The Temptation (The Secret Circle 6)

Cassie was taken aback, but she understood. Max had every right to still be angry. She nodded, knowing not to thank him aloud again.

“I’ll take a look through this”—Max tossed the book onto his desk—“and let you know what I find.”

Cassie recognized that was her cue to leave. “Okay” was all she said before letting herself out of his room.

She quietly stepped down the carpeted stairs. The man and woman were still in the kitchen, seated at a table, eating breakfast. They didn’t acknowledge her as she slipped out of the door. How would they react if they knew the man whose house they were in had died at her hands? Accident or not, Cassie had to live with that fact for the rest of her life. And so did Max.

Chapter 8

Nick caught Cassie watching him and smiled. He stuck out his tongue and crossed his eyes like a clown.

“Sorry,” Cassie said. “I don’t mean to stare.”

“That’s okay. I don’t blame you. But you can trust me to tell you if I sense something strange coming on.” He laughed and put his arm around her. “Besides, the more I’m with you, the better I feel.”

Cassie and Nick were walking along Crowhaven Road. Nick pulled a handful of glossy green leaves from a low-hanging sumac tree. He tore off little divots as they walked, leaving a trail of misshapen pieces behind them. So far Nick had remained strong enough to persevere through the possession.

Since Cassie had led Nick out of the cave, there were moments she could sense his exhaustion, and it pained her to see how hard he was working. Then other times were like this. Easy, comfortable, cozy. They were able to enjoy a pleasant breeze and the warm morning sun on their backs.

It gave Cassie hope that things with her other friends could still turn out okay. If Nick could be saved, they could all be saved.

The wind stirred, and Nick’s face took on a softness in the sunlight that Cassie hadn’t seen in a long while. She was so moved by it that, without thinking, she reached out her hand to stroke his cheek.

He leaned in to her fingers.

They were both so caught up in the moment that they didn’t notice Scarlett and Adam step out onto the sidewalk in front of them, blocking their path forward.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Scarlett crossed her arms over her chest. “Got a minute to talk?”

“No, we don’t,” Nick said.

Scarlett was unfazed. She appeared healthy, which meant she had regained all her strength. Adam kept close to her side, protective, domineering. Cassie couldn’t bear to look at him.

“I don’t have the book on me,” she said. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to be late for school.”

“Forget school.” Scarlett guffawed. “I’ve got a much more enticing offer.”

“We’re not interested.” Cassie made an attempt to storm past them, pulling Nick along with her, but Scarlett blocked their way again.

“Just hear us out,” Scarlett said. She twirled a ringlet of her red hair around her pointer finger. “Otherwise I’m going to have to get vicious, and we both know how that usually ends.”

Cassie scoped out the surrounding area. There weren’t any other people on the street, only a few stray pigeons clucking on an overhead wire. If Scarlett and Adam wanted to, they could use magic against Cassie and Nick without much consequence.

Cassie noticed Nick’s teeth were clenched, and his chest heaved up and down with each labored breath.

Adam watched him. For any sign of the demon getting the best of him, Cassie assumed. He seemed to be calling to it, summoning it.

“What do you want?” Cassie said, terrified Adam just might push Nick over the edge. “We don’t have all day.”

“You’re almost there,” Adam whispered to Nick. “I can feel how close you are to crossing over. Can’t you?”

“Leave Nick out of this!” Cassie shouted.

Adam looked at her, amused. But Scarlett remained serious. “Come with us to the abandoned warehouse on State Street,” she said. “Where the Circle is staying.”

“Why?” Cassie asked.

Scarlett smiled wide. “Isn’t it obvious? We want you, Cassie. To be part of our Circle.”

“You want the book,” Cassie said. “Faye made that pretty clear when she trashed my bedroom last night and tried to steal it. What’s in there that you want so badly?”

“Everything,” Adam said, his face blank.

“But it’s you who means something to us,” Scarlett added, in a more innocent tone of voice. “Both of you. The book would just be a bonus.”

“Don’t insult my intelligence,” Cassie said.

“It’s true, sis. And you know it’s the truth, because we all benefit from having a complete Circle. You can appreciate that as well as anyone.”

“Your Circle isn’t ours,” Nick shouted, loud enough to make Cassie jump.

Cassie looked at Nick and saw the obvious strain on his face. He was losing his cool, struggling to maintain his defenses against the demon. Sweat poured down from his forehead, and his hands shook. Cassie worried she might be losing him.

Adam eyed Nick with satisfaction. “What’s the matter, Nicholas? Aren’t you feeling well?”

Cassie placed her hand on Nick’s back to calm him. “He’s fine,” she said. “And he’s right. Your Circle isn’t ours, and it never will be.”

Scarlett let out a sigh. “Never say never, Cassie.”

“Never,” Cassie said, louder. As she spoke, she could feel Nick trembling. She could make out the rapid thumping of his heart. She rubbed small ovals on his T-shirt, silently willing the demon inside him away. But his heart raced faster and faster.

“That’s a good boy,” Adam said.

The irises of Nick’s eyes darkened, and Cassie noticed a wiggling on his neck, what looked like a vein worming its way onto his face.

“Mark my words,” Scarlett said to Cassie. “You’ll change your mind. It’s only a matter of time.”

Cassie held tight to Nick as he calmed himself back to normal.

Scarlett grabbed Adam’s hand and pulled him toward her. “He’s stronger than he looks, isn’t he?” she said to Adam. “He’s got it for her that bad.”

Adam narrowed his eyes and snaked his arm around Scarlett’s waist. “It won’t last forever,” he said. “Nothing does.” Together they crossed the street, close as lovers, Scarlett’s red hair bouncing along behind her like an accomplice.

“You should have accepted my friendly invitation while you had the chance, Cassie,” Scarlett called back over her shoulder.

Cassie didn’t have the time to deal with Scarlett’s threat or her manipulative mind games. She turned to Nick and searched his face and body for more signs of trouble.

Adam’s last comment had rattled him. His eyes were black pinpoints, and the skin on his face squirmed.

“Nick,” Cassie said, rubbing his back. “Stay with me.”

He groaned quietly and subconsciously at Cassie’s touch.

“You’re Nick Armstrong,” Cassie said. “Your parents’ names were Nicholas and Sharon.”

Nick’s face softened in a way that made Cassie believe she was reaching the real him in there.

“Your favorite song is ‘Beast of Burden’ by the Rolling Stones,” she said.

“I remember,” Nick said without looking at her. “Do you remember our first kiss? I’d just been listening to that song.”

Cassie continued rubbing his back with one hand. With the other she monitored the beating of his heart.

“It was the night you and the girls did that candle ceremony,” Nick said. “And you’d gone out alone to bury that trust box, and Black John attacked you.”

He appeared to get lost in the recollection. “You were so scared, but you still looked so beautiful in the moonlight. And your lips were so soft . . .”

Cassie felt the rhythm of Nick’s heart slow beneath her hand.

“How about one of the most vivid memories of my life?” Nick asked. “The time we were on the bluff and the hunters attacked us with fire. A lightning bolt struck that tree, and—”

“And you jumped in front of it and saved my life,” Cassie said. How could she forget?

“And when we were at the spring dance,” Nick said. “It was just the two of us when Scarlett showed up.”

Cassie finished Nick’s sentence for him. “And you risked your life by performing magic out in the open, getting marked to save me.”

Nick nodded and smiled.

It occurred to Cassie that Nick was recalling these memories to hold on to who he really was, but they were actually proof of his persistent love for her since she’d known him. His love.

“I’m okay now,” Nick said. “I’m still with you.”

His heartbeat was steady and regular, almost peaceful. Cassie removed her hand from his chest.

Nick was so obviously beaten down and in pain, Cassie had the urge to cry. But she couldn’t lose her nerve and let him see her weaken now.

“You did well,” she said. “You managed to bring yourself back.”

She put her arm around him, and they continued their walk to school. “You’re the strongest boy I know,” she said.

Chapter 9

Cassie arrived at her locker to find it wide open and emptied. Ransacked was more like it. All her books were strewn about the floor, split at their spines. She’d been at school less than an hour, and the possessed Circle had already begun wreaking havoc.

She looked to the left and right, then began picking up her books. The hallway was crowded with students, but hardly anyone paid her much attention. It wasn’t until she piled the last textbook into her locker that Deborah, Sean, and Doug came thundering down the hall.

They walked shoulder to shoulder. They were dressed in all black. Cassie could see the sheen in their eyes. They were performing magic right out in the open.

Like Faye, they were capable of doing magic without having to call out spells. With only the power of their minds, they took aim at people in the hallway. Sean focused on Mr. Tanner, a teacher Cassie knew had once unfairly punished him. Mr. Tanner’s briefcase flew from his hand, cracking open onto the hallway floor. Its contents—test papers and attendance sheets, late passes and pencils—swirled up around him in a tornado.

There was no longer any doubt in Cassie’s mind that the spirits were somehow absorbing the feelings of her friends and using them for their own purposes. The possession was becoming more seamless and, most likely, closer to permanent.

Mr. Tanner’s face and neck reddened as he tried to catch hold of his things. He was trembling, looking around embarrassed and terrified, unable to fathom where this stiff wind came from.

Sean stepped in front of him, meeting his eyes. He smiled wickedly, then snapped his fingers. Mr. Tanner’s belongings dropped to the floor.

Deborah shot Cassie a menacing look that made her understand the danger unfolding at school this morning was only the beginning. Cassie wanted to turn away but found she couldn’t. Deborah was forcing her to watch what would happen next, as if she’d peeled Cassie’s eyelids back and fastened them open with clothespins.

Sally Waltman was unlucky enough to turn the corner at that moment. The bullying smile on Deborah’s face twisted into something more frightening. She glanced upward, and Cassie followed her line of vision, knowing she had only a few seconds to react.

Cassie leapt before she fully knew why and knocked Sally out of the way just before a fluorescent light fell from the ceiling. It shattered on the floor where Sally had been just a moment before.

Everyone nearby dove for cover. Shards of glass slashed through the air. A single sliver nicked Cassie’s cheek.

Mr. Humphries came running down the hall, commanding everyone out of the way. Cassie stood up from where she was lying on the floor, but Sally remained stretched out, facedown.

Deborah winked at Cassie and then gave Sean and Doug a nudge. They moved along, out of the way, blending with the other students. Cassie didn’t have it in her to chase after them.

Mr. Humphries turned Sally over, ordering the cluster of onlookers to stand back. Her eyes were closed, and Cassie couldn’t tell if she was breathing. Specks of shiny glass dotted her pink cardigan.

Mr. Humphries squeezed Sally’s wrist and felt her neck for a pulse as the surrounding crowd of students gathered closer and closer to her unmoving body.

“Somebody call an ambulance!” Mr. Humphries screamed out, but in the next second Sally’s eyes opened and sharpened with a gradual consciousness to the situation. She tried to sit up.