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"Cassie," he said, like an apology

He wrapped hiainst her chest She’d never felt so thankful for anything in all her life

From the moment their eyes one still, and only the two of theh

He kissed her on her tre mouth, and she ept away

When she returned to her surroundings, a little dazed, she noticed that the whole group had clientle composure of Diana’s features had returned Melanie’s cool strength reentered the sharp angles of her face And Laurel’s pixielike air had settled back into her s herself returned Cassie looked at each of her friends, finding that every one of the the person she loved

They were saved

Cassie glanced at the ce away He’d seen enough, Cassie assue for now

Adaain She breathed hi how s about him, like the smell of his skin and the feel of his hand flat upon her back Now that he had returned, she felt the full force of the loss of hiood to be true

Then she glanced at Nick

He tried to force a suilt In her heart she knew getting Adam back had come at the expense of what she’d had with Nick, but this moment was too powerful to be spoiled, too perfect

As Nick continued staring straight down at the ground, Cassie wanted to go to him, to screa her so tightly now He rested his chin on top of Cassie’s head the way he always used to do He spoke in a quiet, sorrowful voice

"I was in there the whole ti at this spirit to stop That he was hurting you, Cassie"

"I know," Cassie said "It wasn’t your fault"

"I’hter "I wanted to coh for you, but I just couldn’t The de"

Diana and the others then entered into the fold of Cassie and Ada But Nick stayed to the outside It was a bittersweet moment She wanted hi to herself, not rejoicing in the least

Cassie called to her "Get in here! We couldn’t have done this without you!"

But Scarlett roup She stared at thelanced upward

The sky above the cemetery had filled with storm clouds Ravens flocked from the nearby trees, and the resident stray cats fled Cassie felt her relief tiptoe away, replaced by a tightening, choking fear

There wasof shrubs Cassie realized they were not alone Footsteps and dim shapes approached the Then Cassie noticed a wicked grin sneak onto Scarlett’s face

Chapter 14

Figures e out from behind the cover of trees and tombstones Cassie could see they were bodies People And they earing ancient garb that was half-rotted away Cassie watched the immediately that these were the demons that had possessed her friends for the past week, returned to their corporeal form Her ancestors had been truly resurrected now

Cassie stayed close to her Circle Instinctively, they packed in tightly to one another as a unit They all knew Adam reached for Cassie’s hand

Cassie turned to Scarlett, who smiled with the satisfaction of so her plan unfold perfectly

"Scarlett was one step ahead of us the whole tiain"

"What can we do?" Deborah let out a heavy breath "We don’t even know if they’re dead or alive"

"They look pretty alive to -dead ancestors grew nearer, she thought back to all that Tinized Black John’s sister, Alice, i in the witch trials had chafed and bruised a chokerlike ring across her throat Other than that, she looked just like she did in the drawing, but slighter and with even gloomier eyes Her pain was more palpable in three-dimensional forirl Cassie had ever seen

"I say we run," Sean said "Get out of here while we have the chance"

Diana was eyeing Alice with a fearful curiosity "No," she said "We have to stand our ground"

Cassie lost track of Scarlett in the approaching crowd, but she recognized another ancestor--thethe Church Absolom He was the one who had copied the forbidden text of the exorcism rite into the Book of Shadows, and Cassie kneas the ancestor who had possessed Ada Timothy had showed her, but she was sure it was hiarb and white collar of a priest, and he stood with the posture of a man used to an audience