27

I arrived at school in time for my English exam, which I hadn't studied for. Who could concentrate with all that was going on?

Still, I knew most of the material and chalked that up to a great memory. I headed out to my locker and found myself facing off with Diana. "Adam told me what you said. You can't be serious."

Our Secret Circle was a joke. People who knew about us were crawling out of the woodwork, and there weren't even secrets among friends. "It might be the only way."

Diana shook her luscious mane of hair. "I don't accept that, Cassie, and what you're thinking about doing makes you no better than Blackwell."

I already accepted that about myself. Why couldn't the others see that too? "So be it," I said, more to irk her than anything else.

"It's easy to buy into the dark side. I've seen it in Faye, and now you. It's an excuse not to do the right thing."

I slammed my locker shut and considered her words. "Maybe you're right, but if it's a choice between him and the Circle, I know what to do."

A few weeks back, I'd been so upset with all of them that I'd have sided with my father. Family usually won out, but not in my Dad's case. Whatever his master plan was, it didn't involved a bunch of kids. More likely, it was all about the power he could steal from us. The more I thought about this, the more I knew I was right.

He'd gone on forever about crystals and how they needed to be reconnected. But I found out they formed a crystal skull, one of the Balcoin master tools that Francis Balcoin had wielded. And if my Dad had that, he'd be unstoppable. Regina had told me everything, including the bits about 18 families escaping from Salem and forming three Circles. I supposed my Dad had contacts in the other two Circles, and maybe even a bunch of kids. I wondered where Regina's people came from, and she filled me with tales of Vodun from West Africa.

"You know that Callum guy?" I asked, knowing how much Melissa despised him.

Regina waved her hand dismissively. "Rank amateur, along with his cronies."

"He tried to steal our magic."

"Because he has none of his own."

He'd wanted our crystal too. "So we don't need to neutralize him?"

Regina laughed at my word choice. "I'd worry more about Poppy and Tessa."

"How will we pin them down tonight?"

"Let's worry about that later. I'm all about "neutralizing" Eben first."

I'd once made light of the witch hunters, but after Eben got his claws into me, I was scared sober. "Even with four or five demons in tow?"

"That's where we come in, child."

"With fire?"

She nodded. "There is Blackwell's method, of course, but that isn't foolproof."

I kind of got that. "I couldn't destroy them by myself."

"That's why you have me and the rest of your Circle, sweetie. Their Circle magic can join our dark magic and blow our enemies to kingdom come."

Regina said this with a maniacal glee that made me shudder. "Will it really come to that?"

Her smile disappeared. "You know it will, so why ask?"

"My friends seem to think there's another way."

"They're hopelessly naive. If we spare Blackwell and strip his magic, he'll find a way to get it back."

I knew she was right. "He'll go after those other Circles."

"Exactly. We need to end things here, before he does any more damage."

How many more would have to die before this was over? "And if I can't go through with it?"

She touched my shoulder. "I don't expect you to, Cassie. Leave the hard part to me. Nobody your age should have to make a choice like that."

Blackwell was the only parent I had left. "I'm glad, because even as I want to end him, I can't bring myself to imagine my life without him."

Regina nodded like she understood. "Sometimes it's better to have no parents at all than someone like him."

We went back to our work, preparing the poultices we'd need for tonight's spells. "Will this all be over tonight?"

"That's the plan."

And that was the problem, because sometimes even the best laid plans went awry.

My father was nowhere to be found. His house was dark, and his boss said he hadn't reported in to work. "I think he's onto us," I said to Adam and Melissa, huddled next to me in Adam's truck.

Adam looked worried. "We were careful, Cassie. I'm sure there's some other reason."

Suddenly I saw my Dad emerge from behind his house, shrouded in a dark robe. "What the hell is he up to?"

"Nothing good," Melissa said.

He got into his car and drove away toward Harbor Woods. "We have to follow him."

Adam sighed. "Are you sure that's wise? He might be setting a trap for us."

"Then we have to spring it," I said. "Let me be the bait." I had his witch cruet in my pocket, just in case we were caught.

"Not a chance," Adam said, the truck swerving as if to emphasize his point. "If we go in, we do this together."

The others were working with Regina to track Eben's movements, and so far, he was holed up his favorite tavern. I re-read Diana's text message before snapping my phone shut. My father had snuck off into the trees without looking back, so I was pretty sure he was clueless.

This was confirmed when we found him digging symbols into the dirt, surrounding himself with protection from whatever entity he was calling. "More demons," I said with growing certainty.

Adam's brow furrowed. "And you know this because?"

I shrugged. "It's what he does."

"Like he did 16 years ago," Adam said, rage lowering his tone to a whisper.

Damn, how could I forget that he knew everything I knew, even if his feelings were gone? "Yeah, like that."

Melissa crossed her arms with a shiver. "Can we please get this over with?"

My father started chanting, and that was the moment I started reciting Regina's spell. Adam and Melissa took my hands, and I felt their power course through me. But then something pushed back, and my father was looking right at the bushes where we were huddled. "Show yourselves," he demanded.

"Don't listen." With shaking hands, I lit a match and was about to drop it in the cruet when Adam blew it out.

"You can't do this, Cassie." He took my hands in his and added, "I won't let you. It's not who you are."

I gulped as strong emotion swept away my reserve. "You're wrong, Adam. It's exactly who I am."

In the darkness, his eyes glittered and I could swear he was crying. "I know every part of you, Cassie, remember?"

Melissa interrupted with, "Guys, I hate to break this up, but your Dad's coming our way."

I shoved the cruet in my pocket. "Let's get out of here and regroup with the others. This was a bad idea."

We got to the truck and tore out of there, and all the way back to town, I knew Adam was thinking 'I told you so'. And he was right, like he often was. Before we met up at the Boathouse, I said, "I'm sorry for doubting you."

That went a long way toward mollifying him, and to my surprise, he and Melissa stayed silent about it. I was still shaking when I sat down, and accepted Ethan's offer of hot tea. "Thanks."

Regina showed up with Sally and reported that Tessa and Polly had both gone into the tavern. Sally said, "So much for Tessa not being involved."

"So what happens now?" Adam asked, looking between me and Regina.

Regina gathered us close and outlined what her thoughts were on trapping the three rats in the tavern. She'd made arrangements with the owner to empty the place out before sealing our enemies in with a spell. Then we'd pay them a visit in hopes of nullifying their powers.

"Will that work on Eben?"

Regina said, "It may not work on any of them, and if that's the case, we go to Plan B."

Nobody dared ask what that meant, because they already knew the score.