22

Thursday was hospital release day, and I was elated. It still hurt like hell, and the doctor sent me off with a scrip for some heavy duty pain meds. Melissa and Sally offered to drive me, and I enjoyed their company on the short drive to the drug store. I was going to stay at Sally's house until I was up and around.

Regina's spell burned a hole in my pocket and I longed to discuss it with Melissa, but I remembered Regina's warning. Once Melissa dropped us off, I showed it to Sally. "What do you think?"

"It will be difficult," Sally said. "You'll have to get blood from each of your targets."

And that would be tricky, because they'd all be expecting trouble. Except maybe my Dad, who was cocky enough to believe I'd never challenge him. Dark magic would be so much easier. "I'll need your help."

"Of course." Sally looked way too enthused for my tastes.

"This is dangerous, Sally. I'm so not kidding when I say this is really dangerous."

"My Gran will help out. She can probably get the Elders all riled up, and one of them can take care of Tessa."

I had no doubt Regina could easily accomplish this. "What about Eben?"

"Oh, there's a special place in hell for him."

"But how do we get near him?"

"I can do it. He keeps vials of his blood stashed away in his house, and I can break in when no one's home."

That didn't sound too smart. "What if you get caught?"

Sally laughed. "I have a key, don't worry."

That didn't help. "Maybe I should go with you."

"No way. You're in no shape to challenge him, and if we're caught together, I'll have no chance to talk my way out of it."

"And who says you do? He already knows we're friends."

"But he told me to stay away from you, remember?"

"So what? I'm at your house, and you know he's watching all of us."

"Even he can't be everywhere at once."

Sally sounded so certain that I finally nodded. "OK, but please have a backup if he shows up."

"I'll bring Adam."

My mouth opened slightly. "Oh, so you guys are pals now?"

She giggled. "Don't be so green. We're friends."

"You think I'm jealous?"

Sally tapped her forehead. "I don't think, I know."

I laughed despite myself. "Must be that third eye you keep hidden with all that hair."

She snickered. "See? That's the Cassie I know. You are feeling better."

I was halfway through my English homework when the doorbell rang. The kitchen was an inviting place and I'd been spending most of my time here with the black and white cat parked in my lap. Seeing no one coming down to answer, I put the cat aside and moved slowly to the door. I peered through the mullioned glass and was surprised to see Ethan.

"Hi," I said, wondering why he was coming out here so late.

"Do you have a few minutes? I'd like to discuss something with you."

"If this is about the memory spell, you can forget it."

Ethan looked confused. "What memory spell?"

I breathed a huge sigh of relief, thankful that Adam hadn't clued his Dad in. "It's nothing. Would you like some tea? I just put a kettle on."

He smiled. "That would be great. And I promise I won't keep you long."

Ethan was moving a bit stiffly. "How are you feeling?"

"Better every day."

His sky blue eyes rested on me warmly and I felt like I was floating for a second. If times were different, I could totally see myself going for him. In fact, it wasn't hard to see why my Mom had been over the moon about him. "That's great, Mr. Conant."

Damn, I had to watch myself. What was I thinking, mooning over someone's father? When in fact, I really only wanted the son. But when he smiled at me across the room, I felt myself caught again, and no wonder. The resemblance to Adam was startling, and even their mannerisms were the same. I handed him a tea mug and asked, "So what brings you here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were OK."

For an instant, I stiffened at those words, so much like something Adam would say. "I'm fine, considering everything."

"That girl used the same knife on both of us. What does she even want?"

The same thing Jake had wanted in the beginning. "Revenge for her dead parents."

Ethan's gorgeous eyes filled with sorrow. "I'd take it back if I could. But I can't."

And neither could my dead mother. "There's no going back." That was true of more than just that long ago night at the boatyard.

I sat across from him and took a long sip of green jasmine tea. "But we can move forward."

Ethan smiled. "I believe you're right, Cassie. And that's why I'm here."

"Is this about Adam?" I folded my hands and waited expectantly.

He nodded. "I want to help him remember. Is there any way you can find the spell that Black...your father used on you?"

I remembered my Dad had "borrowed" the Blake Book of Shadows, which had yet to find its way back to my secret hiding place. "Maybe. What exactly did Adam tell you?"

Ethan sighed and rubbed the stubble on his chin . "Everything."

"So you know that there's no curse, and my father made the whole thing up."

"What your father did is reprehensible, but the reason why is my fault."

"How can you even think this is your fault?" I said with fond exasperation.

"You know the answer to that, and sooner or later, my son will too."

"That happened almost 17 years. Don't you think Adam will understand?"

Ethan speared me with those damned eyes of his and I could see he was terrified. "He won't forgive me, Cassie. I didn't know it then, but I left his mother and the rest of our Circle to die. There's no getting past that."

Maybe he was right. "He'll find out sooner or later, Mr. Conant. Won't it be better if it comes from you?"

After a long pause, he said, "I know it will, but that doesn't make it any easier."

"You'll find a way." I touched the top of his hand. "I have faith in you."

His eyes seemed to fade out for a moment as memories took hold. "Amelia said the same thing to me once, but I failed her."

"But you won't fail Adam." I was 100% sure he would do the right thing.

"No, I won't. Which is why I have to help him, before it's too late."

"I have a better idea," I said, and then recounted what I knew about Jake's memory spell and how it might spur Adam's own memories.

"That's a lot to ask of you, Cassie."

I shrugged. "I'd do almost anything for Adam, but letting him in means he'll see everything."

"And what's wrong with that?"

"You have no idea."I laughed, because I was wrong on so many levels that my insides were twisted like an MC Escher puzzle.

"So will you do it?" Ethan asked, sounding so much like a lost little boy that I didn't have the heart to refuse.

"I will. And ? You have to promise that you won't mention this to Adam."

Ethan shook my hand solemnly. "You have my word, Cassie."

And that would have to be enough, because he had nothing else to offer me.