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Chapter 1

Aday with the heat of their breath It was a balns of spring - a perfect night to roll down the s and enjoy the breeze while they kissed

But Cassie insisted the s stay closed, for privacy

Besides, she liked the feeling of being cocooned in such close quarters with Adalass They were going to be late for their , but inside this cloud, she didn't care

"We should go in," she said halfheartedly

"Just five more minutes It's not like they can start without you"

Right, Cassie thought, because I'm a leader All theout with my boyfriend

Boyfriend The notion still iddy, even after all these weeks She watched the way the setting sun brought out the led hair -

shades of burgundy and orange - and the crystal ine sparkle in his blue eyes

He leaned in and softly kissed that spot on the side of Cassie's neck just below her ear "Fine," she said "Three more minutes"

Their first kiss as a couple had changed everything for Cassie ItAdareement, and Cassie's whole body became aware of that fact This was love, she'd realized

Cassie assumed the sensation would lessen as the days passed, that their kissing would beco, its intensity increased over tihthouse on Shore Road, Cassie knew they had to stop kissing, but she couldn't And neither could Adaency of his grip on her hips made that obvious

But it wouldn't look good to walk in late to her first o in," she said, pulling away and placing her hand up against Adam's chest to hold him still

He took a deep breath and exhaled through histo cool himself down "I know"

Reluctantly, he let Cassie disentangle from his embrace and make herself more presentable After a fewdown of his wild hair, he followed her inside

Walking across the long-grassed hthouse, Cassie couldn't help but be struck by its worn, rustic beauty Melanie had told thee was evident in its dilapidated appearance The tower itself was constructed of grayed stone and brick reaching al wooden house - the lightkeeper's cottage It had been built for the lightkeeper's wife and children, so they could be close to hi to Melanie, the cottage was passed down through several generations until the lighthouse was finally decommissioned in the early 1900s Since then, there had been talk of converting it into a museum, but it had remained abandoned for decades

Adaht in her throat

She unlatched the cottage door and stepped inside, Adam just behind her With an alrand, belated entrance

It was i for too long, and that the group knew exactly what she and Ada Cassie exa their different reactions and silent accusations

Melanie's usually cool eyes contained a heated i on the edge of the wooden bench in the corner, appeared ready to make a snide co Henderson, who'd been playing catch with a tennis ball by the , said in unison, "Well, it's about frigging time"

Nick, sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, looked at Cassie with a subtle pain in his eyes that forced her to turn away

"Adaloss is sed"

The roohter, and Adaht down at the floor, huracious about Adairl could take

"We call thisher poise "Everyone, please be seated"

Diana spoke as if the laughter had died down, but it was still loud and raucous "The first order of business," she continued, "is e're going to do with the Master Tools"

That quieted the group The Master Tools - the diadeed to Black John's original coven They'd been hidden for hundreds of years until Cassie figured out they were concealed within the fireplace in her grandmother's kitchen

The Circle had used the Tools to defeat Black John, but they'd put offthem since

Tonight, the time had come to determine their fate

"That's right," Cassie said, joining Diana in the center of the room "We have real power now And we need to - " What? What did they need to do? Cassie turned to Diana Her green eyes and shining hair were radiant, even in the ghostly lantern light of the old cottage If anyone knehat the Circle should do next, it was Diana

"I think we should destroy the power of the Master Tools somehow," Diana said in her clear, musical voice "So no one can use them"

For a estion Then Faye broke the silence "You've got to be kiddingto find the Master Tools"

"I know," Diana said "But after all we've been through, and now that we've defeated Black John, I feel like that ood for us, or for anyone" Cassie was as surprised as Faye These words didn't sound like Diana at all, or at least not like the Diana that Cassie had known

Adam appeared taken aback as well, but he kept quiet

Leaders spoke first Those were the rules

Cassie felt the attention of the group settle upon her

They were a triumvirate nohich meant her poas equal to both Diana's and Faye's She wanted to use her authority well, to state her opinion openly and intelligently, but she didn't want to go against Diana

"What e your mind?" she said

Diana crossed her thin are their minds all the time, Cassie"

"Well," Faye said, focusing on Diana with her honey-colored eyes, "I disagree entirely It would be a waste to not use the Tools At the very least, we should experiree, Cassie?"

"Ureed with Faye on this one, which reed with Faye on anything She didn't want to side with Faye over Diana, but how could they just destroy the Tools? What if Black John came back? These were their only means of self-defense She wished Diana had discussed this with her before now