THEINITIATION

TheSecretCircleBook1

By

L.J.Smith

THESECRETCIRCLE

VolumeI

TheInitiationL.J.Smith

HarperTorch

AnImprintofHarperCollinsPublishers

BOOKSBYL.J.SMITH

THEVAMPIREDIARIES

VolumeI:TheAwakening

VolumeII:TheStruggle

VolumeIII:TheFury

VolumeIV:DarkReunion

THESECRETCIRCLETRILOGY

VolumeI:TheInitiation

VolumeII:TheCaptive

VolumeIII:ThePower

TheNightoftheSolstice

HeartofValor

Thisisaworkoffiction.Names,characters,places,andincidentsareproductsoftheauthor'simaginationorareusedfictitiouslyandarenottobeconstruedasreal.Anyresemblancetoactualevents,locales,organizations,orpersons,livingordead,isentirelycoincidental.

HARPERTORCH

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ProducedbyDanielWeissAssociates,Inc.,33West17thStreet,New

York,NewYork10011.

Copyright©1992byLisaSmithandDanielWeissAssociates,Inc.

Coverancopyright©1992DanielWeissAssociates,Inc.ISBN:0-06-106712-1

FirstHarperTorchpaperbackprinting:April2002

FirstHarperPaperbacksprinting:July1999

Amassmarketeditionofthisbookwaspublishedin1992byHarperPaperbacks.

PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica

VisitHarperTorchontheWorldWideWebatwww.harpercollins.com

Formymother,

aspatientandlovingasMotherEarth

TheInitiation

OneItwasn'tsupposedtobethishotandhumidonCapeCod.Cassiehadseenitin

theguidebook;everythingwassupposedtobeperfecthere,likeCamelot.

Except,theguidebookaddedabsently,forthepoisonivy,andticks,andgreenflies,andtoxicshellfish,andundercurrentsinseeminglypeacefulwater.

Thebookhadalsowarnedagainsthikingoutonnarrowpeninsulasbecausehightidecouldcomealongandstrandyou.ButjustatthismomentCassiewouldhave given anything to be stranded on some peninsula jutting far out into theAtlanticOcean—aslongasPortiaBainbridgewasontheotherside.

Cassiehadneverbeensomiserableinherlife.

"…andmyotherbrother,theoneontheMITdebateteam,theonewhowentto the World Debate Tournament in Scotland two years ago…" Portia wassaying.Cassiefelthereyesglazeoveragainandslippedbackintoherwretchedtrance. Both of Portia's brothers went to MIT and were frighteninglyaccomplished, not only at intellectual pursuits but also at athletics. Portiawasfrighteningly accomplished herself, even though she was only going to be ajunior in high school this year, likeCassie.And sincePortia's favorite subjectwasPortia,she'dspentmostofthelastmonthtellingCassieallaboutit.

"…andthenafterIplacedfifth inextemporaneousspeakingat theNationalForensic League Championship last year, my boyfriend said, 'Well, of courseyou'llgoAll-American..."

Just onemoreweek, Cassie told herself. Just onemoreweek and I can gohome.Theverythoughtfilledherwithalongingsosharpthattearscametohereyes.Home,whereherfriendswere.Whereshedidn't feel likeastranger,andunaccomplished, and boring, and stupid just because she didn't know what aquahogwas.Whereshecouldlaughaboutallthis:herwonderfulvacationontheeasternseaboard.

"…somyfathersaid,'Whydon'tIjustbuyitforyou?'ButIsaid,'No—well,maybe…'"

Cassiestaredoutatthesea.

It wasn't that the Cape wasn't beautiful. The little cedar-shingled cottages,withwhite picket fences coveredwith roses andwicker rocking chairs on theporchandgeraniumshangingfromtherafters,wereprettyaspicturepostcards.And the village greens and tall-steepled churches and old-fashionedschoolhousesmadeCassiefeelasifshe'dsteppedintoadifferenttime.

But every day therewas Portia to deal with. And even though every nightCassiethoughtofsomedevastatinglywittyremarktomaketoPortia,somehowshe never got around to actually making any of them. And far worse thananythingPortiacoulddowastheplainrawfeelingofnotbelonging.Ofbeingastrangerhere,strandedonthewrongcoast,completelyoutofherownelement.ThetinyduplexbackinCaliforniahadstartedtoseemlikeheaventoCassie.

Onemoreweek,shethought.You'vejustgottostanditforonemoreweek.

And then there wasMom, so pale lately and so quiet…Aworried twingewent through Cassie, and she quickly pushed it away.Mom is fine, she toldherselffiercely.She'sprobablyjustmiserablehere,thesamewayyouare,eventhoughthisishernativestate.She'sprobablycountingthedaysuntilwecangohome,justlikeyouare.

Ofcoursethatwasit,andthatwaswhyhermotherlookedsounhappywhenCassie talkedaboutbeinghomesick.HermotherfeltguiltyforbringingCassiehere,formakingthisplacesoundlikeavacationparadise.Everythingwouldbeallrightwhentheygotbackhome,forbothofthem.

"Cassie!Areyoulisteningtome?Orareyoudaydreamingagain?"

"Oh,listening,"Cassiesaidquickly.

"WhatdidIjustsay?"

Cassie floundered. Boyfriends, she thought desperately, the debate team,college, the National Forensic League… People had sometimes called her adreamer,butneverasmuchasaroundhere.

"Iwas saying they shouldn't let people like that on the beach," Portia said."Especiallynotwithdogs.Imean,Iknowthisisn'tOysterHarbors,butatleastit'sclean.Andnowlook."Cassielooked,followingthedirectionofPortia'sgaze.All she could seewas someguywalkingdown thebeach.She lookedbackatPortiauncertainly.

"Heworksonafishingboat,"Portiasaid,hernostrilsflaredasifshesmelledsomethingbad."Isawhimthismorningonthefishpier,unloading.Idon'tthinkhe'sevenchangedhisclothes.Howunutterablyscuzzyandvomitous."

Hedidn'tlookallthatscuzzytoCassie.Hehaddarkredhair,andhewastall,andevenatthisdistanceshecouldseethathewassmiling.Therewasadogathisheels.

"Wenevertalktoguysfromthefishingboats.Wedon'tevenlookatthem,"Portiasaid.AndCassiecouldseeitwastrue.Thereweremaybeadozenothergirlsonthebeach,ingroupsoftwoorthree,afewwithguys,mostnot.Asthetall boy passed, the girlswould look away, turning their heads to stare in theopposite direction. It wasn't a flirtatious sort of looking-away-and-then-back-and-giggling. It was disdainful rejection.As the guy got closer to her, Cassiecouldseethathissmilewasturninggrim.

The two girls closest to Cassie and Portia were looking away now, almostsniffing. Cassie saw the boy shrug slightly, as if it were no more than heexpected.Shestilldidn'tseeanythingsodisgustingabouthim.Hewaswearingragged cutoff shorts and a T-shirt that had seen better days, but lots of guyslookedlikethat.Andhisdogtrottedrightbehindhim,tailwaving,friendlyandalert.Itwasn'tbotheringanybody.Cassieglancedupattheboy'sface,curioustoseehiseyes.

"Lookdown,"Portiawhispered.Theguywaspassingright infrontof them.Cassiehastilylookeddown,obeyingautomatically,althoughshefeltasurgeofrebellioninherheart.Itseemedcheapandnastyandunnecessaryandcruel.Shewasashamedtobeapartofit,butshecouldn'thelpdoingwhatPortiasaid.

Shestaredatherfingerstrailingintothesand.Shecouldseeeverygranuleinthe bright sunlight. From far away the sand lookedwhite, but up close itwasshimmeringwithcolors:specksofblack-and-greenmica,pastelshellfragments,chips of red quartz like tiny garnets. Unfair, she thought to the boy, who ofcourse couldn't hear her. I'm sorry; this just isn't fair. I wish I could dosomething,butIcan't.

Awetnosethrustunderherhand.

The suddennessof itmadehergasp, and agiggle caught inher throat.Thedog pushed at her hand again, not asking; demanding. Cassie petted it,scratchingattheshort,silky-bristlyhairsonitsnose.ItwasaGermanshepherd,

or mostly, a big, handsome dog with liquid, intelligent brown eyes and alaughing mouth. Cassie felt the stiff, embarrassed mask she'd been wearingbreak,andshelaughedbackatit.

Thensheglancedupatthedog'sowner,quickly,unabletohelpherself.Shemethiseyesdirectly.

Later,Cassiewouldthinkofthatmoment,themomentwhenshelookedupathimandhelookeddownather.Hiseyeswereblue-gray,liketheseaatitsmostmysterious.His facewasodd; not conventionallyhandsome, but arresting andintriguing, with high cheekbones and a determined mouth. Proud andindependentandhumorousandsensitiveallatonce.Ashelookeddownatherhis grim smile lightened and something sparkled in those blue-gray eyes, likesunglintingoffthewaves.

NormallyCassiewas shyaroundguys,especiallyguysshedidn'tknow,butthiswas only somepoorworker from the fishing boats, and she felt sorry forhim,andshewanted tobenice,andbesidesshecouldn'thelp it.Andsowhenshefeltherselfstarttosparklebackathim,herlaughterbubblingupinresponseto his smile, she let it happen. In that instant itwas as if theywere sharing asecret,somethingnobodyelseonthebeachcouldunderstand.Thedogwiggledecstatically,asifhewereinonittoo.

"Cassie,"camePortia'sfuminghiss.

Cassie feltherself turn red,andshe torehereyesaway from theguy's face.Portiawaslookingapoplectic.

"Raj!"theboysaid,notlaughinganymore."Heel!"

With apparent reluctance, the dog backed away from Cassie, tail stillwagging.Then, ina sprayof sand,hebounded towardhismaster. It isn't fair,Cassiethoughtagain.Theboy'svoicestartledher.

"Lifeisn'tfair,"hesaid.

Shocked,hereyesflewuptohisface.

Hisowneyeswereasdarkastheseainastorm.Shesawthatclearly,andfora moment she was almost frightened, as if she had glimpsed somethingforbidden, something beyond her comprehension. But powerful. Somethingpowerfulandstrange.

Andthenhewaswalkingaway, thedogfriskingbehindhim.Hedidn't lookback.

Cassiestaredafterhim,astounded.Shehadn'tspokenaloud;shewassureshehadn'tspokenaloud.Butthenhowcouldhehaveheardher?

Her thoughtswere shattered by a hiss at her side. Cassie cringed, knowingexactlywhatPortiawasgoing to say.Thatdogprobablyhadmangeand fleasand worms and scrofula. Cassie's towel was probably crawling with parasitesrightthisminute.

ButPortiadidn'tsayit.Shetoowasstaringaftertheretreatingfiguresoftheboyanddog.astheywentupadune,thenturnedalongalittlepathinthebeachgrass.Andalthoughshewasclearlydisgusted,therewassomethinginherface—asortofdarkspeculationandsuspicionthatCassiehadneverseenbefore.

"What'sthematter,Portia?"

Portia'seyeshadnarrowed."Ithink,"shesaidslowly,throughtightlips,"thatI'veseenhimbefore."

"Youalreadysaidso.Yousawhimonthefishpier."

Portiashookherheadimpatiently."Notthat.Shutupandletmethink."

Stunned,Cassieshutup.

Portiacontinued tostare,andaftera fewmomentsshebegannodding, littlenods to confirm something to herself.Her facewas flushed blotchily, and notwithsunburn.

Abruptly, still nodding, she muttered something and stood up. She wasbreathingquicklynow.

"Portia?"

"I've got to do something," Portia said, waving a hand at Cassie withoutlookingather."Youstayhere."

"What'sgoingon?"

"Nothing!"Portiaglancedathersharply."Nothing'sgoingon.Justforgetallabout it. I'll see you later." She walked off, moving quickly, heading up thedunestowardthecottageherfamilyowned.

Tenminutes ago,Cassiewould have said she'd be deliriously happy just tohave Portia leave her alone, for any reason. But now she found she couldn'tenjoyit.Hermindwasallchurnedup,likethechoppyblue-graywaterbeforeagale.Shefeltagitatedanddistressedandalmostfrightened.

The strangest thingwaswhat Portia hadmuttered before getting up. It hadbeenunderherbreath,andCassiedidn't thinkshecouldhaveheard it right. Itmusthavebeensomethingelse,like"snitch,"or"bitch,"or"rich."

Shemusthavehearditwrong.Youcouldn'tcallaguyawitch,forGod'ssake.

Calmdown,shetoldherself.Don'tworry,behappy.You'realoneatlast.

But for some reason she couldn't relax.She stood andpickedupher towel.Then,wrappingitaroundher,shestarteddownthebeachthewaytheguyhadgone.

TwoWhenCassie got to theplacewhere theboyhad turned, shewalkedup the

dunesbetween thepitiful little clumpsof scragglybeachgrass.At the top shelookedaround,but therewasnothing tobeseenbutpitchpinesandscruboaktrees.Noboy.Nodog.Silence.

Shewashot.

All right; fine. She turned back toward the sea, ignoring the twinge ofdisappointment, the strange emptiness she felt suddenly. She'd go getwet andcooloff.Portia'sproblemwasPortia'sbusiness.Asforthered-hairedguy—well,she'dprobablyneverseehimagain,andhewasn'therbusinesseither.

Alittleinsideshiverwentthroughher;notthekindthatshows,butthekindthatmakesyouwonderifyou'resick.Imustbetoohot,shedecided;hotenoughthatitstartstofeelcold.Ineedadipinthewater.

Thewaterwascool,becausethiswastheopen-AtlanticsideoftheCape.Shewadedinuptoherkneesandthencontinuedwalkingdownthebeach.

Whenshereachedadock,shesplashedoutofthewaterandclimbeduptoit.Onlythreeboatsweretiedthere:tworowboatsandapowerboat.Itwasdeserted.

ItwasjustwhatCassieneeded.

She unhooked the thick, frayed ropemeant to keep people like her off thedockandwalkedontoit.Shewalkedfarout,theweather-beatenwoodcreakingbeneathherfeet,thewaterstretchingoutoneithersideofher.Whenshelookedback at the beach, she saw she'd left the other sunbathers far behind. A littlebreeze blew in her face, stirring her hair and making her wet legs tingle.Suddenly she felt—shecouldn't explain it.Like aballoonbeingcaughtby thewindandlifted.Shefeltlight,shefeltexpanded.Shefeltfree.

Shewanted toholdherarmsout to thebreezeand theocean,but shedidn'tquitedare.Shewasn'tasfreeasallthat.Butshesmiledasshegottotheendofthedock.

Theskyandtheoceanwereexactlythesamedeepjewel-blue,exceptthattheskylighteneddownatthehorizonwheretheymet.Cassiethoughtthatshecould

see the curve of the earth, but itmight have been her imagination. Terns andherringgullswheeledabove.

I should write a poem, she thought. She had a notebook full of scribbledpoemsathomeunderherbed.Shehardlyevershowedthemtoanyone,butshelookedatthematnight.Rightnow,though,shecouldn'tthinkofanywords.

Still,itwaslovelyjusttobehere,smellingthesaltsea-smellandfeelingthewarmplanksbeneathherandhearingthesoftplashingofthewateragainstthewoodenpiers.

Itwasahypnoticsound,rhythmicasagiantheartbeatorthebreathingoftheplanet,andstrangelyfamiliar.Shesatandgazedandlistened,andasshedidshefeltherownbreathingslow.Forthefirsttimesinceshe'dcometoNewEngland,shefeltshebelonged.Shewasapartofthevastnessofskyandearthandsea;atinypartinalltheimmensity,butapartjustthesame.

Andslowlyitcametoherthatherpartmightnotbesosmall.Shehadbeenimmersedintherhythmoftheearth,butnowitseemedtoheralmostasifshecontrolled that rhythm. As if the elements were one with her, and under hercommand.She could feel thepulseof life in theplanet, inherself, strong anddeepandvibrant.

The beat slowly rising in tension and expectancy, as if waiting for…something.

Forwhat?

Staring out to sea, she felt words come to her. Just a little jingle, likesomethingyou'dteachachild,butapoemnonetheless.

Skyandsea,keepharmfromme.

Thestrangethingwasthatitdidn'tfeellikesomethingshe'dmadeup.Itfeltmore like something she'd read—or heard—a long time ago. She had a briefflashofanimage:beingheldinsomeone'sarms,andlookingattheocean.Beinghelduphighandhearingwords.

Skyandsea,keepharmfromme.Earthandfire,bring…

No.

Cassie's entire skin was tingling. She could sense, in a way she never had

before, the arch of the sky and the granite solidity of the earth and theimmeasurablespanoftheocean,waveafterwaveafterwave,tothehorizonandbeyond.Anditwasasiftheywereallwaiting,watching,listeningtoher.

Don't finish it, she thought. Don't say any more. A sudden irrationalconvictionhadtakenholdofher.Aslongasshedidn'tfindthelastwordsofthepoem,shewassafe.Everythingwouldbeas italwayshadbeen;shewouldgohomeand liveoutherquiet,ordinary life inpeace.As longas shecouldkeepfromsayingthewords,she'dbeallright.

Butthepoemwasrunningthroughhermind,likethetinklingoficymusicfaraway,andthelastwordsfellintoplace.Shecouldn'tstopthem.

Skyandsea,keepharmfromme.Earthandfire,bring…mydesire.

Yes.

Oh,whathaveIdone?

Itwaslikeastringsnapping.Cassiefoundherselfonherfeet,staringwildlyout at theocean.Somethinghadhappened; shehad felt it, andnowshe couldfeeltheelementsrecedingfromher,theirconnectionbroken.

Shenolongerfeltlightandfree,butjangledandoutoftuneandfullofstaticelectricity.Suddenly theocean lookedmorevast thaneverandnotnecessarilyfriendly.Turningsharply,sheheadedbacktowardtheshore.

Idiot, she thought as she neared thewhite sand of the beach again and thefrightenedfeelingslippedaway.Whatwereyouafraidof?Thattheskyandtheseawere really listening to you? That thosewordswere actually going to dosomething?

Shecouldalmostlaughatitnow,andshewasembarrassedandannoyedwithherself.Talkaboutanoveractiveimagination.Shewasstillsafe,andtheworldwasstillordinary.Wordswereonlywords.

Butwhenamovementcaughthereyethen,shewouldalwaysrememberthatdeepdownshehadnotbeensurprised.

Somethingwashappening.Therewasmotionontheshore.

It was the red-haired guy. He'd burst out between the pitch pines and wasrunningdown the slopeofadune.Suddenly inexplicablycalm,Cassiehurried

therestofthewaydownthedock,tomeethimashereachedthesand.

Thedogbesidehimwaslopingeasily,lookingupattheguy'sfaceasiftosaythiswasagreatgame,andwhatnext?Butfromtheboy'sexpressionandthewayhewasrunning,Cassiecouldtellitwasn'tagame.

He looked up and down the deserted beach. A hundred yards to the left aheadlandjuttedout,soyoucouldn'tseewhatwasbeyond.HeglancedatCassieandtheireyesmet.Then,turningabruptly,hestartedtowardtheheadland.

Cassie'sheartwasbeatinghard.

"Wait!"shecalledurgently.

Heturnedback,scanningherquicklywithhisblue-grayeyes.

"Who'safteryou?"shesaid,thoughshethoughtsheknew.

Hisvoicewascrisp,hiswordsconcise."TwoguyswholooklikelinebackersfortheNewYorkGiants."

Cassienodded, feeling the thumpofherheartaccelerate.Buthervoicewasstillcalm."TheirnamesareJordanandLoganBainbridge."

"Itfigures."

"You'veheardofthem?"

"No.Butitfiguresthey'dbenamedsomethinglikethat."

Cassiealmostlaughed.Shelikedthewayhelooked,sowindblownandalert,scarcely out of breath even though he'd been running hard.And she liked thedaredevil sparkle in his eyes and the way he joked even though he was introuble.

"RajandIcouldtakethem,butthey'vegotacoupleoffriendswiththem,"hesaid,turningagain.Walkingbackward,headded,"You'dbettergotheotherway—youdon'twant to run into them.And itwouldbenice ifyoucouldpretendyouhadn'tseenme."

"Wait!"criedCassie.

Whateverwasgoingonwasn'therbusiness…butshefoundherselfspeakingwithout hesitation. Therewas something about this guy; something thatmade

herwanttohelphim.

"Thatway'sadeadend—aroundtheheadlandyou'llrunintorocks.You'llbetrapped."

"Buttheotherway'stoostraight.I'dstillbeinsightwhentheygothere.Theyweren'tfarbehindme."

Cassie'sthoughtswereflying,andthensuddenlysheknew."Hideintheboat."

"What?"

"Intheboat.Inthepowerboat.Onthedock."Shegesturedatit."Youcangetinthecabinandtheywon'tseeyou."

Hiseyes followedhers,butheshookhishead."I'd reallybe trapped if theyfoundmethere.AndRajdoesn'tliketoswim."

"Theywon'tfindyou,"Cassiesaid."Theywon'tgonearit.I'lltellthemyouwentdownthebeachthatway."

Hestaredather,thesmiledyingoutofhiseyes."Youdon'tunderstand,"hesaidquietly."Thoseguysaretrouble."

"I don't care," Cassie said, and she almost pushed him toward the dock.Hurry, hurry, hurry, something in her brain was urging. Her shyness hadvanished.Allthatmatteredwasthathegotoutofsight."Whataretheygoingtodotome,beatmeup?I'maninnocentbystander,"shesaid.

"But—"

"Oh,please.Don'targue.Justdoit!"

Hestaredatherone last instant, then turned,slappinghis thighfor thedog."C'mon, boy!" He ran down the dock and jumped easily into the powerboat,disappearingasheduckedintothecabin.Thedogfollowedhiminonepowerfulspringandbarked.

Sh!thoughtCassie.Thetwointheboatwerehiddennow,butifanyonewentupthedock,theywouldbeplainlyvisible.Shehookedtheloopoffrayedropeoverthetopofthelastpier,screeningoffthedock.

Thenshecastafranticglancearoundandheadedforthewater,splashingin.Bendingdown,shedugupahandfulofwetsandandshells.She let thewater

washthesandoutoftheloosecageofherfingersandheldontothetwoorthreesmallshellsthatremained.Shereachedforanotherhandful.

Sheheardshoutingfromthedunes.

I'm gathering shells, I'm only gathering shells, she thought. I don't need tolookupyet.I'mnotconcerned.

"Hey!"

Cassielookedup.

Therewerefourof them,andthe twoinfrontwerePortia'sbrothers.Jordanwas theoneon thedebate teamandLoganwas theone in thePistolClub.Orwasittheotherwayaround?

"Hey,didyouseeaguycome running thisway?" Jordanasked.Theywerelookinginalldirections,excitedlikedogsonascent,andsuddenlyanotherlineofpoetrycametoCassie.

Four leanhoundscrouched lowandsmiling.Except that theseguysweren'tlean;theywerebrawnyandsweaty.Andoutofbreath,Cassienoticed,vaguelycontemptuous.

"It's Portia's friend—Cathy," said Logan. "Hey, Cathy, did a guy just gorunningdownhere?"

Cassie walked toward him slowly, her fists full of shells. Her heart wasknockingagainstherribssohardshewassuretheycouldseeit,andhertonguewasfrozen.

"Can'tyoutalk?What'reyoudoinghere?"

Mutely,Cassieheldoutherhands,openingthem.

Theyexchangedglancesandsnorts,andCassierealizedhowshemustlooktothesecollege-ageguys—aslightgirlwithunremarkablebrownhairandordinaryblue eyes. Just a little high-school ditz fromCaliforniawhose idea of a goodtimewaspickingupworthlessshells.

"Didyouseesomebodygopasthere?"Jordansaid,impatientbutslow,asifshemightbehardofhearing.

Dry-mouthed, Cassie nodded, and looked down the beach toward the

headland. Jordan was wearing an open windbreaker over his T-shirt, whichseemedoddinsuchwarmweather.Whatwasevenodderwasthebulgebeneathit,butwhenheturned,Cassiesawtheglintofmetal.

Agun!

JordanmustbetheoneinthePistolClub,shethoughtirrelevantly.

Now that she saw something really tobe scared about, she foundhervoiceagainandsaidhuskily,"Aguyandadogwentthatwayafewminutesago."

"We've got him!He'll be stuck on the rocks!" Logan said.He and the twoguys Cassie didn't know started down the beach, but Jordan turned back toCassie.

"Areyousure?"

Startled,shelookedupathim.Whywasheasking?Shedeliberatelywidenedhereyesandtriedtolookaschildishandstupidaspossible."Yes…"

"Because it's important." And suddenly he was holding her wrist. Cassielooked down at it in amazement, her shells scattering, too surprised at beinggrabbedtosayanything."It'sveryimportant,"Jordansaid,andshecouldfeelthetensionrunningthroughhisbody,couldsmelltheacridityofhissweat.Awaveof revulsion swept through her, and she struggled to keep her face blank andwide-eyed.Shewasafraidhewasgoingtopullherupagainsthim,buthejusttwistedherwrist.

She didn'tmean to cry out, but she couldn't help it. It was partly pain andpartlyareactiontosomethingshesawinhiseyes,somethingfanaticalanduglyand hot like fire. She found herself gasping, more afraid than she couldrememberbeingsinceshewasachild.

"Yes,I'msure,"shesaid,breathless,staringintothatuglinesswithoutlettingherselflookaway."Hewentdownthereandaroundtheheadland."

"Comeon, Jordan, leaveher alone!"Logan shouted. "She's just a kid.Let'sgo!"

Jordan hesitated. He knows I'm lying, Cassie thought, with a curiousfascination.Heknows,buthe'safraidtotrustwhatheknowsbecausehedoesn'tknowhowheknowsit.

Believeme, she thought, gazing straight back at him,willing him to do it.Believemeandgoaway.Believeme.Believeme.

Heletgoofherwrist.

"Sorry," he muttered ungraciously, and he turned and loped off with theothers.

"Sure,"Cassiewhispered,standingverystill.

Tingling, she watched them jog across the wet sand, elbows and kneespumping,Jordan'swindbreakerflappingloosebehindhim.Theweaknessspreadfromherstomachtoherlegs,andherkneessuddenlyfeltlikeSillyPutty.

Shewas aware, all at once, of the sound of the ocean again.A comfortingsoundthatseemedtoenfoldher.Whenthefourrunningfiguresturnedthecorneranddisappearedfromhersight,sheturnedbacktothedock,meaningtotellthered-hairedguythathecouldcomeoutnow.

Healreadyhad.

Slowly,shemadeherjelliedlegscarryhertothedock.Hewasjuststandingthere,andthelookonhisfacemadeherfeelstrange.

"You'd better get out of here—or maybe hide again," she said hesitantly."Theymightcomerightback…"

"Idon'tthinkso."

"Well…" Cassie faltered, looking at him, feeling almost frightened. "Yourdogwas very good," she offered uncertainly, at last. "I mean, not barking oranything."

"Heknowsbetter."

"Oh."Cassielookeddownthebeach,tryingtothinkofsomethingelsetosay.Hisvoicewasgentle,notharsh,but thatkeen looknever lefthis eyesandhismouthwasgrim."Iguesstheyreallyaregonenow,"shesaid.

"Thankstoyou,"hesaid.Heturnedtoher,andtheireyesmet."Idon'tknowhow to thankyou,"headded,"forputtingupwith that forme.Youdon'tevenknowme."

Cassie feltevenmorequeer.Lookingupathimmadeheralmostdizzy,but

shecouldn'ttakehereyesfromhis.Therewasnosparklenow;theylookedlikeblue-graysteel.Compelling—hypnotic.Drawinghercloser,drawingherin.

But I do know you, she thought. In that instant a strange image flashedthroughhermind.Itwasasifshewerefloatingoutsideherselfandshecouldseethetwoofthem,standingthereonthebeach.Shecouldseethesunshiningonhishairandherfacetilteduptohim.Andtheywereconnectedbyasilvercordthathummedandsangwithpower.

Abandofenergy,linkingthem.Itwassorealshecouldalmostreachoutandtouchit.Itboundthemhearttoheart,anditwastryingtodrawthemcloser.

A thought came to her, as if some small voice from deep inside her wasspeaking.Thesilvercordcanneverbebroken.Yourlivesarelinked.Youcan'tescapeeachotheranymorethanyoucanescapedestiny.

Suddenly, as quickly as it had come, the picture and the voice vanished.Cassieblinkedandshookherhead,tryingtowrenchhermindback.Hewasstilllookingather,waitingforananswertohisquestion.

"Iwasgladtohelpyou,"shesaid,feelinghowlameandinadequatethewordswere."AndIdidn'tmind—whathappened."Hiseyesdroppedtoherwrist,andtherewasaflashfromthemalmostlikesilver.

"Idid,"hesaid."Ishouldhavecomeoutearlier."

Cassieshookherheadagain.The last thingshe'dwantedwas forhim tobecaughtandhurt."Ijustwantedtohelpyou,"sherepeatedsoftly,confused.Thenshesaid,"Whyweretheychasingyou?"

He looked away, drawing in a deep breath. Cassie had the sense oftrespassing."That'sallright.Ishouldn'thaveasked—"shebegan.

"No."Helookedbackatherandsmiled,hiswryone-sidedsmile."Ifanybodyhasarighttoask,youdo.Butit'salittledifficulttoexplain.I'm…offmyturfhere.Backhome,theywouldn'tdarecomeafterme.Theywouldn'tdarelookatmecross-eyed.ButhereI'mfairgame."

She still didn't understand. "They don't like peoplewho are—different," hesaid, his voice quiet again. "And I'm different from them. I'm very, verydifferent."

Yes,shethought.Whateverhewas,hewasn'tlikeJordanorLogan.Hewasn'tlikeanyoneshehadevermet.

"I'msorry.That'snotmuchofanexplanation, Iknow,"hesaid. "Especiallyafterwhatyoudid.Youhelpedme,andIwon'tforgetaboutit."

Heglanceddownathimselfand laughedshortly."Ofcourse, itdoesn't looklike there'smuchIcando foryou,does it?Nothere.Although…"Hepaused."Waitaminute."

He reached in his pocket, fingers groping for something. All in an instantCassie'sdizzinessoverwhelmedher,bloodrushingtoherface.Washelookingformoney?Didhethinkhecouldpayherforhelpinghim?Shewashumiliated,andmorestrickenthanwhenJordanhadgrabbedherwrist,andshecouldn'thelpthetearsfloodinghereyes.

Butwhathepulledoutofhispocketwasastone,arocklikesomethingyoumightpickupon theoceanfloor.At least thatwaswhat it lookedlikeat first.Onesidewasroughandgray,embeddedwithtinyblackspiralslikelittleshells.But thenhe turned itover,and theothersidewasgrayswirledwithpaleblue,crystallized, sparkling in the sunlightas if itwereoverlaidwith rockcandy. Itwasbeautiful.

Hepressed it intoherpalm,closingher fingersaround it.As it touchedhershefeltajoltlikeelectricitythatranthroughherhandandupherarm.Thestonefeltaliveinsomewayshecouldn'texplain.Throughthepoundinginherearssheheardhimspeaking,quicklyandinalowvoice.

"This is chalcedony. It's a—good-luck piece. If you're ever in trouble ordangeroranythinglikethat,ifthere'severatimewhenyoufeelallaloneandnoone else can help you, hold on to it tight—tight"—his fingers squeezed hers—"andthinkofme."

She stared up at him,mesmerized. Shewas hardly breathing, and her chestfelttoofull.Hewassoclosetoher;shecouldseehiseyes,thesamecolorasthecrystal, and she could feel his breath on her skin and thewarmth of his bodyreflecting the sun's heat.His hairwasn't just red, but all sorts of colors, somestrandssodarktheywerealmostpurple,otherslikeburgundywine,othersgold.

Different,shethoughtagain;hewasdifferentfromanyguyshe'deverknown.A sweet hot current was running through her, a feeling of wildness and

possibility.Shewastremblingandshecouldfeelaheartbeatinherfingers,butshecouldn'ttellifitwashersorhis.Hehadseemedtohearherthoughtsbefore;now she felt almost as if he were in her mind. He was so close and he waslookingdownather…

"Andwhathappensthen?"shewhispered.

"And then—maybeyour luckwill change."Abruptly he steppedback, as ifhe'd just remembered something, and his tone altered. Themomentwas over."It'sworthatry,don'tyouthink?"hesaidlightly.

Unabletospeak,shenodded.Hewasteasingnow.Buthehadn'tbeenbefore.

"I'vegottogo.Ishouldn'thavestayedthislong,"hesaid.

Cassieswallowed."You'dbetterbecareful.IthinkJordanhadagun—"

"Wouldn'tsurpriseme."Hebrusheditoff,stoppingherfromsayinganythingfurther. "Don't worry; I'm leaving the Cape. For now, anyway. I'll be back;maybeI'llseeyouthen."Hestartedtoturn.Thenhepausedonelastmomentandtookherhandagain.Cassiewastoostartledatthefeelingofhisskinagainstherstodoanythingaboutit.Heturnedherhandoverandlookedattheredmarksonherwrist,thenbrushedthemlightlywithhisfingertips.Thesteelylightwasbackinhiseyeswhenhelookedup."Andbelieveme,"hewhispered,"he'llpayforthissomeday.Iguaranteeit."

AndthenhedidsomethingthatshockedCassiemorethananythingelsehadduring that whole shocking day. He lifted her wounded hand to his lips andkissedit.Itwasthegentlest,thelightestoftouches,anditwentthroughCassielikefire.Shestaredathim,dazedandunbelieving,utterlyspeechless.Shecouldneithermovenorthink;shecouldonlystandthereandfeel.

Andthenhewasleaving,whistlingforthedog,whichrompedaroundCassiein circles before finally breaking away. She was alone, gazing after him, herfingersclenchedtightlyonthesmallroughstoneinherpalm.

Itwasonlythensherealizedshe'dneveraskedhimhisname.

ThreeAninstantlaterCassiecameoutofherdaze.She'dbettergetmoving;Logan

and Jordan might be coming back any second. And if they realized she'ddeliberatelyliedtothem…

Cassiewincedas she scrambledup the slopingdune.Theworldaroundherseemedordinaryagain,no longer fullofmagicandmystery. Itwasas if she'dbeenmovinginadream,andnowshe'dwokenup.Whathadshebeenthinking?Some nonsense about silver cords and destiny and a guywhowasn't like anyotherguy.But thatwasall ridiculous.The stone inherhandwas just a stone.Andwordswere justwords.Even that boy…Of course therewas noway hecouldhaveheardherthoughts.Noonecoulddothat;therehadtobearationalexplanation…

She tightenedhergripon the littlepieceof rock inherpalm.Herhandwasstilltinglingwherehe'dheldit,andtheskinhe'dtouchedwithhisfingertipsfeltdifferent from any other part of her body. She thought that no matter whathappenedtoherinthefuture,shewouldalwaysfeelhistouch.

Once inside the summer cottage she and hermother rented, she locked thefrontdoorbehindher.Thenshepaused.Shecouldhearhermother'svoicefromthekitchen,andfromthesoundofitshecouldtellsomethingwaswrong.

Mrs. Blake was on the phone, her back to the doorway, her head slightlybowedassheclutchedthereceivertoherear.Asalways,Cassiewasstruckbythewillowslimnessofhermother'sfigure.Withthatandthefallof long,darkhairwornsimplyclaspedatthebackofherneck,Mrs.Blakecouldhavebeenateenagerherself. ItmadeCassie feel protective towardher. In fact, sometimesshealmostfeltasifshewerethemotherandhermotherthechild.

And just now itmadeherdecidenot to interrupthermother's conversation.Mrs. Blake was upset, and at intervals she said "Yes" or "I know" into themouthpieceinavoicefullofstrain.

Cassieturnedandwenttoherbedroom.

Shewanderedover to thewindowand lookedout,wonderingvaguelywhatwasgoingonwithhermother.Butshecouldn'tkeephermindonanythingbut

theboyonthebeach.

EvenifPortiaknewhisname,shewouldnevertell,Cassiewassureofthat.Butwithouthisname,howwouldCassieeverfindhimagain?

Shewouldn't. Thatwas the brutal truth, and shemight aswell face it rightnow.Evenifshedidfindouthisname,shewasn'tthesorttochaseafteraboy.Shewouldn'tknowhow.

"And inoneweek I'mgoinghome," shewhispered.For the first time thesewordsdidn'tbringasurgeofcomfortandhope.Sheputtheroughlittlepieceofchalcedonydownonthenightstand,withasortoffinalclink.

"Cassie?Didyousaysomething?"

Cassieturnedquicklytoseehermotherinthedoorway."Mom!Ididn'tknowyouwereoffthephone."Whenhermothercontinuedtolookatherinquiringly,sheadded,"Iwasjustthinkingoutloud.Iwassayingthatwe'llbegoinghomenextweek."

Anoddexpressioncrossedhermother's face, like a flashof repressedpain.Her large black eyes had dark circles under them and wandered nervouslyaroundtheroom.

"Mom,what'swrong?"saidCassie.

"Iwasjusttalkingwithyourgrandmother.YourememberhowIwasplanningforustodriveupandseehersometimenextweek?"

Cassie remembered very well. She'd told Portia she and her mother weregoingtodriveupthecoast,andPortiahadsnappedthatitwasn'tcalledthecoasthere.FromBostondowntotheCapeitwasthesouthshore,andfromBostonuptoNewHampshireitwasthenorthshore,andifyouweregoingtoMaineitwasdowneast,andanyway,wheredidhergrandmotherlive?AndCassiehadn'tbeenabletoanswerbecausehermotherhadnevertoldherthenameofthetown.

"Yes,"shesaid."Iremember."

"Ijustgotoffthephonewithher.She'sold,Cassie,andshe'snotdoingverywell.It'sworsethanIrealized."

"Oh,Mom. I'm sorry." Cassie had never met her grandmother, never evenseenapictureofher,butshestill feltawful.Hermotherandgrandmotherhad

beenestrangedforyears,sinceCassiehadbeenborn.Itwassomethingabouthermotherleavinghome,butthatwasallhermotherwouldeversayaboutit.Inthepast few years, though, there had been some letters exchanged, and Cassiethoughtthatunderneaththeystilllovedeachother.Shehopedtheydid,anyway,andshe'dbeenlookingforwardtoseeinghergrandmotherforthefirsttime."I'mreallysorry,Mom,"shesaidnow."Isshegoingtobeokay?"

"I don't know.She's all by herself in that big house and she's lonely…andnowwiththisphlebitisit'shardforhertogetaroundsomedays."Thesunshinefellinstripsoflightandshadowacrosshermother'sface.Shespokequietlybutalmoststiltedly,asifshewereholdingsomestrongemotionbackwithdifficulty.

"Cassie,yourgrandmotherandIhavehadourproblems,butwe'restillfamily,andshehasn'tgotanyoneelse.It'stimeweburiedourdifferences."

Hermotherhadneverspokensofreelyabouttheestrangementbefore."Whatwasitallabout,Mom?"

"It doesn't matter now. She wanted me to—follow a path I didn't want tofollow.Shethoughtshewasdoingtherightthing…andnowshe'sallaloneandsheneedshelp."

Dismaywhispered throughCassie.Concernfor thegrandmothershe'dnevermet—andsomethingelse.Atrickleofalarmstartedbythelookonhermother'sface,whichwas thatof someoneabout todeliverbadnewsandhavingahardtimefindingthewords.

"Cassie,I'vethoughtalotaboutthis,andthere'sonlyonethingforustodo.AndI'msorry,becauseitwillmeansuchadisruptionofyourlife,anditwillbesohardonyou…butyou'reyoung.You'lladapt.Iknowyouwill."

AtwingeofpanicshotthroughCassie."Mom,it'sallright,"shesaidquickly."Youstayhereanddowhatyouneedto.Icangetreadyforschoolbymyself.It'll be easy; Beth and Mrs. Freeman will help me—" Cassie's mother wasshakingherhead,andsuddenlyCassiefeltshehadtogoon,tocovereverythinginarushofwords."Idon'tneedthatmanynewschoolclothes…"

"Cassie,I'msosorry.Ineedyoutotryandunderstand,sweetheart,andtobeadult about this. I knowyou'llmiss your friends.Butwe've both got to try tomakethebestofthings."Hermother'seyeswerefixedonthewindow,asifshecouldn'tbeartolookatCassie.

Cassiewentverystill."Mom,whatareyoutryingtosay?"

"I'msayingwe'renotgoinghome,oratleastnotbacktoReseda.We'regoingtomyhome, tomove inwithyourgrandmother.Sheneedsus.We'regoing tostayhere."

Cassiefeltnothingbutadazednumbness.Shecouldonlysaystupidly,as ifthiswerewhatmattered,"Where's'here'?WheredoesGrandmalive?"

Forthefirsttimehermotherturnedfromthewindow.HereyesseemedbiggeranddarkerthanCassiehadeverseenthembefore.

"NewSalem,"shesaidquietly."ThetowniscalledNewSalem."

Hourslater,Cassiewasstillsittingbythewindow,staringblankly.Hermindwasrunninginhelpless,uselesscircles.

Tostayhere…tostayinNewEngland…

Anelectricshockranthroughher.Him.Iknewwe'dseehimagain,somethinginsideherproclaimed,anditwasglad.Butitwasonlyonevoiceandthereweremanyothers,allspeakingatonce.

Tostay.Notgoinghome.Andwhatdifferencedoesitmakeiftheguyisherein Massachusetts somewhere? You don't know his name or where he lives.You'llneverfindhimagain.

But there's a chance, she thoughtdesperately.And thevoicedeepest inside,theonethathadbeengladbefore,whispered:Morethanachance.It'syourfate.

Fate!theothervoicesscoffed.Don'tberidiculous!It'syourfatetospendyourjunior year inNewEngland, that's all.Where you don't know anyone.Whereyou'llbealone.

Alone,alone,alone,alltheothervoicesagreed.

Thedeepvoicewascrushedanddisappeared.Cassiefeltanyhopeofseeingthered-hairedboyagainslipawayfromher.Whatshewasleftwithwasdespair.

Iwon't evenget to saygood-bye tomy friendsathome, she thought.She'dbegged hermother for the chance to go back, just to say good-bye. ButMrs.Blakehadsaidtherewasnomoneyandnotime.Theirairlineticketswouldbe

cashedin.AlltheirthingswouldbeshippedtoCassie'sgrandmother'shousebyafriendofhermother's.

"Ifyouwentback,"hermotherhadsaidgently,"you'donlyfeelworseaboutleavingagain.Thiswayatleastitwillbeacleanbreak.Andyoucanseeyourfriendsnextsummer."

Nextsummer?Nextsummerwasahundredyearsaway.Cassiethoughtofherfriends:good-naturedBethandquietClover,andMiriamtheclasswit.Add tothatshyanddreamyCassieandyouhadtheirgroup.Somaybetheyweren'tthein-crowd, but they had fun and they'd stuck together since elementary school.Howwouldshegetalongwithoutthemuntilnextsummer?

But her mother's voice had been so soft and distracted, and her eyes hadwanderedaroundtheroominsuchavague,preoccupiedway,thatCassiehadn'thadthehearttorantandravethewayshewouldhaveliked.

In fact, for an instantCassiehadwanted togo tohermotherand throwherarmsaroundherandtellhereverythingwouldbeallright.Butshecouldn't.Thesmall, hot coal of resentment burning in her chest wouldn't let her. Howeverworriedhermothermightbe,shedidn'thavetofacetheprospectofgoingtoastrangenewschoolinastatethreethousandmilesfromwhereshebelonged.

Cassie did. New hallways, new lockers, new classrooms, new desks, shethought.Newfacesinsteadofthefriendsshe'dknownsincejuniorhigh.Oh,itcouldn'tbetrue.

Cassie hadn't screamed at hermother this afternoon, and she hadn't huggedher,either.Shehadjustsilentlyturnedawaytothewindow,andthiswaswhereshe'dbeensittingeversince,whilethelightslowlyfadedandtheskyturnedfirstsalmonpinkandthenvioletandthenblack.

It was a long time before she went to bed. And it was only then that sherealized she'd forgotten all about the chalcedony lucky piece. She reached outandtookitfromthenightstandandslippeditunderherpillow.

PortiastoppedbyasCassieandhermotherwereloadingtherentalcar.

"Goinghome?"shesaid.

Cassiegavehertotebagafinalpushtosqueezeitintothetrunk.Shehadjust

realizedshedidn'twantPortiatofindoutshewasstayinginNewEngland.Shecouldn't stand to havePortia knowof her unhappiness; itwould give Portia akindoftriumphoverher.

When she looked up, she had her best attempt at a pleasant smile in place."Yes,"shesaid,andflickedaquickglanceovertowherehermotherwasleaninginthedriver's-sidedoor,arrangingthingsinthebackseat.

"Ithoughtyouwerestayinguntiltheendofnextweek."

"Wechangedourminds."ShelookedintoPortia'shazeleyesandwasstartledbythecoldnessthere."NotthatIdidn'thaveagoodtime.It'sbeenfun,"Cassieadded,hastilyandfoolishly.

Portiashookstraw-coloredhairoffherforehead."Maybeyou'dbetterstayoutwestfromnowon,"shesaid."Aroundhere,wedon'tlikeliars."

Cassieopenedhermouthandthenshutitagain,cheeksflaming.Sotheydidknow about her deception on the beach. This was the time for one of thosedevastatinglywittyremarksthatshethoughtofatnighttosaytoPortia—and,ofcourse,shecouldn'tsummonupaword.Shepressedherlipstogether.

"Haveanicetrip,"Portiaconcluded,andwithonelastcoldglance,sheturnedaway.

"Portia!" Cassie's stomach was in a knot of tension, embarrassment, andanger,butshecouldn'tletthischancego."BeforeIleave,willyoujusttellmeonething?"

"What?"

"It can't make any difference now—and I just wanted to know… I justwondered…ifyouknewhisname."

"Whosename?"

Cassiefeltanewwaveofbloodinhercheeks,butshewentondoggedly."Hisname.Thered-hairedguy.Theoneonthebeach."

Thosehazeleyesdidn'twaver.TheywentonstaringstraightintoCassie's,thepupilscontractedtomeanlittledots.Lookingintothoseeyes,Cassieknewtherewasnohope.

Shewasright.

"What red-haired guy on the beach?" Portia said distinctly and levelly, andthensheturnedonherheelagainandleft.ThistimeCassielethergo.

Green. That'swhatCassie noticed on the drive north from theCape. Therewasaforestgrowingoneithersideofthehighway.InCaliforniayouhadtogotoanationalparktoseetreesthistall…

"Thosearesugarmaples,"hermothersaidwithforcedcheerfulnessasCassieturned her head slightly to follow a stand of particularly graceful trees. "Andthose shorter ones are red maple. They'll turn red in the fall—a beautifulglowing,sunsetred.Justwaituntilyouseethem."

Cassiedidn'tanswer.Shedidn'twant tosee the trees in thefallbecauseshedidn'twanttobehere.

They passed through Boston and drove up the coast—up the north shore,Cassie corrected herself fiercely—and Cassie watched quaint little towns andwharvesand rockybeaches slipby.Shesuspected theywere taking the scenicroute, and she felt resentment boil up in her chest.Why couldn't they just getthereandgetitoverwith?

"Isn't there a faster way?" she said, opening the glove compartment andpullingoutamapsuppliedbythecarrentalcompany."Whydon'twetakeRoute1?OrInterstate95?"

Hermotherkepthereyesontheroad."It'sbeenalongtimesinceIdroveuphere,Cassie.ThisisthewayIknow."

"ButifyoucutoverhereatSalem…"Cassiewatchedtheexitgoby."Okay,don't," she said. Of all places inMassachusetts, Salem was the only one shecouldthinkofthatshewantedtosee.Itsmacabrehistoryappealedtohermoodright now. "That'swhere they burned thewitches, isn't it?" she said. "IsNewSalemnamedforit?Didtheyburnwitchesthere,too?"

"Theydidn'tburnanyone;theyhangedthem.Andtheyweren'twitches.Justinnocentpeoplewhohappenedtobedislikedbytheirneighbors."Hermother'svoicewastiredandpatient."AndSalemwasacommonnameincolonialtimes;itcomesfrom'Jerusalem.'"

ThemapwasblurringbeforeCassie'seyes."Whereisthistown,anyway?It'snotevenlisted,"shesaid.

Therewasabriefsilencebeforehermotherreplied."It'sasmalltown;quiteoftenit'snotshownonmaps.Butasamatteroffact,it'sonanisland."

"Anisland?"

"Don'tworry.There'sabridgetothemainland."

ButallCassiecouldthinkwas,Anisland.I'mgoingtoliveonanisland.Inatownthatisn'tevenonthemap.

The roadwasunmarked.Mrs.Blake turneddown it and thecarcrossed thebridge,andthentheywereontheisland.Cassiehadexpectedittobetiny,andherspirits lifteda littlewhenshesawthat itwasn't.Therewereregularstores,not just tourist shops, clustered together in what must be the center of town.There was a Dunkin' Donuts and an International House of Pancakes with abannerproclaiminggrandopening.Infrontofittherewassomeonedresseduplikeagiantpancake,dancing.

Cassiefelttheknotinherstomachloosen.Anytownwithadancingpancakecouldn'tbeallbad,couldit?

But thenhermother turnedontoanother road that roseandgot lonelierandlonelierasthetownfellbehind.

Theymustbegoingtotheultimatepointoftheheadland,Cassierealized.Shecouldseeit,thesunglintingredoffthewindowsonagroupofhousesatthetopof a bluff. Shewatched them get closer, at first uneasily, then anxiously, andfinallywithsickdismay.

Becausetheywereold.Terrifyinglyold,notjustquaintorgracefullyaged,butancient.Andalthoughsomewereingoodrepair,otherslookedasiftheymightfalloverinacrashofsplinteringtimbersanyminute.

Please let it be that one,Cassie thought, fixing her eyes on a pretty yellowhousewithseveraltowersandbaywindows.Buthermotherdrovebyitwithoutslowing.Andbythenextandthenext.

Andthentherewasonlyonehouseleft,thelasthouseonthebluff,andthecar

washeadingtowardit.Heartsick,Cassiestaredatitastheyapproached.Itwasshapedlikeathickupside-downT,withonewingfacingtheroadandonewingstickingstraightouttheback.AstheycamearoundthesideCassiecouldseethatthe backwing looked nothing like the front. It had a steeply sloping roof andsmall,irregularlyplacedwindowsmadeoftiny,diamond-shapedpanesofglass.Itwasn'tevenpainted,justcoveredwithweatheredgrayclapboardsiding.

Thefrontwinghadbeenpainted…once.Nowwhatwasleftwaspeelingoffinstrips.Thetwochimneyslookedcrumblingandunstable,andtheentireslateroof seemed to sag. The windowswere regularly placed across the front, butmostlookedasiftheyhadn'tbeenwashedinages.

Cassiestaredwordlessly.Shehadneverseenamoredepressinghouseinherlife.Thiscouldn'tbetheone.

"Well,"saidhermother,inthattoneofforcedcheerfulness,assheturnedintoagraveldriveway,"thisisit,thehouseIgrewupin.We'rehome."

Cassie couldn't speak.The bubble of horror and fury and resentment insideherwasswellingbiggerandbiggeruntilshethoughtitwouldexplode.

FourHermotherwasstilltalkinginthatfalselybrightway,butCassiecouldonly

hear snatches of the words. "… original wing actually Prerevolutionary, one-and-a-halfstories…frontwingisPostrevolutionaryGeorgian…"

Itwentonandon.Cassieclawedopenthecardoor,gettinganunobstructedviewofthehouseatlast.Themoreshesawofit,theworseitlooked.

Hermotherwas saying something about a transomover the front door, hervoice rapid and breathless. "… rectangular, not like the arched fanlights thatcamelater—"

"I hate it!" Cassie cried, interrupting, her voice too loud in the quiet air,startlingly loud.Shedidn'tmean the transom,whatevera transomwas."Ihateit!"shecriedagainpassionately.Therewassilencefromhermotherbehindher,but Cassie didn't turn to look; she was staring at the house, at the rows ofunwashed windows and the sagging eaves and the sheer monstrous bulk andflatness andhorriblenessof it, and shewas shaking. "It's theugliest thing I'veeverseen,andIhateit.Iwanttogohome.Iwanttogohome!"

She turned to see hermother'swhite face and stricken eyes, and burst intotears.

"Oh,Cassie."Mrs.Blakereachedacrossthevinyltopofthecartowardher."Cassie,sweetheart."Thereweretearsinherowneyes,andwhenshelookedupatthehouse,Cassiewasastoundedatherexpression.ItwasalookofhatredandfearasgreatasanythingCassiefelt.

"Cassie,sweetheart, listen tome,"shesaid."Ifyoureallydon'twant tostay—"

She stopped. Cassie was still crying, but she heard the noise behind her.Turning, she saw that the door to the house had opened.An oldwomanwithgrayhairwasstandinginthedoorway,leaningonacane.

Cassieturnedback."Mom?"shesaidpleadingly.

Buthermotherwasgazingatthedoor.Andslowly,alookofdullresignationsettledoverher.WhensheturnedtoCassie,thebrittle,falselycheerytonewas

backinhervoice.

"That'syourgrandmother,dear,"shesaid."Let'snotkeepherwaiting."

"Mom…"Cassie whispered. It was a despairing entreaty. But her mother'seyeshadgoneblank,opaque.

"Comeon,Cassie,"shesaid.

Cassiehad thewild ideaof throwingherself into thecar, lockingherself in,untilsomeonecametorescueher.Butthenthesameheavyexhaustionthathaddescendedoverhermotherseemedtowraparoundheraswell.Theywerehere.Therewasnothingtobedoneaboutit.Shepushedthecardoorshutandsilentlyfollowedhermothertothehouse.

Thewomanstandinginthedoorwaywasancient.Oldenoughtobehergreat-grandmother,atleast.Cassietriedtodetectsomeresemblancetohermother,butshecouldfindnone.

"Cassie,thisisyourGrandmaHoward."

Cassiemanagedtomuttersomething.Theoldwomanwith thecanesteppedforward, fixing her deep-set eyes on Cassie's face. In that instant a bizarrethoughtflashedintoCassie'smind:She'sgoingtoputmeintheoven.Butthenshe felt arms around her, a surprisingly firm hug.Mechanically she lifted herownarmsinagestureofresponse.

Hergrandmotherpulledback to lookather."Cassie!At last.Afterall theseyears."ToCassie'sdiscomfitureshewentonlooking,staringatCassiewithwhatseemedlikeamixtureoffierceworryandanxioushope."Atlast,"shewhisperedagain,asifspeakingtoherself.

"It's good to see you,Mother,"Cassie'smother said then, quiet and formal,andthefierceoldeyesturnedawayfromCassie.

"Alexandra.Oh,mydear,it'sbeentoolong."Thetwowomenembraced,butanindefinableairoftensionremainedbetweenthem.

"But we're all standing here outside. Come in, come in, both of you," hergrandmothersaid,wipinghereyes."I'mafraidtheoldplaceisrathershabby,butI'vepickedthebestoftheroomsforyou.Let'stakeCassietohers."

In thefadingred lightof thesunset the interiorseemedcavernousanddark.

Andeverythingdidlookshabby,fromthewornupholsteryonthechairstothefadedorientalcarpetonthepine-boardfloors.

Theywentupaflightofstairs—slowly,withCassie'sgrandmotherleaningonthe banister—and down a long passage. The boards creaked under Cassie'sReeboksandthelampshighonthewallsflickereduneasilyastheypassed.Oneof us ought to be holding a candelabra, Cassie thought. Anyminute now sheexpectedtoseeLurchorCousinItcomingdownthehalltowardthem.

"These lamps—it's your grandfather's wiring," her grandmother apologized."He insistedondoingsomuchof ithimself.Here'syour room,Cassie. Ihopeyoulikepink."

Cassiefelthereyeswidenashergrandmotheropenedthedoor.Itwaslikeabedroom setting in a museum. There was a four-poster bed with hangingscascadingfromtheheadandfootandacanopy,allmadeofthesamedusty-roseflowered fabric. There were chairs with high carved backs upholstered in amatching rose damask. On a fireplace with a high mantel rested a pewtercandlestickandachinaclock,and therewereseveralpiecesofmassive, richlyglowingfurniture.Thewholethingwasbeautiful,butsogrand…

"You can put your clothes here—this chest is solid mahogany," Cassie'sgrandmotherwas saying. "The design is called bombe, and itwasmade righthereinMassachusetts—thisistheonlyareainallthecoloniesthatproducedit."

Thecolonies?Cassiethoughtwildly,staringatthedecorativescrolltopofthechest.

"And this is yourdressing table andyourwardrobe…Haveyou lookedoutthewindows?Ithoughtyoumightlikeacornerroombecauseyoucanseebothsouthandeast."

Cassielooked.Throughonewindowshecouldseetheroad.Theotherfacedtheocean. Justnow itwasa sullen leadgrayunder thedarkeningsky,exactlymatchingCassie'smood.

"I'll leaveyouheretogetsettledin,"Cassie'sgrandmothersaid."Alexandra,I'vegivenyouthegreenroomattheoppositeendofthehallway…"

Cassie'smother gave her shoulder a quick, almost timid squeeze.And thenCassiewasalone.Alonewiththemassiveruddyfurnitureandthecoldfireplaceand theheavydraperies.Shesatgingerlyonachairbecauseshewasafraidof

thebed.

She thought about her bedroom at home, with her white pressed-woodfurniture and herPhantom of theOpera posters and the newCDplayer she'dbought with her baby-sitting money. She'd painted the bookcase pale blue toshowoffherunicorncollection.Shecollectedeverykindofunicorntherewas—stuffed, blown glass, ceramic, pewter. Back home, Clover had said once thatCassiewas likeaunicornherself:blueeyed, shy, anddifferent fromeveryoneelse.Allthatseemedtobelongtoaformerlifenow.

She didn't know how long she sat there, but sometime later she found thepieceofchalcedonyinherhand.Shemusthavetakenitoutofherpocket,andnowshewasclingingtoit.

Ifyou'reeverintroubleordanger,shethought,andawaveoflongingsweptover her. Itwas followed by awave of fury.Don't be stupid, she told herselfsharply.You're not in danger. And no rock is going to help you. She had animpulsetothrowitaway,butinsteadshejustrubbeditagainsthercheek,feelingthecool, jaggedsmoothnessof thecrystals. Itmadeherrememberhis touch—how gentle it had been, theway it had pierced her to the soul. Daringly, sherubbedthecrystaloverherlipsandfeltasuddenthrobfromalltheplacesonherskin he had touched. The hand he had held—she could still feel his fingersprintedonherpalm.Herwrist—shefeltthelightbrushofcoolfingertipsraisingthehairsthere.Andthebackofit…Sheshuthereyesandherbreathcaughtassherememberedthatkiss.Whatwouldithavefeltlike,shewondered,ifhislipshadtouchedwherethecrystaltouchednow?Sheletherheadfallback,drawingthecoolstonefromherownlipsdownherthroattorestinthehollowwhereherpulsebeat.Shecouldalmostfeelhimkissingher,asnoboyeverhad;shecouldalmostimaginethatitreallywashislipsthere.Iwouldletyou,shethought,eventhoughIwouldn'tletanyoneelse…Iwouldtrustyou…

Buthe'dlefther.Suddenly,withashock,sherememberedthat.He'dleftherandgoneaway,justastheothermostimportantmaninCassie'slifehad.

Cassieseldomthoughtaboutherfather.Sheseldomallowedherselfto.He'dgoneawaywhenshewasonlyalittlegirl,lefthermotherandheralonetotakecareof themselves.Cassie'smother toldpeoplehehaddied,but toCassie sheadmitted the truth:he'd simply left.Maybehewasdeadbynow,ormaybehewassomewhereelse,withanotherfamily,anotherdaughter.Sheandhermotherwould never know. And although her mother never spoke about him unless

someoneasked,Cassieknewthathe'dbrokenhermother'sheart.

Menalwaysleave,Cassiethought,herthroataching.Theybothleftme.Andnow I'm alone… here. If only I had somebody else to talk to… a sister,somebody…

Eyesstillshut,sheletthehandwiththecrystaltraildownandfallintoherlap.Shewas so exhaustedwith emotion that she couldn't evenget up togo to thebed. She simply sat there, drifting in the lonely dimness until her breathingslowedandshefellasleep.

ThatnightCassiehad adream—orperhaps itwasn't adream.Shedreamedthat her mother and grandmother came into the room, moving noiselessly,almost gliding over the floor. In her dream she was aware of them, but shecouldn'tmoveastheyliftedherfromthechairandundressedherandputhertobed.Thentheystoodoverthebed,lookingdownather.Hermother'seyeswerestrangeanddarkandunfathomable.

"LittleCassie,"hergrandmothersaidwithasigh."Atlast.Butwhatapity—"

"Sh!"hermothersaidsharply."She'llwakeup."

Hergrandmothersighedagain."Butyoucanseethatit'stheonlyway…"

"Yes,"hermothersaid,hervoiceemptyandresigned."Icanseethatyoucan'tescapedestiny.Ishouldn'thavetried."

That's just what I thought, Cassie realized as the dream faded. You can'tescape destiny. Vaguely she could see her mother and grandmother movingtoward the door, and she could hear thewhisper of their voices. She couldn'tmakeoutanywords,though,untilonesibilanthisscamethrough.

"…sacrifice..."

Shewasn'tsurewhichofthewomenhadsaidit,butitechoedoverandoverinher mind. Even as darkness covered her, she kept hearing it. Sacrifice…sacrifice…sacrifice…

It was morning. She was lying in the four-poster bed and sunlight wasstreaming in theeasternwindow. Itmade thepink room look likea rosepetal

heldup to the light.Sortofwarmandshining.Somewhereoutsideabirdwassinging.

Cassiesatup.Shehadaconfusedmemoryofsomekindofadream,butitwasdimandvague.Hernosewasstuffedup—probablyfromcrying—andshefeltalittlelightheadedbutnotreallybad.Shefeltthewayyoudoafterbeingverysickor very upset and then getting some deep, restful sleep: strangely spacey andpeaceful.Thequietafterthestorm.

She got dressed. Just as she was about to leave the room, she noticed thechalcedonyluckypieceonthefloorandslippeditinherpocket.

Nooneelseseemedtobeawake.Evenin thedaytimethelongpassagewasdark and cool, lit only by thewindows at opposite ends.Cassie found herselfshivering as she walked down the hall, and the dim bulbs of the wall lampsflickeredasifinsympathy.

Downstairswaslighter.Butthereweresomanyroomsthatwhenshetriedtoexplore, she quickly got lost. Finally, she ended up in the front hallway anddecidedtogooutside.

She wasn't even thinking about why—she guessed she wanted to see theneighborhood. Her steps took her down the long, narrow country road, pasthouseafterhouse.Itwassoearly,nooneelsewasoutside.Andeventuallysheendedupattheprettyyellowhousewiththetowers.

Highinonetower,thewindowwassparkling.

Cassie was staring at it, wondering why, when she noticed motion in aground-floorwindowmuchclosertoher.Itwasalibraryorstudy,andstandinginsidewasagirl.Thegirlwastallandslender,withanincrediblylongcascadeofhairthatobscuredherfaceasshebentoversomethingonthedeskinfrontofthe window. That hair—Cassie couldn't take her eyes off it. It was likemoonlight and sunlight woven together—and it was natural. No dark roots.Cassiehadneverseenanythingsobeautiful.

Theywere soclose—Cassie standing justbehind theneathedgeoutside thewindow,andthegirlstandingjust inside,facingher,but lookingdown.Cassiewatched, fascinated, at what the girl was doing at the desk. The girl's handsmoved gracefully, grinding something up with a mortar and pestle. Spices?Whateveritwas,thegirl'smovementswerequickanddeftandherhandsslender

andpretty.

And Cassie had the oddest feeling… If the girl would only look up, shethought. Just look outside her own window. Once she did, then… somethingwould happen. Cassie didn't know what, but her skin had broken out ingooseflesh.Shehadsuchasenseofconnection,of…kinship.If thegirlwouldjustlookup…

Yell.Throwa stoneat thewindow.Cassiewasactually looking for a stonewhenshesawmovementagain.Thegirlwiththeshininghairwasturning,asifresponding tosomeone inside thehousecallingher.Cassiehadaglimpseofalovely,dewyface—butonlyforthebriefestinstant.Thenthegirlhadturnedandwashurryingaway,hairflyinglikesilkbehindher.

Cassieletoutherbreath.

Itwouldhavebeenstupidanyway,shetoldherselfasshewalkedbackhome.Finewaytointroduceyourselftoyourneighbors—throwingrocksatthem.Butthe sense of crushing disappointment remained. She felt that somehow she'dneverhaveanotherchance—she'dnevergetupthecouragetointroduceherselfto that girl. Anyone that beautiful undoubtedly had plenty of friends withoutCassie.UndoubtedlywentwithacrowdfarbeyondCassie'sorbit.

Her grandmother's flat, square house looked even worse after the sunnyVictorianone.Disconsolately,Cassiedriftedover to thebluff, to lookdownattheocean.

Blue.Acolorsointenseshedidn'tknowhowtodescribeit.Shewatchedthewaterwashingaroundadarkrockandfeltaqueerthrill.Thewindblewherhairback,andshestaredoutat themorningsunglitteringonthewaves.Shefelt…kinshipagain.As if somethingwere speaking toherblood, to somethingdeepinside her.Whatwas it about this place—about that girl? She felt she couldalmostgraspit…

"Cassie!"

Startled, Cassie looked around. Her grandmother was calling from thedoorwayoftheoldwingofthehouse.

"Areyouallright?Forheaven'ssake,getawayfromtheedge!"

Cassie looked down and immediately felt awave of vertigo.Her toeswere

almostoffthebluff."Ididn'trealizeIwasthatclose,"shesaid,steppingback.

Hergrandmotherstaredather, thennodded."Well,comeawaynowandI'llgetyousomebreakfast,"shesaid."Doyoulikepancakes?"

Feeling a little shy, Cassie nodded. She had some vague memory about adream thatmadeher uncomfortable, but shedefinitely felt better thismorningthanshehadyesterday.Shefollowedhergrandmotherthroughthedoor,whichwasmuchthickerandheavierthanamodernone.

"Thefrontdooroftheoriginalhouse,"hergrandmotherexplained.Shedidn'tseemtobehavingmuchtroublewithherlegtoday,Cassienoticed."Strangetohaveitleaddirectlyintothekitchen,isn'tit?Butthatwashowtheydidthingsinthosedays.Sitdown,whydon'tyou,whileImakethepancakes."

ButCassiewasstaringinamazement.Thekitchenwaslikenokitchenshe'deverseenbefore.Therewasagasrangeandarefrigerator—evenamicrowaveshovedbackonawoodencounter—buttherestofitwaslikesomethingoutofamovie set. Dominating the roomwas an enormous open fireplace as big as awalk-incloset,andalthoughtherewasnofirenow,thethicklayerofashesatthebottomshowedthatitwassometimesused.Inside,anironpothungonanironcrossbar.Overthefireplacewerespraysofdriedflowersandplants,whichgaveoffapleasantfragrance.

Andasforthewomaninfrontofthehearth…

Grandmotherswere supposed to be pink and cozy,with soft laps and largechecking accounts. This woman looked stooped and coarse, with her grizzledhairandtheprominentmoleonhercheek.Cassiekepthalfexpectinghertogoover to the iron pot and stir it while muttering, "Double, double, toil andtrouble…"

Immediately after she thought this, she felt ashamed. That's yourgrandmother, she told herself fiercely. Your only living relative besides yourmother.It'snotherfaultshe'soldandugly.Sodon'tjustsithere.Saysomethingnice.

"Oh, thanks," she said, as her grandmother placed a plate of steamingpancakesinfrontofher.Thensheadded,"Uh,arethosedriedflowersoverthefireplace?Theysmellgood."

"Lavenderandhyssop,"hergrandmothersaid."Whenyou'redoneeating,I'll

showyoumygarden,ifyoulike."

"I'dloveit,"Cassiesaid,truthfully.

But when her grandmother led her outside after she'd finished eating, thescenewasfardifferentthanCassiehadexpected.Thereweresomeflowers,butforthemostpartthe"garden"justlookedlikeweedsandbushes—rowafterrowofovergrown,uncared-forweedsandbushes.

"Oh—hownice,"Cassiesaid.Maybetheoldladywassenileafterall."Whatunusual—plants."

Hergrandmothershotherashrewd,amusedglance."They'reherbs,"shesaid."Here,thisislemonbalm.Smell."

Cassietooktheheart-shapedleaf,wrinkledlikeamintleafbutalittlebigger,and sniffed. It had the scent of freshly peeled lemon. "That is nice," she said,surprised.

"AndthisisFrenchsorrel—taste."

Cassiegingerlytookthesmall,roundedleafandnibbledattheend.Thetastewas sharp and refreshing. "It's good—like sourgrass!" she said, lookingup athergrandmother,whosmiled."Whatarethose?"Cassiesaid,nibblingagainasshepointedtosomebrightyellowbuttonsofflowers.

"That's tansy. The ones that look likewhite daisies are feverfew. Feverfewleavesaregoodinsalads."

Cassiewasintrigued."Whataboutthose?"Shepointedtosomecreamywhiteflowersthattwinedupotherbushes.

"Honeysuckle.Ikeepitjustbecauseitsmellsgood.Thebeesloveit,andthebutterflies.Inspringit'slikeGrandCentralStationaroundhere."

Cassie reachedout to snapoff a fragrant stemofdelicate flowerbuds, thenstopped."CouldI—IthoughtI'dtakesomeupformyroom.Ifyoudon'tmind,Imean."

"Oh,goodheavens,takeasmanyasyouwant.That'swhatthey'reherefor."

She'snotreallyoldanduglyatall,Cassiethought,snappingoffstemsofthecreamyflowers.She'sjust—different.Differentdoesn'tnecessarilymeanbad.

"Thanks—Grandma," she said as they went back into the house. Then sheopenedhermouthagain,toaskabouttheyellowhouse,andwholivedthere.

Buthergrandmotherwaspickingupsomethingfrombesidethemicrowave.

"Here,Cassie.Thiscamein themail foryouyesterday."ShehandedCassietwobookletsboundinconstructionpaper,oneredandonewhite.

NewSalemHighSchoolStudentandParentHandbook,oneread.Theotherread,NewSalemHighSchoolProgramofStudies.

Oh,myGod,Cassiethought.School.

Newhallways,newlockers,newclassrooms,newfaces.Therewasaslipofpaperbetweenthebooklets,withScheduleofClassesprintedboldlyatthetop.Andunderthat,hername,withheraddresslistedasNumberTwelveCrowhavenRoad,NewSalem.

Hergrandmothermightnotbeasbadasshe'dthought;eventhehousemightturn out to be not so awful.Butwhat about school?Howcould she ever faceschoolhereinNewSalem?

FiveThegraycashmeresweaterortheblue-and-whiteFairIslecardigan,thatwas

the question.Cassie stood in front of the gilt-framedmirror, holding first oneandthentheotherinfrontofher.Thebluecardigan,shedecided;bluewasherfavoritecolor,anditbroughtouttheblueofhereyes.Theplumpcherubsontopoftheold-fashionedlookingglassseemedtoagree,smilingatherapprovingly.

Nowthatthefirstdayofschoolhadactuallycome,Cassiefoundthatshewasexcited. Of course, she was nervous too, but it wasn't the stark and hopelessdread she'd expected to feel.Therewas something interesting aboutbeginningschool in a new place. Itwas like starting her life over.Maybe she'd adopt awholenewpersonality.Backhome,herfriendswouldprobablydescribeheras"nice,but shy"or "fun,butkindofquiet."Butnoonehereknew that.Maybethis year she'd be Cassie the Extrovert or even Cassie the Party Girl.Maybeshe'devenbegoodenoughforthegirlwiththeshininghair.Cassie'sheartbeatmorequicklyatthethought.

It all dependedon first impressions. Itwasvital shegetoff to agood start.Cassiepulledonthebluesweaterandanxiouslycheckedherreflectionagaininthemirror.

Shewished thereweresomethingmore todowithherownhair. Itwassoftand it waved slightly, with pretty highlights, but she wished she could dosomethingmore dramaticwith it. Like the girl in this ad—she glanced at themagazineopenonthedressingtable.She'dboughtitspeciallywhenshe'ddriveninto town lastweek so she could see the back-to-school fashions. She'd nevergotten the courage to walk up to the yellow Victorian house again, althoughshe'd cruised by it slowly in her grandmother's Volkswagen Rabbit, hopingvainlytobumpintothegirl"accidentally."

Yes,tomorrowshe'dpullherhairbacklikethemodelinthead,shedecided.

Just as shewas about to step away, something on the opposite page of themagazinecaughthereye.Ahoroscopecolumn.Herbirthsign,Cancer,seemedtobestaringoutather.Automaticallyhereyesfollowedthewordsafterit.

Thatdaggyinsecurefeelinghasgotyouagain.It'stimeforpositivethinking!Ifthatdoesn'twork,rememberthatnothinglastsforever.Trynottomakewaves

in your personal relationships this month. You've got enough to cope withalready.

Horoscopes are such garbage, Cassie thought, closing the magazine with aslap. Her mother had always said so, and it was true. "That daggy insecurefeeling"—justtellingsomeonetheyfeltinsecurewasenoughtomakethemfeelit!Therewasnothingsupernaturalaboutthat.

But if shedidn'tbelieve in thesupernatural,whatwas thechalcedony luckypiece doing in the zipper compartment of her backpack? Setting her jaw, shetookitoutandputitinherjewelrybox,thenwentdownstairstosaygood-bye.

The schoolwas an impressive three-story red brick building. So impressivethatafterCassiehadparkedtheRabbit,shewasalmostafraidtogoanycloser.There were several narrow paths that led up the hill, and she finally nervedherselftotakeone.Atthetopherthroatclosedandshesimplystared.

God, it looked like acollege or something.Like a historical landmark.TheboldstonefacingonthefrontreadNEWSALEMHIGHSCHOOL,andbelowwasasortofcrestwiththewordsTownofNewSalem,Incorporated1693.Wasthathowold this townwas?Threehundredyears?Back inReseda, theoldestbuildingsaroundhadbeenthereformaybefiftyyears.

Iamnotshy,Cassietoldherself,forcingherselftowalkforward.IamCassietheConfident.

Anincrediblyloudroarmadeherheadjerkaround,andsheerinstinctsentherjumping to the side just in time to avoid being run over.Heart pounding, shestoodandgawkedatwhathadalmosthither. Itwasamotorcycleon thebikepath. But evenmore astonishing was its rider—a girl. She was wearing tightblack jeans andamotorcycle jacket, andher trim, athleticbody looked tough.Butwhensheturnedaroundafterparkingthemotorcyclebyabikerack,Cassiesawthatherfacewasravishinglypretty. Itwassmallandfeminine,framedbytumblingdarkcurls,andmarredonlybyasullen,belligerentexpression.

"Whatareyoustaringat?"thegirldemandedsuddenly.

Cassie started. She supposed she had been staring. The girl took a stepforward,andCassiefoundherselfsteppingback.

"I'm sorry—I didn'tmean to—"She tried to tear her eyes away, but itwashard. The girl was wearing a skimpy black midriff top under the jacket, andCassieglimpsedwhatlookedlikeasmalltattoojustabovethematerial.Atattooofacrescentmoon."I'msorry,"Cassiesaidagain,helplessly.

"Youbetterbe.Youkeepoutofmyface,getit?"

Youwere theonewhoalmost ranmeover,Cassie thought.But shenoddedhastily,andtohervastreliefthegirlturnedaway.

God, what a horrible way to start the first day of school, Cassie thought,hurrying toward the entrance.What a horrible person to be the first one youspoketo.Well,atleastafterabeginninglikethat,thingscouldonlygetbetter.

Allaroundherteenagersweregreetingoneanother,shoutinghello; thegirlsgiggling and hugging, the boys horsing around. It was an excited bustle, andeverybodyseemedtoknoweverybodyelse.

ExceptCassie.Shestoodlookingatthefreshhaircutsoftheguys,thebrand-new clothes of the girls, smelling the scents of too much perfume andunnecessaryaftershaveandfeelingmorealonethansheeverhadinherlife.

Keepmoving,shetoldherselfsternly.Don'tstandaroundlookingforthatgirl—findyour firstclass.Maybeyou'll seesomebody therewho'salone,andyoucantalktothem.You'vegottolookextrovertedifyouwantpeopletothinkyouare.

Herfirstclasswaswritingforpublication,anEnglishelective,andCassiewasgladshehadit.Shelikedcreativewriting,andtheProgramofStudieshadsaidthat the class would offer opportunities for publication in the school literarymagazine and newspaper. She'd worked on the newspaper in her old school;maybeshecouldhere,too.

Of course, the Program also said you had to sign up for writing forpublication theprevious spring, andCassie still couldn't quite understandhowhergrandmotherhadgottenher enrolled justbefore school started.Maybehergrandmotherhadspecialpullwiththeadministrationorsomething.

She found the class without much trouble and took an inconspicuous deskneartheback.Theroomwasfillingup,andeveryoneseemedtohavesomeonetotalkto.NobodytooktheslightestnoticeofCassie.

Shebegandoodling ferociouslyon the frontofhernotebook, trying to looktotallyinvolvedinit,tryingtolookasifsheweren'ttheonlyoneinclasssittingalone.

"You'renew,aren'tyou?"

Theboyinfrontofherhadturnedaround.Hissmilewasgenuinelyfriendly,butitwasalsodazzling,andshehadafeelingheknewexactlyhowdazzlingitwas.Hishairwasauburnandcurly,anditwasclearthatwhenhestood,he'dbeverytall.

"You'renew,"hesaidagain.

"Yes,"saidCassie,andwasfurioustohearhervoiceshake.Butthisguywassogood-looking…"I'mCassieBlake.IjustmovedherefromCalifornia."

"I'mJeffreyLovejoy,"hesaid.

"Oh,"Cassie said, trying tomake it sound as if she'd heard of him before,sincethisseemedtobewhatheexpected.

"Centeronthebasketballteam,"hesaid."Alsocaptain."

"Oh,howgreat."Oh,howstupid.Shehadtodobetterthanthis.Shesoundedbrainless."Imean—thatmustbereallyinteresting."

"Areyou interested inbasketball?Maybewecould talkabout it sometime."SuddenlyCassiefeltverygrateful tohim.Hewasignoringherblundering,herlameness.Okay,somaybehelikedtobeadmired,butwhatdifferencedidthatmake?Hewasnice,anditwoulddefinitelyimproveherstatustobeseenaroundthecampuswithhim.

"Thatwouldbegreat,"shesaid,wishingshecouldthinkofanotheradjective."Maybe—maybeatlunch…"

Ashadowfelloverher.Oratleastthatwashowitfelt.Inanycase,shewasaware,allatonce,ofapresenceatherside,apresencethatmadehervoicetrailoffblanklyasshelookedup,wide-eyed.

Agirlwasstandingthere,themoststrikinggirlCassiehadeverseen.Abig,beautifulgirl,bothtallandvoluptuous.Shehadamaneofpitch-blackhairandherpaleskinwastouchedwiththeglowofconfidenceandpower.

"Hello,Jeffrey,"shesaid.Hervoicewaslowforagirl's;vibrantandalmosthusky.

"Faye."Jeffrey'svoice,bycontrast,wasnoticeablyunenthusiastic.Helookedtense."Hi."

Thegirlleanedoverhim,onehandonthebackofhischair,andCassiecaughtthe scent of some heady perfume. "I didn't see much of you over summervacation,"shesaid."Where'veyoubeen?"

"Around,"Jeffreysaidlightly.Buthissmilewasforced,andhisentirebodywastautnow.

"You shouldn't keep yourself hidden away like that. Naughty boy." Fayeleaned in closeryet.Shewaswearinganoff-the-shoulder top—completelyoffbothshoulders.ItleftagreatdealofskinexposedjustatJeffrey'seyelevel.ButitwasherfaceCassiecouldn'thelpstaringat.Shehadasensuous,sulkymouthand extraordinary honey-colored eyes. They seemed almost to glow with astrange golden light. "Youknow, there's a newhorrormovie at theCapri thisweek,"shesaid."Ilikehorrormovies,Jeffrey."

"Icantakethemorleavethemmyself,"Jeffreysaid.

Fayechuckled,a rich,disturbingsound. "Maybeyou justhaven't seen themwiththerightgirl,"shemurmured."Underthepropercircumstances,Ithinktheycanbevery…stimulating."

Cassie felt embarrassed blood rise to her cheeks, though she scarcely knewwhy.Jeffreywethislips,lookingfascinatedinspiteofhimself,butalsoscared.Likearabbitinatrap.

"I was going to take Sally down to Gloucester this weekend—" he began,voicestrained.

"Well, you'll just have to tell Sally that… something came up," Faye said,rakinghimwithhereyes."YoucancomegetmeSaturdaynightatseven."

"Faye,I—"

"Oh,anddon'tbelate,allright?Ihateitwhenboysarelate."

Allthistime,theblack-hairedgirlhadnotevenglancedatCassie.Butnow,asshestraighteneduptoleave,shedid.ThelooksheturnedonCassiewasslyand

secretive,asifshewereperfectlyawarethatCassiehadbeenlistening,andshelikedit.ThensheturnedbacktoJeffrey.

"Oh, and by the way," she said, lifting one hand in a languid gesture thatshowedoffherlongrednails,"she'sfromCrowhavenRoadtoo."

Jeffrey's jaw dropped.He stared atCassie amomentwith an expression ofshock and distaste, and then he quickly turned around to face the front of theroom.Fayewaschucklingasshewalkedawaytotakeaseatattheveryback.

Whatisgoingon?Cassiethoughtwildly.Whatdifferencediditmakewhereshe lived? The only thing she could see now of Jeffrey-of-the-dazzling-smilewashisrigidback.

Shehadnotimetothinkanythingmore,becausetheteacherwastalking.Hewasamild-lookingmanwithagrayingbeardandglasses.HeintroducedhimselfasMr.Humphries.

"Andsinceyou'veallhadachancetotalkduringyoursummervacation,nowI'llgiveyouachance towrite,"he said. "Iwanteachofyou towriteapoem,rightnow,spontaneously.We'll readsomeof themaloudafterward.Thepoemcanbeaboutanything,butifyouhavetroublethinkingofasubject,writeaboutyourdreams."

Thereweregroansfromtheclass,whichgraduallydiedintosilenceandpenchewing.ButCassie bent over her notebookwith her heart beating rapidly.Avaguememoryofherdreamoflastweekintruded,theonewherehermotherandgrandmother had stood over her. But she didn't want towrite about that. Shewantedtowriteabouthim.

After a few minutes she scribbled down a line. When Mr. Humphriesannouncedthatthetimewasup,shehadapoem,andreadingitovershefeltathinchillofexcitement.Itwasgood—oratleastshethoughtso.

Whatiftheteachercalledonhertoreaditoutloud?Shedidn'twanthimto,ofcourse,butwhat ifhemadeher,andwhat ifsomebodyelse inclass thought itwasgoodandwantedto talk toherafterward?Maybethey'daskherabout theguyinthepoem,andthenshecouldtellthemthemysteriousandromanticstoryabout him. Maybe she'd get a reputation for being kind of mysterious andromanticherself.MaybethegirlintheVictorianhousewouldhearabouther…

Mr. Humphries was calling for volunteers. Predictably, no hands were

raised…untilonewentupintheback.

Theteacherhesitated.Cassie turnedtosee that theraisedhandhadlongrednails.

"FayeChamberlain,"Mr.Humphriessaidatlast.

Hesaton theedgeofhisdeskas the tall, strikinggirlcame tostandbesidehim, butCassie had the oddest feeling that hewould havemoved away if hecould.Analmostpalpableairoftensionhadfilledtheroom,andalleyeswereonFaye.

She tossed her gloriousmane of black hair back and shrugged, causing heroff-the-shouldertoptoslipdownalittlelower.Tiltingherheadback,shesmiledslowlyattheclassandheldupapieceofpaper.

"Thisismypoem,"shesaidinherlazy,huskyvoice."It'saboutfire."

Shocked, Cassie looked down at the poem on her own desk. Then Faye'svoicecaughtherattention.

Idreamaboutfire—

Tonguesofflamelickingme.

Myhairburnslikeatorch;

Mybodyburnsforyou.

Touchmyskinandyourfingerswillstick—

You'llblackenlikeacinder.

Butyou'lldiesmiling;

Thenyou'llbepartofthefiretoo.

Astheentireclasswatched,riveted,Fayeproducedamatchandsomehow—Cassiedidn'tquiteseehow—managedtolightit.Shetouchedittothepaperandthepapercaughtfire.Then,walkingslowly,shemovedtostanddirectlyinfront

ofJeffreyLovejoy,wavingtheburningpapergentlybeforehiseyes.

Howls,whistles,anddeskbangingfromtheaudience.Manyofthemlookedscared,butmostoftheguyslookedexcited,too.Someofthegirlslookedasiftheywishedtheydaredtodosomethinglikethat.

Voicescalledout, "See, Jeffrey, that'swhatyouget forbeingsocute!""Goforit,man!""Watchout,Jeff,Sally'sgonnahearaboutthis!"

Jeffreyjustsatthere,thebackofhisneckslowlyflushingdullred.

Asthepaperwasabouttoburnherfingers,FayesashayedawayfromJeffreyagain and dropped it in the metal wastebasket by the teacher's desk. Mr.Humphries didn't flinch when something in the wastebasket flared up, andCassieadmiredhimforthat.

"Thankyou,Faye,"hesaidevenly."Class,Ithinkwecancallwhatwe'vejustseen an example of… concrete poetry. Tomorrow we'll study some moretraditionalmethods.Classdismissed."

Fayewalkedoutthedoor.Therewasaninstant'spause;then,asifeveryonehad been released by a spring, a sudden mass exodus. Jeffrey grabbed hisnotebookandwasgone.

Cassielookedatherownpoem.Fire.SheandFayehadbothwrittenaboutthesamething…

Suddenlyshetorethesheetoutand,crumplingitintoaball,thrustitintoherbackpack.Somuchforherdreamsofbeingromanticandmysterious.Withagirllikethataround,whowasevergoingtonoticeCassie?

Andyet theyallseemedalmostafraidofher,shethought.Eventheteacher.Why didn't he give her a detention or something?Or is lighting fires in trashcansnormalinNewSalem?

AndwhydidJeffreyletherhitonhimthatway?AndwhydidhecarewhereIlive,forGod'ssake?

Inthehall,shenervedherselftostopsomeoneandaskwhereroomC310was.

"It's on the third floor," the girl said. "All themath classes are.Go up thatstairway—"

"Yo! Look out! Heads up, everybody!" a shouting voice interrupted.Somethingwaswhizzingdownthehall,scatteringstudentsrightandleftfromitspath.Twosomethings.Dumbfounded,Cassiesawthatitwastwoguysonrollerblades, laughing and bellowing as they tore through the crowd. Cassie had aglimpse of disheveled shoulder-length blond hair and almond-shaped, slightlytiltedblue-greeneyesasonepassed—andthenshesawitallagainasthesecondone streaked by. The boys were identical, except that one was wearing aMegadethT-shirtandtheother'ssaidMotleyCrüe.

Theywerecreatingchaosastheywent,knockingbooksoutofpeople'sarmsand grabbing at girls' clothes.As they reached the end of the hallway, one ofthemcaughtaprettyredhead'sminiskirtanddeftlyflippeditup towaist level.Thegirlshriekedanddroppedherbackpacktopushitdown.

"Whydoesn't somebodydo something?"Cassieblurtedout.Waseverybodyin this school crazy? "Why doesn't somebody stop them—or report them—orsomething.…"

"Areyoukidding?Thoseare theHendersonbrothers," thegirlsaid,andshewalkedaway, joininganothergirl.Cassiehearda fragmentofa sentence floatback:"…doesn'tevenknowabout theClub…"andbothgirlsglancedbackather,thenwalkedon.

WhatClub?Thatgirlhadsaid itas if ithadcapital letters.Whatdidaclubhavetodowithbreakingschoolrules?Whatkindofplacewasthis?

Another bell rang, andCassie realized that shewas now late for class. Sheslungherbackpackoverhershoulderandranforthestairs.

By lunchtime, she still hadn't exchanged more than a "hi" or "hello" withanyone,nomatterhowshe tried.Andshehadn'tseen thegirlwith theshininghairanywhere—notthatthatwasreallysurprising,consideringthemanyfloorsandcorridorsof this school. Inherpresent stateof insecurity,Cassiewouldn'thavedaredtoapproachthegirlifshehadseenher.Aleaden,miserablefeelinghadsettledinherstomach.

Andoneglanceat theglass-walledcafeteria teemingwith laughingstudentsmadeherkneesgoweak.

Shecouldn'tfaceit.Shejustdidn'thavethenerve.

Arms wrapped around herself, she walked away and kept walking. Shewalkedrightthroughthemainentranceandoutthedoor.Shedidn'tknowwhereshewasgoing—maybe shewasgoinghome.But then she saw the lushgreengrassofthehill.

No, shedecided; I'll just eat here.Partwaydown thehill therewere severalcraggy outcrops of natural rock, and she found she could sit comfortably in alittlehollowbelowone,shadedbyatree.Shewasshieldedbytherockfromtheschool;itwasalmostasiftheschooldidn'texist.Shecouldlookdownaflightofmeanderingstepstothebottomofthehillandtheroadbeyond,butnoonefromabovecouldseeher.

Asshesat, lookingat thedandelionsdottingthegrass, thetensiongraduallydrained out of her. So what if the morning hadn't been the greatest? Thingswouldbebetterthisafternoon.Theclearblueskyseemedtotellherthat.

Andtherockatherback—thefamousredgraniteofNewEngland—gaveherafeelingofsecurity.Itwasstrange,butshealmostfeltshecouldhearabuzzingintherock,likeaheartbeattremendouslyspeededup.Abuzzingoflife.IfIputmy cheek to it, I wonder what would hap-pen? she thought with a curiousexcitement.

Voicesdistractedher.Dismayed,Cassiekneltup to lookover the topof therock—andtensed.

Itwas thatgirl,Faye.Therewere twoothergirlswithher,andoneof themwas the biker who'd nearly run Cassie over that morning. The other was astrawberryblondwithatinywaistandthemostwell-developedchestCassiehadever seenona teenager.Theywere laughingand saunteringdown the steps—righttowardCassie.

I'll just stand up and say hi,Cassie thought, but she didn't.Thememory ofthosedisturbinghoney-coloredeyeswasstillwithher.Shekeptquietandhopedthey'dpassherby,goallthewaydownthehillandoffcampus.

Instead theystoppedon the landing justaboveCassie, sittingwith their feetonthestepsbelowandpullingoutpaperlunchbags.

TheyweresoclosethatCassiecouldseetheredstoneblazingatFaye'sthroat.Althoughshewas inshadownow, if shemoved theywouldn'tbeable tomissher.Shewastrapped.

"Did anybody follow us, Deborah?" Faye asked lazily as she rummagedthroughherbackpack.

Thebikergirlsnorted."Nobody'sstupidenoughtotry."

"Good. Because this is top secret. I don't want you-know-who to hearanythingaboutit,"Fayesaid.Shetookoutastenographer'snotebookwitharedcoverandlaiditonherknee."Nowletmesee,whatshallwedotostartthisyearoff?Ifeellikesomethingreallywicked."

Six"Well,there'sJeffrey…"thestrawberryblondsaid.

"Alreadybegun,"Fayesaid,smiling."Iworkfast,Suzan."

Suzan laughed.When shedid, her extraordinary chest jiggled in away thatmadeCassiecertainshewasn'twearinganythingunderneathherapricot-coloredsweater.

"Istilldon'tseethepointofJeffreyLovejoy,"thebikergirlsaid,scowling.

"You don't see the point of any guy, Deborah; that's your problem," saidSuzan.

"Andyourproblemisthatyoucan'tseethepointofanythingelse,"Deborahretorted."ButJeffrey'sworsethanmost.He'sgotmoreteeththanbraincells."

"It isn't his teeth I'm interested in," said Faye thoughtfully. "Who are yougoingtostartwith,Suzan?"

"Oh,Idon'tknow.It'ssohard todecide.There'sMarkFlemmingandBrantHegerwood and David Downey—he's in my remedial English class, and he'sdevelopedthiskillerbodyoverthesummer.Andthenthere'salwaysNick…"

Deborahhooted."OurNick?Theonlywayhe'dlookatyouisifyouhadfourwheelsandaclutch."

"And besides, he's taken," Faye said, and her smile reminded Cassie of acrouchingjunglecat.

"YoujustsaidyouwantedJeffrey—"

"They both have their uses.Get this straight, Suzan.Nick and I have an…arrangement.Soyoujustbackoffandpickyourselfaniceoutsider,allright?"

There was a moment of tension, and then the strawberry blond shrugged."Okay, I'll take David Downey. I didn't really want Nick anyway. He's aniguana."

Deborahlookedup."He'smycousin!"

"He'sstillaniguana.Hekissedmeatthejuniorprom,anditwaslikekissingareptile."

"Canwegetbacktobusiness?"Fayesaid."Who'sonthehatelist?"

"SallyWaltman,"Suzansaidimmediately.

"Shealreadythinksbecauseshe'sclasspresidentshecanstanduptous,andifyoutakeJeffrey,she'sgoingtobereallymad."

"Sally…" Fay mused. "Yes, we'll have to come up with something trulyspecialfordearoldSally…What'swrong,Deborah?"

Deborah had stiffened, looking up the hill toward the school entrance."Intruderalert,"shesaid."Infact,itlookslikeawholedelegation."

Cassie had seen it too, a group of guys and girls coming through themainentrancedownthehill.Shefeltasurgeofhope.MaybewhileFayeandtheothertwo were occupied with them, she herself could slip away unnoticed. Heartbeatingquickly,shewatchedthenewgroupapproach.

Abroad-shoulderedboyinfront,whoseemedtobetheleader,spokeup.

"Look,Faye,thecafeteria'scrowded.Sowe'regoingtoeatouthere—okay?"Hisvoicestartedoutbelligerent,butitwaveredtowardtheend,becomingmoreofaquestionthanastatement.

Faye lookedupathimwithouthaste, then smiledher slow,beautiful smile."No,"shesaid,brieflyandsweetly."Itisn'tokay."Thensheturnedbacktoherlunch.

"Howcome?"theboyburstout,stilltryingtosoundtough."Youdidn'tstopuslastyear."

"Lastyear,"Fayesaid,"wewereonly juniors.Thisyearwe'reseniors—andwe'rewicked.Aswickedaswewannabe."

DeborahandSuzansmiled.

Frustrated,Cassieshiftedherweight.Sofar therehadneverbeenamomentwhen all three of the girls were looking away. Come on, turn around, shethoughtpleadingly.

The group of guys and girls went on standing there for a minute or two,

exchangingangryglances.But finally they turnedandwalkedback toward theschoolbuilding—allexceptone.

"Uh,Faye?DidyoumeanIhadtogotoo?"shesaid.Shewasapretty,flushedgirl,andyoung.Probablyasophomore,Cassieguessed.Cassieexpectedhertogetpackedoffliketheothers,buttohersurpriseFayeraisedhereyebrowsandthenpattedthelandinginvitingly.

"Why,Kori," she said, "of course you can stay.We just imaginedyou'd beeating in the cafeteria with the Princess of Purity and the rest of the goody-goodies."

Korisatdown."Toomuchgoodnesscangetboring,"shesaid.

Faye tilted her head and smiled. "And there I thought you were a namby-pamby little Puritan. Silly me," she said. "Well, you know you're alwayswelcomehere.You'realmostoneofus,aren'tyou?"

Koriduckedherhead."I'llbefifteenintwoweeks."

"There, you see,"Faye said to the others. "She's almost eligible.Nowwhatwerewetalkingabout?Thatnewslashermovie,wasn'tit?"

"That'sright,"Deborahsaid,showingherteeth."Theonewheretheguychopspeopleupandmakesthemintocondimentsathissaladbar."

Suzanwas unwrapping a Twinkie. "Oh,Deborah, don't. You'remakingmesick."

"Well,youmakemesickwith thosethings,"Deborahsaid."Youneverstopeatingthem.That'swhatthoseare,youknow,"shetoldKori,pointingatSuzan'schest."TwogiantTwinkies.IfHostesswentoutofbusiness,she'dbewearingadoubleA."

Faye laughed her sleepy, throaty laugh, and even Suzan giggled. Kori wassmilingtoo,butlookinguncomfortable.

"Kori!We're not embarrassing you, arewe?" Faye exclaimed, opening hergoldeneyeswide.

"Don'tbesilly.Idon'tembarrasseasily,"Korisaid.

"Well,withbrotherslikeyours,Ishouldthinknot.Still,"Fayewenton,"you

seem so young, you know; almost… virginal. But that's probably just a falseimpression,right?"

Kori was blushing now. All three senior girls were looking at her withinsinuatingsmiles.

"Well,sure—Imean,itisafalseimpression—I'mnotallthatyoung—"Koriswallowed, looking confused. "Iwent outwith JimmyClark all last summer,"sheendeddefensively.

"Why don't you tell us all about it?" Faye murmured. Kori looked moreconfused.

"I—well—IthinkI'dbettergetgoing.I'vegotgymnextperiod,andIhavetoget all the way over to E-wing. I'll see you guys." She got up quickly anddisappeared.

"Strange, she lefther lunch,"Fayemused, frowninggently. "Oh,well."Sheextracted a package of cupcakes from Kori's lunch sack and tossed them toSuzan,whogiggled.

Deborah,though,wasfrowning."Thatwasstupid,Faye.We'regoingtoneedherlater—likeintwoweeks.Oneemptyspace,onecandidate,youknow?"

"True,"Fayesaid."Oh,well,I'llmakeituptoher.Don'tworry;whenthetimecomes,she'llbeonourside."

"I suppose we'd better get moving too," Suzan said, and behind her rock,Cassieshuthereyesinrelief."I'vegottoclimballthewaytothethirdfloorforalgebra."

"Which could take hours," Deborah said maliciously. "But don't strainyourselfjustyet.There'smorecompanycoming."

Fayesighedinexasperation,withoutturning."Whonow?.Whatdowehavetodotogetalittlepeacearoundhere?"

"It'sMadameClassPresidentherself.Sally.Andthere'ssteamcomingoutofherears."

Faye's expression of annoyance vanished, dissolving into something morebeautifulandinfinitelymoredangerous.Stillsittingwithherbacktotheschool,she smiled and worked her long, red-tipped fingers like a cat exercising its

claws."AndI thought todaywasgoing tobeboring,"shemurmured,cluckinghertongue."Itjustshowsyoucannevertell.Well,hetto,Sally,"shesaidaloud,standingandturninginonesmoothmotion."Whata lovelysurprise.Howwasyoursummer?"

"Save it,Faye," said thegirlwho'd justmarcheddown thesteps.ShewasagoodheadshorterthanFaye,andslighterofbuild,butherarmsandlegshadawiry look and her fists were clenched as if shewere prepared to do physicalbattle."Ididn'tcomeoutheretochat."

"Butwehaven'thadagoodtalkinsolong…Didyoudosomethingtoyourhair?It'sso—interesting."

CassielookedatSally'shair.Ithadarustycasttoit,andlookedfrizzledandoverpermed.

As the girl raised a defensive hand to her head Cassie could almost havegiggled—ifitallhadn'tbeensohorrible.

"Ididn'tcometotalkaboutmyhair,either!"snappedSally.Shehadastridentvoice that was climbing higher with every sentence. "I came to talk aboutJeffrey.Youleavehimalone!"

Faye smiled, very slowly. "Why?" shemurmured, and in contrast toSally'svoice hers seemed even lower and more sensual. "Afraid of what he'll do ifyou'renottheretoholdhishand?"

"He'snotinterestedinyou!"

"Isthatwhathetoldyou?Hmm.Heseemedveryinterestedthismorning.He'stakingmeoutSaturdaynight."

"Becauseyou'remakinghim."

"Makinghim?AreyousuggestingabigboylikeJeffreycan'tsaynowhenhewants to?" Faye shook her head. "And why isn't he here now to speak forhimself? I'll tell you something, Sally," she added, her voice droppingconfidentially."Hedidn'tfighthardthismorning.Hedidn'tfighthardatall."

Sally'shanddrewbackasifshewantedtohitthebiggergirl,butshedidn't."Youthinkyoucandoanything,Faye—youandtherestoftheClub!Well,it'stimesomebodyshowedyouthatyoucan't.Therearemoreofus—lotsmore—

andwe'regettingtiredofbeingpushedaround.It'stimesomebodytookastand."

"Is that what you're planning to do?" Faye said pleasantly. Sally had beencircling her like a bulldog looking for an opening, and now thewiry girl hadendedontheedgeofthelandingwithherbacktothestepsleadingdown.

"Yes!"Sallycrieddefiantly.

"Funny,"murmuredFaye,"becauseit'sgoingtobehardtodothatflatonyourback."WiththelastwordssheflickedherlongredfingernailsinSally'sface.

She never actually touched Sally's skin. Cassie, who had been watchingintently,desperatelywaitingforanopportunitytoflee,feltsureofthat.

But it was as if something hit Sally. Something invisible. And heavy. Thewirygirl'sentirebodyjerkedbackandshetriedfranticallytoregainherfootingontheedgeofthelanding.Armsflailing,sheteeteredforanendlessinstantandthenfellbackward.

Cassie could never remember what happened then. One minute she wasbehind her rock, crouching and safe, and the next she had flung herself outacross the falling girl's path, knocking her sideways onto the grass. For aheartbeatCassiethoughttheywerebothgoingtorollallthewaydownthehill,but somehow or other they didn't. They ended up in a heap, with Cassieunderneath.

"Letgo!Yourippedmyshirt,"astridentvoiceexclaimed,andanunkindfistplanteditselfinCassie'smidriffasSallypushedherselftoherfeet.Cassiestaredupather,open-mouthed.Talkaboutgratitude…

"And as for you, Faye Chamberlain—you tried to kill me! But you'll getyours,youwaitandsee!"

"I'll get yours too,Sally,"Faye promised, smiling, but the sleepiness in hersmilewasn't genuine anymore.She looked as if underneath shewere grindingherteeth.

"Youjustwait,"Sallyrepeatedvehemently."Somedaytheymayfindyouatthe bottomof those stairswith a broken neck."With that, shemarched to thelandingandupthesteps,bringingherfootdownoneachasifshewerestampingonFaye'sface.Shedidn'tevenlookbackoracknowledgeCassie'sexistence.

Cassieslowlygotupandglanceddownthelong,windingflightofstairsthatled to the foot of the hill. She couldn't have done anything differently, sherealized. Sally would have been lucky to break nothing more than her neckbeforeshereachedbottom.Butnow…

Sheturnedtofacethethreeseniorgirlsaboveher.

They were still standing with careless, unstudied elegance, but underneaththeir easy demeanor was violence. Cassie saw it in the sullen darkness ofDeborah'seyes,andinthespitefulcurveofSuzan'slips.ButmostofallshesawitinFaye.

Itoccurredtoher,quiteincidentally,thatthesewereprobablythethreemostbeautifulgirlsshe'deverseen.Itwasn'tjustthateachhadperfectskin,freeoftheslightesttraceofteenageblemishes.Itwasn'ttheirgorgeoushair:Deborah'sdarkdisorderedcurls,Faye'spitch-blackmane,andSuzan'scloudofreddishgold.Itwasn't even the way they set each other off, each one's distinctive typeenhancing the others' instead of detracting from them. It was something else,somethingthatcamefromwithin.Akindofconfidenceandself-possessionthatno girl at sixteen or seventeen should have. An inner strength, an energy. Apower.

Itterrifiedher.

"Well,now,whatdowehavehere?"Fayesaidinathroatyvoice."Aspy?Oralittlewhitemouse?"

Run,Cassiethought.Butherlegswouldn'tmove.

"Isawherthismorning,"Deborahsaid."Shewashangingoutinfrontofthebikerack,staringatme."

"Oh,I'veseenherbeforethat,Debby,"Fayereplied."IsawherlastweekatNumberTwelve.She'saneighbor."

"Youmeanshe's—"Suzanbrokeoff.

"Yes."

"Whatever else she is, she's deadmeat now,"Deborah said.Her petite facewastwistedinascowl.

"Let'snotbehasty,"Fayemurmured."Evenmicemayhavetheiruses.Bythe

way,howlongwereyouhidingthere?"

Therewasonlyoneanswertothis,andCassiefoughtnottosayit.Thiswasno time tocomeupwithadevastatinglywitty remark.Butat last shegave in,becauseitwasthetruth,andbecauseshecouldn'tthinkofanythingelse.

"Longenough,"shesaid,andshuthereyesinmisery.

Fayedescendedslowlytostandinfrontofher."Doyoualwaysspyonotherpeople'sprivateconversations?"

"Iwasherebeforeyoucame,"Cassiesaid,withasmuchspiritasshecouldmanage. IfonlyFayewouldstopstaring ather like that.Thosehoney-coloredeyesseemedtoglowwithaneerie,supernaturallight.ItwasfocusedonCassielikealaserbeam,drainingawayherwill,causingthestrengthtoflowoutofher.ItwasasifFayewantedhertodosomething—orwantedsomethingfromher.Itmadeherfeelsodisoriented—sooffbalanceandweak…

Andthenshefeltasuddensurgeofstrengththatseemedtocomeupfromherfeet. Or, rather, from the ground beneath them, from the red New Englandgranitethatshe'dfeltbuzzingwithlifeearlier.Itsteadiedher,sweepingupandstraighteningherspine,sothatsheliftedherchinandlookedintothosegoldeneyeswithoutflinching.

"Iwasherefirst,"shesaiddefiantly.

"Verygood,"murmuredFaye,and therewasanodd look inhereyes.Thensheturnedherhead."Anythinginterestinginherbackpack?"

Cassie saw, to her outrage, that Deborah was going through her backpack,throwing things out one by one. "Notmuch," the biker said, tossing it on thegroundsotherestofitscontentsscattereddownthehillside.

"Allright."Fayewassmilingagain,aparticularlyunpleasantsmilethatmadeherredlipslookcruel."Ithinkyouwererightthefirsttime,Deborah.She'sdeadmeat."ShelookedatCassie."You'renewhere,soyouprobablydon'tunderstandwhatkindofmistakeyou'vemade.AndIdon'thavetimetostandhereandtellyou.Butyou'llfindout.You'llfindout—Cassie."

ShereachedoutandcaughtCassie'schinwithlong,red-tippedfingers.Cassiewantedtopullaway,buthermuscleswerelocked.Shefeltthestrengthinthosefingers and the hardness of the long, slightly curving nails. Like talons, she

thought.Thetalonsofabirdofprey.

Forthefirst timeshenoticedthattheredstoneFayworeatherthroathadastar in it, like a star sapphire. Itwinked in the sunlight, andCassie found shecouldn'ttakehereyesoffit.

Laughingsuddenly,Fayereleasedher.

"Comeon,"shesaidtotheothertwogirls.Thethreeofthemturnedandwentupthesteps.

The air exploded fromCassie's lungs as if shewere a balloon that had justbeen pricked. She was shaking inside. That had been… That had beenabsolutely…

Getagriponyourself!

She'sonlyateenagegangleader,shetoldherself.AtleastthemysteryoftheClubissolved.They'reagang.You'veheardofgangsbefore,evenifyouneverwenttoaschoolwithone.Aslongasyouleavethemaloneanddon'tcrossthemfromnowon,you'llbeokay.

But thereassuranceranghollowinhermind.Faye's lastwordshadsoundedlikeathreat.Butathreatofwhat?

WhenCassiegotbacktothehousethatafternoon,hermotherdidn'tseemtobe downstairs. Finally, as she wandered from room to room calling, hergrandmother appeared on the staircase. The look on her face made Cassie'sstomachlurch.

"What'swrong?Where'sMom?"

"She'supstairs,inherroom.Shehasn'tbeenfeelingverywell.Now,there'snoneedforyoutogetworried…"

Cassiehurriedup thecreakingoldsteps to thegreenroom.Hermotherwaslying inagrand four-posterbed.Hereyeswereshut,her facepaleand lightlyperspiring.

"Mom?"

The large black eyes opened. Her mother swallowed and smiled painfully.

"Justatouchoftheflu,Ithink,"shesaid,andhervoicewasweakanddistant,avoicetogowiththepallorofherface."I'llbefineinadayortwo,sweetheart.Howwasschool?"

Cassie'sbetternaturebattledwithherdesiretospreadherownmiseryaroundasmuchaspossible.Hermothertookalittlebreathandshuthereyesasif thelighthurther.

Betternaturewon.Cassiedughernailsintoherpalmsandspokeevenly."Oh,fine,"shesaid.

"Didyoumeetanyoneinteresting?"

"Oh,youcouldsaythat."

Shedidn'twanttoworryhergrandmother,either.Butduringdinner,whenhergrandmotheraskedwhyshewassoquiet,thewordsjustseemedtocomeoutbythemselves.

"Therewas this girl at school—hername'sFaye, and she's awful.A femaleAttilatheHun.AndonmyveryfirstdayIendedupmakingherhateme…"Shetoldthewholestory.Attheendofit,hergrandmotherlookedintothefireplaceasifpreoccupied.

"Itwillgetbetter,Cassie,"shesaid.

Butwhatifitdoesn't?Cassiethought."Oh,I'msureitwill,"shesaid.

Then her grandmother did something surprising. She looked around as ifsomebodymightbelisteningandthenleanedforward."No,Imeanthat,Cassie.I know. You see, you have—a special advantage. Something very special…"Hervoicedroppedtoawhisper.

Cassieleanedforwardinturn."What?"

Hergrandmotheropenedhermouth,thenhereyesshiftedaway.Therewasapopfromthefire,andshegotuptopokethewoodthere.

"Grandma,what?"

"You'llfindout."

Cassie felt a shock. It was the second time today she'd heard thosewords."Grandma—"

"You've got good sense, for one thing," her grandmother said, a new, brisktone inhervoice."Andtwogood legs, foranother.Here, take thisbrothup toyourmother.Shehasn'teatenanythingallday."

Thatnight,Cassiecouldn'tsleep.Eitherherdreadkeptherawakesothatshenoticedmoreofthecreaking,rattling,old-housesoundsthanshehadbefore,orthereweremore of the sounds to notice. She didn't knowwhich, and it didn'tmatter: she kept falling asleep and then jerking back to awareness. Every sooften she reached under her pillow to touch the chalcedony piece. If only shecouldreallysleep…soshecoulddreamabouthim…

Shesatboltuprightinbed.

Thenshegotup,barefeetpatteringonthehardwoodfloor,andwentovertounzipherbackpack.Shetookthethingsshe'dre-collectedfromthehillsideoutonebyone,pencilbypencil,bookbybook.Atlastshelookedatthearrayonthebedspread.

Shewasright.Shehadn'tnoticeditatthetime;she'dbeentooworriedaboutFaye'sthreat.Butthepoemshe'dwrittenthatmorningandthencrumpledupinangerwasmissing.

SevenThefirstpersonCassiesawatschoolthenextmorningwasFaye.Thetallgirl

wasstandingwithagroupinfrontofasideentrancethatCassiehadbeentakingtobeinconspicuous.

Deborah, thebiker, andSuzan, thepneumatic strawberryblond,were in thegroup.Sowerethetwoblondguyswhohadbeenrollerbladingthroughthehallsyesterday.Andthereweretwootherguys.Onewasashortboywithahesitant,slinking look and a furtive smile. The second was tall, with dark hair and ahandsome,coldface.HewaswearingaT-shirtwithrolled-upsleevesandblackjeans like Deborah's, and he was smoking a cigarette. Nick? thought Cassie,rememberingthegirls'conversationyesterday.Thereptile?

Cassieflattenedherselfagainsttheredbrickwallandretreatedasquicklyandquietlyaspossible.Shewent in themainentrance, thenhurried toherEnglishclass.

Almostguiltily,shereacheddowntopatherhippocket.Itwasstupidtohavebrought it, but the little piece of chalcedonydidmake her feel better.And ofcourseitwasridiculoustobelievethatitcouldbringherluck—butthenagain,she'dgottentoschoolthismorningwithoutrunningintoFaye,hadn'tshe?

She foundanemptydesk inabackcornerof theclassroomon theoppositeside from where Faye had sat yesterday. She didn't want Faye near her—orbehindher.Here,shewasshieldedbyawholeclusterofpeople.

But strangely, soonafter she satdown, therewasa sortof shufflingaroundher.Shelookeduptoseeacoupleofgirlsmovingforward.Theguybesideherwasmovingtoo.

Foramomentshesatquitestill,notevenbreathing.

Don'tbeparanoid.

Justbecausepeoplemovedoesn'tmean it has anything todowithyou.Butshecouldn'thelpnotice that therewasnowawideexpanseofemptydesksallaroundher.

Fayebreezedin,talkingtoastiffJeffreyLovejoy.Cassiegotaglimpseofher

andthenquicklylookedaway.

Shecouldn'tkeephermindonMr.Humphries'slecture.Howcouldshethinkwithsomuchspacearoundher?Ithadtobeonlyacoincidence,butitshookherjustthesame.

Attheendofclass,whenCassiestoodup,shefelteyesonher.SheturnedtoseeFayelookingatherandsmiling.

Slowly,Fayeclosedoneeyeinawink.

Once out of the room Cassie headed for her locker. As she twirled thecombinationdialshesawsomeonestandingnearby,andwitha jolt recognizedtheshort,slinkingboywho'dbeenwithFayethatmorning.

His lockerwas open, and she could see several ads fromwhat looked likeSoloflexbrochurestapedinsidethedoor.Hewasgrinningather.Hisbeltbucklewassilverwithshiny,mirrorlikestonesinit,anditwasengravedSean.

Cassiegavehimtheunimpressedlookshereservedforlittleboysshebaby-satbackhomeandpulledopenherlocker.

Andscreamed.

Itwasmoreofachoked,strangledcry,actually,becauseherthroatcloseduponher.Danglingfromthetopofherlockerbyapieceoftwinearounditsneckwasadoll.Thedoll'sheadlolledgrotesquelytooneside—ithadbeenpulledoutof the socket. One blue glass eye was open; the other was stuck gruesomelyhalfwayshut.

Itseemedtobewinkingather.

The short boywas gazing at herwith a strange, eager expression.As if heweredrinkinginherhorror.Asifitintoxicatedhtm.

"Aren'tyougoingtoreport that?Shouldn'tyougoto theprincipal'soffice?"hesaid.Hisvoicewashighandexcited.

Cassiejuststaredathim,herbreathcomingquickly.

Then:"Yes,Iam,"shesaid.Shegrabbedthedollandjerkeditandthetwinecamefree.Slammingthelockershut,sheheadedforthestairs.

Theprincipal'sofficewason the second floor.Cassie thought she'dhave to

wait, but to her surprise the secretary ushered her in as soon as she gave hername.

"CanIhelpyou?"Theprincipalwastall,withanaustere,forbiddingface.Hisofficehadafireplace,Cassienoteddistractedly,andhestoodinfrontofitwithhishandsclaspedbehindhisback.

"Yes,"shesaid.Hervoicewasshaking.Andnowthatshe'dgottenhere,shewasn't at all sure that this was a good idea. "I'm new at school; my name isCassieBlake—"

"I'mawareofwhoyouare."Hisvoicewasclippedandbrusque.

"Well…"Cassiefaltered."Ijustwantedtoreport…Yesterday,Isawthisgirlhaving a fightwith another girl, and she pushedher…"Whatwas she talkingabout?Shewasbabbling."AndIsawit,andsoshethreatenedme.She'sinthisclub—but the point is, she threatenedme.And Iwasn't going to do anythingaboutit,butthentodayIfoundthisinmylocker."

He took the doll, holding it by the back of the dress with two fingers. Helookedatitasifshe'dhandedhimsomethingthedoghaddugupintheyard.HislipwascurledinawaythatremindedCassiesomehowofPortia.

"Veryamusing,"hesaid."Howapt."

Cassiehadnoideawhat thatwassupposedtomean.Aptmeantappropriate,didn'tit?Itwasappropriatethatsomebodywashangingdollsinherlocker?

"ItwasFayeChamberlain,"shesaid.

"Oh,nodoubt,"hesaid."I'mquiteawareoftheproblemsMissChamberlainhasininteractingwithotherstudents.I'veevenhadareportaboutthisincidentyesterday,abouthowyoutriedtopushSallyWaltmandownthestairs—"

Cassiestared,thenblurtedout,"Iwhat?Whotoldyouthat?"

"IbelieveitwasSuzanWhittier."

"Itisn'ttrue!Inever—"

"Bethatasitmay,"theprincipalinterrupted,"Ireallythinkyou'dbetterlearnto solve these problems amongyourselves, don't you? Insteadof relyingon—outsidehelp."

Cassiejustwentonstaring,speechless.

"That'sall."Theprincipaltossedthedollinthewastebasket,whereithitwitharesoundingplasticclunk.

Cassie realizedshewasdismissed.Therewasnothing todobut turnaroundandwalkout.

Shewaslateforhernextclass.Asshewalkedinthedooralleyesturnedtoher,andforaninstantshefeltaflashofparanoia.Butatleastnoonegotupandleftwhenshetookadesk.

Shewaswatchingtheteacherdoanexampleontheboardwhenherbackpackmoved.

Itwaslyingonthefloorbesideher,andoutofthecornerofhereyeshesawthedarkbluenylonhumpup.Shethoughtshesawit.Whensheturnedtostareatit,itwasstill.

Imagination…

Assoonasshefacedtheboard,ithappenedagain.

Turnandstare.Itwasstill.Lookattheboard.Ithumpedup.Asifsomethingwerewrigglinginsideit.

Itmustbewavesofhotair,orsomethingwrongwithhereyes.

Very slowlyandcarefully,Cassieedgedher footover to thebackpack.Shestaredattheblackboardassheliftedherfootandthenbroughtitdownsuddenlyonthe"hump."

AllshefeltwastheflatnessofherFrenchbook.

Shehadn't realized shewasholdingher breath until it sighedout.Her eyesshutinhelplessrelief…

Andthensomethingbeneathherfootwrithed.ShefeltitunderherReebok.

Withapiercingshriek,sheleapedtoherfeet.

"What is thematter?" the teachercried.Noweveryone reallywas staringather.

"There'ssomething—somethinginmybackpack.Itmoved."Cassiehadahardtimenotclutchingattheteacher'sarm."No,don't—don'treachinthere…"

Shaking her off, the teacher held the backpack open.Then she plunged herhandinsideandpulledoutalongrubbersnake.

Rubber.

"Isthissupposedtobefunny?"theteacherdemanded.

"It'snotmine,"Cassiesaidstupidly."Ididn'tputitthere."

Shewas gazing,mesmerized, at the flopping, bobbing rubber head and thepaintedblack rubber tongue. It looked real,but itwasn't. Itwasunalive.Deadmeat?

"It didmove," shewhispered. "I felt itmove…I thought. Itmust have justbeenmyfootshifting."

Theclasswaswatchingsilently.Lookingup,Cassiethoughtshesawaflashofsomethinglikepityontheteacher'sface,butthenextmomentitwasgone.

"Allright,everybody.Let'sgetbacktowork,"theteachersaid,droppingthesnakeonherdeskandreturning to theblackboard.Cassiespent therestof theperiodwithhereyeslockedonthoseoftherubbersnake.Itnevermovedagain.

Cassie looked through the glass at the cafeteria full of laughing, talkingstudents. French class had passed in a blur.And the paranoia, the feeling thatpeople were looking at her and then deliberately turning their backs, keptgrowing.

I should go outside, she thought, but of course that was ridiculous. Lookwheregoingoutsidehadgottenheryesterday.No,shewoulddotodaywhatsheshouldhavedonethen:walkupandasksomebodyifshecouldsitnexttothem.

Allright.Doit.Itwouldhavebeeneasierifshehadn'tbeenfeelingsogiddy.Lackofsleep,shethought.

Shestopped,withherfilledtray,besidetwogirlseatingatasquaretablebuiltfor four.They lookednice, andmore important, they looked like sophomores.Theyshouldbegladtohaveajuniorsitwiththem.

"Hi," she heard her own voice saying, disembodied but polite. "Can I sithere?"

They lookedat eachother.Cassiecouldalmost see the frantic telegraphing.Thenonespokeup.

"Sure…butwewerejustleaving.Helpyourself."Shepickeduphertrayandmade for the garbage can. The other girl looked dismayed an instant, gazingdownatherowntray.Thenshefollowed.

Cassiestoodasifshe'dtakenrootinthefloor.

Okay, that was too bad—you picked somebody who was just leaving, allright.Butthat'snoreasontobeupset…

Eventhoughtheirluncheswereonlyhalfeaten?

Withasupremeeffort,shemadeherselfwalkovertoanothertable.Aroundonethistime,seatingsix.Therewasoneseatempty.

Don't ask, she thought. Just sit. She put her tray down at the empty place,shruggedherbackpackoffhershoulder,andsat.Shekepthereyesgluedtohertray, concentrating on one piece of pepperoni in her slice of pizza. She didn'twanttoseemtobeaskingpermissionofanyone.

Allaroundher,conversationdied.Thensheheardthescrapingofchairs.

OhmyGodIdon'tbelievethisIdon'tbelievethisishappeningit'snottrue…

Butitwas.Herworstnightmare.Somethingsomuchworsethandeaddollsorrubbersnakes.

Inadazeofunrealityshelookeduptoseeeveryotheroccupantofthetablerising.Theywerepickinguptheirlunches;theywereleaving.Butunlikethetwonicesophomoregirls,theyweren'theadingforthegarbagecans.Theywerejustmovingtoothertables,onehere,anotherthere,anywheretheycouldfitin.

Awayfromher.Anywheresolongasitwasawayfromher.

"Mom…?"Shelookeddownattheshuteyeswiththeirthickblacklashes,thepaleface.

Shedidn'tknowhowshe'dmadeitthroughtherestofschooltoday,andwhenshecamehome,hergrandmothersaidhermomhadbeendoingworse.Notalotworse, nothing to beworried about, but worse. She needed peace and quiet.She'dtakensomesleepingmedicine.

Cassiestaredatthedarkcirclesundertheshuteyes.Hermotherlookedsick.Andmorethanthat,fragile.Vulnerable.Soyoung.

"Mom…"Hervoicewaspleadingbuthollow.Hermotherstirred,atwingeofpaincrossingherface.Thenshewasstillagain.

Cassiefeltthenumbnesssinkinalittledeeper.Therewasnobodytohelpherhere.

Sheturnedandlefttheroom.

In her own bedroom, she put the chalcedony piece in her jewelry box anddidn'ttouchitagain.Somuchforluck.

Thecreakingandrattlingofthehousekeptherupthatnight,too.

OnThursdaymorning,therewasabirdinherlocker.Astuffedowl.Itstaredatherwithshiningroundyelloweyes.Acustodianhappenedtobepassingby,andshepointeditouttohimmutely,herhandshaking.Hetookitaway.

Thatafternoon,itwasadeadgoldfish.Shemadeafunnelofasheetofpaperandscoopeditout.Shedidn'tgonearherlockerfortherestoftheday.

She didn't go near the cafeteria, either.And she spent lunch in the farthestcornerofthelibrary.

Itwastherethatshesawthegirlagain.

Thegirlwiththeshininghair,thegirlshe'dgivenuponevermeeting.ItwashardlysurprisingthatCassiehadn'tseenheratschoolbeforethismoment.ThesedaysCassieslunkaroundlikeashadow,walkingthroughthehallswithhereyesontheground,speakingtonoone.Shedidn'tknowwhyshewasatschoolatall,except that therewas nowhere else to go.And if she had seen the girl, she'dprobablyhaveruntheotherway.ThethoughtofbeingrejectedbyherasCassiewasrejectedbyeveryoneelseatschoolwasunbearable.

ButnowCassielookedupfromhertableatthebackofthelibraryandsawabrightnesslikesunlight.

Thathair. Itwas justasCassie remembered, impossibly long,an impossiblecolor. The girl was facing the circulation desk, smiling and talking to thelibrarian.Cassiecouldfeeltheradianceofherpresencefromacrosstheroom.

Shehadthewildesturgetoleapupandruntothegirl.Andthen…what?Shedidn'tknow.Buttheurgewasalmostbeyondhercontrol.Herthroatached,andtearsfilledhereyes.Sherealizedshewasonherfeet.Shewouldruntothegirl,andthen—andthen…ImagesfloodedCassie'smind,ofhermotherhuggingherwhen shewas young, cleaning out a skinned knee, kissing it better. Comfort.Rescue.Love.

"Diana!"

Anothergirlwashurryinguptothecirculationdesk."Diana,don'tyouknowwhattimeitis?Hurryup!"

Shewaspulling thegirlwith theshininghairaway, laughingandwavingatthelibrarian.Theywereatthedoor;theyweregone.

Cassiewasleftstandingalone.Thegirlhadneverevenglancedherway.

OnFridaymorningCassiestoppedinfrontofher locker.Shedidn'twant toopenit.Butitexertedabizarrefascinationoverher.Shecouldn'tstandfeelingitthere,wonderingwhatwasinitandnotknowing.

Shedialedthecombinationslowly,everythingtoobright.

Thelockerdooropened.

This time she couldn't even scream. She felt her eyes opening, straining aswideas thestuffedowl's.Hermouthopenedinasoundlessgasp.Herstomachheaved.Thesmell…

Her lockerwasfullofhamburger.Rawandred likefleshwith theskin tornoff, darkening to purple where it was going bad from lack of refrigeration.Poundsandpoundsofit.Itsmelledlike…

Likemeat.Deadmeat.

Cassie slammed the locker shut, but it bounced off some of the hamburgerthat was oozing out the bottom. She whirled and stumbled away, her visionhazingover.

A hand grabbed her. For an instant she thought it was an offer of support.Thenshefeltherbackpackbeingpulledoffhershoulder.

Sheturnedandsawapretty,sullenface.Maliciousdarkeyes.Amotorcyclejacket. Deborah tossed the backpack past Cassie, and automatically Cassiewhirled,followingit.

On the other side she saw shoulder-length blondhair. Slanted, slightlymadblue-green eyes. A laughing mouth. It was one of the roller-blade guys—theHendersonbrothers.

"Welcome to the jungle,"he sang.He threw thebackpack toDeborah,whocaughtit,singinganotherline.

Cassie couldn't help turning around and around between them, like a catchasingafurmouseonastring.

Tearsfloodedhereyes.Thelaughterandsingingranginherears,louderandlouder.

Suddenly a brown arm thrust into her field of vision. A hand caught thebackpackinmidair.Thelaughterdied.

Sheturnedtoseethroughabluroftearsthecold,handsomefaceofthedark-hairedguywhohadstoodwithFayethatmorningtwodaysago…coulditreallybe only twodays ago?Hewaswearing anotherT-shirtwith rolled-up sleevesandthesameworn-inblackjeans.

"Aw,Nick,"theHendersonbrothercomplained."You'rewreckingourgame."

"Getoutofhere,"Nicksaid.

"Yougetout,"DeborahsnarledfrombehindCassie."Dougandmewerejust—"

"Yeah,wewereonly—"

"Shutup."NickglancedatCassie'slocker,withglobsofmeatstillseepingoutofit.Thenhethrustthebackpackather."Yougetout,"hesaid.

Cassie looked into his eyes. They were dark brown, the color of hergrandmother'smahoganyfurniture.Andlikethefurniture,theyseemedtoreflectthe overhead lights back at her. They weren't unfriendly, exactly. Just—unimpassioned.Asifnothingmuchtouchedthisguy.

"Thankyou,"shesaid,blinkingbackthetears.

Somethingflickeredinthosemahogany-darkeyes."It'snotmuchtothankmefor,"hesaid.Hisvoicewas likeacoldwind,butCassiedidn'tcare.Clutchingthebackpacktoher,shefled.

Itwasinphysicsclassthatshegotthenote.

AgirlnamedTinadropped itonherdesk,casually, trying to lookas if sheweredoingnothingofthesort.Shewentrightonwalkingandtookaseatontheothersideoftheroom.Cassielookedatthesquareoffoldedpaperasifitmightburnherifshetouchedit.Hernamewaswrittenacrossthefrontinhandwritingthatmanagedtolookpompousandprimatthesametime.

Slowly,sheunfoldedthepaper.

Cassie,itread.Meetmeintheoldsciencebuilding,secondfloor,afterschool.Ithinkwecanhelpeachother.Afriend.

Cassiestaredatituntilthewritingdoubled.AfterclassshecorneredTina.

"Whogaveyouthistogivetome?"

The girl looked at the note disowningly. "What are you talking about? Ididn't…"

"Yes,youdid.Whogaveittoyou?"

Tina cast a hunted look around. Then she whispered, "Sally Waltman, allright?Butshetoldmenottotellanybody.Ihavetogonow."

Cassieblockedher."Where'stheoldsciencebuilding?"

"Look—"

"Whereisit?"

Tinahissed,"OntheothersideofE-wing.Inbackoftheparkinglot.Nowletmego!"ShebrokeawayfromCassieandhurriedoff.

Afriend,Cassiethoughtsarcastically.IfSallywerereallyafriend,she'dtalktoCassieinpublic.Ifshewerereallyafriend,she'dhavestayedthatdayonthesteps, insteadof leavingCassie alonewithFaye.She'dhave said, "Thanks forsavingmylife."

Butmaybeshewassorrynow.

Theoldsciencebuildingdidn't lookasif ithadbeenusedforawhile; therewasapadlockonthedoor,butthathadbeensprung.Cassiepushedonthedooranditswungawayfromher.

Inside, itwasdim.Shecouldn'tmakeout anydetailswithher light-dazzledeyes.Butshecouldseeastairway.Sheclimbedit,onehandonthewalltoguideherself.

Itwaswhen she reached the topof the stairway that shenoticed somethingstrange.Herfingersweretouchingsomething…soft.Almostfurry.Shemovedtheminfrontofherface,peeringatthem.Soot?

Somethingmovedintheroominfrontofher.

"Sally?"She tookahesitantstepforward.Whywasn'tmore lightcoming inthewindows?shewondered.Shecouldseeonlyglowingwhitecrackshereandthere.Shetookanothershufflingstep,andanother,andanother.

"Sally?"

Even as she said it, realization finally dawned on her exhausted brain.NotSally.Whoever,whateverwasoutthere,itwasn'tSally.

Turnaround,idiot.Getoutofhere.Now.

Shewhirled,clumsily,strainingherdark-adaptingeyes,lookingforthedeeperblacknessofthestairwell—

Andlightshonesuddenly,streamingintoherface,blindingher.Therewasacreaking, wrenching noise and more light burst into the room. Through awindow that had been boarded up, Cassie realized. Someonewas standing infrontofitnow,holdingapieceofwood.

She turned toward thestairwayagain.Butsomeonewasstanding there, too.Enough light shone into the room now that she could see features as the girlsteppedforward.

"Hello,Cassie,"saidFaye."I'mafraidSallycouldn'tmakeit.ButmaybeyouandIcanhelpeachotherinstead."

Eight"Yousentthenote,"Cassiesaidflatly.

Fayesmiledherslow,terriblesmile."SomehowIdidn'tthinkyou'dcomeifIusedmyownname,"shesaid.

AndIfellforit,Cassiethought.ShemusthavecoachedthatgirlTinaonwhattosay—andIswallowedit.

"Howdoyoulikethelittlepresentsyou'vebeenfinding?"

Tears came to Cassie's eyes. She couldn't answer. She felt so drained, sohelpless—ifonlyshecouldthink.

"Haven'tyoubeensleepingwell?"Fayecontinued,herthroatyvoiceinnocent."Youlookawful.Ormaybeyourdreamshavebeenkeepingyouawake."

Cassie turned to cast a quick look behind her. Therewas an exit there, butSuzanwasinfrontofit.

"Oh,youcan'tgoyet,"Fayesaid."Iwouldn'tdreamoflettingyou."

Cassiestaredather."Faye,justleavemealone…"

"Dreamon,"saidDeborah,andshelaughednastily.

Cassie could make no sense out of this. But then she saw that Faye washolding a sheet of paper. It was smoothed flat, but it had once been tightlycrumpled.

Herpoem.

Angerblazedthroughherexhaustion.Blazedsobrightthatforaninstantshewasfullofenergy,liftedbyit.ShelungedatFayecrying,"That'smine!"

IttookFayebysurprise.Shereeledback,dodging,holdingthepoemhighoutofCassie'sreach.

ThensomethingcaughtCassie'sarmsfrombehind,pinningthem.

"Thankyou,Deborah,"Fayesaid,slightlybreathless.ShelookedatCassie."I

suppose even a littlewhitemousewill turn.We'll have to remember that.Butjustnow,"shecontinued,"we'regoingtohaveanimpromptupoetryreading.I'msorrytheatmosphereisn'tmore—appropriate—butwhatcanyoudo?Thisusedto be the science building, but nobody comes heremuch anymore. Not sinceDoug and Chris Henderson made a little mistake in a chemistry experiment.You'veprobablyseentheHendersonbrothers—they'rehardtomiss.Niceguys,butalittleirresponsible.Theyaccidentallymadeabomb."

Now thatCassie'seyeshadadjustedagain, shecouldsee that the roomwasburnedout.Thewallswereblackwithsoot.

"Ofcourse,somepeoplethinkit'sunsafehere,"Fayecontinued,"sotheykeepitlocked.Butwe'veneverletalittlethinglikethatstopus.Itisprivate,though.Wecanmakeallthenoisewewantandnobodywillhearus."

Deborah's grip onCassie's armswas painful. ButCassie started to struggleagainasFayeclearedherthroatandheldupthepaper.

"Letmesee…'MyDreams,'byCassieBlake.Imaginativetitle,bytheway."

"Youdon'thaveanyright—"Cassiebegan,butFayeignoredher.Shebeganreadinginatheatrical,melodramaticvoice:

"EachnightIlieanddreamabouttheone—"

"It'sprivate!"Cassiecried.

"Whokissedmeandawakenedmydesire—"

"Letmego!"

"Ispentasinglehourwithhimalone—"

"Itisn'tfair—"

"Andsincethathour,mydaysarelacedwithfire."Fayelookedup."That'sit.Whatdoyouthink,Deborah?"

"Itstinks,"Deborahsaid,thengavealittlewrenchtoCassie'sarmsasCassietriedtotearaway."It'sstupid."

"Oh,Idon'tknow.I likedsomeoftheimagery.Aboutfire,for instance.Doyoulikefire,Cassie?"

Cassie went still. That lazy, husky voice had a new note in it, a note sherecognizedinstinctively.Danger.

"Doyouthinkaboutfire,Cassie?Doyoudreamaboutit?"

Dry-mouthed,Cassie stared at Faye.Those honey-colored eyeswerewarm,glowing.Excited.

"Wouldyouliketoseeafiretrick?"

Cassie shook her head. Therewere thingsworse than humiliation, shewasrealizing.For the first time thisweekshewasafraid,not forherpride,but forherlife.

Faye snapped the piece of paper in her hand, forming it into a loose cone.Flameburstoutofonecorneratthetop.

"Why don't you tell us who the poem is about, Cassie? This boy whoawakenedyou—whoishe?"

Cassieleanedaway,tryingtoescapetheblazingpaperinfrontofherface.

"Careful,"Deborahsaidmockingly frombehindher. "Don'tget tooclose toherhair."

"What,youmeanthisclose?"saidFaye."Orthisclose?"

Cassiehadtotwisthernecktoevadetheflame.Littleglowingbitsofpaperwere flying off in every direction. The brightness left an afterimage, and shecouldfeelheatonherskin.

"Oops, thatwas close. I thinkher eyelashes are too long anyway,Deborah,don'tyou?"

Cassiewasfightingnow,butDeborahwasastonishinglystrong.AndthemoreCassiestruggled,themorethegriphurt.

"Letgoofme—"shegaspedout.

"ButIthoughtyoulikedfire,Cassie.Lookintothefire.Whatdoyousee?"

Cassiedidn'twant toobey,but shecouldn'thelp it.Surely thepaper shouldhave burned up by now.But itwas still blazing.Yellow, she thought. Fire isyellowandorange.Notredliketheysay.

All her senseswere fixed on the flame. Its heat brought a dry tingle to hercheeks.Shecouldhearthecrumpleofpaperasitwasconsumed;shecouldsmelltheburning.Andshecouldseenothingelse.

Gray ash and yellow flame. Blue at the bottom like a gas burner. The firechangedshapeeverysecond, its radiancestreamingendlesslyupward.Pouringoutitsenergy…

Energy.

Fire is power, she thought. She could almost feel the charge of the goldenflame.Itwasn'tthe.vastquietnessofskyandsea,orthewaitingsolidityofrock.Itwasactive.Powerthereforthetaking…

"Yes,"Fayewhispered.

ThesoundshockedCassieoutofhertrance.Don'tbecrazy,shetoldherself.Herfantasyabouttheflamecollapsed.Thiswaswhathappenedwhenyoudidn'tgetanysleep.Whenthestressbecameunbearableandyougottotheendofyourresources.Shewasgoinginsane.

Tearsfloodedhereyes,felldownhercheeks.

"Oh,she'sjustababyafterall,"Fayesaid,andtherewassavagedisgustinhervoice.Disgust and something like disappointment. "Come on, baby, can't youcryanyharderthanthat?Ifyoucryhardenough,maybeyoucanputitout."

Still sobbing, Cassie tossed her head back and forth as the blazing paperstabbed closer.So close that tears fell on it and sizzled.Cassiewasno longerthinking; shewassimply terrified.Likea trappedanimal,adesperate,pathetictrappedanimal.

Deadmeatdeadmeatdeadmeatdeadmeat…

"Whatareyoudoing?Letgoofher—now!"

Thevoicecameoutofnowhere,andforaninstantCassiedidn'tevenattemptto locate it. Her whole being was focused on the fire. It flared up suddenly,dissolvingalmostinstantaneouslyintosoftgrayash.Fayewasleftholdingonlyastumpofcharredpapercone.

"Isaidlethergo!"SomethingbrightcameatDeborah.Butnotbrightlikefire.Bright likesunlight.Ormoonlight,when themoon is fullandsodazzlingyou

canreadbyit.

Itwasher.

Thegirl,thegirlfromtheyellowhouse,thegirlwiththeshininghair.Utterlydumbfounded,Cassiestaredasifseeingherforthefirsttime.

ShewasalmostastallasFaye,butunlikeFayeineveryotherrespect.WhereFayewasvoluptuous,shewasslender;whereFayewasdressedinred,shewasdressedinwhite.InsteadofawildblackmanelikeFaye's,herhairwaslongandstraightandshimmering—thecolorofthelightstreaminginthewindow.

Andofcourseshewasbeautiful,evenmorebeautifulthisclosethanshehadbeenat adistance.But itwasabeauty sodifferent fromFaye's itwashard tothinkofitasthesamething.Faye'sbeautywasstunningbutscary.Herstrangegoldeneyeswerefascinating,buttheyalsomadeyouwanttorunaway.

This girl looked like something from a stained-glass window. For the firsttimeCassie saw her eyes, and theywere green and clear, brilliant, as if lightwerebehindthem.Hercheekswerefaintlyflushedwithrose,butitwasnaturalcolor,notmakeup.

Her breast was heaving with indignation, and her voice, though clear andmusical,wasfilledwithanger.

"When Tina told me she'd delivered that note for you, I knew there wassomething going on," she said. "But this is unbelievable. For the last time,Deborah,lethergo!"

Slowly,reluctantly,thegriponCassie'sarmsloosened.

"Lookat this…youcouldhavehurt her," the fair-hairedgirl ragedon.Shehad aKleenex out andwaswiping ash—and tears—offCassie's cheeks. "Areyouallright?"sheasked,hertonegentling.

Cassiecouldonlylookather.Theshininggirlhadcometorescueher.Itwaslikesomethingoutofadream.

"She's frightened todeath," thegirl said, turningonFaye. "Howcould you,Faye?Howcouldyoubesocruel?"

"It justcomesnaturally,"Fayemurmured.Hereyeswerehooded,sullen.AssullenasDeborah'sface.

"Andyou,Suzan—I'msurprisedatyou.Don'tyouseehowwrongitis?"

Suzanmumbledsomething,lookingaway.

"Andwhywouldyouwanttohurther?Whoisshe?"ShehadaprotectivearmaroundCassienowasshelookedfromoneoftheseniorgirlstoanother.Noneofthemanswered.

"I'm Cassie," Cassie said. Her voice wobbled at the end, and she tried tosteady it. All she could feel was the girl's arm around her shoulder. "CassieBlake,"shemanagedtofinish."Ijustmovedhereacoupleofweeksago.Mrs.Howardismygrandmother."

The girl looked startled. "Mrs. Howard? At Number Twelve? And you'relivingwithher?"

Fear darted through Cassie. She remembered Jeffrey's reaction to hearingwhereshelived.Shewoulddieifthisgirlrespondedthesameway.Wretchedly,shenodded.

Thefair-hairedgirlwhirledbackonFaye."Thenshe'soneofus!Aneighbor,"sheaddedsharplyasFaye'seyebrowsshotup.

"Oh,hardly,"Fayesaid.

"She'sonlyhalf—"Suzanbegan.

"Shutup!"saidDeborah.

"She's a neighbor," the fair-haired girl repeated stubbornly. She looked atCassie."I'msorry;Ididn'tknowyou'dmovedin.IfIhad—shethrewanangryglanceatFaye—"I'dhavestoppedby.IlivedownatthebottomofCrowhavenRoad,NumberOne."ShegaveCassieanotherprotectivesqueeze."Comeon.Ifyouwant,I'lltakeyouhomenow."

Cassie nodded. Shewould have happily followed if the girl had told her tojumpoutawindow.

"Iforgottointroducemyself,"thegirlsaid,stoppingonthewaytothestairs."Myname'sDiana."

"Iknow."

DianahadablueAcuraIntegra.ShestoppedinfrontofitandaskedCassieifshewantedtogetanythingfromherlocker.

Withashudder,Cassieshookherhead.

"Whynot?"

Cassiehesitated.Thentoldher.Everything.

Diana listened, arms folded, toe tappingwith increasing speed as the storywenton.Hergreeneyeswerebeginning to shinewith an almost incandescentfury.

"Don't worry about it," was all she said at the end. "I'll call and have thecustodiancleanoutthelocker.Fornow,weneedtogetyououtofhere."

Shedrove,tellingCassietoleavetheRabbit.

"We'lltakecareofitlater."AndCassiebelievedher.IfDianasaiditwouldbetakencareof,itwouldbetakencareof.

Inthecar,allCassiecoulddowasstareatastrandoflong,shininghairfallingover the emergency brake. It was like sunlight-colored silk. Or sunlight-and-moonlightcolored,rather.Foraninstant,inthebackofCassie'smind,athoughtpoppedupaboutsomeoneelsewhohadhairthatwasmorethanonecolor,butwhenshegraspedafterit,itwasgone.

Shedidn'tquitedaretotouchthestrandofhair,althoughshewantedtoseeifitfeltlikesilktoo.InsteadshetriedtolistentowhatDianawassaying.

"…andIdon'tknowwhatgets intoFayesometimes.She justdoesn't think.Shedoesn'trealizewhatshe'sdoing."

Cassie's eyes slid cautiously up toDiana's face. In her opinion, Faye knewexactlywhatshewasdoing.Butshedidn'tsayanything—theywerepullinguptotheprettyVictorianhouse.

"Comeon,"Dianasaid,jumpingout."Let'sgetyoucleanedupbeforeyougohome."

Cleanedup?CassiefoundoutwhatshemeantwhenDianaledherintoanold-fashioned bathroom on the second floor. Soot stained her gray sweater, herhands, her jeans.Her hairwas amess.Her facewas smudgedwith black and

stripedwithtears.Shelookedlikeawarorphan.

"I'lllendyousomeclotheswhilewegetyoursclean.Andyoucangetcleaninthis."Dianawasbustlingaround,runninghotwaterintoaclaw-footedbathtub,adding something that smelled sweet and bubbled. She put out towels, soap,shampoo,allwithaspeedthatbewilderedCassie.

"Throwyourclothesoutsidewhenyougetundressed.Andyoucanputthisonafterward," she said, hanging a fluffy white bathrobe on a hook on the door."Okay,you'reset."

Shedisappeared,andCassiewas left staringat theshutdoor.She lookedattheslightlysteamymirror,thenatthebathtub.Shefeltcoldandachyinside.Hermuscles were trembling from tension. The hot, sweet-scented water lookedperfect, and when she climbed in and it rose around her, she let out aninvoluntarysighofbliss.

Oh,itwaslovely.Justright.Shelayandbaskedforawhile,lettingtheheatsoakintoherbonesandthelight,flowerysmellfillherlungs.Itseemedtoclearthelasttiredcobwebsfromherheadandrefreshher.

She took a washcloth and scrubbed the grime off her face and body. Theshampoo smelled sweet too.When she finally got out of the tub andwrappedherself in the big white terrycloth robe, she was clean, and warm, and morerelaxedthanshecouldrememberbeinginweeks.Shestillcouldscarcelybelievethiswashappening,butshefeltfilledwithlight.

Thebathroomwasold-fashioned,butnotinanuglyway,shedecided.Prettytowelsandjarsofcoloredbathsaltsandwhatlookedlikepotpourrimadeitnice.

SheslippedonthesoftwhiteslippersDianahadleftandpaddedintothehall.

Thedooroppositewasajar.Hesitantlysheknocked,pusheditopen.Thenshestoppedonthethreshold.

Dianawassittingonawindowseat,headbentoverCassie'sgraysweateronher lap.Aboveher, in thewindow,prismswerehanging.Thesunwasstrikingthemsothatlittletrianglesofrainbowfellintheroom:bandsofvioletandgreenand orangy-red. They were sliding across the walls, dancing on the floor, onDiana's arms and hair. It was as if she were sitting in the middle of akaleidoscope.Nowonderthewindowhadsparkled,Cassiethought.

Dianalookedupandsmiled.

"Comein.Iwasjustgettingthesootoutofyoursweater."

"Oh.It'scashmere—"

"Iknow.It'llbeall right."Dianatooksomebookthathadbeenopenonthewindowseatandput it intoa largecabinet that stoodagainstonewall.Cassienoticedshelockedthecabinetafterward.Thenshewentoutwiththesweater.

Cassielookedatthewindowseatcuriously.Shedidn'tseeanyspotremover.Only a packet of potpourri and what looked like part of somebody's rockcollection.

The room itself was lovely. It managed to combine pretty, antique-lookingfurniturewithmodernthings,asifthepastandthepresentexistedsidebysideinharmonyhere.

Thehangingson thebedwerepalebluewithadelicate trailing-vinedesign,lightandairy.Onthewalls,insteadofmoviepostersorpinups,thereweresomekind of art prints. The whole place looked—classy. Elegant and artistic, butcomfortable,too.

"Doyoulikethose?Theprints?"

CassieturnedtofindthatDianahadnoiselesslyenteredtheroomagain.Shenodded,wishingshecouldthinkofsomethingintelligenttosaytothisgirlwhoseemed so far above her. "Who's in them?" she asked, hoping that wasn'tsomethingsheoughttoknowalready.

"They'reGreekgods.OrGreekgoddesses,actually.Thisone'sAphrodite,thegoddessoflove.Seethecherubsanddovesaroundher?"

Cassie gazed at the woman in the picture, who was reclining on a sort ofcouch, lookingbeautiful and indolent.Somethingabout thepose—ormaybe itwastheexposedbosom—remindedherofSuzan.

"AndthisisArtemis."Dianamovedtoanotherprint."Shewasgoddessofthehunt.Shenevermarried,andifanymansawherbathing,shehadhimrippedtopiecesbyherdogs."

Thegirlinthispicturewasslimandlithe,withtoned-lookingarmsandlegs.Shewaskneeling,aimingabow.Herdarkhairfellintumbledwavesdownher

back, and her face was intense, challenging. Deborah sometimes looked likethat,Cassiethought.Thensheglancedatthenextprintandstarted.

"Who'sthat?"

"That'sHera,queenofthegods.Shecouldbe—jealous."

Cassiebetshecould.Theyoungwomanwastallandproud,withanimperioussettoherchin.ButitwashereyesthatheldCassie.Theyseemedalmosttoblazefromtheprint,fullofpassionandwillanddanger.Likeacrouchingjunglecat…

Shudderinguncontrollably,Cassieturnedaway.

"Areyouallright?"Dianaasked.Cassienodded,gulping.Nowthatshewassafe,itwasallcomingback.Notonlytheeventsofthelastday,butoftheentirelastweek.All the hurt, all the humiliation.Thehangeddoll in her locker, thescene in the cafeteria. The rubber snake. The game of keep away with herbackpack…

"Cassie?"Ahandtouchedhershoulder.

Itwas toomuch.Cassie turned around and flung herself intoDiana's arms,burstingintotears.

"It'sokay.It'llallbeokay,really.Don'tworry…"Dianaheldherandpattedherback.AllthetearsCassiehadn'tbeenabletoreleaseinfrontofhermotherorgrandmotherwerefloodingoutnow.SheclungtoDianaandsobbedlikealittlechild.

Anditwasjustliketheimagesshe'dhadinthelibrary.Asifsheweresevenyearsoldandhermotherwascomfortingher.Somehow,DianamadeCassiefeelthateverythingwasgoingtobeallright.

Eventually,sheslowedtohiccupsandsniffles.Finallysheliftedherhead.

"Tell youwhat,"Diana said, handing aKleenex toCassie. "Why don't youstayherefordinner?Mydadwon'tbebackuntil late tonight—he'sa lawyer.Icancallacoupleoffriendsandwecanorderapizza.Howdoesthatsound?"

"Oh—great,"Cassiesaid,bitingherlip."Reallygreat."

"Youcanputontheseclothesuntilyoursdry

—they'llbealittlebig,butnottoobad.Comedownstairswhenyou'reready."

Dianapaused,heremerald-greeneyesonCassie'sface."Issomethingwrong?"

"No…notreally,but…"Cassiefloundered,thenshookherheadangrily."It'sonly… it's just…why are you being sonice tome?" she burst out. It all stillseemedlikeadream.

Dianastaredatheraminute,thenshesmiledwithhereyes,althoughherlipsremainedgrave."Idon'tknow…IguessIthinkyou'reniceandyoudeserveit.Icanworkontryingtoberottenifyouwant."

Cassieshookherheadagain,butnotangrilythis time.Shefeltherownlipstwitch.

"And…"Dianawaslookingoffintospacenow,hercleargreeneyesdistant."We'reallsisters,youknow."

Cassiecaughtherbreath."Arewe?"shewhispered.

"Yes," Diana said firmly, still looking far away. "Yes, we are. In spite ofeverything." Then her face changed, and she looked at Cassie. "You can callyourmomfromthisline,"shesaid,indicatingaphone."I'llgodownandorderthepizza."Andjustlikethat,shewasgone.

NineThegirlswhocameoverwerenamedLaurelandMelanie.Laurelwasthegirl

Cassie had seen in the library with Diana. Up close she was very slim, withlight-brownhairalmostas longasDiana'sandapretty,pixieishface.Shewaswearingafloraldressandpinkhightops.

"It'sveggiepizza,isn'tit?"shesaid,kickingthedoorshutbehindherbecauseshewascarryingastackofTupperwarecontainersinherarms."Youdidn'torderanypatriarchalpepperoni,didyou?"

"Nomeat,"Dianaassuredher,opening thedooragain to revealanothergirlstandingtherepatiently.

"Oops—sorry!"Laurelshoutedonherwaytothekitchen."I'vegotstuffhereforasalad."

Dianaandthenewgirlturnedasonetoshout,"Notofu!"

"It'sjustveggiesandgreens,"Laurel'svoicefloatedback.Dianaandthenewgirlexchangedlooksofrelief.

Cassie was fighting shyness. The new girl was definitely a senior, tall andbeautiful in a sophisticated way. Her smooth cap of chestnut hair was pulledbackwithanAliceband,andunderithergrayeyeswerecoolandassessing.Shewas the only personCassie had ever seenwho looked as if shewerewearingglasseswhenshewasn't.

"ThisisMelanie,"Dianasaid."ShelivesonthissameroadatNumberFour.Melanie, this is Cassie Blake—she just moved into Number Twelve. Mrs.Howard'shergrandmother."

ThethoughtfulgrayeyeswereturnedonCassie,thenMelanienodded."Hi."

"Hi,"Cassiesaid,gladshe'dhadabathandhopingDiana'sclothesdidn'tlooktoosillyonher.

"Melanie'sourbrain,"Dianasaidfondly."She'sdevastatinglysmart.Andsheknowseverythingthereistoknowaboutcomputers."

"Not everything," Melanie said without smiling. "Sometimes I think notanything."ShelookedatDiana."Youknow,IoverheardsomewhispersaboutaCassie,andsomethingtodowithFaye,butnobodywouldtellmemore."

"Iknow.Ionlyfoundoutaboutittoday.MaybeI'moutoftouchwithwhat'sreallygoingoninschool—butyoushouldhavetoldmeyou'dheardsomething,atleast."

"Youcan'tfighteverybody'sbattles,Diana."

Dianajustlookedather,thenshookherheadslightly."Cassie,whydon'tyougoinandhelpLaurelwiththesalad?You'lllikeLaurel;she'sajuniorlikeyou."

In the kitchen Laurelwas standing in front of a counter full of vegetables,choppingaway.

"DianasaidIshouldhelpyou."

Laurel turned. "Good! You can wash that shepherd's purse over there—it'sfresh,soit'sprobablygotsomenativewildlifecrawlingonit."

Shepherd'spurse?Cassielookedatseveralpilesofgreenerydoubtfully.Wasthissomethingsheoughttoknow?

"Uh… this?" she said, pickingup a darkgreen triangular leafwith amealywhiteunderside.

"No, that'swild spinach."Laurel gesturedwith her elbow to a pile of long,slenderleaveswithraggededges."That'stheshepherd'spurse.Butyoucanwashthemboth."

"Doyoueveruse—uh,feverfew—insalads?"Cassieaskedhesitantlyasshewashed. She was glad to have something to contribute. These girls were sosmart, so competent, so together; she desperately wanted to make a goodimpression.

Laurel smiled and nodded. "Yes, but you have to be careful not to eat toomuch;youcangetarash.Feverfew'sgoodforotherthings,too;itmakesagoodwash for insect bites and a great love—"Laurel broke off suddenly andwentinto a flurry of chopping. "There, this burnet is ready. It's good to get thesegreens fresh, you know," she added quickly, "because they taste better andthey'restillfulloflifefromMotherEarth."

Cassieglancedatherwarily.Maybethisgirlwasn'tsotogetherafterall.Fullof life fromMotherEarth?But then, suddenly, she recalled thatdaywhenshehadleanedagainsttheredgraniteandfeltabuzzingdeepinsideit.Whenshe'dimagined she'd felt that, rather. Yes, she could see how youmight think thatfreshplantswerefullofthatlife.

"Okay, this is done. You can tell Di and Melanie it's ready; I'll get someplates,"Laurelsaid.

Cassie went back into the spacious front room. Melanie and Diana wereabsorbedinconversation,andneitherofthemsawhercomeupbehindthem.

"… picking her up like a puppy off the street. You're always doing that,"Melanie was saying earnestly, and Diana was listening with her arms folded."Butwhat'sgoingtohappenlater—?"

ShebrokeoffasDianasawCassieandtouchedherforearm.

"It's ready,"Cassiesaid, feelingawkward.Had theybeen talkingabouther?Calling her a puppy off the street?But it hadn't beenDiana saying that; onlyMelanie.Shetoldherselfthatshedidn'tcarewhatMelaniethought.

Thecoolgrayeyesweren'tunfriendly,though,asMelanielookedatherwhiletheyate thesalad.Only—thoughtful.Andwhen thepizzacame,Cassiehad toadmire the ease with which the other three girls laughed and talked with thecollege-age delivery guy. He got so interested in Melanie that he practicallyinvitedhimselfinside,butDiana,laughing,shutthedooronhim.

Afterward,MelanietoldseveralamusingstoriesabouthertriptoCanadaoverthesummer,andCassiealmostforgotabouttheremark.Itwassogoodjusttobesurroundedbyeasy,friendlytalk;nottofeelshutout.AndtobeherebyDiana'sinvitation,toseeDianasmilingather…shestillcouldscarcelybelieveit.

Whenshewasgettingreadytoleave,though,shegotashock.Dianahandedheraneatpileofclothes—thegraysweatershowednotraceofsootnow—andsaid,"I'lltakeyouhome.Don'tworryaboutyourgrandma'scar.Ifyougivemethekeys,I'llhaveChrisHendersondriveittoyourplace."

Cassie froze in the actofhandingover thekeys. "Henderson?Youmean—youdon'tmeanoneoftheHendersonbrothers."

DianasmiledassheunlockedtheIntegra."Soyou'veheardofthem.Chrisis

nice,really,justalittlewild.Don'tworry."

As theydroveoff,Cassie remembered that theoneplayingkeepawaywithherbackpackhadbeencalledDoug,notChris.Butshestillcouldn'thelpfeelingalarmed.

"WeallknoweachotherouthereonCrowhavenRoad,"Dianaexplainedinacomforting tone. "See, there's Laurel's house, and the next one is Faye's. Thekidswhogrewupheresortofsticktogether.It'llbeokay.",

"Sticktogether?"Cassiehadasudden,disturbingidea.

"Yes."Diana'svoicewasdeliberatelylight."We'vegotasortofclub…"

"TheClub?"Cassiewassoappalledsheinterrupted."Youmean—you'reinittoo?YouandLaurelandMelanie?"

"Mm,"Dianasaid."Well,here'syourhouse.I'llcallyoutomorrow—maybeIcouldcomeover.AndwecancarpooltoschoolonMonday…"ShestoppedattheexpressiononCassie'sface."Whatisit,Cassie?"shesaidgently.„

Cassiewasshakingherhead."Idon'tknow…yes,Idoknow.ItoldyouhowIheardFayeandSuzanandDeborahtalkingthefirstdayofschool—thatwashowallthetroublestarted.Iheardthekindofthingstheysaid,andIknowthey'reintheClub.Anditwassoawful…Idon'tseehowyoucouldbeinaclublikethat,withthem."

"Itisn'twhatyouthink…"Diana'sgentlevoicetrailedoff."AndIcan'treallyexplain.ButI'lltellyouthis—don'tjudgetheClubbyFaye.Althoughthere'salotofgoodinFayetoo,ifyoulookforit."

Cassie thoughtyouwouldhavetolookwithascanningelectronmicroscopetofindit.Afteramoment,shesaidso.

Diana laughed. "No, really. I'veknownher sincewewerebabies.We'veallknowneachotherthatlongouthere."

"But…"Cassielookedatherworriedly."Aren'tyouafraidofher?Don'tyouthinkshemighttrytodosomethingterribletoyou?"

"No," Diana said. "I don't think so. For one thing, she's—made a sort ofpromisenot to.And for another"—she looked atCassie almost apologetically,althoughasmilewastuggingatthecornerofherlips—"well,don'thateme,but

Fayehappenstobemyfirstcousin."

Cassiegaped.

"We'remostly cousins up here,"Diana said softly. "Sometimes second andthird,andallthat,butlotsevencloser.Here'ssomeherbteaLaurelmadeupforme over the summer," she added, putting something in Cassie's hand. "Drinksometonightifyou'vebeenhavingtroublesleeping.Itoughttohelp.I'llseeyoutomorrowmorning."

When Diana appeared at the door, her hair was pulled back in one long,exquisiteFrenchbraid.Ithungdownlikeasilktassel.Shehadapacketofgood-smellingdriedleaveswrappedincheeseclothinonehand.

"Yousaidyourmomhadtheflu,soIbroughtsometeaforher.It'sgoodforcoughsandchills.DidyoutrythatteaIgaveyoulastnight?"

Cassienodded."Icouldn'tbelieve it. Iwent right to sleepandwokeup thismorningfeelinggreat.Whatwasinit?"

"Well, for one thing, ground-up catnip," Diana said, and then smiled atCassie'sreaction."Don'tworry;itdoesn'thavethesameeffectonhumansasoncats.It'sjustrelaxing."

WasthatwhatDianahadbeendoingthatfirstmorningCassiehadseenher?Making somekindof tea?Cassie didn't quite dare to admit she'd been spyingthat day, but shewas pleasedwhenDiana said she'd like tomake the tea andgiveittoCassie'smotherpersonally.

"It'sasimpleherbandgemelixirforchills,"shesaidquietly toMrs.Blake,andtherewassomethingreassuringabouthervoice.Cassie'smotherhesitatedamoment,thenreachedforthecup.Shetastedit,andthenlookedupandsmiledatDiana.Cassiefeltwarmallover.

EvenCassie'sgrandmother'sseamedoldfacebrokeintoasmileatthesightofDianaasshepassedthetwogirlswalkingdownthehalltoCassie'sroom.

"Itmustbegreattohaveagrandmotherlikethat,"Dianasaid."Shemustbefullofoldstories."

Cassiewasrelieved.She'dbeenafraidthatDianawouldn'tbeabletoseepast

themoleandthestoopedbackandthecoarse,grizzledhair."Sheisprettygreat,"shesaid,marvelingathowmuchherownattitudehadchangedsince that firstdaywhenshe'd seen the figure in thedoorway. "And it'snice to finallyget toknowher,sinceshe'stheonlyrelativeIhaveleft.Allmyothergrandparentsaredead."

"So are mine," Diana said. "And my mom, too. It's sad, because I alwayswantedalittlesister,butmymotherdiedthesameyearIwasborn,andmydadneverremarried,sothereneverwasanychance."

"I'vewishedforasistertoo,"Cassiemurmured.

Therewasasilence.ThenDianasaid,"Thisisabeautifulroom."

"Iknow,"Cassiesaid,lookingaroundatthemassive,shiningfurnitureandtheformaldraperiesandthestiffchairs."It'sbeautiful,butit'slikeamuseum.That'sallmystuffthatgotshippedfromhome."Shepointedtoapileofbelongingsinthecorner."Itriedtospreaditaround,butIwasafraidofscratchingsomethingorbreakingsomething."

Dianalaughed."Iwouldn'tworry.Thesethingshavemadeitthroughthelastthreehundredyears;they'llholdoutalittlelonger.Youjustneedtoarrangetheroom soyour stuff fits inwith them.Wecould try it nextweekend—I'm sureLaurelandMelaniewouldhelptoo.Itwouldbefun."

Cassie thought ofDiana's bright, airy, harmonious roomand felt a surgeofhope.Ifherbedroomcouldlookjusthalfasgoodasthat,she'dbehappy.

"You're just toonice tome,"sheblurtedout, thenwincedandputahandtoher forehead. "I knowhow incredibly stupid that sounds," she said helplessly,"butit'strue.Imean,you'redoingallthisforme,andyou'renotgettinganythingback.And—Ijustcan'tunderstandwhyyou'dwantto."

Diana was looking out the window at the ocean. It rolled and sparkled,reflecting a clear, radiantly blue September sky. "I told you," she said, andsmiled."Ithinkyou'renice.YouweregoodtohelpSallythewayyoudid,anditwas brave to stand up to Faye. I admire that. And besides," she added,shrugging,"Ilikebeingfriendlytopeople.Itdoesn'tfeellikeI'mgettingnothingback.I'malwayswonderingwhypeoplearesonicetome."

Cassiethrewalookather,sittingtherebythewindowwithsunlightspillingoverher,haloingher inbrightness.Her fairhair seemed literally toglow, and

herprofilewasperfect, likeadelicatelycarvedcameo.CouldDiana reallynotknow?

"Well, I guess the fact that you always seem to try and find the good ineverybody could be part of it,"Cassie said. "People probably can't resist that.Andthefactthatyou'renotvainandyou'rereallyinterestedinwhatotherpeoplehavetosay…andIguessthefactthatyou'rethemostbeautifulpersonI'veeverseeninmyentirelifedoesn'thurt,"sheaddedfinally.

Dianaburstout laughing."I'msorryyougrewuparoundsuchuglypeople,"shesaid.Thenshesobered,lookingoutthewindowagainandplayingwiththedraperycord."Butyouknow…"shesaid,andhervoicewasalmostshy.Thenshe turned to Cassie, her eyes so brilliantly green that it took Cassie's breathaway.

"You know, it's funny about us both wishing for sisters, and neither of ushavingone,"shesaid."AndeversinceIsawyouinthesciencebuilding…well,I'vefeltalmostasifyouweremylittlesister.Itsoundsstrange,butit'strue."

Itdidn'tseemstrange toCassie.Eversinceshe'dseenDiana,she'dfeltas iftheywereconnectedinsomeway.

"And—Idon't know; I feel I can talk to you, somehow.Evenmore than toMelanie and Laurel, even though we just met. I feel that somehow youunderstandmeandthat…Icantrustyou."

"Youcan,"Cassiesaidquietly,butwithapassionthatsurprisedevenher."Idon'tknowwhyeither,butyoucantrustme,nomatterwhat."

"So if you wanted…" Diana was frowning slightly, chewing her lip, stilllookingdownasshepleatedthecurtainmaterial."Well…Iwasthinkingmaybewecouldsortofbefostersisterstoeachother.Sortofadopteachother.ThenI'dhavealittlesisterandyou'dhaveabigone.Butonlyifyouwantto,"sheaddedquickly,lookingupagain.

Want to?Cassie'sproblemwas that shedidn't knowwhat todo—throwherarms around Diana, dance around the room, burst into laughter, or burst intotears.

"Thatwouldbeokay,"shemanagedtosayafteraminute.Then,heartsinging,shesmiledatDiana,shyly,butmeetinghereyesdirectly."No,that'dbe—great."

"You're lookingbetter thismorning,Mom,"Cassie said.Hermother, sittingontheedgeofherbed,smiledather.

"Itwasabadflu,butIambetternow,"shesaid."Andyou—you're lookinghappier,sweetheart."

"Iam,"Cassiesaid,droppingaquickkissonhermother'scheek.You'llneverknowhowmuch,shethought.

This morning was almost like the first day of school in excitement andanticipation. Idon't care if everyoneelse in theentire schoolhatesme,Cassiethought. Diana will be there. Just thinking about that will make the rest notmatter.

Diana was looking particularly beautiful that day, wearing a green suedejacket linedwithbluesilkover jeans fadedalmostwhite.Ather throathungasimple pendant with a single stone in it, a milky stone with a blue-whiteshimmer.Cassiewasproudjusttowalkbesideheratschool.

And in the halls, she noticed something strange. It was hard to walk threestepswithoutgettingstoppedbysomeone.

"Oh,hi,Diana—haveyougotaminute?""Diana!I'msogladtoseeyou…""Diana,it'skillingme.Won'tyoujust thinkaboutthisweekend?"(Thisfromaguy.) Practically everybody they passedwanted to talkwithDiana, and thosewhodidn'thavesomethingtosayhungaroundtheedgesjustlistening.

CassiewatchedDianaspeaktoeachofthem.Theguysbeggingfordatesweretheonlyonesshedismissed,smiling.SomeofthepeopleshotnervousglancesatCassie,butnoneofthembackedawayorsaidanythingnasty.ApparentlyDianahadthepowertocounteractevenFaye.

Finally,afewminutesbeforethebell,DianapulledawayfromthecrowdandwalkedCassietoherEnglishclass.ShenotonlycameinsidebutsatdownatadeskbesideCassie'sandchattedwithher,ignoringeveryonewhowaslookingatthem.

"We'll have to have another pizza party this week," she said in a clear,carryingvoice. "AndLaurel and Iwere talking aboutways to redecorateyourroomifyoustillwantto.Laurel'sveryartistic.AndIreallythinkyououghtto

transferintomyAPhistoryclassifyoucan.It'slastperiod,andtheteacher,Ms.Lanning,isgreat…"

Shewent on talking, seeming utterly oblivious to the rest of the class. ButCassie could feel something bubbling up inside her like the carbonation in abottleofsoda.Girlswhohadactuallyturnedtheirbacksandscuttledawayfromher last weekwere now listening avidly to Diana'smonologue, nodding as iftheywerepartoftheconversation.

"Well,IguessI'dbettergo—I'llmeetyouatelevenfifteenforlunch,"Dianasaid.

"Where?" Cassie asked, almost panicking as Diana got up. She had justrealizedshe'dneverseenDiana—orLaurelorMelanieeither—atlunch.

"Oh,inthecafeteria—thepartintherear.Behindtheglassdoor.Wecallitthebackroom.You'llseeit,"Dianasaid.ThegirlsaroundCassiewereexchanginglooksofastonishment.AsDianawalkedawayoneofthemspoke.

"Yougettoeatinthebackroom?"sheaskedenviously.

"Iguessso,"Cassiesaidabsently,watchingDiana.

"But…"Anotherlookpassedbetweenthegirls."AreyouintheClub?"oneofthemfinished.

Cassiefeltuncomfortable."No…notreally.I'mjustfriendswithDiana."

Apause.Thenthegirlssettledback,lookingbewilderedbutimpressed.

Cassiescarcelynoticed.Shewaswatchingthedoor,andthegirlwho'dwalkedinjustasDianareachedittowalkout.

Fayewaslookingparticularlybeautifulthismorningtoo.Herblackhairwaswild and lustrous, her pale skin glowing.Her lips lookedmore sensuous thanever,emphasizedbysomenewshadeofberry-red lipstick.Shewaswearingaredsweaterthatclungtoeverycurve.

She stopped in the doorway, blocking it, and she andDiana looked at eachother.

It was a long, measuring glance, hooded golden eyes locked with green.Neither of them said anything, but the air between them almost crackledwith

electricity.Cassiecouldalmostfeelthetwostrongwillsfightingfordominancethere.Finally,itwasFayewhomovedaside,butshegesturedDianathroughthedoorwithanironicflourishthatseemedmorelikecontemptthancourtesy.AndasDianapassedby,Fayespokeoverhershoulder,withoutturningtolook.

"Whatdidshesay?"oneofthegirlsaskedCassie.

"Icouldn'thearit,"Cassiesaid.

But thatwasa lie.Shehadheard.Shejustdidn'tunderstand.Fayehadsaid,"Winabattle;losethewar."

Atlunch,Cassiewonderedhowshehadn'tseenthebackroomofthecafeteriabefore.Sheunderstood,though,howDianaandherfriendshadn'tseenher—theentrance to theback roomwasswampedwithpeople.People standingaround,peoplehopingtobeinvitedin,orpeople justhangingoutonthefringes.Theyblockedanyviewthoseseatedinsidemighthaveofthecafeteriaproper.

Itwaseasytoseewhythisroomwasthefavoritegatheringplace.TherewasaTVmountedononewall,althoughitwastoonoisytohearit.Therewasevenamicrowave and a Veryfine juice machine. Cassie was aware of stares on herbackas shewent in and satdownbesideDiana,but today theywere staresofenvy.

Melanie and Laurel were there. So was Sean, the little slinking boy who'durgedher togo to theprincipal.Sowasaguywithdisheveledblondhair andslightlytiltedblue-greeneyes—oh,God,oneoftheHendersonbrothers.Cassietriednot togivehimalookofalarmasDiananoddedathimandsaid,"That'sChristopher Henderson—Chris, say hi; this is Cassie. You moved her whiteRabbit."

Theblondguyturnedandstareddefensively."Inevertouchedit.Ididn'tevenseeit,okay?Iwassomewhereelse."

DianaandMelanieexchangedapatient look."Chris,"Dianasaid,"whatareyoutalkingabout?"

"Thischick'srabbit.Ididn'ttakeit.I'mnotintolittlefurryanimals.We'reallbrothers,okay?"

Dianastaredathimamoment,thenshookherhead."Gobacktoyourlunch,

Chris.Forgetit."

Chris frowned, shrugged, then turned back to Sean. "So there's this newgroup,Cholera,right,andthey'vegotthisnewalbum…"

"Somebodydidmovemycar,"Cassieofferedtentatively.

"Hedidit,"Laurelsaid."Hejustdoesn'thaveaverygoodmemoryforreality.Heknowsalotaboutmusic,though."

Sean, Cassie noticed, was a different boy in here than he'd been by thelockers. He was excessively polite, seeming eager to please, and frequentlyofferingtogetthingsforthegirls.Theytreatedhimlikeaslightlyannoyinglittlebrother.HeandLaurelweretheonlyjuniorsbesidesCassie.

They'dbeeneatingjustafewminuteswhenastrawberry-blondheadappearedinthedoorway.Suzanlookedcross.

"Deborah's got a lunch detention and Faye's off doing something, so I'meatinginhere,"sheannounced.

Diana looked up. "Fine," she said evenly, then added, "This is my friendCassie,Suzan.Cassie,thisisSuzanWhittier."

"Hi,"Cassiesaid,tryingtosoundcasual.

Therewasamomentoftension.ThenSuzanrolledherchina-blueeyes."Hi,"shesaidfinally,andimmediatelysatdownandbeganremovingthingsfromherlunchsack.

CassielookedatSuzanunloadingherlunch,thenthrewaquickglanceoveratLaurel.ThenshelookedatDianaandraisedhereyebrowsquestioningly.

SheheardthecrinkleofplasticasSuzanproducedthelastitemfromherbag;thenapiercingshriekfromLaurel.

"Oh, my God—you're not still eating those! Do you know what's in thosethings, Suzan? Beef fat, lard, palm oil—and it's about fifty percent whitesugar…"

Diana was biting her lip and Cassie was shaking silently, trying to keep astraightface.Finallyitwastoomuch,andshehadtoletthegigglesescape.AssoonasshedidDianaburstintolaughtertoo.

Everyoneelselookedatthem,baffled.

Cassiesmileddownathertunasandwich.Aftersomanyweeksofloneliness,she had found where she belonged. She was Diana's friend, Diana's adoptedsister.HerplacewasherebesideDiana.

TenThatFriday,Koricametothebackroomforlunch.Sheseemedinaweofthe

oldergirlsandwasevenabsentlyrespectfulofCassie,whichwasnice.CertainlySuzanandDeborahhadnosuchrespect.ThestrawberryblondseemedunawareofCassie's existenceunless shewanted somethingpassed toherorpickedup,and thebiker fixedCassiewithasurlyglarewhenever theypassed in thehall.Deborah and Doug—the other Henderson brother—had appeared in the backroomonlyoncesinceCassiestartedeating there,andtheyhadspent theentiretimearguingfuriouslyaboutsomeheavy-metalband.

NeitherFayenorNick,thedark,coldlyhandsomeboywho'drescuedCassie'sbackpack,showedupatallthatweek.

But Kori Henderson was nice. Now that Cassie knew, she could see theresemblance to Chris and Doug—the blond hair and the blue-green eyes thatKori emphasized bywearing a turquoise necklace and ring all the time. Koriwasn't aswild as her brothers, though. She seemed just an ordinary, friendly,going-on-fifteengirl.

"I've been waiting so long for it, I can't believe it's finally here," she wassayingattheendoflunch."Imean,justthink,nextTuesday'stheday!AndDadsays we can have the party down on the beach—or at least he didn't say wecouldn't—and I want tomake it really special, because of it being a holiday,too…"Shetrailedoffsuddenly.Cassie,followinghergaze,sawthatDianahadherlipcaughtbetweenherteethandwasalmostimperceptiblyshakingherhead.

WhatwasKorisayingwrong?Cassiewondered.Andthenitstruckher: thiswas the first she'd heard about a party, although it clearlywasn't news to theothers.Wasshenotinvited?

"So,uh,doyouthinkAdamwillbebackintimefor-—for—Imean,whendoyouthinkAdamwillbeback?"Koristuttered.

"Idon'treallyknow.Ihopeit'ssoon,but…"Dianagavealittleshrug."Whocantell?Whocanevertell?"

"Who's Adam?" Cassie said, determined to show she didn't care about theparty.

"Youmeanshehasn'ttoldyouaboutAdamyet?Diana,there'ssuchathingascarryingmodestytoofar,"Melaniesaid,hercoolgrayeyesdisbelieving.

The color had come toDiana's cheeks. "There just hasn't been time—" shebegan,andLaurelandMelaniehooted.

Cassiewassurprised.She'dneverseenDianareactthisway."No,butreally,"shesaid."Whoishe?Isheyourboyfriend?"

"Onlysincechildhood,"Laurelsaid."They'vebeentogetherforever."

"Butwhereishe?Isheincollege?What'shelike?"

"No, he's just—visiting some people," Diana said. "He's a senior, but he'sbeenawaysofar thisyear.Andas forwhathe's like…well,he'snice. I thinkyou'lllikehim."Shesmiled.

Cassie looked towardLaurel formore information.Laurelwavedazucchinistickintheair."Adam's…"

Korisaid,"Yes,he's…"

EvenMelanie couldn't seem to find the right words. "You'll have to meethim,"shesaid.

Cassiewasintrigued."Doyouhaveapictureofhim?"sheaskedDiana.

"Asamatteroffact,Idon't,"Dianasaid.SeeingCassie'sdisappointment,shewent on, "You see, around here people have a sort of silly superstition aboutphotographs—theydon'tlikethem.Solotsofusdon'tgetpicturestaken."

Cassie tried to pretend this wasn't as bizarre as she thought it was. Likeaboriginals, she thought in amazement. Thinking the camera will steal theirsouls.Howcananybodyinthetwentiethcenturythinkthat?

"He'scute,though,"Koriwassayingfervently.

Suzan, who had been absorbed in eating, looked up from her lunch toproclaiminfeelingtones:"Thatbod."

"Thoseeyes,"Laurelsaid.

"You'dbettergoeasy,"Melanie said, smiling. "You'regoing todriveDianacrazybeforehegetsback."

"Crazy enough to give somebody else a chance, maybe?" Sean piped up.Looksofforbearancepassedbetweenthegirls.

"Maybe,Sean—sometime in thenextmillennium,"Laurel said.Butbeingakindgirl,shedidn'tsayitveryloudly.

Lookingamused,MelanieexplainedtoCassie,"AdamandDianadon'tevenseeanyoneof theoppositesexexcepteachother.ForyearsAdamthought therestofuswereboys."

"WhichinSuzan'scasetookquitealotofimagination,"Laurelputin.

SuzansniffedandglancedatLaurel's flatchest."Andinsomepeople'scasetooknoimaginationatall."

"Whataboutyou,Cassie?"Dianainterruptedbeforeanargumentcouldbegin."Didyouleaveaboyfriendbackhome?"

"Not really," Cassie said. "There was one guy, though, this summer. Hewas…"Shestopped.Shedidn'twanttotellthestoryinfrontofSuzan."Hewassortof…allright.So,anyway,howdidFaye'sdatewithJeffreygo?"sheaskedSuzanabruptly.

Suzan'slooksaidshewasn'tfooledbythesuddenchangeofsubject,butshecouldn'tresistanswering."Thefishgothooked,"shesaidwithasmirk."Nowallshehastodoisreelhimin."

Thebellrangthen,andtherewasnofurtherconversationaboutboyfriendsordates. But Cassie noticed a look about Diana's eyes—a tender, wistfuldreaminess—thatlingeredfortherestoftheday.

Afterschool,DianaandCassiedrovebacktoCrowhavenRoadtogether.Astheydroveby theHendersonhouse—oneof those in theworst repair—CassienoticedDianabitingherlip.Itwasasuresigntheoldergirlwasworriedaboutsomething.

Cassiethoughtsheknewwhat."Idon'tmindaboutKori'sparty,"sheofferedquietly, andDiana looked at her, surprised. "I don't," Cassie insisted. "I don'tevenknowKori,really.TheonlytimeIsawherbeforewaswhenshewasoutwithFayeon thesteps.What'swrong?"sheaddedasDiana lookedevenmoresurprised.

"Kori was eating with Faye and the others that day you overheard themtalking?"

"Yes—well, she camewhen theywere almost finished eating. Therewas awholegroupofkids,butshewastheonlyoneFayewouldletstay.Fayesaid…"

"Fayesaidwhat?"Dianasoundedresigned.

"Shesaid,'Ithoughtyou'dbeeatinginthecafeteriawiththerestofthegoody-goodies.'"CassieleftoutthePrincessofPuritypart.

"Hm.AndwhatdidKorisaytothat?"

Cassie felt uncomfortable. "She said something about too much goodnessbeing boring. She didn't staywith them long, though. I think Faye andSuzanweretryingtoembarrassher."

"Mm,"saidDiana.Shewasbitingherlipagain.

"Anyway,"Cassiewenton,"Idon'tmindnotbeinginvitedtoherparty,butdoyouthink…well,doyouthinkthere'sachancethatsomedayIcouldbeintheClubtoo?"

Diana'sgreeneyeshadwidenedfractionally."Oh,Cassie.Butyoudon'twantto,"shesaid.

"IknowIsaidthingslastweekthatsoundedthatway.Butyoutoldmenottojudge the Club by Faye, and I'm not, now. And I like you andMelanie andLaurel and Kori—and Suzan's sort of okay. Even Chris Henderson is. So Ithought,maybe…"She let her sentence trail off delicately.She could feel herheartbeatingfaster.

"That'snotwhatImeant,"Dianareplied."Imeantyoudon'twanttobecauseyouwant to go back home, toCalifornia,whenever you can. That's the truth,isn'tit?Yousaidyouwereplanningtogotocollegethere."

"Well,yes,eventually,but…"Cassiehadsaidthat,thatfirstnightatDiana'shouse.Nowshewasnolongersosure,butshedidn'tquiteknowhowtoexplainthis."Whathasthatgottodowithit?"shesaid."Imean,joiningdoesn'tmeanstayingheretherestofyourlife,doesit?"

Diana's eyeswere on the road. "It's hard to explain." Then she said softly,"Andinanycase—well,I'mafraidmembershipissortoflimited."

Abruptly Cassie remembered Deborah's words after Kori had left that day.One empty space, one candidate, you know? And Kori was part of theneighborhood.She'dgrownuphere.Chrisand

Dougwere her brothers. Shewasn't a stranger taken in just becauseDianainsisted,apuppypickedupoffthestreet.

"Iunderstand,"Cassiesaid.She tried tosoundas if itwereallokay,as if itdidn'tmatter.Butitdid.Itdid,terribly.

"No, you don't," Diana murmured. "But I think that's better. It really is,Cassie,believeme."

"Oh,no,"Dianasaid."Idon'thavetheScotchtape.Itmusthaverolledunderthecarseat.Youstayhere;there'snoreasonforusbothtogoback."Sheturnedandhurriedtowardtheparkinglot.

Theywere early thatmorning.Diana had a banner that she andLaurel hadpainted, saying "Happy Birthday, Kori." She was going to hang it above themainentranceoftheschool,andCassiehadofferedtohelp.Cassiethoughtthatwas a particularly noble and unselfish gesture, considering she still wasn'tinvitedtoKori'sparty.Italsoshowedhowmuchshedidn'treallymind.

Nowshelookedupatthemainentranceoftheschoolbuildingthathadscaredhertodeathtwoweeksago.

Twoweeks.Thefirstweekshehadspentasapariah,anoutcast,someonetoodangerous to speak to because itmight bring down thewrath of Faye on thespeaker'shead.Butthesecondweek…

Diana, she mused, didn't influence people by frightening them. She did itmuchmoresubtly,withlove.ItsoundedimpossiblystupidandHallmarkcard-ish,butitwastrue.EveryonelovedDiana—girlsaswellasboys—andmostofthemwouldwalkoverhotcoalsforher.AsDiana'sadopted"littlesister"Cassiehadinstantlygainedstatusfarbeyondanythingshecouldhaveeverachievedonher own. She nowwent aroundwith the coolest crowd in school—and if shewasn'tcompletelyapartofit,onlytherealinsidersknew.

You'realmostoneofus.SheheardFaye'swords toKori inhermindagain.Well, todaywasKori'sbirthday,and todayKoriwouldbeoneof them.Today

KoriwouldjointheClub.

AndCassieneverwould.

Cassie hunched her shoulders, trying to shrug the thought off, but a shivercaughthermidwaythrough.Shewrappedherarmsaroundherself,claspingherelbows. It was colder than she was used to for late September. Laurel andMelaniehadbeen talkingover theweekendabout the fall equinox,whichwastodaytoo.Melaniehadexplainedthatitwasthedaywhenthehoursofdaylightanddarknesswereofequallength,whichmeantthestartoffall.Cassiesupposedithadarighttobecold.Everyonesaidtheleaveswouldbeturningsoon.

Melanie andLaurel had really gotten into that discussion of the equinox. Ithadseemedterriblyimportanttothem,althoughCassiecouldn'texactlyseewhy.Itwasanotherof the littlemysteriesaboutNewSalemers thatwerestarting todriveCassiecrazy.

Sheshiveredagainandbegantopace,rubbingherarms.

Thehillspreadoutbeneathher.Shewalkedtothetopofthestairsandstoodbouncingonhertoes.Itwasaclear,crispday,andmixedinwiththeluxuriantgreen all around her she could see a tinge of fall colors here and there. Theshrubsacrosstheroad—whathadLaurelcalledthem?Sumac.Thesumacacrossthe roadwas already red.And some of the sugarmapleswere turning goldenyellow,andtherewasmoreredatthebottomofthehill…

Cassiefrownedandforgottorubherarms.Shetookasteportwodownandleanedforward,lookingagain.Theredatthebottomofthehillwasalmosttoored,toobright.She'dneverknownfoliagecouldturnthatcolor.Itwasn'tnatural.

A violent shiver went through her. God, it was cold. Whatever was downtherewashalfhiddenbytheunderbrush,butitwasn'tabushitself,shedecided.Itlookedmorelikeasweatersomebodyhaddiscarded.

It'llgetruined,lyingonthedampgroundlikethat,Cassiethought.Whoeverownsitisgoingtobeunhappy.

She took another step down. Of course, it's probably ruined already—ormaybeit'sjustascrapsomebody'sthrownout.

Butitdidn'tlooklikeascrap.Ithadashape—shecouldseewhatlookedlikethe sweater's arm. In fact, it looked like awhole bundle of clothes. See, there

wassomethinglikejeanslyingbelowit…

SuddenlyCassiecouldn'tbreathe.

That's funny—that's really funny,because it looksalmost likeaperson.Butthatwouldbesostupid—it'scoldandwetontheground.Anybodylyingdowntherewouldfreeze—

Shewasmovingdownthestepsquicklynow.

Stupid—but it really does look a lot like somebody. See, there's legs. Thatyellowcouldbehair.Theymustbeasleep—butwhowouldgotosleeplikethat?Rightbesidetheroad.Ofcourse,theweedsandstuffscreenthem—

She was very close now, and everything had gone into slow motion—everythingbutherwhirling,reelingthoughts.

Oh,thankGod—itisn'tapersonafterall;it'sjustadummy.LikeoneofthosestuffedscarecrowthingstheyputoutatHalloweentoscarepeople.See,it'sallfloppyinthemiddle…nopersoncouldbendthatway…thenecklooksliketheneckofthatdollinmylocker.Likesomebodypulledtheheadout…

Cassie's own body was reacting strangely. Her chest was heaving and hermuscles were shaking. Her knees were trembling so hard she could scarcelyremainstanding.Andhervisionwassparklingattheedgesasifsheweregoingtofaint.

ThankGod,it'snotaperson—butoh,myGod,isthatahand?Dummiesdon'thavehands like that…nothandswith littlepink fingers…anddummiesdon'twearrings,turquoiserings…

Wherehadsheseenaringlikethatbefore?

Lookatitcloser;no,don'tlook,don'tlook—

But she had seen.The hand, stiff as a claw,was human.And the ringwasKori's.

Cassiedidn'trealizethatshewasscreaminguntilshewashalfwayupthehill.Her legs,whichhadbeen trembling sobadly,were takingherup in leapsandsurges.And shewas screaming over and over again: "Help, help, help."Onlytheyweresuchthin,patheticlittleshrieks—itwasnowondernooneheardher.Itwaslikeoneofthosenightmareswhereyourvocalcordsareparalyzed.

But someonehadheard.As she reached the topof thehillDiana appeared,running.ShecaughtCassiebytheshoulders.

"Whatisit?"

"Kori!"Cassiegaspedinastrangledvoice.Shecouldhardlyspeak."Diana—help Kori! She's hurt. Something's wrong—" She knew it was more thansomething wrong, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words. "Help her,please—"

"Where?"Dianacutinsharply.

"The bottom. Bottom of the hill. But don't go down there," Cassie gaspedillogically.Oh,God, shewas completely falling apart.She couldn't cope—butshecouldn'tletDianagodowntherealone,either.

Diana was flying down the stairs. Stiff-legged, Cassie followed. She sawDianareachthebottomandhesitate,thenswiftlykneelandbendforward.

"Isshe—?"Cassie'shandswereclenched.

Diana straightened up. Cassie saw the answer in the set of her shoulders."She'scold.She'sdead."

Then Diana turned around. Her face was white, her green eyes burning.Something inherexpressiongaveCassie strength, and she stumbleddown thelasttwostepsandflungherarmsaroundher.

ShecouldfeelDianashaking,clinging toher.KorihadbeenDiana's friend,nothers.

"It'llbeokay.It'llbeokay,"shegasped,illogicalagain.Therewasnowayforthis to be okay, ever. And over and over in Cassie's mind other words wereechoing.

Somedaytheymayfindyouatthebottomofthosestairswithabrokenneck.Somedaytheymayfindyou…

Kori'sneckwasbroken.

Thatwaswhat thepolicedoctor said.AfterCassieandDianawentbackupthestairs,everythingthatdayseemedlikeadream.Adultscameandtookover.

Schoolofficials,thepolice,thedoctor.Theyaskedquestions.Theymadenotesin their notebooks. Throughout it all the kids in the school stood aside andwatched.Theyweren't part of the adults' process.They had questions of theirown.

"Whatarewewaitingfor?Whydon'twejustgether?"DeborahwassayingasCassie came into the back room. It wasn't her lunch period, but all the rulesseemedtohavebeensuspendedthatday.

"Weallheardhersay it,"Deborahwascontinuing."Suzan,Faye,andme—evensheheardit."ShegesturedatCassie,whowasnumblytryingtogetacanofjuiceoutofthemachine."Thatbitchsaidshewasgoingtodoit,andshedidit.Sowhatarewewaitingfor?"

"Forthetruth,"Melaniesaidquietlyandcoldly.

"Fromthem?Outsiders?Youcan'tbeserious.They'llneveradmitSallydidit.The police are saying itwas an accident.An accident!No sign of a struggle,they're saying. She slipped on a wet step. And you know what the kids aresaying?They'resayingitwasoneofus!"

Laurellookedupfromthehotwatershewaspouringoversomedriedleavesinamug.Theendofhernosewaspink."Maybeitwasoneofus,"shesaid.

"Likewho?"Deborahblazedback.

"Likesomebodywhodidn'twantherintheClub.Somebodywhowasafraidshe'dcomeinonthewrongside,"saidLaurel.

"Andweallknowwhichsidewouldbeafraid,"saidanewvoice,andCassiejerkedaround,nearlydroppingherjuice.

ItwasFaye.Cassiehadneverseenherinthebackroombefore,butshewasherenow,herhoney-coloredeyeshoodedandsmoldering.

"Well,Diana'ssidecertainlyhadnothingtobeafraidof,"Laurelsaid."KoriidolizedDiana."

"Didshe?Thenwhydidshespendthelastweekhavinglunchwithme?"Fayesaidinherslow,huskyvoice.

Laurel stared, looking uncertain. Then her face cleared and she shook herhead."Idon'tcarewhatyousay;you'renevergoingtomakemebelieveDiana

wouldhurtKori."

"She'sright,"Suzanputin,toCassie'ssurprise."Dianawouldn't."

"Besides,wealreadyknowwhowould,"Deborahsaidsharply."ItwasSally—ormaybethatmoronboyfriendofhers.Isaywegetthem—now!"

"She'sright,"saidSean.

Laurel looked at him, then at Deborah, then at Faye. "What do you think,Melanie?"shesaidfinally.

Melanie'svoicewasstillquiet,detached."Ithinkweneedtohaveameeting,"shesaid.

Seanbobbedhishead."She'sright,"hesaid.

JustthenDianacamein.TheHendersonbrotherswerebehindher.Theybothlookedravaged—andbewildered.Asiftheycouldn'tunderstandhowthiscouldhappentothem.Chris'seyeswerered-rimmed.

Everyone soberedat the sightof thebrothers.Therewas silenceas they satdownatthetable.

ThenFayeturnedtoDiana.Hergoldeneyeswereliketwogoldenflames."Sitdown,"shesaidflatly."Weneedtotalk."

"Yes,"saidDiana.

Shesatdown,andsodidFaye.Laurel,afterputtingtwocupsofhotliquidinfrontof theHendersonbrothers,did the same.Deborah jerkedout a chair andthrewherselfintoit.SuzanandMelaniehadalreadybeenseated.

EveryoneturnedtolookatCassie.

Their faces were strange. Alien. Laurel's normally elfin face was closed.Melanie'scoolgrayeyesweremoreremotethanever;Suzan'spoutinglipswerecompressedtightly;Deborah'sfiercenesswasbarelykeptincheck.EvenSean'susually furtive expression had an unprecedented dignity. Diana was pale andstern.

TheglassdoorswungopenandNickcame in.His facewas likeacoldandhandsomestone,revealingnothing,buthesatdownatthetablebesideDoug.

Cassiewas the only one in the room left standing. She looked at them, themembersof theClub, and they lookedather.Nooneneeded to sayanything.Sheturnedaroundandlefttheroom.

ElevenCassie didn't know where she was going. The school was trying to hold

classes,eventhoughtherewereprobablymorekidsoutsidetheclassroomsthaninside.Theywereinthehalls,onthestairs,hangingaroundthemainentrance.Cassielookeddazedlyataclockandthenwenttoherscienceclass,conceptualphysics.Shecouldprobablycallhermomandjustgohomeifsheliked,butshedidn'twanttofacehermotherrightnow.Shejustwantedtotryandpretendtobenormal.

Asshesattakingmeaninglessnotes,shecouldfeeleyesonher.Shehadtheoddfeeling thatshe'dbeentransportedbackin timeandthat itwas twoweeksago, when Faye had blackballed her. But after class she saw the difference.Peoplekeptcominguptoherandmurmuring,"Areyouokay?"and"How'reyoudoing?"Theylookedillatease—asif theydidn'twant tobe talkingtoherbutfeltthey'dbetter.Afterherlastclassthereweremorelittlevisits:peoplecomingingroupsof twoor threetosay,"Sorry"or"Justwantyoutoknowwe'llmisshertoo."

Thetruthofitstruckhersuddenly,andshealmostlaughedattheirony.Theywere condolence calls! Cassie was standing in for the Club. All of theseoutsiderswerecomingtoher,notrealizingthatshewasasmuchoutsideasanyofthem.

Whenacheerleadercameandsaid,"Oh,thismustbesohardforyou,"Cassielostit.

"Ididn'tevenknowher!"sheburstout."Ionlyspoketoheronceinmylife!"

Thecheerleaderbackedoffhastily.Afterthatthecondolencecallsstopped.

Ms. Lanning, the history teacher, drove Cassie home. She sidestepped hermother'sworriedquestioning—apparentlytheschoolhadcalledtoexplainwhathadhappened—andwentoutside.Sheclimbeddownthesteepblufftothebeachbelowhergrandmother'shouse.

Theoceanhadneverlookedbleaker.Itwasaheavy,shiningsilvercolor—likethemercury in a thermometer. The day, which had started out so bright, hadturnedovercast,anditgotdarkeranddarkerasCassiepaced.

Andpaced.Thisbeachhadbeenoneof thegoodthingsabout livinghere—butwhatgoodwasitnow?Shewaswalkingonitalone.

Her chest was bursting. It was as if all the terrible events of the daywerelockedinsideher,strugglingtogetout.Buttherewasnorelease.

She'd thought being an outcast at school was the worst thing that couldhappentoher.But itwasworsetoalmostbelong,andtoknowinsidethatyoudidn't,andneverwould.SheknewitwasselfishtocareaboutherselfafterwhathadhappenedtoKori,butshecouldn'thelpit.Withalltherageofconfusionandpain insideher, shealmostenviedKori.Koriwasdead,but shestillbelonged.Shehadaplace.

Cassie,ontheotherhand,hadneverfeltsolonely.

The skywas dark gray. The ocean stretched out endlessly beneath it, evendarker. Looking at it, Cassie felt a strange and terrible fascination. If she juststartedwalkingtowarditandkeptongoing…

Stopthat!shethoughtsavagely.Getholdofyourself.

Butitwouldbesoeasy…

Yes,andthenyou'dreallybealone.Aloneforever,inthedark.Soundsgood,doesn'tit,Cassie?

Shivering violently, she wrenched herself away from the whispering graywaters.Herfeetwerenumbandcoldandherfingersfeltlikeice.Shestumbledassheclimbedupthenarrow,rockypath.

Thatnight,shepulledallthecurtainsshutinherroomsoshewouldn'thavetoseetheoceanorthedarknessoutside.Chestaching,sheopenedherjewelryboxandtookoutthepieceofchalcedony.

Ihaven't touchedyourgift inawhile.ButI'vethoughtaboutyou.WhateverI'mdoing,whereverIam,you'resomewhereinmymind.Andoh,howIwish…

Herhandshookassheshuthereyesandputthestonetoherlips.Shefeltthefamiliar crystalline roughness, the coolness of it warming to herwarmth.Herbreathcamemorequicklyandtearsstartedtohereyes.Oh,someday,someday,shethought…

Thenhermouthtwistedinpain.Asurgeofsomethinglikelavawelledupin

herchest,andshethrewthestoneashardasshecouldacrosstheroom.Ithitthewallwithasharpsoundandfell,clattering,tothefloor.

Someday nothing! the cruel voice inside her cried. Stop fooling yourself!You'llneverseehimagain.

She lay inbed staringwith soreeyes into thedimness, litbya smallnight-lightonthefarwall.Shecouldn'tcry.Allhertearshadbeenscorchedaway.Butherheartfeltasifithadbeentornopen.

Cassiewasdreamingoftheocean—thedarkandendlessocean.Theshipwasin trouble—shecouldhear the timbers creakingbeneathher.Theyweregoingaground.Andsomethingwaslost…lost…

Shecameawakeallatonce,suckinginherbreath.Wasthatanoise?

Body tense, she listened.Silence.Hereyesstruggled topierce thedarkness.Thenight-lighthadgoneout.

Whyhadn'titoccurredtohertobeafraidearlier?Whathadbeenwrongwithherthisevening?She'dgoneoutthereonthebeachalone,neverevenwonderingifthepersonwho'dkilledKorimightbewatching,waiting…

Accident, she thought, every sense alert and straining. They said it wasprobablyanaccident.Butherheartwas thunderingdizzily.Sheseemed to seescintillatinglightsinthedarkness.Andshecouldfeel…

Apresence.Like a shadow in front of her.Oh,God, she could feel it. Shesensed it like a pressure on her skin, like a radiation of cold. There wassomethinginherbedroom.

Her eyes were staring into the utter blackness, her body trembling withtension.Insaneasitwas,shehadthewildthoughtthatifshedidn'tmove,didn'tmakeasound,itcouldn'tfindher.

Butshewaswrong.

She heard a shuffling noise, a stealthy advancing. Then the unmistakablecreakofafloorboard.

Itwascomingtowardher.

Suddenlyshecouldmove.Shedrewinbreathforascream—andtherewasarushinthedarknessandsomethingclappedoverhermouth.

Instantly, everything changed. Before, all had been stillness, now all wasdizzy motion. She was fighting. It didn't do any good; her arms were beingcaughtandheld.Somethingelsehadherfeet.

Shewasbeingrolledoverandover.Wrappedinthesheet.Shecouldn'tmove.Herarmsweretrappedinthematerial.Shewastryingtokick,butherfeetweretrappedtoo.

Shefeltherselfbeinglifted.Shecouldn'tscream;shewaschoking.Somethingwasoverherhead,suffocatingher.Andthemostterriblethingwasthesilence,theutter,continuingsilence.Whateverhadherwasasnoiselessasaghost.

As a ghost…and sheherselfwasnowwrapped in a shroud.Wild thoughtscareenedinCassie'shead.

It was taking her out of her bedroom. Taking her downstairs—out of thehouse.Itwastakingheroutsidetoburyher.

ShehadenviedKori—nowshewasgoingtojoinher.Itwasgoingtoputherin the ground—or in the sea. Frantic, she tried to thrash, but the restrainingmaterialwastootight.

Shehadneverbeensofrightened.

In time, though, the violence of her first panic exhausted itself. Itwas likefighting against a strait jacket; her struggles only served to tire her out. Andoverheat her. She was smothering and she was so hot… if only she couldbreathe…

Panting, Cassie felt her body go limp. For the next few minutes all herconcentration was devoted to getting enough air. Then, slowly, she began tothinkagain.

Shewasbeingcarriedbymore thanoneperson.Thatwascertain.Herarmsandlegswerebeingrestrainednotonlybythewindingmaterialofthesheet,butbyhands.

Humanhands?Or…imagesfloodedhermind.Imagesoutofhorrormovies.Skeletalhandsbarelycoveredbywitheredflesh.Duskyhandswithnailbedsthe

cyanoticblueofdeath.Mutilatedhands,handsfromthegrave…

Oh,God,please…I'lllosemymind.PleasemakeitstoporI'lldie.I'lldieofterror.Nobodycanbethisfrightenedandlive.

Butitwasn'tsoeasyjusttodieafterall.Itdidn'tstop,andshewentonliving.Itwaslikeanightmare,butCassieknewshewasnotasleep.Shecouldprayallshewanted,butshewouldn'twakeup.

Theneverythingstopped.

Shewasno longerbeingcarried;shewasbeingheld.Then tilted…her legskicked and touched ground. She was being set on her feet. The sheet wasunwinding; she felt a breeze on her legs, and her nightgown hem flappingagainstthem.Herarmswerefree.

Weaklyshegrabbedout,andherwristswerecaughtandheldbehindher.Shestillcouldn'tsee.Somethingwasoverherhead,somekindofhood.Itwashotinside,andshewasbreathingherowncarbondioxide.Sheswayed,wantingtokick,tofightagain,andknowingshedidn'thavethestrength.

Then,fromdirectlybehindher,sheheardasoundthatchangedeverything.

Itwasachuckle.

Slowandrich.Amused.Butwithagrimedgetoit.

Unmistakable.

Faye.

Cassie thought she had been frightened before. She'd imagined ghosts, thelivingdeadcometodragherbackintothegroundwiththem.Butallthosewildandsupernaturalfearswerenothingcomparedtothesheerterrorshefeltnow.

Inoneblindinginstantsheputitalltogether.FayehadkilledKori.ThewayshewasgoingtokillCassienow.

"Walk,"Fayesaid,andCassiefeltapushinthecenterofherback.Herhandshadbeentiedtogetherbehindher.Shestaggeredandthentookastep."Straightahead,"Fayesaid.

Cassiestaggeredanotherstep,andanarmsteadiedher.Itcamefromtheside.Fayewasn'talone,then.Well,ofcoursenot;shecouldn'thavecarriedCassieby

herself.

Cassiehadneverrealizedhowimportantitwastosee.Itwasterrifyingtobemadetowalklikethis,onandonintonothingness.ForallsheknewFayemightbemarchingherstraightoffacliff.

No,notoffacliff.Theyweren'tonabluff;theywereonthebeach.Althoughshe couldn't see, now that she was no longer wrapped in the sheet her othersenseswerefunctioning.Fromher leftcametheslow,rhythmicroarofwaves.Very close.Under her feet she could feel crumbling, slightly damp sand. Thebreezethatliftedhernightgownaroundhercalveswascoldandfresh.Itsmelledofsaltandseaweed.

"Stop."

Cassieobeyedautomatically.Shetriedtoswallowandfoundtheinsideofhermouthwaslikeglue.

"Faye—"shemanagedtogetout.

"Bequiet!"Thevoicewassharp,no lazinessnow.Likeacatwith itsclawsunsheathed.A suddenpressureatherneckmadeCassie stiffen—someonehadgrabbed the bottom of the hood and was tightening it warningly. "Don't talkunless you're asked a question. Don't move unless you're told. Do youunderstand?"

Numbly,Cassienodded.

"Now takeonestep forward.Turn toyour left.Stop.Stay right there.Don'tmakeasound."

HandsmovedatthebackofCassie'sneck.Thentherewasagloriousrushofcoolairasthehoodwasliftedaway.Lightburstinonher,andCassiestaredinastonishmentatthefantasticscenebeforehereyes.

Blackandwhite, thatwasher first thought.Everythingwas starkblackandwhite,likeascenefromthesurfaceofthemoon.

But therewas themoon in front of her. Purewhite, just risen, it formed aperfectcrescentover theocean.Theoceanwasasblackas thesky,except forthe ghostly white foam on the waves. And in front of it stood a figure thatseemedtoshinewithapalelight.

Diana?

Shewaswearingathinwhiteshiftthatleftherarmsbare.Claspedaroundoneupper arm was a wide cuff of silver with strange engraving on it. On herforeheadwasasortofdiademwithacrescentmoon,thehornspointingupward.Herlonghair,hangingloosebeneathit,seemedtobewovenofmoonlight.

Inherhandwasadagger.

WithterrifyingsharpnessCassienowrememberedthedreamshe'dhadofhermotherandgrandmotherinherroom.Sacrifice,oneofthemhadsaid.Wasthatwhatshewasherefornow?Sacrifice?

Mesmerized, she stared at the blade of the dagger, at the moonlightshimmeringonit.ThenshelookedatDiana'sface.

Iwouldneverhavebelievedit—no,Iwouldn'thavebelievedthatyouwouldhelpFaye do this.But you're here,with a knife. I'm seeing it.How can I notbelievemyowneyes?

"Turnaround,"avoicesaid.

Cassiefeltherbodyturn.

Acirclewasdrawn in thesand,abigone. Insideandoutsidewerecandles,stuckright into thebeach.Waxwasmeltingon thesand.Thecandleswereallsizes,allcolors.Somelookedasiftheyhadbeenburningalongtime,fromtheamountofwaxpooledbeneaththemandthewaytheyhadslumped.Everyflamewasdancingintheslightbreeze.

Inside the circle were the members of the Club. Cassie's frightened mindregistered glimpses of faces and no more, like flashes seen in lightning. Thesame faces she had seen gathered around the table in the back room thatafternoon.Proud.Beautiful.Alien.

Faye was one of them. She was dressed all in black. And if Diana's hairseemedtobewovenofmoonlight,herswaswovenofgloom,

Diana walked past Cassie and stepped into the circle. Suddenly Cassierealizedthattheringdrawninthesandwasnotcomplete.Therewasagapinitsnortheastcorner,directlyinfrontofherfeet.

Shewasstandingjustoutsidethethreshold.

Startled, her eyes came up to seek Diana's. Diana's expression revealednothing;herfacewaspaleanddistant.Cassie'sheart,whichhadbeenthuddingdully,nowpickedupspeed.

Dianaspoke,hervoiceclearandmusical,butshewasnotspeakingtoCassie.

"Whochallengesher?"

Faye'sthroatyvoiceroseinanswer."Ido."

Cassiedidn'tseethedaggeruntilFayehelditatherthroat.Itpricked,pressingslightlyintothehollow,andshefelthereyeswiden.Shetriedtoholdcompletelystill.Faye'shooded,enigmaticeyesweregazingstraightintohers.Therewasasortoffiercepleasureintheirdepths,andthesameheatCassiehadseeninthesciencebuildingwhenFayehadthreatenedherwithfire.

Faye smiled her slow, scary smile, and the pressure of the blade againstCassie's throat increased. "I challenge you," Faye said directly to Cassie. "Ifthere is any fear in your heart, it would be better for you to throw yourselfforwardonthisdagger thantocontinue.Sowhat is it,Cassie?"sheadded,hervoicedroppingtoa lazy, intimatemurmurthatcouldscarcelyhavebeenheardbytheothers."Istherefearinyourheart?Carefulhowyouanswer."

Dumbfounded,Cassieonlystared.Fearinherheart?Howcouldtherenotbefearinherheart?Theyhaddoneeverythingtheycouldtoterrifyher—ofcoursetherewasfearinherheart.

Then,movingonlyhereyes,shelookedatDiana.

Cassie remembered Laurel in the back room today, after Faye had impliedDiana might have had something to do with Kori's death. Laurel had lookedconfused foramoment, thenher facehadclearedand she'd said, "Idon't carewhatyousay;you'renevergoingtomakemebelieveDianawouldhurtKori."

Thatwas faith,Cassie thought.Believingnomatterwhat.Didshehave thatkindoffaithinDiana?

Yes,shethought,stilllookingintoDiana'ssteadygreeneyes.Ido.

ThencanItrusthernomatterwhat?Enoughnottobeafraidanymore?

The answer had to come from inside. Cassie searched through her mind,trying to find the truth.Everything that hadhappened tonight—themdragging

heroutofbed, carryingherdownherewithoutanyexplanation, theknife, thestrangenessofthiswholeceremony—italllookedbad.AndsomeonehadkilledKori…

Itrustyou,Diana.

Thatwastheanswershefoundatthebottomofhermind.Itrustyou.Despiteallthis,nomatterhowitlooks,Itrustyou.

ShelookedbackatFaye,whowasstillwearingalittlecatlikesmile.Gazingstraight into thosehoney-colored eyes,Cassie said clearly, "Goon.There's nofearinmyheart."

Evenasshesaidit,shefeltthesymptomsofterrordropawayfromher.Theweakness, the giddiness, the thudding of her heart. She stood straight eventhoughherhandswerestilltiedbehindherbackandthedaggerpointwasstillatherthroat.

Something flared in Faye's eyes. Something like grim respect. Her smilechanged, and she nodded almost imperceptibly. The next instant her blackeyebrowswereraisedironicallyasshespoke.

"Thenstepinside,"sheinvited.

Straight forward? Into thedaggerblade?Cassie refused to lethereyesdropfrom the golden ones in front of her. She hesitated an instant, then steppedstraightforward.

Thebladeyieldedbeforeher.CassiecouldfeelatinytrickleofwetnessonherthroatasitwithdrewandFayesteppedback.

Thenshelookeddown.Shewasinsidethecircle.

Diana took thedagger fromFayeandwent to thebreak in thecirclebehindCassie. Drawing the knife through the sand, she bridged the gap,making thecircle complete.Cassie had anodd sensationof closure, of something sealing.As if adoorhadbeen lockedbehindher.Andas ifwhatwas inside thecirclewasdifferentfromanythingoutside.

"Cometothecenter,"Dianasaid.

Cassietriedtowalktallasshedid.Diana'sshift,shecouldseenow,wasslitall theway up to the hip on one side. Therewas something onDiana's long,

well-made upper leg. A garter? That was what it looked like. Like theornamentalbandsof laceandribbon thatabridewears to throwatawedding.Except that thiswasmade of something like green suede and linedwith bluesilk.Ithadasilverbuckle.

"Turnaround,"Dianaordered.

Cassiehopedthecordbindingherwristswasgoingtobecut.Butinsteadshefelthandsonhershoulders,spinningherfasterandfaster.Shewasbeingwhirledaroundandpushedfromsidetoside,frompersontoperson.Foraninstantpanicsurged throughher again.Shewasdizzy,disoriented.Withherhands tied shecouldn'tcatchherselfifshefell.Andthatknifewassomewhere…

Justgowithit.Relax,shetoldherself.Andmagically,herfeardissolved.Sheletherselfbebouncedfromonepersontoanother.Ifshefell,shefell.

Handssteadiedher,stoodherfacingDianaagain.Shewasslightlybreathlessandtheworldwasreeling,butshetriedtodrawherselfupstraight.

"You've been challenged and you've passed the tests,"Diana informed her,andnow therewas a little smile inDiana's green eyes, althoughher lipsweregrave."Nowareyouwillingtoswear?"

Swearwhat?ButCassienodded.

"WillyousweartobeloyaltotheCircle?Nevertoharmanyonewhostandsinside it?Willyouprotect anddefend thosewhodo,even if it costsyouyourlife?"

Cassieswallowed.Then,tryingtokeephervoicelevel,shesaid,"Yes."

"Willyouswearnevertorevealthesecretsyouwilllearn,excepttoaproperperson,withinaproperlypreparedCircleliketheonewestandinnow?Willyouswear to keep these secrets from all outsiders, friends and enemies, even if itcostsyouyourlife?"

"Yes,"Cassiewhispered.

"Bytheocean,bythemoon,byyourownblood,willyousoswear?"

"Yes."

"Say,'Iwillsoswear.'"

"Iwillsoswear."

"She has been challenged and tested, and she has been sworn,"Diana said,steppingbackandspeakingtotheothers."Andnow,sinceallofusintheCircleagree,IcallonthePowerstolookather."

Diana raised thedaggeraboveherhead,pointing thebladeat thesky.Thenshepointed it to theeast, toward theocean, then to thesouth, then toward thewesterncliff,thentowardthenorth.Finally,shepointeditatCassie.ThewordsshespokeasshedidsentshockwavesrunningdownCassie'sspine:

Earthandwater,fireandair,

Seeyourdaughterstandingthere.

Bydarkofmoonandlightofsun,

AsIwill,letitbedone.

Bychallenge,trial,andsacredvow,

LetherjointheCirclenow.

Fleshandsinew,bloodandbone,

Cassienowbecomes—

"Butwedon'tallagree,"anangryvoicebrokein."Istilldon'tthinkshe'soneofus.Idon'tthinksheevercanbe."

TwelveDianaturnedsharplytofaceDeborah."Youcan'tinterrupttheritual!"

"Thereshouldn'tbearitual,"Deborahblazedback,herfacedarkandintense.

"Youagreedinthemeeting—"

"Iagreedwehadtodowhatever it tooktomakeusstrong.But—"Deborahstoppedandscowled.

"Butsomeofusmaynothavebelievedshe'dpassthetests,"Fayeinterpreted,smiling.

Diana's facewas pale and angry. The diadem shewore seemed to give heraddedstature,sothatshelookedtallereventhanFaye.Moonlightshimmeredinherhairasithadoffthebladeoftheknife.

"Butshedidpassthetests,"shesaidcoldly.

"Andnowyou've interrupteda ritual—broken it—while IwascallingdownthePowers.Ihopeyouhaveabetterreasonthanthat."

"I'llgiveyouareason,"Deborahsaid."She'snotreallyoneofus.Hermothermarriedanoutsider."

"Thenwhatdoyouwant?"Dianasaid."DoyouwantusnevertohavearealCircle?Youknowweneedtwelvetogetanythingdone.Whatarewesupposedtodo,waituntilyourparents—ortheHendersons—haveanotherbaby?Noneoftherestofusevenhasbothparentsalive.No."Dianaturnedtofacetheothersinthegroup,whowerestandingaroundthe insideperimeterof thecircle."We'rethelast,"shetoldthem."ThelastgenerationintheNewWorld.Andifwecan'tcompleteourCircle,thenitallendshere.Withus."

Melanie spoke up. She was wearing ordinary clothes under a pale greenfringedshawlthat lookedbothtatteredandfragile,as if itwereveryold."Ourparentsandgrandparentswouldlikethat,"shesaid."Theywantustoleaveitallinthepast,thewaytheydidandtheirparentsdid.Theydon'twantusdigginguptheoldtraditionsandwakingtheOldPowers."

"They'rescared,"Deborahsaidscornfully.

"They'llbehappyifwecan'tcompletetheCircle,"Melaniesaid."Butisthatwhatwewant?"ShelookedatFaye.

Fayemurmuredcoolly,"Individualscandoquitealotontheirown."

"Oh,comeon,"Laurelputin."NotlikearealCircle.Notunless,"sheadded,"somebodywas planning to get hold of theMasterTools and use them all byherself."

Fayegaveheraslow,dazzlingsmile."I'mnottheonesearchingforthelosttools,"shesaid.

"Thisisalloffthepoint,"saidDianasharply."Thequestionis,dowewantacompleteCircleordon'twe?"

"We do," one of the Henderson brothers said. No, Chris, Cassie correctedherself.Suddenlyshecouldtellthemapart.Boththebrotherslookedwhiteandstrainedinthemoonlight,butChris'seyeswerelesssavage."We'regoingtodowhateverittakestofindoutwhokilledKori,"Chrisfinished.

"Andthentakecareofthem,"Dougputin.Hemadeagestureofstabbing.

"ThenweneedafullCircle,"saidMelanie."Atwelfthpersonandaseventhgirl.Cassieisboth."

"Andshe'spassedthetests,"Dianarepeated."Hermotherwasoneofus.Shewentaway,yes,butnowshe'scomeback.Andshebroughtherdaughter tousjustwhenweneedher.Justexactlywhenweneedher."

StubbornnessstilllingeredinDeborah'seyes."WhosaysshecanevenusethePowers?"shedemanded.

"Ido,"Dianarepliedsteadily."Icansenseitinher."

"AndsodoI,"Fayesaidunexpectedly.Deborahturnedtostareather,andshesmiledingenuously.

"I'dsayshecancallonEarthandFire,atleast,"Fayecontinued,maddeninglybland."Shemightevenprovetohavequiteatalent."

Andwhy,Cassiewondereddazedly,did thatmakehairson thebackofherneckstandup?

Diana'sbrowsweredrawntogetherasshegaveFayealong,searchinglook.ButthensheturnedtoDeborah.

"Doesthatsatisfyyourobjection?"

Therewasabeat.ThenDeborahnodded,sullenly,andsteppedback.

"Then," said Diana, with a quiet politeness that seemed to overlay an icyanger,"canwepleasegetonwithit?"

Everyonestoodawayasshereturnedtoherposition.Onceagainsheliftedthedagger to the sky, then to the cardinal points of the compass, then to Cassie.OnceagainshespokethewordsthathadsentchillsdownCassie'sspine,butthistimeshefinishedthemuninterrupted.

Earthandwater,fireandair,

Seeyourdaughterstandingthere.

Bydarkofmoonandlightofsun,

AsIwill,letitbedone.

Bychallenge,trial,andsacredvow,

LetherjointheCirclenow.

Fleshandsinew,bloodandbone,

Cassienowbecomesourown.

"That'sit,"LaurelsaidsoftlyfrombehindCassie."You'rein."

In.I'min.Cassieknew,withafeelingofwildexhilaration,thatnothingwouldeverbethesameagain.

"Cassie."

Dianawasunclaspingthesilvernecklaceshewaswearing.Cassie'seyeswere

drawntothecrescentmoonpendantthathungfromit.Itwasliketheoneonthediadem,Cassierealized—andlikeDeborah'stattoo.

"This is a token,"Diana said, fastening the chain aroundCassie's neck, "ofyourmembershipintheCircle."

Then she hugged Cassie. It wasn't a spontaneous gesture; it had more thefeelingofaritual.

NextsheturnedCassiearoundtofacetheothersandsaid,"ThePowershaveacceptedher.I'veacceptedher.Noweachofyouhasto."

Laurelwasthefirsttostepup.Herfacewasserious,buttherewasagenuinewarmth and friendliness in the depths of her brown eyes. She huggedCassie,thenkissedherlightlyonthecheek."I'mgladyou'reoneofus,"shewhispered,and stepped back, her long, light-brown hair fluttering slightly in the breeze."Thanks,"Cassiewhispered.

Melaniewasnext.Her embracewasmore formal, andher cool, intellectualgrayeyes still intimidatedCassie.Butwhen she said, "Welcome to theClub,"shesoundedasifshemeantit.

Deborah,bycontrast,wasscowlingasshesteppedforward,andshehuggedCassieasifsheweretryingtocrackaribortwo.Shedidn'tsayanything.

Seanhurriedup,lookingeager.HishugwasalittletoolongandtoocloseforCassie'staste,andsheendeduphavingtoextricateherself.Hesaid,"Gladyou'rein,"withhiseyesfixedonhernightgowninawaythatmadeCassiewishitwereflannelinsteadoflightcotton.

"Icantell,"shesaidunderherbreathashesteppedback,andDiana,standingbesideher,hadtobiteherlip.

Under normal circumstances theHenderson brothersmight have been evenworse.But tonight theydidn't seemtocare if itwasagirlorablockofwoodtheywereembracing.Theyhuggedhermechanicallyandsteppedbacktowatchagainwiththeirangry,farawayeyes.

AndthenitwasNick'sturn.

Cassie felt something inside her tighten. It wasn't that she was attracted tohim, exactly, but… she couldn't help feeling a slight inner tremor when she

lookedupathim.Hewassohandsome,and thecoldness that surroundedhimlikeathinlayerofdarkiceseemedonlytoenhancehislooks.He'dstoodbackandobservedtheentireceremonytonightwithsuchdetachment,asifnoneofitaffectedhimonewayoranother.

Even his embrace was noncommittal. Sexless. As if he weremerely goingthrough themotions while thinking of something else. His arms were strong,though—well,ofcourse,thoughtCassie.Anyguywhohadan—arrangement—withFayewouldhavetobestrong.

Suzan smelled of perfume, andwhen she kissedCassie's cheek, Cassie feltsuresheleftasmudgeofcherry-coloredlipstick.Huggingherwaslikehuggingascentedpillow.

Finally,Fayecame.Herheavy-liddedeyesweregleamingenigmatically,asifshewereawareofCassie'sdiscomfitureandenjoyingit.

AllCassiewasawareofwasFaye'sheightandhowmuchsheherselfwantedto run. She had a panicked conviction that Faye was going to do somethingawful…

ButFayesimplymurmured,asshesteppedback,"Sothelittlewhitemouseistougher than she looks. I was betting you wouldn't even last through theceremony."

"I'mnotsureIdid,"Cassiemuttered.Shedesperatelywantedtositdownandgatherherthoughts.Somuchhadhappenedsofast…butshewasin.EvenFayehadacceptedher.Thatfactcouldnotbechanged.

"All right," Diana said quietly. "That's it for the initiation ritual. Normallyafterthiswe'dhaveapartyorsomething,but…"ShelookedatCassieandliftedherhands.Cassienodded.Tonight,apartycouldhardlybelessappropriate."SoI think we should formally dispel the Circle, but go on and have a regularmeeting.ThatwaywecangetCassiecaughtuponwhatsheneedstoknow."

There were nods around the circle and a collective breath released. Dianapickedupahandfulofsandandpoureditoverthelinedrawnonthebeach.Theothersfollowedsuit,eachpouringahandfulandsmoothingitdownsothatthecircle'soutlinewasblurred,erased.Thentheydistributedthemselvesamongthestill-lightedcandles,somesittingonthesand,othersonout-thrustsofrock.Nickremainedstanding,acigaretteinhismouth.

Diana waited until everyone was quiet, looking at her, then she turned toCassie.Her facewasgraveandhergreeneyeswereearnest. "Now thatyou'reoneofus,"shesaidsimply,"Ithinkit'stimetotellyouwhatweare."

Cassie's breath caught. So many bizarre things had happened to her sinceshe'dcometoNewSalem,andnowshewasabouttoheartheexplanation.Butstrangely, shewasn't sure sheneeded tobe told.Ever since they'dbroughtherhere tonight, all sorts of thingshadbeen arranging themselves inhermind.Ahundred little oddities that she'd noticed about New Salem, a hundred littlemysteriesthatshe'dbeenunabletosolve.Somehow,herbrainhadbegunputtingthemtogether,andnow…

She looked at the faces around her, lit by moonlight and flickeringcandlelight.

"I think," she said slowly, "that I alreadyknow."Honesty compelled her toadd,"Someofit,atleast."

"Oh,yes?"Fayeraisedhereyebrows."Whydon'tyoutellus,then?"

CassielookedatDiana,whonodded."Well,foronething,"shesaidslowly,"Iknowyou'renottheMickeyMouseClub."

Chuckles. "You'd better believe it," Deborah muttered. "We're not the GirlScouts,either."

"Iknow…"Cassiepaused."Iknowthatyoucanlightfireswithoutmatches.Andthatyoudon'tusefeverfewjustinsalads."

Fayeexaminedhernails,lookinginnocent,andLaurelsmiledruefully.

"Iknowthatyoucanmakethingsmovewhenthey'renotalive."

This time it was Faye who smiled. Deborah and Suzan exchanged smugglances,andSuzanmurmured,"Sssssss…"

"Iknoweverybody'safraidofyouatschool,eventheadults.They'reafraidofanyonewholivesonCrowhavenRoad."

"They'regoingtobemoreafraid,"saidDougHenderson.

"Iknowyouuserocksforspotremover—"

"Crystals,"murmuredDiana.

"—and there's somethingmore than tea leaves in your tea.And I know"—Cassieswallowedandthenwenton,deliberately—"thatyoucanpushsomebodywithouttouchingthem,andmakethemfall."

Therewasasilenceatthis.SeveralpeoplelookedatFaye.Fayetiltedherchinbackandlookedattheoceanwithnarrowedeyes.

"You're right," Diana said. "You've learned a lot from just watching—andwe'vebeenalittlelaxwithsecurity.ButIthinkyoushouldheartheentirestoryfromthebeginning."

"I'lltellit,"saidFaye.AndwhenDianalookedatherdoubtfully,sheadded,"Whynot?Ilikeagoodstory.AndIcertainlyknowthisone."

"Allright,"saidDiana."Butcouldyoupleasetrytosticktothepoint?Iknowyourstories,Faye."

"Certainly," Faye said blandly. "Now, letme see,where shall I start?" Sheconsideredamoment,headtilted,andthensmiled."Onceuponatime,"shesaid,"therewasaquaintlittlevillagecalledSalem.AnditwasjustfilledwithquaintlittlePuritans—all-American,hardworking,honest,brave,andtrue—"

"Faye—"

"Just like some people here we all know," Faye said, undisturbed by theinterruption. She stood, switching her glorious blackmane behind her, clearlyenjoying being the center of attention. The ocean, with its endlessly breakingwaves, formed a perfect background as she began to pace back and forth, herblacksilkblouseslidingdownjustfarenoughtoleaveoneshoulderbare.

"These Puritanswere filledwith pure little thoughts—most of them.A fewjustmay havebeenunhappywith theirboring littlePuritan lives, allwork,noplay,dressesuptohere"—sheindicatedherneck—"andsixhoursofchurchonSundays…"

"Faye,"saidDiana.

Faye ignored her. "And theneighbors," she said. "All those neighborswhowatched you, gossiped about you, monitored you to make sure you weren'twearinganextrabuttononyourdressorsmilingonyourwaytomeeting.Youhadtobemeekinthosedays,andkeepyoureyesdown,anddoasyouweretold

withoutaskingquestions.Ifyouwereagirl,anyway.Youweren'tevenallowedtoplaywithdollsbecausetheywerethingsofthedevil."

Cassie,fascinateddespiteherself,watchedFayepacingandthoughtagainofjungle cats. Caged ones. If Faye had lived in those days, Cassie thought, shewouldhavebeenquiteahandful.

"Andmaybesomeof thoseyounggirlsweren't sohappy,"Fayesaid. "Whoknows?Butanyway,onewinterafewofthemgottogethertotellfortunes.Theyshouldn'thave,ofcourse. Itwaswicked.But theydid itanyway.Oneof themhadaslavewhocamefromtheWest Indiesandknewabout fortune-telling. Ithelped to while away those long, dull winter nights." She glanced sidewaysunder black lashes toward Nick, as if to say that she could have suggested abetterwayherself.

"But it preyed on their poor little Puritan minds," Faye went on, lookingsorrowful."Theyfeltguilty.Andeventuallyoneofthemhadanervouscollapse.Shegotsick,delirious,andsheconfessed.Thenthesecretwasout.Andalltheotheryounggirlswereonthehotseat.Itwasn'tgoodinthosedaystogetcaughtfoolingaroundwith thesupernatural.Thegrown-upsdidn't like it.So thepoorlittlePuritangirlshadtopointthefingeratsomebodyelse."

Fayeheldupherownlong,tapering,scarlet-tippedfinger,trailingitacrosstheseatedgrouplikeagun.ShestoppedinfrontofCassie.

Cassielookedatit,thenupintoFaye'seyes.

"Andtheydid,"Fayesaidpleasantly.Shewithdrewthefingerasifsheathinga sword, andwent on. "They pointed at theWest Indian slave, and then at acoupleofotheroldwomentheydidn'tlike.Womenwithabadreputationaroundthevillage.Andwhentheypointed,theysaid…"Shepausedfordramaticeffect,andtippedherfaceuptothecrescentmoonhanginginthesky.ThenshelookedbackatCassie."Theysaid…witch."

Aripplewentthroughthegroup,ofagitation,bitteramusement,exasperation.Heads were shaking in disgust. Cassie felt the hairs at the back of her necktingle.

"Anddoyouknowwhat?"Faye lookedoverheraudience,holding themallspellbound. Then she smiled, slowly, and whispered, "It worked. Nobodyblamed them for their little fortune-telling games. Everyone was too busy

huntingout thewitches in theirmidst.Theonlyproblem,"Fayecontinued,herblackeyebrowsnowraisedinscorn,"wasthatthosePuritanscouldn'trecognizeawitchiftheyfelloverone.Theylookedforwomenwhowereoffbeat,ortooindependent, or… rich. Convictedwitches forfeited their worldly goods, so itcouldbe quite aprofitable business to accuse them.But all thewhile the realwitcheswererightthereundertheirnoses.

"Because,yousee,"Fayesaidsoftly,"therereallywerewitchesatSalem.Notthepoorwomen—andmen—theyaccused.Theydidn'tevengetone right.Butthewitcheswerethere,andtheydidn'tlikewhatwashappening.Ithitalittletooclosetohome.Afewofthemeventriedtostopthewitchtrials—butthatonlytendedtoarousesuspicion.Itwastoodangerouseventobeafriendofoneoftheprisoners."

Shestopped,andtherewasasilence.ThefacessurroundingCassienowwerenotamused,butcoldandangry.Asifthisstorywassomethingthatresonatedintheirbones;notacobwebbytalefromthedeadpast,butalivingwarning.

"Whathappened?"Cassieaskedatlast,herownvoicesubdued.

"Totheaccusedwitches?Theydied.Theunluckyones,atleast,theoneswhowouldn'tconfess.Nineteenwerehangedbeforethegovernorputastoptoit.Thelastpublicexecutions tookplaceexactly threehundredyearsago…September22,thefallequinox,1692.No,thepooraccusedwitchesdidn'thavemuchluck.Buttherealwitches…well…"Fayesmiled.

"The realwitches got away.Discreetly, of course.After the fusswas over.Theyquietlypackedupandmovednorthtostarttheirownlittlevillage,whereno one would point fingers because everyone would be the same. And theycalledtheirlittlevillage…"ShelookedatCassie.

"NewSalem,"Cassiesaid.Inhermind,shewasseeingthecrestonthehighschoolbuilding."Incorporated1693,"sheaddedsoftly.

"Yes.Justoneyearafterthetrialsended.Soyousee,that'showourlittletownwas founded.With just the twelvemembers of that coven, and their families.We"—Faye gestured gracefully around the group—"are what's left of thedescendantsofthosetwelvefamilies.Theironlydescendants.Whiletherestoftheriffraffyouseearoundtheschoolandthetown—"

"LikeSallyWaltman,"Deborahputin.

"—arethedescendantsof theservants.Thehelp,"Fayesaidsweetly."Orofoutsiderswhodriftedinandwereallowedtosettlehere.ButthosetwelvehousesonCrowhavenRoadarethehousesoftheoriginalfamilies.Ourfamilies.Theyintermarriedandkepttheirbloodpure—mostofthem,anyway.Andeventuallytheyproducedus."

"You have to understand,"Diana said quietly fromCassie's side. "Some ofwhat Faye has told you is speculation.We don't really knowwhat caused thewitch hunts in 1692.Butwedo knowwhat happenedwith our own ancestorsbecausewehavetheirjournals,theiroldrecords,theirspellbooks.TheirBooksof Shadows." She turned and picked something up off the sand, and CassierecognizedthebookthathadbeenonthewindowseatthedayDianacleanedhersweater.

"This,"Dianasaid,holdingitup,"wasmygreat-great-grandmother's.Shegotitfromhermother,whogotitfromhermother,andsoon.Eachofthemwroteinit; they recorded the spells they did, the rituals, the important events in theirlives.Eachofthempasseditontothenextgeneration."

"Untilourgreat-grandmothers'time,anyway,"saidDeborah."Maybeeighty,ninetyyearsago.Theydecidedthewholethingwastooscary."

"Toowicked,"Fayeputin,hergoldeneyesgleaming.

"Theyhidthebooksandtriedtoforgettheoldknowledge,"saidDiana."Theytaughttheirkidsitwaswrongtobedifferent.Theytriedtobenormal,tobeliketheoutsiders."

"They were wrong," Chris said. He leaned forward, his jaw set, his faceetchedwithpain."Wecan'tbelikethem.Koriknewthat.She—"Hebrokeoffandshookhishead.

"It'sokay,Chris,"Laurelsaidsoftly."Weknow."

Seanspokeupeagerly,histhinchestpuffingout."Theyhidtheoldstuff,butwefoundit,"hesaid."Wewouldn'ttakenoforananswer."

"No, we wouldn't," said Melanie, casting an amused glance at him. "Ofcourse, some of us were busy playing Batman while the older ones wererediscoveringourheritage."

"Andsomeofushadalittlemorenaturaltalentthanothers,"Fayeadded.She

spreadoutherfingers,admiringthelongrednails."Alittlemorenatural—flair—forcallingonthePowers."

"That's right," said Laurel. She raised her eyebrows and then lookedsignificantlyatDiana."Someofusdo."

"Weallhavetalent,"Dianasaid."Westarteddiscoveringthatwhenwewerereallyyoung—babies,practically.Evenourparentscouldn'tignoreit.Theydidtrytokeepusfromusingitforawhile,butmostofthemhavegivenup."

"Someofthemevenhelpus,"Laurelsaid."Likemygrandmother.Butwestillgetmostofwhatweneed from theoldbooks."Cassie thought aboutherowngrandmother.HadshebeentryingtohelpCassie?Cassiefeltsureshehad.

"Orfromourownheads,"saidDoug.Hegrinnedawildandhandsomegrinand for an instant looked again like the boy who'd gone racing through thehallwaysonrollerblades."It'sinstinct,youknow?Pureinstinct.Primal."

"Our parents hate it," said Suzan. "My father says we'll onlymake troublewiththeoutsiders.Hesaystheoutsiderswillgetus."

Doug'steethshowedwhiteinthemoonlight."We'llgetthem,"hesaid.

"They don't understand," Diana said softly. "Even among ourselves noteverybodyrealizesthatthePowerscanbeusedforgood.Butwe'retheoneswhocancallonthePowers,andweknow.That'swhat'simportant."

Laurelnodded."Mygrandmothersaystherewillalwaysbeoutsiderswhohateus.There'snothingwecandobuttryandkeepawayfromthem."

Cassiethoughtsuddenlyoftheprincipalholdingthehangeddollbythebackofitsdress.Howapt,he'dsaid.Well,nowonder…ifhethoughtshewasoneofthemalready.Thenherminddrewupshort."Doyoumean,"shesaid,"thatevenadultsknowwhatyou—whatweare?Outsideradults?"

"Only the ones around here," Diana said. "The ones who grew up on theisland.They'veknownforcenturies—butthey'vealwayskeptquiet.Iftheywanttolivehere,theyhaveto.That'sjustthewayitis."

"For the last few generations, relations have been very good between ourpeople and the outsiders," Melanie said. "That's what our grandparents say,anyhow. But now we've stirred things up. The outsiders may not keep quiet

forever.Theymighttrytodosomethingtostopus—"

"Might?Theyalreadyhave,"Deborahsaid."WhatdoyouthinkhappenedtoKori?"

InstantlyvoicesroseinababbleastheHendersonbrothers,Sean,Suzan,andDeborahburstintoargument.Dianaraisedherhand.

"That'senough!Thisisn'tthetime,"shesaid."WhathappenedtoKoriisoneofthethingsourCircleisgoingtofindout.Nowthatwe'recomplete,weshouldbeabletodoit.Butnottonight.AndaslongasI'mleader—"

"Temporaryleader.UntilNovember,"Fayeputinsharply.

"AslongasI'mtemporaryleader,we'lldothingswhenIsayandnotjumptoany conclusions. All right?" Diana looked around at them. Some faces wereshuttered,expressionless;others,likeDeborah's,openlyhostile.Butmostofthemembersnoddedorgavesomesignofacquiescence.

"Allright.AndtonightisforinitiatingCassie."ShelookedatCassie."Doyouhaveanyquestions?"

"Well…"Cassiehadthenaggingfeelingthattherewassomethingsheshouldbeasking,somethingimportant,butshecouldn'tthinkofwhat."TheguysintheCircle—what do you call them? I mean, are they wizards or warlocks orsomething?"

"No," saidDiana. "'Wizard' isanold-fashionedword—itmeansawisemanwhousuallyworkedalone.And 'warlock' comes fromawordmeaning traitor,deceiver.'Witch'isthepropertermforallofus,evenguys.Anythingelse?"

Cassieshookherhead.

"Well, then,"Fayesaid."Nowthatyou'veheardourstory,wehavejustonequestion to ask you." She fixed Cassie with an odd half smile and said in asweet,falsevoice,"Areyouplanningtobeagoodwitchorabadwitch?"

ThirteenVery funny,Cassie thought.Butactually itwasn't funnyatall.Sheguessed

thattherewasadeadlyserioussidetoFaye'squestion.Somehowshedidn'tseeFaye wanting to use the Powers—whatever those were—for good. And shedidn'tseeDianawantingtousethemforanythingelse.

"Does anybody have anything more to say? Questions, comments, clubbusiness?"Dianawaslookingaroundthegroup."ThenI'mdeclaringthemeetingover.Youcanallgoorstayasyoulike.We'llhaveanothermeetingtomorrowafternoontohonorKoriandtalkaboutaplanofaction."

Therewas amurmur of voices as people turned to one another andgot up.The electric tension that had held the group together had dissipated, but therewasanunfinishedfeelingintheair,asifnobodyreallywantedtoleaveyet.

Suzanwentoverbehinda rockandpulledout severalwet six-packsofdietsoftdrinks.Laurelpromptlywentbehindanotherrockandreturnedwithalargethermos.

"It's rose-hip tea," she said, pouring a cup of fragrant, dark red liquid andsmilingatCassie."Notealeavesatall,butit'llwarmyouupandmakeyoufeelbetter.Rosesaresoothingandpurifying."

"Thanks," said Cassie, taking it gratefully. Her head was spinning.Informationoverload,shethought.

I'mawitch,shethoughtthen,wonderingly.Halfawitch,anyway.AndMomand Grandma—they're both hereditary witches. It was a bizarre and almostimpossiblenotiontoswallow.

Shetookanothergulpofthehot,sweetdrink,shiveringinspiteofherself.

"Here,"Melanie said. She removed the pale green shawl and put it aroundCassie'sshoulders."We'reusedtothecold;you'renot.Ifyouwant,wecanmakeafire."

"No, I'm finewith the shawl,"Cassie said, tucking her bare feet under her."It'sbeautiful—isitveryold?"

"Itwasmygreat-grandmother's great-grandmother's—if you canbelieve theoldstories."

Melanie said. "We usually get more dressed up for Circles—we can wearanythingwefeellike,andsometimesitgetsoutrageous.Buttonight…"

"Yes."Cassienoddedinunderstanding.Melaniewasbeingnicer thanusual,she thought.More likeLaurel orDiana. It puzzledCassie for amoment—andthenshegotit.

I'm one of them, she thought, and for the first time the full import of thisstruckher.Notapuppyoffthestreetanymore.I'mafullmemberoftheClub.

Shefelt thebubblesofexcitement,ofexhilaration inherbloodstreamagain.Andtherewasadeeperfeeling,too,ofrecognition.Asifsomethingathercorewasnodding,sayingYes,Iknewallalong.

CassielookedatMelaniequietlysippinghertea,andatLaurelstraighteningapinkcandlethatwasslumpingover.ThenshelookedatDiana,standingalittledistanceupthebeachwiththeHendersonbrothers,thethreeblondheadsclosetogether. Diana seemed to feel no self-consciousness about wearing the thinwhiteshiftandthefancyjewelry.Itseemedanaturalcostumeforher.

Mypeople,Cassiethought.Thesuddensenseofbelonging—ofloving—wassointensethattearscametohereyes.Thenshelookedat

DeborahandSuzan,deepinconversation,andatFaye,whowaslisteningwitha bland smile to something Seanwas excitedly saying, and atNick,whowasstaringsilentlyoutattheocean,acanofsomethingthatwasn'tsodainhishand.

Eventhem,shethought.Shewaswillingtotryandgetalongwithalltheothermembers, with everyonewho shared her blood. Even the oneswho'd tried tokeepherout.

She lookedback atLaurel, to find the slim, brown-hairedgirlwatchingherwiththehintofasympatheticsmile.

"Alottodealwithatonce,"Laurelsaidknowingly.

"Yes.Butit'sexciting,too."

Laurelsmiled."Sonowthatyou'reawitch,"shesaid,"what's thefirst thingyou'regoingtodo?"

Cassie laughed, feeling something almost like intoxication. Power, shethought.There'ssomuchPoweroutthere—andnowIcantakeit.Sheshookherheadandliftedthehandthatwasn'tholdingrose-hiptea."Whatcanwedo?"shesaid."Imean,whatsortsofthings?"

Laurel and Melanie exchanged glances. "Basically, you name it," Melaniesaid. She picked up the book thatDiana had shownCassie earlier and riffledthrough it, showing Cassie the pages. They were yellowing and brittle andcoveredwithcramped,illegiblewriting.TheywerealsocoveredwithpinkPost-itnotesandplastictapeflags.Almosteverypagehadoneandsomehadseveral.

"ThisisthefirstBookofShadowswegotholdof,"saidMelanie."Wefoundit inDiana'sattic.Since thenwe've foundothers—every family issupposed tohaveone.We'vebeenworkingonthisoneformaybefiveyears,decipheringthespells and copying them out in modern language. I'm even putting it on mycomputerforeasiercross-reference."

"SortofaFloppyDiskofShadows,"Cassiesaid.

Laurelgrinned."Right.Andit'sfunny,youknow,butonceyoustartlearningspells and rituals, it seems to wake up something inside you—and you startcomingupwithyourown."

"Instinct,"Cassiemurmured.

"Right,"saidLaurel."Weallhaveit,somemorethanothers.Andsomeofusare better than others at certain things, like calling on the different Powers. IworkbestwithEarth."Laureltookahandfulofsandandletittricklethroughherfingers.

"ThreeguessesastowhatFayeworksbestwith,"Melaniesaiddryly.

"Butanyway,toansweryourquestion,there'slotswecando,"Laurelsaid."Italldependsonyourtaste.Spellsofprotection,ofdefense—"

"Orattack,"putinMelanie,withaglancetowardDeborahandSuzan.

"—spells for little things, like lighting fires, and for big ones, like—well,you'll find out. Charms for healing, and for finding things out—scrying anddivining.Lovepotions…"ShesmiledasCassielookedupquickly."Thatinterestyou?"

"Oh,a little,maybe."Cassieblushed.God,shewishedshecould justgatherher thoughts properly. She still had that nagging feeling that there wassomething shewasmissing, something obvious that shewas overlooking andshouldbeaskingabout.Butwhat?

"There'sacertainamountofdebateover theethicsof lovepotionsand lovespells,"Melaniewassaying,hergrayeyesnotentirelyapproving."Somepeoplefeelitviolatesaperson'sfreewill,youknow.Andaspellmisusedcanreboundonthepersonwhocastsit—threefold.Somepeopledon'tfeelit'sworththerisk."

"And other people," Laurel saidmock solemnly, her brown eyes sparkling,"saythatall'sfairinloveandwar.IfyouknowwhatImean."

Cassiebitherlip.Nomatterhowhardshetriedtoconcentrateonthatnaggingworry,anotherthoughtwaspushingitoutofhermind.

Or,notathoughtsomuchasahope,thesuddenglimpseofapossibility.

Lovepotions.Andfindingthingsout.Somethingtofindhimandbringhimtoher.Wastheresuchaspell?Sheseemedtofeelinherbonesthattherewas.

To findhim… the boywith the blue-gray eyes.Warmth pooled inCassie'sstomachandherpalmstingled.Theverypossibilityseemedtoliftheronwings.Oh,please,ifshecouldonlyaskonething…

"Supposing,"shesaid,andwasrelievedtohearhervoicesoundnormal,"youwanted to, say, find somebody you'dmet and lost track of. Somebody you—liked,andwantedtoseeagain.Wouldtherebeanykindofaspellforthat?"

Laurel's brown eyes sparkled again. "Now, is this a boy-type person we'resupposingabouthere?"shesaid.

"Yes."Cassieknewshewasblushingagain.

"Well—"LaurelglancedatMelanie,whowasshakingherheadinaresignedway, then turned back to Cassie. "I'd say something like a simple tree spell.Trees are attuned to things like love and friendship, anything that grows andbringslife.Andfallisagoodtimetousethingsyouharvest,likeapples.SoI'ddo an apple spell. In one, you take an apple and split it. Then you take twoneedles—ordinarysewingneedles—andputonethroughtheeyeoftheotherandbindthemtogetherwiththread.Thenput theminsidetheappleandcloseitupagain.Tieitsoitstaysclosed.Thentieitbackonthetreeandsaysomewordsto

tellthetreewhatyouwant."

"Whatkindofwords?"

"Oh,apoemorsomething,"Laurelsaid."Somethingtoinvokethepowerofthetreeandhelpyouvisualizewhatyou'reaskingfor.It'sbesttomakeitrhyme.I'mnotgoodatmakingup thatkindof thing,but, like: 'Friendly tree, friendlytree,bringmyspecialfriendtome.'"

No.Notquite,Cassiethought,athrillgoingthroughher.Laurel'swordswerechanginginhermind,transforming,expanding.Sheseemedtohearavoice,bellclearandyetremote.

Budandblossom,leafandtree,

Findhim,bindhim,nowtome.

Shootandseedling,rootandbough,

Threadsofloveentwineusnow.

Her lipsmovedsoundlesslywith thewords.Yes, sheknewsomehow in theverycoreofher that thatwas right.Thatwas thespell…butwouldshe reallydaretouseit?

Yes.Forhim,I'driskanything,shethought.Shestareddownatherfingersastheyabsentlycombedthroughthesand.Tomorrow,shedecided.TomorrowI'lldo it. And then afterward I'll spend everyminute of every day watching andhoping.WaitingforthetimewhenIseeashadowandlookupandit'shim,orwhenIhearfootstepsandturnandseehimcoming.Orwhen—

What happened next was so startling and unexpected that Cassie almostscreamed.

Awetnosethrustunderherhand.

Whatstoppedherfromscreamingwassomethinglikeheartfailure;theshriekgottoherthroat,andthensheactuallysawthedogandeverythingwentfuzzy.Her recoiling hand fell limply back. Her lips opened and closed silently.Through a blur and amist she stared at the liquid brown eyes and the short,

silky-bristlyhairs on themuzzle.Thedog staredback at her,mouthopen andlaughing,asiftosay,"Aren'tyouhappytoseeme?"

ThenCassieraisedhereyestolookatthedog'smaster.

Hewas lookingdownather, ashehad thatdayon thebeach inCapeCod.Themoonlighttangledinhisredhair,turningsomestrandstoflamewhileothersweredarkaswine.Hisblue-grayeyeslookedsilver.

He'dfoundher.

Everythingwasmotionless.Theocean'sroarseemedhushedanddistant,andCassiewasawareofnoothersound.Eventhebreezehaddied.Itwasasiftheentireworldwaswaiting.

Slowly,Cassiegottoherfeet.

Thegreenshawlfellbehindher,discarded.Shecouldfeelthecold,butonlybecause itmade her aware of her own body, of every part of it, tingling likeelectricity.Yetstrangely,althoughshewaskeenlyawareofherbody,shealsoseemedtobefloatingaboveit.Justlikethefirsttime,sheseemedtoseeherself—andhim—standingthereonthebeach.

Shecouldseeherselfinherthinwhitenightgownandbarefeet,herhairlooseon her shoulders, looking up at him. Like Clara in theNutcracker ballet, shethought, when she wakes up in the middle of the night and looks at theNutcrackerPrincewho'scometotakeherawayintoaworldofmagic.ShefeltlikeClara.Asifthemoonlighthadtransformedherintosomethingdelicateandbeautiful, somethingenchanted.As if hemight takeher inhis arms right thenanddancewithher.Asifinthemoonlighttheycoulddanceforever.

Theyweregazingateachother.Fromthemomenttheireyeshadmet,neitherofthemhadlookedaway.Shecouldseethewonderinhisface.Asifhewereassurprisedtoseeherasshewastoseehim—buthowcouldhebe?Hehadfoundher;hemusthavebeenlookingforher.

Thesilvercord,shethought.Shecouldn'tseeitnow,butshecouldfeelit,feelthevibrationsofitspower.Shecouldfeelitconnectingthem,hearttoheart.Thetremblingwentfromherchestintoherstomach,andthenallover.

Thecordwastightening,drawingthemtogether.Itwaspullingherclosertohim.Slowly,hishandcameupandhe reachedout toher.She raisedherown

hand,toputitinhis—

Andtherewasacryfrombehindher.Thetallboylookedoverhershoulder,distracted.Andthenhishandfellaway.

Something came between them, something bright. Bright like sunlight,shattering Cassie's trance. It was Diana, and she was embracing the tall red-haired boy. She was holding him. No—they were holding each other. Cassiestared,stunned,atthesightofhimwithhisarmsaroundsomeoneelse.Shewasbarelyabletocomprehendthewordssheheardnext.

"Oh,Adam—I'msogladyou'reback."

Cassiestoodlikeapillarofice.

Shehadn'tseenDianabreakdownbefore,butDianawasbreakingdownnow.Shewascrying.Cassiecouldseehershakingandcouldseehowthetallboy—howAdam—heldhertotryandstopit.

Heldher.HewasholdingDiana.AndhisnamewasAdam.

"Youmeanshehasn'ttoldyouaboutAdamyet?Diana,there'ssuchathingascarryingmodestytoofar…""Whoishe?Isheyourboyfriend?...""He'snice.Ithinkyoui'lllikehim…"

Cassie fell toherknees andburiedher face inRaj's fur, clinging to thebigdog.Shecouldn'tbearforanyonetoseeherfacerightnow,andshewasgratefulforRaj'swarmsolidityassheleanedagainsthim.Oh,God;oh,God…

Vaguely,shecouldhearAdam'svoice."What'swrong?ItriedtogetbackforKori'sinitiation,butwhereisshe?What'sgoingon?"HelookedatCassie."And—"

"HernameisCassieBlake,"Dianasaid."She'sMrs.Howard'sgranddaughter,andshe'sjustmovedhere."

"Yes,I—"

But Diana, her voice distracted by grief, was still speaking. "And we justinitiatedherinsteadofKori."

"What?"Adamdemanded."Why?"

Therewasasilence.Finally,itwasMelaniewhospokeup,hervoiceasquiet

anddetachedasanewscaster'smakinganannouncement."Becausethismorning—oryesterdaymorning, rather, since it's reallyWednesdaynow—Kori's bodywasfoundatthebottomoftheschoolhill.Herneckwasbroken."

"Oh,God."CassielookeduptoseeAdam'sgriponDianatighten.Heshuthiseyes briefly as she leaned against him, shaking again. Then he looked at theHendersonbrothers."Chris…Doug…"

Doug'steethwereclenched."Outsidersdidit,"hesaid.

"Sallydidit,"snarledDeborah.

"We don't know who did it," Diana said. She spoke with passionate force."Andwe'renotgoingtodoanythinguntilwefindout."

Adam nodded. "And you," he said, looking toward the back of the group."Whathaveyoubeendoingtohelpwhileallthiswasgoingon?"

"Not a damn thing,"Nick said.He had been standingwith his arms foldedover his chest, watching impassively. Now his defiant gaze met Adam's andlockedwithit.Itwascleartherewasnolovelostbetweenthetwo.

"He has been helping,Adam,"Diana said, forestallingwhateverAdamwasabout tosaynext."He'scome tomeetings,andhe'shere tonight.That'sallwecanask."

"It'snotallIcanask,"Adamsaid.

"Askaway.You'renotgoingtogetanythingmore."Nickturnedaround."I'moutofhere."

"Oh,don'tgo…"Laurelbegan,butNickwasalreadyleaving.

"I've been showing up becauseDiana asked, but I'm through now. I've hadenoughfortonight,"hesaidoverhisshoulder.Thenhewasgone.

FayeturnedtoAdamandsmiledherslowest,mostdazzlingsmile.Sheputherhandstogetherandclapped."Beautifuljob,Adam.HereDianahasspentthelastthreeweeksslaving tokeep the troops togetherandyouundo itall in the firstthreeminutes.Icouldn'thavedonebettermyself."

"Oh,getstuffed,Faye,"saidLaurel.

Cassie,meanwhile,wasstillkneeling.AlthoughshewasclingingtoRaj,she

couldsee,sense,thinkofonlyonething.Adam'sarm—hisarm—aroundDiana'sshoulders.

HisnameisAdam.Andhe'shers.Notmine;hers.Healwayshasbeen.

Itcouldn'tbe.Itwasnotpossible.Beyondallhope,shehadfoundhimagain;hehadcometoher.Withoutalovespell,asifdrawnbytheveryintensityofherneedforhim,hehadcome—andshecouldn'thavehim.

Howcouldshehavebeensostupid?Howcouldshenothaverealized?They'dall talked tonight about completing the Circle, about twelvemembers, alwaystwelve. But if she'd stopped to count, she'd have seen that there were onlyeleven.DianaandMelanieandLaurel,thatwasthree;andFayeandSuzanandDeborah,thatwassix.Plustheboys,theHendersonbrothersandNickandSean—thatwasten.AndCassiemadeeleven.Allalongsomethingatthebackofhermindhadknown that itdidn't addup,andhadbeen trying to tellher.But shehadn'tlistened.

AndhowcouldIhavenotknownanyway?shethought.HowcouldIhavenotrealizedtheboyI'dmethadtobeoneofthem?Theclueswereallhere,rightinfrontofme.HehasPowers—Isaw thaton thebeachwithPortia.Hereadmymind.He toldme hewas from somewhere else; he toldme hewas different.Portiaevensaidtheword.

Witch.

And tonight I found out that the Club is a coven of witches. The lastgenerationofwitchesintheNewWorld.Ishouldhaverealizedthenthathemustbeoneofthem.

IevenknewDianahadaboyfriend,aboyfriendwho'sbeenaway"visiting."Thepiecesofthepuzzlewereallthere.Ijustdidn'twanttoputittogether.

BecauseI'minlovewithhim.Ididn'tknowhowmuchuntilIsawhimagaintonight.Andhebelongstomybestfriend.My"sister."

Ihateher.

Thethoughtwasterrifyinginitsintensity,makingherfistsclenchinthebigdog's fur. Itwas a raw,primalwashof emotion, a feeling so strong that for amoment itevenwipedout thepain.Amurderoushatred, redasblood,rushingoutfromhertowardthegirlwiththehairlikemoonlight…

Likemoonlightandsunlightwoventogether.Staringatitnow,withthatacidviolencestillraginginsideher,anotherpictureflashedintoCassie'smind.ThatsameimpossiblyshininghairfallingacrosstheemergencybrakeinDiana'scar.AfterDianahadrescuedherfromFaye.

Whenshewastakingyouhometotakecareofyou,avoicewhispered.Andthen she cleanedyouupand fedyou, introducedyou toher friends.Protectedyou,gaveyouaplacetobelong.Madeyouhersister.

Nowwhatwasthatyouweresayingabouthatingher?

Cassiefelt themurderousredfuryslippingaway.Shecouldn'tholdonto it,andshedidn'twanttotry.Shecouldn'thateDiana…becauseshelovedDiana.AndshelovedAdam.Shelovedthembothandshewantedthemtobehappy.

Sowheredoesthatleaveyou?thevoiceinsideherasked.

Itwasallverysimple,really.Thetwoofthemweresoobviouslyperfectforeachother.Bothtall—Dianawasjusttherightheighttolookintohiseyes.Bothseniors—Dianawasmature enough for him, and how could Cassie ever haveimagined that an older guywould go for her? Both strikingly attractive, bothconfident,bothleaders.

Andbothfull-bloodedwitches,Cassieremindedherself.I'llbethe'sincrediblytalented—of course he's talented. Diana wouldn't have anything but the best.Becauseshe'sthebestherself.

Anddon'tforgetthey'rechildhoodsweethearts.They'vebeentogetherforever;theydon'tevenseeanybodyelse.Clearlytheyweremadeforeachother.

Soitwasallveryobviousandverysimple—exceptthenwhydidshefeelasiftherewere razor blades shredding her guts?All she had to dowaswish themhappiness and put aside any thoughts of Adam and her together. Just resignherselftowhatwasgoingtohappenanyway.Justwishthemluck.

That was when, clear and cold, the resolve came to her. No matter whathappens,shepromised,Dianawillneverknow.

Andneitherwillhe.

IfDianafoundouthowCassiefelt,itwouldupsether.Shewassounselfish,she might even feel she had to do something—like give Adam up so Cassie

wouldn'tbehurt.Andevenifshedidn't,shewouldfeelawful.

SoCassiewouldn'tletherknow.Itwasassimpleasthat.

Notbywordor lookordeed,shepromisedherself fiercely.Nomatterwhathappens,Iwon'tmakeDianaunhappy.Iswearit.

Awetnosewaspokingather,andsoftwhinessoundedinherears.Rajwascomplainingaboutthelackofattention.

"Cassie?"

And Diana was talking to her. Cassie realized what she must look like,clingingtothebigdoginadaze.

"What?"shesaid,tryingtokeepherlipsfromtrembling.

"Isaid,areyouallright?"

Dianawaslookingather,thosecleargreeneyesfullofconcern.Therewererecenttearsontheheavylashes.Lookingintothoseeyes,Cassiedidthebravestthingshehadeverdoneinherlife.BraverthanstandinguptoJordanBainbridgeandhisgun,farbraverthanthrowingherselfouttorescueSallyonthehill.

Shesmiled.

"I'mfine,"shesaid,givingRaja finalpatandgetting toher feet.Hervoicesounded like somebody else's, incredibly false and stupid. But Diana wasn'texpectinghertobefalse,andDianarelaxed."I'mjust—somuchhashappenedtonight,"Cassiewenton,"IguessI'malittleoverwhelmed."

Adamwasopeninghismouth.Hewasgoingtotelleveryone,Cassierealized.He was going to tell them how he and Cassie had met and everything thathappened. And then Faye, who wasn't stupid, was going to put two and twotogether.ShewasgoingtorealizehewastheboyinCassie'spoem.

Andthatcouldn'thappen.Shewouldn'tletit.Noonemusteverknow.

"Andyoudidn'tintroducemeyet,"sheblurtedoutdesperatelytoDiana."Youknow I've beenwanting tomeet your boyfriend ever since you toldme abouthim."

There. Itwas said.Your boyfriend.Adamwas looking puzzled, butDiana,innocentDiana,waslookingchagrined.

"I'm sorry; I didn't, did I?Cassie, this isAdam—I know you twowill likeeachother.He'sbeenaway—"

"Visiting,"CassieputinfeverishlyasAdamopenedhismouthagain.

"No, not visiting. I know I told you that before, but now I can tell you thetruth.He's been looking for certain—objects—that belonged to the old coven,the original one. From their records,we can tell that they had some powerfultools that somehowgot lost.TheMasterTools.Ever sinceAdamheard aboutthem,he'sbeensearchingforthem."

"And coming back empty-handed," Faye commented in her husky voice,amused."Idon'tsupposethistimeisanydifferent."

Adam's attentionwas distracted.He looked at the tall black-haired girl andsmiled.Itwasamischievoussmile,fullofthepromiseofsecrets.

"What?" said Faye cynically, and then, as he simply kept smiling at her,"What?Youdon'texpectustobelieve…"

"Adam,"Dianasaid,hervoicechanging,"areyousayingthat…?"

Adamjustgrinnedatthem,thenhejerkedhisheadtowardaduffelbaglyingalittlewaydownthebeach."Sean,gogetthat."

Seanscuttledtogetitandcamebacksaying,"It'sheavy."

"Adam…"whisperedDiana,hereyeswide.

Adam took theduffelbag fromSeanandput iton theground. "It's toobadNickwas insuchahurry togetaway,"hesaid."Ifhe'dstayed,hemighthaveseenthis."Hereachedinsidewithbothhandsandpulledoutaskull.

FourteenItwasthesizeandshapeofahumanskull,butitseemedtobemadeentirely

ofcrystal.Themoonlight reflected through it, inside it. It hadgrinningcrystalteeth,anditsholloweyesocketsseemedtobestaringdirectlyatCassie.

Therewasafrozeninstant,andthenFayegrabbedforit.

"Uh-uh,"Adamsaid,holdingitawayfromher."No."

"Wheredidyougetthat?"saidFaye.Hervoicewasnolongerlazy,butfullofbarelycontainedexcitement.

EventhroughhernumbnessCassiefeltatwingeofapprehensionathertone,and she saw the swift glanceAdamexchangedwithDiana.Thenhe turned toFaye."Onanisland."

"Whichisland?"

"Ididn'tknowyouweresointerested.Youneverseemedtobebefore."

Fayeglared."OnewayoranotherI'llfindout,Adam."

"There'snothingelsewhereI foundit.Believeme, thiswas theonlyoneoftheMasterToolshiddenthere."

Fayetookabreathandthenrelaxedandsmiled."Well,theleastyoucandoisgiveusallachancetolookatit."

"No,"saidDiana."Nobodyeventouchesityet.Wedon'tknowanythingaboutthis except that it was used by the old coven—by Black John himself. Thatmeansit'sdangerous."

"Do we know for sure this is the crystal skull Black John wrote about?"Melanieasked,hervoicequietandrational.

"Yes,"Adamsaid."Atleast,itfitsthedescriptionintheoldrecordsexactly.AndIfounditinaplacejustliketheplaceBlackJohndescribed.Ithinkit'stherealthing."

"Thenitneeds tobeclearedandpurifiedandstudiedbeforeanyofuswork

withit,"Dianasaid.SheturnedtoCassie."BlackJohnwasoneoftheleadersoftheoriginalcoven,"shesaid."HediednotlongafterNewSalemwasfounded,but before that he took the coven's most powerful tools and hid them. Forsafekeeping, he said—but really because he wanted them for himself. Forpersonalgainandrevenge,"shesaid,lookingatFayemeaningfully."Hewasanevil man, and anything he touched is going to be full of negative influences.We'renotgoingtouseituntilwe'resureit'ssafe."

IfBlackJohnhadhadanythingtodowiththisskull,hemusthavebeenbad,Cassie thought. In some way she couldn't explain, she could feel darknessemanatingfromit.Ifshehadn'tbeensoheartsickanddizzy,shewouldhavesaidso—butsurelyeveryoneelsecouldseeforthemselves.

"TheoldcovenneverfoundthelostMasterTools,"Laurelwassaying."Theysearched, becauseBlack John had left some clues aboutwhere hemight havehiddenthem,buttheydidn'thaveanyluck.Theymadenewtools,butnonewereeveraspowerfulastheoriginals."

"And nowwe've found one,"Adam said, with a flash of excitement in hisblue-grayeyes.

Dianalightlytouchedthebackofhishandasitheldtheskull.Shesmiledupat him, and the message between them was clearer than words: pride andtriumph shared. Thiswas their project, something they'd beenworking on foryears,andnowtheyhadsucceededatlast.

Cassieclenchedher teethagainst thepain inherbreastbone.Theydeserveachance to be alone and enjoy it, she thought.With brittle, forced cheerfulnessshesaid,"Youknow,I'mgettingtired.Ithinkmaybeit'stime…"

"Ofcourse,"Dianasaid,instantlyconcerned."Youmustbeexhausted.Weallare.Wecantalkmoreaboutthisatthemeetingtomorrow."

Cassienodded,andnobodyelsemadeanyobjections.NotevenFaye.ButasDianawas instructingMelanie andLaurel towalkCassie up the beach to herhouse, Cassie accidentally met Faye's gaze. There was an odd, calculatingexpressioninthosegoldeneyesthatwouldhavebotheredherifshehadn'tbeenbeyondcaringbynow.

Athome,everylightwasblazing,eventhoughthefirststreaksofdawnhadn'tyetappearedovertheocean.MelanieandLaurelwalkedCassieinside,andthey

found her mother and grandmother both sitting up in the parlor—a stiff old-fashioned room at the front of the house. The two women were wearingnightgownsandrobes.Cassie'smother'shairwasloosedownherback.

Cassiesawatoncebytheirfacesthattheyknew.

Is thiswhat Iwas brought here for? she thought.To join theCircle?Therewasnolongeranydoubtinhermindthatshe'dbeenbroughthere,deliberately,andforaveryspecificreason.

She got no answer from the voices inside her, not even from the deepestvoice.Andthatwasdisturbing.

But she didn't have time to worry about it. Not now. She looked at hermother'sface,drawnandanxious,butalsofullofakindofhalf-concealedprideandhope.Likeamotherwatchingherdaughterhigh-diveintheOlympics,andwaitingforthejudges'scores.Hergrandmotherlookedthesame.

Suddenly,despitetheachingpaininherchest,Cassiewasfilledwithasurgeof protective love for them. Both of them. She managed a smile as she andMelanieandLaurelstoodinthedoorway.

"So,Grandma,"shesaid,"doesourfamilyhaveaBookofShadows?"

Thetensionbrokeintolaughterasthetwowomenrose.

"NotthatIknowof,"hergrandmothersaid."Butanytimeyoulike,we'lltakeanotherlookthroughtheattic."

ThemeetingonWednesdayafternoonwastense.Everyonewasonedge.AndFayeclearlyhadahiddenagenda.

Allshewantedtotalkaboutwastheskull.Theyshoulduseit,shesaid,andimmediately.Allright,then,ifnotuseit,atleastcheckitout.

Trytoactivateit,seewhatimprintshadbeenleftonit.

Diana kept saying no.No checking it out.No activating it. They needed topurifyitfirst.Groundit.Clearit.WhichFayeknewwouldtakeweeks,ifdoneproperly.AslongasDianawasincharge—

Faye said that at this rateDianamight not be in charge for long. In fact, if

Diana kept refusing to test out the skull, Faye justmight call for a leadershipvoterightnowinsteadofwaitinguntilNovember.WasthatwhatDianawanted?

Cassiedidn'tunderstandanyofit.Howdoyoucheckoutaskull?Orgrounditorclearit?Butthistimetheargumentwastooheatedforanyonetoremembertoexplaintoher.

Shespent theentiremeetingnotwatchingAdam,whohad tried to speak toher beforehand, but whom she'd managed to evade. She clung grimly to herresolve all the way through, even though the energy it took to ignore himexhaustedher.Shemadeherselfnot lookathishair,whichhadgrowna littlelonger since she'd seen him, or at his mouth, which was as handsome andhumorousasever.Sherefusedtoletherselfthinkabouthisbodyasshe'dseenitonthebeachinCapeCod,withitsflat,sinewymusclesandbarelonglegs.Andmostofall,sheforcedherselfnottolookintohiseyes.

The one thing Cassie did glean from themeeting was that Diana was in aprecariousposition."Temporary"leadermeantthatthecovencouldcallavoteatanytimeanddeposeher,althoughtheofficialvotewasinNovemberforsomereason.AndFayewasobviouslylookingforsupportsothatshecouldtakeover.

She'dgottentheHendersonbrothersonhersidebysayingtheyshouldusetheskullrightawaytofindKori'skiller.Andshe'dgottenSeanonhersidesimplybyterrorizinghim,itlookedlike.DeborahandSuzan,ofcourse,hadsupportedherfromthebeginning.

Thatwassix.ItwouldhavebeensixonDiana'ssidetoo,butNickrefusedtovoiceanopinion.Heshowedupatthemeeting,butsatthroughitsmokingandlookingas if hewere somewhere else.Whenasked,he said it didn'tmatter tohimwhethertheyusedtheskullornot.

"Soyousee,you'reoverruled,"FayetoldDiana,herhoney-coloredeyeshotwithtriumph."Eitheryouletususetheskull—orIcallforavoterightnowandweseeifyoustillcomeoutleader."

Diana'sjawwasset."Allright,"shesaidflatly,atlast."We'lltrytoactivateit—justactivateitandnomore—onSaturday.Isthatsoonenoughforyou?"

Fayenoddedgraciously.She'dwon,andsheknewit.

"Saturdaynight,"shesaid,andsmiled.

Kori'sfuneralwasonFriday.CassiestoodwiththeothermembersoftheClubandcriedalongwiththemduringtheservice.Afterward,atthecemetery,afightbrokeout betweenDougHenderson and JimmyClark, theboyKori hadgonewiththatsummer.It tooktheentireClubtoget themapart.Theadultsseemedscaredtotouchthem.

Saturdaydawnedclearandcool.Cassiewentover toDiana's in theeveningafterspendingmostofthedaystaringatabook,pretendingtoreadit.Shewasworriedabouttheskullceremony,butshewasevenmoreworriedaboutAdam.Nomatterwhat happens, she told herself, nomatterwhat, I won't let anyoneknowhowIfeel.I'llkeepitasecretforeverifitkillsme.

Dianalookedtired,asifshehadn'tbeengettingenoughsleep.Itwasthefirsttimethetwoofthemhadbeenalonetogethersincetheinitiation—sinceAdamcame.SittinginDiana'sprettyroom,lookingattheprisminthewindow,Cassiecould almost pretend thatAdam hadn't come, that he didn't exist. Things hadbeensosimplethen;she'dbeenhappyjusttobewithDiana.

Shenoticed, for the first time, anotherwall of art prints like the ones she'dseenthefirstday.

"Arethesegoddessestoo?"sheasked.

"Yes.That'sPersephone,daughterofthegoddessofgrowingthings."Diana'svoicewassoftwithtiredness,butshesmiledatthepicture.Itshowedaslendergirl laughing as she picked an armful of flowers. All around her it wasspringtime,andherfacewasfilledwiththejoyofbeingyoungandalive.

"Andwho'sthat?"

"Athena. She was the goddess of wisdom. She never married either, likeArtemis, the goddess of the hunt. All the other gods used to go to her foradvice."

Itwas a tall goddesswith awide brow and clear, calmgray eyes.Well, ofcourse they're gray; it's a black-and-white print, Cassie told herself. Butsomehow she felt they'd be gray anyway, and full of cool, thoughtfulintelligence.

Cassieturnedtothenextprint."Andwho's—"

Just then there was the sound of voices downstairs. "Hello? Anybody upthere?Thefrontdoorwasunlocked."

"Comeonup,"Dianacalled."Mydad'satwork—asusual."

"Here," Laurel said, appearing in the doorway. "I thought you might likethese. I got themalong theway."Sheheldout an armful ofmixed flowers toDiana.

"Oh,BouncingBet!They'resuchaprettypink,andIcandry themforsoaplater.Andwildsnapdragonandsweetmelilot.I'llgogetavase."

"Iwouldhavebroughtsomerosesfromthegarden,butweusedthemallforpurifyingtheskull."

Melanie smiled at Cassie. "So how's our newestwitch?" she said, her coolgrayeyesnotunsympathetic."Totallyconfused?"

"Well…alittleconfused.Imean"—Cassiepickedatrandomoneofthethingsshedidn'tunderstand—"howdoyoupurifyaskullwithroses?"

"You'dbetteraskLaurelthat;she'stheexpertonplants."

"AndMelanie,"saidLaurel,"istheexpertonstonesandcrystals,andthisisacrystalskull."

"But justwhat isacrystal,exactly?"Cassiesaid."Idon't thinkIevenknowthat."

"Well."MelaniesatdownatDiana'sdeskasDianacamebackandbegan toarrangetheflowers.LaurelandCassiesatonthebed.CassiereallydidwanttoknowaboutthethingstheCircleusedtodomagic.Evenifshecouldneverdotheonespellshewantedto,shewasstillawitch.

"Well, somepeoplecallcrystals 'fossilizedwater,' "Melanie said,hervoicetaking on a mock-lecturing tone. "Water combines with an element to makethemgrow.ButIliketothinkofthemasabeach."

LaurelsnortedandCassieblinked."Abeach?"

Melaniesmiled."Yes.Abeachissandandwater,right?Andsandissilicon.When you put silicon with water, under the right conditions, it forms silicondioxide—quartz crystal. So water plus sand plus heat plus pressure equals a

crystal.Theremainsofanancientbeach."

Cassiewasfascinated."Andthat'swhattheskullismadeof?"

"Yes. It's clear quartz. There are other kinds of quartz too; other colors.Amethystispurple.Laurel,areyouwearingany?"

"What a question. Especially with a ceremony tonight." Laurel pushed herlong,light-brownhairbacktoshowCassieherears.Ineachshewaswearingadangling crystal of a deep violet color. "I like amethysts," she explained."They're soothing and balancing. If you wear them along with rose quartz, ithelpsdrawlovetoyou."

Cassie's stomachclenched.As longas theycouldstayoff subjects like loveshe'dbeallright."Whatotherstonesarethere?"sheaskedMelanie.

"Oh,lots.Inthequartzfamilythere'scitrine—Deborahwearsalotofthat.It'syellowandit'sgoodforphysicalactivity.Energy.Fitness.Thatsortofthing."

"Deborahneedsalittlelessenergy,"Laurelmuttered.

"Iliketowearjade,"Melaniewenton,twistingherleftwristtoshowCassieabeautifulbracelet. Itwassetwithapalegreen, translucentovalstone."Jade ispeaceful,calming.Anditsharpensmentalclarity."

Cassiespokehesitantly."But…dothesethingsreallywork?Imean,IknowalltheNewAgersareintocrystals,but—"

"Crystals are notNewAge,"Melanie saidwith a quellingglance atLaurel,who seemed about to argue the point. "Gemstones have been used since thebeginning by ancient peoples—and sometimes even for the right things. Theproblem is that they'reonly asgoodas thepersonusing them.Theycan storeenergyandhelpyoucallonthePowers,butonlyifyouhavethetalentforitinthefirstplace.Soformostpeoplethey'reprettyuseless."

"Butnotforus,"saidLaurel."Althoughtheydon'talwaysworkthewayyou'dexpect.Things can get out of control.RememberwhenSuzan simplycoveredherselfincarneliansandalmostgotmobbedatthefootballgame?Ithoughttherewasgoingtobeariot."

Melanielaughed."Carneliansareorangeandvery—stimulating,"shesaidtoCassie. "You can get people overexcited if you use them wrong. Suzan was

tryingtoattractthequarterback,butshenearlywoundupwiththeentireteam.I'll never forget her in the bathroom, pulling all those carnelians out of herclothes."Cassieburstintolaughteratthepicture.

"You'renotsupposedtowearorangeorredstonesallthetime,"Laureladded,grinning."ButofcourseSuzanwon'tlisten.NeitherwillFaye."

"That'sright,"Cassiesaid,remembering."Fayedoesweararedstoneonhernecklace."

"It'sastarruby,"Melaniesaid."They'rerare,andthatone'sverypowerful.Itcanamplifypassion—oranger—veryquickly."

TherewassomethingelseCassiewantedtoask.Orrather,thatshehadtoask,whethershewantedtoornot."Whataboutastonelike—chalcedony?"shesaidcasually."Isthatgoodforanything?"

"Oh,yes.Ithasaprotectiveinfluence—itcanguardyouagainsttheharshnessoftheworld.Infact,Diana,didn'tyougive…?"

"Yes,"saidDiana,whohadbeensittingquietlyonthewindowseat,listening.Nowshesmiledfaintlyinreminiscence."IgaveAdamachalcedonyrosewhenheleftthissummer.That'saspecialkindofchalcedonypiece,"sheexplainedtoCassie."It'sflatandroundandithasasortofswirlingspiralpatterninit,likearose'spetals.Ithaslittlequartzcrystalssprinkledoverit."

And tinyblackshell thingson theback,Cassie thought.She felt sick.EventhepresenthehadgivenherwasDiana's.

"Cassie?"Theywerealllookingather.

"Sorry,"shesaid,openinghereyesandfakingasmile."I'mokay.I—IguessI'malittlewoundupaboutthisthingtonight.Whateveritis."

They were immediately sympathetic. Diana nodded grimly, showing moreanimation than she had since Cassie had arrived that evening. "I'm worriedmyself," she said. "It'sway too soon.We shouldn't be doing this yet—butwedon'thaveanychoice."

Melaniesaid toCassie,"Yousee, theskullabsorbedenergiesfromwhoeveruseditlast.Likeanimprintofwhatwasdone,andwhodidit.Wewanttoseewhat thoseare.Sowe'llallconcentrateon it,andseewhat itwillshowus.Of

course,wemightnotbeabletoactivateitatall.Sometimesonlyacertainpersoncandothat,oracertaincodeofsoundsorlightsormovements.Butifwecan,andifit'ssafe,wecaneventuallyuseitsenergytoshowusthings—likemaybewhokilledKori."

"Thelargerthecrystal,themoreenergyinit,"Dianasaidbleakly."Andthisisabigcrystal."

"Butwhydidtheoldcovencarveitintoaskull?"Cassieasked.

"Theydidn't,"Melaniesaid."Wedon'tknowwhodid,butit'smucholderthanthree hundred years. There are other crystal skulls out there in the world—nobody really knows howmany.Most of them are inmuseums and things—there'sone,theBritishSkull,that'sintheMuseumofMankindinEngland.AndtheTemplarSkullbelongstosomesecretsocietyinFrance.Ouroldcovenjustgotholdofthisonesomehowandusedit."

"Black John used it,"Diana corrected. "IwishAdamhad found any of theotherMasterToolsinsteadofthisone.Thisonewashis,BlackJohn'sfavorite,andIthinkhemighthaveusedittogetridofpeople.I'mafraidthattonight—Idon'tknow.ButI'mafraidsomethingawfulisgoingtohappen."

"Wewon'tletit,"saidanewvoiceatthedoor.Cassie'sheartbegantopounddullyandbloodrushedtoherface.

"Adam,"saidDiana.Sherelaxedvisiblyashecameovertothewindowseattokissherandsitbesideher.Shealwaysseemedbothmoretranquilandmoreradiantwheneverhewasaround.

"We'll keep the ceremony under strict control tonight," he said. "And ifanything dangerous starts to happen, we'll just stop it cold. Did you get thegarageready?"

"No, Iwaswaitingforyou.Wecan take itdownnow."Dianaunlocked thelargecabinet,andCassiesawthecrystalskullrestinginaPyrexbakingdishfullofpinkrosepetals.

"LookslikeJohntheBaptist'shead,"shemurmured.

"I'veusedsaltandrainwatertotryandclearit,"Dianasaid."Butwhatitreallyneeds isa fullcourseofcrystalsandfloweressences,and then tobeburied inmoistsandforafewweeks."

"We'll takeeveryprecaution,"Adamsaid. "A triplecircleofprotection. It'llbeallright."Hepickeduptheskull,withafewrosepetalsstillclingingtoit,andheandDianaleftforthegarage.Cassiewatchedhimgo.

"Don'tbenervous,"Melanietoldher."Youwon'treallyhavetodoanythingatthe ceremony. You won't be able to; it takes a long time to get the hang ofscrying—years,usually.AllyouhavetodoissitthereandnotbreaktheCircle."

Cassietriednottomindthecondescendingnoteinhervoice."Listen,dowehave time for anybody to drive me over to my house?" she said. "There'ssomethingthereI'dliketopickup."

Diana's garagewas empty—of cars, at least. The floorwas clean and bare,exceptforacircledrawninwhitechalk.

"I'msorrytomakeusallsitonconcrete,"Dianasaid,"butIwantedtodothisinside—whereIcanbesurethewindwon'tblowoutoneofthecandles."

Therewereanumberofwhitecandleslyingatthecenterofthecircle.Theyformedasmallerring.Intheverycenterofthat,somethingdrapedwithapieceofblackclothsatonashoebox.

"All right," Diana said to the rest of the group, who had arrived in smallclustersandwerenowstandinginthegarage."Let'sgetthisthingoverwith."

She had changed into her white shift and jewelry. Looking at them now,Cassiesuspectedthatthediademandcuffbracelet—andmaybeeventhegarter—had some mystic significance. She watched Diana "cast" the circle, goingaround itwith the dagger and thenwithwater and then incense and then a litcandle. Earth, water, air, and fire. There were also some incantations, whichCassietriedtofollow.ButwhentheyallfiledintothecircleandsatdownkneetokneeasDianainstructed,anyinterestintheactualceremonyflewrightoutofhermind.

She had ended up between Faye and Adam. She didn't know how it hadhappened.ShehadbeeninlinetositnexttoSean,butsomehowFayehadgotteninfrontofher.MaybeFayedidn'twanttositbyAdam.Well,neitherdidCassie,althoughforaverydifferentreason.

Adam'skneewaspressingagainsthers.ThatwashowDianahadtoldthemto

sit.Shecouldfeelthewarmthofit,thesolidity.Shecouldthinkofnothingelse.

Onherotherside,Fayesmelledofsomeheady,tropicalperfume.Itmadeherslightlydizzy.

Thenallthelightswentout.

Cassiedidn'tseehowitwasdone;shewassurenoonelefttheseatedcircle.Buttheoverheadfluorescentpanelshadabruptlygoneoff.

It was pitch-black in the garage. The only light now was the flame of thesinglecandleDianaheld.Cassiecouldseeherfaceilluminatedbyit,butnothingelse.

"All right,"Diana said quietly. "We're just going to be looking for the lastimprintsleft.Nothingmorethanthat;nobodygoesinreallydeepuntilweknowwhatwe'redealingwith.AndIdon'thavetotellanybodythatwhateverhappens,wedon'tbreakthecircle."Shedidn'tlookatCassieasshesaidit,butseveraloftheothersdid,asiftoimplythatmaybeshedidhavetosayit.

Diana touched the candle flame to the candleMelanie held out to her. Theflamedoubled.ThenMelanie leanedover to lightDeborah's candle, and therewerethreeflames.

The firewent around the circle untilLaurel gave it toAdam.Cassie's handwas trembling as she held up her candle to receive the flame from him. Shehopedeveryonewouldassumeitwasjustgeneralnervousness.

Atlastalltwelvecandleswerelitandstuckintheirownwaxtotheconcretefloor.Each shed a pool of radiance and cast huge dark shadowsof the seatedfiguresonthewalls.

Dianareachedintotheringofcandlesandpulledofftheblackcloth.

Cassiegasped.

Theskullwasfacingherdirectly,itsemptyeyesocketsstaringather.Butthatwasn't the most alarming thing. The skull was glowing. The candle flamesarounditplayedonit,andthecrystalinturnreflectedandrefractedthelight.Italmostlooked—alive.

Aroundthecircletheothershadstraightened,tensed.

"Now," said Diana. "Find someplace inside the skull that interests you.Concentrateonit,lookatthedetails.Thenlookformoredetails.Keeplookinguntilyoufindyourselfdrawnintothecrystal."

Someplace that interests you?Cassie thoughtblankly.Butwhen she lookedcarefullyat theglowingskull,shesawthat thecrystalwasn'tcompletelyclear.Thereweregossamerwebsandwhatlookedlikewispsofsmokeinsideit.Therewere internal fractures that seemed to be acting as prisms to form miniaturelandscapes.ThecloserCassielooked,themoredetailshesaw.

Thatlookslikeaspiralortornado,shethought.Andthat—thatlooksalmostlikeadoor.Andaface…

She jerked her eyes away, stomach lurching. Don't be silly; it's justimperfectionsinthecrystal,shetoldherself.

Shewasalmostafraidtolookagain.Butnooneelseseemeddisturbed.Theirshadowsloomedandflickeredonthewalls,butalleyeswereturnedtowardtheskull.

Lookatit!Now,shecommanded.

When she looked back at the skull, she couldn't find themisty face again.There,thatprovesitwasjustatrickofthelight,shethought.Buttheskullhaddevelopedanotherdisturbingquality.Things seemed tobemoving inside it. Itwasalmostasiftheskullweremadeofwater,containedinsideathinskin,andthingsweredriftingslowlyaround.

Oh,stopitandpickonedetailtofocuson,sheorderedherself.Thedoorway,lookatthat.Itisn'tmoving.

Shestaredatthelittleprismaticfractureinthelefteyesocket,justwherethepupilofarealeyewouldbe.It lookedlikeahalf-opendoorwithlightspillingout.

Lookatit.Noticethedetail.

Dizziness from Faye's perfume swept over her. She was looking—justlooking. She could see the door. Themore carefully she looked, the larger itseemed.Orperhapsshewascomingcloser.

Yes, closer… closer. She was losing her sense of space. The skull was so

largenow;itseemedtohavenoboundaries,noshape.Itwasallaroundher.Ithadbecometheworld.Thedoorwasrightinfrontofher.

Shewasinsidetheskull.

FifteenThedoorwasnolongertinybutlife-size,largeenoughtogoin.Itwasajar,

andcoloredlightstreamedfromtheotherside.

Inside the skull, Cassie gazed at the door, her scalp tingling. If it opened,couldIgoinside?shewondered.Buthowcoulditopen?

Maybeifshejustimagineditopening…butthatdidn'tseemtodoanygood.What had Melanie said? Crystals help us call on the Powers. What Powerswouldbeconnectedwithclearquartz?Earthandwater?Forsandandsea?

Thatsoundedalmostlikethebeginningofapoem.

Earthandwater,sandandsea

AsIwill,soletitbe…

Sheconcentratedonthedoor,willingittoopen.Andasshestared,itdidseemthat there was more rainbow light spilling out. More… and more. Keep itopening.Letitdrawyoucloser.Shewasfloatinginfrontofthedoornow.Itwashuge, like thedoor toacathedral.Opening…opening…Shewasdrowning inrainbowlight.

Now!Goin!

Butatthatinstantascreamtorethroughtheroom.

It was a scream of terror, high and wild, and it lanced through the uttersilence. The door stopped opening, and Cassie felt herself being pulledbackward. The door was receding, faster, faster. Then, just before she foundherselfoutsidetheskull,afaceflashedbeforehereyes.Thesamefaceshe'dseenbefore. But it wasn't receding; it was traveling toward her. Getting bigger.Biggerandbiggersofast—itwouldburstthecrystal.Itwould—

"No!"criedDiana.

Cassiefeltitatthesameinstant,anoverwhelmingsenseofevil.Ofsomething

rushingtowardthematincrediblespeed.Somethingthathadtobestopped.

Sheneverquiteknewwhathappenednext.SeanwassittingontheothersideofFaye.Maybehewastheonewhomovedfirst;maybehepanickedandtriedtobolt. In any case there was a commotion. Faye seemed to be trying to dosomething andSean to stop her, ormaybe itwas the otherway around.Theywerestruggling.Dianawascrying,"No,no!"Cassiedidn'tknowwhattodo.

She tried to check her instinctive flinching away from Faye, but it didn'tmatter.Faye lurched forwardandCassie felt thepressureofFaye'sknee leavehers.Thecirclewasbroken,andFaye'scandlewentout.

Instantlyalltheothercandlesweresnuffedouttoo,asifbyablastofwind.Inthe same instantCassie felt the rushing thing reach the limitsof thecrystal. Itburst out of the skull and past the dark, smoking candles. Cassie didn't knowhowshecould tell this—everythingwaspitch-black.But she felt it.Shecouldsense the rushing thing like an inkier blackness. It explodedpast her, blowingherhairstraightupandtotheside.Shethrewoutanarmtoprotectherface,butbythattimeitwasgone.

Therewasafaintcryinthedarkness.

Theneverythingwasquietagain.

"Turnonthelihts,"somebodygasped.

SuddenlyCassiecouldsee.Adamwasstandingbythelightswitch.Dianawasstanding too, her face white and frightened. Around the circle every facereflectedalarmandconsternation—exceptNick's.Hiswasimpassiveasusual.

Fayewasjustsittingup.Shelookedasifshe'dbeenblownbackwardbysometremendous force. Fury blazing in her eyes, she turned onSean. "You pushedme!"

"No,Ididn't!"Seanlookedaroundtheroomforhelp."Shewastryingtogettotheskull!Shewaslungingforit!"

"Youlyinglittleworm!Youweretryingtogetaway.Youweregoingtobreakthecircle."

"She—"

"No,Ididn't!"

"Allright!"shoutedDiana.

Adamcameupbesideher."Itdoesn'tmatterwhodidwhat,"hesaid,hisvoicetense."Whatmattersisthat—energy—thatescaped."

"Whatenergy?"Fayesaidsullenly,examiningherelbowforbruises.

"Theenergythatknockedyouflatonyourback,"Dianasaidgrimly.

"Ifell.Becausethislittlesnotpushedme."

"No,"saidCassiebeforeshecouldstopherself.Shewasbeginningtoshakeindelayedreaction."Ifeltittoo.Somethingcameout."

"Oh, you felt it. The expert." Faye gave her a glance of scorn and disdain.Cassielookedaroundat theothers,whowerestillsitting,andwassurprisedtoseeuncertaintyintheirexpressions.Surelytheyhadfeltittoo?

"I felt—something,"Melanie said. "Something dark inside the skull. Somenegativeenergy."

"Whateveritwas,itwasreleasedwhenwebrokethecircle,"Adamsaid.HelookedatDiana."It'smyfault.Ishouldn'thaveletthishappen."

"Youmeanyoushouldhavekepttheskullasecretfromtherestofus,"Fayesaidsharply."Foryourownpersonaluse."

"Whatdifferencedoesitmake?"Laurelcriedfromtheothersideofthecircle."Ifsomethingwas releasedfromtheskull, it'sout there rightnow.DoingGodknowswhat."

"It's—bad,"Cassiesaid.Whatshewanted tosaywas"evil"but thatseemedsuchamelodramaticword.Yetthatwaswhatshehadsensedinthedark,rushingthing.Evil.Theintenttodestroy,toharm.

"We'vegottostopit,"Adamsaid.

Suzanwasfiddlingwithabuttononherblouse."How?"

This silencewas longanduncomfortable.AdamandDianawere lookingateachother,seemingtohavesomegrimunspokenconversation.TheHendersonbrotherswerealsotelegraphingsomethingtoeachother,buttheydidn'tlookasif they minded having something murderous and evil loose in the immediatecommunity.Infact,onthewholetheylookedpleased.

"Maybeit'llgetwhoevergotKori,"Chrisofferedatlast.

Dianastaredathim."Isthatwhatyouthink?"Thenherfacechanged."Isthatwhatyouwere thinkingwhenwewerereaching into it? Is thatwhatyouwerewilling?"

"Weweresupposed to just tryandread the last imprints,"Melaniesaid,hervoiceasangryasCassiehadeverheardit.

The Henderson brothers looked at each other and shrugged. Deborah'sexpressionwassomewherebetweenascowlandagrin.Suzanwasstillfiddling.Nick,faceexpressionless,stoodup.

"Lookslikethat'sallfortonight,"hesaid.

Dianaexploded.

"You'redamnright it is!"shecried,astoundingCassie.Shesnatchedup theskull in her two hands. "Now this is going to a safe place, where it belongs.Whereitshouldhavegoneinthefirstplace.Ishouldhaveknownyouwerealltooirresponsibletodealwithit."Huggingtheskulltoher,shestrodeoutofthegarage.

Fayewas instantlyalert, likeacatwhosees the flickerof amouse's tail. "Idon't think thatwas a veryniceway to talk to us," she said throatily. "I don'tthinkshetrustsus,doyou?Handsup—howmanypeopleherewanttobeledbysomeonewhodoesn'ttrustthem?"

Iflookscouldmaim,theoneMelaniethrewFayewouldhaveleftherabasketcase."Oh,getstuffed,Faye,"shesaidinherclassyaccent."Comeon,Laurel,"sheadded,andgotuptofollowDianatowardthehouse.

Cassie, not knowingwhat else to do, followed them. Behind her she heardAdamsayingtoFayeinalow,tightlycontrolledvoice,"Iwishyouwereaguy."

AndFaye's laughing,huskyanswer:"Why,Adam,Ididn'tknowyour tastesranthatway!"

Diana was putting the skull back in the Pyrex dish when Adam came inbehindCassie.HewenttoDianaandputhisarmsaroundher.

She leaned against him amoment, eyes shut, but didn't hold him in return.

Andafterthatmomentshemovedaway.

"I'mallright.I'mjustangrywiththem,andI'vegottothink."

Adamsatonthebed,runningahandthroughhishair."Ishouldhavekeptitasecretfromthem,"hesaid."Itwasmyownstupidpride—"

"Don't,"saidDiana."ItwouldhavebeenwrongtokeepsomethingfromtheCirclethatbelongstothem."

"Morewrongthantoletthemuseitforstupid,maliciousreasons?"

Dianaturnedawayandleanedagainstthecabinet.

"Sometimes,"Adamsaidquietly, "Iwonderaboutwhatwe'redoing.MaybetheOldPowersshould justbe leftasleep.Maybewe'rewrong to thinkwecanhandlethem."

"PowerisonlyPower,"Dianasaidtiredly,notturning."It'snotgoodorbad.Onlythewayweuseitisgoodorbad."

"Butmaybenobodycanuseitwithoutendingupusingitbadly."

Cassie stood and listened,wishing shewere anywhere else. Shewas awarethat in some terribly civilizedway,DianaandAdamwerehavinga fight.ShemetLaurel'seyesandsawthattheothergirlwasjustasuncomfortable.

"Idon'tbelievethat,"Dianasaidfinally,softly."Idon'tbelievethatpeoplearethathopeless.Thatevil."

Adam'sexpressionwasbleakandlonging,asifhewishedhecouldshareherbelief.

Cassie,watchinghis face, felt a stabofpain, and then awaveofdizziness.Sheshifted,lookingforaplacetositdown.

Diana immediately turned around. "Are you all right? You're white as aghost."

Cassienoddedandshrugged."Justalittledizzy—IguessmaybeIshouldgohome…"

TheangerhaddrainedoutofDiana'seyes."Allright,"shesaid."ButIdon'twant you out there by yourself.Adam,would youwalk her back?The beach

wayisfaster."

Cassieopenedhermouthinreflexivehorror.ButAdamnoddedquickly.

"Sure,"hesaid."AlthoughIdon'twanttoleaveyoualone…"

"IwantMelanieandLaureltostay,"Dianasaid."Iwanttostarttopurifythisskull properly, with flower essences"—she looked at Laurel—"and othercrystals."ShelookedatMelanie."Idon'tcareifittakesallnight;Iwanttogetitsetup.AndIwanttostartnow.Thisminute."

Thetwogirlsnodded.SodidAdam."Allright,"hesaid.

AndCassie,whohadbeenstandingwithhermouthopen,suddenlythoughtofsomethingandnoddedtoo.Herhandautomaticallypattedherfrontjeanspockettofeelthehardlittlelumpthere.

SothatwashowshefoundherselfwalkingonthebeachalonewithAdam.

Therewasnomoon thatnight.The stars shonewith a fierce, icybrilliance.Thewavesroaredandhissedontheshore.

Notromantic.Raw.Primitive.Exceptforthefaintlightsofhousesaboveonthecliff,theymighthavebeenathousandmilesfromcivilization.

They were almost all the way to the narrow path up the bluff to NumberTwelvewhenheaskedher.She'dknowninherheart thatshecouldn'tavoid itforever.

"Whydidn'tyouwantanyonetoknowthatwe'dmetbefore?"hesaidsimply.

Cassietookadeepbreath.Nowwasthetimetoseewhatkindofactressshewas. She was very calm; she knew what had to be done, and somehow, shewoulddoit.Shehadtodoit,forDiana'ssake—andhis.

"Oh, I don't know," she said, and marveled to hear how casual her voicesounded. "I just didn't want anybody—like Suzan or Faye—to get the wrongimpression.Youdon'tmind,doyou?Itdidn'tseemveryimportant."

Adamwas lookingather inanoddway,hesitating,but thenhenodded."Ifthat'swhatyouwant,Iwon'tmentionit,"hesaid.

ReliefwashedoverCassie,butshekepthervoicelight."Okay,thanks.Oh,bytheway," shewent on, fishing in her pocket. "I've beenmeaning to give thisback to you. Here." It was strange how her fingers seemed to cling to thechalcedonyrose,butshemanagedtoopenthemanddropitintohishand.Itlayonhispalm,thequartzcrystalsseemingtocapturealittleofthestarlight.

"Thanksforloaningittome,"shesaid."ButnowthatI'manofficialwitch,I'llprobablybefindingmyownstonestoworkwith.Andbesides"—shecurvedherlips in a teasing smile—"we don'twant anybody to get thewrong impressionaboutthateither,dowe?"

Shehadneverinherlifeactedlikethiswithaboy,teasingandcarefreeandconfident.Almostflirtatiouswhilemakingitclearthatshemeantnothingbyit.And itwas so easy—she'd never imagined it could be this easy. It came, shesupposed, from the fact that shewas playing a role. Itwasn't Cassie standinghere; it was someone else, someonewhowasn't afraid because theworst hadalreadyhappenedandtherewasnothinglefttofearanymore.

AwrysmilehadtouchedAdam'slips,asifhewererespondingautomaticallytohertone,butitdisappearedalmostinstantly.Hewaslookingatherhard,andshe forced herself to return his gaze blandly and innocently, theway she hadreturnedJordan'sonthebeachthatdayinAugust.Believeme,shethought,andthistimesheknewthepowerofherownthoughts,thepowershecoulddrawontoenforceherwill.Skyandwater,sandandsea;AsIwill,soletitbe.Believeme,Adam.Believeme.Believeme.

He looked away from her suddenly, turning sharply toward the ocean. Itreminded Cassie, to her surprise, of the way she had broken free of Faye'smesmerizinggaze.

"You'vechanged,"hesaid,andtherewaswonderinhisvoice.Thenheturnedback to look at her with that hard, unrelenting gaze again. "You've reallychanged."

"Ofcourse.I'mawitchnow,"shesaidreasonably."Youshouldhavetoldmethat in the beginning—it would have saved a lot of trouble," she added in ascoldingtone.

"Ididn'tknow.Icouldsense—something—inyou,butIneverthoughtofyoubeingoneofus."

"Oh, well, it all turned out okay," Cassie said quickly. She didn't like himtalkingaboutwhathesensedinher.Itwastoodangerous."Anyway,thanksforwalkingmehome.ThisiswhereIgoup."

Withafinalsmile,sheturnedawayandquicklyclimbedthenarrowpath.Shecouldn'tbelieve it.She'dpulled itoff!The relief that floodedherwasactuallypainful,andwhenshereachedthetopofthepathandsawherhouse,herkneesfeltweak.Oh,thankyou,shethought,andstartedforit.

"Wait,"aringing,authoritativevoicebehindhersaid.

Ishouldhaveknownitwouldn'tbethateasy,Cassiethought.Slowly,keepingherfaceexpressionless,sheswiveledtolookathim.

Thefaintlightfromabovereflectedofftheplanesofhisfaceashestoodonthebluffwith theoceanbehindhim.Thosehighcheekbones, thosehumorous,expressivelips.Therewasnohumornow.Hiseyeswereaskeenandpiercingaswhenhe had stared after Jordan andLogan that day on the beach, radiating apowershedidn'tunderstand,frighteningher.Theyfrightenedhernow.

"You're good," he said. "But I'm not completely stupid. There's somethingyou'renottellingme,andIwanttoknowwhatitis."

"No,youdon't."Thewordsescapedherlipsbeforeshecouldstopthem,buttheir flat sincerity was unmistakable. "I mean—there's nothing I'm not tellingyou."

"Listentome,"hesaid,andtoherdismayhesteppedcloser."WhenIfirstmetyou,"hesaid,"Ihadnoideayouwereoneofus.HowcouldI?ButIknewthatyouweredifferentthanthatphonyfriendofyours.Notjustanotherprettygirl,butsomebodyspecial."

Pretty? He thought I was pretty? Cassie was thinking wildly. The clear,despairingcalmwasleavingher,andsheclungtoitdesperately.Lookcoolandblank,sheorderedherself.Politelyinquiring.Letnothingshow.

Adam's blue-gray eyes were flashing now, his odd, proud face clearlyrevealinghisanger.ButitwasthehurtinthedepthsofthoseeyesthatconfusedCassiemost.

"You weren't like any girl I'd met on the outside—you could acceptmysteriousthings—evenmysticalthings—withoutbeingafraidofthemortrying

todestroythemonsight.Youwere…open.Tolerant.Youdidn'tautomaticallyhateandrejectanythingdifferent."

"NotastolerantasDiana.Diana'sthemost—"

"Thishasn'tgotanythingtodowithDiana!"hesaid,andCassierealizedthathemeantit.Hewassocompletelyhonestandstraightforwardthatbetrayalhadneverevenenteredhismind.

"Ithought,"hewenton,"thatyouweresomeoneIcouldtrust.Withmylife,even.AndwhenIsawyouholdoutagainstJordan—aguypracticallytwiceyoursize—IknewIwasright.ItwasoneofthebravestthingsI'deverseen—andallforastranger.Youlethimhurtyouformysake,andyoudidn'tevenknowme."

Shownothing,Cassiethought.Nothing.

"Andafterward,Ifeltsomethingspecialwithyou.Aspecialunderstanding.Ican'texplainit.ButI'vethoughtaboutiteversince.I'vethoughtaboutyoualot,Cassie,andIwasjustwaitingtotellDianaaboutyou.Iwantedhertoknowthatshewasright,thatthereweresomeoutsiderswhocoulddealwithus,whocouldbetrusted.Whomightbefriendsofmagic.She'sbeentryingforalongtimetogettheClubtobelievethat.Iwantedtotellherthatyou'dopenedmyeyes—inalot ofways.After I left you, I even seemed to seemorewhen Iwent out onfishingboatslookingfortheMasterTools.I'dlookforislandswhilewewereoutlaying the lines,andallofasuddenI felt likeIcouldseeclearer—oras if theoceanwasrevealingthings.Helpingme.IwantedtotellDianathattoo,andseeifshecouldexplainit.

"Andinallthattime,"Adamfinished,turningthefullpowerofhisblue-graygaze on Cassie, "I was never sorry I'd given you the chalcedony rose—eventhoughweneverdothatwithoutsiders.Ihopedyou'dneverbeinenoughtroubletoneedit,butIwantedtobethereforyouifyouwere.Ifyou'deverdonewhatItold you, held it tight in your fist and thought ofme, I'd have known, and I'dhave tracked it down, no matter where you were. I thought you were thatspecial."

Wasit true?Cassiewondereddizzily.Allthosetimesshe'dheldthestone—butshe'dneverhelditclenchedinherfistandthoughtonlyofhim.She'dneverfollowedhisinstructionsbecauseshe'dneverbelievedinmagic.

"AndnowIgetback—andfindyou'renotanoutsiderafterall.Oronlyhalf.I

wasglad to seeyouhere, and tohearyou'd joined theCircle.And fromwhatDiana'ssaid,shesawhowspecialyouwererightawaytoo.ButIcouldn'ttellherI knew you—because for some reason you didn't want people to know. Irespectedthat;Ikeptmymouthshutandfiguredyou'dexplainwhenyoucould.And instead—"He gestured ail-inclusively. "This.You've been givingme thebrush-off allweek, and now you act as if nothing ever happened between us.YouevencallonthePowersagainstme, tomakemebelievea lie.AndnowIwanttoknowwhy."

Therewasa silence.Cassiecouldhear thewavesbelow, likesoft, rhythmicthunder.Shecouldsmell theclear,coldnightair.Andfinally,asifcompelled,sheraisedhereyestohisface.Hewasright;shecouldn'tlietohim.Evenifhelaughedather,evenifhepitiedher,shehadtogivehimthetruth.

"Because I'm in lovewithyou," she said, simply andquietly.And then shewouldn'tletherselflookaway.

Hedidn'tlaugh.

Hewasstaring,though,asifindisbelief.Notunderstandingwhathethoughthe'dheardhersay.

"Thatdayonthebeach,Ifeltsomethingspecial too,"shesaid."ButIfelt—more. I felt as ifwewere…connected somehow.As ifwewere being pulledtogether.Asifwebelongedtogether."

She could see the confusion in Adam's eyes—like the whirling, spinningconfusionshe'dfeltwhenshe'ddiscoveredKori'sbody.

"Iknowitsoundsstupid,"shesaid."Ican'tevenbelieveI'msayingthistoyou—butyouaskedforthetruth.EverythingIfeltthatdayonthebeachwaswrong,I know that now. You've gotDiana. Nobody in their right mind would wantanythingmore.Butthatday—Ihadallsortsofstupidideas.IactuallythoughtIcouldseesomethingconnectingus,likeasilvercord.AndIfeltsoclosetoyou,asifweunderstoodeachother.Asifwewerebornforeachother,andtherewasnopointresistingit…"

"Cassie,"hesaid.Hiseyeswereblackwithemotion.Alookof—what?Utterdisbelief?Revulsion?

"Iknowit'snottruenow,"shesaidhelplessly."ButthenIdidn'trealize.Andwhenyouwerestandingsoclosetome,lookingdownatme,Ithoughtyouwere

goingto—"

"Cassie."

Itwasasifherwordshadconjuredsomethingmagicaloutoftheair,orasifherownperceptionshadbeensharpened.Herbreathcaughtinherthroatasshesaw it again. The silver cord. It hummed and shimmered,more powerful andvibrantthanever,linkingthem.Itwasasifherheartwasdirectlyconnectedtohis.Herbreathwascomingfasterandfaster,andsheliftedhereyestohisfaceinbewilderment.

Theirgazeheld.And in that instantCassie recognized theemotion thathaddarkenedthoseblue-grayeyesbefore.

Not disbelief, but realization. A dawning understanding, and awonder thatmadeCassie'skneesfeelweak.

Hewas…remembering,shethought.Andseeingwhathadhappenedbetweentheminanewlight.Realizingonaconsciousleveljustwhathehadactuallyfeltthatday.

Sheknew thisasclearlyas ifhehad toldher inwords.Sheknewhim.Shecould feel everybeatofhisheart, shecould sense theworld throughhiseyes.Shecouldevenseeherselfashesawher.Afragile,shycreatureofhalf-hiddenbeauty,likeawildflowerintheshadowofatree,butwithacoreofshiningsteel.Andjustasshecouldseeherself,shecouldfeelhisfeelingsabouther…

Oh,whatwashappening?Theworldhadgonestill,anditcontainedonlythetwoof them.Adam'seyeswerewideanddazed, thepupilsenormous,andshefeltshewasfallingintothemashelookeddownather.Alockofhishairhadfallen onto his forehead, that marvelous, tangled wavy hair that was all thecolorsofautumninNewEngland.Hewaslikesomewoodlandgodwho'dcomeoutinthestarlighttocourtashytreenymph,andhewasirresistible.

"Adam,"shesaid."We…"

Butshenevergot tofinish.Hewas tooclose tohernow;shecouldfeelhiswarmth,feeltheirelectricalfieldsmerging.Shefelthishandscuppingthebacksof her elbows. Then slowly, slowly, she felt herself being drawn toward himuntilhisarmswerearoundher,embracingherfully.Thesilvercordcouldnotbedeniedanylonger.

SixteenCassieshouldhavepushedhimaway,shouldhaverunfromhim.Instead,with

a gasp, she buried her head in his shoulder, in the comfort of his thick Irishsweater.Shecouldfeelhiswarmthallaroundhernow,anchoringher,keepinghersafe.Protectingher.Hesmelledsogood—likeautumnleavesandwoodfiresandoceanwind.Herheartwaspounding.

It was then that Cassie knew what forbidden love meant. It meant this,wantingthismuch,andfeelingthiswonderful,andknowingitwaswrong.ShefeltAdampullawayfromherslightly.Shelookedupathimandknewthathewasasoverwhelmedasshewas.

"Wecan't,"hesaidinathickvoice."Wecan't…"

Gazingupathim,seeingonlyhiseyes,thecoloroftheoceanthatnightwhenithadwhisperedtohertodrowninit,Cassie'slipsmovedtoformasoundless"No."Thatwaswhenhekissedher.

And in that instant all coherent thoughtwas lost.Shewas swept awaybyasaltywaveofsheerfeeling.Itwaslikebeingcaughtinariptide,suckedunder,tumblinghelplesslyheadoverheelswithnowaytostop.Shewasdying,butsosweetly.

Shewas trembling,boneless. Ifhehadn'tbeenholdingher, shewouldhavefallen.Noboyhadevermadeherfeelthisway.Inthewildandragingconfusiontherewasnothingtodobutsurrender,togiveherselfuptoitentirely.

Eachshockofsweetnesswasgreaterthanthelast.Shewasalmostsenselesswithdelight,andshenolongerevenwantedtoresist.Despitethewildness,theabandonof it, shewasn't afraid.Because she could trust him.Hewas leadingher,wide-eyedandwondering,intoaworldshe'dneverknownexisted.

And still he was kissing her and kissing her—they were both intoxicated,dizzy with the madness of this. She knew her cheeks and throat were wildlyflushed;shecouldfeeltheheattheymadetogether.

She never knew how long they stood that way, locked in an embrace thatshould havemelted the rock around them.She only knew sometime later that

without letting go of her, hewas guiding her to sit on a granite outcrop.Herbreathslowing,sheburiedherfaceagaininhisshoulder.

Andfoundpeacethere.Theuncontrollablepassionhadgivenwayatlasttoawarm and languorous drowsiness. Shewas safe, she belonged.And itwas sosimple,sobeautiful.

"Cassie," he said, in a voice she'd never heard him use before, and at thesoundofitherheartdissolvedandwentoutofherbody,evaporatingthroughthesolesofherfeetandherpalmsandherfingertips.Shewouldneverbethesameagain.

"Iloveyou,"hesaid.

She shut her eyeswithout speaking. She could feel him rest his parted lipsagainstherhair.

The silver cord had wrapped them in a shining cocoon, like still, moonlitwaterallaround them.Thewildnesswasover.Everythingwassopeaceful, sohushed.Cassiefeltthatshecouldfloathereforever.

Mydestiny,shethought.She'dfounditatlast.Everymomentofherlifehadbeenleadingtothis.Whyhadshebeensoafraidofit,whyhadsheeverwantedtoescapeit?Therewasnothingherebutjoy.Shewouldneverhavetofeelafraidagain…

Andthensheremembered.

Ashockofpurehorrorlashedthroughher.Oh,God,whathavewedone?shethought.

Shepulledawaysosharplythathehadtocatchhertokeepherfromfallingbackward. "Oh,God," she said, feeling thehorror sweepawayeverythingelseinsideher."Oh,God,Adam,howcouldwe?"shewhispered.

For a moment his eyes were unfocused, open but unseeing, as if he didn'tunderstand why she had broken into their beautiful trance. But then she sawrealizationcome,andhis silver-bluegazeshattered.Rawanguishshoneoutofhiseyes.

Stillinhisarms,stilllookingupathim,Cassiebegantocry.

Howcouldtheyhaveletthishappen?HowcouldshehavedonethistoDiana?

Diana,whohad rescuedher,whohadbefriendedher,who trusted her.Diana,whomsheloved.

Adambelonged toDiana.Cassieknew thatDianahadnever thoughtof lifewithoutAdam,thatallDiana'splansandhopesanddreamsinvolvedhim.DianaandAdamweremeanttobetogether…

She thought suddenly of the way Diana's haunting green eyes brightenedwhenshesaw

Adam,ofthetender,radiantlookDianagoteventalkingabouthim.

AndAdamlovedDianatoo.Cassieknewthatassurelyassheknewherownfeelings.AdamidolizedDiana;headoredherwithaloveaspureandstrongandindestructibleasDiana'sforhim.

ButCassieknewnowthatAdamlovedheraswell.Howcouldyoulovetwopeople?Howcouldyoubeinlovewithtwoatthesametime?Still,therewasnowaytodenyit.ThechemistrybetweenherselfandAdam;theempathy,thebondthatdrewthemtogether,couldn'tbeignored.Clearly,itwaspossibletolovetwodifferentpeopleatonce.

AndDianahadthefirstclaim.

"You still love her,"Cassiewhispered, needing to confirm it.An achewasbeginningdeepinsideher.

Heshuthiseyes."Yes."Hisvoicewasragged."God,Cassie—I'msorry…"

"No,that'sgood,"shesaid.Sheknewtheachenow.Itwasthepainofloss,ofemptiness,anditwasgrowing."BecauseIdo,too.AndIdon'twanttohurther.Ineverwanted tohurt her.That'swhy I promisedmyself I'd never let either ofyouknow…"

"It'smyfault,"hesaid,andshecouldheartheself-condemnationinhisvoice."I should have realized sooner. I should have recognized how I felt and dealtwithit.Instead,Iforcedyouintoexactlywhatyouweretryingtoprevent."

"Youdidn't forceme,"Cassiesaidsoftly,honestly.Hervoicewasquietandsteady;everythingwassimpleandclearagain,andsheknewwhatshehadtodo."Itwasbothourfaults.Butthatdoesn'tmatter,theonlythingthatmattersisthatitcanneverhappenagain.Wehavetomakesureofthat,somehow."

"Buthow?"hesaidbleakly."Wecanbesorryallwewant—Icanhatemyself—butifwe'reeveraloneagain…Idon'tknowwhatwillhappen."

"Thenwecan'tbealone.Ever.Andwecan'tsitneareachother,ortouch,orevenletourselvesthinkaboutit."Shewastellinghimwhattodo,butshewasn'tafraid.Shefeltonlythecertaintyofwhatshewassaying.

Hiseyesweredark."Iadmireyourself-control,"hesaid,evenmorebleakly.

"Adam,"shesaid,andshefeltthemeltinginsideherjustatsayinghisname."Wehave to.When you came backTuesday night aftermy initiation,when IrealizedthatyouandDiana…Well,thatnightIsworeIwouldneverletDianabehurt becauseofhow I felt aboutyou. I swore I'dneverbetrayher.Doyouwanttobetrayher?"

Therewasasilence,andshefelttheinvoluntaryheaveofhislungs.Andwithherinnersensesshefelthisagony.Thenhelethisbreathoutandshuthiseyesagain.Whenheopenedthem,shesawhisanswerbeforehespokeit,andfeltitashisarms releasedherandhe satback, thecoldair rushing inbetween theirbodies,separatingthematlast.

"No,"hesaid,andtherewasnewstrengthinhisvoice.Andinhisfaceanewresolution.

They looked at each other then, not like lovers, but like soldiers. Likecomrades-in-armsutterlydeterminedtoreachsomecommongoal.Theirpassionhelddownandlockedaway,sodeepthatnooneelsewouldeverseeit.Itwasanew closeness, maybe even more intimate than the trust of boyfriend andgirlfriend.Whateverhappened,whateveritcostthem,theywouldnotbetraythegirltheybothloved.

Lookingrightintohereyes,hesaid,"Whatoathwasityousworethatnight?Wasitoneyougotfromsomebody'sBookofShadows?"

"No," Cassie said, and then she stopped. "I don't know," she qualified. "Ithought I was making it up, but now it seems like it might have come fromsomethinglonger.Itjustwent,'Notbywordorlookordeed…'"

Hewasnodding."I've readonewith those lines. It'sold—and it'spowerful.You call on the four Powers to witness you, and if you ever break the oath,they'refreetoriseagainstyou.Doyouwanttoswearitagainnow?Withme?"

The abruptness of his question tookher breath away.But shewas eternallyproudofherselfthatwithscarcelyanyhesitationshespokeclearly."Yes."

"Weneedblood."He stoodand tookaknifeoutofhisbackpocket.Cassiethoughtshewassurprised,thendecidedshewasn't.HoweverniceaguyAdammightbe,hewasusedtotakingcareofhimself.

Withoutanyparticularflourish,hecuthispalm.Thebloodshowedblack inthedimsilverylight.Thenhehandedtheknifetoher.

Cassie sucked in her breath. She wasn't brave, she hated pain… But shegrittedher teethandput theknifeagainstherpalm. Just thinkof thepainyoucouldhavecausedDiana,shethought,andwithaquickmotionshebroughttheknifedownward.Ithurt,butshedidn'tmakeanynoise.

ShelookedupatAdam.

"Now,sayafterme,"hesaid.Heheldhispalmuptothestar-filledsky."Fire,Air,Earth,Water."

"Fire,Air,Earth,Water…"

"Listenandwitness."

"Listenandwitness."Despitethesimplewords,Cassiefeltthattheelementshad indeedbeenevokedandwere listening.Thenighthadasuddenfeelingofelectricity, and the stars overhead seemed to burn colder and brighter.Goosefleshbrokeoutonherskin.

Adamturnedhishandsidewayssothattheblackdropsfellontothescragglybeachgrassandthesandyearth.Cassiewatched,mesmerized."I,Adam,swearnottobetraymytrust—nottobetrayDiana,"hesaid.

"I,Cassie, swear not to betraymy trust…" shewhispered, andwatchedherownbloodtrickleoffthesideofherhand.

"Not by word, or look, or deed, waking or sleeping, by speech or bysilence…"

Sherepeateditinawhisper.

"…inthislandoranyother.IfIdo,mayfireburnme,airsmotherme,earthswallowme,andwatercovermygrave."

Sherepeatedit.Asshespokethelastwords,"andwatercovermygrave,"shefeltasnapping,asifsomethinghadbeensetinmotion.Asifthefabricofspaceandtimerightherehadbeenplucked,.once,andwasresonatingbackintoplace.Breathheld,shelistenedtoitamoment.

ThenshelookedatAdam."It'sover,"shewhispered,andshedidn'tjustmeantheoath.

Hiseyeswerelikesilver-edgeddarkness."It'sover,"hesaid,andreachedhisbloodstainedpalmout to her.Shehesitated, then tookhis handwithher own.She felt, or imagined she felt, their blood mingling, falling to the groundtogether.Asymbolofwhatcouldneverbe.

Then,slowly,hereleasedher.

"You'llgivetherosebacktoDiana?"sheaskedsteadily.

Hetookthechalcedonypieceoutofhispocket,heldit in thepalmthatwasstillwet."I'llgiveittoher."

Cassie nodded.She couldn't saywhat shemeant,whichwas thatwhere thestonebelonged,Adambelonged.

"Goodnight,Adam,"shesaidsoftlyinstead,lookingathimstandingthereonthebluffwiththenightskybehindhim.Thensheturnedandwalkedtowardthelightedwindows of her grandmother's house. And this time he didn't call herback.

"Oh,yes,"Cassie'sgrandmothersaid."Thiswasinthefronthallthismorning.Someone must have put it through the letter slot." She handed Cassie anenvelope.

They were sitting at the breakfast table, the Sunday morning sun shiningthroughthewindows.Cassiewasastonishedathownormaleverythingwas.

Butonelookattheenvelopeandherheartplummeted.Hernamewaswrittenonthefrontinalarge,carelesshand.Theinkwasred.

ShetoreitopenandstaredatthenoteinsidewhileherRaisinBrangotsoggy.Itread:

Cassie—

YouseeI'musingmyownnamethis time.Comeover tomyhouse(NumberSix) sometime today. I have something special I want to talk to you about.Believeme,youdon'twanttomissthis.

Loveandkisses,Faye

P.S.Don'ttellanyoneintheClubyou'recomingtoseeme.You'llunderstandwhenyougethere.

Cassie was tinglingwith alarm. Her first impulse was to call Diana, but ifDiana had been up all night purifying the skull, shewas probably exhausted.Fayewasthelastthingsheneededtodealwith.

All right, I won't disturb her, Cassie thought grimly. I'll go and see whatFaye'suptofirst.Somethingabouttheceremony,I'llbet.Ormaybeshe'sgoingtocallforaleadershipvote.

Faye'shousewasoneofthenicestonthestreet.AhousekeeperletCassiein,andsherememberedDianasayingthatFaye'smotherwasdead.Therewerealotofsingle-parentfamiliesonCrowhavenRoad.

Faye'sroomwasarichgirl'sroom.Cordlessphone,PC,TVandVCR,tonsofCDs.Huge,lushsprawlingflowerspatternedeverything,includingabedheapedwith soft cushions and embroidered pillows. Cassie sat down on the windowseat, waiting for Faye to appear. There were red candles, not lit, on thenightstand.

Suddenlythedustruffleonthebedstirred,andoutpokedthefaceofalittleorangekitten.Itwasfollowedalmostimmediatelybyalittlegrayone.

"Oh,youdarling,"Cassiesaid,enchantedinspiteofherself.Shewouldneverhave guessedFayewas the type to keep kittens. She sat very still, and to herdelight the two little creatures came all the way out. They jumped up on thewindowseatandrangedoverher,purringlikemotorboats.

Cassie giggled and squirmed as one climbed her sweater and perched,precariously,onhershoulder.Theywereadorablekittens,theorangefluffyandspikywithbabyfur,thegraysleekandtidy.Theirtinyneedleclawsprickedherastheyclimbedalloverher.Theorangeonegot inherhairandpokedbluntly

behindherear,andshelaughedagain.

Hewas tryingtonurse,kneadinghis littlepawsagainstherneck.Shecouldfeelhiscoldlittlenose.Thegrayonewasdoingthesamethingfromtheotherside.Oh,whatdarling,darlinglittle…

"Ouch!"shecried."Ow—oh,don't!Getoff,you!Getoff!"

Shepulledatthetinybodies,tryingtodetachthem.Theyweretangledinherhairandtheyhungonwithclaws—andteeth.WhenCassiefinallymanagedtoprythemaway,shealmostthrewthemtotheground.Thenherhandsflewtoherneck.

Herfingerscameawaywet.Shestaredinshockattheredness.

They'dbittenher,thelittlemonsters.Andnowtheyweresittingonthefloorandcomposedly licking thebloodoff theirchops.Asurgeofviolent revulsionpassedthroughCassie.

Fromthedoorway,Fayechuckled.

"Maybe they're not getting all their vitamins and minerals from the kittenchow,"shesaid.

Shewaslookingstunningthismorning.Hertangledpitch-blackhairwasstillwet and cascaded down in yards of natural curls. Her skin was damp andglowingagainstherburgundyrobe.

Ishouldn'thavecome,Cassie thought, feelingawaveof irrational fear.ButFayewouldn'tdaretohurthernow.Dianawouldfindout,theCirclewouldfindout.Fayemustknowshecouldn'tgetawaywithit.

Faye seated herself on the bed. "So how did you like the ceremony lastnight?"sheaskedcasually.

Iknewit."Itwasfineuntilsomethingwentwrong,"saidCassie.ThenshejustlookedatFayeagain.

Fayelaughedherrich,slowlaugh."Oh,Cassie.Ilikeyou.Ireallydo.Isawthattherewassomethingspecialaboutyoufromthebeginning.Iknowwedidn'texactlyget thebest start, but I think that'sgoing to changenow. I thinkwe'regoingtobegoodfriends."

Cassiewasspeechlessamoment.Thenshemanagedtosay,"Idon'tthinkso,Faye."

"ButIthinkso,Cassie.Andthat'swhatcounts."

"Faye…"Somehow,afterlastnightCassiefoundshehadthecouragetosaythingsshewouldn'tevenhavedreamedofsayingbefore."Faye,Idon'tthinkyouandIhavemuchincommon.AndIdon't thinkIevenwant tobegoodfriendswithyou."

Fayeonlysmiled.

"That'stoobad,"shesaid."Because,yousee,Iknowsomething,Cassie.AndIthinkit'sthesortofthingyou'dwantonlyaverygoodfriendtoknow."

TheworldrockedunderCassie'sfeet.

Fayecouldn'tbesaying—oh,shecouldn'tbesayingwhatCassiethoughtshewas. Cassie stared at the older girl, feeling something like ice congeal in herstomach.

"Yousee,"Fayewenton,"Ihappentohavea lotofotherfriends.Andtheytell me things, interesting things they see and hear around the neighborhood.Andyouknowwhat?Lastnightoneofthosefriendssawsomethingvery,veryinterestingonthebluff."

Cassiesat,hervisionblurring.

"TheysawtwopeopleonthebluffoutnearNumberTwelve.Andthosetwopeoplewere…well, shallwe say theywere getting very friendly themselves?Veryfriendly.Itwasprettyhot,thewayIheardit."

Cassietriedtospeak,butnothingcameout.

"And you'll never believe who those two people were! I wouldn't havebelieved itmyself, except that it remindedmeof a poem I'd read somewhere.Now,howdiditgo?EachnightIlieanddreamabouttheone—"

"Faye!"Cassiewasonherfeet.

Fayesmiled."Ithinkyougetthepoint.Dianahasn'treadthatparticularlittlepoem,hasshe?Ididn'tthinkso.Well,Cassie,ifyoudon'twanthertohearit,ortoknowaboutwhathappenedon thebluff lastnight, I'd sayyou'dbetter start

beingmyfriendandfast,don'tyouthink?"

"Itwasn'tlikethat,"Cassiesaid.Shewashotandshakingwithfury,withfear."Youdon'tunderstandatall—"

"OfcourseIunderstand.Adamisveryattractive.AndIalwayssuspectedthat'eternalfidelity' routineof theirswasjustanact.Idon'tblameyou,Cassie.It'sverynatural…"

"Thatisn'twhathappened.There'snothingbetweenus—"

Fayesmirked."FromwhatIhear,therewasverylittlebetweenyoulastnight—sorry.No,really,I'dliketobelieveyou,Cassie,butIwonderifDianawillseeit the same way. Especially after she learns how you conveniently forgot tomentionthatyou'dmetherboyfriendoverthesummer—whenheawakenedyou,Ibelieve.Howdidthatpoemgoagain?"

"No…"Cassiewhispered.

"And then thewayyou looked at himwhenhe appeared after the initiationceremony—well,Dianadidn'tseethat,butImustadmitthatmysuspicionswerearoused.Thelittlesceneonthebluffonlyclinchedit.WhenItellDiana—"

"You can't," Cassie said desperately. "You can't tell her. Please, Faye. Shewon'tunderstand.It'snotthatwayatall,butshewon'tunderstand."

Fayecluckedhertongue."ButCassie,Dianaismycousin.Mybloodrelation.Ihavetotellher."

Cassiefeltlikearatrunningfranticallyinamaze,searchingforawayoutthatdidn'texist.Panicwaspoundinginherears.Fayecouldn'ttellDiana.Itcouldn'thappen. The thought of how Diana would look—of how she would look atCassie…

AndatAdam.Thatwasalmostworse.Shewouldthinktheyhadbetrayedher,thatCassieandAdamhadtrulybetrayedher.Andhowshewouldlookthen…howAdamwouldlook…

Cassiecouldstandanythingbutthat.

"Youcan't,"shewhispered."Youcan't."

"Well, Cassie, I told you before. If we were friends, really good friends, I

might be able to keep your secret. Diana and I may be cousins, but I'd doanything formy friends.And,"Faye said deliberately, her honey-colored eyesneverleavingCassie'sface,"Iexpectthemtodoanythingforme."

Itwas then, at last, thatCassie realizedwhat thiswas all about.Everythingwent still aroundher, too still.Herheartgaveonegreat thumpand seemed tosinklikelead.Downanddownanddown.

Fromthebottomofapit,sheaskedFayeemptily,"Whatkindofthing?"

Faye smiled. She leaned back against the bed, relaxed, the robe parting torevealonebareshapelyleg.

"Well, letmesee,"shesaidslowly,drawing themomentout, relishing it."Iknow therewas something…oh, yes. I'd really like to have that crystal skullAdamfound.I'msureyouknowwhereDiana'skeepingit.Andifnot,I'msureyoucouldfindout."

"No,"Cassiesaid,horrified.

"Yes," Faye said, and smiled again. "That's what I want, Cassie. To showwhatagoodfriendyouare.Nothingelsewilldo."

"Faye,yousawwhathappened lastnight.That skull isevil.There'salreadysomething aw-ful on the loose because of it—if you use it again,who knowswhat might happen?" And, Cassie's numbed mind suddenly suggested, whoknewwhat Fayemight be planning to use it for? "Why do youwant it?" sheblurtedout.

Fayeshookherheadtolerantly."That'smylittlesecret.Maybe,ifwebecomegoodenoughfriends,I'llshowyoulater."

"Iwon'tdoit.Ican't.Ican't,Faye."

"Well, that's too bad." Faye's eyebrows lifted, and she pursed her full lips."Because thatmeans I'mgoing tohave to callDiana. I thinkmycousinhas arighttoknowwhatherboyfriendisdoing."

Shereachedforthephoneandpushedbuttonswithanelegant,scarlet-tippedfinger.

"Hello,Diana?Isthatyou?"

"No!"Cassiecried,andgrabbedFaye'sarm.Fayepushedthemutebutton.

"Doesthismean,"shesaidtoCassie,"thatwehaveadeal?"

Cassiecouldn'tformayesorno.

Faye reachedout andcaughtCassie's chin inherhand, as shehad that firstdayontheschoolsteps.Cassiecouldfeelthehardnessoflongnails,thecoolnessand strength of Faye's fingers. Fayewas staring at herwith those eyes, thosestrangehoney-coloredeyes.Falconshaveyelloweyes,Cassiethoughtsuddenly,wildly.AndFaye'sfingersgrippedherliketalons.Therewasnoescape.Shewastrapped…caught…likeawhitemousecaughtbyabirdofprey.

Thegoldeneyeswerestillstaringather…intoher.Shewassolightheaded,soafraid.And this time therewasno rockbeneathher feet to steadyher.ShewasinFaye'ssecond-floorbedroom,trappedawayfromanyhelp.

"Dowehaveadeal?"Fayesaidagain.

Noescape.Nohope.Cassie'svisionwasblurring,goingdim;shecouldbarelyhearFayeovertherushinginherears.

Shefeltthelastdropsofresistance,ofwill,drainoutofher.

"Well?"saidFayeinherthroaty,mockingvoice.

Blindly,scarcelyknowingwhatshewasdoing,Cassienodded.

Fayereleasedher.

Then she pushed the mute button again. "Sorry, Diana, I got the wrongnumber. Imeant to call theMaytag repairman. 'Bye now!"Andwith that shehungup.

Shestretchedlikeagiantcat,replacingthephoneonthenightstandasshelayback.ThensheputherarmsbehindherheadandlookedatCassie,smiling.

"Allright,"shesaid."Thefirstthingis,yougetmethatskull.Andafterthat…well,afterthatI'llthinkofwhatelseIwant.YourealizethatfromnowonIownyou,Cassie."

"I thought,"Cassiewhispered, stillunable tosee for thegraymist, "thatwewerefriends."

"Thatwasjustaeuphemism.Thetruthisthatyou'remycaptivefromnowon.Iownyounow,CassieBlake.Iownyoubodyandsoul."

Don'tmisstheexcitingcontinuationof

TheSecretCircle

VolumeII:THECAPTIVE

One

Fire, Cassie thought. All around her she saw blazing autumn colors. Theyellow-orange of sugar maples, the brilliant red of sassafras, the crimson ofsumacbushes.ItwasasiftheentireworldwereflamingwithFaye'selement.

AndI'mtrappedinthemiddleofit.

ThesickfeelinginthepitofCassie'sstomachgotworsewitheverystepshetookdownCrowhavenRoad.

TheyellowVictorianhouseatthebottomoftheroadlookedasprettyasever.Sunlight was striking rainbow sparks off a prism which hung in the highesttowerwindow.Agirlwithlonglight-brownhaircalledoutfromtheporch.

"Hurryup,Cassie!You'relate!"

"Sorry,"Cassiecalledback,tryingtohurrywhenwhatshereallywantedtodowas turn around and run the other way. She had the sudden, inexplicableconviction that her private thoughtsmust show inher face.Laurelwould takeonelookatherandknowallaboutwhathadhappenedwithAdamlastnight,andallaboutthebargainwithFaye.

ButLaureljustgrabbedherbythewaistandhustledherinsideandupstairstoDiana's bedroom. Diana was standing in front of the large walnut cabinet;Melaniewassittingonthebed.Seanwaspercheduneasilyinthewindowseat,rubbinghiskneeswithhispalms.

Adamwasstandingbesidehim.

HelookedupasCassiecamein.

Cassiemet thoseblue-grayeyesforonlyan instant,but itwas longenough.Theywerethecoloroftheoceanatitsmostmysterious,sunlitonthesurfacebutwithincomprehensibledepthsunderneath.Therestofhisfacewasthesameasever: arresting and intriguing, pride showing in the high cheekbones anddeterminedmouth,butsensitivityandhumorshowingtheretoo.HisfacelookeddifferentonlybecauselastnightCassiehadseenthoseeyesmidnight-bluewithpassion,hadfeltthatmouth…

Not byword or look or deed, she told herself fiercely, staring down at theground because she didn't dare look up again.But her heartwas pounding sohardsheexpectedtoseethefrontofhersweaterfluttering.Oh,God,howwasshe ever going to be able to carry this off and keep her vow? It took anincredible amount of energy to sit down byMelanie and not look at him, toblockthecharismaticheatofhispresenceoutofhermind.

You'dbettergetusedtoit,shetoldherself.Becauseyou'regoingtobedoingalotofitfromnowon.

"Good;we'reallhere,"Dianasaid.Shewentoverandshutthedoor."Thisisaclosedmeeting," shewent on, turning back to the group. "The others weren'tinvitedbecauseI'mnotsuretheyhavethesameinterestsatheartaswedo."

"That'sputtingitmildly,"Laurelsaidunderherbreath.

"They'regoingtobeupsetiftheyfindout,"Seansaid,hisblackeyesdartingbetweenAdamandDiana.

"Then let them be," Melanie said unemotionally. Her own cool gray eyesfixedonSean,andheflushed."ThisismuchmoreimportantthananyfitFayecanthrow.Wehavetofindoutwhathappenedtothatdarkenergy…andnow."

"I think Iknowaway,"saidDiana.Outofawhitevelvetpouchshe tookadelicategreenstoneonasilverchain.

"Apendulum,"Melaniesaidatonce.

"Yes. This is peridot," Diana said to Cassie. "It's a visionary stone—right,Melanie?Usuallyweuseclearquartzas apendulum,but this time I think theperidotisbetter—morelikelytopickuptracesofthedarkenergy.We'lltakeitdown to the place where the dark energy escaped, and it'll align itself in the

directiontheenergywentandstartswinging."

"Wehope,"Laurelmurmured.

"Well,that'sthetheory,"Melaniesaid.

DianalookedatAdam,whohadbeenunusuallyquiet."Whatdoyouthink?"

"Ithinkit'sworthatry.It'lltakealotofmentalpowertobackitup,though.We'llallhavetoconcentrate—especiallysincewe'renotafullCircle."Hisvoicewascalmandeven,andCassieadmiredhimforit.ShekeptherfaceturnedinDiana'sdirection, thoughasamatteroffacthereyeswerefixedonthewalnutcabinet.

DianaturnedtoCassie."Whataboutyou?"

"Me?"Cassiesaid,startled,tearinghereyesawayfromthecabinetdoor.Shehadn't expected to be asked; she didn't know anything about pendulums orperidot.Toherhorror,shefeltherfaceredden.

"Yes,you.Youmightbenewtothemethodsweuse,butalotofthetimeyouhavefeelingsaboutthings."

"Oh.Well…"Cassietriedtosearchherfeelings,scrabblingtogetbeyondtheguiltandterrorthatwereuppermost."Ithink…it'sagoodidea,"shesaidfinally,knowinghowlamethatsounded."Itseemsfinetome."

Melanierolledhereyes,butDiananoddedasseriouslyasshehadatAdam."Allright,then,theonlythingtodoistry,"shesaid,droppingtheperidotanditssilverchainintothepalmofherlefthandandclaspingittightly."Let'sgo."

Cassiecouldn'tbreathe;shewasstillreelingfromtheimpactofDiana'scleargreen eyes, slightly darker than the peridot but with that same delicatetransparency,asiftherewerelightshiningbehindthem.

I can't do it, she thought. She was surprised at how stark and simpleeverythingwasnowthatshehadactuallylookedDianaintheeyes.Ican'tdoit.I'll have to tellFaye—no, I'll tellDiana.That's it. I'll tellDianamyselfbeforeFayecan,andI'llmakeherbelieveme.She'llunderstand;Dianaissogood,she'llhavetounderstand.

Everyonehadgottenup.Cassiegotuptoo,turningtowardthedoortohideheragitation—should I tell her rightnow?Askher to staybackaminute?—when

thedoorflewopeninherface.

Fayewasstandinginthedoorway.

SuzanandDeborahwerebehindher.Thestrawberryblondelookedmean,andthe biker's habitual scowl was even darker than usual. Behind them were theHendersonbrothers,ChrisfrowningandDouggrinninginawildwaythatwasdisturbing.

"Going somewherewithout us?"Faye said.Shewas speaking toDiana, buthereyesremainedfixedonCassie.

"Notnow,"Laurelmuttered.

Diana let out a deep breath. "I didn't think you'd be interested," she said."We'regoingtotracethedarkenergy."

"Notinterested?.Whenalltherestofyouaresobusy?Ofcourse,Icanonlyspeak formyself, but I'm interested in everything theCircledoes.What aboutyou,Deborah?"

Thebikergirl'sscowlchangedbrieflyintoamaliciousgrin."I'minterested,"shesaid.

"Andwhataboutyou,Suzan?"

"I'minterested,"Suzanchimedin.

"Andwhataboutyou,Chris?"

"I'm—"

"Allright,"Dianasaid.Hercheekswereflushed;

Adamhadcometostandatherside."Wegetthepoint.We'rebetteroffwithafullCircle,anyway—butwhere'sNick?"

"Ihavenoidea,"Fayesaidcoolly."He'snotathome."

Dianahesitated, then shrugged. "We'll doourbestwithwhatwehave," shesaid."Let'sgodowntothegarage."

ShegesturedatMelanieandLaurelandtheywentfirst,elbowingpastFaye'sgroup,wholookedasif theywantedtostayandarguesomemore.Adamtook

chargeofSean andgot himout thedoor, thenbeganherding theHendersons.DeborahandSuzanlookedatFayeandthenfollowedtheguys.

Cassiehadbeenhangingback,hopingforthechancetospeaktoDianaalone.ButDianaseemedtohaveforgottenher;shewasengagedinastaredownwithFaye. Finally, head high, she walked past the tall girl who was still semi-blockingthedoorway.

"Diana…"Fayecalled.Dianadidn'tlookback,buthershoulderstensed:shewaslistening.

"You'regoingtolosethemall,"Fayesaid,andshechuckledherlazychuckleasDianawentontothestaircase.

Biting her lip, Cassie stepped forward furiously.One good shove in Faye'smiddle, she was thinking. But Faye rounded smoothly on her, blocking thedoorwaycompletely.

"Oh,noyoudon't.Weneedtotalk,"shesaid.

"Idon'twanttotalktoyou."

Fayeignoredher."Isitinhere?"Shemovedquicklytothewalnutcabinetandpulledatahandle,but thedrawerwas locked.Theyallwere."Damn.Butyoucan find out where she keeps the key. I want it as soon as possible, do youunderstand?"

"Faye,you'renotlisteningtome!I'vechangedmymind.I'mnotgoingtodoitafterall."

Faye, who had been prowling around the room like a panther, takingadvantageof thisuniqueopportunity toexamineDiana's things,stoppedinhertracks.ThensheturnedslowlytoCassie,andsmiled.

"Oh,Cassie,"shesaid."Youreallykillme."

"I'm serious. I've changedmymind." Faye just smiled at her, leaning backagainst the wall and shaking her head. Her heavy-lidded golden eyes wereglowingwithamusement,hermaneofpitch-blackhairfellacrosshershouldersasherheadmoved.Shehadneverlookedmorebeautiful—ormoredangerous.

"Cassie, come here." Faye's voice was just slightly edged with impatience,likea teacherwho'sputupwitha lot fromabackwardstudent. "Letmeshow

yousomething,"Fayewenton,catchingCassie'selbowanddragginghertothewindow."Now,lookdownthere.Whatdoyousee?"

Cassiestoppedfightingand looked.Shesaw theClub, the in-crowdatNewSalemhigh school, thekidswhoawed—and terrorized—students and teachersalike.Shesaw themgathered inDiana'sdriveway, theirheadsgleaming in thefirstraysofsunset:Suzan'sstrawberry-blondhairturnedtored,Deborah'sdarkcurls touched with ruby, Laurel's long, light-brown hair and Melanie's shortauburn and the Henderson brothers' dishevelled yellow all highlighted by theruddyglowinthesky.

AndshesawAdamandDiana,standingclose,Diana'ssilveryheaddroopingtoAdam'sshoulder.Hewasholdingherprotectively,hisownhairdarkaswine.

Faye'svoicecamefrombehindCassie."Ifyoutellher,you'llkillher.You'lldestroyherfaithineverythingshe'severbelievedin.Andyou'll takeawaytheonlythingshehastotrust,torelyon.Isthatwhatyouwant?"

"Faye…"Cassieseethed.

"And,incidentally,you'llgetyourselfbanishedfromtheClub.Youknowthat,don'tyou?Howdoyou thinkMelanieandLaurel aregoing to feelwhen theyhear that youmessed aroundwithDiana's boyfriend?None of themwill everspeaktoyouagain,noteventomakeafullCircle.Thecovenwillbedestroyedtoo."

Cassie's teethwereclenched.ShewantedtohitFaye,but itwouldn'tdoanygood.BecauseFayewasright.Cassiethoughtshecouldstandbeingblackballed,beingapariahatschoolagain;sheeventhoughtshecouldstanddestroyingthecoven.ButthepictureofDiana'sface…

ItwouldkillDiana.BythetimeFayegotfinishedtellingitherway,itwould.Cassie's fantasyof confessing toDianaandhavingDianaunderstandvanishedlikeaprickedsoapbubble.

"AndwhatIwantissoreasonable,"Fayewasgoingon,almostcrooning."Ijustwanttolookattheskullforalittlewhile.IknowwhatI'mdoing.You'llgetitforme,won'tyou,Cassie?Won'tyou?Today?"Cassieshuthereyes.Againstherclosedeyelidsthelightwasredasfire.

Two

SomewhereonthewaydownstairsCassiestoppedfeelingguilty.

She didn't know exactly how it happened.But itwasnecessary, if shewasgoingtosurvivethis.ShewasdoingeverythingshecouldtoprotectDiana—andAdam,too,inaway.AdammustneverknowaboutFaye'sblackmail.SoCassiewoulddowhateverittooktoprotectthemboth,butbyGodshewasn'tgoingtofeelguiltyontopofit.

ShehadtohandleFayesomehowaswell,she thought,marchingbehindthetallgirlpastDiana's father's study.Shehad tokeepFaye fromdoinganythingtooradicalwith theskull.Shedidn'tknowhow;she'dhave to thinkabout thatlater,butsomehowshewoulddoit.

If Faye had looked back just then, Cassie thought, she might have beensurprised to see the face of the girl behind her. For the first time in her life,Cassiefeltasifhereyeswerehard,likethebluesteelofarevolverinsteadofthesoftblueofwildflowers.

Butrightnowshehadtolookneutral—composed.

ThegrouponthedrivewaylookedupassheandFayecameoutthedoor.

"Whattookyousolong?"Laurelasked.

"We were plotting to kill you all," Faye said breezily. "Shall we?" Shegesturedatthegarage.

Therewereonlytracesofyesterday'schalkcircleleftonthefloor.Onceagainthegaragewasemptyofcars—theywereluckyDiana'sfatherworkedsomuchathislawfirm.

Diana,her left fist still closed,wentover to thewall of thegarage,directlybehind the place Cassie had been sitting when they had performed the skullceremony.Cassiefollowedherandthendrewinherbreathsharply.

"It'sburned." She hadn't noticed that last night.Well, of course not; it hadbeentoodark.

Dianawasnodding."Ihopenobody isgoing tokeeparguingaboutwhethertherewasanydarkenergyornot,"shesaid,withaglancebackatDeborahandSuzan.

Thewoodandplasterofthegaragewallwascharredinacircleperhapsafootandahalfindiameter.Cassielookedatit,andthenattheremnantsofthechalkcircleonthefloor.Shehadbeensittingthere,butpartofherhadbeeninsidetheskull.Dianahadtoldthemalltolookintoit,toconcentrate,andsuddenlyCassiehadfoundherselfinsideit.Thatwaswhereshe'dseen—felt—thedarkpower.Ithad begun rushing outward, getting bigger, determined to break out of thecrystal.Andshe'dseenaface…

Shewasgrateful,suddenly,forAdam'scalmvoice.

"Well,weknowwhatdirection it started in, anyway.Let's see if thecrystalagrees."

TheywereallstandingaroundDiana.Shelookedat them,thenheldher leftfistout,palmup,andunclaspedthefingers.Shetookthetopofthesilverchainwith her right hand and drew it up taut, so that the peridot just rested on herpalm.

"Concentrate," she said. "Earth and Air, help us see what we need to see.Showthetracesofthedarkenergytous.Everybodyconcentrateonthecrystal."

EarthandAir,windandtree,showuswhatweneed tosee,Cassie thought,hermindautomaticallysettingthesimpleconceptinarhyme.Thewoodofthewall,theairoutside;thatwaswhattheyneededtohelpthem.Shefoundherselfmurmuring thewordsunderherbreathandquickly stopped,butDiana'sgreeneyesflashedather.

"Goon,"Dianasaidtensely,inalowvoice,andshestartedupagain,feelingself-conscious.

Dianaremovedthehandthatwassupportingthecrystal.

It spun on the chain, twirling until the chain was kinked tightly, and thentwirling the other way. Cassie watched the pale green blur, murmuring thecoupletfasterandfaster.EarthandAir…no,itwasuseless.Theperidotwasjustspinningmadlylikeatopgonewild.

Suddenly,withbroad,sweepingstrokes,thecrystalbeganswingingbackand

forth.

Someone'sbreathhissedontheothersideofthecircle.

The peridot had straightened out; it was no longer twirling, but swingingsteadilyandhard.Likeapendulum,Cassierealized.Dianawasn'tdoingit—herlefthandholdingthechainremainedsteady.Buttheperidotwasswinginghard,backtowardthecenterofthechalkcircleonthefloor,andforwardtowardtheburnedplaceonthewall.

"Bingo,"Adamsaidsoftly.

"We've got it,"Melaniewhispered. "All right, now you're going to have tomoveitoutofalignmenttogetoutside.Walk—carefully—tothedoor,andthentrytocomebacktothisexactplaceontheothersideofthewall."

Dianawet her lips andnodded, then, holding the silver chain always at thesamedistancefromherbody,sheturnedsmoothlyanddidasMelaniesaid.Thecovenbrokeuptogiveherroomandregroupedaroundheroutside.Findingtheright place wasn't hard; there was another circle burned on the outer wall,somewhatfainterthantheoneinside.

As Diana brought the crystal into alignment once more, it began to swingagain. Straight toward the burned place, straight out.DownCrowhavenRoad,towardthetown.

AshudderwentupCassie'sspine.

Everyonelookedateveryoneelse.

Holding the crystal away from her, Diana followed the direction of theswinging.Theyallfellinbehindher,althoughCassienoticedFaye'sgroupkepttotherear.CassieherselfwasstillfightingeverysecondtonotwatchAdam.

Trees rustled overhead. Red maple, beech, slippery elm—Cassie couldidentifymanyofthemnow.Butshetriedtokeephereyesontherapidswishofthependulum.

They walked and walked, following the curve of Crowhaven Road downtoward thewater.Nowgrasses andhedgesgrewpoorly in the sandy soil.ThepalegreenstonewasswingingatanangleandDianaturnedtofollowit.

They were heading west now, along a deeply rutted dirt road. Cassie had

neverbeenthiswaybefore,buttheothermembersoftheCircleobviouslyhad—theywereexchangingguardedglances.Cassiesawachain-linkfenceahead,andthenanirregularlineofheadstones.

"Oh,great,"LaurelmutteredfrombesideCassie,andfromsomewhereinbackSuzansaid,"Idon'tbelievethis.Firstwehavetowalkformiles,andnow…"

"What's the problem? Just gonna visit some of our ancestors underground,"DougHendersonsaid,hisblue-greeneyesglitteringoddly.

"Shutup,"Adamsaid.

Cassiedidn'twanttogoinside.She'dseenmanycemeteriesinNewEngland—itseemedtherewasoneoneveryotherstreetinMassachusetts,andshe'dbeentoKori'sfuneraldowninthetown.Thisonedidn't lookanydifferentfromtheothers: it was a small, square plot of land cluttered withmodest gravestones,many of them worn almost completely smooth with time. But Cassie couldhardlymakeherself followtheothersonto thesparse,browninggrassbetweenthegraves.

Dianaledthemstraightdownthemiddleofthecemetery.Mostofthestonesweresmall,scarcelyreachinghigherthanCassie'sknees.Theywereshapedlikearcheswithtwosmallerarchesoneitherside.

"Whoevercarvedthesehadagruesomesenseofhumor,"shebreathed.Manyofthestoneswereetchedwithcrudeskulls,someofthemwinged,othersinfrontofcrossbones.Onehadanentireskeleton,holdingasunandmooninitshands.

"Death's victory," Faye said softly, so close that Cassie felt warmth on thenapeofherneck.Cassiejumped,butrefusedtolookback.

"Oh,terrific,"saidLaurelasDianaslowed.

Thelightwasdyingfromthesky.Theywereinthecenterofthegraveyard,andacoolbreezeblewoverthestuntedgrass,bringingafainttangofsaltwithit.ThehairsonthebackofCassie'sneckweretingling.

You're a witch, she reminded herself. You should love cemeteries. They'reprobablyyournaturalhabitat.

Thethoughtdidn'treallymakeherfeellessfrightened,butnowherfearwasmingled with something else—a sort of strange excitement. The darkness

gatheringintheskyandinthecornersofthegraveyardseemedcloser.Shewaspartofit,partofawholenewworldofshadowsandpower.

Dianastopped.

Thesilverchainwasathinlineinthegloom,withapaleblobbelowit.ButCassie could see that the peridot was no longer swinging like a pendulum.Instead it wasmoving erratically, round and round in circles. It would swingaroundafewtimesoneway,thenslowandswingbacktheotherway.

Cassie looked at it, then up atDiana's face.Dianawas frowning.Everyonewaswatchingthecirclingstoneindeadsilence.

Cassie couldn't stand the suspense any longer. "What does it mean?" shehissedtoLaurel,whojustshookherhead.Diana,though,lookedup.

"Something'swrongwithit.Itledhere—andthenitjuststopped.Butifwe'vefoundtheplace,itshouldn'tbemovingatall.Thestoneshouldjustsortofpointandquiver—right,Melanie?"

"Likeagoodhounddog,"Dougsaid,withhiswildgrin.

Melanie ignored him. "That's the theory," she said. "Butwe've never reallytriedthisbefore.Maybeitmeans…"Hervoicetrailedoffasshelookedaroundthegraveyard,andthensheshrugged."Idon'tknowwhatitmeans."

The tingling at the back of Cassie's neck was getting stronger. The darkenergyhadcomehere—anddonewhat?Disappeared?Dissipated?Or…

Laurel was breathing quickly, her elfin face unusually tense. Cassieinstinctively moved a little closer to her. She and Laurel and Sean were thejuniors,theyoungestmembersoftheCircle,andwitchornot,Cassie'sarmshadbrokenoutingooseflesh.

"Whatifit'sstillhere,somewhere…waiting?"shesaid.

"I doubt it," Melanie said, her voice as level and uninflected as usual. "Itcouldn'thangaroundwithoutbeingstoredsomehow;itwouldjustevaporate.Iteithercamehereanddidsomething,or—"Again,though,shecouldonlyfinishhersentencewithashrug.

"Butwhatcoulditdohere?Idon'tseeanysignsofdamage,andIfeel…"Stillfrowning,Diana caught the circling peridot in her left hand and held it. "This

placefeelsconfused—strange—butIdon'tsenseanyharmthedarkenergyhasdone.Cassie?"

Cassie tried to searchherown feelings.Confusion—asDiana said.Andshefeltdreadandangerandallsortsofchurned-upemotions—butmaybethatwasjusther.Shewasinnostatetogetaclearreadingonanything.

"Idon'tknow,"shehadtosaytoDiana."Idon'tlikeithere."

"Maybe,butthat'snotthepoint.Thepointisthatwedon'tseeanyburnsthedarkenergycouldhaveleft,orsenseanythingit'sdestroyedorhurt,"Dianasaid.

Deborah'svoicewasimpatient."Whyareyouaskingher,anyway?"shesaidwithajerkofherdarkheadtowardCassie."She'shardlyevenoneofus—"

"Cassie belongs to the Circle just as much as you do," Adam interrupted,unusuallycurt.Cassiesawthearch,amusedglanceFayethrewhimandwantedto intervene, but Diana was agreeing heatedly with Adam and Deborah wasbridling,glaringatbothofthem.Itlookedasifanargumentwouldbreakout.

"Bequiet!"Laurelsaidsharply."Listen!"

Cassiehearditassoonasthevoicesdieddown;thequietcrunchofgravelatthe roadside. It was noticeable only against the deathly quiet of the autumntwilight.

"Somebody'scoming,"ChrisHendersonsaid.HeandDougwerepoisedforafight.

They were all hideously on edge, Cassie realized. The crunch of footstepssoundedasloudasfirecrackersnow,gratingagainsthertautnerves.Shesawadimshapebesidetheroad,andthensawAdammoveforward,sothathewasinfront of bothDiana and her. I'm going to have to talk to him about that, shethoughtirrelevantly.

There was a pause in the footsteps, and the dim shape came toward them.Adam and the Henderson brothers looked ready to rush it. Quarrel forgotten,Deborahlookedreadytoo.SeanwascoweringbehindFaye.Cassie'sheartbegantopound.

Thenshenoticedaspotofredlikeatinyburningcoalfloatingnearthefigure,andsheheardafamiliarvoice.

"Ifyouwantme,yougotme.Fouragainstoneoughttobeaboutfair."

Withawhoop,ChrisHendersonrushedforward."Nick!"

Doug grinned, while managing to look as if he might still jump theapproachingfigure.Adamrelaxedandsteppedback.

"Yousure,Adam?Wecansettlethisrighthere,"Nicksaidashereachedthegroup,theendofhiscigaretteglowingasheinhaled.Adam'seyesnarrowed,andthenCassie saw the daredevil smile he'dworn atCapeCodwhen a bunch ofguyswithagunhadbeenchasinghim.Whatiswrongwithhim,what'swrongwitheverybodytonight?shewondered.They'reallactingcrazy.

DianaputarestraininghandonAdam'sarm."Nofighting,"shesaidquietly.

Nick looked at her, then shrugged. "Kind of nervous, aren't you?" he said,surveyingthegroup.

SeanemergedfrombehindFaye."I'mjusthigh-strung."

"Yes,yououghttobe—fromatree,"Fayesaidcontemptuously.

Nickdidn't smile,but then,Nicknever smiled.His facewashandsome,butcold."Well,maybeyouhaveareasontobenervous—atleastsomeofyou,"hesaid.

"What's that supposed tomean?We camehere looking for the dark energythatescapedlastnight,"saidAdam.

Nickwent still, as if struckby anew idea, thenhis cigarette glowed again."Maybeyou'relookinginthewrongplace,"hesaidexpressionlessly.

Diana'svoicewasquiet."Nick,willyoupleasejusttelluswhatyoumean?"

Nick looked around at them all. "Imean," he said deliberately, "that whileyou've been scurrying around here, a crew's been up at Devil's Cove pullingrocksoffoldFogle."

Fogle?Cassiecouldn'tplace thename.And thensuddenlyshesaw it inhermind's eye—on a brass plate in a wood-paneled office. "Our principal?" shegasped.

"Yougotit.Theysayhegotcaughtinanavalanche."

"Anavalanche?"demandedLaurelindisbelief."Aroundhere?"

"How else do you explain the two-ton chunk of granite thatwas on top ofhim?Nottomentionallthesmallerstuff."

Therewasamomentofshockedsilence.

"Ishe…"Cassiecouldn'tfinishthequestion.

"Hewasn'tlookingsowellwhentheygotthatchunkoffhim,"Nicksaid,andthen,withlesssarcasm,"He'sbeendeadsincelastnight."

"Oh,God,"Laurelwhispered.Therewasanothersilence,justasshockedandevenlongerthistime.Cassieknewtheywereallseeingthesamething:Acrystalskullsurroundedbyaprotectiveringofcandles—andoneofthecandlesgoingout.

"It was Faye's fault," Sean began in a whine, but Faye interrupted withoutlookingathim."Itwashisfault."

"Wait,wait,"saidDiana."Wedon'tknowthedarkenergyhadanythingtodowithit.Howcouldithave,whenweknowitcamehereandthenstopped?"

"Idon'tthinkthat'smuchcomfort,"Melaniesaidinalowvoice."Becauseifitwasn'tthedarkenergy,whowasit?"

Therewasasortofstrangeshiftinginthegroup,asifeveryonewasstandingbackand lookingat all theothers.Cassie felt avoid in thepitofher stomachagain.Theprincipalwas—hadbeen—anoutsider,whohatedwitches.Andthatmeanttheyallhadamotive—especiallyanybodywhoblamedtheoutsidersforKoriHenderson'sdeath.ShelookedatDeborah,andthenatChrisandDoug.

Most of the rest of the covenwas doing the same.Doug glared back, thengaveawild,defiantgrin.

"Maybewediddoit,"hesaid,eyesglittering.

"Didwe?"saidChris,lookingconfused.

Deborahjustlookedscornful.

Therewasanother silence, thenSuzanspoke inapetulantvoice. "Look, it'stoobadaboutFogle,butdowehavetostandhereforever?Myfeetarekillingme."

Adamseemedtoshakehimself."She'sright;weshouldgetoutofthisplace.There's nothing we can do here." He put an arm around Diana, and gesturedeverybodyelseahead.Cassielingered.TherewassomethingshewantedtosaytoDiana.

But Diana was moving now, and Cassie didn't have a chance. With theHendersonbrothers in the lead, thegroupwas takingadifferentroute than theone theyhad taken in,cutting toward thenortheastcornerof thecemetery.Asthey approached the road, Cassie noticed the groundwas rising. Therewas astrangemoundofgrassyearthnearthechain-linkfenceonthisside;shealmosttrippedwhenshereachedit.Butevenstrangerwaswhatshesawwhentheyhadpasseditandshelookedback.

The front of themoundwas facedwith stone slabs, and there was an irondoor,maybetwofeetsquare,setbetweenthem.Thedoorhadanironhingeandapadlockonit,but itcouldn'thaveopenedanyway.Pushedrightupagainst itwasalarge,irregularhunkofcement.Grasswasgrowinguparoundthecement,showingithadbeenthereawhile.

Cassie'shandswereicycold,herheartwasthudding,andshewasdizzy.Shetriedtothink,noticingwithonlypartofhermindthatshewaspassingbynewergravestonesnow,marbleslabswithwritingnotwornsmoothbytime.Shewastrying to figure out what was wrong with her—was it just reaction to all theeventsofthepastdayandnight?Wasthatwhyshewasshaking?

"Cassie, are you okay?" Diana and Adam had turned around. Cassie wasgratefulforthegrowingdarknessasshefacedbothofthemandtriedtogethermindclear.

"Yeah.Ijust—feltweirdforaminute.Butwait,Diana."Cassierememberedwhat she hadwanted to say. "You know how youwere askingme aboutmyfeelingsbefore…well, Ihavea feelingaboutMr.Fogle.Thedarkenergyhadsomethingtodowithit,I'malmostsure.But…"Shestopped."ButIdon'tknow.There'ssomethingstrangegoingon."

"Youcansay thatagain,"Adamsaid,andhereachedforherarmtogethermovingoncemore.

Cassie evaded him and shot him a reproachful glance while Diana waslookingintothedistance.Helookedathisownhand,startled.

Therewassomethingstrangegoingon,somethingstrangerthananyofthemrealized,Cassiethought."Whatisthatthingbackthere,withtheirondoor?"sheasked.

"It's been there for as long as I can remember," Diana said absently."Somethingtodowithstorage,Ithink."

Cassieglancedback,butbynowthemoundwaslostindarkness.Shehuggedherself,tuckingherhandsunderherclaspingarmstowarmthem.Herheartwasstillthudding.

I'll askGrandmaHowardabout it, shedecided.Whatever itwas, itwasn'tastorageshed.

Then shenoticed thatDianawas toyingwith somethingaroundherneckasshe walked, lost in thought. It was a fine golden chain, and at the end of itdangledakey.