The Secret Circle

Episode 02.08:
Trustworthy

Cassie awoke to the sounds of rain splashing against the window and the tossing and turning of another body. Still exhausted and half-asleep, she was startled by the sounds of another person. She had become so accustom to living alone that any sounds here tended to surprise—and, lately, frighten—her. As she opened her eyes and saw the bundles of blankets and pillows all around her living room, the memories of last night came flooding back. The attack from the animus, everyone crashing into exhausted heaps at her house…the surge of power and wholeness that came from utilizing her dark magic so completely. The way she knew it was supposed to be used. The voice of John Blackwell crept uninvited into her mind then—"the witches you were meant to be."

"Cassie."

Adam's voice brought Cassie crashing back to reality, suddenly very aware of how weak and frail her tired body felt. Adam was sitting up on the couch, eyes squinting in her direction as he rubbed his temples.

"How are you?" she whispered, sitting up in the armchair she had fallen asleep in. On the floor in front of them, Faye was sprawled out on her stomach, Jake's arm draped over her. Melissa had curled up tightly in the other armchair, her body hidden by a blanket. Diana was nowhere to be seen.

Adam sighed and shrugged, looking away from Cassie and out the window. The sky was still black, and there was a heavy spattering of rain crackling against the window.

"What time is it?" Adam whispered. Cassie reached over to the side table where she had left her phone.

"5:45," Cassie whispered back. It was so dark up here during the winters, and Daylight Savings right around the corner meant the sun wouldn't be up until she had already left for school.

Adam sighed, rubbing his temples again. He was no doubt thinking the same thing she was, that school seemed impossible given the aches and pains, lack of sleep, and fear they had gone through the night before. Cassie realized she hadn't even gotten three hours of sleep, and cringed at the idea of a full day of school followed by her three-hour Thursday shift at the Java Brew.

"Adam," Cassie whispered. His gaze moved back to her. "Are…you okay?" she asked, hoping he would answer this time. She remembered him violently writhing, his eyes glassy and rolling toward the back of his head, his dull and distant staring on the drive back. Despite her determination to squash her feelings for him, the memory chilled her, and there was a small part of her afraid that it was something she did, that his suffering was her fault.

"Yeah," he finally responded through a sigh. "I think so…my head is killing me." He pushed himself up to a sitting position, turning away from Cassie and back out the window. She bit her lip and looked down at the blanket on her lap.

"Are you going to school today?" Adam asked. "I really need some more sleep."

"Yeah," Cassie said, her turn to sigh. "I have to. If I'm not in school and don't have a medical note, Kate gets in trouble as my guardian. And I'd rather not have anyone looking into what happened last night."

Adam gave her a sympathetic smile, then pushed his blanket away and sat up on the couch.

"Well, then," he said, "I'll make us all some breakfast in a little bit." His clothes from the night before were wrinkled and one of his socks had come off during the night. Cassie was instantly reminded of waking up next to him the morning after Casino Night, and felt her cheeks color. She tried to disguise it as a cough, which made Faye stir.

Adam rubbed the back of his head, then got up and walked out of the room. Cassie couldn't bring herself to follow, and instead turned back to look out the window. She had so many conflicting feelings about last night, and Adam—and she was far too tired to sort through all of them right now.

Adam sprinkled the hashbrowns with salt and pepper, then took another sip of his coffee. Everyone had woken up and gathered in the kitchen, waiting in silence for food. Their faces were etched with exhaustion.

"Is it ready yet?" Faye moaned, her voice gravelly and flat. She was gripping a mug of coffee—he r third so far—and staring blankly at the kitchen wall.

"I still need to get home and change," Melissa said, resting her chin on her fist. "I don't think I'll even have time for a shower."

"Yeah, yeah, it's ready," Adam mumbled, bringing over the large plates of hashbrowns and eggs. Jake began silently scooping food onto everyone's plates. Instead of digging into his own, he poured himself his third cup of coffee.

Adam joined the four of them at the table, nibbling on his hashbrowns in silence. He wasn't sure what to say, but Faye seemed to fill the void enough with her occasional complaints about how tired she was. He kept thinking of last night, about the surge of painful power that had wrapped around his body before Cassie freed herself and Diana from the haunted house. He stole occasional glances of Cassie, who was picking at the eggs and didn't seem to notice his stare. He was startled out of his thoughts by the clinking of silverware on a plate.

"Are you guys ready?" Jake asked. "I'll drive you home ,Melissa." He gave Adam a weak smile, which he took for a sign of thanks, and then stood up, pushing his chair in.

"Yeah," Melissa sighed, standing up and folding the blanket she had wrapped around herself. "I guess. Let's go." The entire mood seemed gray and somber, punctuating the exhaustion with a note of despair. Adam felt it had more to do with just the fact that the Balcoins had tried to kill them yet again, but he was still so dazed from last night he wasn't able to process anything at the moment.

"Do you need an umbrella or anything?" Adam mumbled. Faye shook her head, despite it being pouring down rain and none of them having hooded jackets, and the three of them marched toward the front door. Cassie waved and closed the door behind them, then sighed.

"Do you want to get some espresso?" Adam asked, surprising himself slightly. He figured he would head home at the same time as everyone else, but it felt hard to take himself away from Cassie this morning.

"Oh," Cassie chirped, clearly surprised. Did she want him to just leave? "Um, yeah, but don't you need to change your clothes?"

Adam looked down at the torn jeans from his costume last night. "Yeah, I was thinking we could go on our way back from my place," he mumbled, regretting saying anything. Now he just wanted to crawl out the door.

"Oh…" Cassie repeated, looking down at her bare feet.

"Neverm—"

"No, no, that sounds good," Cassie interrupted. "Let me change first though, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Do you mind if I rinse my face off?" Adam asked. Cassie shook her head and he followed her upstairs.

Once they walked into Cassie's bedroom, Adam's first thought was to disappear in her bed with her, wrapping the thick comforter around her and pulling her close to him. He shook off the thought as he walked up to the sink. As he looked at his reflection, he internally told himself he didn't deserve her—he had failed her, yet again. Just like last year, when John Blackwell trapped Cassie and Diana, Adam was useless again, unable to free Cassie from the house, unable to access any of the power he had absorbed from the Skull. He could feel how that amplified power had reached out to the house, made his power aggressive and unrestrained by not considering what was the "right" or "good" use of magic. But then, when it had mattered most, it was Cassie's power that had released them, that had used him as a vessel to move them out of the house. He had merely been a tool, too useless to do any of the heavy lifting himself. And even that had been too much for him, and he had lost all control.

Adam splashed his face, ashamed of himself and angry again. What good was being written in the stars if he couldn't even be there for Cassie? He couldn't protect her, couldn't save her—he was useless. She was the one who had to look out for him. And she already had enough on her plate just trying to keep herself safe.

Looking back into the mirror, Adam could see a flash of Cassie's pale back through the crack in the door. He thought of that night with her and was overcome suddenly with the memory of her perfume and the scent of her hair. Cassie pulled a sweater on, and Adam shook his head. She would never want him. He would never be good enough.

"Adam?" Cassie asked, knocking lightly on the door. "Are you ready?"

Looking at himself one last time, Adam wiped his hands off and pushed open the door. Cassie gave him a weak smile. She had dark bags under her eyes. Her eyelids were puffy and looked almost swollen from the lack of sleep, and there was no color in her cheeks. But she looked beautiful to him. Taking a deep breath, Adam knew he had to stop thinking that way—there was no future for them.

Cassie looked down in distress at the pop quiz her AP US History teacher had just distributed. Skimming the questions, she realized she didn't know any of the answers. She wasn't sure if it was the result of her fatigued mind or falling behind on the homework—or both—but the questions on the page seemed like they were for a class she wasn't even taking.

Hearing the scratching of pencils as other people began answering questions, Cassie's heartbeat accelerated. What was she going to do? Turn in a blank piece of paper? Could she pretend to get sick and get out of this? No, that was ridiculous…Her mind was drawing a blank for a more reasonable solution though.

There was the sound of someone flipping their paper over. Crap! Cassie thought. What am I going to do?

She re-read the first question, which asked her to list the thirteen colonies in the order they were founded. She had no idea…in fact, she wasn't even sure she could name the thirteen colonies in any order right now. More scratching pencils…she bit her lip, realizing there was one solution—one she had never considered last year…but things were different now. Hearing another person flip their quiz over, Cassie took a deep, silent breath and then placed her finger on the blank line for "1." On the line, the word Virginia appeared in yellow, glowing softly as she exhaled. Looking from side to side to make sure no one had seen her, Cassie scrawled "Virginia" in the first spot. Feeling her heart continue to pound, Cassie quickly placed her finger on the second spot, igniting Massachusetts. She felt a small grin curl up in the corner of her mouth as she scrawled down that answer. Her stomach settled and she dragged her finger down the page.

She continued through the test like that, unsure if it was ironic or ominous that the final question asked her how many people were killed in the Salem Witch Trials.

"All right," Ms. Smith announced as she stood in front of the first row. "That's time. Please pass your quizzes forward."

Cassie exhaled a sigh of relief, confident she'd be getting 100% on this quiz. Passing her paper forward, she felt a thought itching at the back of her mind. Seeing the answers light up had reminded her of a spell from Diana's Book of Shadows they had practiced last fall. It was similar to the Crystal Locating spell John Blackwell had them perform last spring, but the Meade Book's spell was for finding other witches. One of the Circle members had hidden in a room in the Abandoned House, and the rest of them would try to guess which one by drawing a map of the house into the dirt outside. The room would illuminate when they focused on the image of the hidden Circle member and connected to their energy.

Eyes widening, Cassie realized she could use that spell to locate her half-siblings now that she was confident she knew their energies. This might be the perfect opportunity to seek them out, while their energies were still so connected from her accessing her dark magic so wholly.

Now she just had to convince Diana to let her borrow the Book…

Melissa placed her Calculus notebook on the top shelf of her locker, exchanging it for her AP Bio lab book. She had signed up for as many science classes as possible this year, and normally was always happy going between math and lab. Today, though, even the elegant movement of math didn't interest her.

She had been preoccupied all day with what had happened last night. And judging from the foggy expressions and dull conversation at lunch, she imagined everyone else was too. But she couldn't shake what she had noticed about Adam—why had the house affected him more than the rest of them? What made his power go berserk, why was he the one who could feel Cassie's magic reach out for help?

In the pit of her stomach, Melissa could sense the answer. She was afraid it was the Skull. What was being exposed to it doing to Adam? How was it affecting his own powers? The weight of his secret pushed against Melissa all day; she felt terrible he thought he had to destroy it alone.

But then she would remember the brief encounter she had with it, and shrunk away from any desire to help.

Diana hurried down the stairs from her AP French classroom, eager to head home and crawl into bed early. She had woken up at 4:45 at Cassie's house, the memories of the night before flooding back to her in the dark warmth of the living room. She remembered being trapped, the glass exploding, hitting her head…what she barely remembered was being driven back there, and, by the looks of her arms and legs, being healed.

She had walked back to her house in the darkness of the early morning. Chance Harbor was dead silent. She shivered in only her leggings and tunic. Everything seemed vaguely unfamiliar with decorations still up in yards, casting creepy shadows beneath the streetlights. When she arrived back home she silently entered, holding her breath and hoping Kate wouldn't wake. She had never snuck out of the house before, and even though Kate knew her plans for Halloween, for some reason she felt like she had slipped out of the house without permission. She had tried to fall back asleep, but ended up just tossing and turning through a troubled mind before her alarm started screaming at 6:30.

Diana had managed to avoid everyone during the day, slipping away to the library at lunch. She was grateful that Adam had been assigned to work in a different group in their AP World History class, and that Melissa sat on the other side of the room in Calculus.

Dialing in the combination to her locker, Diana jumped slightly as she heard Cassie's voice behind her.

"Hi," Diana said, turning slowly. She was exhausted, and wasn't ready to talk to Cassie about last night yet. She needed a good night's sleep, a hot bath, and some space from all of this before she could even start to think about Cassie.

"How are you feeling?" Cassie asked, her voice soft. There were dark bags under her eyes too, punctuated by the gray wool sweater she was wearing.

"Fine," Diana said, placing her French notebook in her bookbag. She wasn't sure where Cassie was going with this. Judging by the forced casualness, she imagined she wanted something from her.

"Is your head feeling all right?" Cassie asked.

Diana nodded, slinging her bookbag over her shoulder and closing the locker.

"Look, I have a big favor to ask you," Cassie asked.

Of course, Diana thought. Here we go. She stared into Cassie's blue eyes, tensely awaiting the request.

"I need to borrow your Book of Shadows," Cassie said in a low voice, looking around to make sure no one overheard them.

Diana's eyebrows shot up her forehead. "Absolutely not!" she hissed. This was unbelievable. Why on earth did Cassie think she would lend her the Book?

"Diana, please," Cassie pleaded. "Look, I don't need to take it home or anything, I can just come home with you after school and look over it really quick—"

"I'm not going home," Diana cut her off. "I'm meeting Grant." Her mouth twitched slightly, and she hoped Cassie hadn't noticed. She still hadn't made plans with Grant, but she didn't have a problem lying to Cassie given the outrageous request.

"Okay, then after you're home from that—"

"I'm not going to be home until late tonight," Diana interrupted again.

"Please," Cassie whispered. "It's important. Haven't you had plenty of time to spend with Grant since he got home? It's been almost two weeks. I just need two minutes."

"What are you talking about?" Diana asked, color flushing her face as she remembered the Grant lookalike she had spotted before he actually docked. "He just got home a few days ago."

A look of confusion passed over Cassie's face then, her brow lowering. "No, Faye and I saw him down at the docks two weekends ago."

"What day?" She asked breathlessly.

"Saturday…" Cassie replied, a look of confusion crossing her face.

Diana felt her heart flutter in her chest. How had Cassie and Faye seen him too? And even at the docks! Her throat tightened at the thought of him seeing her out with Adam—and then again at the thought of him lying to her about where he had been all that time.

She tried to compose herself, deciding she would be best if she could just get out of here.

She realized Cassie was still talking, trying to negotiate, and interrupted the girl a final time. "Cassie," she sighed. "The answer is no. You're not getting near my Book."

With that, Diana stepped around Cassie, nervously tugging on the hem of her dark green sweater dress. She ran through the front door, goosebumps popping up on her skin immediately. Rain exploded against her face, and she maneuvered her rain jacket over her head as she raced across the parking lot, her brown boots splashing in puddles. Her exposed knees were cold and red by the time she entered the car.

Exhaling, Diana could barely worry about what Cassie was planning on doing with her Book of Shadows. Instead, her mind was lost with worry over what Grant had been doing these past two weeks…and why he hadn't told her about any of it.

She sat in the car, staring straight ahead, feeling numb. Even though she had predominantly felt annoyance and guilt with Grant lately, the possibility that he was somehow less than sincere made her feel like she could throw up. He was the boy next door, the guy who wasn't supposed to hurt her. She felt numb, unable to completely process what she should do or would do if she found out he wasn't being true to her.

Taking a deep breath and looking to her side, Diana realized the school had emptied out. The buses had left, no one was standing around waiting for a ride anymore, and there were only four other cars in the student parking lot.

Letting her forehead rest on the window, Diana choked back a sob. She didn't even know anything for sure—so why did this hurt so bad? She covered her eyes with her hands, feeling paralyzed by the confusion that had gripped her entire mind and body.

Faye closed the front door of her house behind her, letting her body sink against it. She closed her eyes and slid down its length, sighing with relief when she hit the floor.

Despite heavily caffeinating herself, the day had been excruciating to get through. She was looking forward to an evening in sweat pants, eating ice cream out of the tub, and watching trash television.

After changing into a baggy tee shirt and blue sweatpants, Faye trotted back down the stairs to the den on the bottom floor, curling up on the couch and turning on the television. The sound of the rain coming down on the window was rhythmic and soothing. There was a spicy scent coming from the crockpot Dawn had filled that morning, and the house was perfectly warm.

The sound of the door slamming shut jostled Faye, making her realize she had fallen asleep to the television. Jumping slightly, she turned and saw her mother stomping down the staircase, drenched in rain, her blond hair matted to her face.

"Hey, mama," Faye said lazily, cozying back up in the couch. She was surprised when she heard her mom tartly reply,

"Faye. Perfect. Mind explaining something to me?"

Faye turned, sighing with frustration. What was this about? As soon as she began to relax, her mom wanted to fight, again.

"What's wrong now?" Faye sighed, pushing her hair out of her face.

"You told me you were signing up for the SATs next Saturday," Dawn said curtly, hanging her coat on the rack and then stomping into the living room. She stood with her hands on her hips, lips tight and practically shooting fire out of her eyes at Faye.

"Oh," Faye replied, biting her lips and looking down. She had forgotten to turn in the paperwork…

"Faye, are you trying to sabotage your chances of getting into college?" Dawn exploded, throwing her hands in the air and pacing across the room. She turned off the television, then paced again toward the window. "You tell me you're responsible, you're capable of running your own life, yet you forget to do some of the most important—and very few, if I do add—things I ask of you!"

Faye looked up and saw her mom was flushed, her skin a rosy color that made her black eyeliner cause the illusion of deep-set and beady eyes.

"Mom, I'm sorry, but—"

"I have had it, Faye!" Dawn screeched back. "What are you going to do? There isn't another session in Chance Harbor until December, so if you need to re-take it you won't be able to—"

"Mom, I can fix this!"

"How, Faye?" Dawn spat. "I'm tired of having to fight with you to make you do anything!"

Faye took a quick, angry breath. So was she going to get grounded again? Then we can start this whole cycle all over again! Faye thought bitterly.

"The paperwork was turned in," Faye lied in a quiet, careful voice. "I'll talk to someone about it tomorrow."

Dawn gave her a measured, burning glance, trying to read if she was lying or not. Faye had a remarkable track record as far as getting away with lying to her mother went, but she wasn't sure if she was going to get away with something this big.

"Really?" Dawn hissed.

"Yes," Faye mumbled, folding her legs and staring at her hands. "They probably just messed it up because I was one of the last people to hand it in. Maybe they just haven't processed it yet or whatever."

There was a long, heady silence, Dawn considering the possibility of Faye barely remembering as opposed to forgetting altogether.

"All right," Dawn sighed, throwing her hands up. "But if you…" She didn't finish her sentence; instead, she paced down the hallway, then closed her bedroom door loudly.

Adam took a deep breath as he looked up at the Abandoned House. He hadn't been there since the day John Blackwell died. And he didn't think anyone else had set foot in there either.

Something had changed for them after that day. Instead of being their secret place, the place they learned magic together, the Abandoned House became a gravestone of sorts: a monument to John Blackwell, his home in life and death. A dark energy still seemed to linger, and the feeling of being utterly useless to protect Diana and Cassie came back. A frustrated growl formed at the base of Adam's throat. He tried to shake it off and cleared his throat, thinking he needed to keep his emotions in check today. Whatever might still be here was more powerful than him once—it might still be. He had to be careful.

Walking through the front door, the smell of mildew and rotting plants filled Adam's nostrils. Rain that fell through the slats in the roof had left everything smelling earthy and damp, and the herbs and plants Melissa used to tend had become overgrown or dead. Yet as he looked around, everything seemed to look as they had left it.

Adam slowly walked toward a bookshelf they had stored a few spell books on. He opened one up, gingerly leafing through the pages. He needed to find something that would help amplify his connection to the Skull. Right now, all he got from it was generosity. It was willing to share its power with him, but he couldn't tap into its full potential. If he could find something to let him control it, however, rather than simply allow it to share with him…then he would be unstoppable. He wouldn't have his ass kicked again, wouldn't look like an idiot in front of Cassie and Diana whenever they needed him. And they would need him—and he could have them.

Breathing deeply, a grin began forming on Adam's face as he thought of the possibilities. He slowly became frustrated, however, at the lackluster spells he was looking at. Creating light or dark, moving objects, changing weather, levitating—all child's play. He needed something serious. Something…dark.

This had been John Blackwell's house before the Boatyard fire. If he did have any dark spell books, they would be here. It was just a matter of finding them.

Placing the musty book back on the shelf, Adam took another look around, thinking back to when they had first explored and set up this place. Had there ever been another bookshelf? A trunk? Boxes stashed somewhere?

Adam was dragged back into the real world by his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw it was Diana.

"Hey," he answered, suddenly wondering if there were any sounds around here that would give away his location.

"Hi," Diana said cautiously. Her voice was tight and higher-pitched than usual. Adam instantly recognized it as the tone she took when she was nervous or scared.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah…no, actually, not really." There was a pause. "No, not at all. I think Grant has been lying to me."

Adam wasn't sure how to react. A huge smile had appeared across his face, and he had the impulse to begin laughing. What an idiot! he thought. But he knew he couldn't express this joy to Diana.

"What do you mean?" he inquired, trying to keep his voice level with a hint of concern. His lips burst back out into a smile as he pumped his fist over his head like some sort of champion.

"I think he was in Chance Harbor when he said he wasn't. I thought I saw him that day I—I went shopping down at the boardwalk two weeks ago." Something other than Grant had made her nervous, but he didn't much care at the moment—he was loving this. Grant was a liar! And now Diana was coming to him for comfort!

"Why would he do that?" Adam asked, taking a few steps forward.

"I don't know," Diana said, nearly in a sob.

"Di," Adam said in a soft voice. There was some part of him, small and deep down, that still wanted to react with sympathy and compassion. He thought he should go comfort her, make her macaroni and cheese and hot chocolate—a bizarre combination in his opinion, but Diana's ultimate comfort meal—and watch black and white movies with her. But it was a strange reaction—more knowledge of what he should be doing than what he actually wanted to do. That was old Adam, the Adam who had his ass handed to him at the moment Diana needed him most. If she needed him now, that Adam shouldn't come running.

"I know this is crazy, but I want to follow him," Diana choked out. She was openly crying now. It took her a few seconds to continue speaking. "I can't just ask him, he'll just lie to me again! Am I crazy? Will you help me?" She choked through tears.

"You're not crazy," Adam said. "And yes, I'll help you. Do you want me to come pick you up?"

"Yeah," Diana sobbed, sniffing and seeming to calm slightly. "Yeah. Will you get me in half an hour at my house?"

"Yes," Adam said. "I'll see you soon, Di."

"Thanks," she sniffed before hanging up.

Adam put his phone back in his pocket, then let his head roll back as he began laughing. He shook his head as he grinned and walked toward the door. This was too perfect!

He suddenly burst with excitement, cheering as he kicked a pot of wilted rosemary into the wall, shattering it to pieces.

Cassie parked her car behind some bushes on Ryland Drive, the street around the corner from the Meade house. She cautiously looked around to make sure there was no one around, and then tugged the hood of her black rain jacket around her face.

Slipping out the door, Cassie hurried along the sidewalk toward Diana's house. She knew what she had to do, and she had less than an hour before she had to be at work. If Diana wasn't willing to let Cassie borrow the Book of Shadows, she would just have to take matters into her own hands.

As Cassie rounded the corner, she fought back the last sliver of her conscience saying this was wrong. Diana had her chance, and she blew it. She shouldn't have doubted Cassie, and she shouldn't have been so completely unwilling to listen to her. And besides, if she was going to be out all day with Grant, then Cassie could get the Book and return it before she ever knew.

Standing near some bushes, Cassie crouched and tried to see if any lights were on at the Meade house. She knew Diana was gone, but she had no idea about Kate. Her car wasn't there, and there wasn't any light streaming through the front windows. After a few minutes, Cassie took a deep breath, confident no one was home, and scurried across the street.

Standing at the front door, Cassie muttered "lock unlock" and pushed the front door open, closing it behind her almost instantaneously. She looked down at her wet shoes, momentarily considering removing them so she didn't track water through the house. But what if someone came home? No one is coming home! Cassie mentally urged before ripping up the stairs.

Pushing open Diana's door, Cassie took a deep breath as she looked around the room. Now she just had to figure out where Diana kept it…

She went over to the antique trunk that used to be her mother's, the place Diana kept it last year. Inside were old things from Diana's childhood and some vinyl records Elizabeth had owned. No Book though…Closing the trunk, Cassie moved to the desk next, then the dresser, under the bed, in the bathroom cabinets…It was nowhere.

Pulling open the closet doors, Cassie began shuffling through the shoes. Standing back up, she sighed, placing her hands on her hips as she looked at the clothes hanging on the rack. This was useless.

Taking a cursory glance at the top shelf, an old pale yellow box caught Cassie's attention. It was fairly plain and faded, something that looked old and not quite Diana's taste—in other words, something that probably had belonged to her mother.

Standing on her tip-toes, Cassie barely reached the box. Taking the lid off, she saw some jewelry, a few concert tee shirts, and—

"Yes," Cassie exclaimed, taking a deep breath of relief. The Meade Book of Shadows.

Cassie gently wrapped her fingers around it. Just as she was about to pull it out, she heard the front door shut downstairs. Eyes widening, Cassie shoved the lid back on the box, hastily placing it back on the top shelf before slipping into the closet and pressing herself against the back wall.

Listening as carefully as she could, Cassie hoped Kate would just come in and leave—she was horrified when she heard the quick, sharp sound of heels on the stairs. It was Diana.

Why isn't she with Grant? Cassie internally screamed, feeling the color drain from her face. What if she was caught? What would Diana do if she knew Cassie was stealing her Book of Shadows?

Diana's bedroom door opened, and Cassie involuntarily held her breath. She heard Diana take several steps, probably placing her somewhere near the window. There was silence and stillness. She jumped and nearly gasped for breath as she heard Diana say,

"Hey!"

Cassie's heart was nearly thumping out of her chest.

"What are you doing?"

She was caught. Diana was going to rip open the closet door and throw her out. Then, brow furrowing, Cassie realized the statement wasn't directed toward her. It was casual, nowhere near accusatory. Diana must be on the phone.

"I've only seen you once since you got back from the ship, I was hoping we could do something this afternoon," Diana said.

Grant, Cassie thought. But why does Diana sound so awkward? And why would she lie to me about having plans with him?

"Oh, that's too bad," Diana continued. "But let's plan on Saturday night, maybe?...Okay, cool. Have a good night. Drive safe."

Diana took in a shaky, sad breath, causing Cassie's confusion to heighten. Just as long as she didn't open the closet…

"Hi," Diana said, this time her tone completely different—there was a more honest sadness to it, but there also wasn't any of the strain and awkwardness she'd had with Grant. "Great, thank you. I'll be right out. And thanks again for helping me with this."

Diana's footsteps left the room. Cassie didn't exhale until she heard the front door close, and then she let her body slide down the length of the wall. She ran her fingers through her hair. She was dizzy from holding her breath.

Reaching up and grabbing the box again, Cassie quickly removed the Book of Shadows and then raced back downstairs.

Melissa sat in her armchair, staring absently out the window at the rain that was still pouring. All that caffeine seemed to have finally caught up with her, but instead of being energetic and alert, she just felt vaguely anxious and bored. Her dad had asked if she wanted to join them at the Millers' that night for dinner, but she declined, saying instead that she had an essay to work on.

Looking down at her phone, Melissa dejectedly opened her texts. She still hadn't heard from Troy, and it was killing her. She didn't want to seem clingy and be the one to call him, but she also couldn't help but think this was somehow her fault. Had she said or done something? Not said or done something ?

As if she had willed it, the phone suddenly started buzzing. Troy's name popped up on the screen, causing Melissa's heart to flutter.

"Hello," she answered cautiously.

"Melissa, hi. Look, I'm so, so sorry about last night." His voice was urgent and sincere, lifting a weight off Melissa's shoulders she hadn't realized was there with all the other worries she was currently in charge of.

"Yeah, I missed you," Melissa said, voice smaller than she would have liked.

"I know, and I screwed up, and I'm sorry I couldn't call. My phone was dead and—"

"Look, if you didn't want to go, you could have just—"

"A tree branch broke off during the wind storm and came through our kitchen window," Troy finished.

Melissa felt color come to her cheeks as she realized how rude she had been just a moment ago. Why had she doubted him? Of course it was something completely understandable. Why had she interrupted?

"Oh, gosh, Troy," Melissa said, closing her eyes tightly and pressing her fingertips against her forehead. "I'm a jerk. I'm sorry."

"No, I should have called you sooner," Troy said. "It knocked out our electricity. It was just turned back on this morning, and they just finished replacing the window and fence this afternoon. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. But the rain all day didn't help. We had a mess to clean up inside."

"Is everyone okay?" Melissa asked.

"Yeah, we're all fine. My Aunt Hanna was in the laundry room and my Uncle Jerry and I were in the garage changing the oil in my car. We were really lucky."

"I'm so glad to hear that," Melissa said, still feeling tension and heat in her face. Why did she have to snap at him like that right away? If she could have just waited five more seconds…

"I'm glad too. But look, I owe you a date." His voice still had that nervousness from when they first went out together, making Melissa feel even worse. He really did feel bad about missing out on last night.

"Troy, you don't have to—"

"I mean it. Could I make you dinner at my house tonight?"

"I…" Melissa started, unsure what to say. Would this mean she was going to meet his aunt and uncle? Was this a bigger step than was necessary?

"I'm a pretty good cook, believe it or not," Troy added. "I was thinking I'd make spaghetti carbonara."

"That sounds delicious," Melissa replied. She paused for a moment. She somehow felt exhausted and buzzed at the same time, and didn't want to ruin this date or have Troy misinterpret her mood—but this gesture was also so sweet.

"Yeah, that sounds wonderful," Melissa said.

"Perfect," Troy said. "I'll pick you up at six thirty?"

"I'll see you then." Melissa hung up, then placed her phone on the bookshelf next to her. She pressed her lips together, squirming in her armchair. Things were going to be fine—so why was there still so much lingering anxiety?

Jake sat at the Java Brew, thumbing through the for rent section of the Chance Harbor Gazette. He took a swig of his cappuccino, considering the listings. Most were either way too expensive—3-bedroom, 2-bath, 2 blocks from the water—or not quite the location he was hoping for—studio over a the Lost Ship Bar, the loudest pub in town. Still, he was eager to move out from his aunt's house. At first, he felt an obligation to stay with her after Nick's death. They had a mutual grieving that brought them together despite the hell he'd put her through when he was in high school.

But then Aunt Marianne seemed to realize he wasn't going to get in trouble like he did when he was younger, and she started spending more time out of town, and Jake no longer felt like he would be abandoning her if he moved out.

Jake placed the newspaper on the table, slightly irritated he hadn't found anything that caught his interest. He looked at his cell phone for the time—3:10. Cassie would be here soon to start her shift. He decided he'd stick around and say hi, but then felt impatient as he finished his coffee and looked out the front window. He hoped his boss would move him up to full-time soon…He didn't really have enough hobbies or friends to take up the extra 20 hours in his work week.

He was snapped out of his train of thought by his phone ringing. It was Faye.

"Hey, babe," he answered.

"Hey." Her voice was flat and clearly annoyed. He knew that tone anywhere.

"What is it?"

"Look, I need to cancel dinner tonight."

"Yeah, I'm pretty exhausted too," Jake said, looking down at his empty mug. He'd drank practically the entire pot of coffee today at work, and this cappuccino was in anticipation of their dinner reservations tonight. Despite the jolt of caffeine, he still felt like spacing out in front of the television tonight in his pajamas.

"No, not because of that," Faye said, now sounding annoyed at the interruption. "It's my mom again. We got in this huge fight when she got home today."

"What about now?" Jake asked. He knew things had been tense between Faye and her mom since the school year started—especially whenever Dawn knew Faye had been hanging out with Cassie. That in particular annoyed Jake, but he knew better than to bring it up with Faye. He imagined this probably had something to do with spending Halloween at the Blake house, though.

"I didn't sign up for the SATs on time," Faye sighed. "She got super mad because there isn't another session in Chance Harbor for over a month." Her tone made it sound like her mother was overreacting.

Jake wasn't sure what to say. Any discussions of college had been tense between them so far. Faye didn't seem to realize that they hadn't yet discussed what it would mean for their relationship when she left Chance Harbor, and whether or not he was invited to go with her—or even could. That was one of the biggest reasons he wanted to save up, so he could follow her if she asked him to. He knew he would in a heartbeat.

"Anyways, I told her I turned in the paperwork, so I'll take care of it," she continued.

"Wait, did you?" Jake asked, now confused.

"No," Faye muttered. "But I can still go and add my name to the list." Her voice sounded slightly playful now.

"How?"

"Magic," Faye said. Jake could hear the smile in her voice.

"C'mon, Faye, you can't use it like that—"

"Why not?" Faye asked. "What's the worst that will happen? My mom and I won't get in another screaming match? I'll be able to take my SATs on time?"

"You know you have to use it responsibly—"

"Says who?" Faye spat. "Who decided that? Diana? In case you haven't noticed, she was the first one to bail. I don't even have my family's Book of Shadows. I don't even know how my magic is supposed to be used."

"Not like this," Jake said. "You're becoming too dependent on it." A woman turned around then, the look on her face signaling she clearly believed Jake was trying to coach someone through alcoholism. He sighed, grabbing the newspaper and holding it over his head as he stepped outside. The rain drenched through it almost immediately, leaving soggy scraps in his hair.

"Don't tell me how to use my magic, Jake," Faye snapped.

"You've been obsessed with getting more and more power," Jake criticized, trying to find something to stand under, his irritation breaking through.

"It's not fair!" Faye yelled, sounding more desperate than frustrated now. "First Cassie gets more powerful magic than anyone else. And then Diana, who forced everyone to bind our Circle in the first place, finds out she also gets dark daddy magic! Why can't I have any power? Why do they get to cut corners while I'm the one who's been the most willing to learn all of this! They don't even want any of this!"

"Faye," Jake sighed. "I know, but you can't just—"

"I didn't call you for another lecture. I get enough of that at home from my mom."

Jake groaned, frustrated and unsure what to do. He didn't like what Faye was planning on doing, but he also knew telling her not to would just make her even more decisive about it.

"Look, Faye, I don't know what you want from me," Jake snapped. "I told you how I feel. That's not changing just because you try to make me feel bad."

There was a moment of silence, and then a shocked scoff from Faye.

"I'll talk to you later."

"Faye, come on—"

She hung up on him.

Jake let out a breath, shaking his head and giving up on staying dry. He turned around, marching dejectedly toward his truck.

Cassie folded the map of Chance Harbor out on the passenger seat of her car. She was parked in the alley behind the wharf. There was something about all this that felt dangerous and dirty—since when was she someone who stole from her friends, hid out in back alleys, and performed spells to find dangerous people? Oh, she thought, also cheating on tests.

But if it wasn't going to be her, no one would do it. And she knew it had to be done.

She took a shaky breath, tracing her finger around the edge of the paper. She only had ten minutes until she needed to go find a parking spot and go to work. She knew even if the spell did show her where her half-siblings were, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it until later that night.

She looked down at the Book, trying to refocus her thoughts. She cleared her throat and recited the spell.

"Show me what I seek, see them in my mind
Reveal where to go so my family I may find."

She had modified "Circle" to "family," but had every hope it would work just as well. She closed her eyes, imagining the faces she had conjured up so many times now. She saw Parker, her half-sister…the animus…Inhaling deeply and trying to shake the fear that image still brought, she opened her eyes and looked down at the map.

At first, nothing happened. She wondered if it wouldn't work, if it was only for those she was bound to by magic, not by blood. But then a soft illumination appeared. Eagerly, Cassie began trying to figure out where in relationship to Chance Harbor they were—it was out in the forest somewhere, down the highway and toward Harbor Woods. The illuminated spot began to fade, and Cassie quickly grabbed a pencil from her backpack and circled it before it disappeared completely.

The rain continued to pound on the car as she stared, amazed. It had worked. Now all she had to do was go to them…

Diana looked at her reflection in the side mirror as Adam parked in the alley between the Lost Ship Bar and a sheet metal warehouse. Her face was pale, with splotchy red marks around her cheeks and eyes from crying. The air down here smelled salty and stale, a nauseating scent to her.

"Are you sure about this?" Adam asked, turning to look at her. Diana shut her eyes, drawing a shaky breath. For a moment, she wanted to say no—she should just talk to Grant, tell him that she saw him, that Cassie and Faye saw him, ask why he wouldn't tell her he was back. But as she turned to face Adam, her stomach dropped again, and she nodded her head quickly, unbuckling her seatbelt and opening her door.

"He said he's going to be down at the docks until 5:30, then he's going out for drinks with some of his friends."

"So…if he's down here, we should be able to see him before he leaves," Adam said. He cautiously unbuckled his seatbelt, then stepped out of the car.

"All right," Diana said nervously, tugging her peacoat around her torso. "Let's go." She looked to the ground, feeling too ashamed to look at Adam. She slowly moved forward, hyperaware of the sound of the heels of her boots against the damp pavement. She wondered why she should be ashamed of herself around Adam while it was Grant's trust she was betraying. But he had betrayed her first…

Diana stopped at the edge of the Lost Ship, looking around the corner. A burly man in an orange rain jacket walked into the bar, and a woman in a white wool coat hurried along the sidewalk, car keys in hand. The rain had lightened up, but was still steadily coming down.

"It's clear," Diana whispered, turning the corner. She could hear Adam behind her, and for a moment, felt an inappropriate wave of hilariousness. It was like the two of them were kids again, playing spies as they chased her dad as he ran errands. She was trying to be so sneaky, it seemed like make pretend. The urge to laugh was replaced by nausea again as she remembered Grant, and her mouth tugged down into a frown.

Adam and Diana hurried down the sidewalk, passing the shops until they reached the next corner. The docks where Grant would be unloading were just one block down. She peeked around the corner, seeing several men moving back and forth, unloading boxes. She recognized a few from the summer, but it was difficult to tell who was who—they were all wearing raincoats, hats, and gloves.

"Do you see him?" Adam whispered.

"No," Diana replied, shaking her head. "We're too far. Do you think we can get behind that dumpster?"

There was a pause, and then Adam nodded his head. Taking a quick glance to make sure no one was looking in their direction, Diana hurried down the slope leading to the docks, staying close to the warehouse on her left, until they could duck behind the large blue dumpster. Peering back down at the men working, Diana took another look around, trying to spot Grant. She recognized Carson first, his bright red hair instantly noticeable among the pale grays and damp whites of the rainy day. There were a few people she either didn't recognize or hadn't met. She spotted Trevor, one of Grant's closest friends, hauling a box with someone in a dark blue jacket and plaid long-sleeve shirt. It looked like Grant from behind, but the baggy clothes meant she couldn't be sure until she saw his face. The two dropped the box into the back of a van, then turned. Diana gasped.

"It's him," she hissed at Adam.

Grant seemed cheerful, and laughed at something Trevor said. He wiped his forehead with the back of his glove, then hurried back down the slope to the last few boxes. His blond hair was damp and sticking to his face, but there was still something charming about him. It hurt Diana now, and she wondered why she had been so annoyed with him lately. What had happened to the whirlwind promise of seeing the world, the playfulness of his accent, his happy-go-lucky personality? She had adored it all in the spring and summer. Her jaw tightened and something seemed stuck in her throat at the idea of being betrayed by that Grant—it seemed like a different version of him.

"They're done," Adam whispered. Diana looked away from Grant and back to the rest of the crew. They had finished moving the boxes to the truck, and everyone was taking off their gear. Was he going out for drinks now? How would she find out anything that way? She didn't have a fake ID, and waiting outside the bar wouldn't prove anything. And what did she expect, anyway?

A girl. Another girl. She realized suddenly that thought hadn't crossed her mind yet, but seemed like the most realistic possibility. A girl old enough to go out to a bar with him, not young enough to be moving away to college at the end of the school year and unwilling to say what would happen to them after that. Her head began swirling; she felt like the ground was moving underneath them.

"Diana?"

She turned to face Adam. It must be a girl. That was how she lost men. To other women.

"Yeah?" she choked out. She could feel tears stinging at the corner of her eyes, but told herself she couldn't start crying again.

"What do we do now?" Adam asked.

Diana bit her lip and looked out at Grant again. He and Trevor were walking away, waving to some of the other guys. On their way up the slope, Grant grabbed a small wooden box, tucking it under his arm.

"What is that?" Adam asked, his lip curling up awkwardly.

"I don't know," Diana whispered. "Maybe it's his?"

Grant rounded the corner, about to disappear from sight.

"Come on!" Diana urged. "We need to follow them!"

Diana paced along the side of the warehouse again, trying to go fast enough not to lose them, but slow enough not to be spotted. She could see Trevor's jet black hair, thankful for his height. They turned toward the Lost Ship Bar, and Diana got worried again that he was just going out for a drink, and their trail would be over.

"Wait," Diana said, stopping Adam at the corner before moving on. They looked over their shoulders as Grant and Trevor hurried down the sidewalk. For a moment, she was afraid they would see Adam's Jeep in the alley and figure out exactly what Diana was up to. They quickly moved past the alley, however, continuing down the sidewalk before turning the corner down toward the wharf.

"Where are they going?" Adam whispered. Diana didn't answer. She ran down the sidewalk, hoping they wouldn't lose them. They couldn't be going down to the wharf with this weather—besides, he had said he was getting drinks. Why wasn't he going to a bar?

They reached the end of the block, and Diana turned to look around the corner of the brick building, still able to see Trevor's dark hair bobbing.

"There's someone else down there," Adam whispered. Diana looked again, realizing she had only been focusing on Grant. There was going to be a woman. She took a deep breath, and was instead surprised to see it was a man—tall, lanky and blond.

"Who is it?" she whispered. Maybe this was for work…

"I don't know," Adam said. "We need to get closer."

Diana looked around to see where they could hide, and spotted a large rock—it would be risky, but it was the only way they could get closer and still be somewhat hidden from view.

"Okay, go down to that rock," Diana whispered. "And stay low."

She crouched and sprinted forward, feeling awkward and certain she was going to be seen—if not because of the sound of her heels, definitely because of how bizarre the two of them must look running while squatting. By some miracle, neither Grant or Trevor turned around, and they kneeled behind the rock.

"He looks so familiar," Diana said, squinting at the blond man. She thought maybe he was a few grades ahead of them, certain she knew him from school. Grant and Trevor were talking with him. The stranger seemed skeptical, and Grant opened the top of the box, then looked around nervously. Diana instinctively ducked a little lower.

"What is he doing?" she asked. "That seems so sketchy."

The blond man looked around as well, then took the box quickly from Grant, slamming the top closed. He looked around rapidly again, facing the rock directly. Diana held her breath. They were close enough that she could see the features of his face—had he spotted them?

"Diana," Adam whispered.

"Shhh," Diana warned. "We're too close. They'll hear."

"No, Diana—that guy. That's the guy who kidnapped Cassie at the Homecoming dance."

Diana's eyes bulged out, and she turned to look again.

It was him. That's why she thought she knew him from school.

"Oh my god," she whispered. She could feel her heartbeat in her ears, her stomach plummeting all the way down to her feet. She felt dizzy and lightheaded, yet it seemed like her body was suddenly too heavy and she would be stuck here forever, unable to ever move again. Her hands and feet felt like they were asleep, and there was a vague sensation of falling washing over her.

"No," she choked out.

Melissa put her fork down, leaning back in her chair.

"That was amazing," she said, taking a sip of her bubbly water. "How did you learn how to cook?"

"My mom," Troy replied with a faint smile. "She was the best cook ever—and she loved to try out recipes for fun. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her growing up."

Melissa smiled warmly. "I hear my mom was a great cook too," she said softly. "My dad still talks about this lemon meringue she would make—it was his favorite dessert." She laughed to herself. "He tells me that he would eat it all the time, that she'd tell him she was sick of making it over and over again, but always would."

Troy smiled back, reaching for her hand across the table. It felt warm and solid. Melissa looked away, her heart fluttering from the combination of attraction and shared grieving.

"Have as much as you want," Troy said. "I told my aunt and uncle I'd save them the leftovers, but we still have plenty of pizza from the other night."

"I'm full, but thanks," Melissa said, wrapping her arms around her.

"Are you cold?"

"A little," Melissa shrugged, looking down at the heathered navy tee shirt she was wearing. "I should have dressed better for the weather."

"Why don't I make us a fire?" Troy asked. "Then we can turn on the movie."

"That would be awesome," Melissa replied, standing up and taking her plate to the sink. Troy smiled then walked out the side door from the kitchen. Melissa watched as he darted over to the pile of firewood against their fence and under a sharply angled shelter. His aunt and uncle lived on the outskirts of town, close to Harbor Woods, only a few minutes from the highway. She had never known anyone who lived this far out, and found something cozy and comfortingly quiet about it.

Troy came back through the door, carrying the wood into the living room. He set them into the fireplace, striking a match and almost instantly getting a sizzle of a fire starting.

"I'm so impressed," Melissa complimented as orange flames shot up. "That took you no time at all!"

"Lots of practice," Troy laughed, wiping his hands on his jeans before sitting down on the couch. Melissa joined him, and he put one arm over her shoulders and reached for the remote with the other. She smiled slightly at the feeling of his arm around her.

"Ready for the movie?" he asked. Melissa nodded eagerly, letting her head rest on his shoulder as the opening credits started.

Cassie sprawled the map out over her steering wheel, tracing a road from the highway to the woods with her finger.

The weather had improved slightly since she got off work, but her radio warned her of a thunderstorm that night. She wanted to try to get out of the woods before it started. But she couldn't seem to find the road that branched off the highway. She had driven past where it should have been twice now, but there was nothing there.

Frustrated, she sighed, looking up from the map and letting her head rest against the seat. She had pulled over onto a bank, but still had no idea where she was. She couldn't see anything in the darkness. Deciding she should drive a little further in case the map was wrong, she started the engine up again, then pulled back onto the highway.

The trees looked blue and ashy in the light as she zoomed by. It reminded her of the ominous feeling from last night—should she be paying attention to that? She was alone, after all, and no one knew where she was…

Curving slightly, Cassie realized she was close to the road they had turned onto last night. She focused on the map in her mind, realizing that road could lead her onto the one she needed to locate the spot in the woods she was searching for. Taking a deep breath, Cassie put her turn signal on, then slipped into the darkness of the side road.

The pavement turned to gravel, crunching under her tires as she moved slowly forward. The road was narrow, with shallow ditches on either side. Her headlights illuminated the mud and weeds in them. Her car crawled forward.

When she was certain no one was coming from the other direction, she put her car in park, pulling the map out again. She found the road she was on. There should be a fork further up that would connect her to the spot. She was so close to it…

Cassie took a deep breath, turning up the radio as she moved forward. The poppy music seemed ill-suited, as if she were trying to reassure herself nothing was going to happen—but was that what she wanted? This whole trip was about making something happen, about meeting her half-siblings. They were out here somewhere, close by.

Squinting through the rain, Cassie thought she spotted the fork in the road.

"Ugh," she muttered, hitting the brakes right before it. It was too narrow for her car to go down. She was going to have to walk.

Taking a deep breath, Cassie turned her car off, then slipped the map under her black rain coat. She zipped it up to her chin, tugging the hood over her head. Opening the door, the cold splatter of wind and rain hit her cheeks. This is not going to be fun, she thought to herself, then wondered if this was even worth it. She had to keep going, though.

Tearing off on foot, Cassie moved down the road, grateful for the heavy evergreens around her that kept most of the rain from reaching the ground around her. Moving helped her warm up a bit. She tried to move a bit faster, feeling her cold toes curling slightly in her boots. She should be there soon—the road wasn't that long on the map.

She would meet them very soon.

Adam parked his car outside Diana's house. She hadn't said anything on the car ride home.

He, on the other hand, wanted to immediately start yelling about what scum Grant was, how he was lying to Diana, working for the Balcoins, stringing her along since he first stepped foot in Chance Harbor. He was elated—he had suspected Grant was cheating at the very worst. Never in a million years would he have hoped for something this deliciously insidious from Grant.

The rational part of him knew that this was news for the Circle, and that he and Diana would have to tell them soon. But more than anything, he wanted to bask in the glory of Grant's betrayal, be the one for Diana to come running to.

His thoughts were interrupted by a choked sob from Diana. She pushed her fist against the bridge of her nose, what she always did when she was trying not to cry.

"Is your grandma home? Could you talk to her?" Adam asked gently. Diana shook her head quickly.

"No, she had to go to Seattle for the night. A friend of hers is really sick in the hospital. I told her to go. She won't be home until tomorrow."

Adam looked down at the steering wheel.

"How about I make you dinner?" he offered softly. "It's late, and you need to eat. I'll make you mac and cheese—the stuff from the box, not from scratch." He smirked at this.

Diana looked at him and sobbed again through a smile. She shook her head, letting her forehead fall in her fingertips. "I don't know why I like that stuff," she muttered. "I know it's gross."

Adam laughed too, feeling a part of himself softening at her smile. He had loved being able to take care of her before—when that entailed cooking for her, bringing her flowers, and surprising her with the modest jewelry he could afford with his paycheck. Back before their problems got so big.

Tonight could be another night like that, though.

"Let's go," he said, stepping out of the car and hurrying around the side to open Diana's door for her. He put his jacket over her head as they scurried up to the front door. Diana fumbled with the key, then pushed the door open. Warmth hit their cold cheeks, and the sandalwood scent that always filled the Meade home met him. He realized how much he had missed that smell.

"You go put on your comfiest pajamas," Adam said, peeling his boots off. "I will start your dinner. And we are going to watch your favorite movie or the worst, most embarrassing guilty pleasure we can find on TV."

Diana smiled again, then broke into a quivering sob, and then back to a smile. She pressed her lips together, then turned and headed up the staircase.

Adam walked into the kitchen, pulling a stainless steel pot from the drawer and filling it with water. He looked out the window at the darkness and rain, remembering all the time he had spent here over the years, all the times he had comforted her when she became overwhelmed. He had been so good at taking care of her before—he had made her happy, in a way he never could for Cassie. He thought again of his conversation with Melissa a few weeks ago, admitting he had always had feelings for Diana. He wondered if he always would. And if he would, maybe he could learn to be with her even while harboring feelings for Cassie.

He could at least be the person Diana needed. He had been before, and he could be again.

Cassie stood at the edge of the road, confused as to where to go. She had pulled the map out and was trying to figure out how to navigate through this spot—the road she was supposed to be on had ended, and instead a small deer trail like the one they had walked the night before stood in front of her. The map made it look like the road should continue all the way to the spot she had circled, though.

What other choice do I have? Cassie thought, looking ahead. She had come this far—she might as well keep going.

Shoving the wet map back under her jacket, Cassie hurried down the trail, the thin branches whipping against her arms and shoulders as she pushed through. It felt so much like the trail from last night, yet was even narrower. A thorn slapped against her cheek, stinging instantly. Rubbing her face, Cassie drew a deep breath, trying to focus on just getting to the other end. The trail seemed to be narrowing even more though.

Pushing branches away on either side of her, Cassie stumbled through the trail, emerging into a grassy patch on the other side. Slightly surprised, she realized she was in a clearing, out of the trail. Ahead of her was a dark structure, the silhouette almost like the Abandoned House. That wasn't where she had ended up, was it?

A smile appeared on her face as she realized this was the spot on the map—she had found them! She started running toward the house, eager to see the front. Was this where they were hiding out? Living? There was a part of her that couldn't wait to meet them, as if she were a little girl again and she had found out about the extended family members she had always wanted but never had were real, living people instead of the invisible friends she had over for tea parties. She had grown up the only child of an only child of an only child—no aunts, uncles, or cousins in sight anywhere on the family tree. Now, though, she had family. Suddenly, again, she had people who were a part of her.

Almost delirious, Cassie turned the corner, giggling slightly to herself. This was it! Her family!

Her smile shattered as she looked up and realized where she was.

"No," she whispered, staring up. Panic clenched her throat as she stared.

She turned around, grabbing her hair in her fists. She was back at the haunted house from last night.

"This isn't possible," she muttered to herself, turning around, as if it would be some place different. "How?" she asked in a raspy voice, looking through the window she and Diana had been locked behind the night before. The glass was still scattered across the front porch, glittering in the rain.

Something bright fluttering against the door caught her attention. Squinting through the wind, she realized it was a piece of paper. The flyers last night had been bright pink though—so what was this?

Cassie slowly moved toward the house, flashes from last night coming back to her. The glass exploding, the animus chasing them—it made her heart pound. As she got closer, though, she could see writing on the paper.

Moving up the stairs and cautiously stepping over the glass where she could, she gingerly reached for the sheet of paper. It was dry despite the rain.

She looked down, seeing smooth, narrow letters across the page. It looked like a girl's handwriting—almost like Diana's handwriting. Her eyes widened as she read the note.

Cassie,

We're impressed. You found us—at least where we used to be.
Your friends don't seem so eager to play. Show us we can trust you and we'll find you.

Love,

Your Little Sister, Andromeda

Cassie lowered the page, staring blankly into the darkness of the forest.

"Andromeda," she whispered.

Diana looked out her bedroom window, gazing forlornly at the rain. She had started putting on her red flannel pajamas, but had stopped buttoning up her top halfway through, instead becoming paralyzed with emotion again, unable to do anything but stare.

"There's lightning."

Adam's voice startled her slightly, and she quickly finished buttoning her top before turning around. Adam was standing in the door, smiling softly at her.

"There's hardly ever thunder and lightning this time of year," she muttered back.

"I know," Adam said, his voice throaty. He grinned at her. "I've always loved it the most though."

Diana lowered her eyes, wanting to look at anything but Adam right now. Her heart felt like it was in her throat. All she could think of was the pain Grant had caused her, and the distance that had grown between them beforehand. On the car ride home, she thought that would have made this easier—if they had been closer, it would have hurt worse. But, somehow, this felt a million times worse.

"Diana," Adam whispered, taking a few steps forward. "I am so, so sorry."

She inhaled slowly, trying to push Grant from her mind.

"What are you going to say to him?" Adam asked, taking another hesitant step forward. The darkness cast soft shadows over his face, making his green eyes seem to glow.

"Nothing," Diana said tersely, pushing a tear off her cheek as she turned away and out the window again. "Nothing. It's over between us. I am going to break up with him, and then never, ever speak with him again."

There was silence from Adam. She wondered what he thought. Did he judge her for this? Did he think Grant deserved a chance to explain himself? But he was with one of the Blackwell siblings, Diana told herself. He doesn't deserve anything from me after that, whether he knows it was a danger or not.

"I don't care if you think I'm wrong for that—"

"Hey," Adam said. Diana turned around to find he was right behind her. He gently placed a hand on her cheek, wiping away a tear with his thumb. "He doesn't deserve you. And you don't owe him anything."

Diana looked into his eyes, thinking back to the beginning of the school year when Adam asked if she loved Grant. She couldn't bring herself to say yes—not even in her head. Yet she had known she loved Adam since she was fourteen years old, had been so eager to hear him say that to her once they started dating.

"Adam," she whispered, closing her eyes. She could feel there weren't any more tears in her eyes, but they still felt glassy underneath her eyelids. She leaned her jaw into his hand. She opened her eyes, seeing the look of intensity on his face, somehow still gentle.

"I have—never—stopped loving you, Diana," Adam whispered, his voice raspy and heavy. His mouth was parted slightly, as if he was considering saying more. Instead, he continued to look at her, managing to convey his feelings without imploring her to say anything in return.

Diana felt her lip quiver slightly, as if tears were about to start again, her heart ready to be ripped right back out. Instead, she was surprised at the feeling of warmth that found its way to her lips, the sensation of her heartbeat at every point of her body. Was this just leftover from when she used to be close to Adam like this? The heat of her own breath on her lips told her it wasn't, and she looked back into Adam's eyes.

Diana put her hands on the back of Adam's hand, pulling him into a kiss. She instantly felt delirious with the familiar warmth and taste of Adam's mouth. He put his arms around her waist, hungrily running his hands over her hips. Diana began fumbling with the buttons on her shirt, fingers quickly trying to find the slits. Impatiently, Adam pulled the shirt over her head, walking toward the bed and laying her down. She yanked him down next to her, tugging on his sweater as he began kissing her neck.

The darkness of her bedroom felt sweet and small, wrapping Diana up in the velvety memory of Adam and the euphoric sensation of him in the present.

Faye stood on the last step on the staircase, looking down in to the kitchen. It was dimly lit from the nightlight in the hallway and the grainy light shining through the window from the front porch. It was almost one in the morning, and Dawn had gone to bed about an hour earlier. Faye had realized that there was no way she was going to hide the SAT mess from her mom if she waited until tomorrow—she knew Dawn would check first thing in the morning, discover Faye had never turned in any paperwork, and unleash World War III in the Chamberlain household. Faye did know, however, that she had gotten damn good at "lock, unlock," and her best chance of pulling this off was to sneak into the school tonight.

Walking quietly across the hardwood floor, Faye focused on the feeling of her gray flats curling up around the soles of her feet as she moved toward the door. Holding her breath and hoping her mother couldn't hear the front door from her bedroom any better than she could three years ago, she turned the doorknob softly, pulling it open and hoping a clap of thunder wouldn't give her away.

Faye slipped into the coldness of the night, instantly wishing she had put on more than the pebbly green sweater she had pulled on over her tee shirt. She softly closed the door, lips pressed together, and then nimbly hopped down the front steps. It was going to be a long walk to school—twenty five minutes—but she knew she couldn't start the car without waking her mom up.

"Hey," a voice said coolly, startling Faye. She leapt up, turning mid-air, to face her front door again. She saw a figure standing in the tall trees in front of the living room windows.

"Who's there?" Faye asked. There was an icy fear wrapping around her, the events of last night pumping her adrenaline through her body.

"Faye Chamberlain?" the girl asked, taking a step forward. Her silhouette became more visible—she was shorter than Faye but not as short as Cassie, with an hourglass figure and long hair.

"Who are you?" Faye asked again through clenched teeth. She wished she had grabbed the car key—she couldn't run back in the front door without risking her mother's safety, and even if she tried, she wouldn't make it past the girl given their current positions in the driveway.

"My name is Andromeda Thompson. But you can call me Andi."

The girl took a few more steps and was washed in the yellow hue of the porch light. She had fair skin, with pale blue-ish eyes. Her nose was narrow and her lips full. Her hair was brown, a shade or two darker than Diana's, but slightly curly. Faye thought she was pretty, but in an odd way—stern and aloof, yet with intriguing features.

"That still doesn't tell me who you are," Faye spat, hoping the girl—Andromeda—couldn't tell she was frightened. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you about your Circle," Andromeda said softly, dragging a finger along the front of Dawn's car as she got closer to Faye. Faye took an instinctive step backward. She didn't reply, and so Andi continued, "You see, you've got something we want."

"You're a Blackwell, aren't you?" Faye whispered.

A coy tug sprouted on the corner of Andromeda's mouth, threatening a smile. She didn't answer, but looked up and locked eyes with Faye. Now that she was closer, Faye could see her eyes were a stormy gray with flicks of blue throughout.

"I came here to make a deal with you," Andromeda said, pausing and crossing her arms. The bell sleeves of her black knitted cardigan hung toward the ground, making her look like a storybook witch. Faye wondered if that was on purpose or not. She remembered the girl had dressed up as one last night, and her stomach tightened at the thought that this girl had been watching them, had gotten herself so close to them without anyone realizing it.

"I don't want to make a deal with—"

"Don't speak to soon," Andromeda interrupted, her voice threatening this time. Faye swallowed hard. Andromeda looked back down, her face relaxing slightly. "Like I was saying," she continued. "I have something to offer you." She looked up, locking her eyes firmly with Faye's. "But if you want it, I need you to get me the Crystal Skull." Her voice was hard and hollow.

"What are you talking about?" Faye spat. "The Crystal Skull was destroyed. You're, like, eight months too late." She tried to sound cocky and unafraid, but her mind was wildly trying to figure out what she could do to get help.

Andromeda shook her head slowly, her eyes mockingly wide. "No," she cooed. "It's not. Adam never got rid of it. He's keeping it for himself."

That bastard! Faye thought, realizing she was visibly shaken in front of Andromeda. He kept the Skull! He was using it! But she had to focus on what was happening now...

"You're lying," Faye shot back, even though she knew Andromeda has told the truth. Another slow, sarcastic shake of the head. Faye looked down at her feet for a moment. How dare he, she thought. She was torn between her fear of this Blackwell girl and her pure rage toward Adam.

"He has the Skull," Andromeda repeated. "And we want it. And we want you to get it for us."

"I'm never going to work with you," Faye said slowly, eyes widening slightly. She took another step backward. "Never."

"I thought you might feel that way," Andromeda said, her voice lilting as if brushing off Faye's obvious disgust. "So I'm not coming empty-handed. I want to make a deal with you. You give us the Crystal Skull…we give you your Book of Shadows."

Faye's eyebrows shot up her head.

"How could you possibly give me that?" Her voice was trembling and hungry.

Andromeda grinned. "We are very powerful witches, Faye. And if I say we can get you your Book, I mean it."

Faye stared, unsure of what to say. She was offering her the one thing she wanted most since Diana had found her Book of Shadows, the thing she had ripped her house and then the lake house apart looking for. Her desire for it was so strong it made her body tremble as if with lust.

"I can't hurt my Circle," she choked out, her voice raspy, as if she needed water.

"You won't have to," Andromeda chirped. "You're the only one we can trust, the only one who would understand that we want to keep our magic while controlling it. We need the Skull into six crystals again if we're going to be able to use our magic properly—but we know your Circle won't believe us. All we want is our magic back to normal, and then we're out of Chance Harbor forever."

Faye studied Andromeda, considering the statement. She was right. She had never understood Diana's desire to have her magic disappear, and thought Cassie's optimism that her goodness would prevail was naïve. Power was their birthright—all of their birthrights—and they shouldn't have to give it up because of how other people provoked it. Yet…the Crystal Skull had almost killed her Circle last spring.

"Look, you don't have to decide tonight," Andromeda said, taking a step toward Faye. Faye forced herself to stand still. "I'll give you a week. You can make up your mind by then. But know this—we want nothing to do with your Circle, and we won't hurt them. But if you say anything to anyone, we can and will hurt you and the people you care about."

Faye opened her mouth, dumbfounded, before finally managing to say, "You're just saying that." It felt stupid as soon as it left her mouth, so she tried to stand up a little straighter.

"No, I'm not," Andromeda hissed, taking a quick step toward Faye. "And you know it. And if you need more proof, just think about how much power we already have over your life—we've been one step ahead of you, always knowing where you are. I orchestrated that entire little show for you last night, Faye. Made sure you found it, made sure you brought your friends, made sure you came within an inch of your lives while still letting you go. That was me."

Faye felt her heart move up to her throat, horrified both at the revelation and the realization that she was completely defenseless against this girl.

"Think about it," Andromeda continued. "Do you want that kind of power working against you, or working for you? Because, as a gesture of goodwill, I've gone ahead and taken care of that pesky little problem you're sneaking out for. Those are the kind of favors we'll do for you if you're helping us out."

"What are you talking about?" Faye whispered. How could she possibly know why Faye was sneaking out, what she and her mother had fought about earlier that evening? How could she know about what happened in the privacy of Faye's home?

Andromeda actually grinned this time, then began moving back toward the shadows. "Good luck on the SATs," she said over her shoulder. She started down the street, moving quickly and disappearing around the corner.

Faye felt her heart begin pounding and exhaled quickly as soon as she disappeared. She gripped her head with her hands, thinking about what had just happened—and what she stood to gain from it.

Please review! I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you like, what you're excited for, and what you'd like to see-it helps me write! :)