Hope you guys like the shocker at the end of this chapter! Thanks again for all of the feedback and the reviews! It really keeps me going!

I do not own the secret circle

Xoxo

H

Nick started laughing and Cassie looked over at him with an odd look in her eye "What's so funny?" she said trying not to concentrate on the fact that Nick was still holding her hand. He smiled "because Jake thinks you did something bad to me. You saved me Cassie, how can that be a bad thing?" Cassie pulled her hand away and clutched the steering wheel staring straight ahead. "I think it is great that you are alive and well, I am just really concerned with your dark magic. Jake tried to get me to control it even though my father had said you can't control it" she paused for a moment as if she was thinking really hard about something. She turned to Nick and smiled "but then again, can I really believe anything my father said to me considering what his master plan was?" Nick just smiled and didn't say anything. He knew that what her father had said and done was all a rouse. All an effort for all of the Balcoin children to come together and have dark magic take over the realm of witches. Nick knew truths that no one, not even Cassie knew a big one being the elixir. John Blackwell made up the curse that almost killed Jake in order to keep Adam and Cassie apart. He was full of resentment over the bond that Ameilia, Cassie's mother, had with Ethan, Adam's father, he was going to get his revenge regardless of who was at the receiving end of it. Nick knew that this was something he couldn't keep from Cassie, however, with all she and Eben had said about dark magic, Nick was worried about how Cassie would react.

After that, they drove most of the way in awkward silence. After Cassie pulled her hand away, Nick withdrew a little bit. He was so sure that Cassie was just being nice and only kissed him back out of obligation. That thought started to fester inside him and he felt an anger build that was like nothing he ever felt. He felt rejected and stupid and he had such detest for feeling weak that the power the anger gave him had a physical effect over him that he started shaking. He grinded his teeth and deep snarl came from his throat and all of a sudden there was a big pop and Cassie started to lose control of the car "What the hell Nick?" she said fear in her voice as she regained control and pulled the car over to the side of the road. She got out and Nick followed her. She didn't just have a flat; Nick's dark magic literally blew her tire to shreds. She went around the back of the car and opened the trunk to get to the spare. Nick was right behind her. Before she pulled out the spare she turned to him and said "What happened? What were you thinking to cause this and almost get us into an accident?" She wasn't mean and her fear seemed to subside as sympathy overtook her voice. Nick dug his hands in his pants pockets and looked at the ground, shuffling his feet. "Nick, come on you can trust me. I won't judge" she said and she tried to take his hand but he pulled away, lifting his head and meeting her blue eyes with his green ones.

"Did last night mean anything to you?" he asked brushing a hand through his dirty blonde hair. "What?" she was shocked and the conversation she so wanted to avoid had become inevitable. "That's what I thought" he said walking away from her so fast she had to run to catch up to him. She grabbed his arm "wait" she pleaded. "Cassie, when I kissed you last night I felt something between us. It was like nothing I have ever felt before" he admitted, his voice distant. She moved closer to him "I felt it too" she whispered "that kiss has been all I could think about all day" she wrapped her arms around his neck "really?" he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist, she nodded and smiled. "Than what's going on? Why were you pulling away from me before?" he asked softly. She pulled back to look at him, her arms still locked around his neck "Because you, this scares me. Every time I get close to someone they die or leave or drink some elixir to forget about me" she whispered tears starting form in her eyes. He pulled her close and held her "like I told you last night I am not going anywhere" he said into her hair. "How can you be so sure?" she choked. This time it was Nick who pulled back and shrugged "I'm not. I just know how I feel about you, about the possibility of us". Cassie learned up on her toes "there is an us?" she smiled "I'd like there to be" Nick smiled and Cassie whispered "me too let's just take it slow though" and she kissed him softly on his lips. "I'll try" he smiled mischievously as he placed his hands on either side of her face and pulled her in for a deeper kiss. He loved the way she felt, and the way she faintly tasted like Red Bull. Cassie pulled back, panting and flushed, and smiled at Nick. "Come on. I'll show you how to change a tire" she said taking a laughing Nick by the hand.

Nick was impressed that Cassie could change a tire. All he did was check to make sure the bolts were tight enough and to his surprise they were perfect. Cassie smiled as Nick put the jack and their luggage in the trunk. He was different that the Nick she remembered. He was not the cold, withdrawn Nick she remembered. He was warm and kind and made her happier than she had been in a long time, happier than she was when she was with Adam. Nick turned closed the trunk "Here let me drive you can look and see if there is anything in your father's book about destroying or taking apart the crystal skull. We should be in Minnesota in a few hours and we can stop there for the night" he suggested. Cassie tossed him the keys and got into the passenger seat. She opened her father's book still stunned by the energy that came from it whenever she opened it. She was flipping through the pages when she came across a picture of 6 crystals and a skull. "well, I found the spell my dad used to form the crystal, that's a start" Cassie said to Nick. "Anything about taking it apart?" he inquired. Cassie paused and flipped through passed the spell to form the spell "Found it" she said with a worried look on her face "but there is an issue" Cassie said sounding concerned. "What's the issue?" Nick sounded a little alarmed. "You cannot fully destroy the skull but you can break it up into separate crystals. It's quite simple. Two dark witches place their hands on the skull and picture the skull shattering into pieces and then it breaks and whoever was taken over by the skull is free" Cassie read. Nick had a skeptical look on his face "That almost sounds too easy" he noted. "Well the skull is so powerful, it is the most power I have ever felt in my entire life that the spell will only work if both dark witches don't succumb to the darkness before the skull breaks. If they can't control it then they are taken over by the skull and a dark witch with the skull is disastrous just look at my father" Cassie paused for a moment. She needed to say something to Nick but was afraid that he would get mad exploding his dark magic again. She put the book back in her bag and took Nick's hand. He looked over and his smile quickly faded when he saw the expression on her face "What is it Cassie?" he asked. "Nick I'm worried about you doing this spell with me. You have only had dark magic for about 2 days and you are far from learning how to control it. I am afraid the skull will find you vulnerable and overtake you" she admitted quietly. Nick sighed "I had a feeling you were going to say that but do we really have a choice?" Cassie shook her head "when I have ever had a choice when it came to dark magic?" She squeezed Nick's hand "just promise me you will try to control it. No matter how it tries to suck you in remember it is not real. This, you and me, now, that's real. Promise me you will remember that". Nick lifted there linked hand and placed a soft kiss on Cassie's. "I promise". Cassie smiled and closed her eyes.

"Cassie, wake up" Nick said quietly. Cassie opened her eyes to see that it was dark and that they were stopped in front of a diner. "Where are we?" she asked trying to get her eyes to adjust. "We are in Minnesota. I figured we would eat and then find a place to crash for the night. I don't know about you but I am starving" he smiled. Just then a small rumble came from Cassie's stomach. They both laughed as Nick got out of the car. Cassie was making sure the books were in her bag when Nick opened the door for her and reached out his hand. She smiled up at him still in awe of how different he was from the Nick she first met when she had moved to chance harbor. Nick smiled back not letting go of her hand. He loved the fell of her hand in his and hoped they would eat quickly so that they could find a place to sleep. The thought of him falling asleep with her in his arms was consuming his mind.

Nick opens to the door, Cassie walked "At least it's not too crowded" Nick said. Cassie looked around and froze as her eyes reached the counter. She turned to Nick. She looked terrified. "Hey what is it" he whispered pulling her close to him. "Look over there. At the counter on the end" she gasped. Nick looked and he saw a petite girl with black spiky hair wearing a leather jacket. She turned around, feeling she was being watched, looked directly at Cassie and smiled a grin almost as evil as the look in her coal colored eyes. And there in the flesh was the witch from Cassie's dream.