He gave a light shrug, and kissed her again. ‘I lost my spirit and I gained you. It wasn’t a contest.’
They kissed again, and Cassie wished it would never end …
‘Get a room, you two!’
The yell from along the beach made them jump apart with surprise. Ranjit’s face broke into a grin and he waved at the figures coming towards them. Cassie laughed.
‘Look who’s talking,’ called Ranjit.
The bantering words unexpectedly sent a shard of grief through Cassie’s chest. They reminded her of … A shadow crossed her face as the other two strode up to them, swinging their linked hands.
‘I miss him. I wish he was here,’ Cassie said.
Ranjit didn’t even ask who she meant. ‘I know,’ he said softly.
‘Yup. Here we are, the Four Musketeers.’ Jake and Isabella had reached them, and Jake touched Cassie’s arm gently. ‘And strictly speaking, we should have been five.’
‘We’d have been none at all, if Richard hadn’t been there.’ Isabella took Ranjit’s hand and smiled. ‘Let’s just think of it that way. Always.’
Together, the four of them walked further north on the sand.
‘Better watch out for muggers and lions.’ Jake nudged Cassie. ‘We haven’t got special protection any more.’
‘True.’ She laughed. ‘And get this! I have a spot!’ She pointed proudly at her chin.
‘Poor human!’ giggled Isabella.
Jake was first to grow sober again. ‘What you two did? Leaving your spirits? It was brave. And right. And … thanks.’ He blushed.
‘Least we could do,’ muttered Ranjit, staring out to sea. ‘Especially me.’
Jake came to a halt in the sand, seizing Ranjit’s arm and forcing him to stop too. ‘It wasn’t you, OK? I know that now. You didn’t kill Jessica. And you didn’t even try to kill me. That wasn’t really you either.’
‘Thanks,’ murmured Ranjit. ‘But it was, a little bit. With you, I mean, not Jess.’ He gave Jake a wry grin. ‘But really, thanks. That means a lot.’
‘We’ve got something to tell you two.’ Isabella’s expression had suddenly grown serious, and she clasped Jake’s hand tightly. Both of them had an anxious look, and neither seemed willing to say the next words.
Cassie would have to do it. So she nodded, pushing her hair out of her eyes. ‘Yeah, we know. You guys are leaving the Academy.’
Isabella’s eyes widened, and she cast a mildly suspicious glance at Jake. ‘Cassie! We’ve only just been to see Sir Alric. How’d you know?’
‘Nobody told me.’ Cassie tapped her temple. ‘Residual Few powers. OK, OK, I’m joking! We guessed, all right?’ She gave Isabella a hug. ‘There wasn’t much chance of you staying, after all this.’
‘We need to live a normal life for a while.’ Jake put an arm round his girlfriend.
‘I know,’ said Ranjit. ‘Makes it easier for us to tell you, anyway …’
Jake raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh, yeah?’
Ranjit gave Cassie a conspiratorial grin. ‘We’re leaving too.’
‘No!’ exclaimed Isabella in surprise.
‘Yep. You think I could go back next term anyway? Get bossed around by the Few, and have Sara throwing her weight around? I think not.’ Mock-horrified, Ranjit winked. ‘And it’s like you say. We need some normal life too. I’ll find somewhere to finish my studies, and Cassie will too. Whatever we do, we’ll be doing it together.’
‘And wherever you go,’ warned Isabella, with a dangerous look in her eye, ‘you’ll stay in touch.’
‘We wouldn’t dare not!’ Cassie laughed, and spun her friend round to walk back towards the Academy.
‘I for one value my ribs.’ Ranjit grinned at Jake.
‘And the spirits – or spirit – in the Urn? What’s going to happen to that?’
‘I bet you Sir Alric will persuade the Council to let him have the Urn back. You can’t have forgotten what a smooth operator that guy is. And he’ll find someone strong and good-hearted to take that pair on, you can be sure of it.’ Ranjit shook his head. ‘He’ll get his own way, like he almost always does. Luckily, Sir Alric Darke’s way is usually the right way.’
‘Not always,’ chimed Cassie, thinking of how hard she’d fought to be free of the Few.
Night was falling fast as usual, and the cicadas and frogs were starting to chorus. Cassie sighed. ‘I will miss the Academy. It changed my life. For better and worse.’
‘Funnily enough,’ said Jake, ‘so will I.’
‘So let’s make the most of it,’ Isabella grinned. ‘Mombasa oysters, anyone?’
‘You’ve got your appetite back!’ laughed Cassie. ‘I’ll race you to the dining room.’
‘Equal playing field, for once!’
‘Not likely!’ Cassie bolted into a sprint, running hard till she was as out of breath as any normal human being. Behind her she heard the pounding of the others’ feet as they raced at her heels. All the same, she made it to the great front doors ahead of them, and reached out her hands as Ranjit deliberately crashed into her and folded her in his arms.
‘Come on, then,’ he whispered as Jake and Isabella ran giggling inside ahead of them. He held the door for Cassie, and took her hand, kissing her with lingering promise.