‘The power! Oh gods, I feel it already!’
Katerina and Vaughan looked on, their breath rasping with excitement.
‘The dead of centuries … Feel them, daughter! Feel their energy! Fed to the Soil, preserved forever, alive forever, for us!’ Her voice rose to a hysterical, throbbing cry. ‘We are the true Few! There is no weakness in us, no taint of mercy. We alone have the strength to feed the Living Soil, and feed from it. Feel its power! How could the Council have renounced it? HOW?’
Brigitte reeled as she shoved Jake to the brink of the pit, dizzy with anticipation. ‘Fetch the half-breed,’ she hissed, still staring mesmerised at the gouged earth. ‘We’ll deal with her next.’
Cassie was unable to move.
If you want to stop this, darling girl, you’re running out of time …
What can I do?
Use the Soil, Cassandra. Turn their own power against them! The energy is all there – there in the Soil itself. You just have to reach out and take it!
It wasn’t a conscious decision. It wasn’t a real thought at all. At Estelle’s prompt, Cassie took a deep breath and, ignoring the spike of pain that brought, simply closed her eyes and let the rage take over.
Her drained helplessness was forgotten, her exhaustion swamped by the force that zinged, blistering hot, through her veins and sinews as she drew the energy from the Soil through the air and into her lungs. It was more powerful than any feeding, more powerful than the Tears, even. Surprise barely registered as she felt her damaged rib begin to heal. The darkness turned vermillion and, swifter and stronger than before, the Cassie of Carnegie Hall was back. With a howling roar, she leaped to her feet.
‘STOP!’
The three monsters turned on her, momentarily stunned.
‘Oh, don’t you ever learn?’ Katerina gave a vicious snarl, but it was Vaughan who sprang at her first.
Poor, pitiful fool!
Cassie laughed, tightening her fists at her sides. She hadn’t moved an inch towards his flying form, when she felt the power rip through her and then out and beyond her, hammering into Vaughan, stopping him in his tracks.
YES! Show him! HE ASKED FOR IT!
Distantly she heard Vaughan’s howl of pain and terror. He was still metres away, scrabbling at his neck, trying to loosen her invisible stranglehold.
No use.
She smiled. He was screeching hoarsely, wasting what breath he could get. Baring her teeth, she forced him back. His feet and legs kicked and flailed at the ground but he couldn’t stop her driving him back, and back, to the lip of the pit. Then, lifting him into the air, Cassie flung him backwards into the squirming, nightmarish open grave.
Vaughan let out a bellowing scream, groping at the lip of the ragged hole, trying to scramble back up the red earth walls. But he couldn’t keep his footing, not in that roiling maelstrom of living corpses. As he stumbled, blood-soaked hands reached up for him, clutching his legs, his arms, his neck. For long seconds, Cassie watched as he struggled, his screams growing softer and more muffled as he was swallowed by the pit of flesh.
But then came a rumbling, like an earthquake deep underground. The gaping hole began to shift, the bloody mire bubbling violently. It seemed that Vaughan’s entry was unwelcome …
‘NO!’ Brigitte’s scream pierced the night. ‘He’ll destroy it!’
She flung herself at the open earth, reaching wildly for Vaughan’s hand, clutching vainly at the air. But it was too late. He was gone. And with a shudder, the gouged earth folded on itself, knitting together like a scar. Both Brigitte and Katerina were hunched on the ground, aghast.
For Cassie, however, it was as if a plug had been pulled. The power was gushing out of her. Suddenly, inexplicably weak, she fell forward on to her knees.
The Soil!
‘Estelle …?’ Cassie murmured, barely able to speak. ‘What’s … happening?’
You’ve ruined it, my dear. It cannot hold one of the Few without such disastrous results. It’s gone. The Soil and its energy are gone.
Bad timing.
As one, the mother-and-daughter team turned and flung themselves towards Cassie, screaming with fury, pale platinum hair bristling with the static of the storm.
How weak you are. Dear, darling Cassandra . . .
‘God, Estelle. Help me.’
Oh Cassandra. You do have another option, of course. If only you’d allow it …
‘I can’t move,’ she gasped. ‘Estelle …’
How much do you want it, darling? To live, how much? Will you allow it? I’d so love it if you did … I don’t want us to die …
Hot tears coursed down Cassie’s cheeks, trickling into her mouth. She tried to stand but she didn’t have the energy. She could only crouch, waiting for them to tear her apart. She didn’t have the strength to do this on her own.
‘Please, Estelle! HELP ME!’
It’s so simple, darling. It always has been. Just let it in. The rest of me. LET IT IN!
It was louder than it had ever been, that voice. It reverberated inside her skull.
And it was right. What else could she do? What else?
IN! IN! IN! IN!
Cassie’s answer was less than a whisper.
‘Yes …’
It was as if her whole body was slammed by a gigantic force that didn’t stop when it hit her but went straight through her skin, straight through bone and flesh. She heard Estelle’s scream of triumph. Then silence – deafening silence.
The spirit was inside her.
Cassie was sealed in a bubble. For what felt like long, long moments, there was only peace and awe. She felt the muscles of her face move, change. Her features twisted, exaggerated. But she felt no fear.
This is it, then?
This is it. I like it …
This power?
Yes …
Dreamlike, in slow motion, Cassie reached into her jacket and closed her hand around the knife. It was alive: just like her. Beneath her fingers the creatures squirmed, ecstatic. Power poured out of them, swirled in her blood, streamed back into the knife and out again in a vibrant, electric circuit. She didn’t laugh, had no urge to gloat – just to fight. She felt her muscles tense as Brigitte and Katerina flung themselves towards her, but she hardly registered their bloodcurdling cries of attack. Everything seemed to be moving at half-speed. Cassie was filled with power, drowning in it. Her and the spirit. All power, all one.
She sprang into the air, leaping effortlessly at her adversaries, and her body was more a force of nature than a human being. Her fist was lightning, slashing at Katerina, sending her somersaulting backwards. Her other hand a thunderclap, snapping towards Brigitte’s chest, and the woman staggered away, staring mesmerised at the knife in Cassie’s clenched fingers.
Lightly she leaped at Brigitte again. The knife was alive, the creatures on the hilt singing for her. There was a pattern to their squirming movements, she realised: it all made sense. It was a dance. The creatures were in harmony. Marvelling at their elegant movements, she slashed at the blonde monster.
But this time, Brigitte was ready. She dodged Cassie’s blow and whipped around her, quick as a flash, her fist connecting a hammering blow against the back of Cassie’s skull. Cassie lurched forward, shaking her head vigorously as her vision blurred with the impact.
‘Did you think it would be that easy, scholarship?’ Katerina spat, springing in at her. ‘Hah!’
Cassie blocked the demon girl’s foot before it connected with her chin. Grabbing Katerina’s leg, she launched her metres into the air with a tremendous roar. Before she could press home the attack, though, Brigitte was on her back, her arms locked around Cassie’s neck, choking her.
Cassie flung herself back on to the ground, and heard the wind burst out of Brigitte’s lungs. Her arms went limp, and Cassie leaped up and flipped over, smashed her fist into Brigitte’s face and dug the knife deep into her shoulder. Brigitte howled in agony.
‘Mother!’ screamed Katerina.
Springing up to face the daughter’s attack, Cassie struck out with knife, and slammed the hilt against Katerina’s head. Squealing with pain, the girl thudded, semi-conscious, on to the muddy ground. Lightning flared across the clouds again, and thunder reverberated, as Cassie crouched over Katerina’s prone form and raised the blade high.
Her eyes burned and everything was red again. She liked it. She loved it.
Cassie’s head was buzzing, her thoughts were a jumble of rage.
‘I should end you, you bitch. You tried to kill us. Tried to kill us all!’
Us?
Jake and Isabella. And me and …
Cassie blinked hard, trying to still the fizzing anger so she could think straight. Who else had Katerina tried to harm? She breathed deeply and turned her face skywards. Freezing rain stung her skin, reminding her she was vulnerable. Mortal.
Human …
‘Estelle!’ she gasped.
Oh, God. All of Estelle was still inside her. Right inside her body and mind. Cassie could feel her there. Uniting. Becoming one with her. Completing the task that the joining ritual had begun. Soon she would be a part of Cassie for ever. Unless …
Shutting her eyes, she focused all her will. Not superhuman power, Cassie thought, just the strength of her own mind. Her own soul. She began to feel a change, something moving, shifting. As she struggled, pushing against the force within, a familiar voice returned once more.
Cassandra? Stop! What are you doing?
‘This isn’t right,’ Cassie said. ‘I can’t let this happen, Estelle! I shouldn’t have let—’
NO!
Keeping her eyes squeezed shut, Cassie gritted her teeth as she felt her skin begin to shimmer, hot with the energy she was trying to force out.
Cassandra! Stop! Don’t do this to me! I want to be whole!
‘I’m sorry,’ Cassie cried. ‘I’m so sorry!’
Her head spun, and suddenly the heat across her skin dissipated. She’d done it. The power was close, but divided once more. Cassie panted, finally opening her eyes as cold rain mingled with her warm tears.
And from somewhere inside there came a wailing cry of pain and grief.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Once again, Cassie’s energy was drained. Suddenly she was trembling, scared and alone, in the darkness. Instinctively, her hands flew up to feel her face. It was back to normal.
She staggered away from the prostrate forms of Katerina and Brigitte. In front of her, the Swedish Cottage loomed like a threatening behemoth, its flags flapping wildly, and now she was frightened again.
Don’t be afraid! Let me back in, and there’ll be no question of fear!
‘Estelle?’ she whispered in a trembling voice. ‘I can’t let that happen again.’
But Cassandra, my dear, now you’ve felt the possibilities …
‘No. Estelle, I’m sorry, I can’t—’
Fine, my dear. No apologies. But now you know. You know how it should be! You will let me in eventually, Cassandra. Forever.
Behind Cassie, someone swore softly. She spun on her heel to see Jake kneeling over Isabella, rubbing her hands and kissing her cold lips like some kind of supremely dishevelled Prince Charming.
‘Jake? Is she OK!’ She stumbled to his side.
‘Leave her!’ His yelp was angry and scared. ‘She’s coming round.’
‘OK,’ she mumbled. She stared at the knife in her hand, now inert and inanimate. Blood glistened on the blade. A wave of nausea swept through her and the weapon toppled from her fingers to the ground.
At a sound, she turned. Brigitte was dragging her daughter to her feet, both of them eyeing Cassie with terror. They looked so ridiculously ordinary now – bleeding, smeared with mud, and soaked to their pale skin – Cassie couldn’t even summon the energy to be angry. She watched, empty of all feeling, as the pair stumbled away into the shadows of Central Park. But something drew her closer to the dense trees where they’d vanished.
The pit of the Living Soil was entirely gone now. The ground was healed, the sodden turf showing not so much as a mark.
‘Jake,’ she whispered, closing her eyes. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
Between them, Jake and Cassie half-carried the groggy Isabella from the park, Jake insisting that the west side was closer. He seemed desperate to be out of Central Park and he was beginning to shake violently by the time they made it on to the streets. Delayed shock, thought Cassie.
Finally, they left the rainswept park behind and swung blindly into a narrow alley. Jake took a ragged breath. ‘What the hell happened back there?’ he snapped. His face was drained and there were dark bruises under his eyes, but his voice was full of accusation.
‘I stopped you getting buried alive, that’s what happened.’ Cassie barely had the energy to raise her voice above a whisper.
He stared at her, his face a picture of disgust. ‘What are you, Cassie?’
What was she? Didn’t know, didn’t care. There was a lead weight on her brain and an even heavier one in her gut. What had she done?
‘You killed Vaughan. That FBI guy? And then …’ He trailed off.
‘I didn’t mean to.’
‘But you did, Cassie. You did.’
‘Jake, not now. I can’t think.’ Stepping back from them both, Cassie rubbed her face hard with the palms of her hands, her breathing shallow and rapid. Suddenly she didn’t want to look at him. Was there still a trace of red in her eyes?
‘Jake, leave her alone.’ Isabella’s voice surprised them both, and they turned. She looked exhausted, but her speech was clear. ‘What about you? What did Vaughan and Brigitte do, did they hurt you?’
‘No. Not really. They came for me when I was asleep. Before I knew what was happening, they’d taken me to the park.’ Once more he took a pace towards Cassie. ‘Did you know what would happen? What they were planning? Why did you have the knife? You took it from my room, didn’t you? Did you know what they were going to do with us, Cassie? Is that something you freaks all know about, you sick—’ He broke off, shaking with what seemed to Cassie like a mixture of fear and disgust.
Had she known? Had she known what she would end up doing?
Maybe …
Maybe she’d wanted it.
Otherwise, why had she been so hell-bent on finding the knife, on doing everything just as Estelle ordered? Twisting her fingers into her hair, Cassie gave a low groanthat came out as a growl. Her head still felt like a lump of stone yet it didn‘t seem to belong to her at all. Jake’s hectoring voice was a long, long way away. Nothing mattered except the vortex of emptiness that was growing inside her, spinning into a greater and greater void.
‘I need to feed,’ she whispered as her legs gave way beneath her.
She couldn’t focus. Vaguely, she knew she was being dragged further into the alley, propped against a brick wall between a fire escape and some restaurant bins. A gentle hand tipped her head back and stroked her face.
‘She’s in a bad way, Jake.’ Isabella’s voice sounded as if it came from the bottom of a deep well.
‘So what? Isabella, leave her. Let’s go.’
‘No, Jake. No.’
A silence, during which Cassie heard her own breathing, rapid and shallow and hungry. Her fingers twitched, seeking to grab Isabella but only scraping uselessly on cobbles.
‘Wait, what are you going to …? No! No way, Isabella!’
‘I’ve told you before, Jake.’ Isabella’s tone was determined. ‘Stay out of this. It’s got nothing to do with you.’
Hear, hear, thought Cassie woozily. Stay out of it, Jake …
‘Absolutely not. I won’t let you!’
‘You can’t stop me. Take your hands off me!’
To Cassie, the face-off seemed to last forever. Her own body seemed impossibly distant from her, yet the core of hunger was intolerable. She was just beginning to wish, despite herself, she’d left Jake to his shallow, unthinkable grave …
‘OK, OK. Sorry. Co
me on, Isabella, please!’
‘Jake, no! We’d be dead if it wasn’t for Cassie!’
‘You could be dead because of her!’
‘You think?’ Isabella’s voice was tense. ‘Let me tell you, Jake Johnson: none of this is Cassie’s fault. She is what she is, but she is also our friend. She would give her life for us! She almost did! Fair is fair. I’m willing to risk mine for her.’
‘Isabella, you think I can stand that? I love you! I love you. Don’t do this.’
There was a pause.
‘Jake … I love you too. But if you won’t stay here and help me – help us – you can go to hell.’ Her words were tough, but Isabella’s voice was trembling with emotion.
Jake stared at them both, disbelieving, love and loathing warring in his eyes. He took a step forward, and for a moment Cassie thought Isabella’s words had done enough to persuade him. Then his mouth hardened, andhe turned his back and walked away. A moment later, he had vanished into the night.
Isabella silently watched him go. Then she knelt in front of Cassie, loosening her coat collar, cupping her face in her cold hands and moving to put her lips to her friend’s.
No, no, not like that, it’s too dangerous …
But Cassie couldn’t help herself. Her fingers flailed in Isabella’s glossy hair. Feebly, she held her head up and whimpered.
The surge of energy slammed into her like a high-voltage current. Isabella’s mouth was pressed against her own, and Cassie leaned forward, drawing hungrily. The energy was incredible, irresistible, but that spinning vortex of hunger inside was sucking it into her with no hesitation. Isabella’s skin paled to whiteness.
But Cassie was determined this time. She absolutely would not lose control. The sacrifice Isabella had just made meant she would not allow it. After a moment, she forced herself to stop. It was over. She was so, so glad when it was over.
‘Jake …’ Cassie said hoarsely.
‘I know. It’s OK.’ Isabella’s voice was bleak.
Ashamed, Cassie clambered to her feet. But physically she felt stronger than ever. She scooped Isabella off theground and held her tightly, tears stinging her eyelids. ‘Thank you,’ she choked.
Blood Ties (Darke Academy) Page 17
