29

The tavern was busy, and our targets were nowhere in sight.

"Where are they?" I asked Melissa, knowing we stood out. Since the tavern was also a restaurant, no one questioned our presence, even at this late hour. Still, we were the only teenagers here, and we had to get moving.

"We think they're upstairs."

"And they'd risk exposing themselves with all these people around?"

Adam overheard us and said, "I think they're beyond caring."

There was no double meaning behind his words, but I still flinched slightly. "How many witch hunters?"

"So far, there's just Eben."

And maybe one other that I knew about. I looked around for Regina and saw her visiting with a friend at the bar. She seemed so unassuming, but I knew better. "So what are we waiting for? Let's pay them a visit."

Diana, Faye, and Jake were hanging back, dressed in black and looking appropriately grim. All that we needed was fun house music and we'd be having a blast. They fell in behind me and I saw Regina saunter toward us and follow us upstairs.

The upstairs hallway was surprisingly wide and well appointed, unlike the bar downstairs. "Which room?"

"13," Jake said.

I rolled my eyes. "Must be our lucky day."

Adam, ever the eternal optimist (not!), said, "Let's hope so."

Regina pushed her way to the front. "Let me handle this, kids."

"You can't go in there alone," I said, admonishing her with a shake of my head.

"I won't be. You'll be right outside."

This really wasn't cool. "That wasn't our agreement."

"Things change."

No kidding. "At least let me go in with you."

Regina started to knock but paused. "I can't do what's necessary if I have you to worry about."

"So why are we here then?" Adam asked, challenging her with a hard stare.

"As my backup, in case something goes wrong."

Oh my God, she was going to perform voodoo and mix that with dark magic. "How will we know that unless one of us goes in with you?"

Regina locked eyes with me, and I pushed my agenda at her.

You aren't invincible, and we can't afford to lose anyone else.

Point taken.

The rest of the Circle skedaddled and hid around the corner. When they were out of sight, Regina knocked loudly and the door was flung open by Eben, who glared down at us from his great height. I'd forgotten how formidable he was, but the snakes rippling along his arms underscored his already imposing image. "What do you want, old woman? This is a private meeting."

I took the initiative. "Not anymore."

Eben's smile promised pure torture. "You think you can take me, little girl? Since it worked so well for you last time."

"I'm not alone," I said, staring up at him with a half smile.

Eben looked at Regina. "You're on the wrong side, Regina. Walk away, and I'll pretend you were never here."

"Is that supposed to reassure me?" Regina looked around Eben and waved at an older woman. "Hello, Tessa. Nice to see you."

Tessa turned her back on us while Poppy smirked. "Do come in, Cassie. We've been waiting a long time for this."

"Not so fast," said a deep voice.

I whirled around to see Isaac framed in the doorway. Nobody seemed to notice he was a bit shorter than the real Isaac, and only I knew it was really my father cloaked as a witch hunter.

Eben folded his arms. "You said you wanted out. Why the change of heart?"

Isaac moved through us and I grimaced at my Dad's show of strength as he elbowed me aside. "Because I've seen the heart of evil in this girl."

"So have we all. Your words mean nothing."

"Let me prove it to you." Isaac took out a sheath and removed a ceremonial dagger with it. "I'll kill her myself."

My mouth opened and closed in shock, but Eben saved me from further distress. "You don't have that privilege anymore, and you're not welcome here."

The temperature around me dropped noticeably. "I was hoping you'd say that, Eben."

Suddenly all hell broke loose, and fire was shooting out of Isaac's hands. Before Eben and the two women could react, they were surrounded by flames. I saw Poppy start to chant and remembered a stultifying spell from my Book of Shadows. The words hurt as I yelled them, but I felt a tremendous rush as my power clashed with Poppy's and defeated her weaker spell. Suddenly Poppy and Tessa were enmeshed in a cocoon of light, effectively immobilizing them from further action. Their eyes poisoned us, but I smirked at their helplessness as I reveled in my dark magic. For a moment, I enjoyed the headiness of it and then let it subside as my Circle rushed to our aid. They took up stances in different corners, but it wasn't enough to contain Eben.

He broke through the flames and charged at me like an enraged bull. Suddenly he was caught up short and he rose into the air, huge frame dangling like a lifeless puppet. He started spinning around and I watched as Regina melded her power with mine and the Circle's. Faster and faster he went, till blood started spackling the walls. The person that was Eben was undoubtedly dead, but the demons inside him jerked his head to an impossible angle and shrieked out epithets in an ancient language. I felt my throat tighten and saw the others clutching at theirs, and fought back with a surge of dark energy. I felt my Dad's probing at mine and let him in, then connected with Regina, who reared back in shock as "Isaac" joined forces with us.

I felt searing heat building and screamed out my hate, adding all my power to the mix. Eben suddenly exploded into multi-colored flames, and blue, green, and red shot out as we attacked the demons. Then Eben's body completely combusted, and body parts and brain matter rocketed out in all directions.

Regina's triumphant smile was malevolence at its best, and I feared for my Dad's life as she stepped toward Isaac. She chanted in her native language, and Isaac's mask fell away. "Blackwell, how like you to show up as someone else. You always were a coward."

She raised her hand to strike at him, and I knew what I had to do. I ran between them and faced off with her. "Stop it," I said. "I won't let you do this."

My Dad tried to push me aside. "Cassie, this isn't your fight."

I held my ground. "Yes, it is. When you came back to town, it became my business."

Regina tried her sweetest tone with me. "Child, let me handle this."

"No!" My voice echoed off the walls, and I felt my friends approaching. Their magic joined mine and I gasped at the strength of our collective energy. "He's my father, and he has a lot to make up for. I believe he's trying hard to overcome his dark side, and my Circle needs him."

"Cassie, after all he's put you through, you're willing to forgive him?" This came from Adam, which didn't surprise me at all. He was nursing a huge grudge against my Dad, and against his own father for his actions 16 years ago.

I turned to face my Circle and met each of their gazes. They were all scared, but I could see their willingness to follow me straight to hell if needs be, and I knew they had my back. "No, I'm not, and nothing he can do makes up for how he's hurt me and Adam. But we need him...I need him around."

Adam retorted, "I thought you wanted to end him, Cassie."

I dismissed his words with a wave of my hand. "That was then. Now we need to focus on what's important - staying alive and learning our craft. We can do that on our own, but having my Dad's help will put us light years ahead of where we are now."

Regina looked unhappy at this turn of events. "This is the wrong path, Cassie."

I knew she wouldn't act without my OK. "Then it's my mistake to make, Regina. I appreciate everything you've done to help me, but I can't let you do this. In fact, I forbid it."

"But you had no problem with Eben dying," she pointed out helpfully.

I made a face at the mess and scowled at Tessa and Poppy, still enslaved by my spell. "That was different, and you know it."

Regina held out her hand and I took it. "I promise not to kill your father...today. But I swear by all that's holy, if he harms one hair on your head or hurts anyone in your Circle, I will be the one to end him. Are we clear?"

She speared my Dad with a fierce expression that made him pale slightly. "Crystal," he said, throwing her a mocking salute with one hand.

I looked at our two captives. "What will happen to them?"

Regina bared her teeth in a chilling smile. "They have no power, and I've marked them both. They're to leave Chance Harbor, and if they ever show their faces here again, I can't be held accountable for what might happen."

I freed Poppy and Tessa and ignored the streak of blue that billowed from both of them. "I have to give them credit for originality," I cracked to no one in particular, enjoying their walk of shame as they tiptoed over Eben's remains and scurried out of the room.

Regina left to pay off the tavern owner to clean up the mess, and I thanked my friends. "Thanks for doing this," I said with a tight smile, wishing I could fake it till I made it. Adam looked at me uncertainly and I nodded to reassure him that everything was cool. He smiled back and then leaned over to comment to Melissa. I didn't miss the way she held onto his every word, and felt my heart sink at what I was powerless to prevent.

He doesn't love you. Get over it already.

It was my own voice, but it could have been anyone's. Knowing when I was beat, I turned to leave but saw my Dad hovering just outside. "What?"

"We need to talk."

I knew how this had to go. "Only on my terms."

His mouth opened slightly at my temerity, but he relented. "OK, sure."

He followed me down the stairs and I waited until the others were long gone before I spoke again. "I saved your life back there."

"And I would have done the same for you. That's what families do, Cassie."

God, sometimes I hated his platitudes. "Is it? What about the part where I wanted you dead? Is that all in a day's work too?"

"Sometimes you have to make the tough choices."

"Oh, God, spare me this crap. We both know you owe me."

Even in the darkness, I could see his blue eyes glitter with emotion. After a long beat, he said, "You're right. What can I do to make this better? Just name whatever you want, and it's yours."

I leaned in and whispered my demands in his ear. He stiffened and I could see he was ready to protest, but then he thought better of it. "All right. You have my word. When do you want this to happen?"

"After school ends, and I'm gone for the summer."

"Gone?" he echoed.

I nodded. "Sally and I are going to stay with the Blakes in England."

"Your grandmother's OK with this?"

I shrugged. "I didn't ask permission."

And that was all I said as I got in his car. We rode in silence the rest of the way back to Sally's, and I knew my time there was coming to an end, as was my time in Chance Harbor. I watched his car disappear down the hill and knew another chapter of my life had come to a close.