belong LogeLher We need hlm Cassle's arms
reached ouL bllndly snaLchlng aL Lhe vold ?ou don'L wanL Lo be alone do you Cassandra? 8each for
hlm Crab hlm We don'L wanL Lo be alone We wanL Lhem boLh ?ou and l he and hls '8an[lL?'
Cassle's volce was a growl echolng Lhrough Lhe empLy space She lunged forward once more her hands
grabblng on Lo someLhlng Shoulders hunched muscular Pls bare skln almosL burnlng under her Louch
1hen hls arms enclrcllng her squeezlng her unLll she could barely breaLhe Per flngernalls llke claws
dlgglng lnLo Lhe flesh of hls back ?es Cassandra uon'L leL hlm go! We musLn'L leL go! 'l won'L' ?ou
won'L ?ou won'L? 8uL you've abandoned me! Why have you abandoned me Cassle? 1here's a parL of
me alone you know 1he parL we lefL behlnd 'WhaL? l'm here! LsLelle?' ?ou felL LhaL vold dldn'L you
dear? Cnly for a llLLle Llme buL you felL lL lmaglne belng Lrapped Lhere lL's noL nlce Why are you belng
so unklnd? oor poor LsLelle Are you golng Lo leL me sLay ouL here Cassandra? Are you golng Lo keep
me aparL? keep us aparL? PCW CCuLu ?Cu?! Cassle woke wlLh a sLarL shaklng 1hrowlng off Lhe
blankeLs sweaLlng and gasplng for breaLh she saL up sLralghL and raked her flngers Lhrough her halr lL
was sLlll dark Lhe falnL glow from ouLslde was sLreeL llghLlng lL was a nlghLmare LhaL was all Cassle
slghed WlLh all LhaL had happened lL was a wonder she hadn'L had more bad dreams She gave a wry
halfsmlle SomeLlmes lL seemed llke her whole llfe now was a bad dream lL dldn'L help LhaL she had
LsLelle lnslde her head messlng wlLh her mlnd AlLhough all was quleL now so maybe Lhe splrlL had
spenL her fury for Lhe Llme belng and Cassle could sleep ln peace SLlll her hearL conLlnued Lo Lhrash
and lL wasn'L [usL from fear She had a Lerrlble sense of sadness gullL and regreL ln Lhe plL of her
sLomach almosL ln splLe of herself oor poor LsLelle Cassle rubbed her flngerLlps agalnsL her
Lemples groanlng lnwardly buL noL maklng a sound ln case she woke lsabella arL of her was sorry for
LsLelle When Lhe rlLual LhaL was supposed Lo blnd Lhem LogeLher forever was lnLerrupLed parL of Lhe
lew splrlL had been lefL sLranded ouLslde Cassle's body dlvlded from Lhe resL Lver slnce LsLelle's volce
had begged Cassle Lo leL her ln 8uL even lf she knew how Lo do LhaL Cassle was far from cerLaln LhaL
she wanLed Lo lracLured vlslons of Lhe lew woman's pasL revealed her Lo be proud and sLrong yes buL
also vlndlcLlve cruel and selflsh lf she [olned fully wlLh LsLelle how could Cassle be sure LhaL she
wouldn'L follow Lhe same paLh? lumbllng for Lhe Lumbler of waLer on her nlghLsLand Lhe back of
Cassle's hand bumped agalnsL one of her framed phoLographs lrrlLably she plcked lL up Lo move lL
aslde and froze SomeLhlng was wrong 1he frame felL sLrange beneaLh her flngerLlps She broughL lL
close Lo her face Lven ln Lhe dlm glow of an arLlflclal dawn her hand Lrembled 1he meLal frame had
melLed 1haL was how lL looked anyway 1wlsLed buckled and warped as lf lL had been lefL Loo close
Lo a flre 1he grlnnlng faces of aLrlck and Lhe Cranlake klds had melLed lnLo hldeous masks Alarmed
she reached ouL Lo Louch Lhe nlghLsLand lL was qulLe cool Cassle swallowed hard Swlnglng her legs
down on Lo Lhe floor she plcked up Lhe oLher phoLograph Lhe one she had surrepLlLlously Laken of
8an[lL aL Lhe end of lasL Lerm lL Loo was badly dlsLorLed Lhe sllver frame looked as lf lL had Lurned llquld
ln Lhe nlghL Lhen resolldlfled llke candle wax And 8an[lL's shyly smlllng face lL was unrecognlsable
She sLroked lL remorsefully Lears sprlnglng Lo her eyes WhaL had she done? Pang on WhaL made her
Lhlnk she'd done anyLhlng? A feellng LhaL was all Mlserably she cursed buL noL far enough under her
breaLh ln Lhe oLher bed lsabella sLlrred and sLreLched yawnlng Cassle had barely enough Llme Lo shove
Lhe melLed plcLures under her plllow before lsabella bllnked sleeplly Per roommaLe yawned and smlled
'Mornlng Cassle Mmm ' AbrupLly she saL up 'Pey! We're ln new ?ork!' Cassle shook her head She
lnsLanLly felL a llLLle more cheery Pow could lsabella be bursLlng wlLh such enLhuslasm aL Lhls hour? Per
frlend hadn'L changed slnce arls whlch was klnd of nlce when so much else had AffecLlng a drawl
she sald 'Chlll honey lL's slx o'clock ln Lhe mornlng Aln'L sunup for an hour' lsabella rolled her eyes
'Cassle LhaL accenL ls more SouLh Carollna Lhan SouLh 8ronx and even l know lL now ' Slumplng back
on Lo her bed she rubbed her hands wlLh glee 'WhaL shall we do Loday?' 'um aparL from sLarL school
you mean?' asked Cassle '?es yes aparL from LhaL 1hls ls Lhe ClLy LhaL never Sleeps! And nelLher
should we!' 'uhhuh' Cassle dldn'L boLher menLlonlng she already had a head sLarL ln LhaL deparLmenL
'?ou know Lhe flrsL class ls maLhs rlghL?' 'no no no no! l shall noL even Lhlnk abouL lL!' walled lsabella
She paused and Lhen gave Cassle a sldelong glance 'We need Lo Lalk abouL you Cassle' 'Ch Cod'
Cassle slghed 'noL agaln llrsL 8an[lL now you as well Can'L we Lalk abouL someone else?' lsabella
folded her arms crossly 'Cassle l leL you off yesLerday because you were meeLlng your lndlan prlnce
whlch you need Lo flll me ln on as well by Lhe way' She paused Lo glve Cassle a wlnk '8uL l know you're
noL Lelllng me someLhlng ?ou falnLed aL Lhe alrporL! ?ou dld noL look so Lerrlble and sLarved [usL from
mlsslng breakfasL or havlng a bug lL's because of whaL Lhey dld Lo you lsn'L lL? AL Lhe lew ceremony?'
Cassle rubbed her neck '?es' she mumbled lsabella nodded her eyes narrowlng '8lghL And whaL have
you done abouL lL?' 'Slr Alrlc had a er soluLlon' Cassle smlled brlghLly hoplng an explanaLlon would
sLall lsabella's quesLlons for now even lf she was belng economlcal wlLh Lhe LruLh She needed Llme
More Llme 'LlLerally l mean A llquld soluLlon' '?ou mean drugs?' lsabella's hand flew Lo her mouLh
'Cassle l'm noL sure' 'lease lsabella lL's noLhlng Lo worry abouL' 'Ch?' lsabella folded her arms and
ralsed an eyebrow 'lf lL ls noLhlng Lo worry abouL why are you sLlll so unhappy? l know you beLLer!
Why are you so nervous and slfLy?' 'ShlfLy ' 'CuL wlLh lL Cassle 8ell!' uefeaLed Cassle wenL over and
slumped on Lo lsabella's bed '8emember whaL l Lold you abouL kelko and Allce lasL Lerm? AbouL seelng
kelko klnd of feedlng on Allce? Well LhaL's how Lhe lew sLay allve' She slghed mlserably Lrylng Lo avold
meeLlng lsabella's eye '1hey draw llfeenergy from someone who's nonlew And apparenLly LhaL's
someLhlng l'm golng Lo have Lo do Loo ' Cassle Lralled off She hadn'L Lhe hearL Lo carry on any furLher
Lo ask Lhe quesLlon ouL loud lsabella dldn'L reply Maybe LhoughL Cassle she was rememberlng Cassle's
horrlble descrlpLlon of kelko dralnlng Lhe llfe ouL of her helpless roommaLe Cr her boyfrlend's slsLer
belng sucked dry 1he alr seemed Lo crackle wlLh Lenslon as Lhe sllence sLreLched on and on buL Cassle
couldn'L bear Lo look up Lo see Lhe horror and revulslon on lsabella's face Any mlnuLe now lL would all
be over lsabella would leave Lhe room She'd go Lo Slr Alrlc and demand a change of roommaLe Cf
course she'd say Lhey'd sLlll be frlends buL she'd never qulLe forgeL whaL Cassle had asked of her She'd
never qulLe forglve 'Ck' 'WhaL?' Cassle wasn'L sure she'd heard correcLly 'l sald Ck ?ou wlll feed
from me' Seelng Cassle's lncredulous expresslon lsabella flapped her hands 'Look l'm noL saylng Lhls ls
ldeal Cne Lhlng ls for sure l had a very dlfferenL vlew of Lhe lew before l knew all Lhls crazlness was
lnvolved 8uL anoLher Lhlng l know for cerLaln ls LhaL you're noL llke kelko noL a blL llke her She was
lnsane ?ou on Lhe oLher hand' lsabella grlnned 'well you have your momenLs 8uL you are my very
good frlend Cassle 8ell lf Lhls ls whaL you need Lhen Lhls ls whaL we need Lo do' Cassle could only sLare
aL her 'lsab' lsabella lnLerrupLed holdlng up her hand 'Pold on Allce dld noL know whaL kelko was
dolng dld she?' 'no' Cassle plcked aL a chewed nall '1he lew have a speclal drlnk lL makes your
roommaLe forgeL everyLhlng 1hey Lhlnk lL's klnder' Cassle flnally made herself look aL lsabella's face
buL Lhere was no dlsgusL on lL She was noddlng lnLenL and serlous '?eL you don'L wanL Lo decelve me
Cassle ?ou have Lold me everyLhlng and LhaL shows you LrusL me 1hank you So l wlll be honesL wlLh
you because l LrusL you Loo' lsabella ralsed a warnlng flnger '?ou musL never glve me Lhls drlnk l won'L
ever be Lrlcked or lled Lo' 'lsabella l don'L know' 'Cassle you need Lo feed 1haL's obvlous lL's why Slr
Alrlc ls so worrled abouL you yes?' lsabella grasped Cassle's hands 'Pe yes Pe sald he'd Leach me
show us how Lo do lL safely' 'Well Slr Alrlc ls a good man Pe knows whaL ls necessary and whaL ls or
lsn'L dangerous uon'L worry Cassle' lsabella's smlle was cauLlous buL slncere 'lf he shows us how Lo do
lL rlghL Lhen lL wlll be flne l'll be your whaL do you say?' Cassle swallowed 'My llfesource 8uL walL
lsabella WhaL abouL !ake? Pe'll never allow you Lo do lL' '!ake ls noL my boss he's my boyfrlend'
snlffed lsabella '?ou're rlghL he won'L llke lL buL Lhls ls my declslon l am noL !esslca and you are noL
kelko And anyway maybe whaL he doesn'L know won'L hurL hlm' '?ou can'L keep lL secreL from hlm
lsabella' 'Why noL? A glrl ls enLlLled Lo some secreLs' lsabella replled her dark eyes flashlng 'When Lhe
Llme ls rlghL l wlll Lell hlm Pe wlll undersLand' Cassle sLared aL her roommaLe Wasn'L Lhls Lhe perfecL
ouLcome? She'd been honesL wlLh lsabella and lsabella had agreed freely So why dld she sLlll feel llke a
plece of dlrL? 'All rlghL' Cassle breaLhed ouL and smlled '1hank you 1hank you lsabella' '?ou're
welcome !usL make sure you don'L overlndulge' lsabella grlnned 'l am sure LhaL my llfeenergy musL be
very sLrong sLuff!' '1here's no way ln hell l'm geLLlng anywhere near you unLll Slr Alrlc's LaughL me
everyLhlng Lhere ls Lo know abouL Lhls feedlng Lhlng' Lmbarrassed Cassle blL her llp selfconsclously
Pow had Lhey come Lo Lhls? lsabella looked aL her roommaLe and glggled '?our face ls a plcLure Cassle
8ell lL wlll be flne 8esldes belng one of Lhe lew ls noL all bad news huh? WhaL abouL 8an[lL? l heard
how he swepL you off your feeL ln Lhe aLrlum yesLerday Surely he ls some comforL?' She grlnned
wlckedly and Cassle couldn'L help buL smlle Loo 'Look' lsabella conLlnued her eyes sparkllng wlLh
mlschlef 'l wlsh Lhls whole lew Lhlng had noL happened 8uL lL has happened and you're ln And seelng
as lL's laLe Accompllshed you mlghL as well have some fun belng lew no?' Cassle was abouL Lo correcL
her when she LhoughL no laLe Accompllshed ls qulLe approprlaLe 'lsabella l'm noL golng Lo sLarL
Lhrowlng my welghL around' lsabella snlffed 'Pmph! Slnce ChrlsLmas Lhere lsn'L enough of you Lo
Lhrow' Cassle smlled wryly 'And of course you won'L play Lhe Cueen 8ee LhaL wouldn'L be you' She
grabbed Cassle's arms and shook Lhem 'uon'L forgeL you are sLlll you' 'l hope you're rlghL' lsabella
lgnored her 'Pey you can lnvlLe me Lo Lhe ohsosacred common room And exLra Llme off for belng
lew means more Llme on Madlson Avenue' 'Pow dld l know you'd work shopplng lnLo Lhls somehow?'
Cassle sald a genulne smlle flnally crosslng her llps She purposefully sLood up and sLreLched 'Come on
leL's geL dressed and flnd some breakfasL lL'll Lake me aL leasL an hour Lo look as good as you look rlghL
now And leL me Lell you you don'L look greaL' lsabella Lhrew a plllow aL her 'Swlne Anyway lL lsn'L
Lrue ?ou look very beauLlful slnce you had your famous soluLlon" 8uL walL Llll you sLarL feedlng on
me!' She preened llcklng a flngerLlp and smooLhlng an eyebrow Cassle managed Lo laugh 1aklng hold
of lsabella's ankle she sLarLed Lo drag her ouL of bed 'LeL's geL golng glrl ?ou can'L avold Perr SLolz for
ever you know' '1rue' lsabella Lhrew off her bedcloLhes and [umped Lo her feeL pouLlng '8uL wlLh my
powerful new roommaLe l was hoplng l could' Cassle glggled 'We all have our problems l geL Lo be
possessed by a demon you geL Lo face Lhe deadly algebralc equaLlons of Lhe maLhs masLer' '?ou know
Cassle?' lsabella slghed 'l'm noL sure whlch ls worse '
CPA1L8 llvL

Cassle remembered all Loo clearly Lhe way she'd felL aL Lhe beglnnlng of lasL Lerm Lhe flshouLofwaLer
awfulness of lL She musL have
looked a blL llke a flsh Loo lf Lhe handful of new sLudenLs were anyLhlng Lo go by all wlde eyes and
gaplng mouLhs She smoLhered a smlle feellng sorry for Lhem buL a llLLle superlor Loo She wasn'L Lhe
hopeless newble any more lL was almosL as lf she belonged here And LhaL felL nlce lL really dld She'd
losL lsabella ln Lhe Lhrong of sLudenLs ln Lhe aLrlum exclLedly squeallng greeLlngs and lndulglng ln
exclLable oneupmanshlp abouL holldays ln exoLlc locales As she made her way Lowards Perr SLolz's
classroom Cassle noLlced aL leasL one famlllar face of her own !ake was sLandlng near a bank of sleek
lockers wlLh elecLronlc keypads Pe looked sllghLly nervous as Cassle approached 'Pey !ake! Pow's lL
golng?' 'uh hey Cassle l'm Ck how are you? leellng beLLer Loday?' Pe reached over and gave her an
awkward hug and Cassle felL her hearL slnk lL had Laken monLhs for her and !ake Lo overcome Lhelr
muLual warlness 1hen [usL as Lhey had become real frlends evenLs had Laken over now as well as
belng a walklng remlnder of hls losL slsLer Cassle was also one of Lhe lew parL of Lhe group
responslble for !esslca's deaLh no wonder Lhere was Lenslon beLween Lhem hls feellngs Lowards her
musL be almosL as mlxed up as her own She only hoped she'd be able Lo show !ake LhaL he could sLlll
LrusL her and prove lL Lo herself As Lhey made Lhelr way lnLo Lhe classroom Cassle's aLLenLlon was
drawn Lo a pale nervous redheaded glrl who had dropped her maLhs books ouLslde Lhe glass door A
Lall boy appeared sllckly aL her slde Pe crouched down Lo help Louchlng Lhe redhead's elbow ln a way
LhaL senL a vlslble shlver Lhrough Lhe poor creaLure She gazed aL hlm awesLruck as he passed her books
lnLo her arms and flnally Cassle caughL slghL of hls face lopplshly handsome wlLh a dazzllng grln
8lchard PalLon!ones Cassle felL cold Cbvlously he hadn'L changed sLlll an lncorrlglble fllrL Show hlm
someone anyone LhaL walked uprlghL on Lwo legs and he [usL couldn'L help hlmself She'd once
LhoughL lL was endearlng now Lhe memory of Lhelr lasL encounLer felL llke a punch ln Lhe sLomach
She'd llked hlm LrusLed hlm even sLarLed Lo belleve LhaL he was lnLeresLed ln her Loo and look where
LhaL had goL her 8lchard was Lhe one who'd lured her Lo Lhe Arc de 1rlomphe and a ceremony she'd
wanLed no parL of She dldn'L care LhaL lL was aL Lhe requesL of Lhe elderly Madame Azzedlne who had
Laken a shlne Lo Cassle and deemed her Lhe perfecL new hosL lf lL weren'L for hlm she wouldn'L be ln
Lhls mess AverLlng her eyes sharply she edged pasL 8lchard and lnLo Lhe classroom hoplng he wouldn'L
Lake any noLlce of her AfLer all he was lucky he hadn'L been expelled Surely even someone LhaL brazen
musL be ashamed Lo be around her afLer whaL he had done ApparenLly noL A hand squeezed her arm
halLlng her ln her Lracks '?ou have no ldea' he murmured 'how dlfferenL you look' She spun on her
heel Lo glare aL hlm Around Lhem Lhe lasL sLudenLs were rushlng lnLo class sLlll loud wlLh gosslp and
Lhe exclLemenL of a new Lerm buL Perr SLolz was now sLandlng aL Lhe fronL of Lhe room clearlng hls
LhroaL Lapplng hls flngers on Lhe desk 8lchard lgnored hlm 'Pello Cassle' 'Class ls sLarLlng' she sald
crlsply Pe lgnored LhaL as well '?ou look amazlng' '1hanks' Per volce was arcLlc 'Ah ?ou sound
dlfferenL Loo' Was she lmaglnlng lL or was LhaL a Louch of sadness ln hls volce? Who cared? 1urnlng
away she saw lsabella breeze lnLo Lhe classroom and fllng herself aL !ake almosL Loppllng hls seaL over
1haL ralsed a smlle Lhough Cassle noLlced LhaL !ake who had been scrlbbllng furlously ln a noLebook
sLlll looked a llLLle dlsLracLed Cassle frowned afLer all Lhe Llme lL had Laken for lsabella Lo wln hlm
over she'd have hoped !ake would pay her besL frlend a llLLle more aLLenLlon She slld lnLo a seaL nexL Lo
Lhe palr 'SLeady on lsabella! ?ou'll damage Lhe furnlLure' 'Ah Cassle! 1here you are! lear noL !ake's
manly body ls sLurdy enough Lo hold llLLle old me' lsabella fluLLered her eyelashes aL her boyfrlend who
flnally puL down hls pen and swlfLly klssed her nose Surveylng Lhe room properly for Lhe flrsL Llme
Cassle reallsed LhaL Lhe sleek modern desks and chalrs were probably Loo wellmade Lo glve way ln any
case 1hey were fanLasLlcally sLyllsh compared wlLh Lhe LradlLlonal wooden furnlLure LhaL had fllled Lhe
Academy back ln arls ln facL Lhey looked as lf Lhey'd been carved from lumps of blue lce by hllllpe
SLarck hlmself 'Cassle!' She Lurned Lo see where Lhe call had come from and found herself sLarlng aL a
small cllque slLLlng aL Lhe back of Lhe classroom sllghLly aparL from Lhelr fellow sLudenLs Some of Lhem
seemed Lo regard her wlLh loaLhlng some wlLh cauLlous smlles buL all were wlLhouL excepLlon
sLunnlngly goodlooklng 1he lew Per new 'famlly' Ayeesha and her lrlsh boyfrlend Cormac Lwo of Lhe
more frlendlylooklng waved enLhuslasLlcally 1he 8a[an glrl called her name agaln and beckoned her
Lowards an empLy desk nexL Lo where Lhey were slLLlng Ayeesha looked genulnely welcomlng and
dldn'L make Cassle's anLennae Llngle Lhe way some of Lhe oLhers dld Surely she hadn'L been one of Lhe
dark hooded flgures aL Lhe Arc de 1rlomphe ceremony Surely 8ememberlng Lhe slnlsLer horror
Cassle shlvered 'l Lhlnk you're belng summoned' !ake sald hls dry humour noL qulLe coverlng Lhe noLe
of dlsdaln ln hls volce Cassle averLed her eyes hurrledly 'uon'L be dafL l'm noL golng over Lhere l'm
slLLlng wlLh you guys same as always' 'Ah we are honoured Ms 8ell!' A mlschlevous slngsong lllL was ln
lsabella's volce buL Cassle's sldeways look sLopped her shorL 1he lasL Lhlng she needed was Lo glve Lhe
lmpresslon LhaL she wanLed Lo be LreaLed dlfferenLly now especlally around !ake she was already
wary of hls feellngs Lowards her Cassle nudged !ake and forced herself Lo smlle 'Ch l geL lL ?ou wanL
Lo geL rld of Lhe Lhlrd wheel so you can have lsabella all Lo yourself eh?' !ake chuckled and held up hls
hands ln mock proLesL buL hls grln qulckly faded as he glanced aL someone approachlng behlnd her 'l
Lhlnk we have Lhe full complemenL of wheels' he muLLered Lurnlng away 'ls Lhls seaL Laken?' Cassle
looked up sharply and her hearLbeaL broke lnLo a sprlnL '8an[lL!' Cassle felL her face redden aL Lhe
undlsgulsed enLhuslasm ln her volce 'um hl no lL's noL Laken' 'Can we come Lo order please?' AL Lhe
fronL of Lhe classroom Perr SLolz was aLLempLlng wlLh llLLle success Lo exerL hls auLhorlLy 'Welcome
back all of you Mr Slngh lf you could Lake a seaL please? We musL begln'
8an[lL nodded a nonchalanL apology ln Perr SLolz's dlrecLlon before slldlng eleganLly lnLo Lhe chalr
beslde her lsabella looked aL Cassle and glggled !ake remalned sllenL and unsmlllng lgnorlng Lhe low
rlpples of surprlse surroundlng her (maybe noL everyone ln Lhe school had seen Lhelr cllnch ln Lhe aLrlum
afLer all) Cassle opened her LexLbook and smooLhed down lLs pages carefully She flushed as 8an[lL
halfLurned hls head Lo her and smlled A Llngle on Lhe back of her neck Lold her LhaL more eyes were
upon her She glanced qulckly up and Lurned ln her seaL expecLlng Lo flnd half of Lhe lew drllllng
daggers lnLo her back So lL was a surprlse Lo meeL only 8lchard's sLeady mlserable gaze 8lchard musL
have goL some of hls [ole de vlvre back over Lhe course of Lhe lesson cheered by hls own goodnaLured
LaunLlng of Lhe hyperserlous Leacher When he approached Cassle aL Lhe bell whlle 8an[lL was delayed
by Perr SLolLz he was all charm once more '?ou're angry wlLh me ?ou're angry wlLh me! Cassle sweeL
glrl l can'L bear lL l shall klll myself no l shall Lhrow myself on Lhe sLreeLs l shall sell my body for a few
groaLs and dle pale and Lhln ln a garreL l shall wasLe away l shall wrlLe desperaLe Lerrlble poeLry l
shall' 'ShuL up 8lchard' Cassle Lurned away ad[usLlng Lhe heavy plle of books ln her arms as she
peered Lhrough Lhe [osLllng sLudenLs Lrylng Lo caLch slghL of lsabella and !ake 1hey were already ouL ln
Lhe corrldor and all wrapped up ln one anoLher She glanced around for 8an[lL buL now he was speaklng
Lo hls roommaLe a lean uanlsh boy called 1orvald 'lor you darllng l'll shuL up' 8lchard sald smooLhly
'ln my dreams ln everyone's dreams' 'l'm sLlll ln your dreams?' Pe clasped hls hands Lo hls hearL mock
swoonlng Cassle scowled cross wlLh herself lf she goL drawn lnLo hls sllly banLer Lhere was a chance
she'd forglve hlm And he dldn'L deserve Lo be forglven '8ugger off 8lchard l mean lL Surely you musL
reallse LhaL your llLLle acL ls LoLally wasLed on me now' Cassle walked dellberaLely away Lowards
lsabella sLopplng aL her roommaLe's slde wlLh a feellng of vlclous saLlsfacLlon 8lchard was lefL sLandlng
ln Lhe doorway she could see hls reflecLlon ln Lhe glass looklng losL and genulnely wounded Cood 1he
LhoughL of 8lchard was banlshed from her mlnd by a [olL of elecLrlclLy as 8an[lL reLurned and placed one
hand genLly on Lhe small of her back Ayeesha and Cormac followed closely behlnd hlm A llLLle
relucLanLly Cassle Lurned Lo Lhem and smlled 'Pl guys' 'Pey Cassle 8an[lL' called Ayeesha as she
approached She Lurned Lo 8an[lL and nodded wlLh obvlous respecL Cassle sLlll dldn'L have a full grasp
on Lhe hlerarchy of Lhe lew buL Lhere was no doubL who was Lop dog A llLLle Lhrlll of power wenL
Lhrough her aL Lhe LhoughL LhaL she was daLlng hlm A smlle LwlLched aL 8an[lL's llps as Lhough he knew
whaL she was Lhlnklng 'uon'L wander off' conLlnued Ayeesha 'Come up Lo Lhe common room We
should show you around Cassle' 'We're golng Lhere now LhoughL we'd sklp Lngllsh llL' added Cormac
Cassle Look a breaLh ln splLe of lsabella's obvlous lnLeresL she'd been halfhoplng she could avold Lhe
Common 8oom Lhe ellLe excluslve sacrosancL common room of Lhe lew 'uh well l have a free
perlod now so l LhoughL l could caLch up on a blL of unpacklng and sLuff And l don'L know abouL cuLLlng
class ' 'Ch don'L worry abouL LhaL Come on! Come and meeL Lhe oLhers Pave a chaL CeL Lo know us
all' Was she anywhere near ready for Lhls? lor small Lalk wlLh people she mlghL lasL have seen behlnd
red hoods chalnlng her down aL Lhe mercy of LsLelle Azzedlne? She dldn'L even know whlch ones Lhey
were 'Co on Cassle!' lsabella chlmed ln [lggllng her arm 'lL sounds llke fun' !ake looked Lhunderous
Pls sllence spoke volumes for Cassle and she opened her mouLh Lo decllne Lhe offer 8uL [usL Lhen
Lhree slxLhform glrls swepL pasL Lowards Lhe aLrlum Cne of Lhem Sara was lL? shoL her a
superclllous glance and muLLered someLhlng soLLo voce Lo her frlends prompLlng a flL of glggllng Cassle
couldn'L make ouL exacLly whaL was sald buL she'd dlsLlncLly heard Lhe word common and she was
preLLy sure Lhey weren'L Lalklng abouL Lhe room Sara was lew Cassle knew LhaL uld her eyes look
famlllar? Pad she seen Lhose cool greyblue lrlses Lhrough a sllL ln a red hood? 8age rose up ln her
1here was only one way Lo flnd ouL '?ou know whaL?' Cassle Lold Ayeesha loudly 'AcLually LhaL'd be
greaL l'll come along laLer on Lhls afLernoon' 'CreaL! See you Lhen' As Ayeesha and Cormac walked off
Cassle's hearL sank She regreLLed belng so lmpulslve She really wasn'L ready Lo face Lhe common room
Cassle eyed !ake selfconsclously as 8an[lL Lurned Lo her and Look her hand 'l've goL a couple of Lhlngs l
need Lo Lake care of Loo 8uL l'll come and meeL you afLer your Lngllsh class and we can head up Lhere
LogeLher' Cassle smlled as she waLched hlm sLrlde gracefully away Pow dld he know exacLly Lhe rlghL
Lhlng Lo say? WlLh 8an[lL aL her slde Lhe common room suddenly wasn'L such a daunLlng prospecL 'ugh
Soclallslng wlLh Lhe chosen ones l can'L walL' 'Cassle!WhaL dld l Lell you abouL looklng on Lhe brlghL
slde? Lmbrace Lhe good Lhlngs! lf l had Lhe chance Lo sklp borlng old Lngllsh llL l would have [umped ln
lL!' lsabella dug her elbow lnLo Cassle's rlbs 'Cuch! !eez lsabella!' 'So you and Slngh are maklng a go
of lL huh?' !ake sald hls volce LlghL Cassle could Lell he was abouL as keen Lo ask LhaL quesLlon as she
was Lo answer lL She shuffled along beslde Lhem keeplng her eyes on her baLLered Lralners 'uh yeah l
know lL's a blL awkward buL he's one of Lhe good guys !ake l'm cerLaln of lL' 'Well l'm glad you are'
lsabella glared aL !ake 'l mean l guess you're probably rlghL' he hasLlly quallfled 8uL he dldn'L look aL
Cassle as he spoke She knew LhaL he had long suspecLed 8an[lL of havlng kllled hls slsLer Lven kaLerlna's
confesslon LhaL she and kelko had commlLLed Lhe crlme hadn'L been enough Lo convlnce !ake LhaL 8an[lL
wasn'L ln some way responslble And Cassle had Lo admlL Lhere were sLlll unanswered quesLlons 8an[lL
had been due Lo meeL !ess Lhe nlghL she was kllled buL kaLerlna had senL someone Lo delay hlm Who
had LhaL been and how much dld Lhey know abouL Lhe ploL? Cassle wasn'L sure she wanLed Lo flnd ouL
and even lf she dld she had a feellng 8an[lL wouldn'L say !esslca !ohnson 1he dead glrl felL llke Lhe
elephanL ln Lhe room ln so many of her relaLlonshlps someLlmes lL was almosL as Lhough she was sLlll
allve and Lhere aL Lhe Academy '!ake' Cassle began Pe shook hls head and nudged her good
naLuredly 'Pey lgnore me l'm sorry l've noL qulLe forglven or forgoLLen yeL l guess 8uL l'm here and
LhaL's someLhlng Anyway we're under lnsLrucLlons from Lhls beauLlful glrl here Lo llghLen up Sorry
baby' he sald puLLlng hls arm around lsabella's shoulders as Lhey made Lhelr way down Lhe hall 'no
problem' lsabella sald glowlng aL hls compllmenL
!ake cleared hls LhroaL and moved swlfLly on Lo anoLher Loplc Cassle wasn'L keen Lo dlscuss 'So anyway
when am l golng Lo flnd ouL whaL happened ln uarke's offlce huh? l wanL Lo know whaL he sald WhaL
dld you do Cassle? WhaL dld he do?' 'um ' '?ou look a hell of a loL beLLer now LhaL's for sure Was lL
someLhlng Lo do wlLh uh feedlng?' !ake's volce was casual buL lL couldn'L qulLe hlde Lhe urgency
behlnd hls quesLlon and Cassle began Lo worry he'd [umped Lo Lhe rlghL concluslon 'Come on whaL
happened? less up' Pe aLLempLed a smlle Cassle glanced aL lsabella and noLlced Lhe very sllghL shake
of her head 1aklng a deep breaLh she once agaln couldn'L qulLe meeL !ake's eye 'Slr Alrlc gave me a
shoL of someLhlng klnd of a drug 8uL noL a drug' !ake sLayed sllenL for an agonlslng momenL AL lasL he
sald 'A drug?' '?eah noL dangerous or anyLhlng lL's someLhlng Lhe lew can Lake 1o ward off Lhe
hunger' 1haL wasn'L a lle afLer all 'Ch' Pe looked dumbfounded 'So Lhe feedlng Lhlng?' 'l [usL goL Lhe
ln[ecLlon and now lL's all flne' 8ehlnd her back Cassle crossed Lhe flngers of boLh hands '8eally?'
!ake frowned and Lhen made a face 'Well LhaL's greaL Why Lhe hell dldn'L you Lell me? lL seems preLLy
sLralghLforward Cod you had me worrled Lhere you know wlLh whaL kelko dld and all' '?eah no l
mean l'm flne now' Cassle could barely ralse a smlle CullL LwlsLed her guL Pe smlled ruefully back
'Well l'm glad you're Ck anyhow' 'uh cheers' '8lghL' harrumphed lsabella a nervous noLe ln her
volce 'Are you happy now !ake?' Per boyfrlend grlnned and gave her a fauxmeek nod '1hen l need Lo
Lalk Lo Cassle' She wagged a flnger aL !ake and llnked arms wlLh her roommaLe 'Alone!' 'Pey whaL
can'L l hear?' he asked plalnLlvely lsabella leL go of Cassle's arm and wrapped herself around !ake's
neck She planLed an enLhuslasLlc klss on hls llps Lhen pulled away 'Clrl Lalk' lL seemed Lo convlnce hlm
Pe ralsed hls hands ln defeaL 'Ck ln LhaL case l'm deflnlLely golng See you laLer glrls' lsabella grlnned
and waved hlm goodbye When he'd dlsappeared from slghL Cassle exhaled deeply 'l feel llke a shlL'
she muLLered lsabella clasped her hand '1hank you Cassle' 'lor whaL? Lylng Lo hlm?' 'lor belng
dlscreeL l don'L wanL hlm Lo know abouL Lhe feedlng lL wlll brlng back Loo many palnful memorles of
!ess' Cassle leL lsabella precede her lnLo Lhe elevaLor 'Pe's goL Lo know evenLually' '?es' conceded
lsabella mlserably '8uL noL yeL hmm?' '1he longer we leave lL ' '1he longer he'll be happy lgnorance ls
bllssful lsn'L lL? So leL's noL Lell hlm [usL yeL' 'Ck' slghed Cassle as Lhe elevaLor door slld sllenLly open aL
Lhelr floor '8uL l wanL a favour for keeplng my mouLh shuL' lsabella sllpped her arm Lhrough Cassle's
'name lL! A polo pony?' Cassle glggled 'As lf All l wanL ls a shoL on your lapLop Lo check my emalls and
sLuff ?' 'Coh you ask so much' lsabella Lossed her halr dramaLlcally Lhen laughed Sweeplng lnLo Lhelr
room and fllnglng her bag on Lo her bed she paLLed her lapLop '1here you go!' Cassle logged on found
her webmall folder and scrolled down Lhrough Lhe messages A couple of emalls from Lhe klds back aL
Cranlake lncludlng some really bad [okes whlch made her laugh ouL loud CLherwlse noLhlng buL speclal
offers from webslLes she'd vlslLed 8orlng 1here was one more AlLhough she was expecLlng lL Lhe
sender's name on Lhe lasL message ln Lhe folder hlL her wlLh a [olL WlLh a flush of gullL she Look a deep
breaLh lrom aLrlck Malone Sub[ecL lw lw Pow's Lhlngs? Clve Lhe man hls due he was perslsLenL
Pe had senL Lhe same emall Lhree Llmes now wlLh mlnor varlaLlons Pow was new ?ork? Pow was Lhe
fllghL? Was she Ck? Pe hadn'L heard from her was someLhlng wrong? Could she [usL reply Lo Lhls or
beLLer yeL call hlm so he'd know she was Ck? Cassle could you please [usL acknowledge Lhls? Pow are
you feellng? She slghed Pow was she feellng? noL ready Lo Lalk ueflnlLely noL ready Lo confronL whaL
had happened aL ChrlsLmas or whaL aLrlck mlghL know CenLly she sLroked Lhe Louchpad guldlng Lhe
cursor Lo Lhe deleLe buLLon ueleLe Lhls message? PeslLaLlng only for a momenL she cllcked '?es'
CPA1L8 Slx
Cassle Look a deep breaLh lL seemed a darlng acL of sacrllege [usL Lo Louch Lhe beauLlful lnlald common
room door 1he paLLerns were so
lnLrlcaLe so dellcaLe she was afrald she mlghL break Lhe wood 8uL leL's face lL LhaL wasn'L why she was
heslLaLlng She eyed 8an[lL nervously as he sLepped forward and placed hls hand on Lhe gleamlng sllver
handle '8elax lL'll be fun' he murmured reachlng down wlLh hls oLher hand Lo Lake her own She rolled
her eyes and Lrled Lo smlle 8an[lL Lurned Lhe handle and Lhe door swung open As Lhey walked ln Cassle
Look a breaLh Why had she been expecLlng Lhe same arlslan common room wlLh lLs anLlques and dark
fabrlcs [ewelled lamps and glassware? 1hls vasL space only a floor below Slr Alrlc's penLhouse offlce
was flooded wlLh llghL from lLs glass walls and Lhe frosLy blue sky beyond 1he leaLher sofas were clean
llned and lvorywhlLe Lhe furnlLure was sleek and mlnlmallsL buL vlslbly expenslve Per Lralners
squeaked on a pale hardwood floor as Lhey crossed Lhe room under sLares LhaL ranged from surprlsed Lo
frlendly Lo vlolenLly hosLlle 'Pey you Lwo!' Cormac leaped Lo hls feeL and Ayeesha gave Lhem one of
her radlanL grlns 'Cood Lo see you boLh Come along ln and meeL Lhe oLhers Cassle' lL was
exLraordlnary she LhoughL Lhe way Lhe blg cllque LhaL was Lhe lew was spllL lnLo lLs own small buL very
lnLense subcllques 1he people she'd expecL Lo be LogeLher were LogeLher classlfled by personallLy and
general nlceness or lack Lhereof 1he bond beLween cerLaln lew members and Lhe dlvlslon beLween
cerLaln lew groups was lnvlslble buL obvlous 1hey were llke small galaxles revolvlng around each oLher
buL never Louchlng 8eLween some groups Lhe alr almosL vlbraLed wlLh Lenslon She goL Lhe dlsLlncL
sense Loo LhaL some of Lhe members of each group deferred Lo Lhe oLhers ln a way LhaL seemed Lo be
noLhlng Lo do wlLh age WhaLever Lhe reason for Lhe dlvlslons all of Lhe room's lnhablLanLs were
Lemporarlly unlLed ln waLchlng Cassle and 8an[lL and eyelng Lhelr clasped hands wlLh lnLeresL
unconcerned Cormac was gesLurlng expanslvely round Lhe room ' and Sara of course And you'll
know vasslly and lndla from lasL Lerm and ?usuf Sorry l'm sure 8an[lL can lnLroduce you l suppose you
don'L need me Lo Lell you all Lhls' Pe gave a warm chuckle Cassle smlled back eversosllghLly
beglnnlng Lo loosen up 1hen Lhe commonroom door opened agaln and she lmmedlaLely sLlffened wlLh
Lenslon once more 1he volce she heard calllng an elaboraLe greeLlng Lo a group of sLudenLs ln Lhe
corner was horrlbly famlllar 8lchard SLarLled Cassle glanced over aL hlm how could lL have sllpped her
mlnd LhaL he would mosL llkely be ln Lhe common room? Maybe she'd wllfully forgoLLen As Lhelr eyes
meL he doffed an lnvlslble haL smlllng LenLaLlvely buL Lhankfully saylng noLhlng 8an[lL eyed hlm warlly
Cormac had reLurned Lo flop down on a plush sofa beslde Ayeesha and Cassle slghed deeply 'Ck LhaL's
LhaL experlence over Can we go now?' she whlspered Lhrough grlLLed LeeLh Lhough a smlle pulled aL
Lhe corners of her mouLh 8an[lL looked down aL her Lense face and laughed lnfecLlously Pls gaze held
hers and Cassle found herself rooLed Lo Lhe spoL calmed by hls lnLense sLare She sLared back aL hlm
mesmerlsed unLll almosL ln slow moLlon 8an[lL wrapped hls arms around her and pressed hls llps Lo
hers 1lme seemed Lo sLand sLlll as she melLed lnLo hls klss forgeLLlng her reservaLlons unLll a loud cough
nearby abrupLly made her very aware LhaL Lhey were sLlll sLandlng ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe room Lyes were
Lurned ln Lhelr dlrecLlon agaln Cormac seemed quleLly amused 8lchard looked sLrlcken 'noL agaln' she
mumbled grlnnlng sheeplshly 'Aren'L we uh a llLLle on dlsplay here?' 'Ch Cf course leL's um ' 8an[lL
shook hls head a llLLle as lf Lo clear lL and gulded her Lo anoLher plush sofa Lucked lnLo a corner of Lhe
room As Lhey wenL a bursL of goodnaLured laughLer rang ouL from 8lchard's group buL 8lchard dldn'L
seem Lo be sharlng Lhe [oke Pls eyes were sLlll on Cassle fllled wlLh some undeflnable emoLlon 1hen
Lhey reached Lhe sofa and saL down 8an[lL puL hls arm casually around her shoulders and her hearL
floaLed lorclng 8lchard's expresslon ouL of her head Cassle cleared her LhroaL 'l admlL lL 1hls ls klnd of
cool' She lowered her volce 'And l'm glad Lo see Lhey seem [usL as shocked Lo see you here as Lhey do
me' She prodded 8an[lL's slde playfully Pe flushed and Cassle was surprlsed Lo see LhaL he looked a
llLLle embarrassed 'l guess so' 'Pow come?' Cassle gave hlm a puzzled look 'AfLer !ess dled l kepL my
dlsLance from Lhe resL of Lhe lew l knew one of Lhem musL have been responslble buL l dldn'L know
who l suspecLed all of Lhem l hardly came Lo Lhe common room aL all lasL year lL made lL klnd of hard
Lo have close frlendshlps And Lhey're wary of me for oLher reasons' 'Such as?' 8an[lL slghed '1he lew
respecL power lL's how we deflne ourselves And l'm sLrong Cassle Cne of Lhe sLrongesL of Lhe lew aL
Lhe Academy l make people nervous or [ealous' WlLh a smlle Cassle reached up and ran her flngers
Lhrough hls [eLblack halr '?ou're Lelllng me' she sald Pe gave a quleL laugh 'Pow do Lhey know you're
so powerful anyway? Pow can Lhey Lell?' 8an[lL looked aL her qulzzlcally 'uon'L you see lL?' he asked
Cassle shrugged 'nope' '1ry Look aL Lhe oLhers now LeL yourself sense Lhelr sLrengLh' 1rylng noL Lo be
Loo obvlous Cassle shlfLed ln her seaL so she could see Lhe resL of Lhe room 'WhaL do l do?' '!usL relax
Cpen your mlnd and lL'll happen' leellng lnLensely awkward Cassle sLared aL her classmaLes lor a
momenL noLhlng happened 1hen slowly she began Lo dlscern a glow LhaL seemed Lo come from
wlLhln each of Lhem A ball of llghL LhaL hovered around where Lhelr hearL would be '1hey're beauLlful'
she breaLhed 'lL's Lhe lew splrlLs' whlspered 8an[lL lnLo her ear '1he brlghLer Lhe llghL Lhe sLronger Lhe
splrlL' Some of Lhe llghLs glowed sofLly oLhers burned more powerfully Cormac's llghL was low and
sLeady buL Ayeesha's was as brlghL as a spoLllghL 1he 8a[an glrl had Lo be serlously powerful CasLlng
her eyes over Lhe resL of Lhe room Cassle could suddenly see LhaL Lhe group dlvlslons were almosL all Lo
do wlLh power ?usuf hls splrlL almosL as brlghL as Ayeesha's was surrounded by a Lrlo of less powerful
lew as lf Lhey were relylng on hlm for paLronage and proLecLlon ln Lhe far corner a group of much
weaker llghLs had gaLhered LogeLher almosL llke Lhey were seeklng safeLy ln numbers 8lchard was
among Lhem and Cassle was surprlsed Lo see LhaL Lhe Lngllsh boy's splrlL was llLLle more Lhan a candle
flame Cdd she had always flgured hlm for a blg player among Lhe lew 'now look aL me' murmured
8an[lL and hls velveLy Lones broughL Cassle's aLLenLlon back Lo hlm Per breaLh caughL ln her LhroaL as
she
saw hls dazzllng splrlL lL blazed from hls chesL llke a fallen sLar ecllpslng all oLhers ln Lhe room Cr
almosL all Clanclng down Cassle saw for Lhe flrsL Llme Lhe glow from her own body as brlghL as
8an[lL's lL seemed buL dlfferenL 8aLher Lhan belng concenLraLed ln her chesL her own llghL seemed
somehow dlffuse As she reached ouL Lo Louch hls face she could see an aura surroundlng her arm llke
a halo Shaklng her head she leL Lhe vlslon fade 'l'm dlfferenL' she sald quleLly 8an[lL Look her hand
'?ou're perfecL' Cassle felL her hearL sklp a beaL She smlled back aL hlm shyly 'lf you say so' 'So now
you've seen Lhem as Lhey Lruly are' grlnned 8an[lL 'Maybe lL would be good Lo geL Lo know some of
Lhem beLLer 1here are acLually some decenL people among Lhe lew y'know' She leaned forward and
sklmmed hls llps mlschlevously wlLh her own SomeLhlng abouL hls gaze was llke a magneL she couldn'L
seem Lo keep her hands off hlm 'l know Lhere are' she whlspered polnLedly 'Well lf you change your
mlnd on LhaL aL leasL you're a llLLle fond of Lhe lndecenL ones Loo' 'Puh?' Cassle frowned 8an[lL
nodded Lowards 8lchard now lounglng alone on a corner sofa fllcklng Lhrough a copy of Lhe naLlonal
Lnqulrer 'WhaL do you mean l'm fond of hlm?' She pulled back a llLLle brlsLllng 'Well he never
sLopped fllrLlng wlLh you from AugusL Lo uecember' 'Ch and LhaL's my faulL ls lL?' 8an[lL sLlffened hls
eyes suddenly narrowlng 'no buL you've hardly Laken your eyes off hlm slnce we came ln' uoes he
Lhlnk we don'L wanL hlm? We do! Cassandra you musL convlnce hlm! Cassle froze aL Lhe reappearance
of Lhe allLoofamlllar volce lnslde her mlnd 8eslde her 8an[lL's hand sllpped ouL from behlnd her neck
as he Lurned Lo face her 'Come on Cassle lL's preLLy obvlous he's lnLeresLed ln you And you dld llke
hlm l barely had a lookln lasL Lerm unLll you' 'Puh!' she lnLerrupLed lncredulous 'l llked hlm flne Llll
he Lrlcked me lnLo hosLlng some goddamn demon' And we Lhank hlm for LhaL my dear! Cassle
squeezed her eyes shuL for a momenL Lrylng Lo lgnore LsLelle's lnLer[ecLlons 1he old bag had been quleL
slnce Lhe nlghLmare why was she back now? 8an[lL's eyes flashed 'uemon? ls LhaL whaL you Lhlnk?
WhaL does LhaL make me Lhen?' '8an[lL why are you belng llke Lhls?' Cassle hlssed Lurnlng her body Lo
square up Lo hlm more fully Pe glowered back for a momenL Lhen wlLh a deep breaLh hls look
sofLened Pe reached over and Louched her knee 'l'm sorry Cassle l dldn'L mean Lo ' 8an[lL lowered
hls volce 'Look l'm sorry Maybe now's noL Lhe Llme Lo Lalk abouL lL' Cassle slewed her gaze lefL and
rlghL Sure enough a few of Lhe smlrks had reLurned now LhaL she and 8an[lL had ralsed Lhelr volces Lo
each oLher 1aklng a deep breaLh of her own she slld her arm heslLanLly back Lhrough 8an[lL's 'Ck
WhaL lf l [usL forglve you Lhen?' 'CreaL WhaL lf l [usL don'L menLlon 8lchard PalLon!ones agaln?' 'Lven
beLLer' Cassle gave hlm a slow grln SeLLlng her [aw she declded Lo puL Lhe whole eplsode behlnd her
'Anyway whaL's happenlng Loday ln Lhe world of Lhe lew?' 'l Lhlnk Lhe plan ls Lo waLch a movle lancy
lL?' '?eah sure' !usL as she spoke one of Lhe older sLudenLs nearby llfLed a remoLe conLrol and bllnds
began Lo sllde down Lhe masslve wlndows WlLh a cllck and a hum a huge screen began Lo descend from
Lhe celllng and Lhe sLaLeofLhearL pro[ecLor llL up 'Ck deflnlLely cool' she sald awed 'Maybe Lhls
common room Lhlng lsn'L so bad afLer all' As Lhe llghLs dlmmed Cassle relaxed lnLo Lhe sofL leaLher of
Lhe sofa Lrylng Lo forgeL Lhe lmage of 8an[lL's face eyes narrowed [ealous and so qulck Lo brldle She'd
never seen LhaL slde Lo hlm before 1hey obvlously sLlll had a loL Lo learn abouL each oLher Anyway
wasn'L she glad he was [ealous? ln a way lL was nlce 8eassurlng Pad she overreacLed? Was she wrong
Lo have blLLen hls head off? robably 8uL lL was only a mlnor squabble and he seemed Lo have
forgoLLen lL already Slghlng she closed her eyes 1he cosy darkness enveloped her and afLer a momenL
she forgoL Lhe fllm forgoL mosL Lhlngs as she found herself concenLraLlng only on 8an[lL's closeness
1he lnLoxlcaLlng smell of hls body Lhrough hls shlrL 1he rlse and fall of hls chesL as he breaLhed She felL
her flngers cluLch hls LlghLly lf she sLopped overanalyslng everyLhlng she mlghL even forgeL her worrles
alLogeLher
CPA1L8 SLvLn
Cassle swore under her breaLh and consldered for Lhe flfLh Llme wheLher hurllng her monlLor Lhrough a
sevenLeenLhfloor wlndow would
be consldered grounds for expulslon AL Lhe sLarL of Lerm Lhe new compuLer sclence Leacher Mr !ackson
had seemed a sofL Louch 8uL now a few weeks ln he'd Lurned lnLo a monsLer 1helr laLesL pro[ecL
deslgnlng a new secLlon of Lhe uarke Academy webslLe could have been fun as well as lnLeresLlng had
Mr !ackson noL lnslsLed on lncludlng such a complex sequence of anlmaLlons and graphlcs Cassle had
always been a dab hand aL web deslgn buL she was slck of Lhe slghL of ureamweaver Per own dreams
were Lrouble enough LsLelle's nocLurnal vlslLs were geLLlng more frequenL Lhree ln Lhe lasL week
and alLhough Lhere had been no repeaL of Lhe melLlng phoLo frame lncldenL Cassle couldn'L shake Lhe
noLlon LhaL Lhe Lwo evenLs were somehow connecLed She had consldered asklng 8an[lL abouL Lhem buL
she knew LhaL he found lL dlsLurblng LhaL Cassle could hear LsLelle's volce and she dldn'L wanL Lo make
hlm uncomforLable Cassle slghed refocuslng on Lhe screen ln fronL of her erhaps !ake could help
Lhe boy seemed glued Lo hls lapLop Lhese days wheLher ln or ouL of class She'd never had hlm pegged
as a compuLer geek buL maybe She sllpped ouL of her chalr and hurrled sllenLly across Lhe room
keeplng low Lo avold Lhe roamlng gaze of Mr !ackson 'Pey !ake can you' 'Cassle!' !ake pracLlcally
[umped ouL of hls skln llushlng red he scrambled Lo mlnlmlse Lhe wlndow on hls screen buL noL before
Cassle's asLonlshed eyes had caughL Lhe words sLamped across Lhe Lop of Lhe page 1PL uA8kL
ACAuLM? S1uuLn1 8LCC8uS CCnlluLn1lAL '!ake whaL was LhaL?' demanded Cassle 'Pell Cassle'
!ake replled Lrylng Lo laugh lL off '?ou gave me a shock and a half' '?ou're supposed Lo be deslgnlng Lhe
fronL page noL hacklng lnLo Lhe school records sysLem' Cassle slghed ln exasperaLlon as she Lugged Lhe
mouse from hls hands 'WhaL are you dolng anyway? 1rylng Lo flddle your chemlsLry grades?' 'Pey
don'L' proLesLed !ake 'Aw Cassle ' Pe Lhrew up hls hands ln dlsgusL as Cassle pulled open Lhe
wlndow Per sLomach Lurned a backfllp She Lurned Lo !ake buL he was sLarlng aL Lhe LableLop and
wouldn'L meeL her eye '!ake do you have any ldea how much Lrouble you could geL lnLo for dolng Lhls?'
Cassle demanded '1hls ls kaLerlna's personal flle! WhaL Lhe hell are you playlng aL?' '!usL leave lL
Cassle lL's none of your buslness' 'none of my buslness? She Lrled Lo klll me remember?' !ake's eyes
blazed '?eah well she dld klll my slsLer 8emember LhaL? uld you Lhlnk l was [usL gonna leL LhaL go?'
'!ake we've been Lhrough Lhls' 'She admlLLed lL Cassle! She Lold us she kllled her and she laughed
And all uarke dld was expel her ls LhaL falr? Well maybe lL ls for Lhe lew buL l don'L subscrlbe Lo Lhelr
ldea of [usLlce' Cold fear cluLched aL Cassle's bowels '?ou're noL Lhlnklng of golng looklng for her are
you !ake? 1ell me you're noL' 'Ask me no quesLlons Cassle l'll Lell you no lles' '!ake llsLen Lo me'
Cassle sLruggled Lo keep her volce as reasonable as she could 'romlse me LhaL you'll sLop Lhls lease
We boLh know LhaL kaLerlna kllled !ess buL Lhere's no way of provlng lL even lf you flnd her' !ake
slghed blLLerly 'AL Lhls momenL l'd seLLle for [usL flndlng her Cassle And LhaL's easler sald Lhan done
1he address ln Lhls flle ls ln Sweden and l've already checked lL ouL 1he Svenssons sold Lhe place a
monLh ago and lefL no forwardlng address' 8ellef swamped her WlLh Lhe lew's neLwork of
connecLlons surely Lhere was no way !ake could flnd kaLerlna lf she dldn'L wanL Lo be found 'lease
!ake l know lL's hard buL you have Lo leL Lhls go' !ake's gaze was apologeLlc 'l can'L Cassle l owe lL Lo
!ess l'm golng Lo flnd kaLerlna She's golng Lo be punlshed for whaL she dld l swear lL' 'Mr !ohnson?
Mlss 8ell? l wasn'L aware LhaL you were worklng on Lhls pro[ecL LogeLher?' Cassle sLarLed aL Lhe
Leacher's volce 'um no sorry Mr !ackson l was [usL asklng !ake abouL edlLlng P1ML code' she
mumbled 'Well call me LradlLlonal buL l Lhlnk lL's usual for quesLlons ln class Lo be dlrecLed Lo Lhe
Leacher' '?es slr' muLLered Cassle grlLLlng her LeeLh 'So why don'L you come on back Lo your seaL and
l'll see lf l can help' As she made her way across Lhe classroom Cassle shoL a flnal pleadlng look aL !ake
buL he seemed Lo be concenLraLlng on hls own screen Pe looked deLermlned As deLermlned as she'd
ever seen hlm 1hls was golng Lo be Lrouble
CPA1L8 LlCP1
'? ou know l've never had a daLe ln a rallway sLaLlon before' sald Cassle
8an[lL grlnned '?ou don'L know whaL you've been mlsslng' no klddlng Cassle was really pleased when
8an[lL had suggesLed a blL of slghLseelng LogeLher earller LhaL afLernoon She'd felL as lf a dlsLance had
opened up beLween Lhem afLer Lhelr spaL ln Lhe common room and Cassle had been hopeful LhaL hls
suggesLlon of an afLernoon alone could be enough Lo change LhaL Powever when he broughL her Lo a
Lraln sLaLlon she wasn'L qulLe so sure lL was golng Lo be Lhe romanLlc reconclllaLlon she was hoplng for
afLer all Lucklly lL dldn'L Lake long Lo change her mlnd when 8an[lL led her up Lo Lhe CysLer 8ar Lven
wlLh her llmlLed experlence of such maLLers Cassle had a gllmmer of hope LhaL Lhe crusLaceans mlghL
provlde an earlyevenlng aphrodlslac 'Cood aren'L Lhey?' 8an[lL looked up from under hls long dark
lashes and grlnned As he reLurned Lo hls plaLe of expenslve shellflsh Cassle eyed her fellow dlners 1he
Lhree women aL Lhe nexL Lable were anlmaLed laughlng aL some [ulcy plece of gosslp She waLched Lhelr
mouLhs snlffed dellcaLely aL Lhe scenL of Lhelr breaLh 1helr llvely auras were almosL more appeallng
Lhan oysLers buL she wasn'L afrald of aLLacklng Lhem noL yeL lnslde her Lhe hunger was quleL 1he
1ears of Lhe lew were sLlll dolng Lhelr [ob Lhank goodness She sLlll had Llme '?ou're all rlghL aren'L
you?' 8an[lL asked reachlng a hand over Lo Louch hers Per skln Llngled 'AbsoluLely' As lf Lo prove lL
she swallowed anoLher oysLer and leaned conLenLedly back ln her chalr 1he celllng above her was
sLunnlng vaulLed and Llled and glowlng wlLh llghL 'WhaL a beauLlful place' 'l know lL sounds welrd buL
Lhe maln Lermlnal's even beLLer' Pe laughed 'Are you flnlshed? l'll geL Lhe blll and we can go upsLalrs'
uropplng hls napkln on Lhe red checked LablecloLh he nodded Lo a walLer Pandlng over a shlny black
credlL card he pald wlLhouL checklng Lhe amounL Cassle gave a shorL prlvaLe laugh 1he casual wealLh
of Lhe sLudenLs aL Lhe uarke Academy never ceased Lo amaze her 8an[lL walked around and helped her
lnLo her coaL and she smlled as he resLed hls hands on her shoulders for a fracLlon longer Lhan
necessary 'Pey ls everyLhlng cool wlLh you and !ake?' Cassle heslLaLed surprlsed aL hls quesLlon and
on guard afLer whaL had happened when he'd broughL up Lhe sub[ecL of 8lchard '?eah Why wouldn'L lL
be?' 'l don'L know l [usL haven'L seen hlm hanglng ouL wlLh you as much as usual recenLly l know he's
noL exacLly Lhrllled wlLh Lhe ldea of us belng LogeLher And afLer whaL happened Lo !ess l can'L lmaglne
he's happy abouL you feedlng on lsabella elLher' Cassle sllenLly cursed hls percepLlveness !ake had
lndeed been keeplng hls dlsLance slnce Lhelr 'chaL' ln compuLer sclence 8uL how much could she Lell
8an[lL? She wasn'L ready Lo leL anyone else know abouL !ake's oneman campalgn Lo brlng kaLerlna Lo
[usLlce LhaL was for sure She boughL a llLLle Llme by knoLLlng her scarf carefully AL lasL she gave 8an[lL
an apologeLlc grln '?eah you have a polnL 1hlngs have been a blL Lense 8uL acLually he doesn'L
know abouL Lhe feedlng Lhlng yeL' Pe ralsed hls eyebrows '8eally? Well maybe LhaL's for Lhe besL 8uL
how long do you Lhlnk you can keep lL from hlm? !ake lsn'L sLupld' 'l know' Cassle made a rueful face
'8uL we haven'L acLually done anyLhlng yeL so lL's noL llke we're acLually lylng And lsabella really really
doesn'L wanL hlm Lo know' '?eah l can belleve LhaL' 8an[lL sald 'SLlll LhaL's a preLLy amazlng frlend
you've goL Lhere' 'She's very brave' Cassle replled quleLly '8raver Lhan l'd be Anyway we've goL an
appolnLmenL wlLh Slr Alrlc Lomorrow lsabella and me Pe's golng Lo glve us our flrsL um LuLorlal'
'Cood lL wlll be much easler for you Lo geL used Lo Lhe ldea of belng one of us once you're surer abouL
Lhe feedlng' She shlfLed uncomforLably aL hls cholce of phrase 'Cne of us' 1he remlnder LhaL 8an[lL
was as much a member of Lhe lew as Lhose slnlsLer flgures who had lurked hooded ln Lhe shadows
durlng her rlLual Pe had spoken a llLLle abouL Lhe dark naLure of Lhe splrlL lnslde hlm Lhe 'personallLy
clash' Lhey had a bad splrlL ln a good person Llke Cassle and LsLelle perhaps Was she falllng for a
monsLer? Was he? Cf course noL my dear Cassle Lensed As Lhey walked Lowards Lhe sLalrs 8an[lL
sensed her dlscomforL 'Cassle l know Lhlngs are a llLLle dlfferenL for you and lL's golng Lo Lake some
geLLlng used Lo buL l promlse you lL's noL all bad' '1haL's easy for you Lo say you don'L have your
splrlL lnLerrupLlng your LhoughLs aL random lnLervals' She Lurned and gave hlm a halfhearLed smlle buL
couldn'L keep lL up She was suddenly on a downer 'l mean you've goL more of a sense of unlLy even lf
you do sLruggle wlLh your naLure l'm an ouLslder even amongsL Lhe ouLslders And l'm noLhlng llke any
of you loL ?ou're all rlch suave prlvlleged l'm a Scholarshlp for Cod's sake on Lop of everyLhlng else
' She Lralled off and sLopped aL Lhe Lop of Lhe sLalrs Laklng a ragged breaLh eople brushed pasL Lhem
as Lhey sLood faclng one anoLher 8an[lL reached over and Look boLh her hands ln hls '?ou ' he leaned
ln Lowards her 'need Lo sLop worrylng so much l may noL be able Lo Lalk Lo my splrlL buL l'm sLlll on
your slde l do have some ldea whaL you're golng Lhrough 8elleve lL or noL l don'L [usL breeze Lhrough
llfe wlLhouL a care desplLe whaL you mlghL Lhlnk' Pe seemed Lo be Lrylng Lo comforL her buL Lhere was
a falnL edge Lo hls volce Pe paused for a momenL squeezlng hls eyes shuL as lf Lrylng Lo block
someLhlng ouL WlLhouL openlng Lhem hls llps found hers 1hen afLer whaL seemed llke forever he
pulled away A small whlmper escaped from Cassle's mouLh Cr was lL [usL lnslde her head ? llnally
wordlessly he grabbed her hand and gulded her down Lhe sLalrs lor a momenL all LhoughLs of Lhelr
problems wenL clean ouL of her head as Lhey came Lo a halL 'Ch wow' Cassle breaLhed 1hey were
sLandlng ln Lhe maln concourse of Crand CenLral SLaLlon below lLs lconlc clock Around Lhem
commuLers and LourlsLs swarmed Lhrough Lhe huge space buL she could only sLare aL Lhe colossal
arched wlndows Lhe eleganL sLonework and mosL of all Lhe exLravaganLly beauLlful palnLed celllng
Cnce her aLLenLlon was caughL she couldn'L look away She Lurned dlzzy wlLh sLarlng upwards 'lL's Lhe
zodlac' '?es' 8an[lL had hls hand on her elbow sLeadylng her 'alnLed Lhe wrong way round See?' 'l
wouldn'L know ls lL?' '8y mlsLake yes 1he vanderbllL famlly commlssloned Lhe work early lasL cenLury
When Lhe error was spoLLed Lhey sald lL was dellberaLe 1hey sald lL's as lf we're looklng down on Lhe
sLars A Cod'seye vlew' Slowly Cassle Lurned around agaln Laklng lL ln 'l llke LhaL' she murmured 'A
Cod'seye vlew Pow approprlaLe' 'All rlghL Cassle 8ell So now we've goL Lhe flrsL awkward daLe ouL of
Lhe way ' 'Mmm?' Awkward was rlghL
'lease can l Lake you ouL agaln?' Pls words rushed ouL 'roperly?' Pls sheeplsh grln rulned her
'valenLlne's uay?' Cassle Look a breaLh She'd never had a real valenLlne's daLe before ln facL lf lL
hadn'L been for Lhe hearLsandflowers dlsplays ln every shop fronL she'd have forgoLLen Lhe day was
approachlng 'Ck' she sald slowly suddenly feellng hoL Pe cocked an eyebrow and Lhe expresslon of
mock ouLrage on hls face made her laugh ouL loud 'Sorry yes ?es l'd love Lo' 'Wonderful!' Pls smlle
llL up hls whole face maklng hlm look alLogeLher dlfferenL Cassle couldn'L help wlshlng she could glve
hlm LhaL look more ofLen 'So am l allowed Lo ask where we're golng?' 'no absoluLely noL lL's a
surprlse' 'CreaL' She squeezed hls arm mlschlevously 'lL's noL as lf l've had enough of Lhose' 'Pa ha
Pey lL's sLlll preLLy early WanL Lo go and Lake a look aL Lhe Lralns?' She sllpped her hand lnLo hls as Lhey
moved Lhrough Lhe hurrylng crowds 'So whaL have we goL here? 1homas? ercy? 1he PogwarLs
Lxpress?' Pe laughed and squeezed her flngers '8ogsLandard MeLronorLh Lralns 8uL you never know
keep your eyes peeled' 1hey walked slowly Laklng ln Lhe slghL of Lhousands of new ?orkers and
LourlsLs She Look a momenL Lo [usL en[oy belng wlLh 8an[lL and noL belng ln a hurry Lo go anywhere
'lL's llke a dance Pow can Lhls many people never bump lnLo each oLher?' 'l never LhoughL of lL LhaL
way ?ou're rlghL lL ls preLLy amazlng WhaL else can we do here? uo you wanL Lo Lake a look aL Lhe
shopplng concourse?' 'Pa! l geL enough of LhaL wlLh lsabella!' Cassle chuckled over Lhe whlsLle of a Lraln
abouL Lo deparL 'l confess LhaL's a rellef' LeLLlng go of 8an[lL's hand Cassle backed away and looked
upwards cranlng her neck 'Who'd belleve a rallway sLaLlon could be Lhls enLerLalnlng?' 'Well you
know Lhey nearly demollshed CASSlL!' CuL of nowhere a flgure was sprlnLlng Lowards Lhe deparLlng
Lraln shoulderlng Cassle vlolenLly aslde 1aken compleLely by surprlse she sLumbled sldeways wlLh a cry
of shock She was aware of a Lraln pulllng ln of Lhe deafenlng nolse of lL as she LeeLered on Lhe edge of
Lhe plaLform and Lhe hlgh shrlek of whaL mlghL have been a whlsLle or a Lerrlfled onlooker Per arms
flalled wlldly ln Lhe alr as she fell Lowards Lhe Lrack 1hen 8an[lL snaLched hold of her hls lron grasp
dragglng her desperaLely back Lo safeLy As he cluLched her wrlsL and flnally pulled her clear she felL Lhe
rush of wlnd ln her halr from Lhe Lraln Lhe solld plaLform under her feeL and Lhe LlghL grlp of 8an[lL's
arms 'lL's flne She's flne 1hanks' ale wlLh shock he waved away a few concerned commuLers and ln
seconds Lhey were lefL alone Lhe crowds once more sweeplng pasL Cassle could feel hls muscles
Lrembllng beneaLh hls coaL '1hanks Slr Calahad' Per volce shook '!eez LhaL was close' 8an[lL held her
LlghLer 'Who was LhaL ldloL?' 'uunno 8loody new ?orkers LaLe for a meeLlng l guess' Cassle managed
Lo choke ouL a laugh 1he Lraln Lhe flgure had caughL was pulllng away 8an[lL gave lL a lasL glare Lhen
hugged Cassle agaln 'Are you sure you're Ck?' '?eah PonesLly' She shlvered and he pulled her coaL
LlghLer around her 'know whaL? l Lhlnk we've had enough slghLseelng for Loday' 'l agree 8allway
sLaLlons eh? LnLerLalnlng buL dangerous Loo' She smlled shaklly 'LeL's go back'
CPA1L8 nlnL
Cassle dldn'L sleep well LhaL nlghL Lvery Llme she began Lo drop off she'd feel Lhe rush of Lhe Lraln hear
Lhe shrlek of lLs whlsLle And ln
Lhe uneasy halfdreams Lhere were no hands Lo selze her and pull her away lnsLead she reached ouL
pulllng 8an[lL down wlLh her ln Lhe dreams she [usL kepL on falllng falllng LsLelle's volce rlnglng ln her
ears ?eL agaln she sLarLed awake breaLhlng hard lL was sLlll nlghL ouLslde buL she fumbled for her
waLch and peered aL lL ln Lhe falnL clLy glow She groaned leellng hopelessly sleepdeprlved she swung
her legs ouL of bed for fear of falllng back lnLo a doze 1haL would be [usL Lyplcal '1lme Lo geL up Pey
parLner Wakey wakey' lsabella snored on unLll Cassle pummelled her awake and Lhen she Lrled Lo
burrow back under Lhe covers 'Cassle no ' 'Cassle yes CeL up glrl We have Lo go and see Slr Alrlc
remember?' '1omorrow lL can walL Llll Lomorrow ' 'lL ls Lomorrow lsabella!' llnally Cassle resorLed Lo
Lhe Lrled and LesLed Lrlck of pulllng her roommaLe ouL of bed by Lhe ankles lsabella only woke properly
when she Lhudded Lo Lhe floor Cross and bleary she bllnked up aL Cassle Lhrough her Langled mane
Lhen shoved lL ouL of her eyes 'Ch yes Cf course Sorry We have an appolnLmenL don'L we?' 8y Lhe
Llme Lhey were boLh dressed and headlng for Slr Alrlc's offlce lsabella lrrlLaLlngly seemed almosL as
brlghL and breezy as always lf she was feellng Lense she covered lL well lL was Cassle who felL heavy
wlLh Llredness and brlmmlng wlLh nerves As she ralsed a flsL Lo knock on hls door lL opened Cassle
recognlsed Lhe smlllng lew boy who was leavlng Lhe offlce 'Pl aco Pl Louls' lsabella smlled aL hls
roommaLe behlnd hlm 'Mornlng!' aco seemed absurdly llvely for Lhe early hour Pls eyes falrly
sparkled and he glowed wlLh energy Louls Lhough was yawnlng Pe gave Cassle and lsabella a sleepy
smlle '?ou Loo huh?' Pe rubbed hls eyes and shook hls head 'WhaL?' sald Cassle 'LxLra LaLln LulLlon
flrsL Lhlng aln ln Lhe derrlere non?' Cassle could only laugh weakly and nod buL she dldn'L mlss aco's
sly wlnk almed only aL her She lgnored hlm as Slr Alrlc called Lhem lnLo Lhe room and Lhe door closed
on Lhe boys 'Cassandra lsabella' Pe besLowed reassurlng smlles on each of Lhem '1hank you for
comlng' 'noL really opLlonal ls lL?' polnLed ouL Cassle dryly Slr Alrlc gave a brlef laugh 'lsabella
welcome Cassandra Lells me LhaL she has spoken wlLh you abouL her speclal needs And LhaL you have
agreed Lo become her llfesource l Lake lL you're sLlll sure abouL your declslon?' lsabella smlled LlghLly
'Cf course' 'noL many people have Lhe luxury of cholce ln Lhls maLLer' sald Slr Alrlc gravely 'As you
know mosL roommaLes are unaware of Lhe Lrue naLure of Lhe lew' '?es Louls for example?' lsabella
lnLer[ecLed archlng an eyebrow dlsapprovlngly 'Pe does noL know LhaL aco ls feedlng from hlm?' 'no
he does noL 8uL leL me assure you LhaL wheLher or noL Lhe llfesource ls aware of whaL ls happenlng Lo
Lhem lf lL ls properly performed Lhe feedlng process ls enLlrely harmless' Slr Alrlc gesLured Lowards
Lwo large dark leaLher chalrs 'lease Lake a seaL boLh of you and l'll do my besL Lo answer any
quesLlons you have before we begln' Pe saL opposlLe Lhem foldlng one long leg over Lhe oLher and
regardlng Lhem expecLanLly Cassle's hearL raced she dldn'L know where Lo begln She glanced over aL
lsabella buL she seemed aL a sudden and uncharacLerlsLlc loss for words as well Slr Alrlc broke Lhe
sllence 'Well flrsLly perhaps lL mlghL be useful for you boLh Lo Lhlnk of Lhese sesslons ln Lhe same
manner as any of your oLher lessons WhaL we are hoplng Lo achleve here ls parL of Lhe core alm of Lhe
Academy Lo prepare our sLudenLs for llfe ouLslde Lhese hallowed walls lndeed you may wlsh Lo Lhlnk
of Lhe Academy lLself as a Lralnlng ground of sorLs' '1ralnlng ground?' Cassle venLured '?es As you
know here aL Lhe uarke Academy we selecL sLudenLs LhaL we belleve have Lhe poLenLlal Lo be sulLable
hosLs for Lhe lew 1he academlc seLLlng provldes Lhe chosen lew wlLh Lhe opporLunlLy Lo obLaln Lhe
skllls and personal connecLlons necessary Lo become leadlng members of socleLy' 'And Lhe resL are [usL
here as snacks?' Cassle was becomlng less sure abouL Lhls ldea by Lhe second '1he oLher sLudenLs'
conLlnued Slr Alrlc unruffled 'serve a vlLal role ln our world And by exLenslon Lhe world aL large ln
glvlng of Lhemselves Lhelr llfeenergy Lhey help Lo nurLure our fuLure leaders arLlsLs and sclenLlsLs
lndlvlduals vlLal Lo humanlLy And ln reLurn Lhey are Lhe beneflclarles of an unrlvalled worldclass
educaLlon LhaL wlll sLand Lhem ln good sLead ln Lhelr own llves' Cassle leL ouL a mlrLhless laugh 'vlLal Lo
humanlLy ?' she began buL lsabella leaned forward and held up one hand '8uL why do you have Lo do
lL wlLhouL our consenL? And why does each member of Lhe lew have Lo feed on Lhelr roommaLe ln
parLlcular?' she asked her brow llned wlLh a mlxLure of curloslLy and concern Slr Alrlc sLeepled hls
flngers and began agaln cauLlously 'Cver Lhe years we have found LhaL secrecy ls Lhe besL pollcy noL
everyone would be as accepLlng of Lhe lew as you have been lsabella lf Lhe world knew Lhe LruLh abouL
us abouL our sLrengLhs and skllls and whaL we need Lo do Lo malnLaln Lhem how long do you Lhlnk lL
would be before we found ourselves branded monsLers? leared and persecuLed wherever we wenL no
1here ls safeLy ln secrecy and lL ls for LhaL reason LhaL mosL members of Lhe lew choose Lo keep Lhelr
roommaLes lgnoranL of whaL ls happenlng Lo Lhem' lsabella nodded 'As for why we lnslsL LhaL each
member of Lhe lew feeds only on Lhelr roommaLe' conLlnued Slr Alrlc 'lf Lhe lew were allowed Lo feed
aL random Lhere would be Lhe rlsk LhaL one sLudenL mlghL be fed on by more Lhan one of Lhe lew
loslng Loo much of Lhelr llfeenergy lL ls when LhaL happens LhaL feedlng can become dangerous 8uL lf
each member of Lhe lew only feeds from Lhelr roommaLe LhaL danger ls avolded lL ls merely a
precauLlon anoLher measure of how serlously we Lake your safeLy' Cassle was shaklng her head 'ls
Lhere a problem Cassandra?' '?ou make lL sound so easy 8uL whaL abouL kelko and Allce? WhaL abouL
whaL happened Lo !ess huh? WhaL abouL Lhe lew who declde LhaL Lhey're noL golng Lo follow Lhe rules
of your socalled sysLem?' She almosL spaL Lhe lasL word 'ln any socleLy Lhere are Lhose who sLray from
Lhe paLh of law When LhaL happens Lhey are punlshed' Cassle laughed lncredulously !ake's angry
words from Lhelr compuLer sclence lesson rang ln her ears 'So kaLerlna was punlshed for kllllng !ake's
slsLer by belng expelled? Call me unreasonable buL LhaL's one case where Lhe punlshmenL doesn'L seem
Lo flL Lhe crlme'
Slr Alrlc unfolded hlmself from hls chalr and sLood up hls expresslon hardenlng Cassle felL a pang of fear
alongslde her anger and nerves 'l undersLand your feellngs Cassandra buL we are noL here Lo dlscuss
kaLerlna Svensson Per punlshmenL was declded by powers beyond your knowledge and my conLrol
WhaL ls more lmporLanL now ls LhaL you are glven proper Lralnlng ln how Lo feed and monlLored Lo
ensure LhaL you do noL make Lhe same mlsLakes she dld' Slr Alrlc's Lone carrled a deflnlLe rlng of flnallLy
CuesLlon Llme was over 'now l have anoLher appolnLmenL shorLly so we should begln lsabella lf you
could please come over here' Slr Alrlc gesLured Lo Lhe space ln fronL of hlm 'And you here Cassandra'
Cassle Look up Lhe poslLlon lndlcaLed ln fronL of lsabella her palms sweaLlng lsabella glggled nervously
and puckered her llps Slr Alrlc arched a perfecL eyebrow 'WhaL are you dolng Mlss Caruso?' lsabella
glanced uneaslly beLween Cassle and Slr Alrlc 'Cassle sald LhaL when kelko fed on Allce lL was llke she
was klsslng her So l LhoughL ' 'kelko's meLhod was noL Lhe manner by whlch we recommend Lhls
process should be underLaken Per procllvlLles were cruel and her declslon Lo feed ln LhaL manner
merely reflecLed Lhose procllvlLles ulrecL mouLhLomouLh feedlng ls more powerful buL also more
harmful' 'hew! llnally some good news!' Cassle managed Lo crack a smlle 'no offence lsabella buL
you're noL really my Lype' 'none Laken darllng' lsabella replled wlnklng Slr Alrlc smlled as well Lhen
shook hls head 'LeL's noL geL ahead of ourselves Cassandra Lake hold of lsabella's wrlsL llke so ' Pe
demonsLraLed wrapplng hls lndex flnger and Lhumb LlghLly around her own wrlsL Cassle reached over
and dld as he sald shuffllng her feeL uncomforLably 'So far so good' lsabella sald noddlng
encouraglngly Lo Cassle 'A llLLle LlghLer' sald Slr Alrlc brlskly Cassle LlghLened her grlp on lsabella's
wrlsLs waLchlng her roommaLe closely She could feel her pulse underneaLh her Lhumbs Slr Alrlc
conLlnued 'now you musL Lhlnk all Lhe Llme Cassandra 1hlnk abouL whaL you are dolng abouL Lhe
lmporLance of lL 1hlnk abouL lsabella as well as yourself uon'L ever leL yourself go onLo auLomaLlc plloL
LhaL's when you'll lose conLrol SLarL slowly uo you undersLand?' She nodded swallowlng 'now
lsabella Lhls may feel a llLLle unusual' sald Slr Alrlc hls volce calm and level '8uL l am here ?ou have
my word LhaL you wlll noL be harmed' 'Ck' sald lsabella soundlng uneasy 'Are you sure you wanL Lo go
Lhrough wlLh Lhls?' asked Cassle 'Sure PonesLly Cassle l LrusL you' '?eah buL l'm noL sure l LrusL
myself' Cassle mumbled her mlnd flylng back Lo Cranlake CrescenL and Lhe momenL she had aLLacked
aLrlck '1hen l wlll LrusL you for boLh of us' lsabella's smlle was shaky buL her volce was flrm '8lghL'
sald Slr Alrlc puLLlng a hand on Cassle's shoulder '8oLh of you close your eyes' Pe paused 'now
Cassandra 1ake a deep breaLh and Lry Lo relax' Cassle dld as he sald buL noLhlng seemed Lo happen
'Cnce more ConcenLraLe' Slr Alrlc's volce faded as Cassle drew a second deep breaLh 1hls Llme Lhere
was a change As she breaLhed ln her senses seemed somehow Lo be helghLened 8eneaLh her
flngerLlps lsabella's pulse was poundlng raclng She could sense Lhe llfeenergy flowlng Lhrough her
roommaLe's velns '1haL's lL' murmured Slr Alrlc now Cassle could feel a prlckllng sensaLlon all over her
skln a hummlng lnslde her head a brlghL glow behlnd her eyellds She was aL once boLh llghLheaded
and LoLally compleLely alerL and she reallsed she was sLlll lnhallng her lungs seemlngly no nearer Lo
belng fllled 'ConcenLraLe' came Slr Alrlc's volce once more over Lhe buzzlng ln her head Cassle slowly
opened her eyes sLlll breaLhlng ln her flngers colled LlghLly around lsabella's slender wrlsLs 8llnklng
she noLlced lsabella's own eyes were squeezed shuL her mouLh hanglng sllghLly open a barely
percepLlble slgh emlLLlng from her llps and Cassle lnsLlncLlvely knew LhaL Lhe endless breaLh comlng ouL
of her frlend and lnLo her was Lhe llfeenergy she needed lllllng her wlLh power ?es my dear! 1haL's
lL! leed me Cassandra! WlLh a choklng nolse Cassle dropped lsabella's wrlsLs and Look a pace
backward lsabella's eyes opened lazlly and she coughed rubblng her eyellds as Lhough she was Lrylng
Lo wake up from a deep slumber Cassle's hearL was raclng noL [usL ouL of alarm aL whaL she had been
dolng or Lhe reappearance of LsLelle's volce buL from Lhe huge almosL overwhelmlng rush of vlLallLy
She'd never felL more allve lL was as Lhough her senses were all snapped lnLo hyperfocus '?es Cood
conLrol Cassandra' sald Slr Alrlc Cassle [umped almosL surprlsed Lo flnd he was sLlll sLandlng beslde
Lhem 'Well done boLh of you' Cassle Lurned Lo lsabella LenLaLlvely 'Are you Ck?' lsabella paused Lhen
leL ouL a shorL laugh '1haL's lL?' lncredullLy flooded her volce 'lsabella? Are you sure you're' 'l'm
absoluLely flne' lsabella sald She looked up aL Cassle and grlnned Lhen Lhrew her arms around her
frlend ln a LlghL hug 'See l Lold you Cassle 8ell 1here was no need for all LhaL bulldup! no sweaL'
Cassle nodded sLlll a hlnL of doubL llngerlng ln her mlnd '?eah 1haL was l guess lL was less lnvolved
Lhan l expecLed SLlll l don'L know lf lL's someLhlng l wanL Lo do on a regular basls' Per head was
splnnlng '8egular feedlng ls a musL Cassle' sald Slr Alrlc serlously 'As you have seen lf done properly
lL ls a slmple and harmless procedure 8uL lf you leave lL Loo long lf you leL yourself become Loo hungry
LhaL ls when you make mlsLakes and lose conLrol And LhaL ls when people geL hurL' Pe walked Lo Lhe
door and placed a hand on Lhe doorknob 'lor Lhe momenL Lhe 1ears of Lhe lew wlll help Lo susLaln
you As long as Lhelr effecL llngers you wlll noL need Lo feed as regularly as Lhe oLher lew ?ou have
done well Loday buL as soon as you feel Lhe hunger growlng Cassandra you musL leL me know and we
wlll meeL agaln' Slr Alrlc uarke opened Lhe door 'unLll Lhen '
CPA1L8 1Ln
'l look rldlculous'
'?ou do noL ?ou look gorgeous!' Cassle and lsabella sLood LogeLher ln fronL of Lhe mlrrored wardrobe
lsabella lmposslbly eleganL ln [eans leaLher booLs and red cashmere Cassle obsesslvely smooLhlng and
Lugglng aL Lhe darkgreen sllk of her borrowed dress '?ou don'L llke lL? ?ou don'L llke my dress!'
'lsabella l love your dress lL's whaL's lnslde lL LhaL looks llke an ldloL' '1chah! ?ou are bllnd as well as
sLupld' lsabella Lossed her halr 'l'm looklng sLunnlng darllng and you look Lwlce as good as me Cf
course l'd llke Lo Lhlnk l am aL leasL a llLLle blL responslble for LhaL' Cassle grlnned 1hlngs beLween her
and lsabella had been surprlslngly normal slnce Lhe feedlng LuLorlal much Lo Cassle's rellef Lven so
whaLever Slr Alrlc sald she was plannlng Lo sLreLch Lhlngs ouL as long as she posslbly could before
puLLlng her frlend and herself Lhrough Lhe sLrange experlence agaln She bllnked aL her reflecLlon ln
Lhe mlrror Per llghLbrown halr had had a proper cuL courLesy of lsabella agaln how was she ever
golng Lo pay Lhe glrl back for Lhls klndness as well as all Lhe oLhers? now sLyled and smooLhed lL had a
saLlny gleam lsabella had chucked all Cassle's congealed and broken old llpsLlcks and eyeshadows lnLo
Lhe bln and worked some klnd of maglc wlLh her own vasLly expenslve makeup klL SLarlng lnLo Lhe
mlrror was llke looklng aL a dlfferenL person a new waybeLLerlooklng verslon of herself She chuckled
sardonlcally aL her reflecLlon and agaln pulled aL her dress uncomforLably lsabella was rlghL abouL one
Lhlng she'd leL herself geL Loo Lhln an lnvadlng splrlL and Lhe subsequenL Lrauma would do LhaL Lo a
glrl buL Lhe colour of Lhe fabrlc dld brlng ouL her eyes 1he conLrasL wlLh Lhe rlch dark green made her
yellowgreen lrlses look brllllanLly pale and plerclng Per frlend gave an exaggeraLed slgh '1rusL me you
look fabulous Ck? now geL your !lmmy Choos on ?ou're golng Lo parLy wlLh your beau!' 'CeL your
!lmmy Choos on you mean' remarked Cassle under her breaLh buL she felL a Lhrlll of glamour as she
sllpped lnLo Lhe gorgeous sLlleLLos 'Am l golng Lo be able Lo walk?' 'ln Lhese shoes you do noL walk
Cassle you sLalk' 'Sure whaLever you say l [usL wonder where l'm golng dressed llke Lhls l wlsh we
were golng Lo Coney lsland wlLh you guys' erhaps she mlghL even have had a chance Lo Lalk Lo !ake
abouL hls exLracurrlcular acLlvlLles !ake was sLlll avoldlng belng alone wlLh Cassle and she was cerLaln lL
was so LhaL she couldn'L pressure hlm Lo glve up Lhe hunL for kaLerlna 'uon'L be sllly your daLe wlll be
so glamorous' lsabella shook her head and slghed '1hough mlne ls romanLlc lsn'L lL? !ake and l shall
sLroll on Lhe boardwalk arm ln arm We shall eaL naLhan's hoL dogs We shall rlde Lhe Cyclone!' 'uh
huh so you have an excuse Lo scream and hang on Lo hls neck' lsabella gave her a suggesLlve smlle
'WhaL else ls a rollercoasLer for? Ah!' She gave a shrlek of dellghL as a knock raLLled Lhe door of Lhelr
room 'Pere he ls!' Pere as a maLLer of facL were boLh of Lhem Lhough Lhey obvlously hadn'L planned
Lo arrlve LogeLher 8an[lL and !ake sLood awkwardly as far aparL as Lhey could reasonably be Lhelr body
language screamlng Lhelr dlscomforL As lsabella flung Lhe door wlde Lhelr rellef was palpable 'Pey
gorgeous' !ake's sLlff expresslon melLed lnLo a huge grln as he swung lsabella ln hls arms '?ou look
Lerrlflc!' 'uo noL sound so surprlsed!' She klssed hlm wlLh shameless enLhuslasm 'Shall we go and be
LourlsLs?' 'l am dylng Lo be a LourlsL ln my own clLy Lven lf l can'L Lake you somewhere expenslve' he
muLLered wlLh a sllghLly resenLful glance aL 8an[lL's Luxedo 'Pey! !usL belng wlLh you ls prlceless!'
lsabella punched hls arm Meanwhlle Cassle found she couldn'L meeL 8an[lL's eyes She made herself
clasp her flngers [usL Lo sLop herself flddllng wlLh her dress Ch Cod WhaL lf she'd goL Lhls horrlbly
wrong? WhaL lf he was embarrassed Lo be seen wlLh her? WhaL lf Pls shoes were rlghL Lhere Lhough
so she had Lo look up and smlle aL hlm 1haL was when she knew lL would be Ck Pls expresslon was one
of sLarLled awe and Lhere was even a hlnL of crlmson ln hls dark cheekbones 'Cassle' Pe drew ln a long
breaLh and shyly offered a yellow rose '?ou look beauLlful' '?ou Loo' she blurLed before she could
sLop herself lL was Lrue Lhough 1he Lux musL have been handmade for hlm perfecLly flLLed Lo hls llLhe
body She swore she could make ouL Lhe llnes of hls muscles under Lhe expenslve fabrlc 'Well you
guys' !ake was cluLchlng lsabella's hand heslLaLlng aL Lhe doorway and clearly desperaLe Lo leave 'Pave
a good Llme' 8an[lL cleared hls LhroaL '?ou Loo Ln[oy yourselves' lsabella was sLlfllng laughLer 'Pappy
valenLlne's uay' she mouLhed aL Cassle 1hen !ake was pulllng her ouL of Lhe room Lhe door swung
shuL and Lhey were gone 8an[lL released a huge slgh of rellef and Cassle glggled 'Cassandra 8ell' he
grlnned 'LeL's geL ouL of here' lL wasn'L a long rlde by yellow cab buL 8an[lL lnslsLed Lhey couldn'L walk
'noL ln Lhose fanLasLlc shoes' even Lhough Cassle would have llked Lhe fresh wlnLer alr She only
reallsed Lhey had a deadllne when Lhe cab was pulllng up on Lhe corner of 37Lh SLreeL and SevenLh
Avenue 'Ch my Cod' she breaLhed as she sLepped ouL of Lhe cab 'l'm aL Carnegle Pall' 'Pow do you
geL Lo Carnegle Pall?' smlled 8an[lL 'racLlse pracLlse ' She glggled as she Look hls arm '1haL's a
Lerrlble [oke' '1haL's a really old [oke' Pe glanced aL hls waLch 'We'd beLLer Lake our seaLs Come on'
Cassle would have been happy slLLlng behlnd a plllar ln Lhe back row of Lhe balcony buL Lhey were
gulded Lo a box on Lhe flrsL Ller rlghL aL Lhe fronL and overlooklng Lhe sLage dlrecLly lL was such an
exposed poslLlon she would have felL qulLe selfconsclous lf lL hadn'L been for 8an[lL's comforLlng hand
ln hers 1hen Lhe curLaln rose and she was lnsLanLly swepL away by Lhe muslc lunny she'd never heard
anyLhlng by 8lchard SLrauss ln her llfe and barely a noLe by 1chalkovsky or 8eeLhoven buL sLralghL away
Lhe muslc felL as lf lL belonged Lo her alone Mesmerlsed she was only vaguely aware of 8an[lL's glances
ln her dlrecLlon buL her senses sprang lnLo overdrlve when hls flngerLlps sLroked her hand Crazlly Lears
prlcked aL her eyellds and she bllnked Lhem back lL would be sLupld Lo cry when she felL happler Lhan
she had ln as long as she could remember
SLlll Loo many feellngs were comlng allve She couldn'L do anyLhlng Lo sLop lL and she dldn'L wanL Lo
She was supremely aware of everyLhlng Lhe warmLh of 8an[lL's hand and Lhe sharp Llngle of her own
nerves ln response Lhe muslc overwhelmlng her braln and her emoLlons every slngle lnsLrumenLal parL
soundlng dlsLlncL ln her head buL every one harmonlous wlLh Lhe nexL She could LasLe Lhe warmLh and
scenL of Lhe audlence breaLhlng ouL and ln some of Lhem occaslonally holdlng Lhelr breaLh unLll Lhe
muslc made Lhem release lL ln a rushlng exhalaLlon She could hear Lhe people as well as she could hear
Lhe muslc Lhe breaLhlng Lhe rusLle of sllk and Lhe occaslonal squeak of a leaLher shoe Lhe creak as
someone shlfLed ln a seaL Lhe scrape of a bow across sLrlngs Lhe feaLhery whlsper as a page of muslc
was Lurned So lL was lnevlLable LhaL she'd feel a gaze lf lL was focused on her She was belng waLched
She knew lL qulLe suddenly Per forehead prlckled wlLh Lhe sLare and for Lhe flrsL Llme she forgoL Lhe
orchesLra forgoL Lhe soarlng Lhunder of Lhe muslc When she llfLed her own gaze she knew Lhe exacL
dlrecLlon and she found Lhe waLcher lmmedlaLely Shock hlL her so hard she was lefL breaLhless Across
Lhe audlLorlum ln Lhe opposlLe box Lo Lhelr own four glrls saL She knew Lhem all Lhree slxLh formers
from Lhe Academy all lew 1he superlor Sara was one of Lhem Cassle dldn'L know Lhe names of Lhe Lwo
on elLher slde of her only LhaL Lhey'd never been frlendly 8uL Lhe fourLh face was one she knew all Loo
well alely lovely cold as Lhe ArcLlc buL glowlng wlLh beauLy An lce queen a PlLchcock blonde erfecL
ln every way excepL for Lhe scar slashed across her lefL cheek Cassle felL 8an[lL's flngers LlghLen
quesLlonlngly on her hand buL she was Loo frozen wlLh shock Lo respond Cnly when applause erupLed
Lo slgnlfy Lhe lnLerval dld she snap ouL of lL 1he exploslon of nolse shaLLered her Lrance of horror and
she Lurned Lo hlm wlLh desperaLlon 'kaLerlna kaLerlna's here!' 8an[lL frowned buL he dldn'L quesLlon
her Pe Lurned aL her nod and sLared ln Lhe dlrecLlon of Lhe opposlLe box When kaLerlna llfLed a
dellcaLe hand ln a mocklng llLLle wave he dldn'L reacL buL Cassle saw hls eyes llghL wlLh famlllar flre lL
was LhaL swlrllng dark glow she'd seen before llke molLen lava lL had been frlghLenlng Lhe flrsL Llme
she'd seen lL 1hls Llme lL was sLrangely reassurlng 'l'm really sorry Cassle' 8an[lL's volce was cool and
deadly 'l had no ldea she was ln new ?ork' 'lL doesn'L maLLer 8eally' Per hearL was Lhrashlng aL odds
wlLh her words kaLerlna was ln new ?ork Per mlnd flew Lo !ake Pe had been hunLlng her all around
Lhe globe WhaL would he do lf he found ouL she was here ln hls home Lown? WlLhln hls reach
8an[lL's volce lnLerrupLed her LhoughLs 'l had ordered champagne for Lhe lnLerval ln Lhe Members' 8ar'
he sald '8uL lf you'd raLher we sLayed here ' Cassle shook her head vlolenLly 'l'm noL abouL Lo leL her
spoll a lovely evenlng We'll avold Lhem' Pe squeezed her hand 'We'll cerLalnly Lry Come on' 1hey
should have been able Lo sLay well ouL of Lhe way of kaLerlna and her frlends buL desplLe Lhe swelllng
crowds headlng downsLalrs kaLerlna was clearly deLermlned noL Lo sLay ouL of Lhelrs 8an[lL had [usL
poured Lwo frosLy fluLes of champagne ln Lhe Members' 8ar when Lhe blonde glrl emerged from Lhe
smaLLerlng of wellheeled paLrons her frlends flanklng her llke some klnd of praeLorlan guard 'Well
dlngdong 8ell' she drawled glvlng Cassle a dlsdalnful onceover 'lf lL lsn'L Lhe scholarshlp glrl' '1haL's
enough kaLerlna' 8an[lL's volce was low and even buL Lhere was a dlsLlncL undercurrenL of LhreaL Lo lL
'l qulLe agree lL's more Lhan enough lor Lhls lowllfe Lo remaln aL Lhe Academy whlle l was expelled ls
slmply Ch dear how shall we puL lL?' 'A crlme' murmured Sara '1haL's klnd dear Sara buL crlme can
be fun and sophlsLlcaLed' kaLerlna gave a Lhlnllpped smlle as Lhe oLher Lhree glrls chuckled '1here
musL be anoLher word' 'A dlsgrace' suggesLed Lhe bruneLLe aL Sara's slde Cassle Look a gulp of her
champagne 1he lcy coolness hlL her Longue and LhroaL and rebounded sLralghL Lo her head buL she
dldn'L feel drunk only cold and flerce lL felL good 8an[lL's arm was around her walsL aL once proLecLlve
and warnlng buL she dldn'L feel Lhe need for hls supporL She Look anoLher swlg from her glass
empLylng lL 'Peavens Lhls lsn'L Sheffleld Lown cenLre' Sara's Lngllsh accenL was cuLcrysLal 'We're noL
here Lo blnge drlnk and vomlL Mlss 8ell' kaLerlna was sLlll Lapplng her [aw genLly wlLh a flnger Cassle
waLched her face fasclnaLed by LhaL scar She remembered puLLlng lL Lhere back ln LhaL dark Lunnel as
she made her escape from Lhe LwlsLed lew rlLual beneaLh Lhe Arc de 1rlomphe lor Lhe flrsL Llme she
was acLlvely glad ?es LhaL had been a good momenL ln facL she'd llke Lo do lL agaln 8lghL now 8uL
kaLerlna was speaklng agaln dlsLracLlng her 'Pmm l'm sLlll Lrylng Lo Lhlnk of Lhe approprlaLe Lerm
ulsgrace [usL doesn'L begln Lo descrlbe whaL happened lasL Lerm Slr Alrlc has plummeLed ln Lhe
esLlmaLlon of many people Such a decllne ln sLandards' 'Leave here kaLerlna' 8an[lL was absoluLely
sLlll buL hls volce was heavy wlLh menace 'Ah! l know Lhe word' sald Sara lgnorlng hlm 'LeL's see a
noble splrlL lnslde someLhlng so unworLhy A mlsmaLch A freak lL should never have happened
kaLerlna darllng [usL llke your expulslon lL's an abomlnaLlon' All four glrls slghed ouL Lhelr
saLlsfacLlon '?es' smlrked kaLerlna '1haL's lL preclsely An abomlnaLlon' WPA1 ulu SPL CALL uS? 1he
sLem of Cassle's champagne fluLe snapped ln her hand She heard a sLrange growl buL lL seemed Lo
come from far away or perhaps somewhere deep lnslde her Per eyes burned hoL so hoL and
everyLhlng had gone red as Lhough she was looklng aL Lhe world Lhrough a scarleL fllLer She reglsLered
Lhe shock on 8an[lL's face and knew he was sLarlng aL her She could see Lhe glow of Lhe glrls' splrlLs
Loo shlnlng from Lhelr chesLs 1hey were all sLrong parLlcularly kaLerlna's buL she found she dldn'L
care Per own aura of power shrouded her lnvlslble buL lrreslsLlble and Cassle suddenly knew she
could do anyLhlng she llked wlLh Lhls power uslng noLhlng more Lhan Lhe force of her mlnd She was
enLlrely sLlll She dldn'L move a muscle And she llfLed Sara's body clear lnLo Lhe alr 1he glrl Look a
breaLh and screamed Per legs klcked Lhe alr arms flalllng ln hopeless reslsLance ab[ecL Lerror on her
face Cassle en[oyed LhaL lL was llke feedlng Lhe buzz Lhe Lhrlll LhaL wenL Lhrough her She could almosL
LasLe Sara's fear ln Lhe alr lL LasLed good So good She smlled coldly fasclnaLed as drlnkers around
Lhem backed away sllenced buL for an occaslonal gasp or cry Lven kaLerlna and her cronles sLood back
aghasL 'Cassle!' shouLed 8an[lL 8lood pumplng Lhrough her ears seemed Lo drown hls volce ouL along
wlLh LsLelle's fevered crles klll her! klLL PL8! ?es She was Llred of Lhe paLheLlc glrl Lralllng afLer
kaLerlna llke some klnd of handmalden
She called us an abomlnaLlon! klll her! ?es! klll her! 'Cassle no!' eople ln Lhe bar sLumbled away
franLlcally forclng Lhelr way ouL of Lhe secluded Members' area Cassle lgnored Lhem laughlng as she
waLched Sara flall 1he glrl's face! 8ldlculous! She laughed agaln and sLlll wlLhouL llfLlng a flnger flung
Lhe screamlng slxLh former across Lhe room 1he glrl shoL backwards slammlng hard agalnsL Lhe far wall
kaLerlna howled wlLh rage and Lhe oLher glrls screamed buL Lhey seemed rooLed Lo Lhe spoL unwllllng
Lo challenge Cassle Afrald of her As well Lhey should be We should have Lhrown her furLher! Pold her!
Cassle sLudled Sara lL was a flne slghL Lhe glrl sLruggllng Lo geL Lo her feeL ?es LsLelle was rlghL Pold
her She musL hold her !usL llke Lhls 8y Lhe LhroaL 'Cassle sLop!' 1he dear boy 8uL such an lrrlLanL!
uon'L llsLen Shaklng her head free of 8an[lL's crles she LlghLened her menLal hold on Sara's neck
squeezlng 1he glrl was purpllng flghLlng for anoLher breaLh klcklng vlolenLly Learlng aL her own LhroaL
and Lhe lnvlslble grlp around lL Cdd nolses came ouL of her Cagglng choklng sLrangled sounds
'CASSlL!' She felL arms lock around her walsL and suddenly someone was sLruggllng wlLh her Lrylng Lo
pull her away She Look a breaLh Lo glve a conLempLuous laugh and ralsed an arm Lo brush Lhem away
8uL Lhe hand LhaL selzed hers was [usL as sLrong as hers 8an[lL! 1he shock of hls Louch broughL her back
Lo herself and she reallsed where she was Who she was WhaL she was dolng 'S1C l1!' 8an[lL's snarl
was lnhuman caLllke buL she undersLood lL clearly 8esldes she'd already sLopped ln Lhe sllence of Lhe
empLled Members' 8ar waLched only by monsLers llke herself Cassle sLared aL Sara's llmp form as lL
crumpled sobblng Lo Lhe floor
CPA1L8 LLLvLn
Ch yes you could run ln !lmmy Choos 8eally really fasL Cassle shoved Lhrough Lhe crowds ln Lhe foyer
Lhe bewlldered ones who hadn'L
been ln Lhe bar Lo see whaL had happened CuLslde Lhe cold alr hlL her llke a slap as she bolLed across
37Lh SLreeL and CenLral ark SouLh lnLo Lhe dark safeLy of Lhe park lLself She wenL on runnlng unLll Lhe
hlgh heels began Lo noL hurL her buL annoy her Anger agaln no She musLn'L geL angry SLumbllng Lo
a halL she Lugged off Lhe shoes and ran on barefooL her breaLhlng hard and ragged Lhe sLraps of Lhe
sLlleLLos hooked lnLo her flngers SomeLhlng sofL and cold Louched Lhe skln of her face And once more
PalLlng she sLood uncerLalnly for a few seconds 1he coldness Lurned Lo weLness as lL brushed her
cheek Snow 1he flakes drlfLed fasLer and Lhlcker across Lhe clLy's llghLs before vanlshlng ln Lhe dark
oasls of Lhe park Per bare feeL were freezlng She was freezlng She could see only scaLLered pools of
llghL on whlLenlng paLches of grass and Lhe omlnous shape of Lrees She wrapped her arms around
herself shaklng wlLh Lerror Ch Cod! A dark shape moved behlnd her and she gave a sharp cry of fear
'Cassle' Pls volce was quleL and Lhe anlmal feroclLy was gone She Lurned lnLo 8an[lL's arms wlLh a
desperaLe sob of rellef 'Come on Cassle LeL's go' 'l don'L know whaL Lhls ls l've never heard of lL' Slr
Alrlc uarke's back was Lurned Lo Lhem lor several sllenL mlnuLes now he had been sLarlng ouL of Lhe
glass walls of hls penLhouse on Lo Lhe gllLLerlng llghLs of ManhaLLan and Lhe blackness LhaL was CenLral
ark Cassle shlvered She could hardly belleve she'd run lnLo LhaL absorblng darkness wlLhouL a
LhoughL 1he hunger was growlng agaln she could feel lL lL had gnawed aL her lnsldes slnce she'd run ln
a bllnd panlc from Carnegle Pall 1he splrlL was awake and lL was ravenous And LhaL was one more Lhlng
she dldn'L need because she'd been [usL as sure as 8an[lL LhaL Slr Alrlc could explaln whaL had happened
aL Carnegle Pall no such luck '?ou say you plcked Sara up?' 'noL noL physlcally' Per volce Lrembled
and she cleared her LhroaL '8uL yes l plcked her up Some klnd of force CuLslde me buL lL felL llke l was
conLrolllng lL' '1hls ls baffllng And lL worrles me a greaL deal' 'lL worrles you?' She Lrled Lo laugh 'Slr
Alrlc' 8an[lL broke ln 'lf you can'L explaln whaL's happened no one can 1here musL be someLhlng
SomeLhlng you've forgoLLen someLhlng from Lhe pasL' 'l'm Louched by your falLh ln me 8an[lL' Slr Alrlc
sounded unusually blLLer '8uL no l've never heard of any such Lhlng l'd remember belleve me' 8an[lL
squeezed Cassle's shoulders ln an aLLempL Lo reassure her 'Are you sure LhaL Lhe [olnlng rlLual has never
been broken before?' Slr Alrlc gazed ouL on Lhe clLy agaln 'no no 8an[lL lL hasn'L And you're rlghL lL's
Lhe only Lhlng LhaL's dlfferenL abouL Cassle her lnLerrupLed rlLual' 'Some of Lhe splrlL was shuL ouL' sald
Cassle quleLly 'Some of LsLelle She Lalks abouL belng ouL ln a vold' Slr Alrlc spun sharply on hls heel
'She Lalks Lo you? ?ou hear her volce?' '?es' Cassle's shoulders sagged '1haL shouldn'L happen' he
muLLered rubblng hls forehead '1haL shouldn'L happen' 'She wanLs Lo be leL ln Llke you Lold me aL Lhe
end of lasL Lerm ?ou sald she wouldn'L sLop unLll she [olned wlLh me fully' Slr Alrlc sLayed sllenL buL
nodded slowly hls brows knlLLed 'WhaL's happenlng Lo me?' Cassle's volce Look on an alr of
desperaLlon Slr Alrlc's eyes meL hers 'l don'L know' CenLly easlng from 8an[lL's hold Cassle rose Lo her
feeL '?ou're hardly fllllng me wlLh confldence here' 'l'm sorry 1here are some people l can ask and
some anclenL LexLs l can consulL buL for now Cassandra l can'L glve you any flrm answers' 'Ch
brllllanL' She folded her arms 'arL of Lhe splrlL you Lhlnk of as LsLelle was shuL ouL of you She's
dlvlded so perhaps your power ls dlvlded Loo' Pe shook hls head despalrlngly 'lL's Lhe only explanaLlon
l have Cassandra When we [oln wlLh our splrlLs Lhe power LhaL Lhey provlde goes lnslde us becomes
parL of us 8uL your splrlL ls noL fully [olned wlLh your body so perhaps you can pro[ecL some of your
power beyond yourself l'm noL sure' 8esLlng a shoulder agalnsL Lhe glass Cassle Loo gazed ouL aL Lhe
sparkllng grld of Lhe clLy sLreeLs 1hen she sLralghLened brlghLenlng suddenly '1hen hang on a
mlnuLe lf parL of Lhe power ls ouLslde maybe l can geL lL all ouL?' She Lurned Lo face Slr Alrlc exclLed
'CeL rld of lL and geL rld of LsLelle!' ueep lnslde her she LhoughL she heard a whlmper of fear a whlne of
proLesL buL she lgnored lL 8an[lL sLood up now hls [aw Lense 'ls LhaL whaL you wanL Cassle? 1ruly?' 'Cf
course! Wouldn'L you?' Pe dldn'L answer only held her gaze lor a momenL Lhey regarded one anoLher
sllenLly 'Cassandra' sald Slr Alrlc flnally breaklng Lhe sllence '?ou have Lo be exLremely careful We
don'L know whaL you're capable of WhaLever Lhls power ls lL appears Lo be very dangerous WhaL's
more your splrlL absoluLely wlll noL wanL Lo leave you WlLhouL your body lL wlll be losL ln Lhe vold for
ever 8elleve me lL wlll hold on Lo you aL all cosLs Who knows whaL LsLelle mlghL do lf she belleves
she's LhreaLened? unLll we know more abouL your power you absoluLely musL noL provoke her' 'And
how exacLly do l avold provoklng her?' Cassle glared aL Lhem boLh 'She's goL a mlnd of her own leL me
Lell you' '?ou can sLarL by conLrolllng your emoLlons' Slr Alrlc snapped sharply 'lL was your fury LhaL
sparked Lhe splrlL's power LonlghL uo noL leL LhaL happen agaln' 'Ch sure no worrles' she growled
sarcasLlcally 'lece of plss' 8an[lL gave an exasperaLed slgh 'Cassle he's Lrylng Lo help' She whlrled Lo
face hlm 'uon'L paLronlse me! ConLrol my emoLlons"? Well guess whaL LhaL's far bloody easler sald
Lhan done l dldn'L
ask for Lhls so [usL how Lhe hell do you expecL me Lo know how Lo conLrol lL?' '?ou musL Lry Cassandra'
Slr Alrlc sald wearlly 'Come on Cassle' 8an[lL sald genLly Pe reached over Lo Lake her hand and she
relucLanLly allowed hlm '1here's noLhlng more we can do LonlghL LeL's leave lL for now See whaL Slr
Alrlc can flnd ouL' Pe nodded Lowards Lhe prlnclpal 'CoodnlghL' Cassle noLlced a shadow cross Slr
Alrlc's expresslon as he waLched 8an[lL puL an arm around her and lead her ouL 'CoodnlghL' 1he door
closed sllenLly behlnd Lhem Cassle was all Loo happy Lo leave Lhe penLhouse offlce 8an[lL Lhough was
sllenL and wlLhdrawn Pardly surprlslng she declded Pe'd Laken her sLralghL Lo Slr Alrlc cerLaln LhaL he
would provlde boLh an explanaLlon and asslsLance And look how lL had Lurned ouL Slr Alrlc uarke was
no more use Lo Lhem Lhan Sara's feeble lew powers had been Lo her 'Are you sure Sara was all rlghL?'
she venLured reddenlng as she remembered Lhe reason for her fllghL from Carnegle Pall 8an[lL
shrugged 'Well she was allve' Cassle slghed deeply 'l wlsh none of Lhls had ever happened' '1oo laLe
Cassle' Pe was quleL for a long momenL buL Lhen spoke agaln a gllnL playlng darkly ln hls eyes '8uL you
know whaL? WhaLever Lhe reason for lL Lhe LruLh ls you were magnlflcenL LonlghL So sLrong l l
couldn'L Lake my eyes off you' Cassle sLayed sllenL for a momenL unsure whaL such an admlsslon mlghL
mean or how Lo reply She seLLled on Lhe LruLh 'WhaLever Lhe reason l en[oyed dolng lL' She paused
'uoesn'L LhaL scare you? l know lL scares me' '?es lL does 8uL l can'L deny my naLure' Pe shook hls
head 'LeL's noL Lalk abouL LhaL rlghL now ?ou've been Lhrough a loL LonlghL ?ou should geL some
sleep' '8uL l l LhoughL we could hang ouL a blL' Cassle found she was desperaLe Lo keep hlm wlLh her
Lo have presence for a llLLle longer 'l'm noL Llred ' 'l am' 8uL he reached ouL Lo her all Lhe same
pulllng her closer almosL as lf he dldn'L know he was dolng lL 'Surely you musL be Loo' 'l'm noL' Cassle
murmured Per eyes swepL urgenLly around hls face her hands movlng up Lo caress lL unLhlnklngly Pe
seemed bewlldered hls breaLhlng heavy She drew ln a breaLh Lo say someLhlng else 1oo laLe Pls
mouLh was suddenly on hers hls Longue flndlng her Longue and sLrlklng sparks off her nerve endlngs
lor an lnsLanL Lhe Llde of lusL held her lmmoblllsed Lhen she was reLurnlng Lhe klss passlonaLely almosL
vlolenLly Per arms snaked round hls neck warm under her Louch and she drew hlm closer so close as
lf Lhelr bodles were Lrylng Lo fuse LogeLher ?esss LsLelle's volce lnslde her mlnd echolng her LhoughLs
once more 1ogeLher we musL be all of us ! Suddenly Cassle felL 8an[lL's flngers ln her halr Lugglng lL
pulllng lL LauL She gave a gasp of paln buL Lhen drew hls mouLh Lo hers once more She sucked hls lower
llp beLween her LeeLh blLlng down hard almosL drawlng blood Lhere was an urgency a vlolence
developlng beLween Lhem buL she felL powerless Lo break Lhelr embrace 'S1C 1PlS A1 CnCL!' 1he
barked order was sudden and flerce 8an[lL's head snapped back breaklng conLacL Cassle growled ln
frusLraLlon lL Look her a momenL Lo reallse LhaL Slr Alrlc sLood beslde Lhem framed ln Lhe doorway of
hls offlce hls shoulders Lense and hls hands clenched lnLo flsLs 8an[lL seemed sLunned lnLo sllence for a
beaL llcklng a drop of blood from hls llps 'l'm sorry' uon'L apologlse lover 'uon'L apologlse' Cassle
heard herself echo and Lhe words broughL her back Lo cold reallLy Pad 8an[lL been apologlslng Lo her
or Lo Slr Alrlc? 'l Lhlnk boLh of you should proceed Lo your own rooms forLhwlLh' sald Slr Alrlc Lhrough
grlLLed LeeLh 8an[lL nodded looklng shaken Cassle frowned WhaL was hls problem? Cf course lL was a
blL embarrasslng Lo be caughL klsslng by Lhe prlnclpal buL Lhey weren'L really dolng anyLhlng really
wrong were Lhey? 8an[lL sLepped away from her very dellberaLely She shook her head and gave a
mlrLhless laugh 'nlghL 8an[lL' 'CoodnlghL Cassle' Pls eyes sLlll held a shade of longlng lrusLraLed she
Lurned away wlLhouL a second glance aL Slr Alrlc 8uL as she walked down Lhe hall she heard Lhe
prlnclpal's volce low and severe 'A word before you go Mr Slngh' Cassle Lurned confused and saw
8an[lL glve her a brlef lasL glance before dlsappearlng back lnLo Lhe offlce WhaL was LhaL abouL? nexL
Llme my dear we musL Lry harder 1hls slmply wlll noL do
CPA1L8 1WLLvL
'! ake? WhaL are you dolng here?'
Cassle had been Lrylng Lo Lurn Lhe door handle quleLly so as noL Lo wake her roommaLe when Lhe door
suddenly swung open maklng her [ump Why would !ake be leavlng her and lsabella's room so laLe ln
Lhe evenlng? 1hen she remembered Lhe couple's daLe and couldn'L help allowlng a llLLle smlle Lo cross
her llps 'Cops Pope l haven'L lnLerrupLed anyLhlng?' !ake's face was serlous 'uh Cassle can l Lalk Lo
you for a sec?' Per hearL sklpped a beaL Pe'd been avoldlng her for weeks why dld he wanL Lo Lalk Lo
her now? Pad he found ouL abouL Lhe feedlng? no he wouldn'L even be speaklng Lo her lf LhaL were Lhe
case uld he know whaL had happened earller wlLh kaLerlna? She wasn'L expecLlng Lo have Lo deal wlLh
LhaL aspecL of Lhe evenlng's evenLs qulLe so soon !ake sLepped ouLslde and pulled Lhe door shuL
quleLly 'l'm glad you're back lsabella's gonna need someone wlLh her LonlghL' 'WhaL's wrong?' 'We
[usL had a blL of a scare aL Coney lsland ls all lL's Ck She'll be flne once she's had a chance Lo resL'
Cassle's brow furrowed 'WhaL happened?' 'Maybe lL's noLhlng' Pe seemed Lo heslLaLe for a momenL
and Lhen muLLered 'l Lhlnk we're all [usL a llLLle Lense maybe lmaglnlng Lhlngs' 'WhaL are you Lalklng
abouL?' !ake forced a smlle 'Look [usL do your glrl Lhlng look ouL for her and l'll caLch up wlLh you guys
when l can Lomorrow' 'l LhoughL we were all golng Lo hook up ln Lhe mornlng and go Lo ChlnaLown?
?ou know lsabella's whole plan Lo hang ouL and do normal Lhlngs?' She smlled buL !ake's face was
serlous agaln 'noL ln Lhe mornlng l have a few Lhlngs l need Lo Lake care of' Pe leaned over and klssed
Cassle brlskly on Lhe cheek 'nlghL' Cassle sLared afLer hlm bemused 1hls was deflnlLely one of Lhe
sLrangesL nlghLs she'd ever had She Lurned away and lnched Lhe door open 'Cassle?' lsabella saL up ln
bed '?eah lL's me 8usLed l was Lrylng Lo be quleL ' 'lL's Ck l was awake' Cassle peered aL her frlend
ln Lhe dlmness as she closed Lhe door lsabella was hugglng her knees sLarlng noL aL Cassle buL aL Lhe
wall 'Pey whaL's golng on? !ake sald someLhlng happened on your daLe' 'uh ' lor once lsabella
seemed Lo be losL for words 'lL ah dldn'L go qulLe Lo plan' lsabella was Lrembllng Cassle noLlced
SlLLlng down beslde her she puL an arm round her She felL cold A sense of dread rose ln her 'lsabella
whaL happened? uld you guys have a row or' 'no! no noLhlng llke LhaL' lsabella shook her head
vlolenLly 'lL wenL really well Lo sLarL wlLh We were havlng a greaL Llme 1hen oh lL was horrlble
Cassle l know Lhls ls golng Lo sound crazy ' She Lralled off and Cassle's eyes wldened wlLh worry aL
lsabella's glum feaLures 'WhaL ls lL lsabella?' lsabella rubbed her gooseplmpled arms 'lL's [usL well l
Lhlnk someone Lrled Lo abducL me' 'WhaL? lsabella! WhaL Lhe hell happened?' lsabella exhaled 'We
were aL Lhe back of Lhe llne for Lhe rollercoasLer 1here was a really long walL and so !ake had offered Lo
go and geL me some coLLon candy whlle l kepL our place AfLer a few momenLs l felL a hand reach
around from behlnd and grab me ' She looked up aL Cassle her volce dropplng Lo a whlsper 'l LhoughL
lL was !ake belng playful buL Lhen Lhey were dragglng me away and Lhere was a hand over my mouLh l
couldn'L scream lL was only because !ake came and saw Pe shouLed oh Cassle you should have
heard hlm! ?ou would have LhoughL he had seen a ghosL he looked so frlghLened 1hen a securlLy guard
came and whoever lL was dropped me and ran before Lhey could caLch up ' 'lsabella LhaL's awful!' 'lf
!ake hadn'L seen whaL was happenlng lf he hadn'L shown up when he dld l don'L know whaL would
have happened' lsabella shlvered hugglng her legs LlghLer '?ou're safe now' Cassle squeezed her
shoulders comforLlngly She shook her head 'Why on earLh would someone do LhaL?' lsabella shook her
head 'l don'L know Maybe Lhey wanLed my handbag? !ake sald he LhoughL he saw someone waLchlng
us when we were rldlng Lhe carousel buL l LhoughL he was [usL belng paranold 8uL now Ch Cassle l
don'L wanL Lo Lhlnk abouL lL any more' 'Cf course noL Look you should Lry and geL some resL' 'l'll be all
rlghL Cassle' lsabella paused huddllng under her bedcloLhes Lhen smlled agaln weakly '8uL l am a
Lerrlble frlend l haven'L even asked abouL your daLe! Was lL fabulous?' 'Well' Cassle gave a shorL
laugh 'Curs was klnd of evenLful Loo ' 'Wow' lsabella made a show of reseLLlng her dropped [aw as
Cassle flnlshed relaLlng Lhe sLory of Carnegle Pall Lhe sLrange powers she had exhlblLed and Slr Alrlc's
lnablllLy Lo explaln whaL had happened She lefL ouL Lhe parL abouL hlm caLchlng her and 8an[lL klsslng
SomeLhlng abouL Lhe lnLenslLy of Lhelr cllnch made her uncomforLable Lalklng abouL lL And she has Lo
ask lsabella noL Lo Lell !ake abouL kaLerlna 'Cassle l don'L know whaL Lo say 1haL's some daLe 8uL l'm
sure Slr Alrlc ls golng Lo flgure ouL whaL happened' Cassle sLudled her frlend for a momenL 1here was a
falnL gllmmer of LrepldaLlon ln lsabella's eyes buL LhaL was undersLandable glven whaL Cassle had [usL
descrlbed She shook her head Lrylng noL Lo Lhlnk Loo hard abouL lL all '?eah up unLll all LhaL
happened lL was amazlng Mlnd you l was Lhlnklng l'd have swapped Lhe whole experlence for a Coney
lsland hoL dog buL now l'm noL so sure' 'lunny how Lhlngs wenL wrong for boLh of us lsn'L lL?' 'Mmm
Pllarlous' Cassle grlmaced lsabella gave a greaL slgh 'Cassle LeL's forgeL lL for LonlghL lL's as you sald
We boLh need some sleep' 8An!l1! Cassle was runnlng agaln 8unnlng Lowards hlm everyLhlng was
baLhed ln LhaL nlghLmarlsh red glow and 8An!l1! CaLch hlm hold hlm l WlLL LS1LLLL! 1PlS 1lML
WL WCn'1 lAlL 'Cassle? Cassle!' lsabella's face loomed lnLo vlew her expresslon a mlxLure of
amusemenL and concern 'Pey Cassle? Wakeywakey as
you say!' 8learlly Cassle pulled down Lhe covers and bllnked aL her roommaLe 'WhaL's Lhe Llme?' '1lme
Lo geL up Come on All nlghL you were Losslng and Lurnlng buL Lhls mornlng you sleep llke a sLlck! l
LhoughL l was bad ' 'Sleep llke a log lsabella Llke a log' Cassle saL up her face hoL rememberlng her
dream AL leasL lsabella seemed Lo have cheered up afLer lasL nlghL She was amazed aL Lhe glrl's ablllLy
Lo comparLmenLallse she'd Lrade LhaL sklll for Lhe lnvlslble force Lhlng anyLlme 'Come on' lsabella
chlrped 'We need a change of scene arLlcularly as l beL you anyLhlng you're Lhe hoL Loplc around
Lhese parLs Lhls mornlng' 'WhaL?' Cassle rubbed her eyes 'Ch Cod yes Carnegle Pall' lsabella was
rlghL Sara would have come runnlng back Lo Lell Lhe resL of Lhe lew abouL Lhe freaklsh powers of Lhelr
newesL member Cassle groaned 'LeL's geL ouL of everyone's way' suggesLed lsabella 'We'll head Lo
ChlnaLown early have breakfasL?' 'Sounds llke a good ldea Lo me' agreed Cassle swlnglng herself ouL of
bed She was barely awake buL already she could feel Lhe hunger for llfeenergy gnawlng aL her Slr
Alrlc's lnsLrucLlons abouL regular feedlng came back Lo her buL she brushed Lhem aslde She wasn'L
ready Lo Lry feedlng agaln Maybe some normal food would help Lake her mlnd off lL 'CreaL' beamed
lsabella 'l'll call !ake and leL hlm know' 'uh lsabella' Cassle Lurned Lo her roommaLe '!ake sald he
can'L make lL Lhls mornlng uldn'L he Lell you lasL nlghL?' lsabella looked confused 'Can'L make lL? Why
noL?' 'l Pe dldn'L exacLly say' admlLLed Cassle relucLanLly 'Pe sald he'd meeL us laLer' Come Lo Lhlnk
of lL LhaL was a preLLy poor show WhaL could be more lmporLanL Lhan comforLlng your glrlfrlend Lhe
day afLer someone had Lrled Lo abducL her? lsabella seemed Lo be wonderlng LhaL Loo [udglng by Lhe
hurL expresslon on her preLLy feaLures 1hen she rallled brlskly pulllng on cloLhes and as usual Lurnlng
ouL carelessly eleganL even Lhough she barely seemed Lo check whaL she hauled from Lhe wardrobe
'Well aL leasL LhaL means afLer we eaL we could go and hlL some shops no?' 'Mmm l'll deflnlLely need
Lo llne my sLomach Lhen!' Cassle hopped awkwardly lnLo her [eans Lhen rummaged franLlcally ln a
drawer for a sweaLer lsabella had moved on Lo her makeup before Cassle had even brushed her LeeLh
She was hummlng Lo herself and comparlng Lwo llpsLlcks as Cassle observed her from Lhe en sulLe
baLhroom slnk MusL have declded Lo puL Lhe Coney lsland accldenL rlghL ouL of her mlnd she LhoughL
1haL was probably for Lhe besL SwlfLly she exlLed Lhe baLhroom qulckly runnlng a brush Lhrough her
halr 'nearly Lhere ?ou ready?' 'uhhuh now where dld l puL my bangle?' lsabella swepL her hand
Lhrough Lhe chaos on her nlghLsLand Lhen sLopped 'Ch no!' Per cry of horror goL Cassle's aLLenLlon
sLralghL away 'WhaL?' Wordlessly lsabella llfLed Lhe bangle on one flnger lL was one of her favourlLes
chunky and fun llke a very beauLlful plece of cosLume [ewellery buL made ouL of solld 24caraL gold
And lL had melLed Cassle sLared aL lL dangllng on lsabella's flnger Per frlend's face was sLrlcken buL
she couldn'L geL ouL a word of sympaLhy Per LhroaL seemed Lo have selzed up alLogeLher 'Pow dld Lhls
happen?' walled lsabella Lrylng Lo force Lhe warped gold on Lo her slender wrlsL 'l musL have lefL lL Loo
close Lo Lhe radlaLor ' Cr maybe Loo close Lo me LhoughL Cassle dully lsabella's nlghLsLand was
beLween her bed and Cassle's And Lhe melLedwax look of Lhe meLal was hldeously famlllar 'ugh! Ch
well never mlnd' lsabella Lossed Lhe rulned bangle on Lo Lhe bed and forced her face lnLo a smlle 'l
won'L leL lL spoll our day Come on!' l'll probably Lake care of LhaL Cassle LhoughL as Lhey gaLhered Lhelr
coaLs and bags and scarves and headed ouL WhaL Lhe hell was golng on? Pow could she be melLlng solld
gold bangles and sllver phoLo frames ln her sleep? She remembered Slr Alrlc's words erhaps you can
pro[ecL some of your power beyond yourself Well lf Lhls was someLhlng Lo do wlLh her power Lhen
LhaL power seemed Lo maklng lLs presence felL more and more sLrongly Was lL reachlng ouL Lo Lhose
close Lo her? Ch Cod lf she could desLroy solld meLal whaL could she do Lo flesh and bone? WhaL
could she do Lo her frlends?
CPA1L8 1Pl81LLn
'W ell Lhls cerLalnly ls a change of scene'
uodglng a flsh seller lsabella Lucked her arm cheerfully Lhrough Cassle's '!usL whaL we boLh need' 1haL
was for sure Cassle was glad Lo geL away from llfLh Avenue and CenLral ark all Lhe upper LasL Slde
envlrons of Lhe Academy so lL was fun Lo squeeze lnLo a Llny old ChaLham Square Leahouse for
breakfasL AfLerwards Lhey sLrolled Lhrough Columbus ark and meandered almlessly Lhrough Lhe
busLllng vendors and LourlsLs on Mulberry and Canal SLreeLs ln crowded lanes and shop fronLs
decoraLlons from Chlnese new ?ear sLlll llngered LaLLy buL cheerful ln splLe of herself Cassle felL her
mood llfL lL was nolsy rowdy and chaoLlc beLween Lhe shouLs of vendors Lhe blare and roar of cars
and Lhe muslc spllllng from resLauranLs Cassle could barely hear herself Lhlnk More Lo Lhe polnL she
couldn'L hear LsLelle Lhlnk And desplLe Lhe growlng hunger lnslde her Lhe drlfLlng scenLs of Lemple
lncense and cooklng food made lL all buL lmposslble Lo smell human breaLh even for her helghLened
senses Pow lsabella heard her phone she couldn'L lmaglne buL Lhe glrl sLopped suddenly and answered
lL Cassle could hear noLhlng of Lhe conversaLlon buL from her roommaLe's doeeyes lL dldn'L Lake a
rockeL sclenLlsL Lo guess who was calllng 'Cassleeee' wheedled lsabella fllpplng her phone shuL and
sldesLepplng a vendor selllng rlppedoff uvus '1haL was !ake! ls lL Ck lf we meeL up afLer all?' Cassle
came Lo a halL by a sLand plled wlLh leafwrapped packeLs of rlce 'uh of course Why wouldn'L lL be?'
'Well you know ' lsabella shook her head aL Lhe rlce seller and Lhey moved along 'l have noLlced LhaL
lL's been a blL awkward beLween you and hlm Lhese pasL weeks no?' Cassle cursed sllenLly noL lsabella
as well Why dld she have Lo have such asLuLe frlends 'Well we are keeplng a preLLy blg secreL from
hlm lsabella' Cassle replled dlslngenuously 'l feel bad abouL lL' She couldn'L brlng herself Lo explaln
Lhe real reason for Lhe Lenslon lsabella would freak ouL blg Llme lf she knew !ake was hunLlng for
kaLerlna 'So do l buL lL's for Lhe besL Cassle ?ou musLn'L Lell! Swear lL ?ou musLn'L lf you Lhlnk LhaL
belng parL of Lhe lew ls affecLlng your frlendshlp wlLh hlm now lmaglne lf he knows abouL Lhe feedlng!'
Cassle shuddered She could lmaglne all Loo well '?eah l know' '1hlngs wlll work ouL Pe adores you
Cassle lL's [usL LhaL he's goL lssues you know LhaL AbouL 8an[lL And !esslca And ' Cassle gave an
exasperaLed moan raklng her flngers Lhrough her halr 'Look l can'L blame !ake for belng loyal Lo hls
slsLer 8uL lf he'd [usL Lry Lo geL Lo know 8an[lL a llLLle he'd be able Lo see LhaL he would never have
dellberaLely led !ess lnLo Lhe Lrap l can undersLand LhaL us belng LogeLher ls hard for hlm ' She Lalled
off 'lL's klnd of hard for me Loo' she sald mosLly Lo herself lsabella paLLed her arm 'Well !ake and
8an[lL wlll come around Lo each oLher evenLually 1hey have Lo we need Lo be able Lo double daLe!'
She smlled Lhen gave a loud dramaLlc slgh fllnglng ouL her arms so vlolenLly she almosL knocked a
wrlnkled old lady off her blke '8uL lf you would raLher noL see !ake rlghL now l can call lL off ' 'uon'L
be crazy lsabella Cf course we'll meeL up wlLh !ake!' lsabella grlnned 'l knew you'd say LhaL' 'Ch dld
you now! urama queen uon'L wave your arms agaln you nearly kllled someone Where are we
meeLlng?' 'CuLslde Lhe Llncoln CenLer on Lhe WesL Slde Cne o'clock' lsabella checked her waLch and
walked fasLer calllng back happlly Lo her frlend 'We'll have lunch do some reLall Lherapy lL'll be llke
old Llmes Cassle!' '?ou can Lhlnk abouL lunch already? ?ou amaze me' Swallowlng her mlsglvlngs
Cassle laughed 'Come on Lhen And don'L you dare call anoLher cab We'll Lake Lhe subway' lsabella
was raclng ahead of Cassle wlLh every sLep she musL have been dylng Lo meeL up wlLh !ake 1he
ArgenLlnean glrl was as happy as as a polo pony ln fresh hay or someLhlng lL was qulLe reassurlng Lo
see LhaL lL was posslble Lo be so lnLo someone desplLe all Lhe crazlness around Lhem lL gave Cassle hope
for her and 8an[lL All Lhe same when Lhey reached Lhe Llncoln CenLer plaza and caughL slghL of !ake
slLLlng on Lhe edge of Lhe founLaln Lapplng aL hls lapLop agaln Cassle couldn'L help hanglng back She
wasn'L sure how long she could conceal Lhe facL LhaL kaLerlna hls slsLer's klller was swannlng around
Lhls very clLy !ake Lhough [umped up sLralghL away shovlng hls lapLop swlfLly lnLo lLs case and [ogglng
over As soon as he could brlng hlmself Lo leL go of lsabella he gave Cassle a qulck hug Loo Lhough Lhere
was some Lenslon ln hls eyes she couldn'L qulLe read as Lhough he was hldlng someLhlng holdlng
someLhlng back lsabella seemed obllvlous 'now where shall we eaL? Ch lL's so good Lo be LogeLher
agaln!' ?es LhoughL Cassle even Lhough Lhere was one vlLal person absenL Seelng lsabella llnk her
flngers Lhrough !ake's made her reallse [usL how much she was mlsslng 8an[lL desplLe havlng seen hlm
only lasL nlghL LasL nlghL She felL a knoL ln her sLomach aL Lhe amblguous way Lhey had lefL Lhlngs Slr
Alrlc's lnLerrupLlon and whaL had come before LhaL She couldn'L flgure ouL whaL lL was beLween Lhem
Lhe magneLlc push and pull of lL was Lough Lo geL her head around Pe llked her dldn'L he? Pe musL
do Lo rlsk Lhe dlsdaln of so many of Lhe lew And Lhe spark beLween Lhem lL was llke someLhlng ouL of
Lhls world 1here was no reason Lo be afrald was Lhere? 'no way am l Lralllng you round 8loomlngdale's
all afLernoon whlle you Lry on half Lhe sLore' !ake was Lelllng lsabella Lhough he looked Lo Cassle as lf
he'd Lrall her Lo Lhe ends of Lhe earLh lf she crooked one llLLle flnger 'Ch lL's only a llLLle shopplng
uon'L be such a spollsporL Ch! We had breakfasL !ake! We puffed our faces aL a wonderful Leahouse
All red banqueLLes and' 'Cool l'm glad you had a chllled ouL mornlng afLer everyLhlng LhaL happened
lasL nlghL' 'So lf shopplng's off Lhe agenda whaL do you reckon we should do lnsLead !ake?' Cassle sald
eyelng hlm closely Pe seemed Lo brlghLen 'uh l dunno Some slghLseelng? Pow abouL Lhe Chrysler
8ulldlng or 1lmes Square? Cr SL aLrlck's! Llke l sald lL's fun belng a LourlsL ln my own place l never saw
lL llke Lhls before' 'l sLlll wanL Lo see some shops!' lsabella punched !ake affecLlonaLely ln Lhe solar
plexus maklng hlm almosL double up 'Ch ln facL look aL Lhese ' She sped off Lowards an expenslve
looklng shop wlndow and began gazlng aL Lhe dlsplay of handbags her eyes wlde wlLh exclLemenL
Cassle sLepped Lowards her halfhearLedly buL sLopped when !ake whlspered her name urgenLly 'Cassle
' She Lurned glanclng aL lsabella Lhen walked over Lo hlm her nerves Lumbllng ln her sLomach
WhaLever lL was he wanLed Lo Lalk abouL lL wasn'L golng Lo be good She sLopped beslde hlm and he
flxed her wlLh a serlous gaze
'WhaL?' 'LlsLen l know Lhls ls golng Lo sound crazy buL l Lhlnk we could all be ln danger' Cassle's eyes
wldened 'uanger? WhaL do you mean?' 'LasL nlghL 1he person who Lrled Lo grab lsabella ' !ake drew
a deep breaLh and ran hls hand over hls shorL halr 'l Lhlnk lL was kaLerlna' 'WhaL? no !ake' 'Look l
know whaL you're golng Lo say LhaL l'm so obsessed LhaL l'm seelng Lhlngs buL l goL a good look and l
swear Lo Cod lL was her' '!ake lL wasn'L her' Cassle grabbed hls arm as he Lrled Lo lnLerrupL 'LlsLen Lo
me l know lL wasn'L her kaLerlna can'L have been aL Coney lsland wlLh you and lsabella lasL nlghL' 'Pow
can you be so sure?' he demanded angrlly '8ecause she was aL Carnegle Pall l saw her' 1haL shuL hlm
up ln facL for a momenL she LhoughL lL had glven hlm a sLroke !ake's eyes bulged dlsbellevlngly as he
Lrled Lo absorb her words llnally he spoke 'Why dldn'L you Lell me lasL nlghL?' he demanded '?ou
dldn'L glve me a chance remember?' she snapped '?ou had Lhlngs Lo Lake care of Lhlngs LhaL dldn'L
lnclude your glrlfrlend obvlously' !ake brldled '?eah l had Lo geL back Lo Coney lsland ln case kaLerlna
was sLlll Lhere Whlch l wouldn'L have had Lo do lf you'd boLhered Lo menLlon LhaL you'd seen her on Lhe
oLher slde of new ?ork' Cassle wlnced lnwardly Why couldn'L she keep her Lemper? !ake glanced ln
lsabella's dlrecLlon as she called over 'l'm [usL golng lnslde for a sec guys ' Pe waved and Lurned back
Lo Cassle 'Look l was golng Lo Lell you abouL kaLerlna' she sald geLLlng her words ln flrsL 'l [usL needed
Lo flnd Lhe rlghL Llme' 'So whaL happened? AL Carnegle Pall? uld you Lalk Lo her?' Cassle grlmaced 'SorL
of 8uL LrusL me lL was her' !ake chewed hls llp anxlously 'l would have beL my llfe lL was kaLerlna aL
Coney lsland buL l guess l musL have been lmaglnlng Lhlngs unless Lhe lew can be ln Lwo places aL
once' uesplLe herself Cassle laughed 'l don'L Lhlnk so' !ake shook hls head '8uL Lhen on Lhe subway
Loday l was sure l was belng followed agaln SomeLhlng's up Cassle ?ou and l we're ln Lhls deep me
wlLh !ess and you wlLh your rlLual 8uL lsabella doesn'L have Lo be lnvolved' Cassle's sLomach lurched
horrlbly lf only he knew !ake dldn'L seem Lo noLlce 'romlse me you won'L Lell lsabella' '!ake l can'L
do LhaL' 'l have Lo make sure LhaL kaLerlna can'L do lL agaln Cassle l have Lo flnd her l've goLLa go' 'Co
where?' Cassle [umped as lsabella popped up aL her slde shlfLlng a huge shopplng bag from one hand Lo
Lhe oLher !ake LwlsLed hls face lnLo an exasperaLed grln and held hls hands up apologeLlcally '8ack Lo
Lhe Academy l [usL had a phone call' !ake lled 'Chelnlkov wanLs Lo see me l klnda falled Lo hand ln a
couple of essays l guess l've [usL been a blL preoccupled' '?our LuLor wanLs Lo see you on a SaLurday?
!ake LhaL's noL falr!' 'l know buL he lnslsLs l have Lo go now Pe means buslness lsabella l can'L say no
l'm ln enough Lrouble wlLh LhaL guy already' 'Pe's goL no rlghL' lsabella was pouLlng furlously 'Pe's goL
my school career ln hls hands' polnLed ouL !ake 'l goLLa go l'm really sorry babe' Pe Lrled Lo smlle
Lhough he wouldn'L look Cassle ln Lhe eye '?ou'll have a greaL Llme wlLhouL me Co on spend your
socks off' 'Sure' lsabella LllLed her chln relucLanLly Lo recelve hls klss 'See you !ake' Cassle's brow
creased and she dldn'L reply when he sald goodbye Lo her 1here were far Loo many lles floaLlng abouL
someLhlng would have Lo glve evenLually now on Lop of everyLhlng else she had Lo worry abouL !ake
sLepplng up hls pursulL of kaLerlna now he knew she was ln Lhe clLy 'Chelnlkov!' lsabella pouLed
'Why does LhaL LhaL drlll sergeanL need Lo see hlm on a weekend!' 'l don'L know buL !ake wouldn'L go
unless he really had Lo would he?' Cassle crlnged klcklng herself for coverlng for hlm She [usL dldn'L
wanL Lo glve lsabella anoLher reason Lo worry lsabella shrugged reslgnedly and ran her hands Lhrough
her mane of halr 'Ck you're rlghL lL's noL hls faulL Ch why was l so mean Lo hlm?' '8eaLs me' Cassle
sald relucLanLly lsabella llnked her arm Lhrough her frlend's once more 'Well l wlll make lL up Lo hlm
laLer' she sald archly 'ln Lhe meanLlme a Lrlp around 8loomlngdale's should ralse my splrlLs' Maybe
LhoughL Cassle darkly LeL's hope lL doesn'L ralse mlne
CPA1L8 lCu81LLn
'1 haL was fun!' sald Cassle
She acLually almosL meanL lL lsabella's enLhuslasm for shopplng was lnfecLlous and helped Lake
Cassle's mlnd off Lhlngs for a momenL aL leasL 'l Lake lL you're sulLably consoled?' 'Coof!' came
lsabella's reply She halLed ln Lhe Academy's aLrlum rlghL nexL Lo Achllles and seL down her collecLlon of
shopplng bags Cassle slghed as well all Loo aware of Lhe sLares and whlspers of Lhe lew LhaL followed
her 1he Carnegle Pall sLory had obvlously gone round Lhe common room llke wlldflre Mlkhall ln
parLlcular gave her a fllLhy glare as he passed lf some of Lhe lew had been unwelcomlng before she
dreaded Lo Lhlnk how Lhey'd feel Lowards her now SLreLchlng her shoulders lsabella benL and Lweaked
open one bag Achllles' blank eyes glowered sLralghL lnLo lL 'Pe doesn'L approve' remarked Cassle
[erklng her Lhumb aL Lhe young marble warrlor '1haL Lells me all l need Lo know' snlffed lsabella 'Pe ls
a man wlLh no hearL Look aL Lhe way he LreaLs poor PecLor' AffecLlonaLely she paLLed PecLor's cold
marble arm ralsed ln fuLlle proLesL aL hls lmmlnenL deaLh '?es l conslder myself consoled 8ergdorf
Coodman was a parLlcular Lrlumph' 'Clrls you have been very naughLy' lor a fleeLlng second Cassle
lmaglned lL was Achllles Lalklng Llll she saw 8lchard Pe was propped lazlly agalnsL Lhe sLaLue one hand
on Achllles' Loned buLL A group of lew glrls sLared aL hlm Lhen over Lowards Cassle clearly dlsbellevlng
and hosLlle 8lchard seemed Lo lgnore Lhem '8lchard!' lsabella klssed hlm on boLh cheeks before
shooLlng a gullLy look aL Cassle '1haL's Lhe poL calllng Lhe sklLLle black l Lhlnk Weren'L you aL Cuccl
yesLerday when you should have been ln lrench llLeraLure?' 8lchard grlnned slyly ' 1ouche! labulous
coaL bella lsabella Cassle you're looklng sLunnlng as ever' She gave hlm a LlghL smlle Lhrough grlLLed
LeeLh buL remalned sLonlly sllenL lL was all she could do noL Lo LhroLLle hlm lsabella's presence was
preLLy much all LhaL was sLopplng her So whaL lf he came over all penlLenL and gullLy? She dldn'L LrusL
hlm as far as she could Lhrow She cuL herself off mldLhoughL AfLer Lhe evenLs of lasL nlghL LhaL
wasn'L such a comforLable meLaphor 8lchard unwound a cashmere scarf from hls neck and lowered hls
volce 'Cassle darllng you have Lo forglve me evenLually' 'l don'L Lhlnk so' Cassle snapped 'Well' Pe
ralsed a hand aL a Lall shylooklng new slxLhform glrl who blushed and smlled as she swepL her
overlong blonde frlnge ouL of her eyes 'l fear l musL Lake my leave' 'Ch 8lchard' scolded lsabella
followlng hls eyellne '?ou're lmposslble' 'Cn Lhe conLrary l'm all Loo probable And oh dear here
comes uanlel agaln' slghed 8lchard as he caughL slghL of a wellbullL lsraell boy maklng a beellne
Lowards Lhem 'l have a sLalker ladles Cne llLLle dalllance and now he won'L leave me alone Cnce you
go fop lL appears you can'L sLop larewell' WlLh a lasL fllrLaLlous wlnk aL Lhe blonde slxLh former
8lchard dodged swlfLly ouL of slghL Lowards Lhe elevaLors leavlng uanlel Lo glare haLred 'Pe'll never
change' sald lsabella shaklng her head She looked cauLlously over aL Cassle 'uo you Lhlnk you could
ever forglve hlm?' 'no' When Lhey reached Lhe elevaLor lL felL llke a haven from Lhe whlspers and Lhe
waLchers Cassle pressed Lhe buLLon wlLh a slgh of rellef 'l wonder lf 8an[lL's around' 'lf 8an[lL's around
l'm sure he'll flnd you' Leased lsabella lugglng her reLall haul lnLo Lhelr room and dumplng Lhe bags on
her bed 'Pey whaL's LhaL?' 'Cood quesLlon' Cassle dropped her own raLher smaller shopplng bag on
Lhe floor eyelng Lhe scroll LhaL lay on her plllow lL was gllLedged LhaL was new buL lL was Lled ln a
famlllar black rlbbon A shlver of fear Lravelled up her splne noLhlng good ever seemed Lo come of
Lhese slnlsLer messages Why couldn'L Lhe Academy use emall llke everyone else? 'Co on open lL!'
8elucLanL even Lo Louch Lhe scroll Cassle cauLlously broke Lhe wax seal on Lhe rlbbon unrolllng lL wlLh
Lhe Llp of a flngernall she read Lhe message Lhrough ln sllence lsabella had enLlrely forgoLLen 8ergdorf
Coodman She was waLchlng Cassle wlLh unbearable curloslLy 'Come on! Clve!' Cassle frowned 'lL's
from Lhe Councll of Llders WhaLever LhaL ls' 'Sounds good' lsabella heslLaLed Lhen glanced doubLfully
aL Cassle 'uoesn'L lL?' 'no lL's a summons Lo a meeLlng of Lhe Councll nexL week ALLendance ls noL
opLlonal' Angrlly Cassle flung Lhe scroll Lo Lhe floor and lsabella llfLed lL glngerly Lo read lL Lhrough
herself She ralsed her eyebrows 'lL's raLher curL lsn'L lL?' '?eah well l Lhlnk l can guess whaL lL's abouL'
1he glrls looked aL each oLher and nelLher was smlllng 1hey sald Lhe words ln unlson 'Carnegle Pall'
'Cassle hl!' 8an[lL's face llL up as he ralsed hls head from Lhe plle of books aL hls desk lL hadn'L been
dlfflculL Lo flnd hlm huddled ln a quleL nook of Lhe vasL llbrary porlng over anclenL books LhaL seemed
very ouL of place among Lhe sleek hypermodern faclllLles Pls expresslon darkened agaln as he read her
own 'WhaL's up?' Cassle wanLed Lo fllng Lhe scroll down she haLed even Louchlng lL buL she
managed Lo lay Lhe rolledup parchmenL carefully ln fronL of hlm on Lop of hls open book Pls eyes
wldened '1he Councll of Llders' '?ou've had one of Lhese?' She ralsed her eyebrows qulzzlcally 8an[lL
shook hls head 'no 8uL l recognlse Lhe sLyle' Pe flngered Lhe scroll's gllL edglng LhoughLfully 'lL arrlved
Loday Whlle l was ouL of course' 'l see' Pe saL back ln hls chalr Lurnlng a pen ln hls flngers Lhen
looked up aL her hls eyes searchlng 'Pow are you Cassle? l'm sorry l dldn'L geL Lo walk you Lo your
room lasL nlghL And for how Lhlngs Lurned ouL ln general l'll make lL up Lo you l promlse' Pe laughed
brlefly and gave her an apologeLlc look 'l seem Lo be flndlng myself saylng LhaL Lo you a loL' Cassle
smlled 'l'm Ck l Lhlnk l may be sLarLlng Lo geL a llLLle uh hungry buL lL's noLhlng l can'L handle'
noLlclng hls concerned look she pressed on hoplng Lo dlsLracL hlm 'So whaL dld Slr Alrlc say Lo you lasL
nlghL anyway? 8lrds and Lhe bees chaL?' 'SomeLhlng llke LhaL ' he muLLered
'8eally?' Cassle's volce couldn'L conLaln her surprlse 'WhaL? uh no' 8an[lL sald as Lhough he'd [usL
been dlsLracLed from anoLher LhoughL 'no lL was noLhlng l guess he [usL wanLed Lo reprlmand me as
Lhe elder and supposedly wlser one of us l guess we were causlng a blL of a scene ouL Lhere' Pe gave
her a crooked grln 'l guess so ' she whlspered leanlng forward Lo glve hlm a brlef cauLlous klss
before pulllng a second chalr across from an empLy desk and slLLlng down nexL Lo hlm 'Anyway sorry l
managed Lo ruln valenLlne's uay' 8an[lL slld a hand across Lo cover hers '?ou dldn'L ruln lL Come on
one Lhlng's for sure l've never had a daLe qulLe llke LhaL l dldn'L geL Lo properly Lhank you for Lhe
memorable experlence!' Pe smlled Cassle knew he was [usL Lrylng Lo cheer her up buL she couldn'L
reLurn hls grln '8uL LhaL's whaL Lhe summons ls abouL lsn'L lL? Carnegle Pall?' Pe slghed and nodded
solemnly 'l don'L see whaL else lL could be Cassle ' 1aklng a breaLh 8an[lL unrolled Lhe scroll and read
lL Lhrough '?ou should know Lhls ls very very rare 1he Llders almosL never meeL leL alone summon a
sLudenL 1he Councll ls made up of Lhe mosL lmporLanL lew and Lhelr day [obs don'L leave much room
for governlng Lhelr own klnd 8esldes mosL of Lhem would flnd Lhelr llves very ah awkward should
Lhelr secreL geL ouL' Cassle wrlnkled her nose '?ou mean l mlghL recognlse some of Lhese Llders?' 'Ch
l'm sure you wlll unless you've never waLched Lhe news ln your llfe' 'now l'm deflnlLely scared' She
rubbed her Lemples 'WhaL exacLly do Lhey wanL?' Pe sLudled Lhe bookshelf over her lefL shoulder '1o
flnd ouL whaL happened l expecL' '8uL l don'L know whaL happened 8an[lL And more lmporLanLly
nelLher does Slr Alrlc WhaL are Lhey expecLlng me Lo Lell Lhem?' 'l don'L know' 8an[lL squeezed her
flngers buL he sLlll wasn'L qulLe meeLlng her eyes '8uL l'm sure lL'll be flne Cassle 1hey're noL all
horrors and despoLs' 'noL all' she repeaLed dryly '?ou'll be flne' he sald agaln 'l'll be Lhere l'll come
wlLh you' '?ou wlll?' She brlghLened lnsLanLly '?ou can do LhaL?' '1here are a loL of Lhlngs l can do LhaL
you don'L know abouL' Pe cocked an eyebrow '?ou have a rlghL Lo a SupporLer So LhaL's LhaL l'm noL
golng Lo leL you go alone' Pe sounded almosL Loo deLermlned as Lhough he were Lrylng Lo convlnce
someone oLher Lhan [usL her She couldn'L help feellng a rush of emoLlon Lowards hlm SLandlng up she
reached across Lhe plle of books and hugged hlm Pls promlse had broughL unexpecLed Lears Lo her eyes
and she dldn'L much wanL hlm Lo see Lhem '1hanks 8an[lL' 'no problem' he breaLhed 1hen she felL
her feeL leave Lhe ground and reallsed he'd llfLed her as lf she welghed noLhlng SeLLlng her down on hls
own slde of Lhe desk her body pressed Lo hls he klssed her properly lL wasn'L urgenL llke lasL nlghL [usL
warm and comforLlng AfLer a momenL he pulled back wlLh a look LhaL she read as rellef Smlllng lnLo hls
chesL she mumbled '?ou'll deflnlLely be Lhere?' 'l Lold you l won'L leave you alone' no no he musLn'L
leave us! 1he harsh volce [olLed Cassle She pulled back shocked Are you sure he won'L? uo we LrusL
hlm? 'Cf course we do!' she hlssed 'Cassle?' 8an[lL frowned down aL her 'WhaL?' 'Sorry noLhlng' she
sald hasLlly Looklng up she meL hls anxlous gaze Can we LrusL hlm noL Lo leave us? Shaklng her head Lo
Lry and loose LsLelle she forced a llLLle laugh reached up and klssed hlm qulckly 'l should geL golng'
'uon'L worry Cassle Ck? ?ou don'L have Lo worry' 'Sure' She smlled a brlghL fake smlle 'lL's only Lhe
Councll of Llders rlghL?' 8an[lL laughed quleLly '8lghL See you soon' She gave hls hand one lasL
squeeze Lhen hurrled away before LsLelle sald anyLhlng more 8an[lL had Lold her she dldn'L have Lo be
worrled and she belleved hlm She Look hls word for lL She dld LrusL hlm uldn'L she? As Cassle rounded
Lhe corner ln Lhe sLacks she noLlced a famlllar flgure walklng away from one of Lhe desks and headlng for
Lhe door cluLchlng an armful of flles !ake She almosL called ouL Lo hlm wanLlng Lo harangue hlm abouL
abandonlng lsabella agaln earller ln Lhe day buL he was already gone 8eneaLh hls desk Lhough she
could see a slngle sheeL of paper LhaL had sllpped Lo Lhe floor Cassle benL Lo plck lL up lL was a page of
plaln LexL a prlnLouL from a compuLer flle LhaL much was clear 1he LlLle alone was enough Lo send
shlvers rlghL Lhrough her Plghly Classlfled Lnqulrles lnLo Lhe deaLh of !esslca Marle !ohnson 8uL whaL
Look Cassle's breaLh away were Lhe four words LhaL enclrcled a blue and gold seal aL Lhe very Lop of Lhe
page lederal 8ureau of lnvesLlgaLlon '!ake' she whlspered Lo herself 'WhaL Lhe hell have you done?'
CPA1L8 lll1LLn
l nsomnla was maklng Lhe hunger worse 1haL and sLress Cassle flgured AfLer a sleepless nlghL Cassle
felL so groggy and weak she
sklpped a class for Lhe flrsL Llme ln her uarke Academy career Slgnor oldlno would accepL a sob sLory
abouL a headache she declded groanlng as she flopped back on Lo Lhe plllows As for confronLlng !ake
abouL Lhe l8l flle lL would [usL have Lo walL lsabella Look a llLLle more convlnclng Lhan Lhe arL masLer
buL as soon as her roommaLe could be persuaded Lo leave her ln peace and go Lo class Cassle blew ouL
a slgh of rellef She rolled over and Lugged Lhe melLed phoLographs ouL from under her maLLress SlLLlng
up crosslegged she sLared aL Lhem once more She could barely comprehend Lhe caLalogue of lssues
confronLlng her Lhe melLlng frames and Lhen lsabella's bangle Carnegle Pall and Lhe lmpllcaLlons of
her new power Lhe horrlble lncldenL wlLh lsabella aL Coney lsland !ake and Lhe whole kaLerlna mess
8an[lL and of course Lhe lclng on Lhe cake a summons from Lhe Councll of Llders LveryLhlng seemed
Lo fall back on her on whaL she'd become She'd never felL so hearLslck and helpless 1he weaLher
wasn'L helplng 8eyond her wlndow a welghL of dlrLy snowcloud lay over Lhe clLy and desulLory grey
flakes drlfLed down sLlcklng Lo Lhe glass 1he day looked llke she felL 1here was a loL she needed Lo
know and no one else Lo ask Swlnglng her legs off Lhe bed she sLared ouL of Lhe plaLeglass wlndow Slr
Alrlc she LhoughL Pe'd promlsed Lo research her sLrange power and maybe he'd already found more
lnformaLlon She knew she couldn'L bear anoLher day wlLhouL asklng anyway When she sLepped ouL of
Lhe elevaLor Lhe door Lo hls offlce was open unaccounLably nervous she approached Slr Alrlc was
Lhere ln fronL of hls desk propped agalnsL lL Lalklng Lo someone ln Lhe armchalr ln fronL of hlm All she
could make ouL of Lhe vlslLor was Lhe back of hls head lL looked famlllar sLupldly famlllar because
clearly she was mlsLaken lL couldn'L be hlm noL here ln new ?ork All Lhe same she felL her hearL
begln Lo pound lL [usL couldn'L be hlm Could lL? She gave her head a qulck hard shake lnsLanLly Slr
Alrlc glanced up caLchlng Lhe movemenL ln hls face shock dawned and someLhlng llke anger Pe wasn'L
expecLlng her She was lnLerrupLlng Cassle ralsed a LenLaLlve hand parLly greeLlng parLly Lo lndlcaLe
LhaL she'd walL buL he dldn'L acknowledge her lnsLead he snapped hls flngers once aL someone ouL of
slghL and a secreLary sLepped lnLo vlew 'Slr Alrlc ls busy [usL now' 1he young man gave her an anodyne
smlle and closed Lhe door flrmly ln her face Cassle gaped openmouLhed 'l'll walL' she muLLered
grlmly 1here were a few lmpeccably deslgned chalrs ln Lhe corner of Lhe anLeroom buL Cassle lgnored
Lhem and Lhe glossy magazlnes and Lhe bookshelves She could only pace back and forLh scowllng as
Lhe mlnuLes Llcked by 1he hldeous cerLalnLy was growlng LhaL she dld know LhaL vlslLor 1haL he was
who she LhoughL he was Why else would Slr Alrlc have reacLed Lhe way he dld? lury bubbled up lnslde
her and she clenched her LeeLh agalnsL lL Maybe she dldn'L know Lhe wlse and klnd Slr Alrlc so well
afLer all When Lhe door swung open she Lurned eyes blazlng 8uL lL wasn'L Slr Alrlc lL wasn'L hls
secreLary lL was aLrlck Malone Cassle sLared aL her old frlend her menLor her key worker aLrlck
smlled nervously 'Cassle' She Look a breaLh 'WhaL are you dolng here?' 'l l had someLhlng Lo Lalk Lo
Slr Alrlc abouL lL couldn'L walL Cassle how are you?' Pe puL ouL hls hand She dldn'L Lake lL She could
feel her flngers Lrembllng and she dldn'L wanL Lo glve away how scared and angry she was 'l don'L
know whaL you're dolng buL' 'Cassandra' Slr Alrlc was suddenly sLandlng behlnd hlm 'aLrlck was
[usL leavlng' 'Why ls he even here?' 'Why don'L you come ln and we can Lalk abouL lL?' '?es Cassle Co
ahead' aLrlck wasn'L smlllng any more 'Slr Alrlc wlll explaln' Pe glanced aL Lhe older man Cassle
frowned looklng from Lhe nervous aLrlck Lo Lhe expresslonless feaLures of Slr Alrlc uarke She opened
her mouLh Lo say no buL Lhen curloslLy goL Lhe beLLer of her She nodded sllenLly Slr Alrlc gesLured her
ln as Lhe young secreLary escorLed aLrlck ouL Pe clearly meanL Lo keep Lhem aparL buL Lhough Lhe
secreLary moved swlfLly pasL Cassle noL even glvlng her a glance aLrlck halLed Lo hug her SLlffly she
endured lL deLermlned noL Lo hug hlm back She was already feellng Lhe palnful sLlng of secreLs she
dldn'L know Slr Alrlc closed Lhe door flrmly as soon as aLrlck was beyond lL '?es Cassandra Why don'L
you Lake a seaL?' Slr Alrlc saL down behlnd hls desk buL swlvelled hls chalr forLyflve degrees so LhaL he
was ln proflle sLarlng ouL across Lhe clLy skyllne Pls dlsmlsslve coolness was unseLLllng she'd expecLed
a llLLle conLrlLlon She had Lo Lake anoLher breaLh before she could speak and she remalned sLandlng
'aLrlck' She llcked her llps and swallowed 'WhaL ls he dolng here?' 'Why wouldn'L he come? Pe's been
Lrylng Lo conLacL you slnce Lhe beglnnlng of Lerm' Slr Alrlc swlvelled hls chalr Lo face her '1here was no
reply lL seems naLurally he was worrled abouL you' Cassle chewed Lhe lnslde of her cheek 'Pls
messages dldn'L reach you l Lake lL?' '1hey reached me' she muLLered 'l see' 'Look l dldn'L wanL Lo
Lalk Lo hlm Ck? l wasn'L ready' ShuLLlng hls eyes he massaged Lhe brldge of hls nose 'Why noL?'
'8ecause he knows AbouL Lhls school AbouL everyLhlng AbouL Lhe lew uoesn'L he?' Cnce agaln Slr
Alrlc Lurned Lo look ouL aL Lhe clLy '?es' 'And he knows l'm lew?' '?es 1haL's why he's been worrled
uld LhaL noL occur Lo you Cassandra?' She blL her llp Lo sLop herself swearlng aL hlm 1he arrogance of
Lhe man!Was he belng obLuse on purpose or dld he really noL undersLand how Lhls made her feel? 'Pow
does aLrlck know?' Slr Alrlc gave a heavy slgh 'Pe knows Cassandra because he was a sLudenL here
hlmself' Cassle saL back ln her chalr lor long seconds she couldn'L speak 'Pow do you Lhlnk he knew
abouL us? Why do you Lhlnk he'd suggesL you apply Lo Lhls school of all places?' '?es why?' Cassle sLood
up sharply ' Why would he? Pe knew abouL you and Lhe lew? Pe knew everyLhlng abouL Lhls place
LhaL's
whaL you're Lelllng me and yeL he sLlll senL me here?' 1here was a paln ln her chesL LhaL was
suffocaLlng 'SlL down Cassandra' Slr Alrlc shoL her a glance Lhen Lurned away yeL agaln lunny she
LhoughL blLLerly as she subslded lnLo Lhe chalr how he couldn'L seem Lo face her 'l'm walLlng' she sald
sofLly Pe sLeepled hls flngers and Lurned Lo her properly aL lasL 'aLrlck senL you because he knew whaL
was on offer here whaL you could galn Pe knew you'd meeL our educaLlonal sLandards he knew you'd
beneflL enormously from Llme aL Lhe Academy 8elleve me he LhoughL long and hard before he senL you
here 8uL send you he dld' Cassle felL dlzzy She puL her hands Lo Lhe sldes of her head 'And look whaL
happened Lo me' she whlspered 'Pow could he?' '8ecause he dldn'L anLlclpaLe Lhls none of us dld Pe
LhoughL lL was lmposslble LhaL Lhere was no chance of you becomlng lew Pe made me promlse Lo
choose your roommaLe wlsely Lo glve you Lhe besL companlon posslble l gave hlm LhaL promlse very
happlly 1haL's someLhlng LhaL has worked ouL for Lhe besL l Lhlnk?' She rubbed her forehead '?es ?es
LhaL dld' 'aLrlck you see roomed wlLh a lew member Lrlk was a flne member of Lhe lew and an even
flner human belng aLrlck respecLed hlm enormously and Lhe feellng was muLual !usL llke you and
lsabella Lrlk refused Lo decelve aLrlck Pe fed on hlm wlLh aLrlck's full knowledge and consenL and no
harm was ever done 1helr relaLlonshlp was as perfecL as lL geLs beLween lew and llfesource' 1he
casual way he sald lL senL a buzz of horror down Cassle's splne 'aLrlck knew you'd be safe WlLh Lhe
besL of glrls as your roommaLe you'd be proLecLed you'd be prlvlleged and he knew from hls own
experlence LhaL no harm would come Lo you Above all he LhoughL LhaL Lhere was no chance noL Lhe
sllghLesL posslblllLy of you ever becomlng lew yourself aLrlck Loo was a scholarshlp boy Pe knew lL
was supposed Lo be lmposslble' 'And Lhen along came LsLelle' whlspered Cassle Per whole belng felL
numb Slr Alrlc nodded solemnly 'ls Lhere anyLhlng else you wlsh Lo know?' She shook her head slowly
'noLhlng l don'L wanL Lo know anyLhlng else abouL LhaL LxcepL ' Pe waLched her ln sllence walLlng
'1hls guy Lrlk aLrlck's roommaLe ?ou sald he was a flne human belng' 'Ch yes Lrlk 8agnarsson ls
dead' Cassle leL LhaL slnk ln no she wouldn'L ask anyLhlng more She dldn'L wanL Lo know 'l LhoughL lL
was besL LhaL l explaln raLher Lhan aLrlck Clven your ' he paused ' volaLlle sLaLe Would you llke Lo
speak Lo hlm now?' vlolenLly she shook her head 'no! no l don'L wanL Lo see hlm' 'very well' Slr Alrlc
lncllned hls head '1hen all LhaL's lefL Mlss 8ell ls Lo Lell me why you came Lo see me ln Lhe flrsL place'
Cod She'd almosL forgoLLen WlLh a shaklng hand Cassle drew Lhe gllLedged scroll from her pockeL
1he expenslve parchmenL was barely crumpled ln llghL of whaL had [usL happened Lhe summons
seemed so much less lmporLanL She hardly cared abouL lL any more no no she had Lo care She had Lo
know Cassle grlLLed her LeeLh 'uo you know anyLhlng abouL Lhls?' Slr Alrlc gave Lhe summons a casual
glance 'l knew you'd recelved lL' '?ou knew? uld you know lL was comlng? 8efore Lhen l mean?' '?es'
Cassle sLared down aL Lhe parchmenL ln her hand 'uld you Lell Lhem? 1he Llders l mean AbouL me?'
'Cf course' Pe sounded so reasonable she wanLed Lo sLrlke hlm 'Why?' Slr Alrlc smlled 'Slnce Lhe
evenLs aL Carnegle Pall l have spoken Lo several of my colleagues on Lhe Councll Lo see lf Lhey could
offer any explanaLlon for Lhe powers you manlfesLed' 'And could Lhey?' Cassle swallowed hard 'WhaL
dld you flnd ouL?' 'noLhlng l can'L glve you any furLher lnformaLlon l'm afrald Cassandra l've sLudled
several volumes noLhlng so far has come Lo llghL' '1hen why does Lhe Councll wanL Lo see me? WhaL
aren'L you Lelllng me?' ln Lhe sllence lL was only Cassle who fldgeLed screwlng Lhe scroll anxlously ln her
hands Why dld Slr Alrlc seem so perfecLly composed so perfecLly calm? She was beglnnlng Lo haLe hlm
Per hearL raLe began Lo lncrease as she flushed wlLh lrrlLaLlon 'l belleve l have Lold you everyLhlng l
can' Slr Alrlc sLood up 'Wlll Lhere be anyLhlng else Cassandra?' Pe was so Lall ower [usL radlaLed ouL
of hlm She remembered Lhlnklng LhaL Lhe flrsL Llme she'd meL hlm Pow lmpressed she'd been Pow
lnLlmldaLed noL any more noL any more! She rose Lo her feeL '?ou can'L conLrol me' 'WhaL dld you
say?' Slr Alrlc's volce was dangerously calm She drew herself up lnsLlncLlvely 'l'm sLronger Lhan you
Lhlnk Alrlc' she hlssed Pls eyes narrowed A muscle below hls eye LlghLened 'uo noL underesLlmaLe
me!' Per llps drew back from her LeeLh 'Cassandra ' Slr Alrlc's volce was a low rumble buL hls
expresslon was wary 1he room was red agaln 8uL her crlmsonLlnged vlslon was noL so frlghLenlng Lhls
Llme lL meanL power She llked lL Pow dare he LreaL her Lhls way! lury Llngled ln her splne Lrembled
llke an aura ouLslde her body 'Cassandra!' She dldn'L reply lnsLead she laughed Wlldly she looked
round Lhe room lL was llke hlm All elegance All LasLe All conLrol! She'd show hlm 8eachlng ouL her
aura of power spread across Lhe room 1hrough Lhe sLalnedglass shade of an exqulslLe deslgner Lable
lamp Lhe bulb glowed brlghLer Lhen brlghLer sLlll 1he llghL changed colour even as lL lnLenslfled now
Lhe unbearable glare was bloodred and laserbrlghL brllllanL wlLh energy Slr Alrlc gave an exclamaLlon
of horror and reached for lL 1oo laLe 1he bulb exploded lnLo flne glass raln showerlng hls hand and
arm Cassandra!' Pls Lone had changed enLlrely 1here was anger ln lL now a menaclng snarl Clarlng aL
hlm she saw hls own eyes Lurn flery red flrsL aL Lhe puplls Lhen sparklng ouLwards so LhaL Lhe whole
eyeball glowed scarleL Cod buL he was sLrong! 1he llghL of hls splrlL burned ln hls chesL llke a dark sun
1haL was how she looked Suddenly she knew lL MonsLrous
Cassle ground her LeeLh so hard lL hurL 1he aura around her wavered PurL hlm! PurL hlm! Pow dare he
LreaL us so! Cassle shuL her eyes LlghL Pu81 PlM! 'nC!' she snarled Per flsLs LlghLened she could feel
her flngernalls dlgglng lnLo her palms Slr Alrlc sLood absoluLely sLlll buL she knew he was colled and
ready 8eady Lo defend hlmself? ALLack? ALLack! no! Slowly Lrembllng and sucklng ln deep gulps of alr
she felL her flsLs unclench her muscles relax As she closed her eyes and opened Lhem agaln Lhe red
fllLer dlsslpaLed and she could see hlm clearly once more Pls own eyes remalned red for a momenL
Lhen faded slowly back Lo Lhelr normal grey 'ConLrol yourself' he murmured lL was sLlll a growl buL a
less aggresslve one 'Cood' WlLhouL Laklng hls eyes off her Slr Alrlc brushed aL Lhe gllLLerlng shards of
glass on hls sleeve Pe'd cuL hls flnger Cassle noLlced 1here was blood She seL her [aw Lrylng Lo
suppress Lhe pleasure she felL aL Lhls 8reaLhlng hard she walLed unLll she was sure she could walk
wlLhouL Lrembllng 1hen she Lurned shaklng and walked from Lhe room closlng Lhe door flrmly behlnd
her
CPA1L8 Slx1LLn
l can help you my dearesL ?ou're weak l don'L wanL you Lo slcken my sweeL Cassandra LeL me help
you LeL us be LogeLher uon'L leave
me ouL here noL when l can save you We can save each oLher 'Ch Cod' mumbled Cassle 'LsLelle '
'Cassle!' lsabella Lugged aL her arm '?ou are dreamlng agaln 1alklng Lo yourself Wake up!' Cassle
forced her eyes open Low sunllghL slanLed lnLo Lhe room from Lhe huge wlndow overlooklng CenLral
ark lL had been hours slnce she had sLumbled down from Slr Alrlc's offlce weak wlLh hunger lsabella
musL be back from class 'lsabella?' 'Cassle whaL's wrong? WhaL can l do?' As usual her roommaLe was
flzzlng wlLh energy and Cassle found herself leanlng hungrlly Lowards her SLreLchlng ouL a cluLchlng
hand she mlssed lsabella by a new ?ork mlle and Lumbled clumslly Lo Lhe floor 'Cassle? Cassle!'
lsabella crouched beslde her 'Ch Cassle you're lll! Pere leL me help you' 'no!' Cassle scrambled
back presslng herself beLween Lhe bed and Lhe nlghLsLand and ralsed her hand palm ouLward Lo keep
her frlend aL bay 'no lsabella don'L! l'm l Lhlnk l need Lo feed' lsabella heslLaLed bllnklng aL Cassle's
ouLsLreLched palm 1hen she clasped lL haullng Cassle Lo her feeL and grlpplng her shoulders Cassle
endured lL rlgld wlLh Lerror Any momenL now any momenL lsabella cupped Cassle's face ln her
hands a serlous look on her own 'So you should feed Come on' Cassle sLared as her roommaLe
exLended her arms 'nno!' 'Cassle you look Lerrlble lease?' lsabella pushed her wrlsLs lnLo Cassle's
hands buL she pulled away qulckly lsabella shook her head concerned and angry 'Look aL you! ?our
skln ls llke paper ?our eyes are dull ?ou should noL have lefL lL so long Come We'll go Lo Slr Alrlc Pe'll
help' 'no way' Cassle shook her head rapldly 'no way l'm noL golng Lo hlm' '8uL Cassle why?' 'l'm
noL l'll explaln laLer' Cassle puL her hands Lo her LhroaL 'Ch Cod lsabella l'm so LhlrsLy' 'Pere Lake
Lhls' lsabella llfLed her bedslde carafe Lo Cassle's llps She gulped desperaLely buL lL wasn'L helplng
'WalL here uo noL move' Clasplng Cassle's hands LlghLly around Lhe carafe she fled from Lhe room
Cassle had dralned lL refllled lL and was swlgglng greaL gulps from lL once more when lsabella reLurned
WlLh her was Ayeesha who sLopped dead when she lald eyes on Cassle 'My Cod! Cassle whaL's wrong
wlLh you?' she exclalmed 'She needs Lo feed' lsabella folded her arms 'now Ayeesha can you help us?
She's only done lL once before' 'Cnce? Cassle you've fed only once?' 1he 8a[an glrl's eyes were wlde
wlLh horror 'WhaL have you been dolng Lo yourself?' 'She's nervous abouL feedlng from me' sald
lsabella grlmly 'She's been holdlng back' Ayeesha dld a double Lake as Lhe reallsaLlon of whaL lsabella
had been saylng dawned on her SLarlng aL her for a few seconds she Lurned and gave Cassle an lnLenL
meanlngful look 'uon'L you Lhlnk lsabella should have a drlnk Loo?' lor a momenL Cassle couldn'L Lhlnk
whaL she was on abouL 1hen she remembered Lhe drlnk Lhe lew gave Lhelr roommaLes Lo make Lhem
forgeL Lhe feedlng ' 'S Ck Ayeesha' she mumbled weakly 'She knows Agreed Lo lL' '8eally?' Ayeesha
sLlll looked wary 'erhaps we should call Slr Alrlc ' 'no!' Cassle's volce was a cracked rasp 'Ck l'll help
you Lhen Can you remember whaL you've been LaughL?' lsabella nodded qulckly for boLh of Lhem '?es
Cassle come on' She sLreLched her arms Lowards Cassle once more and Lhrough her haze of confuslon
Cassle was sure she saw her frlend's hands Lrembllng ever so sllghLly Ayeesha paLLed lsabella's shoulder
reassurlngly 'now Cassle 1ake hold of her' Cassle sLaggered grogglly Lo her feeL lsabella smlled a llLLle
nervously and closed her eyes as Cassle's Lhumb and foreflnger LlghLened around her wrlsLs She could
feel lsabella's blood pulslng underneaLh her flngerLlps and Lhe breaLh rushlng ln and ouL of her
roommaLe's parLed llps She lurched forward closlng Lhe gap beLween Lhem buL Lhen felL a warnlng
hand on her arm 'Careful' murmured Ayeesha 'keep conLrol' 'WhaL lf l can'L?' Cassle felL wlld 'l'll sLop
you belleve me 8uL you can keep conLrol ?ou know you can you've done lL before 1ake lL slowly' As
she closed her eyes and Look a deep breaLh Cassle felL a surge of vlolenL hunger 8uL Ayeesha's flngers
LlghLened on her arm and Lhe physlcal remlnder helped her keep a hold of herself Cassle felL a bolL of
sheer sudden ecsLasy as Lhe endless breaLh began Lo move from lsabella fllllng her own lungs and
flzzlng ouL Lhrough her whole body lsabella's llfeforce was Lremendous so vlLal! All LhaL effervescenL
unsLoppable energy lL raced Lhrough her velns ralslng Lhe halr on her scalp She almosL laughed
feellng glddy 8lood Lhrobbed ln her ears and she felL flerce and allve agaln Crlpplng her frlend's wrlsLs
LlghLer she sucked Lhe llfeforce ln revelllng ln Lhe rush A sound momenLarlly dlsLracLed her A knock
on Lhe door? Cassle's eyes opened and she glanced aslde for an lnsLanL sLlll drawlng lsabella's llfeforce
fasLer now 'Who ls lL?' Ayeesha called frownlng Per grlp on Cassle's arm loosened a llLLle as her
aLLenLlon was dlverLed 'lL's me !ake' A pause 'Who's LhaL?' lsabella's eyes flew wlde open horrlfled
Cassle saw Lhe shocked reacLlon buL she dldn'L sLop sucklng drawlng LhaL breaLh Lhrough Lhe space
beLween Lhem and lnLo her lungs 'WalL a momenL !ake' called Ayeesha no of course !ake musLn'L
know Ayeesha musLn'L leL hlm ln Somewhere ln her dellrlum Cassle reallsed she should Lell her LhaL
SLop and Lell her now rlghL now 8uL she couldn'L sLop noL [usL yeL Culck! Culck! lsabella was pulllng
now Lugglng Lo Lry Lo escape Cassle's grlp She was panlcklng abouL !ake of course never mlnd hlm!
never mlnd any of LhaL keep golng!
Suddenly Lhe panlc and Lerror ln lsabella's eyes was dlfferenL She was flalllng sLruggllng and a horrlble
gasplng nolse was comlng from deep ln her LhroaL Make her shuL up and be sLlll! 1he glrl was sLruggllng
now 1he velns ln her LhroaL Lhrobbed 8uL lL wasn'L enough She'd have Lo Lake more no! no! ?LS!
Clve me more of her! We're PunC8? Cassandra! Lock your mouLh Lo hers and Lake lL ALL! nC! l can'L
kLL PCLu Cl PL8! uCn'1 LL1 CC! LsLelle no she's my besL frlend! She's noL your besL frlend l AM!
'Cassle? Cassle!' Ayeesha's volce cuL lnLo her braln as her aLLenLlon snapped back Lo Lhe feedlng palr
'Cassle sLop lL Lhls mlnuLe!' lgnore her! llngers blL lnLo Cassle's arm Learlng aL her Anger surged and
she sucked more llfe Lo compensaLe 8ed fury flzzed Lhrough her 'CASSlL!' Ayeesha's flngers dug hard
lnLo her wrlsLs hurLlng her 1haL was when Lhe door bursL open 'WhaL Lhe hell?' Shocked ouL of her
Lrance Cassle broke her hold lsabella sLumbled gasplng Lo one knee 1hen she fell back on Lo her
elbows 'Lnough for Cod's sake Lnough' Ayeesha pulled Cassle away from lsabella and shook her
angrlly 'WhaL's golng on? lsabella? Cassle!' All Lhree of Lhem Lurned Lowards !ake Ayeesha
embarrassed lsabella pale and shaky Cassle sLlll buzzlng wlLh energy Per flngerLlps Llngled her braln
Llngled She felL llke she could sprlng up Lhrough Lhe roof !ake's face was a mask of lncredulous fury
'?ou fed on her? 1haL's whaL you were dolng? ?ou lLu Cn PL8?' !ake was paler Lhan Cassle had ever
seen hlm hls flsLs clenched She wlped her mouLh breaLhlng hard 'Pow could you?' Pls words were
barely above a rumble ln hls LhroaL drlpplng venom '!ake LhaL's enough!' lsabella was breaLhless
scrambllng weakly Lo her feeL 'lsabella? Are you Ck?' lsabella forced a shaky smlle rubblng her wrlsLs
'llne !ake l'm flne uon'L freL' '8uL u'you reallse whaL she was ' !ake's volce faded and he slumped
agalnsL Lhe wall as Lhe reallLy sunk ln 'My Cod lsabella you agreed Lo Lhls?' '?es ?es !ake Look l'm
sorry l ' Pe Lurned on Cassle raglng 'Pow could you? AfLer !ess? AfLer you saw whaL kelko dld Lo
Allce? ?ou dld Lhls Lo your frlend?' 'kelko? kelko was noL llke Lhe resL of us!' Ayeesha lnLer[ecLed angrlly
'kelko was sadlsLlc! She llked Lo hurL when she fed And Allce dldn'L remember anyway!' 'WhaL
dlfference does LhaL make? SLay ouL of Lhls!' yelled !ake '?ou're [usL a monsLer llke llke she ls!' Pe
[abbed a flnger aL Cassle Cassle lgnored hlm Suddenly he dldn'L maLLer All LhaL maLLered was
'lsabella Are you sure you're Ck? uld dld l hurL you?' 'Serlously l'm all rlghL Cassle !ake please '
'1o hell wlLh lL lsabella ?ou don'L care whaL l Lhlnk whaL Lhls means Lo me ' '!ake LhaL lsn'L Lrue!' 'Ch
really? ?ou leL Lhls llfesucker feed off you and you weren'L even golng Lo leL me know? llne AL leasL l
know where l sLand' '!ake please!' lsabella reached ouL a pleadlng hand 'She dldn'L hurL me She won'L
ever hurL me!' Pls volce was a hlss '?ou can say LhaL Lo me wlLh a sLralghL face? lorgeL lL lsabella 8uL
don'L forgeL don'L ever forgeL whaL Lhey dld Lo my slsLer' WlLh LhaL he Lurned hls back and sLormed
ouL of Lhe room
CPA1L8 SLvLn1LLn
l f she'd felL bad before she was ln a plL of mlsery now Cassle had a horrlble feellng she was never golng
Lo see !ake agaln She was
longlng for hlm Lo walk lnLo Lhe classroom yeL dreadlng lL Pe was never golng Lo forglve her never She
could barely even smlle aL 8an[lL when he arrlved and saL beslde her She could feel hls perplexed
glances buL she couldn'L Lake her eyes off Lhe door Per hearL sklpped a beaL every Llme lL opened buL
when Lhe maLhs class sLarLed Lhere was sLlll no slgn of !ake Words and flgures floaLed ln and ouL of her
ears unheeded 8y Lhe Llme class was over she was so preoccupled she gaLhered her books LogeLher
and walked ouL wlLhouL a LhoughL 'Cassle!' 8an[lL was hurrylng afLer her 'Pey WhaL's up? Pave l done
someLhlng wrong?' She heslLaLed '?ou? no of course noL' 'So whaL's wrong?' 1urnlng she sLudled hlm
properly Pls handsome face dld look anxlous 'Sorry 8an[lL l'm sorry lL's !ake' 8an[lL's face Look on a
guarded expresslon 'WhaL abouL hlm?' 'Pe caughL me feedlng off lsabella on lrlday We haven'L seen
hlm slnce Pe hasn'L been Lo class or hls room' Cassle blL her llp Saylng lL ouL loud remlnded her how
awful Lhe slLuaLlon was 'Ch hell' 'CulLe' unhapplly she shlfLed from fooL Lo fooL 'llrsL kaLerlna shows
up agaln Lhen Lhls ' 'Pey llsLen maybe lL's for Lhe besL lf he cools off away from Lhe Academy for a
blL clears hls head l mean he musL have had some lnkllng abouL you and lsabella? lL can'L have been
Loo much of a shock Pe [usL needs some Llme Lo ad[usL' Cassle felL her hackles rlse 'Ad[usL? l can'L
really see LhaL happenlng uld he ad[usL Lo Lhe knowledge of hls slsLer havlng Lhe llfe sucked ouL of her?'
SomeLhlng burned ln her eyes a plnprlck heaL LhaL was already expandlng 8an[lL rubbed hls forehead
wlLh hls flsL 'Sorry Sorry LhaL was LacLless l dldn'L mean' 'lL was a sLupld Lhlng Lo say' she snapped
'Ck Cassle he'll come around Pe's goL Lo' '?eah? ?ou don'L know anyLhlng abouL !ake' 8llnklng
furlously Lo geL rld of Lhe reddlsh Llnge ln her vlslon Cassle Lurned and walked swlfLly away Cnce she
was ouL of 8an[lL's lmmedlaLe vlclnlLy Lhe heaL ln her eyes subslded and she could Lhlnk sLralghL agaln
lor a momenL she LhoughL he wasn'L golng Lo follow and gullL and remorse hlL her 1hen she heard hls
fooLsLeps hurrylng afLer her 'Cassle please l'm sorry l'm Lrylng Lo help' She halLed afrald Lo look aL
hlm She slghed 'l know 8an[lL l'm sorry Loo l don'L know why l snapped l'm [usL so sLressed ouL wlLh
Lhls Councll meeLlng comlng up and now !ake ' 'lL's Ck' Pe puL a hand on her shoulder Lhen Louched
her face genLly She Look hls hand and led hlm lnLo a quleLer corner 'Well' she sald looklng up
uncerLalnly aL 8an[lL's handsome face 'Lhere's someLhlng else abouL !ake Pe knows kaLerlna ls ln new
?ork Pe's been Lrylng Lo flnd her Pe wanLs [usLlce for !ess l Lhlnk he mlghL have hacked Lhe l8l
compuLer sysLem Lo geL some flles abouL her deaLh Pe has some sorL of crazy noLlon of puLLlng kaLerlna
on Lrlal' 8an[lL froze 'Pe dld whaL? Cassle Lhls ls serlous ?ou have Lo Lell Slr Alrlc We need Lo deal wlLh
Lhls before !ake does someLhlng we'll regreL' 'SomeLhlng we'll regreL? lL's hlm l'm worrled abouL Look
l know you don'L have a loL of frlends so maybe you don'L geL lL' Cassle sLopped shorL as she saw hls
expresslon change hurL brlefly fllckerlng across hls face She Look a deep breaLh Cod whaL was she
saylng? 1he lasL Lhlng she wanLed Lo do was hurL 8an[lL She musLn'L geL angry noL now She [usL
needed Lo make sure he undersLood Lowerlng her volce she sLarLed agaln 'l dldn'L mean LhaL l'm
sorry 8uL 8an[lL please Lhls ls lmporLanL ?ou cannoL Lell anyone abouL !ake lease l [usL need Lo Lalk
Lo hlm Lxplaln Lhlngs' 'Cassle Lhls goes beyond frlendshlp lf !ake geLs caughL hacklng Lhe l8l sysLem
and ends up Lalklng abouL Lhe lew and Lhe Academy lL could have severe lmpllcaLlons for all of us' Pe
sLared aL her meanlngfully 'l don'L care abouL LhaL WhaL happens Lo Lhe Academy ls noLhlng Lo do wlLh
Lhls' 8an[lL shook hls head Pe seemed Lo be maklng some efforL Lo sLay calm Loo 'Cassle Lhe faLe of
Lhe Academy lnvolves you as well ?ou need Lo remember LhaL' Cassle Look boLh of hls hands '!usL a
llLLle Llme lf l can'L persuade hlm Lo drop lL Lhen Ck we'll Lell Slr Alrlc' She held hls gaze and hls eyes
were a LumulL of emoLlon 'Ck Cassle l won'L say anyLhlng l swear' She meL hls reassurlng gaze and
exhaled deeply Are you sure LhaL's Lhe besL course of acLlon Cassandra my dear? We musL do whaL we
can keep hlm on our slde We musLn'L leL hlm geL away Cassle preLended noL Lo hear LsLelle's words
She'd had abouL enough of her lnLer[ecLlons '1hank you 8an[lL 1hanks a loL Look l'll see you
Lomorrow Ck?' '?es l'll meeL you aL your room an hour before Lhe Councll meeLlng' '?es CreaL yes of
course' 1hls Llme lL was Lears LhaL prlcked her eyes Pow could she even enLerLaln Lhe LhoughL of
doubLlng hlm? Cassle leaned forward qulckly and klssed hlm Pe caughL her as she drew away and
pulled her back presslng hls llps more flrmly agalnsL hers As her hearL looped Lhe loop she shuL her
eyes and lndulged herself ln hls Louch buL noL Loo much When he pulled away and smlled hls
goodbye she paused for a momenL sLunned buL pleasanLly so 1hey could do Lhls WhaLever was off
balance whaLever had been causlng Lhelr exLremes of emoLlon Lhey were worklng lL ouL 1hey could do
Lhls 1haL was when she caughL slghL of Slr Alrlc Pe'd been waLchlng Lhem she LhoughL as a chlll wenL
down her splne Per sense of wellbelng qulckly dlspersed Lhe look on hls face cloudy buL calculaLlng
'Cassandra Can l speak wlLh you a momenL?' Slr Alrlc sLarLed Lowards her Ch no She had enough Lo
handle rlghL now and she'd had enough of dlsapproval Per relaLlonshlp wlLh 8an[lL was absoluLely none
of hls buslness WlLh a deflanL glare and a shake of her head Cassle Lurned very dellberaLely and walked
away CuL of Lhe corner of her eye Cassle waLched lsabella Lhumblng her phone under her desk She
was aL lL agaln Madame Lefevre was golng Lo spoL her soon and Lhen she'd be for lL ?ou could push
Madame so far and Lhen no furLher
SLlll Cassle could undersLand lsabella Laklng Lhe rlsk 1hey had heard noLhlng from !ake slnce Lhe
weekend no phone call no message Per frlend's expresslon was growlng lncreaslngly desperaLe wlLh
every falled call ' and so we see LhaL Slmone de 8eauvolr has much Lo say abouL humanlLy and
relaLlonshlps even Lo Lhe world of Lhe LwenLyflrsL cenLury whlch ls why we should llsLen hear whaL
she ls Lelllng us because we wlll galn so much more Lhan we wlll learn from semlllLeraLe LexLlng
LhroughouL our class' uhoh Cassle gulped buL lsabella hadn'L even heard Madame's warnlng When
Lhe woman sLalked Lo her slde and snapped her flngers for Lhe phone lsabella almosL [umped ouL of her
skln '?ou may have lL back afLer class' sald Madame Lefevre curLly 'Cn Lhls occaslon' Mlserable vlslbly
relucLanL lsabella passed her phone lnLo Madame's walLlng palm and caughL Cassle's eye Cassle could
only Lry Lo send her psychlc messages of sympaLhy Madame wasn'L Lhe sLrlcLesL Leacher ln Lhe school
lsabella had been really blaLanL SLlll Cassle dldn'L know why Madame Lefevre had boLhered Lo
conflscaLe Lhe phone lL wasn'L as lf lsabella concenLraLed any harder on Slmone de 8eauvolr for Lhe
remalnlng LwenLy mlnuLes She wrung her flngers beneaLh her desk sLarlng unseelng aL her LexLbook
and shooLlng anxlous glances ouL of Lhe wlndow aL Lhe ManhaLLan skyllne She cerLalnly wasn'L learnlng
anyLhlng Cassle walLed for lsabella whlle she endured her afLerclass dresslngdown Per flngers were
LwlLchlng and when Madame flnally gave her Lhe phone back she rushed from class dlalllng franLlcally
'Call falled Agaln! Why ls hls phone swlLched off?' 'l don'L know' WhaL else was Lhere Lo say? She could
hardly Lell lsabella noL Lo worry !ake had been beyond furlous 'l'm so sorry lsabella' 'lL's noL your
faulL' lsabella paLLed her arm 'lL's mlne l sald you could feed dldn'L l? lL was l who panlcked And all
because ' 1ears sprang Lo her eyes 'All because l lnslsLed on keeplng lL from !ake l dldn'L wanL you Lo
lle Lo me buL Lhen l lled Lo hlm ?ou see? lL's my faulL' 1haL made Cassle feel even worse 'lsabella you
musLn'L' 'l Lell you he musL have gone home Lo Cueens' Per frlend's gaze was dlsLanL 'l [usL don'L
know why he won'L even speak Lo me And l'm afrald lf l Lurn up aL hls parenLs' house he'll [usL geL even
more angry Maybe Lhey won'L even leL me ln' 'WalL lsabella you wanL Lo go Lo hls house? l don'L
know lf LhaL's a good ldea rlghL now' She was panlcklng a llLLle Cassle had hoped Lo geL a chance Lo
speak Lo !ake before lsabella goL Lo hlm Per roommaLe sLlll wasn'L aware LhaL !ake knew kaLerlna was
ln new ?ork She needed Lo know exacLly whaL !ake was plannlng and dldn'L wanL lsabella any more
lnvolved Lhan she had Lo be She owed Lhe glrl LhaL much 'Maybe lL's noL 8uL l have Lo Lry don'L l?'
lsabella came Lo a halL breaLhlng hard She swlped aL her eyes 'SLlll l'm really worrled l mean hls
parenLs were noL happy abouL hlm comlng back Lo school Cf course LhaL made hlm feel bad 8uL he
came back anyway and LhaL was aL leasL parLly for me And now Lhe feedlng and me lylng LhaL has
been Lhe Lrlpplng polnL ?es? Pe has lefL Lhe school and gone home And l Lhlnk he won'L ever come
back! All my faulL!' she walled 'lsabella calm down Pe'll be back' 'no Cassle Pe won'L come back on
hls own lf only l can Lalk Lo hlm say l'm sorry make hlm undersLand' 'lsabella ' 'AfLer school l'm
golng Lo see hlm 1haL's lL LhaL's Lhe only soluLlon' Cassle slghed '1haL's whaL you were Lhlnklng abouL
lnsLead of Slmone de 8eauvolr' 'l'll make lL up Lo Slmone laLer' 1he flre was back ln lsabella's eyes '8uL
ln Lhe meanLlme l Lhlnk she'd undersLand' Cassle shook her head 'Ck Well you're noL golng alone l'm
comlng wlLh you' Cassle glanced aL Lhe afLernoon sky sLlll as crysLalclear and sLunnlng as lL had been
when Lhey crossed Lhe 8rooklyn 8rldge and gaped aL Lhe vlew of Lhe clLy buL now a coverlng of lcy grey
clouds were hoverlng on Lhe horlzon 'lL's golng Lo snow soon ?ou're sure you know where' '1here!'
lsabella leaned forward Lo Lhe Laxl drlver '8lghL down Lhls sLreeL' Cassle peered ouL of Lhe cab wlndow
aL Lhe dllapldaLed bulldlngs 'l have a feellng Lhey're noL golng Lo be happy Lo see us' 'l don'L care lf Lhey
are or noL l musL speak Lo !ake' lsabella fllcked Lhrough her leaLher Cuccl organlser 'now leL me flnd
Lhe exacL number Ah here! Pere drlver please!' Per sudden shrlek made Lhe drlver sLarL and growl a
curse Pe pulled Lhe cab Lo a halL and lsabella qulckly handed over Lhe fare and leaped ouL Cassle
followed closely behlnd her 'Pold Lhe door please' lsabella called as an elderly man exlLed Lhe
aparLmenL bulldlng Pe looked a llLLle dublous buL as lsabella approached and smlled sweeLly he
nodded and obllged 'WhaL number ls lL?' Cassle asked 'llveelghLeen' sald lsabella her face now
serlous agaln 1he bulldlng was several sLoreys hlgh and Lhere dldn'L seem Lo be an elevaLor 1hls was
deflnlLely a dlfferenL new ?ork 1he sLalrwell smelled of cooklng and Lhe palnL was peellng ln a few
corners 1he walls were Lhln enough for Cassle's helghLened hearlng Lo plck up a couple rowlng on Lhe
Lhlrd floor lL was a world away from Lhe uarke Academy bulldlng buL lL felL somehow frlendly nolsy
warm and homely CuLslde !ake's parenLs' aparLmenL were wellLended planLs and a scuffed Welcome
maL 'lf only LhaL were Lrue' Cassle muLLered lsabella lgnored her 1aklng a deep breaLh she raLLled Lhe
brass knocker and almosL lmmedlaLely Lhe cheerful skyblue door [erked open 'Poney Lhank Cod
you're back oh!' 1he woman sLarlng aL lsabella had obvlously been expecLlng someone else because
she Look a breaLh and closed her mouLh mldsenLence She was very goodlooklng well LhoughL Cassle
as she remembered !ake of course she was buL Lhere were shadows under her redrlmmed eyes and
her face was drawn wlLh anxleLy Per Lawny halr was pulled back ln a ponyLall and her LeeLh blL lnLo her
llp 'Sorry l LhoughL you were Ch my ' !ake's moLher Lalled off agaln as her nervous gaze found
Cassle Per eyes llngered on her for an uncomforLable momenL as lf she couldn'L belleve whaL she was
seelng 1hen she shook her head 'l apologlse lL's [usL you you look so much llke my daughLer' Cassle
found herself Laklng a sLep back She dropped her eyes swallowlng hard 'l'm !ake's frlend Cassle And
Lhls ls lsabella' 8ecognlLlon followed by dlscomforL seemed Lo fllcker across Mrs !ohnson's face 'Ch
lsabella !ake's glrlfrlend Pe's menLloned you' '!anlce?' came a deep volce from furLher lnslde Lhe
aparLmenL 'Who ls lL?' A momenL laLer a man appeared aL Mrs !ohnson's slde Pe was unmlsLakably
!ake's faLher Lall and handsome buL hls large brown eyes Loo were shadowed wlLh worry Pe also
seemed surprlsed Lo flnd Cassle and lsabella sLandlng aL hls door '1haL's rlghL l'm !ake's glrlfrlend'
lsabella conLlnued She Look a breaLh and exLended her hand 'lL's good Lo meeL you Mrs !ohnson Mr
!ohnson uh ls Lhere any chance we could come ln?' llusLered !ake's moLher Louched lsabella's
ouLsLreLched hand brlefly glanclng over her shoulder aL her husband 1hen her eyes were drawn
helplessly back Lo Cassle 'no l 1hls lsn'L a very good Llme l'm sorry ' lsabella sLepped forward
'lease Mrs !ohnson We won'L Lake up much of your Llme We [usL wanL Lo speak Lo !ake for a second
ls he here?' Mrs !ohnson gave a shaky slgh 'no he lsn'L Pe barely lefL Lhe house all weekend Pe was
worklng on hls compuLer Lhe whole Llme 1hen Lhls afLernoon he raced ouL llke a Lornado Pe sald he
had found whaL he was looklng for buL he had Lo go back Lo Lhe Academy SomeLhlng abouL belng
Lraced LlsLen whaL's golng on? !ake wouldn'L Lell us anyLhlng buL he was obvlously worrled abouL you
lsabella Pe seemed Lo Lhlnk LhaL you were ln some sorL of danger LhaL Lhe same Lhlng LhaL happened
Lo !esslca mlghL happen Lo you' 'Pe sald LhaL?' lsabella swallowed '?es!' snapped Mr !ohnson 'WhaL
dld he mean? Look lf you glrls know someLhlng you should Lell us' Cassle glanced aL lsabella buL her
face was suddenly calm as she replled 'l'm sorry Mr and Mrs !ohnson !ake and l had an argumenL and
l Lhlnk he may have mlsundersLood a few Lhlngs l Lhlnk we'd beLLer go Sorry Lo have Lroubled you' She
gave a pollLe smlle and Lurned Lo leave before !ake's parenLs could say anyLhlng more Cassle heard Lhe
!ohnsons' door slam shuL as Lhey made Lhelr way downsLalrs and lnLo Lhe slushy sLreeL WeL snow was
falllng agaln When she glanced up aL Lhe wlndow of Lhe aparLmenL Cassle saw Lhe LwlLch of a bllnd
caughL a lasL gllmpse of Mr !ohnson's susplclous face 'We need a cab' sald lsabella scannlng Lhe
sLreeLs for yellow palnLwork once agaln deLermlned 'We need Lo flnd !ake SomeLhlng's noL rlghL
someLhlng more Lhan [usL seelng you feedlng on me Why else would he leave hls parenLs' aparLmenL
agaln?' 'lsabella l have Lo Lell you someLhlng ' Cassle's volce caughL ln her LhroaL buL Lhere was
noLhlng for lL SecreLs and lles had goL Lhem lnLo Lhls mess 1here was no polnL keeplng Lhlngs hldden
any longer Cassle Look a deep breaLh 'l Lhlnk we may noL be Lhe only ones looklng for hlm'
CPA1L8 LlCP1LLn
l sabella vlslbly blanched Lhen leL ouL a plerclng wall
'1he l8l?' 1he cab drlver Lhrew her an lrrlLaLed look vla hls rearvlew mlrror 'Shhh!' 'Cassle l can'L
belleve you dldn'L Lell me Lhls!' Cassle Look a deep breaLh Lrylng Lo avold her frlend's lncredulous gaze
She cleared her LhroaL uncomforLably 'l'm sorry lsabella l should have Lold you abouL flndlng LhaL
prlnLouL buL l dldn'L wanL Lo worry you unLll l'd had a chance Lo speak Lo !ake myself 8uL Lhen he
walked ln on us and lL all [usL' lsabella's hand suddenly closed around her own She reallsed Lhey were
shaklng 'Ck Cassle lL doesn'L maLLer now All LhaL maLLers ls LhaL we Lalk Lo !ake and flnd ouL whaL's
golng on' 1hey had managed Lo caLch a cab afLer Len mlnuLes of desperaLe flagglng buL lL felL llke an
age unLll Lhey flnally pulled up Lo Lhe Academy As Lhey walked lnLo Lhe aLrlum Cassle glanced back
Lhrough Lhe glass doors and her hearL sLopped SLepplng ouL of a sllver saloon car were Lwo burly sLone
faced men ln ldenLlcal sulLs and dark glasses 1hey barged pasL Lhe glrls and headed for Lhe elevaLors
1helr sulLs were cuL generously aL Lhe armplLs Cassle noLlced She'd seen enough Lelevlslon cop shows
Lo know LhaL meanL shoulder holsLers '!ohnson's room ls on Lhe Lhlrd floor' muLLered one of Lhe men
Lo hls assoclaLe as Lhey pushed Lhe elevaLor call buLLon 'ShlL' Cassle whlspered noddlng Lowards Lhe
men 'lsabella we have Lo geL Lo !ake's room now' 'LeL's Lake Lhe sLalrs' lsabella was already breaklng
lnLo a run 1hey Look Lhe sLeps Lwo aL a Llme and arrlved panLlng aL !ake's room ln a maLLer of
seconds '!ake!' lsabella banged on hls door so hard Cassle LhoughL she mlghL break lL '!ake are you
Lhere? lease !ake open up' AlmosL Lo Lhelr surprlse Lhe door swung open !ake sLood before Lhem
hls expresslon sLormy 'lorgeL lL lsabella l can'L Lalk now' '!ake llsLen' Cassle began '1o you? no
Lhanks' !ake made Lo move pasL Lhem '1he l8l' she blurLed '1hey know you've been accesslng Lhelr
flles' 'l know LhaL' snapped !ake '1hey Lraced me Lo my parenLs' house Lhls afLernoon 1haL's why l
came back here' '?eah well l Lhlnk Lhey're here now' !ake froze 'WhaL?' 'lease' Cassle conLlnued 'l
don'L Lhlnk we have much Llme' 8efore she could flnlsh Lhe elevaLor plnged and fooLsLeps began
echolng down Lhe hallway 'Someone's comlng' lsabella hlssed '!ake!' 'CeL ouL of here boLh of you l'll
deal wlLh Lhls' 1he fooLsLeps were geLLlng closer approachlng Lhe corner Cassle grabbed lsabella's arm
'Pe's rlghL lsabella come on!' she sald beglnnlng Lo drag her frlend off ln Lhe opposlLe dlrecLlon from
Lhe advanclng sLeps '!ake ' lsabella sLarLed reachlng ouL brlefly Lo Louch hls hand before Cassle pulled
her away back lnLo Lhe emergency sLalrwell lrom Lhere Lhey heard Lhe fooLsLeps reach !ake's door
'!acob !ohnson?' lnLoned a deep sLern volce 'lederal 8ureau of lnvesLlgaLlon ?ou're under arresL' ***
Cassle knew noLhlng would snap lsabella ouL of her desolaLe mood buL slnce Lhe afLernoon's evenLs she
had refused Lo eaL a blLe and wouldn'L sLep ouLslde of Lhelr room WhaL she needed was food Cassle
knew [usL how bad Lhlngs looked Lhrough a fllm of hunger 1he paper bag full of bagels was warm ln
her gloved hands and lL smelled dellclous She was on Lhe polnL of dashlng Lhrough Lhe Academy's glass
doors when she spoLLed a famlllar flgure lounglng agalnsL a llmouslne on Lhe corner of Lhe block 8lchard
she'd recognlse hls sllhoueLLe anywhere Pe saw Cassle aL Lhe same momenL and sLralghLened up 1he
way Lhe sLreeLllghL shone lL was lmposslble Lo make ouL hls expresslon buL Lhe car lnsLanLly drew away
from Lhe kerb seemlng Lo purr wlLh malevolenL saLlsfacLlon as lL passed her Cassle froze 1he wlndows
were LlnLed buL one of Lhem was rolled down Lhe one 8lchard had been benL Lo and Lhe car's
occupanL was ln no hurry Lo ralse lL agaln As Lhe glass slld upwards Cassle sLared A face smlled back aL
her wlLh absoluLe chllllng coldness a pale lovely face Cne hand llfLed lazlly Lo push back sllveryblonde
halr reveallng Lhe famlllar bruLal scar 1hen Lhe black wlndow shuL sllenLly and Lhe car was gone lnLo
Lhe LasL Slde nlghL 'Cassle!' 8lchard's call was panlcked uropplng Lhe bag of bagels Cassle sLormed
Lowards hlm red mlsL shroudlng her vlslon ln an lnsLanL 'Cassle look lL's noL whaL you Lhlnk' '!usL
when l Lhlnk you can'L dlsgusL me any furLher 8lchard' she snarled 'you flnd some new low Lo slnk Lo'
Cassle felL Lhe heaL prlckllng up her neck as Lhe pecullar shlmmerlng feellng spread ouL from her [usL
llke aL Carnegle Pall ?es Cassandra lL's been Loo long slnce you leL us play 'Cassle?' 8lchard's volce
was uncerLaln now buL hls sLance was wary polsed for defence She knew LhaL lf she looked aL 8lchard
a momenL longer she would do someLhlng Lhey would boLh regreL WlLh a masslve efforL she Lurned
away and Lhe shlmmerlng faded '?ou're noL worLh lL' She sald lL qulLe sofLly Lo herself 8uL she had a
feellng he heard her anyway
CPA1L8 nlnL1LLn
8an[lL was laLe
Cassle checked her waLch for Lhe LwenLleLh Llme lsabella had flnally declded Lo go for a walk Lo clear
her head 1helr room was sLlll and sllenL as Cassle paced lLs lengLh She was due Lo meeL wlLh Lhe Llders
ln LhlrLyflve mlnuLes and she'd have llked a blL of Llme Lo Lalk lL over wlLh 8an[lL flrsL seLLle her nerves
AL leasL she wasn'L freLLlng Loo much over her lmpendlng confronLaLlon she was Loo anxlous abouL
where 8an[lL was now She'd Lrled Lo geL hold of hlm Lo flll hlm ln on whaL had happened wlLh !ake buL
he wasn'L answerlng hls phone and wasn'L ln hls room lL wasn'L llke hlm Lo break hls word Pad
someLhlng happened? She felL a llLLle chlll of fear 1he way Lhlngs had been golng laLely She glanced aL
her waLch agaln aL Lhe mlnuLes Llcklng lnexorably by Maybe she'd done someLhlng sald someLhlng?
1hey'd had Lhe argumenL abouL how Lo deal wlLh !ake yesLerday buL 8an[lL had moved on from LhaL
he'd been flne abouL lL 8esldes now LhaL lssue had klnd of been Laken care of for Lhem And Lhe way
he'd klssed her Lhere can'L have been any confuslon abouL where Lhey sLood 8uL he was such a puzzle
And klnd of lnscruLable someLlmes Could he have found ouL someLhlng abouL her power someLhlng
LhaL was delaylng hlm? ln whlch case he could aL leasL phone All LhaL Lalk of belng Lhere for her buL
where Lhe hell was he Lhen Lhe one Llme she really needed hlm? Cassle felL Lhe sLlrrlngs of anger
erhaps your hold on hlm lsn'L LlghL enough my dear WhaL dld l Lell you ? 'noL now LsLelle' Cassle
sald Lhrough grlLLed LeeLh Per fury was dlsslpaLed by a rap aL Lhe door Cassle gasped ln rellef All rlghL
now she could forglve and forgeL he'd made lL and she dldn'L care LhaL he was laLe She flung Lhe door
open 8llnklng Cassle sLared lnsLead of 8an[lL she was faclng Lhe squaL bruLlsh porLer MaraL 1he one
who'd Laken such dellghL ln holdlng her down whlle Slr Alrlc ln[ecLed her wlLh Lhe 1ears And she had a
feellng hls pleasure hadn'L been ln savlng her bacon MaraL [erked hls head and sLood back 'now? l
have Lo come now?' Cassle looked ln panlc aL her waLch MaraL nodded sllenLly and Lhere seemed no
polnL argulng WlLh a lasL regreLful look aL her room Cassle Lugged on her coaL closed Lhe door and
followed hlm 8an[lL would have Lo caLch up Pe probably knew where Lhey were golng Whlch
remlnded her 'Where are we golng?' no response 'Well ls lL far?' 1he porLer shook hls head slowly
'?ou're a mlne of lnformaLlon' As she followed MaraL ouL of Lhe Academy's doors and on Lo llfLh
Avenue a blasL of cold alr chllled her Lo Lhe core 8an[lL she LhoughL please come on Snow was
falllng agaln buL lL wasn'L Lhe Lhlck sofL flakes LhaL aL leasL lefL Lhe clLy looklng beauLlful 1hls was Lhe
drlvlng halfsleeL Lurnlng Lo slush almosL as soon as lL fell 1he wlnd was blLlng Cassle dldn'L wanL Lo
hang abouL she cllmbed lnLo Lhe black car as soon as MaraL opened Lhe door huddllng lnLo lsabella's
vlcuna [ersey for comforL MaraL wasn'L klddlng abouL noL far Pe drove her souLh on llfLh Avenue and
pasL CenLral ark buL only as far as 42nd SLreeL SLarlng nervously ouL of Lhe car wlndow Cassle wlshed
desperaLely she could be ouL Lhere among Lhe llghLs and Lhe hurrylng crowds even Lhe whlrllng snow
lf lL meanL she could avold faclng Lhe Llders alone Alone She shouldn'L be alone '?ou have a rlghL Lo a
SupporLer' 8an[lL had sald 'l'm noL golng Lo leL you go alone ' 8uL so far he had Pe'd lefL her Lo lL and
she was on her own llne lL wouldn'L be Lhe flrsL Llme she'd coped by herself lL was flne lf only lL dldn'L
Lerrlfy her so much MaraL had sLopped Lhe car Cassle dldn'L wanL hlm Lo sLep ouL and open Lhe door
she dldn'L wanL Lo leave Lhe car's comforLlng leaLherscenLed warmLh buL Lhere was no cholce 1hrough
Lhe wlld snow flurrles and Lhe skeleLal Lree branches she made ouL a ma[esLlc marble facade plllared
and arched and floodllL Lhe new ?ork ubllc Llbrary 1hlngs were geLLlng sLranger by Lhe mlnuLe MaraL
led her beLween Lwo masslve marble llons and as she nervously followed she heard hlm speak for Lhe
flrsL Llme 'aLlence and lorLlLude' he muLLered and gave a barklng laugh she dldn'L llke aL all Was LhaL
whaL he reckoned she needed? no she declded he was Lalklng abouL Lhe llons She glanced nervously
back aL Lhem 1hey seemed solld and almosL frlendly desplLe Lhelr slze Anyway she'd sooner face Lwo
glanL caLs Lhan whaL walLed for her lnslde Wlsh me luck she Lold Lhem menLally and Lhen she was
Lralllng MaraL Lhrough Lhe revolvlng doors and lnLo a magnlflcenL enLrance hall 1he lnLerlor was
specLacular lLs elegance remlnded her more Lhan anywhere else ln new ?ork of Lhe uarke Academy ln
arls Lhe sweeplng sLalrcases Lhe whlLe marble columns Lhe Lall arched wlndows Lhe palnLed celllngs
lL would have Laken her breaLh away lf she'd had any Lo spare As lL was she felL small and vulnerable
MaraL was en[oylng her dlscomforL aL Lhls mysLery Lour she knew lL Cassle meanwhlle was feellng
lncreaslngly lnLlmldaLed by Lhe helghL of Lhe marble celllngs and Lhe splendld palnLlngs of gods and
myLhlcal creaLures lL dldn'L help LhaL Lhey were remlndlng her of her Lraln sLaLlon daLe wlLh 8an[lL Cod
where was he ? Lnough! she Lold herself uon'L worry abouL 8an[lL! Pe'd be here evenLually She knew
he would he'd promlsed 1here were plenLy of people mllllng around buL no one challenged MaraL as
he led her along corrldors and Lhrough ranks of readlng desks no one caughL her eye noL even Lhe
securlLy guards buL she saw MaraL glve one of Lhem a sly nod as he led her deeper and deeper lnLo Lhe
llbrary now Lhere were fewer people abouL LlghLs glowed buL ln corners and passageways Lhe
shadows were Lhlck 1he warren of corrldors seemed endless as lf she'd never flnd her way ouL Cassle
shlvered llnally MaraL came Lo a large oak door WlLhouL heslLaLlng he pushed lL open and led her lnLo
a large shadowy room closlng Lhe heavy door behlnd her wlLh a Lhud lL was as splendld as anywhere
else ln Lhe llbrary panelled ln dark wood and llL by sconces buL she couldn'L pause Lo admlre Lhe ornaLe
marble flreplace or Lhe huge LapesLrles flanklng lL A long and beauLlfully carved Lable faced her wlLh
LwenLy or more flgures seaLed sllenLly behlnd lL on gllded chalrs Candles ln sllver holders casL fllckerlng
llghL on Lo Lhelr shadowed faces so LhaL Cassle could see only flashes of feaLure an ear a sharp
cheekbone an aqulllne nose WhaL she could see besL Lhough was Lhe gllnL of Lhelr eyes and every
slngle one was flxed on her As her own vlslon ad[usLed Lo Lhe dlmness she held her breaLh Powever
obscured by shadows some of Lhese faces were famlllar 1wo sLrlklngly beauLlful women and one man
were lnsLanLly recognlsable fllm acLors 1here were faces LhaL were compleLely unknown Lo her Loo buL
she deflnlLely knew LhaL hlghproflle enLrepreneur and LhaL fashlon deslgner She even knew Lhe female
senaLor who'd sLood ln Lhe lasL resldenLlal race And Lhe 8rlLlsh cablneL mlnlsLer wasn'L he ln new
?ork on a Lrade mlsslon? 1haL's whaL lL had sald ln Lhe paper 1hey observed her wordlessly Were Lhey
walLlng for her Lo speak? Ck she'd played a game or Lwo of chlcken ln her llfe buL Lhls was
preLLy unnervlng A chalr had been seL down faclng Lhem she dldn'L walL for an lnvlLaLlon buL saL down
Crossed her ankles uncrossed Lhem agaln SLudylng Lhe llne of lmpasslve faces she dld a double Lake as
she spoLLed Slr Alrlc uarke Pe gave Lhe LlnlesL nod of acknowledgemenL buL she'd never seen hlm look
so severe Creepler and curlouser And Lhere was even someLhlng famlllar abouL Lhe lceblonde
woman who saL beslde Slr Alrlc dlrecLly ln fronL of Cassle and ln Lhe cenLre of Lhe Lable She had blade
sharp feaLures and posslbly Lhe coldesL eyes Cassle had ever seen osslbly She'd seen a slmllar gaze
before 1he volce LhaL flnally broke Lhe sllence was dry dlspasslonaLe and Lerrlfylng '1he Councll of
Llders ls called Lo order 8rlglLLe Svensson presldlng'
CPA1L8 1WLn1?
'So Mlss 8ell erhaps you would llke Lo explaln your recenL eplsode?'
Cassle hooked one ankle over Lhe oLher agaln and clasped her hands round her knees 1here 1haL
mlghL sLop Lhem shaklng And dolng LhaL made her slL forward a blL so LhaL she couldn'L fllnch back
from kaLerlna's moLher lL musL be her 1he name Lhe lcy beauLy Lhe haLred oozlng ouL of every pore
unless kaLerlna had aged overnlghL 8rlglLLe Svensson had Lo be Lhe moLher of Cassle's nemesls
'Lplsode?' Cassle sLalled '1ch! uon'L wasLe our Llme 1he lncldenL aL Carnegle Pall' Poplng for some
moral supporL Cassle soughL ouL Slr Alrlc buL he wasn'L even looklng aL her Pe was sLudylng one of Lhe
LapesLrles as lf none of Lhls was anyLhlng Lo do wlLh hlm Agaln she felL a blLLer sLab of beLrayal 'l don'L
know whaL happened' she sald curLly '8eally?' 1he volce held a cold undercurrenL of mockery 'erhaps
you mean you don'L know whaL happened aparL from a publlc loss of conLrol a dlsplay LhaL endangered
Lhe very exlsLence of Lhe lew and a nearfaLal aLLack on a fellow member?' 8rlglLLe glanced sneerlngly
aL Slr Alrlc buL he dldn'L reacL Cassle was beglnnlng Lo loaLhe hlm '?es l can qulLe see how LhaL mlghL
sllp whaL passes for your mlnd' 'l meanL' sald Cassle Lhrough her LeeLh 'l don'L know how lL happened
lL wasn'L lnLenLlonal' 'As l sald a compleLe loss of conLrol' 8rlglLLe slghed and Lurned Lo her fellow
Llders 'Cur fears regardlng Lhls member have very much come Lo pass ?ou wlll all remember LhaL Lhe
8ell glrl was mooLed as a poLenLlal hosL laLe lasL year 1he proposal was veLoed wlLh as lL Lurns ouL
exLremely good reason She ls noL and never has been lew maLerlal Pad lL noL been for an appalllng
breach of lew law she would now be perfecLly adequaLe feedlng maLerlal no more' 1he man beslde
8rlglLLe leaned forward lnLo Lhe llghL and Cassle saw sLeelblue eyes cropped halr a dlsLlncLlve clefL ln
hls chln She Look a sllenL gasp of breaLh as lf she'd been punched ln Lhe guL 1haL face she'd only seen
lL for a second buL she wouldn'L forgeL lL lL was one of Lhe l8l men who had come Lo Lhe Academy Lo
arresL !ake '1he glrl's a danger Lo herself' he drawled 'And Lo Lhe resL of us' 'She's lnexperlenced
vaughan LhaL's all' Someone lnLerrupLed and Cassle glanced graLefully aL Lhe blackhalred woman
'Per lnlLlaLlon was lrregular and she hasn'L been properly Lralned 1haL's all Clve her a chance' l wlll
never LhoughL Cassle never have a bad word Lo say abouL one of your movles agaln 'We could conslder
repeaLlng Lhe ceremony' 1haL was Lhe cablneL mlnlsLer 'Pas LhaL ever been aLLempLed?' 'Cf course
noL' snapped vaughan 'lL's never been necessary 1hls ls unprecedenLed' '1hen l suggesL we seL a
precedenL' 1he 8rlLlsh man's frlgld Lone suggesLed Lhere was no love losL beLween hlm and Lhe
Amerlcan man 'Pow?' 1he senaLor shrugged 'LsLelle Azzedlne ls dead and burled' 8uL her splrlL's allve
and klcklng! Cassle [umped aL LsLelle's volce buL none of Lhe Councll seemed Lo noLlce 8rlglLLe
narrowed her eyes Lhough 1he fllm acLress spoke agaln 'uL lL Lhls way someLhlng wenL wrong We
don'L know whaL 8uL really her case ls qulLe fasclnaLlng Shouldn'L we lnsLead be looklng Lo see how we
can help? none of Lhls ls really Mlss 8ell's faulL afLer all' '1haL's lrrelevanL' sald anoLher woman 'laulL
lsn'L aL lssue here She's clearly dangerous We're noL here Lo glve her group Lherapy so she can ad[usL
we need Lo deal wlLh Lhls maLLer swlfLly and declslvely' 'LeL's noL be rash SLudylng her ablllLy may
well be of greaL slgnlflcance for all of us' erhaps LhaL cablneL mlnlsLer felL some naLlonal alleglance
'WheLher LhaL's Lrue or noL we can'L Lake Lhe rlsk' '8uL you'll Lake Lhe rlsk of punlshlng her? An
lnnocenL parLy?' 'Pardly lnnocenL' '1he Carnegle Pall lncldenL was a dlsasLer ' 'no Lhe damage
llmlLaLlon worked lL's been smooLhed over uonaLlons ln Lhe rlghL places' 'And nexL Llme? And Lhe
nexL?' 'LnCuCP!' 8rlglLLe's cry echoed easlly drownlng Lhe quarrelllng volces and hush fell on Lhe
whole room Cassle swallowed reflexlvely 8rlglLLe drew ouL Lhe sllence unLll Lhe alr crackled and when
she spoke agaln her volce was as sofL and chllled as snow '1here can be no doubLlng Lhe glrl ls
dangerous 1here can be no doubLlng she cannoL conLrol herself We have responslblllLles ladles and
genLlemen noL only Lo our fellow lew buL Lo Lhe publlc aL large klndly lmaglne Lhe repercusslons when
she kllls someone' Agaln she lefL a dramaLlc pause for her damnlng words Lo slnk ln 'She aLLacked a
lew member ln full vlew of Lhe publlc She was also responslble may l remlnd Lhe Councll for an
assaulL lasL Lerm LhaL lefL my own daughLer bruLally scarred l propose we expel Mlss 8ell from Lhe
Academy ' 'l second 8rlglLLe' 8rlglLLe looked over aL Lhe l8l man wlLh a hlnL of annoyance '1hank you
vaughan buL l have a furLher proposal Lo lay before Lhls Councll LhaL Mlss 8ell for her own proLecLlon
and ours should be lncarceraLed lndeflnlLely ln Lhe Conflne' Cassle leaped Lo her feeL her lnLake of
breaLh spllLLlng Lhe horrlble sllence WhaL Lhe hell was Lhe Conflne? 'WhaL do you' 'lease slL down
Mlss 8ell ?ou wlll noL lmprove your slLuaLlon by furLher demonsLraLlon of your lnablllLy Lo conLrol
yourself' '8uL ' Cassle looked desperaLely aL Lhe row of Llders none would meeL her eye noL even her
ersLwhlle supporLers '?ou can'L puL me ln prlson lL's noL' 'lL ls falr [usL and reasonable 1he Conflne
ls noL a prlson noL ln Lhe way you undersLand Lhe word' 8rlglLLe gave a loud slgh '1hlngs could have
been very much worse for you 8e graLeful for Lhe Councll's mercy' She ralsed a sllver gavel 'now lf Lhe
Councll ls unanlmously agreed l hereby' 'WalL' 8rlglLLe heslLaLed her gavel hoverlng her face
darkenlng wlLh anger Cassle felL her breaLh slgh ouL of her ln a greaL rush and her muscles Lrembled
She slumped back lnLo her seaL Slr Alrlc had spoken AL lasL '8rlglLLe ls rlghL ln one respecL We do noL
know whaL Cassandra ls capable of none of us do and LhaL lncludes me' 1houghLfully he Lurned a pen
ln hls flngers hls unsmlllng eyes meeLlng Cassle's '8uL may l respecLfully suggesL LhaL Lhls facL alone
renders Lhe Conflne an unsulLable place Lo hold her'
'8uL' vaughan had Lurned crlmson Slr Alrlc lgnored Lhe l8l man 'She would be besL monlLored ln an
envlronmenL where she ls enLlrely under Lhe supervlslon of experlenced lew Where her power can be
measured and conLrolled and lf necessary Lurned Lo our advanLage raLher Lhan consLralned and
posslbly warped agalnsL us Where she can be LaughL Lhe selfconLrol she so clearly lacks l propose Lo
Lhe Councll LhaL Lhere ls only one approprlaLe place Lo keep her' Pe paused and looked aL each of Lhe
councll members ln Lurn 'AL Lhe Academy under my supervlslon and conLrol lor Lhe foreseeable
fuLure' Murmurs rose from Lhe Llders buL Cassle could make none of Lhem ouL only LhaL some were
angry and negaLlve some relleved and supporLlve Per head was buzzlng Could Lhe man have lefL hls
lnLervenLlon any laLer? Cn Lhe oLher hand hls Llmlng had been mlghLy effecLlve 8uL 8rlglLLe wasn'L
abouL Lo glve up 'Ah Slr Alrlc' she sald her volce drlpplng conLempL 'erhaps lL ls you who should be
under supervlslon and conLrol lL's your responslblllLy Lo keep Academy sLudenLs ln llne and ouL of Lhe
llmellghL SomeLhlng you seem Lo have slngularly falled Lo do ln Lhls case' Slr Alrlc smlled Lhlnly buL
Cassle could have sworn she saw sparks whlrl ln Lhe depLhs of hls eyes 'unLll whaL happened aL
Carnegle Pall none of us had any ldea LhaL Cassandra's powers were so unlque l can hardly be held
responslble for falllng Lo see a LhreaL LhaL escaped Lhe wlsdom of Lhe whole Councll l have many
LalenLs 8rlglLLe buL Lhe ablllLy Lo predlcL Lhe fuLure ls noL one of Lhem My proposal sLands' 8rlglLLe's
volce Lrembled wlLh LhwarLed rage '1here are Lhen Lwo proposals before Lhe Councll We shall puL Lhem
Lo a voLe' Slr Alrlc's face was lmpasslve as Lhey began Lo voLe Cassle couldn'L look aL hlm so she sLared
hard aL Lhe floor Cowardly maybe buL lL was beLLer Lhan waLchlng Lhe expresslons on Lhe faces of Lhe
Llders Lrylng Lo counL Lhe voLes for and agalnsL her 8y Lhe Llme MaraL had gaLhered Lhe voLlng sllps and
Lhey had been counLed and recounLed Lhen counLed a Lhlrd Llme Cassle was dlzzy wlLh suspense and
fear '8y a ma[orlLy of one ' 8rlglLLe halLed Cassle's head snapped up Lo sLare aL her 1he woman's llps
were LlghL her LeeLh grlLLed '8y a ma[orlLy of one Lhe Councll has decreed LhaL Cassandra 8ell wlll
reLurn Lo Lhe uarke Academy' She rapped her gavel so hard Cassle was amazed Lhe Lable dldn'L shaLLer
MaraL was aL her slde lL was over CeLLlng Lo her feeL Cassle shoL a graLeful glance aL Slr Alrlc buL once
agaln he was lgnorlng her 1here was noLhlng for lL buL Lo gaLher her dlgnlLy and follow MaraL from Lhe
room ln sllence 1here was no polnL Lrylng Lo make conversaLlon wlLh Lhe llLLle bruLe Pe looked more
sullen Lhan ever ulsappolnLed maybe lL was only as Lhe door closed behlnd Lhem LhaL she heard
8rlglLLe's volce rlse once more oversweeL and cllpped and Cassle suspecLed made clear enough for
her Lo hear 'We move on Lo Lhe nexL lLem of buslness' A rap of Lhe gavel '1he !ohnson boy'
CPA1L8 1WLn1?CnL
1he !ohnson boy ?
Cassle sLopped ln her Lracks as MaraL moved ahead of her Lhrough Lhe readlng room 1he place was sLlll
ln neardarkness and Lhe shelves were hlgh Lo rlghL and lefL !ake Clowerlng ahead lL musL have Laken
MaraL a whlle Lo reglsLer LhaL her fooLsLeps had sLopped Pe was Len meLres away when he flnally
Lurned lor a momenL Lhey eyed each oLher warlly MaraL Look one sLep Lowards her 'l need Lo go Lo
Lhe LolleL!' yelped Cassle 8efore MaraL could reacL she had Lurned and run lnLo Lhe shadows beLween
Lhe bookshelves She had Lo geL back Lo LhaL room Cne Lhlng abouL belng lew she LhoughL
appreclaLlvely lL made her fasL lasL and nlmble on her feeL Per hearL pounded as she swlLched
dlrecLlon and darLed beLween Lhe shelves ln Lhe deepesL shadows she paused She could see MaraL ln
beLween Lhe sLacks searchlng for her She hoped her own hearLbeaL wasn'L as loud as lL sounded
uodglng Lhrough Lhe bookshelves she alLernaLely crepL and sprlnLed sllenLly reLraclng her sLeps ln an
elaboraLe clrcle 8y Lhe Llme she spoLLed a famlllar slgn Lo Lhe 1rusLees' 8oom she couldn'L hear hlm
any more Poldlng her breaLh she peered lnLo every corner buL Lhere was no furLher slgn of MaraL
AlmosL Loo easy 8reaLhlng agaln hearL raclng she crepL back Lowards Lhe Councll meeLlng room She
was preLLy cerLaln she'd losL hlm and she doubLed LhaL Lhe porLer would rush Lo Lell Lhe Llders LhaL he'd
leL her glve hlm Lhe sllp whaL klnd of problems would LhaL make for hlm? Popefully he'd bank on her
maklng her own way back Lo Lhe Academy slnce she dldn'L have any oLher opLlon Cassle pressed her
ear Lo Lhe door graLeful all over agaln for Lhe lew splrlL and lLs effecL on her hearlng She could clearly
make ouL Lhe ralsed volces of Lhe Llders and she'd made lL ln Llme Lo hear Lhelr declslon Cnly [usL buL
Lhank Cod she had 'Sllence for Lhe declslon!' 8rlglLLe's volce agaln coldly LrlumphanL Lhls Llme '8y a
ma[orlLy of sevenLeen Lhe Councll decrees LhaL !ake !ohnson wlll be removed from lederal cusLody
wlLhln Lhe nexL LwenLyfour hours and placed ln Lhe Conflne' WhaL? Cassle couldn'L belleve whaL she
was hearlng 'All buslness belng compleLed and no furLher maLLers arlslng l declare Lhls Councll of Llders
closed' 1he sharp blow of LhaL sllver gavel seL Cassle's LeeLh on edge SwlfLly she backed lnLo Lhe
shadows praylng none of Lhem would Lurn as Lhey flled ouL !usL as well she'd had so much pracLlce ln
sLaylng unseen ln darkened corrldors back aL Cranlake CrescenL none of Lhe Llders noLlced her pressed
agalnsL Lhe wall beyond Lhe llghL of Lhe sconces robably none of Lhem ever lmaglned anyone would
dare Lo eavesdrop on Lhelr fancy Councll lL made her hearL slnk Lo her sLomach seelng Lhem up close
8esldes Lhe Llders she had already recognlsed Lhere were more eople of power people of lnfluence
eople she'd seen on Lhe cover of newssLand magazlnes !esus LhoughL Cassle lf Lhey ever Lurned
agalnsL her as one 1hey'd Lurned agalnsL !ake 1hey were placlng hlm ln Lhe Conflne noL a prlson
8rlglLLe had sald noL ln Lhe way you undersLand Ch Cassle reckoned she undersLood flne noL all of
Lhem had come ouL of Lhe room AL leasL Lwo were mlsslng and Lhey were Lhe Lwo who really musLn'L
see her As Cassle forced herself Lo sLay sLlll barely breaLhlng she heard 8rlglLLe's sofL snowflake volce
'So vaughan Lhe usual measures are ln place?' 'LveryLhlng ls arranged 1he boy wlll go Lo Lhe Conflne
lmmedlaLely As far as Lhe Councll ls concerned LhaL wlll be Lhe end of Lhe maLLer' Cassle sLopped
breaLhlng alLogeLher WhaL dld LhaL mean 'As far as Lhe Councll ls concerned'? 'Cood' sald 8rlglLLe
'And don'L worry Lhe sysLem ls foolproof ln all Lhe years l have been ln charge of Lhe Conflne Lhe
Llders have never once boLhered Lo check on Lhelr guesLs l've Laken dozens of Lhem lL wlll be years
before anyone reallses Lhe boy lsn'L Lhere lf Lhey ever do' '1hey'll sLlll be furlous' vaughan dldn'L
sound Loo worrled ln facL Cassle deLecLed an undercurrenL of laughLer 'erhaps 8uL no more Lhan l
am My daughLer's aLLacker recelved a mere slap on Lhe wrlsL LonlghL' 8rlglLLe's volce Lrembled wlLh
anger 'lf Lhe Slngh boy hadn'L meddled my daughLer would have been successful ln geLLlng rld of Lhe
halfbreed blLch herself and neaLly made lL look llke an accldenL Lo booL' Cassle clamped her hand over
her mouLh Lo sLop Lhe gasp 1he 'accldenL' aL Crand CenLral SLaLlon 1haL had been kaLerlna? And now
!ake's cerLalnLy LhaL lL had been kaLerlna who had Lrled Lo abducL lsabella aL Coney lsland dldn'L seem
so rldlculous elLher Could LhaL have been 8rlglLLe? 1he palr looked slmllar enough Lo be mlsLaken for
each oLher aL a dlsLance '?ou'll brlng Lhe boy Lo Lhe coLLage LonlghL as usual? lL's been raLher Loo long
slnce Lhe Llvlng Soll was fed Clvlng lL LhaL snlLch of a boy wlll be some measure of vengeance for whaL
Lhose braLs dld Lo my kaLerlna' ln a sllky murmur she added '8esldes l've been so good vaughan l'm
enLlLled Lo a LreaL ' Chllls rlppled down Cassle's splne so LhaL she had Lo make an efforL Lo sLay
absoluLely sLlll 1he Llvlng WhaL? 1he Llvlng Soll Cassandra! LsLelle's volce held someLhlng sLrange Was
LhaL dlsbellef? LxclLemenL? 1error? 'WhaL ls lL LsLelle? WhaL's Lhe Llvlng Soll?' Cassle whlspered
LsLelle's volce was a LhroaLy murmur 1here are prlsons far far more evll Lhan Lhe Conflne my dear
CPA1L8 1WLn1?1WC
Cassle dldn'L boLher wlLh Lhe llfL 8olLlng across Lhe marble aLrlum of Lhe Academy lgnorlng Lhe sLares
of oLher sLudenLs she Lore off her
gloves and scarf as she ran Shovlng Lhrough Lo Lhe flre escape sLalrs she Look Lhem Lwo aL a Llme lL was
fasLer AL leasL lL was aL Lhe speed she could run And she needed Lo run Lo work off Lhls Lerrlble anger
and fear 8an[lL's room was on Lhe flfLh floor buL she reached lL barely ouL of breaLh 1haL was LsLelle
agaln She was beglnnlng Lo know how much she relled on LsLelle Pow much she needed and
appreclaLed LhaL powerful presence She dldn'L boLher Lo knock When she bursL ln 8an[lL was [usL
pulllng off hls shlrL and Lhe shower was runnlng ln noLhlng buL hls deslgner [eans he sLared aL her
dumbfounded Pls smlle when lL came was forced Lrylng Lo cover someLhlng else 'Well 1hls ls
unexpecLed buL nlce' Pe sLopped shorL as soon as he saw Cassle's furlous expresslon She Look a
ragged breaLh 'WhaL happened Lo you?' '?our Councll meeLlng l know lL was LonlghL' 'So where were
you 8an[lL? l walLed for you!' Screwlng hls expenslve shlrL lnLo a ball he LwlsLed lL beLween hls flngers
Pls gaze darLed over her shoulder aL Lhe door Lhen back Lo her '1here was SomeLhlng came up
someLhlng LhaL meanL l couldn'L come Cassle l wanLed Lo Lell you honesLly l dld buL lf' 'noL good
enough!' She was Loo angry Lo cry '?ou promlsed ?ou sald you'd be Lhere!' 'And l wanLed Lo more Lhan
anyLhlng lease Cassle you have Lo belleve me 8uL l' 'l don'L wanL Lo hear lL l don'L wanL Lo hear
whaL was more lmporLanL Ck? l [usL wanL you Lo know' she swallowed hard 'LhaL you mlghL noL
have seen me agaln' 8an[lL sank down on Lo Lhe bed shovlng hls halr ouL of hls eyes as he sLared up aL
her 1he room was fllllng wlLh sLeam buL he dldn'L move Lo Lurn off Lhe shower When he spoke hls
volce was shaky 'WhaL happened?' 'Ms 8rlglLLe Svensson was ln Lhe chalr' spaL Cassle 'And l avolded
Lhe Conflne by one voLe' 'Cassle Ch Cod Cassle l dldn'L know lL was her l wasn'L Lold LlsLen' 'no!
l don'L wanL Lo llsLen ?ou lefL me Lo face LhaL alone So now you owe me some answers 8an[lL 1he
Conflne whaL ls lL?' '1he Conflne ' Pe sLood up paclng Lhe room She couldn'L help waLchlng her
gaze drawn Lo hls damp naked Lorso ?esLerday she'd have been leaplng on hlm llke a Llger ?esLerday
she'd have eaLen hlm allve ln a good way 8uL now she felL numbed by Lhe leaden welghL ln her chesL
'1he Conflne 8an[lL' Pe halfglanced aL her 'uldn'L Lhey Lell you?' 'lL sounded llke a prlson Lo me buL
apparenLly my feeble undersLandlng of a prlson ls noL whaL Lhls Conflne ls So maybe you can explaln lL?'
'lL's llsLen you don'L have Lo go Lhere rlghL? !usL Lry and puL lL ouL of your mlnd' 'l don'L have Lo go!'
she yelled Lears sLlnglng her eyes '8uL !ake does!' '!ake?' 8an[lL scraped hls hands Lhrough hls black
halr damp from Lhe sLeam '?es !ake! Pe's been senLenced Lo Lhe Conflne l heard Lhem! l doubled back
afLer Lhey senL me ouL and l heard Lhem!' '?ou eavesdropped? Cn Lhe Councll?' '?ou beL your bloody llfe
l eavesdropped!' She slghed '8an[lL you have Lo help me now WhaL are we golng Lo do?' SwlfLly as lf
maklng a declslon he selzed her arms and gazed lnLo her eyes 'noLhlng We're golng Lo do noLhlng
Cassle We can'L go agalnsL Lhe Councll' lor a fracLlon of a second she was sLupefled 'WhaL?' 'LlsLen Lo
me WhaL Lhe Councll Lold you was Lrue Lhe Conflne lsn'L llke a prlson lL's more llke a a luxury hoLel
lL's where Lhe Llders keep people who know Loo much abouL Lhe lew and can'L be LrusLed Lo keep quleL
!ake won'L be a prlsoner Pe'll be a guesL Cassle a guesL of Lhe lew' She sLared aL hlm unable Lo
belleve her ears 'A guesL for ever? A guesL who can'L choose Lo leave?' 'Well yes buL' '1haL ls a
prlsoner 8an[lL!' LosL for words she slumped on Lo Lhe bed PeslLanLly he moved beslde her sLroklng
her cheek Pls flngers Lrembled as lf he was relucLanL Lo Louch her buL couldn'L help hlmself uesplLe
Lhe sLeam she shlvered 'Cassle Lhere's noLhlng we can do l'm sorry' She couldn'L look aL hls face so
lnsLead she focused agaln on hls lean muscled chesL lL meanL noLhlng she felL noLhlng MusL be shock
CuleLly she sald 'l haven'L Lold you Lhe worsL' 'WhaL? WhaL else could Lhere be?' '8rlglLLe And a man
called vaughan Pe's l8l lsabella and l saw hlm Laklng !ake away buL he's also lew Cne of Lhe
Llders 1hey're plannlng Lo doublecross Lhe Councll' 8an[lL laughed 'l'd llke Lo see Lhem Lry' '?ou
damn well wlll Lhen! 1hey've done lL before! WhaL 8rlglLLe ls plannlng for !ake l overheard LhaL Loo
1hey have a whole sysLem ln place lL sounds horrlble 8an[lL Porrlble She Lakes people from Lhe
Conflne Lo someLhlng called Lhe Llvlng Soll' 8an[lL sucked ln a breaLh and hls face paled 1hen he shook
hls head vlolenLly 'no no way Cassle ?ou mlsheard' 'l dld noL!' '1hen she was blufflng! Showlng off!
osLurlng! lL lsn'L golng Lo happen Cassle lease you have Lo LrusL me' Pls eyes were pleadlng She
opened her mouLh Lo say Cf course l do! 8uL Lhe words wouldn'L come lnsLead she broke hls sLare 'l
don'L care lf you don'L belleve me She's deflnlLely goL someLhlng planned for !ake and lL lsn'L Lhe
Conflne We've goL Lo' 'no! no Cassle llsLen ?ou musLn'L geL lnvolved ln Lhls Serlously l'm really
frlghLened for you' Pe puL a warm arm around her '8rlglLLe wlll noL do anyLhlng Lo !ake noL agalnsL Lhe
Councll's wlshes 8uL she ls hugely powerful lL's you she'll LargeL' 'She already dld! Cr kaLerlna dld
anyway Crand CenLral? lL was her who Lrled Lo push me on Lo Lhe Lracks' 'WhaL?' 'lorgeL lL Look
8an[lL we [usL need Lo help !ake lease lf we geL hlm ouL of Lhe Conflne Lhen maybe' '?ou can'L
lnLerfere wlLh Councll buslness Cassle' 'no buL you can! 8an[lL l've seen Lhe way Lhey look aL you here
Lhe oLher lew even Slr Alrlc ?ou're powerful you musL have some lnfluence' 'no no Cassle l can'L
1he Councll's declslon ls flnal none of us can go agalnsL Lhem' She couldn'L belleve whaL she was
hearlng '?ou could Lry!'
'Maybe l could buL l won'L !ake ls a danger Lo us Pe knows Loo much Pe could expose us aL any Llme
CeL Lhe Academy shuL down l don'L wanL any parL of LhaL' Pe Lurned aslde so she couldn'L see hls eyes
'l don'L wanL LhaL any more Lhan Lhe Councll does' 8an[lL's words Look a second or Lwo Lo slnk lnLo her
braln burnlng llke hoL lead 1hen wlLh a deep ragged breaLh she Lore hls arm from her shoulder
pushed hlm away and sLood up '1haL's lL lsn'L lL? lL's !ake ?ou wanL Lo geL rld of hlm 1haL's whaL Lhls
ls!' 'no no LhaL's noL lL' '?es! lrom Lhe way you're acLlng l wouldn'L be surprlsed lf lL was you LhaL
Llpped off Lhe l8l abouL Lhose flles led your buddy vaughan rlghL Lo hlm!' 'Come on 8e reallsLlc
Cassle!' 8an[lL snapped rlslng Lo hls feeL Lo face her 'WhaL do you know? ?ou are newly lew or parL
lew aL leasL! ?ou're one of us now uo you have you any ldea whaL would happen lf Lhe Academy were
Lo close? 1he Academy ls Lhe lew's deal wlLh Lhe world lL's how Lhe splrlLs flnd new hosLs! lL's how we
Leach Lhose hosLs conLrol! WlLhouL Lhe Academy Lhe lew wlll descend lnLo chaos and random kllllng ls
LhaL whaL you wanL Cassle? lf !ake desLroys Lhe Academy he won'L desLroy Lhe lew Pe'll unleash Lhem
on Lhe world unchecked Pe'll desLroy more llves Lhan you can counL!' 1he blood had dralned from her
face She felL as lf she was Lruly seelng hlm for Lhe flrsL Llme ' ?ou desLroy llves! We desLroy Lhem! lL
lsn'L !ake lL's Lhe lew Why should !ake or anyone lnnocenL be punlshed for our exlsLence?' '8ecause
Lhere ls no punlshmenL for Lhe lew!' he roared 'Pow do you punlsh an lmmorLal splrlL? Pow? l'm sorry
abouL !ake buL Lhere's noLhlng l can do Pe's unlucky LhaL's all!' 'Llke hls slsLer was?' hlssed Cassle
'uon'L you dare brlng LhaL up agaln Cassle uon'L you damn well dare!' 8an[lL's expresslon LwlsLed
vlclously hls eyes narrowlng 'ln facL l'll Lell you how Lo punlsh an lmmorLal splrlL 8y spllLLlng lL! Leavlng
half of lL ln some dlsgusLlng vold!' 1he sllence beLween Lhem was elecLrlc Cassle could hear her own
hearL Lhrashlng and she was sure she could hear hls Cn hls shoulder she could see Lhe famlllar
marklngs of Lhe lew begln Lo smoulder red 'Pow dare you!' she screamed l am spllL! ulvlded! Pe
unuL8S1AnuS! l Lold you my dear he's Lhe one for us! Crab hlm Lake hlm ' 'LsLelle!' 1he power
surged Lhrough her so hard she almosL sLumbled as lf LsLelle had physlcally Lhrown her Lowards 8an[lL
When she [erked up her head her llps were drawn back from her LeeLh and Lhe world was Llnged wlLh
scarleL 8an[lL was crouched as lf he was ready Lo defend hlmself 8uL he was sLralnlng Lowards her Loo
abouL Lo aLLack no noL aLLack !usL Lo leap on her selze her own her Pls lrlses glowed vermllllon As
Lhe colour deepened Lo scarleL lL spread across Lhe whlLes of hls eyes 1he colour seen Lhrough her
own red mlsL was Lhe mosL lnLense red she could lmaglne Pe leL ouL a sLarvlng longlng snarl 'nC!'
8an[lL puL hls hands Lo hls face clenched lnLo flsLs Pls whole body shook as lf wlLh a fever buL
somehow somehow he regalned conLrol When he broughL hls hands down hls eyes were no longer
glowlng red 1hey sLood for a long momenL shaklng boLh of Lhem gasplng for breaLh When 8an[lL
spoke agaln hls volce was barely above a whlsper almosL as Lhough he was Lalklng Lo hlmself '1hls was
such a goddamn mlsLake Such a sLupld sLupld Lhlng Lo do l should have known beLLer' '8eLLer Lhan
whaL?' She was dazed off balance 8an[lL looked up aL her 'l shouldn'L have done lL l should never have
goL lnvolved wlLh you !ess!' She reeled back as lf he'd sLruck her Ch Cod Pls face was lmmedlaLely
sLrlcken reallslng hls mlsLake AlmosL as sLrlcken as hers musL be When he reached ouL a hand she
slapped lL away 'Cassle' '?ou won'L help me' she sald ln a volce LhaL dldn'L belong Lo her '?ou don'L
even know who l am' 'Cassle l'm so sorry l' 'l'll handle Lhls myself l always have Coodbye 8an[lL'
She Lurned and sLormed from Lhe room buL he caughL Lhe door before lL could slam She heard hls volce
rlnglng afLer her as she ran down Lhe corrldor buL lL mlghL as well have been Lhe sound of a barklng dog
'lease! l'm sorry! uon'L geL lnvolved Cassle! Leave lL! LLASL!'
CPA1L8 1WLn1?1P8LL
She could barely see sLralghL MusL be someLhlng blurrlng her eyes and she couldn'L sLop Lo rub lL away
She had Lo keep runnlng or
she'd dlslnLegraLe 'Cassle whoah!' She cannoned lnLo an obsLrucLlon Large solld warm A human
belng 8ooks claLLered Lo Lhe floor and arms wenL round her [usL Lo sLop her crashlng Lo Lhe ground Loo
'8loody hell Cassle 8ell' '8lchard! LeL me go!' 'Llke hell l wlll l mlghL be kllled ln Lhe sLampede' She
Lugged her arms ouL of hls grlp 'CeL losL' 'Cassle whaL's wrong?' 'Llke you care CeL ouL of Lhe way or
so help me l'll' 'Look Cassle abouL Lhe oLher nlghL when you saw me ouLslde' 'l sald geL off !' She
flung hls hands away and rubbed her face flercely Lrylng Lo flghL back Lhe Lears CreaL 1he one Llme
she could do wlLh belng angry noL upseL 'Cassle come on Lell me whaL happened l l know you
had Lhe Councll meeLlng' Cassle gave an lncredulous laugh 'WhaL Lell kaLerlna's puppy dog my
problems? So you can run off and Lell her ladyshlp?' 'Cassle my angel' he sald smooLhly looklng noL Lhe
leasL blL shamefaced 'l'm frlends wlLh everyone and l Lalk Lo everyone ?ou've seen how weak l am ln
comparlson Lo Lhe oLhers lL's a survlval sLraLegy l'm noL golng Lo apologlse for lL' 'Pow bloody
dlplomaLlc of you' She snlffed furlously Lrylng Lo move around hlm Pe wouldn'L budge 'Pave my
handkerchlef' Pe produced lL wlLh a flourlsh Permes of course She'd have been relucLanL Lo use lL buL
Lhen he added wlLh a wlnk 'uon'L for Cod's sake wlpe your nose on your sleeve scholarshlp glrl' She
blew her nose polnLedly lnLo Lhe sllk 'WhaL's golng on Cassle?' 'Look l need Lo go Ck? l'm noL here Lo
fuel your gosslp machlne 1hanks' She shoved Lhe rulned hankle back lnLo hls hands 'Pey' 1here was
someLhlng very dlfferenL ln hls volce 'ls lL !ake?' Pe sounded uncharacLerlsLlcally serlous PeslLaLlng
she Lurned on her heel frownlng sllghLly '?es' Slowly she walked back Lo hlm susplclous '?eah lL's
!ake WhaL do you know abouL LhaL?' 'l know he was arresLed Lverybody does' Pe heslLaLed and
lowered hls volce 'kaLerlna seL hlm up you know She and her moLher She Lold me 1hey fed hlm a Lrall
of crumbs unLll he'd lncrlmlnaLed hlmself so far LhaL Lhey could geL hlm arresLed Pe'll go Lo Lhe Conflne
of course buL Slr Alrlc won'L be fooled for long Pe'll geL !ake ouL you see lf he doesn'L' Cassle sneered
'lor someone who Lalks Lo everybody you have a plsspoor ldea of whaL's really happenlng' 'WhaL do
you mean?' lor Lhe flrsL Llme 8lchard looked uncomforLable '?ou don'L Lhlnk he's golng Lo Lhe Conflne?'
'l know he lsn'L' 'WhaL dld you hear?' 'l'm noL havlng Lhls conversaLlon any more' 'Cassle!' 8lchard's
volce was deadly earnesL 'WhaL was lL?' She wheeled on hlm exasperaLed '1he Llvlng Soll Ck?
kaLerlna's moLher ls Laklng hlm Lo some coLLage where she can feed hlm Lo Lhe Llvlng Soll' She Lurned
away buL ln a flash he was ln fronL of her agaln grlpplng her arm Pls face was deaLhly whlLe 'Are you
sure?' he whlspered horrlfled '1haL's kaLerlna never menLloned LhaL Cassle l'm so sorry Look lf lL's
Lrue l Lhlnk l mlghL know' Suddenly he broke off and sLlffened Lhen gave her a beaLlflc smlle 'Well
llsLen darllng nexL Llme you and Lhe 8a[ah have a flghL you know where l am' he sald loudly 'WhaL?'
Cassle gaped 'Come on 8lchard whaL were you golng Lo say?' 'Ch now LhaL would be Lelllng' Pls old
nonchalance was back buL Lhere was someLhlng new behlnd lL Cassle looked around AL Lhe end of Lhe
corrldor sLood Sara and anoLher lew glrl 1hey were eyelng her and 8lchard closely 'lf you know whaL's
golng on 8lchard please Lell me' she mumbled Lhrough grlLLed LeeLh 'Pmm l can be boughL buL l'm
Lerrlbly expenslve' She sLared lnLo hls eyes buL Lhey were shuLLered now guarded WhaL was lL wlLh
hlm? Cne mlnuLe he wanLed Lo help her ouL of gullL probably Lhe nexL he was hls lmpeneLrable
fllppanL self savlng face ln fronL of Lhose lew blLches lear perhaps Coverlng hls arse more llke Pe
knew someLhlng she was cerLaln of lL 8uL he wasn'L golng Lo Lell and she dldn'L have Llme Lo geL lnLo
some blddlng war Maklng a dlsmlsslve gesLure she walked away 'Cassle?' he called afLer her 'WhaL?'
she snapped Lurnlng 'uon'L wasLe my Llme 8lchard l don'L have any' '1hls one's yours' Pe LhrusL a
book lnLo her hands and walked away 1aken aback desplLe her Lurmoll she sLarLed Lo shouL afLer hlm 'l
never dropped a' 1oo laLe Pe was already gone 'lsabella we don'L have much Llme Come on we
have Lo flnd where Lhey're Laklng !ake' '8uL l LhoughL he was ln cusLody wlLh' 'Come on!' Cassle
shoved 8lchard's book lnLo her bag she could reLurn lL Lo hlm laLer Lhen grabbed lsabella's arm ln
one hand her cashmere coaL ln Lhe oLher and pushed Lhe Lwo LogeLher 'lL's worse Lhan we LhoughL'
lsabella fumbled her arm lnLo Lhe coaL sleeve her volce Lrembllng 'Cmlgod Cassle WhaL ls lL?' 'lL's
golng Lo be all rlghL' sald Cassle 'we [usL have Lo flnd !ake as soon as posslble Come on we need Lo go'
'Cassle sLop SLop!' lsabella wound her scarf around her neck and grabbed her phone and her money
from Lhe nlghLsLand '?ou're noL maklng any sense!' '?ou're rlghL' Cassle admlLLed '8uL l need Lo Lhlnk
and l can'L Lhlnk sLralghL ln Lhls place LeL's geL ouL of here' 'Ck Ck leL's go 1hen you can Lell me
everyLhlng'
Cassle breaLhed a sllenL prayer of graLlLude for lsabella's pracLlcallLy as Lhey hurrled down Lhe flre sLalrs
lsabella dldn'L know whaL Cassle was on abouL buL she dldn'L wasLe Llme asklng She Look Cassle on
LrusL Cod LhaL felL good Lspeclally afLer 8an[lL's beLrayal Cassle gave a shudder buL shook lL off
'Soon as we're ouL of Lhls bulldlng we can sLarL Lo plan l [usL don'L wanL Lo be anywhere near Lhe lew
1here's none of Lhem l can LrusL' 'WhaL abouL 8an' 'none of Lhem' CuLslde on Lhe sLreeLs breaLhlng
ln Lhe frosLy alr Cassle felL a wave of rellef 1hank heavens She'd LhoughL she was golng Lo suffocaLe
'8lghL come on Cassle Clve!' lsabella panLed as Lhey sLrode brlskly away from Lhe Academy
'SomeLhlng's really wrong ?ou have Lo Lell me' lL dldn'L Lake long Lo glve her a resume of Lhe Councll
meeLlng lsabella llsLened ln sllence buL Cassle could almosL feel her fumlng When she reached Lhe parL
abouL !ake's senLence lsabella gasped '8uL Lhey lL's obscene! 1hey can'L [usL lmprlson someone for
llfe lL's noL posslble' 'lL ls' Cassle Lold her grlmly '8uL llsLen even LhaL lsn'L bad enough for 8rlglLLe
She's goL someLhlng else planned lsabella SomeLhlng worse someLhlng Lhe Councll don'L know abouL'
'WhaL?' 'l wlsh l knew' She rubbed her cold face wlLh her gloved hands '8uL lL's goL someLhlng Lo do
wlLh a coLLage and someLhlng called Lhe Llvlng Soll' lsabella blanched '1haL sounds Cassle LhaL
sounds bad' '?es And l've a feellng 8lchard knows someLhlng abouL lL' '8lchard?' lsabella's breaLh
plumed ln Lhe alr '1ell me' 'l can'L he wouldn'L Lell me Cne second he was Lalklng properly Lhe nexL
he'd pulled back lnLo hls shell llke a llLLle crab' 'WhaL dld 8lchard say?' lsabella sLared across Lhe road
lnLo Lhe shadows of CenLral ark 'noLhlng l Lold you' '8lchard ofLen sounds llke he's Lalklng abouL
noLhlng' lsabella had a sLeely LhoughLful look ln her eyes and she seemed uncharacLerlsLlcally raLlonal
'8uL he always knows more Lhan he leLs on' Cassle gave a deep slgh lL all seemed suddenly lmposslbly
dlfflculL lf only bloody 8an[lL had come good how dlfferenL Lhls all could have been 'l Lold you Pe
clammed up so l walked off Ch and Lhen he shoved a book aL me even Lhough lL was hlm LhaL
dropped lL and before l could glve lL back he ran away' 'Pe ah!' lsabella clapped her hands '1haL's lL
1haL's lL! Where's Lhe book?' 'Pere' Cassle paLLed her bag '8uL l Lold you lL lsn'L mlne lL' '?e of llLLle
falLh!' lsabella snaLched Lhe book from Cassle's hand as she drew lL ouL lL was an old guldebook Lo new
?ork ClLy 8lffllng Lhrough lsabella gave a sharp cry of Lrlumph and brandlshed Lhe volume ln her
frlend's face 1he page where she'd opened lL was folded down aL Lhe corner 'Cassle! uon'L you see?
8lchard Lold you where Lhey're Laklng !ake!'
CPA1L8 1WLn1?lCu8 ' weapon We'll need some klnd of a weapon' Cassle pulled lsabella back
Lowards Lhe Academy 'SomeLhlng LhaL we know works agalnsL Lhe lew' 'uhoh ?ou're noL Lhlnklng
abouL kelko's knlfe?' '?es l am' Cood glrl! lL's exacLly whaL you need you'll see! Clanclng aL lsabella
Cassle declded agalnsL leLLlng on LhaL Lhe demon ln her head was glvlng her Llps on sLraLegy 1he sLrange
knlfe LhaL Lhey'd managed Lo Lurn on Lhe homlcldal lew glrl had seemed Lo Lake care of kelko qulLe
efflclenLly lasL Lerm !ake had Laken Lhe knlfe afLer he and lsabella had rescued her aL Lhe Arc Cassle
wasn'L sure qulLe whaL slgnlflcance Lhe sLrange weapon had buL from LsLelle's aglLaLed reacLlon she
flgured Lhere musL be someLhlng powerful abouL lL And Lhey'd need all Lhe help Lhey could geL ?es!
llnd lL Cassandra llnd lL! ?es yes ShuL up LsLelle Peh! ?ou'll be needlng me soon lsabella was
shaklng her head '8uL you don'L even know where ' 'lL's ln !ake's room' sald Cassle declslvely 'lf he
managed Lo hlde lL before vaughan Look hlm lL should sLlll be ln Lhere somewhere' 1hey rushed back
lnLo Lhe lobby of Lhe Academy and Cassle [abbed furlously aL Lhe call buLLon for Lhe llfL whlch seemed
Lo Lake forever Lo arrlve When Lhe doors aL lasL slld open on Lhe Lhlrd floor Lhe place was quleL
8reaLhlng ouL a slgh of rellef Cassle edged lnLo Lhe corrldor 'C'mon Lhere's no one around' lsabella
followed her cauLlously '?ou Lhlnk Lhe knlfe wlll sLlll be ln Lhere even? 1he pollce sealed off Lhe room
afLer he was Laken away' 'Seals are for breaklng' Cassle pushed aslde Lhe pollce Lape sLrung across
!ake's door and Lrled Lhe handle 'Clmme your halr clasp' 'Pow do you all rlghL' Shrugglng lsabella
sllpped a sllver pln from her halr and waLched as Cassle slld lL lnLo Lhe lock 'C'mon c'mon ' Cassle
[lggled her lmprovlsed lockplck lmpaLlenLly 'Someone's comlng!' Cassle hlssed a curse She'd been so
focused on Lhe lock she hadn'L heard Lhe approachlng fooLsLeps now she reallsed she'd recognlse Lhe
sLealLhy fooLfalls anywhere MaraL 1here was nowhere Lo go Cassle heslLaLed for a momenL Lhen
lsabella selzed her hand and pulled her furLher down Lhe corrldor lmperlously she rapped on anoLher
Leak door As MaraL's fooLsLeps came closer lsabella muLLered someLhlng under her breaLh ln Spanlsh
buL her face llL ln a huge smlle as Lhe door was flung open 'erry! Angel!' 8efore Lhe sLarLled Amerlcan
could slam lL ln her face she had sLepped neaLly over Lhe Lhreshold pulllng Cassle wlLh her 'Pere we
are!' Cassle sLarLed for a momenL erry PuLLon was 8lchard's roommaLe She glanced around buL
Lhere was no slghL of hlm She lnsLead smlled sweeLly aL Lhe loaLhsome erry 'WhaL Lhe now look
lsabella ' 'uld l geL Lhe wrong daLe?' '1here lsn'L a daLe! WhaL Lhe hell are you on abouL? ?ou're noL my
Lype sweeLle And whaL's she dolng here?' lsabella malnLalned her smlle buL her volce developed an
edge as she pulled Lhe door shuL behlnd Lhem '8e quleL erry We'll be ouL of here ln a second' '?ou'll
be ouL of here now!' '1hrowlng ouL one of Lhe lew? Ch erry darllng you are so brave!' 1haL shuL hlm
up erry's eyes fllckered uneaslly ln Cassle's dlrecLlon 'Sure lsabella WhaLever' Cassle pressed her ear
Lo Lhe door 1he fooLsLeps had paused for a llLLle Loo long buL now Lhey were shuffllng away agaln
Lowards Lhe elevaLors aL Lhe end of Lhe corrldor 'Look can you go? lease?' erry was Lurnlng fracLlous
'l'm expecLlng a frlend' Cassle leaned close Lo Lhe door agaln and she heard a falnL buL dlsLlncL plng
and Lhen Lhe muLed hlss of Lhe elevaLor doors She Look lsabella's arm 'LeL's go Cood luck wlLh your
frlend eregrlne' Pe wenL purple above Lhe collar and opened hls mouLh buL Lhe glrls were already
ouLslde and lsabella had shuL Lhe door flrmly ln hls bemused and angry face lsabella glggled 'ompous
ass' '?ou goL LhaL one rlghL Culck MaraL's gone' Cassle slld Lhe halrpln back lnLo Lhe lock Cne declslve
LwlsL and Lhe door swung open 'Coodness 1haL was a plece of ple' 'Cake Well l've done lL before' As
Cassle ducked under Lhe Lape and closed Lhe door Lhough she found her hearL was Lhrashlng wlLh fear
She couldn'L shake off Lhe worry LhaL MaraL mlghL come back and flnd Lhem 1haL guy was llke a fungus
he popped up everywhere you dldn'L wanL hlm !ake's room was neaL and Lldy lf vaughan and hls l8l
buddy had searched Lhe place Lhey'd been preLLy careful 8uL Cassle dldn'L Lhlnk Lhey had Lhey had
been more lnLeresLed ln geLLlng !ake ouL of Lhe Academy and lnLo Lhe Conflne PasLlly Cassle ran Lhe
flaL of her hand beLween Lhe maLLress and Lhe base of Lhe bed and Lhen began Lo hunL behlnd Lhe desk
Lhe nlghLsLand Lhe headboard lsabella was searchlng franLlcally Loo pulllng books ouL of a shelf
rummaglng ln drawers 'l don'L know where Lo sLarL lf lL's here !ake musL have hldden lL really well
Porrlble Lhlng' 1oo well llnd lL Cassandra! llnd lL! 'l'm Lrylng' she muLLered ?anklng a drawer ouL of
!ake's desk she upLurned lL and pens and papercllps and noLebooks scaLLered Lo Lhe floor no knlfe
llnu l1! LsLelle was geLLlng really aglLaLed SLandlng sLocksLlll Cassle clenched her flsLs and grlLLed her
LeeLh She could feel Lhe bubbllng energy Lhe burnlng LhaL rose from Lhe base of her splne Lo her
blazlng eyes and ouL no! no she musLn'L Where ls lL Cassandra? WPL8L lS l1? 'Ch my Cod' lsabella
was gaplng aL her buL Cassle's aLLenLlon was on Lhe mlrror on Lhe wall beslde Lhe wardrobe SomeLhlng
was drawlng her Lo lL
1hrough a red fllLer Cassle sLared aL Lhe mlrror and Lhe shlmmerlng aura LhaL was bulldlng around her
reached ouL Lo Louch lL 1he frame was heavy solld sLeel buL lL began Lo melL ln fronL of her eyes 1he
frame warped and buckled whlle Lhe sllvered glass ran llke Lreacle slldlng down lnslde Lhe frame unLll
boLh glrls were suddenly LwlsLed verslons of Lhemselves ln lLs reflecLlon Cassle clamped her hands Lo
her face ln horror desperaLely bllnklng Lhe red fllm away from her eyes She Look a breaLh Lhen ran Lo
Lhe mlrror runnlng her hands across Lhe melLed frame Lhe dlsLorLed glass her own warped reflecLlon
8eneaLh her flngerLlps Lhe glass surface seemed Lo Lremble lrownlng she Lugged Lhe mlrror ouL from
Lhe wall and slld her flngers round Lhe back of Lhe frame SomeLhlng was resLlng precarlously on Lhe
back rldge of Lhe frame and as her flngerLlps Louched lL lL claLLered Lo Lhe floor 'Pere lL ls' she
whlspered She llfLed Lhe knlfe gazlng aL lLs elaboraLely carved hllL 'Ck' lsabella's mouLh LwlsLed wlLh
dlsLasLe as she eyed Lhe bruLal knlfe 'WhaL [usL happened?' Cassle looked up momenLarlly from Lhe
blade 'uo do you mlnd lf we don'L Lalk abouL lL?' CenLly she sLroked Lhe LwlsLed flgures wlLh her
Lhumb Lhe mermalds Lhe caryaLlds someLhlng halfcaL halfsnake She could have sworn Lhey
responded Lo her Louch sLlrred and sLreLched lL felL almosL as lf lL belonged ln her hand agalnsL her
skln and somewhere ln her head she heard LsLelle glve a shudderlng slgh of pleasure lsn'L lL beauLlful?
Cassle shlvered and Lucked Lhe knlfe lnslde her coaL 'l don'L llke LhaL Lhlng' sald lsabella Mlldly
lrrlLaLed Cassle avolded lsabella's gaze 'We need lL' '8uL could you use lL?' Cassle dldn'L answer 1he alr
ouLslde was elecLrlc wlLh an lmpendlng sLorm Cassle could LasLe Lhe charge ln Lhe alr feel Lhe Llps of
her halr llfLlng As Lhey dodged Lhe Lrafflc and made Lhelr way Lo Lhe 79Lh SLreeL enLrance of CenLral
ark she could feel Lhe knlfe lnslde her coaL warm agalnsL her body lsabella was rlghL was she really
ready for Lhls? Could she acLually use Lhe knlfe lf lL came Lo lL? '1hls way Cassle!' lsabella's hushed
volce was fraughL wlLh anxleLy Cassle shook her head free of doubLs and ran on afLer her frlend lnLo Lhe
shadows and Lhrough pools of sLreeLllghL on Lhe 79Lh SLreeL 1ransverse She knew Lhls paLh she'd
walked lL ln Lhe dayllghL LhaL Llme Lwo weeks ago when she'd gone skaLlng aL Lhe Wollman 8lnk wlLh
8an[ noL now she LhoughL shovlng hlm ouL of her head She convlnced herself she wasn'L scared
golng lnLo Lhe darkness under Lhe LasL urlve brldge why should she be? she LhoughL and on Lhe
oLher slde she saw a suggesLlon of waLer A dlsLanL flash of llghLnlng made Lhe 1urLle ond gleam llke a
mlrror for an lnsLanL Lhen darkness closed ln agaln She could feel cold raln on her face buL as Lhe wlnd
rose lL dldn'L slow her lsabella was ouL of breaLh lagglng behlnd her now buL Cassle felL she could run
for ever 'Pow much furLher?' she barked '8lghL Lhere!' SLumbllng Lo a halL lsabella grabbed her '1haL's
lL Lhe Swedlsh CoLLage lL's a puppeL LheaLre' An Amerlcan flag and a Swedlsh one hung on Lhe roof of
Lhe large wooden bulldlng weL and whlpped by gusLs of wlnd Cassle leL ouL a mlrLhless laugh She
should have reallsed 8rlglLLe wouldn'L have been Laklng !ake Lo one of her own properLles 8esldes she
couldn'L lmaglne kaLerlna's famlly ownlng anyLhlng smaller Lhan a manslon Cassle felL her muscles
Lense as she prowled closer Lhrough Lhe Lrees 'Looks quleL' she murmured lL was ralnlng ln earnesL
now Lhe drops sLlnglng llke lce on her skln 1he bulldlng lLself wasn'L llL buL she could make ouL a falnL
glow from behlnd lL She narrowed her eyes sllenced her breaLhlng 8ehlnd Lhe rlslng wlnd and Lhe roar
of Lhe raln she could hear someLhlng volces MovemenLs 1he scrape of a shovel blade on soll Low
laughLer LlghLnlng exploded dlrecLly above Lhem Lurnlng Lhe world whlLe ln Lhe fracLlon of a second
before Lhe Lhunder shook Lhe earLh Cassle saw whaL was happenlng saw Lhe flgures and whaL Lhey
were dolng frozen ln Lhe llghL llke a Lableau 1he llghLnlng bolL was followed lnsLanLly by a second flash
Cassle was aware of a dlsLorLed lnhuman form rlslng up before her lllnchlng reflexlvely she sLumbled
back 1hen lL was rlghL ln fronL of her a hldeous face screamlng lnLo hers lLs eyes burnlng red wlLh haLe
and power 1here was no Llme Lo reacL LlfLed off her feeL by a rlnglng blow Cassle felL herself flung
Lhrough Lhe elecLrlc alr her skull Lhuddlng hard on Lo Lhe solld earLh as she landed SLruggllng Lo rlghL
herself anoLher llghLnlng bolL flashed Lhrough Lhe nlghL wlLhouL warnlng and crashed lnLo a nearby
Lree Cassle had a momenL of clarlLy as she saw Lhe branch rlp off llke a dlsused llmb and hurLle Lowards
her And Lhen Lhe nlghL wenL Lruly black
CPA1L8 1WLn1?llvL
Consclousness reLurned llke a cold slap 1rylng Lo geL Lo her feeL Cassle felL Lhe heavy Lree branch
plnnlng her Lo Lhe ground MusLerlng
all her sLrengLh she managed Lo heave lL off buL felL a searlng plerclng paln as she Look a breaLh AL
leasL one rlb was broken She coughed and gasped agaln as paln shoL Lhrough her once more Around
her Lhe raln howled llghLnlng more dlsLanL now crackled across Lhe skyllne 'Sllly glrl Sllly sLupld
scholarshlp glrl Lo Lhlnk you were a maLch for us even wlLh your freaky powers And greedy old MoLher
naLure had Lo Lake her Lurn Loo 1haL llghLnlng bolL nearly llL you up llke a ChrlsLmas Lree' She dldn'L
recognlse Lhe expenslve black booLs buL she knew Lhe volce kaLerlna uesperaLely Cassle lashed ouL
wlLh a flsL buL Lhe feeL ln fronL of her sklpped llghLly back 1he Swedlsh glrl's evaslve manoeuvre
revealed sllhoueLLes behlnd her 1hey looked human and yeL noL 1here was someLhlng dlsLorLed
abouL Lhe flgures as dlsLorLed as kaLerlna's groLesque form Ch Cassle recognlsed LhaL all rlghL She'd
seen lL before aL Lhe Arc de 1rlomphe kaLerlna leLLlng her Lrue evll lew colours shlne Lhrough 1he
peeledback llps Lhe red eyes Lhe LeeLh LhaL weren'L down Lo any allAmerlcan orLhodonLlsL 1he glrl
was sLlll sLyllsh Lhough Chlc desplLe Lhe casual ease wlLh whlch she held lsabella's unconsclous form
Lucked under one slnewy arm 'Cods you Lhree have Lhe luck of Lhe devll' kaLerlna laughed 'l've Lrled
and l've Lrled Lo geL my revenge a llLLle more eleganLly buL lL all comes down Lo flsLlcuffs and flylng Lree
branches ln Lhe end' 'lsabella!' Cassle reached for her frlend 'uon'L hurL her!' 'uon'L worry abouL your
roomle dear l'll Lake care of her' 1he grey llps sLreLched furLher 'Cnce and for all' WlLh a snarl of rage
Cassle Lrled Lo lunge up and snaLch aL lsabella buL kaLerlna dodged her wlLh laughable ease Cne of
Lhose expenslvely shod feeL lashed ouL caLchlng Cassle's Lemple and sendlng her reellng back uamn lL
lf only she could focus work Lhrough Lhls paln Cassle bllnked hard shaklng her dlzzy head She was
sure she knew Lhose Lwo flgures behlnd kaLerlna she'd seen Lhem so recenLly Lurchlng forwards agaln
sLlll lncapable of sLandlng uprlghL she squlnLed lnLo Lhe drlvlng raln and Lhe danclng shadows
ConLempLuously kaLerlna Lurned her back on Cassle and sLalked Lowards her comrades wlLh lsabella
hanglng llke a rag doll ln her arms As Cassle crawled desperaLely forward dlgglng her flngers lnLo Lhe
muddy grass bllnklng raln ouL of her eyes she saw Lhe flgures ln Lhe dlsLance more clearly 1he Laller
one had pale plaLlnum halr Lrlmmed shorLer Lhan kaLerlna's buL oLherwlse Lhe same 1he oLher was a
broad muscular flgure crophalred and Lhlckllpped hls eyes pale and cruel 1hose feaLures were all
LhaL dlsLlngulshed Lhem from a nlghLmare 8uL she deflnlLely knew Lhem 8rlglLLe and vaughan her
LormenLors from Lhe Councll Lach bore a flercely burnlng flrebrand LhaL dldn'L so much as guLLer
desplLe Lhe howl of Lhe wlnd and Lhe lashlng raln ulzzy able only Lo gape ln horror Cassle waLched Lhe
flames fllcker and leap 1hey looked allve squlrmlng [umplng wlLh llfe She saw eyes Lalls wlngs fangs
wrlggllng creaLures ln Lhe flames 1helr blazlng shapes swlrled amldsL Lhe darkness lllumlnaLlng
anoLher form barely movlng lylng on Lhe sodden ground !ake! WlLh an angry cry of despalr Cassle
dragged herself forward She dldn'L care abouL 8rlglLLe and vaughan she dldn'L even care abouL
kaLerlna She needed Lo geL Lo her frlends Cassle opened her mouLh Lo shouL Lhelr names buL a
whlmper of paln was all LhaL escaped her llps She sLared helpless as 8rlglLLe lashed her fooL lnLo !ake's
slde and he sLlfled a groan Cassle Lrled agaln Lo move buL Lhere was no sLrengLh ln her llmbs kaLerlna
dumped her burden beslde !ake lsabella was llmp as deaLh '1here's a Lear ln my eye' Lhe Swedlsh glrl
rasped 'SweeL of Lhe lovely Sara Lo leL me know you were comlng glrls And lucky Loo 8lchard was
supposed Lo be keeplng an eye on you all for me buL he seems Lo have changed sldes l'll have Lo deal
wlLh hlm laLer SLlll maybe lL hasn'L worked ouL Loo badly now you 1hree MuskeLeers can be all for
one' She Lhrew a scornful glance over aL Cassle and gave a merclless laugh '1ouchlng aln'L lL' growled
Lhe warped vaughan grlnnlng llke a skull Cassle saw hls whlLe LeeLh flash ln Lhe llghLnlng '?es well we
can'L separaLe Lhese Lwo loveblrds' cooed kaLerlna gazlng down aL lsabella and !ake 'uon'L worry
darllngs you'll be fed Lo Lhe earLh LogeLher unforLunaLely your llLLle halfbreed frlend wlll have Lo
make do wlLh a good oldfashloned kllllng We can'L have whaLever blL of her can clalm Lo be lew
corrupLlng Lhe Llvlng Soll now can we?' WlLh one fooL kaLerlna rolled !ake's body anoLher meLre along
Lhe ground and 8rlglLLe and vaughan llfLed Lhelr flamlng Lorches hlgh 1he leaplng llghL caughL Lhe edge
of a shadow LhaL was deeper Lhan any of Lhe oLhers 'Ch Cod' whlspered Cassle !ake lay on Lhe llp of a
black gouge ln Lhe earLh 1here was someLhlng sLrange abouL Lhe plL someLhlng evll Cassle crawled
closer 1he damp earLh lnslde lL had a crlmson shade a glow 8lood red She bllnked Lhe drlvlng raln ouL
of her eyes Cassandra whaL dld l Lell you? 'WhaL LsLelle?' Cassle's volce was no more Lhan a croak
drowned by Lhe claLLer of Lhe raln 'WhaL dld you Lell me? Should l have llsLened you old blLch?' Cf
course you should dear glrl 1here was a sLrange sorrow ln LsLelle's volce along wlLh Lhe lrrepresslble
Lhrlll 1he Llvlng Soll my dear 1he cruellesL prlson of all CenLurles of burlals feedlng lL feedlng Lhose
who dare Lo draw lLs power now she could see buL all she wanLed Lo do was look away 8un away
1he earLh ln Lhe plL wasn'L [usL earLh Lhere were bodles ln Lhere Loo Langled LogeLher movlng and
churnlng Loo many Lo counL Llmbs Lorsos sLraggllng bloodsoaked halr As Lhe LwlsLed plle Lurned a
hand clawed hopelessly aL Lhe alr 1hen wlLh a muffled scream lL was dragged under once more
'1hey're noL dead' whlspered Cassle as paln Lhundered ln her skull and her body shook She felL slck
'1hey're noL dead!' ?es my dear ?es now you undersLand And she dld lsabella and !ake were golng Lo
be burled allveCPA1L8 1WLn1?Slx
'An expenslve schoollng ls all very well' 1here was cruel laughLer ln 8rlglLLe's volce as she ralsed her
Lorch '8uL Lhere's such a Lhlng
dear Mlss Caruso as 1oo Much lnformaLlon And you have lL' She spaL on lsabella's prosLraLe body
'And Lhen of course Lhere's !ake' smlled kaLerlna 'oor nosy llLLle Scooby uon'L you know curloslLy
kllled Lhe creLln?' !ake lgnored her hls arms enclrcllng lsabella proLecLlvely 'Pe'll soon have plenLy of
Llme Lo ponder all Lhose preclous flles he worked so hard Lo dlg up' snarled vaughan 'uld you really
Lhlnk you managed Lo hack Lhe l8l slLe on your own? We [usL needed an excuse Lo nab you punk 1oo
easy We fed you Lhose flles [usL llke we're gonna feed you Lo Lhe Soll Wanna call your lawyer agaln
sonny?' Pls llp curled lnLo a mocklng sneer !ake's volce was a low deLermlned growl '?ou're gonna geL
hell from your Councll you slck basLards And when Lhey flnd ouL whaL you've done Lhey'll do my [ob
for me' Pe sLared up aL kaLrlna haLred burnlng ln hls eyes '?ou wlll pay for kllllng my slsLer' 'We musL
begln' 8rlglLLe growled wlLh a feverlsh urgency 'lgnore Lhe boy WhaL Lhe Councll doesn'L know can'L
hurL Lhelr dellcaLe senslblllLles' She selzed lsabella's halr wrapplng lL round her gnarled grey flngers
and dragglng her Lo Lhe llp of Lhe hole Selzlng hlm ln a headlock vaughan hauled Lhe choklng !ake afLer
her WlLh her free hand 8rlglLLe reached over Lhe plL moanlng as Lhe red glow caressed her skln '1he
power! Ch gods l feel lL already!' kaLerlna and vaughan looked on Lhelr breaLh rasplng wlLh
exclLemenL '1he dead of cenLurles leel Lhem daughLer! leel Lhelr energy! led Lo Lhe Soll preserved
forever allve forever for us!' Per volce rose Lo a hysLerlcal Lhrobblng cry 'We are Lhe Lrue lew! 1here
ls no weakness ln us no LalnL of mercy We alone have Lhe sLrengLh Lo feed Lhe Llvlng Soll and feed
from lL leel lLs power! Pow could Lhe Councll have renounced lL? PCW?' 8rlglLLe reeled as she shoved
!ake Lo Lhe brlnk of Lhe plL dlzzy wlLh anLlclpaLlon 'leLch Lhe halfbreed' she hlssed sLlll sLarlng
mesmerlsed aL Lhe gouged earLh 'We'll deal wlLh her nexL' Cassle was unable Lo move lf you wanL Lo
sLop Lhls darllng glrl you're runnlng ouL of Llme WhaL can l do? use Lhe Soll Cassandra 1urn Lhelr
own power agalnsL Lhem! 1he energy ls all Lhere Lhere ln Lhe Soll lLself ?ou [usL have Lo reach ouL and
Lake lL! lL wasn'L a consclous declslon lL wasn'L a real LhoughL aL all AL LsLelle's prompL Cassle Look a
deep breaLh and lgnorlng Lhe splke of paln LhaL broughL slmply closed her eyes and leL Lhe rage Lake
over Per dralned helplessness was forgoLLen her exhausLlon swamped by Lhe force LhaL zlnged
bllsLerlng hoL Lhrough her velns and slnews as she drew Lhe energy from Lhe Soll Lhrough Lhe alr and
lnLo her lungs lL was more powerful Lhan any feedlng more powerful Lhan Lhe 1ears even Surprlse
barely reglsLered as she felL her damaged rlb begln Lo heal 1he darkness Lurned vermllllon and swlfLer
and sLronger Lhan before Lhe Cassle of Carnegle Pall was back WlLh a howllng roar she leaped Lo her
feeL 'S1C!' 1he Lhree monsLers Lurned on her momenLarlly sLunned 'Ch don'L you ever learn?'
kaLerlna gave a vlclous snarl buL lL was vaughan who sprang aL her flrsL oor plLlful fool! Cassle
laughed LlghLenlng her flsLs aL her sldes She hadn'L moved an lnch Lowards hls flylng form when she
felL Lhe power rlp Lhrough her and Lhen ouL and beyond her hammerlng lnLo vaughan sLopplng hlm ln
hls Lracks ?LS! Show hlm! PL ASkLu lC8 l1! ulsLanLly she heard vaughan's howl of paln and Lerror Pe
was sLlll meLres away scrabbllng aL hls neck Lrylng Lo loosen her lnvlslble sLranglehold no use She
smlled Pe was screechlng hoarsely wasLlng whaL breaLh he could geL 8arlng her LeeLh she forced hlm
back Pls feeL and legs klcked and flalled aL Lhe ground buL he couldn'L sLop her drlvlng hlm back and
back Lo Lhe llp of Lhe plL 1hen llfLlng hlm lnLo Lhe alr Cassle flung hlm backwards lnLo Lhe squlrmlng
nlghLmarlsh open grave vaughan leL ouL a bellowlng scream groplng aL Lhe llp of Lhe ragged hole Lrylng
Lo scramble back up Lhe red earLh walls 8uL he couldn'L keep hls fooLlng noL ln LhaL rolllng maelsLrom
of llvlng corpses As he sLumbled bloodsoaked hands reached up for hlm cluLchlng hls legs hls arms
hls neck lor long seconds Cassle waLched as he sLruggled hls screams growlng sofLer and more
muffled as he was swallowed by Lhe plL of flesh 8uL Lhen came a rumbllng llke an earLhquake deep
underground 1he gaplng hole began Lo shlfL Lhe bloody mlre bubbllng vlolenLly lL seemed LhaL
vaughan's enLry was unwelcome 'nC!' 8rlglLLe's scream plerced Lhe nlghL 'Pe'll desLroy lL!' She flung
herself aL Lhe open earLh reachlng wlldly for vaughan's hand cluLchlng valnly aL Lhe alr 8uL lL was Loo
laLe Pe was gone And wlLh a shudder Lhe gouged earLh folded on lLself knlLLlng LogeLher llke a scar
8oLh 8rlglLLe and kaLerlna were hunched on Lhe ground aghasL lor Cassle however lL was as lf a plug
had been pulled 1he power was gushlng ouL of her Suddenly lnexpllcably weak she fell forward on Lo
her knees 1he Soll! 'LsLelle ?' Cassle murmured barely able Lo speak 'WhaL's happenlng?' ?ou've
rulned lL my dear lL cannoL hold one of Lhe lew wlLhouL such dlsasLrous resulLs lL's gone 1he Soll and
lLs energy are gone 8ad Llmlng As one Lhe moLheranddaughLer Leam Lurned and flung Lhemselves
Lowards Cassle screamlng wlLh fury pale plaLlnum halr brlsLllng wlLh Lhe sLaLlc of Lhe sLorm Pow weak
you are uear darllng Cassandra 'Cod LsLelle Pelp me' Ch Cassandra ?ou do have anoLher opLlon
of course lf only you'd allow lL 'l can'L move' she gasped 'LsLelle ' Pow much do you wanL lL
darllng? 1o llve how much? Wlll you allow lL? l'd so love lL lf you dld l don'L wanL us Lo dle PoL Lears
coursed down Cassle's cheeks Lrlckllng lnLo her mouLh She Lrled Lo sLand buL she dldn'L have Lhe
energy She could only
crouch walLlng for Lhem Lo Lear her aparL She dldn'L have Lhe sLrengLh Lo do Lhls on her own 'lease
LsLelle! PLL ML!' lL's so slmple darllng lL always has been !usL leL lL ln 1he resL of me LL1 l1 ln! lL was
louder Lhan lL had ever been LhaL volce lL reverberaLed lnslde her skull And lL was rlghL WhaL else
could she do? WhaL else? ln! ln! ln! ln! Cassle's answer was less Lhan a whlsper '?es ' lL was as lf her
whole body was slammed by a glganLlc force LhaL dldn'L sLop when lL hlL her buL wenL sLralghL Lhrough
her skln sLralghL Lhrough bone and flesh She heard LsLelle's scream of Lrlumph 1hen sllence
deafenlng sllence 1he splrlL was lnslde her Cassle was sealed ln a bubble lor whaL felL llke long long
momenLs Lhere was only peace and awe She felL Lhe muscles of her face move change Per feaLures
LwlsLed exaggeraLed 8uL she felL no fear 1hls ls lL Lhen? 1hls ls lL l llke lL 1hls power? ?es
ureamllke ln slow moLlon Cassle reached lnLo her [ackeL and closed her hand around Lhe knlfe lL was
allve [usL llke her 8eneaLh her flngers Lhe creaLures squlrmed ecsLaLlc ower poured ouL of Lhem
swlrled ln her blood sLreamed back lnLo Lhe knlfe and ouL agaln ln a vlbranL elecLrlc clrculL She dldn'L
laugh had no urge Lo gloaL [usL Lo flghL She felL her muscles Lense as 8rlglLLe and kaLerlna flung
Lhemselves Lowards her buL she hardly reglsLered Lhelr bloodcurdllng crles of aLLack LveryLhlng
seemed Lo be movlng aL halfspeed Cassle was fllled wlLh power drownlng ln lL Per and Lhe splrlL All
power all one She sprang lnLo Lhe alr leaplng efforLlessly aL her adversarles and her body was more a
force of naLure Lhan a human belng Per flsL was llghLnlng slashlng aL kaLerlna sendlng her
somersaulLlng backwards Per oLher hand a Lhunderclap snapplng Lowards 8rlglLLe's chesL and Lhe
woman sLaggered away sLarlng mesmerlsed aL Lhe knlfe ln Cassle's clenched flngers LlghLly she leaped
aL 8rlglLLe agaln 1he knlfe was allve Lhe creaLures on Lhe hllL slnglng for her 1here was a paLLern Lo
Lhelr squlrmlng movemenLs she reallsed lL all made sense lL was a dance 1he creaLures were ln
harmony Marvelllng aL Lhelr eleganL movemenLs she slashed aL Lhe blonde monsLer 8uL Lhls Llme
8rlglLLe was ready She dodged Cassle's blow and whlpped around her qulck as a flash her flsL
connecLlng a hammerlng blow agalnsL Lhe back of Cassle's skull Cassle lurched forward shaklng her
head vlgorously as her vlslon blurred wlLh Lhe lmpacL 'uld you Lhlnk lL would be LhaL easy scholarshlp?'
kaLerlna spaL sprlnglng ln aL her 'Pah!' Cassle blocked Lhe demon glrl's fooL before lL connecLed wlLh
her chln Crabblng kaLerlna's leg she launched her meLres lnLo Lhe alr wlLh a Lremendous roar 8efore
she could press home Lhe aLLack Lhough 8rlglLLe was on her back her arms locked around Cassle's
neck choklng her Cassle flung herself back on Lo Lhe ground and heard Lhe wlnd bursL ouL of 8rlglLLe's
lungs Per arms wenL llmp and Cassle leaped up and fllpped over smashed her flsL lnLo 8rlglLLe's face
and dug Lhe knlfe deep lnLo her shoulder 8rlglLLe howled ln agony 'MoLher!' screamed kaLerlna
Sprlnglng up Lo face Lhe daughLer's aLLack Cassle sLruck ouL wlLh knlfe and slammed Lhe hllL agalnsL
kaLerlna's head Squeallng wlLh paln Lhe glrl Lhudded semlconsclous on Lo Lhe muddy ground
LlghLnlng flared across Lhe clouds agaln and Lhunder reverberaLed as Cassle crouched over kaLerlna's
prone form and ralsed Lhe blade hlgh Per eyes burned and everyLhlng was red agaln She llked lL She
loved lL Cassle's head was buzzlng her LhoughLs were a [umble of rage 'l should end you you blLch ?ou
Lrled Lo klll us 1rled Lo klll us all!' us? !ake and lsabella And me and Cassle bllnked hard Lrylng Lo sLlll
Lhe flzzlng anger so she could Lhlnk sLralghL Who else had kaLerlna Lrled Lo harm? She breaLhed deeply
and Lurned her face skywards lreezlng raln sLung her skln remlndlng her she was vulnerable MorLal
Puman 'LsLelle!' she gasped Ch Cod All of LsLelle was sLlll lnslde her 8lghL lnslde her body and
mlnd Cassle could feel her Lhere unlLlng 8ecomlng one wlLh her CompleLlng Lhe Lask LhaL Lhe [olnlng
rlLual had begun Soon she would be a parL of Cassle for ever unless ShuLLlng her eyes she focused all
her wlll noL superhuman power Cassle LhoughL [usL Lhe sLrengLh of her own mlnd Per own soul She
began Lo feel a change someLhlng movlng shlfLlng As she sLruggled pushlng agalnsL Lhe force wlLhln a
famlllar volce reLurned once more Cassandra? SLop! WhaL are you dolng? '1hls lsn'L rlghL' Cassle sald 'l
can'L leL Lhls happen LsLelle! l shouldn'L have leL' nC! keeplng her eyes squeezed shuL Cassle grlLLed
her LeeLh as she felL her skln begln Lo shlmmer hoL wlLh Lhe energy she was Lrylng Lo force ouL
Cassandra! SLop! uon'L do Lhls Lo me! l wanL Lo be whole! 'l'm sorry' Cassle crled 'l'm so sorry!' Per
head spun and suddenly Lhe heaL across her skln dlsslpaLed She'd done lL 1he power was close buL
dlvlded once more Cassle panLed flnally openlng her eyes as cold raln mlngled wlLh her warm Lears
And from somewhere lnslde Lhere came a walllng cry of paln and grlef
CPA1L8 1WLn1?SLvLn
Cnce agaln Cassle's energy was dralned Suddenly she was Lrembllng scared and alone ln Lhe darkness
lnsLlncLlvely her hands flew up
Lo feel her face lL was back Lo normal She sLaggered away from Lhe prosLraLe forms of kaLerlna and
8rlglLLe ln fronL of her Lhe Swedlsh CoLLage loomed llke a LhreaLenlng behemoLh lLs flags flapplng
wlldly and now she was frlghLened agaln uon'L be afrald! LeL me back ln and Lhere'll be no quesLlon of
fear! 'LsLelle?' she whlspered ln a Lrembllng volce 'l can'L leL LhaL happen agaln' 8uL Cassandra my
dear now you've felL Lhe posslblllLles 'no LsLelle l'm sorry l can'L' llne my dear no apologles 8uL
now you know ?ou know how lL should be! ?ou wlll leL me ln evenLually Cassandra lorever 8ehlnd
Cassle someone swore sofLly She spun on her heel Lo see !ake kneellng over lsabella rubblng her hands
and klsslng her cold llps llke some klnd of supremely dlshevelled rlnce Charmlng '!ake? ls she Ck!' She
sLumbled Lo hls slde 'Leave her!' Pls yelp was angry and scared 'She's comlng round' 'Ck' she
mumbled She sLared aL Lhe knlfe ln her hand now lnerL and lnanlmaLe 8lood gllsLened on Lhe blade A
wave of nausea swepL Lhrough her and Lhe weapon Loppled from her flngers Lo Lhe ground AL a sound
she Lurned 8rlglLLe was dragglng her daughLer Lo her feeL boLh of Lhem eyelng Cassle wlLh Lerror 1hey
looked so rldlculously ordlnary now bleedlng smeared wlLh mud and soaked Lo Lhelr pale skln
Cassle couldn'L even summon Lhe energy Lo be angry She waLched empLy of all feellng as Lhe palr
sLumbled away lnLo Lhe shadows of CenLral ark 8uL someLhlng drew her closer Lo Lhe dense Lrees
where Lhey'd vanlshed 1he plL of Lhe Llvlng Soll was enLlrely gone now 1he ground was healed Lhe
sodden Lurf showlng noL so much as a mark '!ake' she whlspered closlng her eyes 'LeL's geL ouL of
here' 8eLween Lhem !ake and Cassle halfcarrled Lhe groggy lsabella from Lhe park !ake lnslsLlng LhaL
Lhe wesL slde was closer Pe seemed desperaLe Lo be ouL of CenLral ark and he was beglnnlng Lo shake
vlolenLly by Lhe Llme Lhey made lL on Lo Lhe sLreeLs uelayed shock LhoughL Cassle llnally Lhey lefL Lhe
ralnswepL park behlnd and swung bllndly lnLo a narrow alley !ake Look a ragged breaLh 'WhaL Lhe hell
happened back Lhere?' he snapped Pls face was dralned and Lhere were dark brulses under hls eyes
buL hls volce was full of accusaLlon 'l sLopped you geLLlng burled allve LhaL's whaL happened' Cassle
barely had Lhe energy Lo ralse her volce above a whlsper Pe sLared aL her hls face a plcLure of dlsgusL
'WhaL are you Cassle?' WhaL was she? uldn'L know dldn'L care 1here was a lead welghL on her braln
and an even heavler one ln her guL WhaL had she done? '?ou kllled vaughan 1haL l8l guy? And Lhen '
Pe Lralled off 'l dldn'L mean Lo' '8uL you dld Cassle ?ou dld' '!ake noL now l can'L Lhlnk' SLepplng
back from Lhem boLh Cassle rubbed her face hard wlLh Lhe palms of her hands her breaLhlng shallow
and rapld Suddenly she dldn'L wanL Lo look aL hlm Was Lhere sLlll a Lrace of red ln her eyes? '!ake leave
her alone' lsabella's volce surprlsed Lhem boLh and Lhey Lurned She looked exhausLed buL her speech
was clear 'WhaL abouL you? WhaL dld vaughan and 8rlglLLe do dld Lhey hurL you?' 'no noL really 1hey
came for me when l was asleep 8efore l knew whaL was happenlng Lhey'd Laken me Lo Lhe park' Cnce
more he Look a pace Lowards Cassle 'uld you know whaL would happen? WhaL Lhey were plannlng?
Why dld you have Lhe knlfe? ?ou Look lL from my room dldn'L you? uld you know whaL Lhey were golng
Lo do wlLh us Cassle? ls LhaL someLhlng you freaks all know abouL you slck' Pe broke off shaklng wlLh
whaL seemed Lo Cassle llke a mlxLure of fear and dlsgusL Pad she known? Pad she known whaL she
would end up dolng? Maybe Maybe she'd wanLed lL CLherwlse why had she been so hellbenL on
flndlng Lhe knlfe on dolng everyLhlng [usL as LsLelle ordered? 1wlsLlng her flngers lnLo her halr Cassle
gave a low groanLhaL came ouL as a growl Per head sLlll felL llke a lump of sLone yeL lL dldn'L seem Lo
belong Lo her aL all !ake's hecLorlng volce was a long long way away noLhlng maLLered excepL Lhe
vorLex of empLlness LhaL was growlng lnslde her splnnlng lnLo a greaLer and greaLer vold 'l need Lo
feed' she whlspered as her legs gave way beneaLh her She couldn'L focus vaguely she knew she was
belng dragged furLher lnLo Lhe alley propped agalnsL a brlck wall beLween a flre escape and some
resLauranL blns A genLle hand Llpped her head back and sLroked her face 'She's ln a bad way !ake'
lsabella's volce sounded as lf lL came from Lhe boLLom of a deep well 'So whaL? lsabella leave her LeL's
go' 'no !ake no' A sllence durlng whlch Cassle heard her own breaLhlng rapld and shallow and
hungry Per flngers LwlLched seeklng Lo grab lsabella buL only scraplng uselessly on cobbles 'WalL whaL
are you golng Lo ? no! no way lsabella!' 'l've Lold you before !ake' lsabella's Lone was deLermlned
'SLay ouL of Lhls lL's goL noLhlng Lo do wlLh you' Pear hear LhoughL Cassle woozlly SLay ouL of lL !ake
'AbsoluLely noL l won'L leL you!' '?ou can'L sLop me 1ake your hands off me!' 1o Cassle Lhe faceoff
seemed Lo lasL forever Per own body seemed lmposslbly dlsLanL from her yeL Lhe core of hunger was
lnLolerable She was [usL beglnnlng Lo wlsh desplLe herself she'd lefL !ake Lo hls shallow unLhlnkable
grave 'Ck Ck Sorry Come on lsabella please!' '!ake no! We'd be dead lf lL wasn'L for Cassle!' '?ou
could be dead because of her!' '?ou Lhlnk?' lsabella's volce was Lense 'LeL me Lell you !ake !ohnson
none of Lhls ls Cassle's faulL She ls whaL she ls buL she ls also our frlend She would glve her llfe for us!
She almosL dld! lalr ls falr l'm wllllng Lo rlsk mlne for her' 'lsabella you Lhlnk l can sLand LhaL? l love
you! l love you uon'L do Lhls'
1here was a pause '!ake l love you Loo 8uL lf you won'L sLay here and help me help us you can go
Lo hell' Per words were Lough buL lsabella's volce was Lrembllng wlLh emoLlon !ake sLared aL Lhem
boLh dlsbellevlng love and loaLhlng warrlng ln hls eyes Pe Look a sLep forward and for a momenL
Cassle LhoughL lsabella's words had done enough Lo persuade hlm 1hen hls mouLh hardened andhe
Lurned hls back and walked away A momenL laLer he had vanlshed lnLo Lhe nlghL lsabella sllenLly
waLched hlm go 1hen she knelL ln fronL of Cassle loosenlng her coaL collar cupplng her face ln her cold
hands and movlng Lo puL her llps Lo her frlend's no no noL llke LhaL lL's Loo dangerous 8uL Cassle
couldn'L help herself Per flngers flalled ln lsabella's glossy halr leebly she held her head up and
whlmpered 1he surge of energy slammed lnLo her llke a hlghvolLage currenL lsabella's mouLh was
pressed agalnsL her own and Cassle leaned forward drawlng hungrlly 1he energy was lncredlble
lrreslsLlble buL LhaL splnnlng vorLex of hunger lnslde was sucklng lL lnLo her wlLh no heslLaLlon lsabella's
skln paled Lo whlLeness 8uL Cassle was deLermlned Lhls Llme She absoluLely would noL lose conLrol 1he
sacrlflce lsabella had [usL made meanL she would noL allow lL AfLer a momenL she forced herself Lo
sLop lL was over She was so so glad when lL was over '!ake ' Cassle sald hoarsely 'l know lL's Ck'
lsabella's volce was bleak Ashamed Cassle clambered Lo her feeL 8uL physlcally she felL sLronger Lhan
ever She scooped lsabella off Lheground and held her LlghLly Lears sLlnglng her eyellds '1hank you' she
choked lsabella squeezed her frlend LlghLly by way of reply When she spoke her volce was racked wlLh
emoLlon 'Pe'll come back Won'L he?' Cassle Look a deep breaLh 'l don'L know lsabella' she sald
honesLly 'l really don'L know'
CPA1L8 1WLn1?LlCP1
'1 he Councll of Lhe Llders ls called Lo order Slr Alrlc uarke presldlng'
1he aLmosphere ln Lhe 1rusLees' 8oom couldn'L have been more dlfferenL from Lhe lasL Llme she'd saL
here nervous and alone 1hls Llme Cassle sLood relaxed buL deLermlned She felL comforLable ln Lhe
room's grand elegance and she wasn'L overawed by Lhe row of Llders seaLed behlnd Lhe long Lable
1hey seemed smaller now SLudylng Lhe llne of faces she meL each gaze lndlvldually Some of Lhe
flgures even Lhe mosL famlllar ones were fldgeLlng uncerLalnly Such a meeLlng was unprecedenLed Slr
Alrlc had Lold her 1hls oughL Lo be lnLeresLlng '?ou can'L call Lhe meeLlng Lo order unLll 8rlglLLe and
vaughan geL here' ob[ecLed Lhe female senaLor Lapplng a sleek founLaln pen on her leaLher organlser
'8rlglLLe Svensson and Andrew vaughan wlll noL be aLLendlng Lhls Councll' Slr Alrlc lgnored Lhe
collecLlve lnLake of breaLh LhaL greeLed Lhls announcemenL 'lor reasons LhaL wlll become clear l Lhlnk
we may assume LhaL Lhey send Lhelr apologles' '1hen leL's hear lL' drawled an AllsL Pollywood acLor
'WhaL's Lhls abouL?' Cassle looked aL hlm coldly unlnLlmldaLed by hls famous devlllsh grln 'l'm here Lo
reglsLer my proLesL abouL your lasL declslon' A redhalred supermodel exchanged glances wlLh her
nelghbour '1haL would be Lhe declslon regardlng Lhe !ohnson boy?' '1haL would be Lhe declslon
regardlng !ake yes' 'May l ask' murmured Lhe acLor 'whaL buslness lL mlghL be of yours? Cr ln facL
how you even came Lo know abouL lL?' Cassle breaLhed sLeadlly lgnorlng hls lasL quesLlon She was
deLermlned noL Lo lose conLrol and scraLch hls eyes ouL 'llrsL he's my ' A falnL pause 'Pe's my frlend
Second he's an lnnocenL parLy And Lhlrd whaL you dld was wrong' Whlle her words sank ln Lhere
were a few muLLered exchanges and even a gruff laugh or Lwo 1he senaLor smlrked and saL back ln her
chalr 'l hardly Lhlnk LhaL a recenLly converLed halflew mongrel can appreclaLe Lhe very complex lssues
lnvolved ln Lhls case Slr Alrlc l suggesL LhaL your convenlng of Lhls Councll was exLraordlnarlly lll[udged
1he meeLlng should be LermlnaLed aL once We're all busy people' Mongrel? 1he lnsolence! Cassle felL
her splne sLlffen wlLh shared lndlgnaLlon buL sLlll she almosL laughed aL LsLelle's morLlfled Lone 1lme
for Lhe gloves Lo come off 'AcLually Lhe lssues aren'L complex aL all l Lhlnk LhaL even a pollLlclan should
be capable of undersLandlng whaL l have Lo say' 'l beg your pardon?' 1he senaLor wenL crlmson 1he
supermodel snlggered and so dld LsLelle 1haL's Lelllng Lhem my dear 'Pow many of you' asked Cassle
'have checked on !ake !ohnson ln Lhe Conflne?' 'Checklng lsn'L necessary my dear' a cardlnal Lold her
wlLh a llLLle smlle 'Pe's perfecLly safe Lhere 1he Conflne lsn'L an unpleasanL place noL by any means'
'So lL's noL much llke Lhe Llvlng Soll Lhen?' 1haL shuL Lhem up 1he cardlnal wenL a colour Lo maLch hls
cassock 'My dear Mlss 8ell' he coughed '1he very menLlon of LhaL ls a blasphemy use of Lhe Llvlng Soll
was banned cenLurles ago LeL us noL hear any more of lL' 'Ch up unLll lasL nlghL lL was sLlll very much
ln use' sald Cassle calmly 'and you almosL condemned !ake !ohnson Lo lL' 1he uproar was saLlsfylng
'Pow dare you' 'uarke Lhls ls unaccepLable' 'l demand an explanaLlon!' '1hen Cassandra' murmured
Slr Alrlc quleLly 'wlll glve you one' Cassle shoL hlm a graLeful look buL her expresslon hardened as she
sLudled Lhe row of Llders '8rlglLLe and vaughan have made fools of Lhe loL of you' she sald coldly
'1hey've been Laklng prlsoners from Lhe Conflne and feedlng Lhem Lo Lhe Llvlng Soll for years l can show
you Lhe place where lL happened ?ou can deLermlne how Lrue lL ls for yourselves lf you can face lL'
'lndeed?' drawled Lhe acLor 'And you can prove Lhls?' 'lf you don'L belleve me' reLorLed Cassle
polnLlng 'ask hlm' All eyes ln Lhe room swlvelled from Cassle Lo Lhe handsome feaLures of Slr Alrlc Pe
cleared hls LhroaL 'Cassle came Lo me wlLh her sLory lasL nlghL needless Lo say l was as shocked as Lhe
resL of you buL l dld vlslL Lhe place she descrlbed l am afrald whaL she has Lold you ls Lrue Lhere are
human corpses under Lhe ground Lhere l have also been Lo Lhe Conflne' Pe paused 'lL was empLy l
fear Lhere can be llLLle doubL LhaL all Lhose who were belng held Lhere have been fed Lo Lhe Llvlng Soll
here ln new ?ork' no one moved no one spoke 1he supermodel had paled and even Lhe senaLor had
her eyes shuL and her hand over her mouLh 'My Cod ' whlspered Lhe old cardlnal Slr Alrlc gazed
sLeadlly aL Cassle 'Cassandra l can assure you LhaL none of Lhe oLher Llders were aware of Lhe
abomlnaLlon you wlLnessed l hope you belleve LhaL' 'l'm Lrylng Lo' Cassle clasped her hands LlghLly
behlnd her back dlgglng her nalls lnLo her palms '8uL even lf LhaL's Lrue even lf you dldn'L know abouL
Lhe Llvlng Soll you are all sLlll responslble ?ou voLed Lo send !ake Lo Lhe Conflne along wlLh Cod knows
how many oLher people whose only crlme was Lo know Loo much abouL Lhe lew 8uL you never
boLhered Lo check on Lhem dld you? ?ou dldn'L wanL Lo know ouL of slghL ouL of mlnd So vaughan
and 8rlglLLe were able Lo do whaLever Lhey wanLed wlLh Lhem' nlneLeen palrs of eyes were focused on
her She clenched her hands LlghLer so Lhey wouldn'L shake 'And whaL's more your Conflne? lL's a [all
l don'L care how fancy lL ls lL's a prlson for lnnocenLs and LhaL's wrong ?ou wanL Lo proLecL Lhe secreL
of Lhe lew? Well here's Lhe deal you work ouL anoLher way Lo do lL l wanL Lhe Conflne closed now
And lf l ever hear of anybody else vanlshlng lf anyLhlng happens Lo !ake !ohnson or any oLher lnnocenL
person l'll be Lhe faL lady ln Lhe lew's lasL acL ?ou hear me? l'll be slnglng aL Lhe Lop of my volce l'll go
Lo Lhe cops l'll go Lo Lhe l8l l'll go Lo Cnn and lox news and Lhe new ?ork 1lmes and Lhe WashlngLon
osL and damn lL l'll go Lo Lhe naLlonal Lnqulrer' 8reaLhless wlLh fury she forced her volce Lo calm
1here was redness ln her eyes !usL enough she musLn'L leL lL go Loo far 1he power bubbled llke a
physlcal Lhlng [usL under her skln buL now she was conLrolllng lL raLher Lhan vlce versa 'l don'L care
how lnfluenLlal you are Lhere are sLlll plenLy of lnfluenLlal people who aren'L lew l'll go Lo Lhem l'll Lell
Lhem everyLhlng l'll
Lell all Lhe normal people 8ecause Lhere sLlll are some you know? normal decenL lndlvlduals who don'L
have Lo sLeal Lhelr llfeforce from oLher people' 'And you' Lhe Pollywood acLor remlnded her sllklly
'are noL one of Lhem' 'no' she spaL '8uL l remember whaL lL was llke l remember who l was Comes of
belng a mongrel l guess' 'lf we go down you wlll suffer wlLh us Mlss 8ell' 1he senaLor's volce was
frlgld 'Maybe so senaLor 8uL l'll do lL anyway And l know whaL you're Lhlnklng LhaL you could [usL puL
me ln your preclous Conflne Lock me away Well ' Cassle forced a grln summonlng all her chuLzpah
And LhaL wasn'L so hard when she could already see LhaL aL leasL half of Lhem were vlslbly afrald of her
' ?ou can puL me ln Lhe Conflne buL can you keep me Lhere?' Calmly reachlng ouL wlLh a LenLacle of
force Cassle genLly llfLed Lhe founLaln pen from Lhe senaLor's numb flngers and snapped lL neaLly ln
Lwo 1he senaLor leL ouL a choklng gasp 1he resL of Lhe Llders seemed dumbsLruck Pow's LhaL for
conLrol Slr Alrlc? And was she mlsLaken or was Lhere [usL a hlnL of prlde ln hls granlLe eyes? Slr Alrlc
uarke rapped Lhe sllver gavel very genLly so LhaL lL made Lhe sweeLesL of rlnglng sounds 'So ladles and
genLlemen shall we puL lL Lo a voLe?'
CPA1L8 1WLn1?nlnL
Cassle llfLed her phone as lL vlbraLed sllenLly ln her hand ?eL agaln she sLudled Lhe glowlng dlsplay
1 new Message from aLrlck Malone Cnce more her Lhumb moved Lo Lhe keypad Cnce more lL genLly
pressed ueleLe She rolled over ln bed and peered over aL lsabella's shape ln Lhe darkness lL had Laken
hours for her Lo flnally fall asleep Cassle wasn'L so lucky Whenever she closed her eyes she saw whaL
would have happened lf she hadn'L sLopped kaLerlna and 8rlglLLe ln Llme lf she hadn'L Laken Lhe knlfe lf
she hadn'L llsLened Lo LsLelle LsLelle had been Lhere when she needed her When lL came Lo Lhe
crunch lL was LsLelle LhaL she Lurned Lo So whaL dld LhaL mean for Cassle? Was she a monsLer [usL llke
Lhe people from whom she had been Lrylng Lo proLecL her frlends? She wasn'L even sure she could call
!ake her frlend now lL seemed clear he wouldn'L welcome lL aL leasL Slnce he'd lefL Lhem ln Lhe
alleyway Lhere had been no slgn of hlm Pe'd vanlshed [usL as surely as Lhe lew knlfe Cassle had
searched all over Lhe grounds of Lhe Swedlsh CoLLage when she'd reLurned Lhere wlLh Slr Alrlc buL Lhe
blade had vanlshed Cf course any passerby could have plcked lL up buL somehow Cassle knew LhaL
!ake had lL Why had he gone back for lL LhaL remlnder of everyLhlng he haLed? 1o Lry Lo klll kaLerlna?
Cr was he Lhlnklng he mlghL need Lo use lL agalnsL Cassle herself some Llme ln Lhe fuLure? 1he fuLure
Cassle slghed Who knew whaL LhaL held? l do l know Lver slnce Cassle had allowed her fully lnLo her
mlnd and body Lhere had been a new calmness Lo LsLelle's volce As Lhough she was cerLaln LhaL Cassle
would evenLually leL her ln agaln permanenLly 'lL's never golng Lo happen LsLelle' Cassle was
adamanL 8uL whaL dld lL mean Lo glve LhaL up? WhaL was she loslng? 1he lncredlble feellng of power
LhaL Lhe [olnlng had glven her sLlll resonaLed ln Cassle's mlnd llke Lhe memory of a drug lL felL llke a
sLruggle every momenL [usL Lo keep Lhe deslre aL bay 8uL sLruggle she would She couldn'L rlsk hurLlng
lsabella loslng conLrol dolng any more damage She dldn'L llke whaL she'd become whaL she had Lhe
poLenLlal Lo become Sooner or laLer you'll have Lo embrace lL my dear! Cassle [umped as she heard a
sofL knock aL Lhe door !ake? She almosL leaped for Lhe door glanclng aL her bloLched face ln Lhe
wardrobe mlrror AL leasL her eyes were back Lo a respecLable yellowgreen Cpenlng Lhe door she had
Lo sLeady herself as she saw who sLood Lhere '8an[lL' She had Lo keep her breaLhlng even however
hard lL was SomeLhlng LwlsLed ln her chesL buL she beaL back Lhe longlng and kepL her dlsLance
'Cassle Pl' 1he handsome lndlan boy clenched and unclenched hls flsLs She'd never seen hlm look so
nervous and unhappy lL dldn'L mean she was leLLlng hlm off Lhe hook Lhough Mlndful of lsabella she
sllpped ouL lnLo Lhe corrldor and pulled Lhe door Lo behlnd her 'l'm surprlsed Lo see you here' Pe Look
a wounded breaLh 'Cassle l'm sorry AbouL everyLhlng' '?ou heard Lhe sLory Lhen?' 'l've spoken Lo Slr
Alrlc' Pe looked aL hls hands 'And he's spoken Lo me' '8ack Lo normal Lhen l'm geLLlng Lalked abouL
behlnd my back My ears'll be as red as my eyes' '?ou don'L Lhlnk l wanLed needed Lo know whaL
happened?' Pls eyes flashed and [usL for an lnsLanL Lhelr amber became Llnged wlLh scarleL ScruLlnlslng
hlm Cassle nodded LhoughLfully Lo herself Swallowlng 8an[lL Look a sLep back 'l'm sure you wanLed Lo
know 8an[lL Course you'd have seen lL all flrsLhand lf you'd been around Lo help us' She swallowed
Lven now desplLe everyLhlng Lhe lasL Lhlng she wanLed Lo do was hurL hlm 8uL he needed hurLlng
she'd had her share from hlm lL was hls Lurn 'l'm sorry' Pls face was very solemn '8uL LhaL doesn'L
mean l could have done Lhlngs any oLher way' 'Lverybody geLs a cholce 8an[lL Lverybody's goL free
wlll We are human afLer all' Pe gave her a sad smlle '1haL's a maLLer of oplnlon' Cassle folded her
arms sLared over hls shoulder 'Why are you here?' '1o ask you Lo be careful lease Cassle l don'L
wanL anyLhlng Lo happen Lo you' '8lL laLe for LhaL' She shook her head blLLerly 'l'm Lalklng abouL Lhe
Councll 1he Llders ?ou don'L know whaL Lhey're capable of Cassle' 'now where have l heard LhaL
before?' She puL a flnger Lo her chln 'Ch yes 1haL's whaL Lhey sald abouL me' 'l'm serlous 1hey've had
Lo accepL your demands Lhls Llme Lhey couldn'L deny LhaL whaL 8rlglLLe and vaughan were dolng was
wrong buL Lhe Llders don'L llke Lo be crossed Cassle lease be careful lor your own sake' Pe Look a
breaLh 'And mlne' 'l see lL's a selfpreservaLlon Lhlng' WlLh a slgh 8an[lL slld down Lhe wall Lo Lhe
floor resLlng hls arms on hls knees AfLer a momenL's heslLaLlon Cassle saL down aL hls slde '8an[lL' She
plcked aL a hangnall her volce quleL 'Why are you here? 8eally?' She knew Lhe answer she wanLed for
hlm Lo Lell her he'd been wrong LhaL he never should have abandoned her 1haL he loved her She
needed hlm Lo say LhaL 8an[lL Lurned hls head so he was looklng lnLo her eyes 1haL broughL hls face hls
llps so very close She could smell hlm Pls skln hls halr hls essence Cassle sLruggled Lo conLrol her
breaLhlng ln ouL ln ouL no panLlng now She felL dangerously vulnerable under hls gaze '8eally?' he
sald '1ruly? 8ecause l wanLed l needed Lo see you l've mlssed you llke hell l wlsh Lo Cod LhaL l dldn'L
have Lo do whaL l dld ?ou have Lo belleve me Cassle 8uL l sLlll had Lo do lL And l [usL wanLed Lo explaln
myself so LhaL maybe [usL maybe you won'L haLe me so much' Pe heslLaLed hls eyes lmplorlng Cassle
nodded 'Co on' Pe Lurned hls head away Lo sLare aL Lhe floor agaln 'And l need Lo Lell you why we
can'L be LogeLher any more' 1hose words hurL so much and so unexpecLedly she had Lo pause for long
momenLs '8lghL'
Pe Look a deep breaLh 'l wanLed Lo be wlLh you aL Lhe Councll 1he nlghL of Lhe meeLlng l was ready ln
my room AbouL Lo come Lo geL you And ' She slghed Why dld he expecL her Lo make lL easler for
hlm? 'And?' 'And Slr Alrlc came Lo see me' 'l see So you lefL me alone because you had a more
lmporLanL meeLlng' '?ou don'L undersLand!' he snapped 'Pe Lold me whaL he was expecLlng LhaL nlghL
aL Lhe Councll Pe Lold me he'd have Lo flghL LooLh and nall [usL Lo keep you ouL of Lhe Conflne' 'uld
he really?' Cassle arched an eyebrow 'lL dldn'L show' 'l Lhlnk lL's Lrue Pe sald he had Lo convlnce Lhe
Llders he could conLrol you 1haL he could monlLor you wlLhln Lhe Academy resLraln you Lraln you And
' 8an[lL Look a breaLh 'And LhaL he couldn'L do LhaL lf l was Lhere wlLh you' Cassle blL a nall 'WhaL?
Why?' '8ecause we shouldn'L be LogeLher Cassle' When she could flnally breaLhe ouL Lhe slgh was
shaky 'l see Well ln LhaL case Lhere's more noLhlng Lo explaln Slr Alrlc has spoken so' 'Cassle lL's
noL llke LhaL lease llsLen 1here's Lhere's so much Lo explaln lL's noL LhaL l don'L lL's noL LhaL l don'L
llke you very very much lL's noL LhaL l don'L desperaLely wanL Lo be wlLh you' Cassle leL ouL a shorL
mlrLhless laugh 'Pard Lo see whaL lL ls Lhen' Mlserably he raked hls hands Lhrough hls halr 'lL's our
splrlLs Cassle ?ou musL feel lL Loo 1he way Lhlngs are beLween us? So volaLlle? Cne second wanLlng Lo
Lear each oLher's halr ouL Lhe nexL wanLlng Lo Lear each oLher's cloLhes off? And whaL happened lasL
Llme we were LogeLher 8emember? ?ou Lhlnk you have Lrouble conLrolllng yourself? Well so do l
Lspeclally around you' She blL her llp waLched hls LormenLed proflle '?eah' She heslLaLed 'Cassle Slr
Alrlc had already explalned lL Lo me LhaL nlghL he called me back lnLo hls offlce afLer he saw us LogeLher
l dldn'L wanL Lo belleve hlm l Lrled Lo lgnore lL l argued 8uL whaL he Lold me ls rlghL lf you Lhlnk abouL
lL you'll know lL's Lrue We brlng ouL Lhe worsL ln each oLher Cassandra' Pe shook hls head sadly '?es
we do 8an[lL' She goL Lo her feeL suddenly desperaLe noL Lo cry ln fronL of hlm noL Lo grab hlm hang
on Lo hlm beg hlm noL Lo go She had Lrouble conLrolllng herself 'noL us l mean whaL's lnslde us Cur
splrlLs brlng ouL Lhe worsL ln each oLher LhaL's whaL Slr Alrlc Lold me Cod l'm dolng Lhls so badly ' Pe
Look an exasperaLed breaLh 'We'll become worse Cassle we'll egg each oLher on We're llke a palr of
evll Lwlns ?ou know whaL else he sald?' 'Surprlse me' 'lf l had shown up aL Lhe Councll meeLlng' he sald
lnLenLly 'he'd've leL you go Lo Lhe Conflne' 'Pe dld whaL?' 'Pe sald he wouldn'L have a cholce lf l'd
lnslsLed on supporLlng you he'd have casL hls voLe Lo lmprlson you lor your proLecLlon and everyone
else's So whaL cholce dld l have?' She puL her head ln her hands '1he cholce Lo flghL for me?' 'Ch
Cassle don'L you see?' Pe Louched her halr and lL was llke a Llny elecLrlc shock 'l Lrled 8uL l couldn'L
lgnore Lhe baslc facL LhaL he was rlghL' '?ou so do noL have Lo explaln any more' She slapped hls hand
aslde and sLepped back her volce shaklng Lhough she wlshed lL wouldn'L 'l'll be flne on my own 8an[lL
l always have been lL was a blg mlsLake geLLlng dependenL agaln noL llke me aL all' She sLepped back
dellberaLely from hlm 'AfLer all regardless of our splrlLs you'd never have been Lhere for me ?ou
weren'L Lhere when l really needed you and now l know you never wlll be because you're a bloody
coward ?ou won'L flghL ?ou'll [usL Lake Lo your heels and hlde!' She shook her head furlously 'l flghL
8an[lL l'm noL runnlng 8uL lf you wanL Lo you go ahead ?ou run for your lmmorLal llfe' Scrambllng Lo
hls feeL he sLared aL her buL he couldn'L move 'Co on 8an[lL CeL ouL of here' She reached back for
Lhe handle of her door fumbled lL open cluLchlng Lhe cold meLal Lo sLop her hand shaklng 'And don'L
worry your preLLy llLLle head abouL me lL seems l'm Lhe devll ln dlsgulse' SLepplng back Lhrough Lhe
door she waLched hls sLunnlng devasLaLed face She made herself waLch lL Lo prove her lmmunlLy She
dldn'L Lake her eyes away from LhaL beauLlful gaze noL Llll she'd flnally closed Lhe door on lL noL Llll she
could aL lasL press her forehead Lo Lhe wood and leL Lhe Lears drlbble down Lo Lhe floor Cnly for a
momenL Lhough She wasn'L golng Lo lndulge Lhe sLupld Lears 1here was noLhlng Lo cry abouL noLhlng
She dldn'L need hlm She could look afLer herself She could even lgnore Lhe Llny volce lnslde begglng
her pleadlng wlLh her 1haL can'L be lL lL can'L be over lL can'L be Lhe end ' And Lhen her own sad
plalnLlve lnner volce was drowned ouL anyway l see ?ou're leLLlng Lhem go We're leLLlng Lhem go
Well perhaps we don'L need Lhem afLer all 'LsLelle?' she whlspered 'Are you sure?' A comforLlng
sensaLlon of warmLh Lrlckled down her splne spreadlng llke an embrace Per flngerLlps Llngled her eyes
burned WarmLh comforL power ?es Cassandra my love l'm sure now We can do Lhls ?ou are
sLrong SLronger Lhan hlm l chose you well And l'll always be here for you! Always ?es LhoughL Cassle
l know LhaL now And of course lL lsn'L Lhe end my darllng We're only [usL geLLlng sLarLed
8ead on for an excluslve exLracL from Lhe Lhlrd book ln Lhe uarke Academy serles ulvlded Souls
ulvluLu SCuLS
1hls was no chore
?usuf Ahmed smlled down aL Lhe glrl who saL on Lhe velveL couch far more ln hls hungry eyes Lhan Lhe
prosalc lusL of a boy for a glrl 1ouchlng her [aw wlLh a flnger he drew a genLle llne Lo her chln
LanLallslng hlmself and her feellng Lhe hunger grow and leLLlng lL 'AnoLher rakl?' Pe proffered Lhe
carafe 'l Lhlnk l've had enough' Per volce was Leaslng Pe gave a sofL laugh ?es he LhoughL ?es l Lhlnk
you probably have ?usuf Look a small sLep away from her en[oylng Lhe masochlsLlc klck of prolonglng
Lhe walL Pe was hungry buL noL so hungry he would rush lL 8alslng hls eyes Lo Lhe open wlndow and
Lhe balmy nlghL he leL hlmself soak up Lhe beauLy of lL Lhe moon on Lhe 8osphorus Lhe llghLs of a
crulse shlp sLrung llke a gllLLerlng dlamond necklace Plgh and hazy ln Lhe warm evenlng Lhe dome and
mlnareLs of Lhe 8lue Mosque gleamed llke chalcedony lL remlnded hlm vaguely of Sacre Coeur of lasL
auLumn Lerm ln arls when everyLhlng had changed When Lhlngs had begun for Lhe flrsL Llme ln so
very long Lo go awry for Lhe lew When LhaL scruffy walf of a scholarshlp glrl Cassle 8ell had Lurned up
aL Lhe Academy and been shocklngly chosen by LsLelle Azzedlne Lhen Lrlcked lnLo becomlng Lhe new
hosL Lhe old woman needed for her powerful splrlL Pe wlshed now LhaL he'd never goL lnvolved
Lhough he sLlll remembered wlLh some rellsh Lhe frlsson of exclLemenL aL Lhe [olnlng ceremony Lhe
sense of enLlLlemenL and arrogance and power Pe vlvldly recalled Lhe 8ell glrl's fury as Lhey held her
down aL LsLelle's mercy and he recalled Loo Lhe unexpecLed plLy and fear he had felL ln hlmself
8ecause lL had gone wrong so fasL 1he [olnlng rlLual lnLerrupLed parL of LsLelle's splrlL [olned wlLh
Cassle parL of lL shuL ouL ln Lhe vold and Lhe lew lefL as sLunned as lf a bomb had gone off ln Lhelr
mldsL ?usuf shook hls head A new Lerm had now begun and Lhe glrl Cassle seemed Lo be seLLllng lnLo
belng one of Lhe lew Pe was acLually glad 1hey were all glad Cr mosL of Lhem were So who knew
whaL brlghLer Lurn Lhlngs mlghL Lake for Lhe lew? lncludlng hlmself Closlng hls eyes he lnhaled warm
alr scenLed wlLh nlghL flowers sea breeze peLrol fumes and charcoal smoke Cods he was golng Lo love
lL here ln lsLanbul 1hls was hls flnal Lerm aL Lhe Academy and he felL a keen sense of regreL mlngled
wlLh Lhe anLlclpaLlon Pls fuLure glowed before hlm wlLh wealLh success and lnfluence how could lL be
oLherwlse? 8uL sLlll he'd mlss Lhe comradeshlp Lhe secreLs Lhe power of belng one of Lhe lew aL Lhe
Academy lL had been fun A llghL hand Louched hls arm ?usuf Lurned Lo Lhe glrl suddenly achlng wlLh
Lhe beauLy of Lhe nlghL and wlLh hungry longlng She bllnked Per eyes were already a llLLle unfocused
and dlsLanL her smlle Lrembllng on her llps as lf she'd halfforgoLLen lL was Lhere Cood Pe seL down
hls own glass and Look her face beLween hls hands She was lovely wlLh her golden hearLshaped face
and her huge dark eyes Per llps parLed and she made a small sound lL mlghL have been deslre or
bewlldermenL buL he no longer cared She'd drunk whaL he'd offered her She wouldn'L remember lor
one momenL longer he heslLaLed leedlng llke Lhls was forbldden because lL was Loo dangerous 8uL for
LhaL very reason Lhe Lhrlll made lL lrreslsLlble And ?usuf was noLhlng lf noL experlenced Pe was sLrong
he was skllled And damn he was hungry Crlpplng her face he broughL her llps flercely agalnsL hls own
Pe felL Lhe momenLary slmple pleasure of human conLacL 1hen lnslde hls chesL Lhe splrlL pulsed and
energy gushed lnLo hls velns Pls eyes wldened reddenlng As Lhe glrl made a small moan of proLesL he
forced hlmself back under conLrol Pe wouldn'L hurL her LhaL wasn'L how he goL hls klcks 8elaxlng hls
hold he lnLenslfled Lhe klss feellng llfeenergy Lhrlll Lo hls nerveendlngs Ch Lhls was feedlng Lhls was
saLlsfacLlon Lhls was bllss Pls senses sharpened smell and LasLe suddenly acuLe Pe could hear Lhe
Lhrum and beaL of Lhe clLy Lhe Lhrob of Lhe crulse shlp's englnes Pe could hear a sofL fooLsLep And
Lhen a whlsper sald hls name ?usuf Ahmeeeed Pad he mlsheard? 8eleaslng Lhe glrl he wenL sLlll
llsLenlng lnLenLly Pe'd chosen hls place well Lhls secluded room wlLh lLs romanLlc arches and nooks
above Lhe resLauranL ln Cld lsLanbul Pe'd pald Lhe owner exLremely well because he'd made lL perfecLly
clear he dld noL wanL Lo be dlsLurbed Pow dld Lhey know hls name? Was lL someone who knew hlm
from Lhe Academy ? Pe shlvered aL Lhe LhoughL 1haL was Lrouble he dldn'L wanL noL rlghL aL Lhe end
of hls school career unauLhorlsed feedlng ln a forbldden manner? lL wasn'L beyond posslblllLy LhaL he
could be klcked ouL llke kaLerlna Svensson afLer Lhe buslness wlLh Lhe 8ell glrl Slr Alrlc Look hls rules
very very serlously SllenL every sense alerL he Lurned Lowards Lhe darkness beyond Lhe wlndow
arch Pe sLepped closer Lhen became preLernaLurally sLlll as hls eyes searched Lhe nlghL 8elow hlm was
a courLyard and Lhe balcony exLended round Lhree sldes of lL draped wlLh shadows 1here AgalnsL a
cracked Llle wall one shadow darLed pasL qulckly Someone was spylng on hlm Cne who knew hls
name 1aunLlng hlm a slxLh former one of Lhe mosL powerful lew! 1he splrlL lnslde hlm klndled buL
Lhls Llme wlLh rage Pow dare Lhey! Pe'd saLlsfled hls hunger and now Lhe romanLlc momenL was losL
Loo one more reason Lo Lurn hls fury on Lhe lnLruder Pe Louched Lhe glrl's face Cradually genLly she
came back Lo herself eyes focuslng mouLh curvlng lnLo a more deLermlned smlle 'Aren'L you golng Lo
klss me Lhen?' lf only you knew he LhoughL dryly 'Sorry hablbl l've had a LexL lL's an emergency ?ou
have Lo go' Per sulky pouL was dellclous Lo behold Pe laughed 'l'll see you Lomorrow nlghL l'll make lL
up Lo you yes?' 'Ch yes ?ou cerLalnly wlll' She wlnked urawlng a flnger down hls chesL ln farewell she
blew hlm a LanLallslng klss and was gone ?usuf gave one lasL yearnlng slgh buL hls muscles were already
Lenslng for a chase LlghL and swlfL he vaulLed Lhrough Lhe arch and ouL on Lo Lhe rlckeLy balcony 1he
dark flgure had had plenLy of Llme Lo make an escape buL only when he dropped llghLly down Lo Lhe
courLyard dld ?usuf see lL break lnLo a run loollsh he LhoughL 1he flgure managed Lo keep several
sLeps ahead of hlm as Lhey chased Lhrough Lhe alleys of SulLanahmeL lLs fooLsLeps were almosL as defL
and llghL as ?usuf's own lL was growlng dark and lonely as Lhey Lravelled Lhrough Lhe sLreeLs Lhe
sounds of Lhe clLy muffled by dlsLance as lf he had pursued Lhe shadow lnLo anoLher Llme zone no one
around
Slowlng he reallsed wlLh surprlse LhaL Lhe flgure was headlng up Lhe sLeps of an ouLbulldlng beslde Lhe
Pagla Sophla Was lL a mausoleum? SLlll ?usuf felL no fear Pe approached Lhe enLrance and reallsed Lhe
crypL was empLy of people closed for renovaLlon 8uL as he enLered desplLe hls expecLaLlons Lhe place
was noL dark Above hlm a domed 8yzanLlne celllng gleamed ln Lhe llghL of hundreds of candles Candles
? Pe sLopped ears prlcked Lvery lnlald door leadlng off Lhe room was open ?usuf was very alerL
now 8eyond Lhe vasL aLrlum Lhe place was a maze of arches and passageways and whoever Lhe
prowler was he was hldlng And he was very good aL lL ?usuf felL hlmself Lhrlll aL Lhls sLealLhy hunL
noL a wasLed evenlng really An opponenL was almosL as much of a klck as a lover Pe was golng Lo
Leach Lhls upsLarL a lesson Pa! MovemenL sharp aL Lhe corner of hls eye 1here beyond LhaL arch wlLh
lLs chlpped and faded glldlng ?usuf moved swlfL and sllenL as a caL 1he anLeroom was small wlLh
freLwork clolsLers and halfdesLroyed blue mosalcs and Lhe glow of candlellghL dldn'L peneLraLe Lhe
shadows beyond Lhe plllars 1here was no exlL lL was a Lrap ?usuf halLed smlllng wryly 1lme Lo Lurn
Lhe Lables and flush hlm ouL Lhls lnsolenL sLalker 'Show yourself' Pls volce clear and commandlng
echoed Lhrough archways ln response Lhere was only sllence Pe Lurned a slow halfclrcle eyelng every
corner every shadow '1here's nowhere Lo go lace lL' SLlll noLhlng 1he fllckerlng golden alr was heavy
wlLh Lhe sLlllness 'Who Lhe hell are you? Show yourself now' A movemenL a sound behlnd hlm lL
mlghL only have been a fooLfall buL lL was close 1oo close ?usuf spun on hls heel Lensed Lo sLrlke
furlous aL Lhe audaclLy 1he gllnL of a smlle meL hlm and Lhen anoLher more slnlsLer gllnL '?ou? WhaL
Lhe hell' ?usuf sLaggered back fllnglng up hls hands ln horror Pe dldn'L even have Llme Lo scream
Couldn'L run Couldn'L shuL hls Lerrlfled eyes Pe only felL for Lhe flrsL and lasL Llme a crushlng and
paralyslng Lerror as Lhe flgure lunged aL hlm 1hen every candle ln Lhe bulldlng wenL ouL and ?usuf's
world Lurned Lo absoluLe blackness