The Secret Circle: The Complete Collection (90 page)

Read The Secret Circle: The Complete Collection Online

Authors: L. J. Smith

Tags: #Young Adult, #Fantasy, #Romance, #Vampires, #Juvenile Fiction, #Teenage Girls, #Horror & Ghost Stories, #Love & Romance, #Witchcraft, #Fiction, #Fantasy & Magic, #Social Issues, #Young Adult Fiction, #love, #Dating & Sex, #Massachusetts

BOOK: The Secret Circle: The Complete Collection
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Cassie wasn’t sure what to make of the strange series of images. It seemed like the spell hadn’t worked nearly as well as it had the last time. But Adam looked up at the others with understanding in his eyes. “I can’t believe it,” he said. “She’s so close to New Salem.”
“I know that place.” Nick nodded along. “It’s the old Stockbridge Mission House, just on the other side of the bridge. It’s supposed to be abandoned, but I guess it’s not anymore.”
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Faye asked. “Let’s go get her.”
“Hold on.” Diana blew out all the candles and snuffed out the incense. “First we should research what spells would be useful against Scarlett. So we’re at least prepared for a face-off.”
Laurel pulled out a notebook and began jotting down a list. “We should study our defense spells,” she said. “And definitely remote summoning spells. Melanie, can you look into what crystals might be of use?”
Faye flicked Laurel’s pencil from her fingers. “Forget all that. We’ve got Cassie.”
Cassie looked down at the tattered throw rug, not wanting to acknowledge Faye’s comment. Of course Faye was champing at the bit to attack the hunters. All she cared about was breaking her mark, even if it meant Cassie performing dark magic. But what Faye didn’t understand was the more Cassie used dark magic, the darker she became. Or maybe Faye did understand that, but she was still willing to sacrifice Cassie to the dark side for their cause.
“Cassie’s not using black magic when we go up against Scarlett,” Adam said. “Under any circumstances. But aside from that, I agree with Faye. We need to act right away, even if we don’t have all the research.”
Diana gawked at Adam from across the living room table. “This isn’t something to rush into,” she said. “Need
I remind you how in our last battle with Scarlett, she made you blind with a single wave of her hand?”
Suzan and Deborah, who were sitting side by side on the sofa, chuckled meanly.
“I remember,” Adam said. “And it wasn’t just me, it was all of us. But thanks for bringing that up.”
Adam turned to Nick for support, assuming they might for once fall on the same side of a dispute. “Don’t you think it’s do-or-die time?” Adam said to Nick. “Study period is over. Am I right?”
Cassie’s insides were seething. She wanted to go after Scarlett and get the Master Tools back more than any of them, but deep down she knew what they were up against—she was the 
only 
one who really understood what they were up against. It was her responsibility to speak up.
“Having learned something from the trap I walked into in Cape Cod,” she said, “I don’t want to face Scarlett unprepared. She’s stronger than all of us put together. We got lucky last time—we got her to run away, but we couldn’t overpower her. The only way we stand a chance of defeating her now is by outsmarting her.”
Cassie directed her attention to Adam. “That was a great pep talk and all, but a positive attitude and a whole lot of hope aren’t going to cut it. We need to be realistic.
We should have an arsenal of spells at our fingertips before we step through the door of that house. One or two more days of preparation is all we need. It’s not much.”
“I’m with her,” Deborah said. “Cassie should be the one calling the shots on this mission.”
Nick raised his hand. “I second that.”
Adam’s cheeks turned crimson, and Faye let out a begrudging sigh.
Laurel picked up her notebook and pencil. “Okay then. Who has something to add to the list?”
Adam lingered at Cassie’s front door, waiting for the others to leave her house with their individual assignments. He tilted his head at her and averted his eyes. “We should talk,” he said.
“About what?”
“Scarlett.”
“It seems like she’s 
all 
you want to talk about lately,” Cassie said.
Adam’s coy look changed into something more serious. “I understand why you’re upset, Cassie. But I didn’t suggest we find Scarlett so I could ask her out to dinner.” He smiled. “You know that.”
Cassie did know that, but she still resented Scarlett for
the stress she was putting on her and Adam’s relationship. And that resentment was transferring directly onto Adam.
“That’s all I wanted to say.” Adam leaned in and gave Cassie a stiff hug good-bye.
Cassie accepted his hug with limp arms. In her mind, she knew Adam hadn’t done anything wrong, but her heart was proving to be more stubborn. Scarlett and the cord were all she could see when she looked at Adam now, all she could feel when he touched her. No matter how hard she tried to rationalize her jealousy away, it was there.
After Adam left, Cassie did the only thing she could think of to distract herself from her love life: She started cleaning the kitchen. Her mother would be home soon, and it would be nice for her to return to a spotless house.
As she was sweeping the kitchen floor, enjoying the trivial sense of control that came from defeating household dirt and grime, Nick climbed up from the basement.
Cassie gripped her broom handle tightly. “Going somewhere?” she asked.
Nick slipped the broom out of Cassie’s hands. “Not unless you’re volunteering yourself as an escort.”
“I might be.” Cassie laughed. “But not until this floor is clean.”
“In that case, consider it done.” Nick put his head
down and began sweeping the floor with even strokes.
Cassie watched him, admiring the way he could lose himself so effortlessly in a physical task. Rebuilding engines, wrenching pipes, chopping wood—brute force was where Nick excelled. Fixing things that were broken, or muscling a floor clean if that was all he could get. There was a rugged simplicity to him that Cassie envied.
Nick stopped sweeping and rested both hands on the broom handle. “A penny for your thoughts,” he said.
“I should be the one paying you if I start talking.”
“Try me.” Nick grinned. “First session is free.”
Cassie leaned against the kitchen counter. “Well, for starters, I’ve been having terrible nightmares.”
“From the book, do you think?” Nick asked.
“I guess. I’ve been having a lot of weird feelings since that book came into my life.” Cassie paused. “And things with Adam have gotten pretty messy.”
Nick usually flinched every time Cassie said Adam’s name, but he didn’t this time. His mahogany eyes were still and clear and his face was calm. Cassie suddenly felt like she could tell Nick anything and he wouldn’t judge her. She took a step closer to him.
“You know the cord?” she asked. “The one between me and Adam?”
“The infamous silver cord. Do you even have to ask?”
“Well, there’s another one just like it,” Cassie said. “Between Adam and Scarlett.”
“Hmm.” Nick set the broom aside and crossed his thick arms over his chest.
“What do you think that means?” Cassie asked.
“The more important question is what do 
you 
think it means?” Nick’s voice was caring and warm.
Cassie shook her head. “I’m not sure.”
“Personally,” Nick said. He looked pointedly at Cassie. “I think people pick who they love.”
There was a beat of silence between them, a charged moment, and Cassie felt something tremble inside her. Something uncontrollable. A heat.
Without thinking, she took Nick’s face into her hands and kissed him. It was urgent, and passionate, nothing like her soft kisses with Adam. She was hungry in a way she didn’t know she was capable of. But at the same time she felt disconnected, the way she had felt in her bedroom that night with Adam, after touching the book. It was like her mind and her body had split. She wanted to stop, but she couldn’t, so she kept kissing Nick until he pulled away.
He brought his fingers to his lips in shock. “What the heck was that?”
Cassie was just as stunned as he was. “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t do that unless you mean it.” Nick’s eyes blazed at her, and the air between them still felt charged. Cassie knew if she didn’t walk away now she was going to do something she might really regret. She turned and ran up the stairs to her bedroom, securing the door behind her.
Cassie wasn’t sure what to make of what had just happened. She hadn’t known she was going to kiss Nick until she was already kissing him. In the moment, the thrill of it had rushed through her whole body. The screaming black hunger from deep in her gut was satiated—it had gotten what it wanted—but now all Cassie felt was empty.
Chapter 15

T
he next morning, guilt and shame were consuming Cassie from the inside out. It was only a kiss, but it shouldn’t have happened. How could she have let it happen? Before she even kicked off the covers and got out of bed she tried calling Adam. She had to set things right.

He answered right away but sounded distracted. Or was he annoyed?
“Is this a bad time?” Cassie asked.
“It’s fine,” Adam said abruptly. “What’s up?”
“I was hoping we could talk,” Cassie said. “Will you meet me out on the bluff?”
“I can’t.”
“It’s kind of important.”
Adam nervously cleared his throat. “I wish I could, but I have to study for a history test.”
He was so obviously lying that it was almost insulting. “Since when are you so concerned about studying?” Cassie said.
“What are you talking about? Since always.”
Cassie knew something was wrong. Adam’s voice sounded agitated and higher-pitched than usual. He was hiding something.
“Can I talk to you now then, for a few minutes?” Cassie asked. “There’s something I’d like to say and I don’t want to put it off.”
“You know, now really isn’t such a good time. I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
Cassie could hardly believe her ears. Adam must be angry with her or he would never behave this way. But it didn’t make sense. Just last night he had told her he loved her.
“I really do want to talk,” Adam said. “But it’ll have to wait. I’m sorry, Cassie, but I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.”
Cassie said good-bye and then listened to the silence on Adam’s end of the line for a few seconds after he hung up. The rift between them must be bigger than she had thought. And Adam didn’t even know the worst of it yet.
If he was this upset with her now, what would his reaction be when he found out she had kissed Nick?
Hours passed, and Cassie still couldn’t get the phone call with Adam out of her head. It wasn’t only the fact that he had lied that was upsetting her. It was that she deserved it. He was right to not even want to hear her pathetic apology. If she were him, she wouldn’t want to talk to her either.
But there was someone else Cassie should apologize to, and she hoped he would at least hear her out. She filled up a few plates with some chicken and vegetables and brought them downstairs, just as an excuse to seek out Nick.
When she stepped inside the secret room, Nick was hunkered on the couch watching a bad horror movie with Deborah and Suzan. They were munching on popcorn and laughing. None of them turned to look at her, but the moment Cassie laid eyes on Nick she was overcome with shame. She couldn’t even bear the sight of him. She set the food she’d brought on the kitchen table and turned to run back upstairs as fast as she could.
Nick noticed her and bolted up to catch her by the arm. “Hey,” he said. “Where are you going?”
Cassie glanced at Faye and Laurel, but neither of them noticed the commotion. They were both at their computers wearing headphones. And Deborah and Suzan were too engrossed in the blood and guts of their movie to care about what Nick and Cassie had going on. They turned up the volume on the TV to drown their voices out.
Nick pulled Cassie aside. “You’re avoiding me. There’s no reason for that. If we have to talk about it, we should talk about it.”
Cassie’s mind began swimming too fast to complete a coherent sentence. “I don’t know what happened last night,” she said. “I’m sorry, I haven’t been myself lately.”
“Take it easy,” Nick said. “Nothing catastrophic happened.”
“Nick, I kissed you. I practically jumped your bones. Adam would think it was pretty catastrophic.”
Nick smirked. “True. But I kind of understand why it happened.”
“I wish I understood. I’ve been working so hard to get you to be my friend again, and then I go and …” Cassie couldn’t finish the sentence.
“Look, it was just a fleeting moment,” Nick said dismissively. “I’ve had a million moments where I wanted to do something like that.”
“You have?” Cassie took a deep breath. “I don’t want this to mean—”
“It doesn’t mean we should be anything more again,” Nick said. “Or that you should jeopardize what you have with Adam. I get that.”
This cool reaction from Nick didn’t exactly match their heated exchange yesterday, but Cassie would take what she could get. “You forgive me then,” she said.

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