Choos. Really, really fast. Cassie shoved through the crowds in the foyer, the bewildered ones who hadn’t been in the bar to see what had happened. Outside, the cold air hit her like a slap as she bolted across 57th Street and Central Park South, into the dark safety of the park itself.
She went on running until the high heels began to – not hurt her, but annoy her. Anger again. No. She mustn’t get angry. Stumbling to a halt, she tugged off the shoes and ran on barefoot, her breathing hard and ragged, the straps of the stilettos hooked into her fingers.
Something soft and cold touched the skin of her face. And once more. Halting, she stood uncertainly for a few seconds. The coldness turned to wetness as it brushed her cheek.
Snow. The flakes drifted faster and thicker across the city’s lights before vanishing in the dark oasis of the park. Her bare feet were freezing. She was freezing. She could see only scattered pools of light on whitening patches of grass, and the ominous shape of trees. She wrapped her arms around herself, shaking with terror. Oh, God!
A dark shape moved behind her, and she gave a sharp cry of fear.
‘Cassie.’
His voice was quiet, and the animal ferocity was gone. She turned into Ranjit’s arms with a desperate sob of relief.
‘Come on, Cassie. Let’s go.’
‘I don’t know what this is. I’ve never heard of it.’
Sir Alric Darke’s back was turned to them. For several silent minutes now he had been staring out of the glass walls of his penthouse on to the glittering lights of Manhattan and the blackness that was Central Park.
Cassie shivered. She could hardly believe she’d run into that absorbing darkness without a thought. The hunger was growing again; she could feel it. It had gnawed at her insides since she’d run in a blind panic from Carnegie Hall. The spirit was awake and it was ravenous. And that was one more thing she didn’t need, because she’d been just as sure as Ranjit that Sir Alric could explain what had happened at Carnegie Hall.
No such luck.
‘You say you picked Sara up?’
‘Not – not physically.’ Her voice trembled, and she cleared her throat. ‘But yes, I picked her up. Some kind of force. Outside me, but it felt like I was controlling it.’
‘This is baffling. And it worries me a great deal.’
‘It worries you?’ She tried to laugh.
‘Sir Alric,’ Ranjit broke in. ‘If you can’t explain what’s happened, no one can. There must be something. Something you’ve forgotten, something from the past.’
‘I’m touched by your faith in me, Ranjit.’ Sir Alric sounded unusually bitter. ‘But no. I’ve never heard of any such thing. I’d remember, believe me.’
Ranjit squeezed Cassie’s shoulders in an attempt to reassure her. ‘Are you sure that the joining ritual has never been broken before?’
Sir Alric gazed out on the city again. ‘No. No, Ranjit, it hasn’t. And you’re right, it’s the only thing that’s different about Cassie: her interrupted ritual.’
‘Some of the spirit was shut out,’ said Cassie quietly. ‘Some of Estelle. She talks about being out in a void.’
Sir Alric spun sharply on his heel. ‘She talks to you? You hear her voice?’
‘Yes.’ Cassie’s shoulders sagged.
‘That shouldn’t happen,’ he muttered, rubbing his forehead. ‘That shouldn’t happen.’
‘She wants to be let in. Like you told me at the end of last term. You said she wouldn’t stop until she joined with me fully.’
Sir Alric stayed silent but nodded slowly, his brows knitted.
‘What’s happening to me?’ Cassie’s voice took on an air of desperation.
Sir Alric’s eyes met hers. ‘I don’t know.’
Gently easing from Ranjit’s hold, Cassie rose to her feet. ‘You’re hardly filling me with confidence here.’
‘I’m sorry. There are some people I can ask and some ancient texts I can consult, but for now, Cassandra, I can’t give you any firm answers.’
‘Oh, brilliant.’ She folded
She went on running until the high heels began to – not hurt her, but annoy her. Anger again. No. She mustn’t get angry. Stumbling to a halt, she tugged off the shoes and ran on barefoot, her breathing hard and ragged, the straps of the stilettos hooked into her fingers.
Something soft and cold touched the skin of her face. And once more. Halting, she stood uncertainly for a few seconds. The coldness turned to wetness as it brushed her cheek.
Snow. The flakes drifted faster and thicker across the city’s lights before vanishing in the dark oasis of the park. Her bare feet were freezing. She was freezing. She could see only scattered pools of light on whitening patches of grass, and the ominous shape of trees. She wrapped her arms around herself, shaking with terror. Oh, God!
A dark shape moved behind her, and she gave a sharp cry of fear.
‘Cassie.’
His voice was quiet, and the animal ferocity was gone. She turned into Ranjit’s arms with a desperate sob of relief.
‘Come on, Cassie. Let’s go.’
‘I don’t know what this is. I’ve never heard of it.’
Sir Alric Darke’s back was turned to them. For several silent minutes now he had been staring out of the glass walls of his penthouse on to the glittering lights of Manhattan and the blackness that was Central Park.
Cassie shivered. She could hardly believe she’d run into that absorbing darkness without a thought. The hunger was growing again; she could feel it. It had gnawed at her insides since she’d run in a blind panic from Carnegie Hall. The spirit was awake and it was ravenous. And that was one more thing she didn’t need, because she’d been just as sure as Ranjit that Sir Alric could explain what had happened at Carnegie Hall.
No such luck.
‘You say you picked Sara up?’
‘Not – not physically.’ Her voice trembled, and she cleared her throat. ‘But yes, I picked her up. Some kind of force. Outside me, but it felt like I was controlling it.’
‘This is baffling. And it worries me a great deal.’
‘It worries you?’ She tried to laugh.
‘Sir Alric,’ Ranjit broke in. ‘If you can’t explain what’s happened, no one can. There must be something. Something you’ve forgotten, something from the past.’
‘I’m touched by your faith in me, Ranjit.’ Sir Alric sounded unusually bitter. ‘But no. I’ve never heard of any such thing. I’d remember, believe me.’
Ranjit squeezed Cassie’s shoulders in an attempt to reassure her. ‘Are you sure that the joining ritual has never been broken before?’
Sir Alric gazed out on the city again. ‘No. No, Ranjit, it hasn’t. And you’re right, it’s the only thing that’s different about Cassie: her interrupted ritual.’
‘Some of the spirit was shut out,’ said Cassie quietly. ‘Some of Estelle. She talks about being out in a void.’
Sir Alric spun sharply on his heel. ‘She talks to you? You hear her voice?’
‘Yes.’ Cassie’s shoulders sagged.
‘That shouldn’t happen,’ he muttered, rubbing his forehead. ‘That shouldn’t happen.’
‘She wants to be let in. Like you told me at the end of last term. You said she wouldn’t stop until she joined with me fully.’
Sir Alric stayed silent but nodded slowly, his brows knitted.
‘What’s happening to me?’ Cassie’s voice took on an air of desperation.
Sir Alric’s eyes met hers. ‘I don’t know.’
Gently easing from Ranjit’s hold, Cassie rose to her feet. ‘You’re hardly filling me with confidence here.’
‘I’m sorry. There are some people I can ask and some ancient texts I can consult, but for now, Cassandra, I can’t give you any firm answers.’
‘Oh, brilliant.’ She folded
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