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Why hadn’t she reacted better when her friends first proposed the idea of offering up their power? She’d showed theetting up and walking out on them It would be her own fault if her mother was the only one to join her at the cereh the rest of her ht up to thethe beach

From afar the sand looked like a white sheet with a few clusters of people standing upon it Cassie couldn’t ht have been another group, soers But as she inched closer she was overwhelht that spread, clear and vivid, in front of her

Faye was there, lookingin the wind Scarlett’s hair shone red in the sun Adaanized Her whole Circle had coe when he caught sight of Cassie and herNick san to look around randrandht to herself Her own grandmother wouldn’t have believed it, to see these elders out in public fully prepared and willing to perforic Cassie said hello to each of thehtly breathless

Adarandmother squeezed her hand Her skin felt soft and wrinkled, so old "I know you’ll use my poell," she said

"I promise to," Cassie answered

Then Cassie noticed a tall, somewhat aardbeside a shorter nized as Suzan’s father, Mr Whittier She hadn’t seen hireeted hi, and then turned to her athered the parents?"

Her o door to door and explain the situation They decided for themselves to come"

If Cassie hadn’t seen them with her own eyes she wouldn’t have believed it Chris and Doug were standing beside their nervous, long-liic And Deborah’switches at all, were asking her to explain one , beady-eyed Mr Dulaney, who looked just like an older version of Sean, stood beside his son with his hand on Sean’s bony shoulder And if Cassie wasn’t htly His dad had coh for him All of the parents had

Even Faye’s mom, Mrs Chamberlain, an infamous recluse who never set foot out of bed, had co a bit apart froray sweatshirt that she clutched to her body like a cocoon--but she’d co sprinted toward her Even Raj had showed up on the beach for the spell He sniffed his wet nose at her hands as Cassie giggled

Ada a neon nylon leash "He didn’t want to

There was a sparkle in Ada off the ocean "Can you believe this turnout?" he said "There’s a lot of love for you on this beach right now, Cassie I hope you can feel it"

Cassie’s heart swelled within her chest Adaht This crowd had asseht of all these friends, all these loved ones, suddenly brought tears to her eyes She realized she had a er family than she’d ever known

Cassie stepped to the center of the gigantic circle composed of every witch left in New Salem Diana stood at the circle’s northern point with her Book of Shadows in hand She spoke in a loud,here today," she said "As the spell gets under way, each witch present ly offer Cassie a portion of his or her power, as a gift You will get nothing in return It has to be a completely selfless act"

Cassie looked around at all the willing faces, old, young, and in-between Not one of theainst her No one here today bla a Blak

"Is everybody ready?" Diana asked

A o first," Diana announced and took a step forward, holding up a clear quartz crystal for everyone to observe

Cassie stood perfectly still, open-handed She cupped her pal to catch water from a fountain

Diana cereift you this crystal, Cassandra Blake, as a syiance to the community of witches, past, present, and future Use this poell"

Her eyes radiated a shining love, for Cassie and for all ere present Then she quietly returned to her place in the circle

Adam was the next to step forward He held up a vivid blue sapphire, then placed the stone beside Diana’s in Cassie’s open hands, repeating the saift you this crystal, Cassandra Blake, as a syiance to the community of witches, past, present, and future Use this poell"

Ada to his place in the circle

Melanie offered Cassie pale green jade Laurel gave her a majestically deep-hued amethyst Deborah placed a yellow citrine into Cassie’s hand that rese sun Suzan’s father stepped forward holding up Suzan’s favorite gee carnelian Both of them had tears in their eyes when he offered it to Cassie

Cassie’salexandrite She placed it on top of the crystal pile for smile

There were twenty-one of them in all One by one, each witch present stepped forward and

Cassie’s cupped hands filled with a pile of crystals like a lass mountain In her palms lay pink danburite, translucent topaz, and precious tourer’s eye and brassy pyrite; shi opal and speckled rainbow jasper Their surfaces sparkled and felt cool upon her skin The , tipping scale

Nick stepped forward holding up a hefty chunk of green selenite, which was a friendship stone withyou," he whispered into her ear, "is enough forthere I’ll be your friend for life" He gave her a tender kiss on the forehead after placing the stone in her hands

Cassie felt her heart bri over

Faye stepped to the center of the circle just after Nick She offered Cassie her rare red star ruby It was a grand gesture--the randness of it She gave Cassie a humble nod when she added it to the pile "You deserve it," she said

Scarlett was the only witch left who hadn’t co shaky now beneath the weight of all the stones She could already feel their power charging through her, cole one slip through her fingers