Darke Academy 4: Lost Spirits (19 page)

Ranjit sprang to his feet again, his face etched with fury and a killing determination. He flew past Cassie, launching himself at Katerina, slamming her aside so that she crashed into her mother. Flung off balance, Brigitte dropped the Knife. It skidded towards Isabella, who held the unconscious Jake in her arms. But Isabella didn’t need her hands. With savage accuracy, she kicked the Knife across the smooth stone floor back to Ranjit.

Ranjit snatched it up and in one fluid movement struck out at the chains on Sir Alric’s wrists, shattering the links with a single blow. The man collapsed to the ground, and Ranjit caught him, but to do so he had to let go of the Knife, and Cassie watched in anguish as it spun across the floor again.

Brigitte, shrieking, flung herself on to the floor and snatched up the ethereal blade. Cassie had no hope of stopping her; she could only crawl to meet Ranjit, seizing Sir Alric’s body from him, helping to drag him further away.

Brigitte rose to her feet, and with a hideous grin ran at them once more. Cassie tried desperately to move her body to protect Sir Alric, but Ranjit was just in time to spin, lashing out with a blow that caught Brigitte’s snarling face with an audible crack. Still clutching the Knife, the blonde woman was flung backwards through the air and slammed hard against the alcove that held the Urn. It wobbled under her impact, swung wildly, and then crashed to the ground.

The light within the jade Urn flickered; in harmony with it, the light of the Eldest vibrated and throbbed above them. Squealing, Brigitte reached protectively for the fallen Urn, but as she scrabbled on to all fours, she dropped it again.

But then she was no longer looking at the Urn. She was staring down at her own chest. For a moment everything seemed to go quiet.

‘Mother?’ howled Katerina, her voice echoing in the fallen silence.

Brigitte turned slowly, staggering, her face distorted with terror.

Rubbing sweat and blood from her eyes, Cassie saw something sticking out from the woman’s breast. A broad twist of carved figures that now leaped to life, writhing and squirming against her body.

The hilt of the Knife.

Life was draining from Brigitte’s pale face even as they watched. Her skin dried and shrank, tightening over her bones like a mummy’s. It darkened and shrivelled until her eyes and screaming mouth were only hollows in a skull-mask. Cassie stared in horror as the white light of Brigitte’s spirit curled out of her mouth and up, up towards the ceiling.

It hesitated, twisting and writhing as if in pain, or denial, but it was drifting now, sucked faster and faster towards the hovering spirit of the Eldest.

‘M-Mother? Wait!’ shrieked Katerina. ‘Eldest, please!’

Marat had stepped forward and was gazing up at the colliding spirits with awe and not a little admiration. And then the small white breath of Brigitte’s was abruptly engulfed in the Eldest. The glowing green light exploded with energy, and throbbed once more into new life.

As Brigitte’s body crumbled to dust, shattering on to the ground, the Knife clattered to the rocky floor.

The greenish light coalesced again. It floated, every second seeming to grow denser. And then, with a howl like the sound of a thousand demons, it whipped free of the fallen Urn altogether, and the light in its jade walls went out.

The Eldest was a compact comet of light, now, thrashing wildly above them, darting, seeking, desperate for a host.

‘Katerina!’ shouted Cassie. ‘Drop the Pendant!’

Katerina’s hands were over her mouth as she stared disbelievingly at the dust that was once her mother, and she made a horrible, high-pitched sound. Then, abruptly, she fell silent, and looked up at the Eldest above her, balling into a tight small sun of energy.

There was icy determination in her face as she ignored Cassie and raised the Pendant above her head. ‘Eldest! Take me! Take me!’

Ranjit lunged, but before he could reach the Swedish girl, her mouth opened wide. The white light of her spirit shot out towards the Pendant, rapid and willing, making its jade glow brilliantly.

The dazzling ball of energy that was the Eldest had come to a dead stop above her, and now it expanded, sucking her spirit greedily into its growing luminous heart. The dreadful howling sound intensified too, and there was a brutal gargling sensation as Katerina’s spirit was wrenched from her body, with no Knife poised to sever it cleanly. Then, in an instant, the coil of Katerina’s spirit snapped and vanished.

She stood rigid, staring, her mouth still open in that silent scream. Above her the Eldest twisted and dived. And then, still howling that dreadful demonic note, it vanished down into Katerina’s gaping mouth.

The Svensson girl went entirely still, arms hanging loose. They all did, in the sudden, appalling silence. The Pendant fell from her lifeless fingers, clattering to the stone floor, its light extinguished like the Urn’s.

Eventually, Cassie heard a strangled gasp behind her. Isabella, still with Jake in her protective arms, was staring in disbelief at the lifeless form of Katerina.

‘Is … is she … dead?’

Cassie couldn’t answer; her mouth was too dry, her breath stuck in her windpipe. Ranjit took a step towards Katerina’s immobile body, but then halted.

She had begun to move again.

The silver-blonde hair seemed to shine brighter than ever as Katerina’s neck turned, nightmarishly, almost experimentally. Again the head turned, to face the other way and smile at Marat. The porter seemed frozen, ecstatic, his breath caught in wonder. Facing forward once more, Katerina lifted her chin, then touched her cheeks gently with her hands.

A manicured nail found the vicious scar that Cassie had put on her cheekbone. Katerina frowned, drew a line along it with her fingertip, and the scar faded, and vanished.

She tilted her now-perfect face, and bestowed her evil smile on Isabella.

‘Dead?’ she murmured. ‘Why, Miss Caruso. I’m only just getting started.’

^‘
K
-Katerina?’ whispered Cassie as the girl got smoothly to her feet.

‘Yes. And no. But mostly no.’ The voice coming from Katerina’s mouth was otherworldly, reverberating around the walls like rumbling thunder. Closing her eyes, Katerina raised her hands and gave a smile that was bursting with unbearable bliss. ‘Katerina Svensson was a faithful disciple. She has given her body to host me, for which I am grateful. Though my host matters not. Subjugation will begin soon, and none shall surpass me.’

‘She’s …’ Ranjit put his hands to his head. ‘She’s … The Eldest is in Katerina … ?’

Her face flicked round to him, grinning. ‘I still feel her. But she is now…me.’

Richard was breathing hard as he took a step forward. And another. ‘My God. Katerina.’

‘No. Don’t make me repeat myself.’ The voice was a dangerous, rumbling hiss. ‘Katerina Svensson is gone.’

Perfect lips drew back from white teeth, back further than was natural. The teeth grew jagged, and sleek sinewy muscles coiled and flexed under reptilian skin. Those crystal-blue eyes glowed with unearthly light, but it wasn’t the usual scarlet Few light that Cassie knew so well: this piercing radiance was emerald-green, brimming with hate and ancient hunger.

Cassie had seen Katerina before in her monstrous form, but this wasn’t it. It was far more terrifying. Cassie hadn’t thought that was possible.

‘And yet her form is perfect,’ murmured the Eldest, stroking Katerina’s slender arms. ‘Perfect. In this host I shall be beautiful, deadly, unstoppable. Naturally I won’t stop with her, but she is the best of beginnings.’

Cassie staggered to her feet, feeling strength begin to trickle back to her body at last as the spirit inside her rallied. And too late. She breathed hard through her clenched teeth. ‘Wh-what do you mean, you won’t stop?’

‘I am
hungry
, Cassandra Bell. So very hungry, after so many centuries. I must feed, and feed again, on the strongest spirits and the strongest mortals.’ She gave an elegant shrug, flexing her fingers. ‘Then the weak ones will be all the easier to dominate. I shall … farm them as I take their world.’

‘They’ll stop you. We’ll all stop you,’ Isabella shouted, tightening her arms around the prostrate Jake. ‘The world isn’t like you remember it, you ugly creature. Even us mortals have weapons now.’

‘I’m sure you do. I shall look forward to such a game. Perhaps you’ll destroy each other, and save me the trouble. Now.’ Curled talons beckoned to each of them in turn. ‘Which of you will be the first to submit?’ snarled the Eldest.

‘In your dreams, Dark One.’ Ranjit’s sharp teeth were bared now too, and his eyes blazed. With no more warning, he flung himself at the monster.

The Eldest responded almost casually. Ranjit rebounded from her fist, giving a cry of pain and rage as his body skidded back. The Eldest stalked past him towards Isabella and Jake.

‘NO!’

Cassie sprang at the Eldest now, feeling her own teeth bare like a wolf’s. The Eldest turned to her, looking irritated, and even as Cassie lashed out with her fists and teeth and feet, she knew she was making no impression on the hideous creature. Languid claws raked her side and she screamed and fell back. Ranjit caught her, and they rose together to face the oncoming monster.

But before they could do anything else, a burst of light and a colossal surge of power flung them back again, stunning them to the ground. Catching Ranjit’s eye, she saw the twisted Few features fade, and he was a young man again, scared, but determined. And angry. Just like her. But what could they do?

I think we’re going to die together, Ranjit …

Cassie felt herself lifted by unseen hands, then thrown hard to the ground so that the air was bashed out of her lungs. Dimly, she knew the same was happening to Ranjit; she could hear his ragged attempts to suck in one more lungful of oxygen, and then she was gasping too. Crawling towards him, she reached for his hand, but yet again they were torn apart and sent slamming into opposite walls. Cassie fell at Marat’s feet; she caught his grin of satisfaction.

The Eldest was a looming shape above her. ‘Katerina didn’t like you, did she?’ The voice was mocking. ‘I can sense it.’

‘Both of you can go to hell,’ she mumbled through the blood in her mouth. ‘If Katerina isn’t there already.’

‘Pah! You cannot defeat me. But there’s power in you. Both of you. Strong spirits! I’ll take that strength. Starting with you, little Cassandra. Who will stand against me then? Who?’

There was no breath in Cassie’s lungs she could use to answer. As Marat kicked her forward, the Eldest stalked over to her beaten body. ‘I asked you a question, worm! WHO?’

She braced herself for the pain; for the wrenching agony of her spirit and her life being ripped from her. But then a shadow stepped between her and the Eldest.

‘I will. ME, you over-Botoxed prehistoric harpy.’

Richard Halton-Jones was standing in between them.

‘Richard!’ Cassie cried hoarsely. ‘No!’ She struggled to try and stand, desperate to stop him.

‘She’s quite right.’ The Eldest mimicked her with that terrifying echo of a voice. ‘“No, Richard!”’

But Richard stood firm, and Cassie gasped. There was something clutched in his hands and he raised it towards the Eldest. The Pendant.

The Eldest’s eyes widened as they locked on the ancient artefact, and as she opened her mouth to speak again, her jaw seemed to lock. The features of her face twisted into a scowl, but instead of words, a low, ominous growl emitted from the Eldest’s throat.

A bead of sweat trickled from Richard’s temple, and he glanced sideways at Cassie, the corner of his lip quirking even now with desperate laughter. ‘How does this bloody thing work, again?’

Cassie stumbled to a crouching position, hauling air into her lungs. ‘Richard! Wh-what are you doing?’

The Pendant was pulsing with that intense light once more, and as Richard held it out towards the Eldest, Cassie realised that around Katerina’s body, from head to toe, greenish-white light was beginning to ooze. The Eldest was squirming and writhing now, caught off guard by the Pendant’s power.

‘It’s working!’ Cassie shouted hopefully. ‘You’re drawing the spirit out of her!’

Slowly, painfully, the light was being sucked out from the Eldest’s chest and mouth, and towards the carved jade. Screaming with rage, writhing against the Pendant’s otherworldly pull, the Eldest focused on Richard, emerald eyes narrowing, teeth snapping. Still Richard held his ground, his arm shaking, the Pendant raised, his jaw clenched. Every muscle in his body seemed to be taut and shuddering, and he had to struggle to stay upright against both forces – the one flowing into the Pendant, and the raging intense fury of the Eldest.

‘Cease … NOW!’ she roared.

Richard wavered just for a moment, and the Eldest took her chance. She lunged towards him, claws raised, and struck him down with an almighty blow that rang and echoed from the cavern walls.

Cassie screamed.

Richard crumpled and the Pendant, its light extinguished, flew bumping and rolling away across the hard ground. Cassie ran towards Richard, but Ranjit raced for the Pendant, snatching it up.

‘Cassie, get the Knife!’

For a fraction of a second she was torn, staring at Richard. But there was no help for him without stopping this nightmare. Gritting her teeth, Cassie dived for it.

She made it ahead of the Eldest with only a moment to spare, and snatched it up. The Knife’s living hilt leaped back to life, fitting into her palm like an extension of her body. She roared and struck out at the Eldest wildly.

Opposite her, Ranjit raised the Pendant. The Eldest looked from him to Cassie, then back again, the first sign of panic in her glowing eyes. With the Knife on one side and the Pendant on the other, the Eldest was momentarily outmanoeuvred. She glared down at the tendril of spirit beginning to spiral from her ribcage towards the Pendant.

‘No,’ snarled the Eldest. ‘No!’

Reaching down, she clutched at her own spirit with both hands. At her touch, it glowed poison-green, with a heart of brightest ruby.

‘Very well,’ she spat at Cassie and Ranjit. ‘I’ll deal with you both later.’