Playing Games Ch 4

Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! I wasn't expecting such insightful and helpful feedback, so thank you and keep it up! It was a close call between options 2 and 3, with about the same number of votes for each - so I have to incorporate both. I'm sorry to everyone who wanted just one or the other, but it was a tie. Just to let you know, things will take some building up to, so this is most likely a kinda-filler-ish chapter, and fairly choppy, for which I apologize. Happy reading (and reviewing)!

Cassie POV

Adam and Diana look from me to Jake and back to me in complete horror mixed with shock. "What... the... hell?" says Adam finally after an awkward pause.

"You know what, I don't even want to know," interrupts Diana, whose sixth sense regarding Adam is screaming to get him out of the room as soon as possible before a full-blown fistfight happens. She leads a spluttering Adam out of the room, and leaves Jake and me to dry. But, as she leaves, she shoots me a look that says, 'you are telling me everything later', and I can see just a glimmer of gladness that it isn't Adam that I've just had a moonlit swim with.

When we're sure Adam and Diana are upstairs, Jake and I exchange a look, and then I burst out laughing at the same time. I don't even know why. Nobody's told a joke; maybe it's the look on their faces, or just the complete absurdity of the whole situation. Jake looks at me strangely, and I stop laughing.

"What's so funny?" he asks.

"I don't even know," I reply, and there I go again. This time, Jake is laughing too; maybe with me and the as-yet-unidentified humorous incident, or maybe at my unpredictability tonight.

By the time we're dried, our clothes are wearable again and we've wrung the water from our hair, we're not saying much. I don't think either of us knows what to say, so silence engulfs us. But not an awkward silence: instead, it's a kind of peaceful silence, the kind of peaceful of the sea, after a storm.

The drive home is uncomfortable to say the least, but that's just because Adam had the great idea of coming with me... and Jake. In my car. This left Diana to drive Faye home, as she deduced that bringing home a hung-over teen back to her mother was probably best done by her, and not some boy. Especially not Jake. Somehow I get the vibe that Jake wasn't exceedingly popular with the mothers in this town.

As we get into the car, I take the driver's seat, and Jake and Adam try to race to take the passenger seat beside me. I figure that this is probably not the best start to a two-hour road trip so I basically command them both to sit at the back. They're not happy.

"So," I begin, attempting desperately to make conversation instead of withering away in a strained and tense car. "What kind of sports are you guys into?"

"Soccer," says Adam.

"Ice hockey," says Jake.

Okay, I think. Sports don't work. Let's try...

"What kind of music do you like, then?" I try.

"Rock," they both say.

Finally, something they have in common, I think.

"What kind of rock?" I continue, hoping to further the one thing apart from loathing the other that they have in common.

"Classic rock," Jake says.

"Punk rock," Adam says.

Jake scoffs slightly. "Explains the quiff," he mutters under his breath.

"What did you say?" questions Adam defensively.

"Oh, nothing," replies Jake. "I just have a cough."

I roll my eyes at their ridiculous competitiveness.

"Why you little-" Adam starts.

"Cut it out!" I plead. "I'm driving. Unless you get along or shut up, I'm going to drive your behinds into a ditch."

They shut up, for now.

Needless to say, it's a long ride home.

After we've dropped a reluctant Adam off at the boathouse, I head back to Jake's. As I park and we get out of the car, Jake walks me to my door.

"So," I say at the porch. "About last night..." I can feel a blush appearing on my cheeks as I bring up the subject.

"What about it?" Jake says.

"I'm not sure what to think about it, and I think that... We could maybe talk it out or something over a coffee," I gush. The last part I pose as a question.

I can feel his gaze burning a searing hole through me as he says, "Sure. How about tomorrow?"

"Ok," I say, trying hard to sound casual and not at all flustered. "Tomorrow."

He walks away, back to his house. I open my front door, walk in, close it, lock it and just stand, a ridiculous smile creeping up my face.

Jake POV

My phone beeps, and I know by the alert that it's a text. I check my pocket and reach for my phone. It's from Isaac.

Meet me at the boardwalk at 10.

My gaze shift quickly from the phone in my hand to Cassie's window. I can see her house from my room. Right now, I can see her, sitting at her desk, probably doing math homework and hating every second of it.

I look back at my phone, then back at Cassie. And for the first time, I'm questioning which side I'm on.

The witch hunters with one mission and one mission only, or the novice coven with a certain blonde.

I shiver as I tuck my hands into my jacket. It's a cold night, colder than usual. Maybe it's nature's way of telling me to turn around and go home. Too bad I can't.

By the boardwalk is the dark, thin form of Isaac. He turns to face me as I approach him, his pale skin luminescent in the dark, his expressionless, blank yet cruel eyes staring at me.

"I'm glad you came," he says. "It's time."

"Time?" I question.

"Yes," Isaac replies. "We've come across a certain complication and the plan has to change."

"What complication?"

"The girl – Cassie. She poses more of a threat than we realized."

I begin to panic. "Cassie? What's wrong with her?"

"Her blood," Isaac says. "It is old, and dark. Her father, John Blackwell comes from a long line of dark magic. The oldest line. The Balcoin line."

My eyes open wide. The Balcoins were the most powerful, dangerous and destructive witches, full to the brim with evil magic that eventually consume them. "How is that possible? How do you know this?" I ask.

"The Balcoins changed their name to Blackwell, but it doesn't dilute the full extent of their power. So Cassie has both Blake and Blackwell lineage. She's more than just another witch that must be exterminated. She's a threat. Only a special ceremony can cure her of her evil. For that, you need to bring her to me," explains Isaac. "And as for how I know," he adds, "I have my sources."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. Cassie, evil? It seems impossible. How could she be able to do all these bad things Isaac is telling me about? I gulp. "But surely Cassie can fight it. She's a good person, and she's a Blake. The darkness doesn't have to consume her." I can't believe I'm pleading her case. What's gotten into me?

Isaac looks at me suspiciously. "Do you... Have feelings for her?" he asks after a moment of pause.

I look the other way. "Of course not," I reply, and try to change the subject. "By when do you need her?"

"We need to channel the energy of a natural event. Bring her to me at the clearing in the woods by full moon, tomorrow night."

He walks away, leaving me with the prospect of bringing the one person that I've cared about since I left this town to their death. To betray her trust, to see the look in her eyes. I don't know how I'm going to do it.

Then don't, says that voice in my head. It's really starting to interfere with my personal life lately. There must be another way. You don't have to kill the ones you care about.

But how? I ask myself. Is there really a way out of this?

And if there is, can I find it fast enough?

Cassie POV

I pin the last stray strands of blonde frizz into place and take a final inspectoral look at myself in my mirror. Simple floral dress, cropped denim jacket and patent blue ballet flats are what I managed to find, and a pearl bracelet, pop-art tote and my mother's old pendant are all I have in the way of accessories. I feel a wave of sadness as I look at my mom's pendant. It was one of the only things that were found after the house burned down, and those five words turned my world upside down: She didn't make it out.

I give myself a shake. I can't go out on a date with the attitude of a moody, suicidal teen. I grab my keys, leave the house and jump into my car, heading into town, turning the radio up. The latest cheesy love song is playing, and I can't help but smile and hum along.

I walk into the boathouse, and see Jake immediately in a far corner. He waves as I approach him, and I can see he is decked out in his usual – leather jacket and all. I'm beginning to wonder if he ever takes it off.

"Hey," he says.

"Hi," I reply, and sit down opposite him. We make small talk, about the weather, the latest sports game, that ridiculous band on MTV last night, so on and so forth. The waiter comes and we order, Jake an espresso, me a latte. Then, I notice that Jake is looking around shiftily. I raise my eyebrows.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"What? Nothing," he replies. Now I'm convinced that something's up.

"Seriously, Jake," I say firmly.

He looks around, to check that nobody's listening. "Fine," he says. "I have something to tell you. Something really important."

I start to get worried now. What is this? Jake is never this… odd. I open my mouth to speak, but he interrupts me. "Not here," he says.

I stand up, and grab my things. "Then let's go," I say. Whatever is going on, I can tell that I need to know.

We stand up, pay hurriedly and leave the boathouse.

So, I know that this was a filler chapter, but there are a few things that needed to take place before I can get on to the good stuff. Please review, review, and review! I love to hear from you and it helps a LOT.

So get to it.