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"While those of us with no parents are lucky?" Melanie asked, raising her eyebrows

"At least you know they had guts," Deborah said shortly "You and Ada to be proud of I’d rather be raised by a grandreat-aunt than have parents who scream at each other all the time because they’re so ashaain, and she saw so leave his face, some tension that had been there ever since she’d known him It made him look different, softer somehow, more vulnerable At thather in the act of watching him Cassie wanted to look away, but she couldn’t, and to her surprise there was no hostility in his gaze His htly in a wry, relieved s back in sy at theroup

"The ones who died were killed because our parents didn’t all stick together That’s what rander now, because Black John’s come to take us back He still wants his coven, and now he’s alive again - a living, breathing man She said that he won’t look burned and ae see hinize him, but we have to be ready for hi loud in the sudden silence "Just what did she think he’s going to do?"

Cassie lifted her hands There was no longer a guilty secret between her and Adam, but every time she looked at him, she felt - a connection A new connection, that of two people who’d been tried by fire and had co between the to do," she told Adarandma said Get us to follow him the way our parents did But how, I don’t know"

"The reason 1 ask is because he may not want all of us," Adaed for the eleven of us to be born - and if he joins the coven as its leader, that makes twelve But you weren’t one of the eleven, Cassie Neither was Kori And it looks like he got Kori out of the way"

Diana drew in a sharp breath "Oh, ot to leave You’ve got to get out of New Saleo back to California - " She stopped, because Cassie was shaking her head

"I can’t," Cassie said siht She said that hy ht hiuess I’m one kid he didn’t plan, so e"

"Don’t be modest," Deborah broke in caustically "The old lady told us it was because your faht and the ot our Book of Shadows, now," Cassie said, so to take the red leather book out of her backpack "My grandmother had it hidden behind a loose brick in the kitchen fireplace Black John wanted it, so thereto read it and try to find out what that so is"

"What can the rest of us do?" Laurel asked Cassie realized the question was directed at her; except for Faye, as glowering, they were all looking at her expectantly Flustered, she lifted her hands again and shook her head

"We can talk to the old ladies in the toho’re still alive," Deborah suggested "That’s randic, that they ure the old ladies otten, and we can question therandreat-aunt, Mel"

Melanie looked doubtful "Great-aunt Constance doesn’t approve of the old ways at all She’s pretty - inflexible - about it"

"And Granny Quincey is so frail," Laurel said "As for old Mrs Franklin - well, she’s not always all there"

"To put it tactfully," Adaet pretty loopy at tiht; they’re all we’ve got, so we have to make the most of them We can try to puot to lose?"

"An ar," Suzan ht to exarinned wildly and said they’d be happy to interrogate all the parents

"We’ll say, ’Hey, -reo? Well, he’s back, so can you, like, give us any help in recognizing hi said with relish

"Didn’t your grandht help?" Laurel asked Cassie

"Nowait" Cassie straightened up, excite inside her "She said they identified Black John’s body in the burned house because of his ring, a lodestone ring" She looked at Melanie "You’re the crystal expert; so what’s lodestone?"

"It’s ray eyes narrowed thoughtfully "It’s like hematite, which is iron oxide too, but henetite is black and netic"

Cassie tried to control her expression Well, she’d known the hematite came from Black John’s house; maybe it had even been his stone She shouldn’t be surprised that he wore a ring of soe of apprehension She’d really better get rid of that piece of he in a jewelry box in her bedroom, where she’d put it when Diana drove her over to her house to pick up her clothes thisbefore school

"Okay, we’ll keep on the lookout for that," Ada "We can talk to the old ladies torandht," Cassie estions, Ada at last Her arms were still folded over her chest, and her honey-pale skin was flushed with anger

Adam looked back without expression "Co to make," he said "I think we should retake the leadership vote"

Faye lunged toward hi "You can’t do that!"

"Why not? If all of us agree," Adam said calmly

"Because it’s not in the traditions," Faye hissed "You look at any Book of Shadows and you’ll see! The vote is the vote; I won and it can’t be changed now I’m the coven leader"

Ada troubled and Diana was slowly shaking her head

"She’s right, Adam," Diana said softly "The vote was fair, at the ti it" Melanie nodded her unwilling agree all these plans without consulting e Sparks actually seemed to flash froeers as she crossed patches of sunlight

"Well, what do you want us to do?" Laurel said challengingly, tossing her long light-brown hair back "You were the one anted Black John out, Faye You said he was going to help us, to give us his power Well, how about it? What do you say now that he’s here?"

Faye was breathing hard "He randma?" Deborah cut in harshly "Don’t be stupid, Faye I was there; I saw it There’s no excuse for lared at her defecting ex-lieutenant "I don’t knohy he did that! Maybe he has some plans that we don’t know about"

"That’s the truest thing you’ve ever said," Melanie interrupted "He does have plans, Faye - to take us over He’s already killed four people, and if we annoy him I’m sure he’ll be happy to kill us, too"

Faye stopped pacing and smiled triuht - and I’ she is, but if she is - then he needs us for his coven So he can’t kill us!"

"Well, he can’t kill all of us, anyway," Adam said dryly "He can only spare one"

Silence fell The lanced uneasily at one another

"Well, then, maybe you’d each better be sure you’re not the one," Faye said, s around at them It wasn’t quite her old, lazy s of teeth Before anyone could say anything she turned around and stalked out of the roo rapidly down the stairs, then the sla’s front door

Cassie, Adam, and Diana looked at one another Adam shook his head

"We’re in trouble," he said

"Oh, so is that e figured out at this ?" said Deborah

Diana leaned her forehead against her hand wearily "We need her," she said "She is the coven leader, and we need her on our side, not on his We’d better go talk to her"

Slowly, the Club ht, and Cassie squinted Seventh period had just ended and people were flooding out of the school exits Cassie scanned the crowds but couldn’t see Faye

"She’s probably gone hoo after her"

Cassie didn’t hear the rest A lot she had suddenly glie fa here, one that she had to rack her brains to identify For God’s sake, where had she seen that turned-up nose, that straw-colored hair, those cold hazel eyes before? It was someone she’d known quite well, so at day after day, but that she’d been only too happy to forget about when she ca of heat and humidity overca down her sides, suntan lotion greasy on her nose A sound of lapping waves and a smell of overheated bodies and a sense of oppression

Cape Cod

The fairl was Portia