The Hunt

by L. J. Smith

  “I’m sorry,” Cassie said, trying to inject a new calm into her voice. “I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”

  Faye returned to her suitcase and resumed unpacking, but she refused to look Cassie in the eye.

  “Faye,” Cassie said, softening her voice further. “I don’t know what came over me. I think I’m just on edge with everything going on.”

  It was the best she could do for a peace offering, but Faye wasn’t taking the bait.

  “It’s okay, Cassie,” Laurel said. She’d finally opened her suitcase and had begun removing her things, laying them out neatly on the dresser. “None of us feel like ourselves these days.”

  Faye sprayed her neck and wrists with perfume and then rubbed them together. “I feel just fine,” she said, as the air around her grew heavy with the perfume’s invigorating scent. “Better than fine, in fact. Unlike some people, I’m in complete control of myself.”

  She glanced at Cassie at last, as if she were deciding to pursue an argument or let it go.

  “I guess you’re a stronger person than I am,” Cassie said, knowing that was the one thing she could say to make Faye feel better.

  And it did. After a few seconds, Faye’s eyebrows relaxed and she said, “At least you’re willing to admit that.”

  Then she moved to her bed, opened her laptop, and asked, “Can we at least get Wi-Fi down here?”

  Cassie smiled. “I think that’s the least I can do.” And just like that, she’d been forgiven for her outburst.

  CHAPTER 6

  “I know we said this would be our evening alone, but Raj has been suffering from some major separation anxiety lately.” Adam was on Cassie’s doorstep with a pizza box in one hand and a dog leash in the other.

  “It’s okay.” Cassie bent down to give the shaggy dog a loving pat. “We’re not completely alone with Jekyll and Hyde downstairs anyway. At least Raj can’t order me around like a maidservant.”

  Adam’s eyes softened. “Has it gotten that bad already?” he asked, nodding in the direction of Faye and Laurel in the basement.

  “Let’s just say I’d love to take this pizza to go.”

  “A picnic on the bluff. That’s a great idea. Let’s do it.” Adam tugged on Raj’s leash and the dog sniffed and snorted, almost too excited for Adam to keep hold of him.

  Cassie grabbed a jacket and followed Adam out the door. Of course it was impossible for Faye and Laurel to hear her, but Cassie still couldn’t bring herself to open up to Adam about her nightmare or the cord with her friends so close by. Whether it was pure paranoia or not, having a heart-to-heart with Adam out in the fresh air on the bluff seemed like a far superior option.

  Adam kept Raj in check as he and Cassie made their way along Crowhaven Road, arm in arm, savoring the beautiful night. Cassie felt safe and protected with Adam, but she couldn’t help surveying the surrounding area, scanning every tree and shadow, alert to any movement or sound. She knew Scarlett or a hunter could be behind any one of the many crooked mailboxes or lopsided lampposts along their way.

  The bluff was tranquil, a rocky fort of solitude. The night was quiet in a way that usually made Cassie feel calm, but tonight she wanted to scream as loud as she could and shatter it.

  Adam instructed Raj to lie down, then opened up the pizza box and handed Cassie a drooping, dripping slice. “I got your favorite. Hawaiian.”

  Cassie accepted the slice from him and took a small bite before diving right into what she’d been waiting to say. “I have to tell you something,” Cassie said. Her words echoed into the night. “I had a dream last night.”

  “By the tone of your voice,” Adam said while chewing, “I’m guessing it wasn’t a good one.”

  Cassie shook her head. “And it was so real. I’m not sure if it actually happened.”

  “If it was a dream, Cassie, of course it didn’t happen. Are you saying you had another vision? Was it Scarlett?”

  “No. This was something else.” Cassie looked down from the sloping cliff to the lapping water below. “In the dream I was reading my father’s Book of Shadows, absorbing all of its energy. And then when I woke up my hands had been burned. See this?”

  Cassie set her slice of pizza down and lifted her shirtsleeve to show Adam the new burn on the inside of her hand. “That wasn’t there before I went to bed.”

  Adam closely examined the mark. “Okay, that’s weird,” he said. “Do you think you were reading the book in your sleep?”

  Cassie pulled her sleeve back down and picked at a pineapple bit on top of her pizza. “I don’t know. When I woke up, I found it locked away just as I’d left it before I went to bed. It really doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Have you told anyone else about this?”

  “No, just you. And I want to keep it that way.”

  Adam’s face took on an air of seriousness as his eyes wandered across the bluff. Cassie could tell he was trying to come up with some explanation or solution, but not finding any.

  “We have to find out more about that book,” he said. “It’s time for us to learn how dark magic works.”

  Cassie stiffened at the words dark magic. It wasn’t something she wanted to be associated with, especially in Adam’s mind. But Adam was right.

  “I want to try to open the book,” Cassie said. “With you at my side. I know for sure the witch-hunter curse my father used is in there and I want us to research it together.”

  “I think that’s a good idea.” Adam put aside his half-eaten slice of pizza and held Cassie by the shoulders. “I understand your fears about telling the rest of the Circle about this, but they might be able to help. Diana’s Book of Shadows has a lot of information in it. We should at least tell her, if not the others.”

  Cassie shook her head. “Not yet.”

  “Diana’s not going to judge you,” Adam said. “You know that.”

  “There’s more to it than that, Adam.”

  Cassie could see how strongly Adam disagreed with her, so she had to remain firm. “This is a private matter,” she said. “A family matter. It’s not for you to decide who should and shouldn’t know about it.”

  “Fine.” Adam exhaled loudly. “When you’re ready then.”

  For a few seconds his frustration was palpable. He got quiet and picked a pebble off the ground, worrying it between his fingers.

  But soon enough he lobbed the pebble into the water and refocused on Cassie. “I’m with you on this,” he said. “I need you to know that.”

  Cassie reached out to pull Adam closer. She buried her head in his chest and he rested his chin on her hair. Raj barked and jumped with jealousy. He nosed at their legs and pawed at their feet until Cassie gave in and bent down to give him a pat on the head. Adam laughed and stroked the dog’s disheveled coat.

  “I think Raj is right,” Adam said. “We’ve had enough serious talk for one night.” He returned to his pizza and bit off a mouthful.

  “Actually, there’s one more thing.” Cassie looked down at the dewy ground. As much as she wanted to forget all her troubles and enjoy her time with Adam, she knew she couldn’t keep the cord a secret from him any longer.

  “More bad news?” Adam said with a smile. “Have you been saving it all up for this one walk?”

  “Kind of.” Cassie couldn’t bear to fake levity. “I’ve kept this inside for a while now.”

  Adam commanded Raj to sit and tried to read Cassie’s expression. “What is it?”

  “I saw something,” Cassie said, in a barely audible voice. “That night in Cape Cod. When I was in your arms. I saw the cord, our cord.”

  “Okay.”

  “But I also saw a second cord. Going from you to Scarlett.”

  “I don’t understand what you’re telling me,” Adam said, but Cassie knew he must have perfectly understood what she was saying.

  “It looked just like ours,” Cassie explained. “But it was between the two of you. What do you think that means?”

  Adam shook his he
ad. “I didn’t see anything like that.”

  Cassie didn’t want this to turn into an argument, but denying it wouldn’t help any. They couldn’t just pretend this away. “I saw it with my own eyes,” she said. “I could almost reach out and touch it.”

  “Cassie.” Adam took Cassie’s face into his hands and made her look him in the eye. “Whatever conclusion your mind is racing to right now, stop it. You were close to dying when you think you saw that cord. You must have been hallucinating in the smoke.”

  “Adam …” Cassie started to say, but he interrupted.

  “The silver cord is just between us. That’s how soul mates work.”

  “What if you have more than one soul mate? That’s what I’m asking.”

  “I don’t even think that’s possible.” Adam wrapped his arms around Cassie’s torso. “And any cord aside, I love you, Cassie. Only you. With everything I have.”

  “I love you too, but—”

  Adam kissed Cassie on the mouth, softly at first and then with more passion. The kisses made Cassie feel dizzy and light-headed in a way that made her want to giggle out loud. Even more so, she felt him—his essence—intertwining with hers.

  Then Adam abruptly pulled away. “Did you feel that?”

  “Of course I did.”

  “That’s all the proof I need. Cord or no cord. So forget about what you think you saw when you were half-conscious.” Adam kissed Cassie again, this time affectionately on the cheek.

  His lips felt warm and loving on her skin, and she couldn’t deny the feeling she got every time Adam kissed her. He was right about that much.

  “I only wish you’d told me this sooner,” he said. “I hate that you’ve been worrying about this.”

  “You would tell me if you saw it, wouldn’t you, Adam?” Cassie wasn’t sure where the question came from. She never doubted Adam’s word before. She’d never had a reason to.

  But Adam hesitated in a way that caught her attention. His answer didn’t come with the immediacy of honesty.

  “Of course I’d tell you,” he said, calmly and dismissively, only after he’d faltered. “I didn’t see a thing. And I don’t think you did either.”

  Perhaps it was all in Cassie’s head, but Adam didn’t sound quite convincing enough. Maybe she was even more confused and paranoid than she realized.

  Cassie turned away, focusing her attention on the long murky line of Crowhaven houses in the distance behind them. Like Adam said, cord aside, their relationship had grown and evolved way beyond love at first sight.

  “You know what I think?” Adam said in a lighter tone. “I think it’s time you allowed yourself to relax. Your mother’s right—you’re taking on too much.”

  “She said that to you?”

  Adam nodded. “At the meeting you slept through this morning. But she didn’t have to. We can all see it, Cassie. And you’re not alone.” Cassie started to respond, but Adam got that goofy look on his face once more.

  “Will you do me the honor of being my date for the Spring Fling? We could use a little fun, hunters be damned. And I can’t think of a better person to have on my arm than you.”

  Cassie giggled in spite of herself. But her gaze shifted back to Crowhaven Road, all the way down to the blackened depths of the bottom of the hill. “That sounds perfect, but I don’t know if we can afford to make fun a priority right now.”

  Then Cassie paused and thought better of the idea. “On second thought,” she said, “the dance might be just the opportunity we need to get close to the principal and Max in a public setting, to see if we can figure out some of their weaknesses, or find out more about their stone relics.”

  “Cassie. You’re missing the point. Your only concern should be making sure I wear the right color bow tie.”

  “Come on, Adam, I know you better than that. You’re always putting Circle business first, before everything else.”

  Adam blushed with guilt. “Okay, you’re right. Using the dance to get close to the hunters had crossed my mind. But that is all the more reason we both need a night off.” His eyes flickered in the moonlight and he reached for Cassie’s hand. “No magic. Just go to the dance and have a nice time—simple as that.”

  Adam was so much better than Cassie at being happy these days. Maybe some awful punch and silly dancing with her friends and boyfriend was just what she needed to clear out the black cloud that had settled into her chest. At the very least she could pretend to be excited about it—for Adam’s sake, and her mother’s peace of mind.

  Cassie accepted Adam’s hand and let him draw her in, ballroom dance–style.

  “Pink,” she whispered into his ear. “For your bow tie.”

  Adam took a step back. “Seriously? Couldn’t you choose a color that’s a bit more manly?”

  “Nope. Pink it is.”

  CHAPTER 7

  For a dance in the school gymnasium, the Spring Fling wasn’t bad. The walls were camouflaged with cheerful decorations and multicolored streamers. Twinkling lights hung from the ceiling like shooting stars. The basketball hoops were tied back and filled with bright, pungent flowers—primroses, tulips, and chrysanthemums—masking the smell of adolescent sweat. The gym had been completely transformed.

  As promised, Adam had matched his bow tie to Cassie’s pink halter dress perfectly. She fiddled with its knot now, straightening it solely as an excuse to touch him.

  “Would you get me a glass of punch?” she asked. “Or else I might have to start kissing you.”

  Adam grinned. “I’ll be right back.”

  Cassie stood alone for a moment and gazed around the gymnasium. Everyone from the Circle had come except for Faye and Laurel, and Melanie, who thought Laurel would need moral support being cooped up with Faye. Cassie thought about giving them a call to check in and see how they were doing, but then Nick appeared before her.

  “You look beautiful,” he said.

  He’d caught Cassie by surprise, so she laughed, embarrassed. “Thank you. You don’t look half bad yourself.”

  Nick stared down at himself, wearing his regular jeans, T-shirt, and leather jacket. “I didn’t really dress for the occasion,” he said. “But this is a clean shirt, so I guess that’s something.”

  Cassie laughed again and a sudden warmth came to her cheeks.

  “Do you feel like dancing?” Nick asked.

  Cassie hesitated.

  An air of mischief crept into Nick’s face. “I’m only asking because I know you, Cassie Blake, came here with a very specific mission to have some fun tonight. I couldn’t let you go home a failure.”

  “Then how could I possibly say no?” Cassie allowed Nick to lead her onto the dance floor.

  Whatever song the band was playing was loud and boisterous, nothing Cassie recognized, but it felt good to let her guard down and just enjoy the music—to enjoy the simple pleasure of being a girl at a dance. Nick skipped and bopped about trying to amuse her. She knew he actually hated dancing and that this was all for her benefit. Cassie appreciated the effort and followed his lead, synchronizing her steps to his until together they were making quite a scene.

  From the dance floor Cassie saw that Adam had returned with her punch, and Diana was behind him with a glass for herself.

  Nick dashed for them, took the cups from their hands to set them aside, and then pulled them onto the dance floor, too. Deborah and Suzan were quick to join in, and before Cassie knew it, Nick had single-handedly altered the energy of the whole group. They were all being silly, rambunctiously bumping into their classmates on the dance floor, infuriating them in the process. It made Cassie remember when she and Nick were together, and how sometimes his refusal to take anything seriously was just the thing she needed to get out of her own head and start having a good time.

  Then the music changed to a slow song—one of Cassie’s favorites. She looked at Adam, hoping he would ask her to dance, but she noticed his attention was elsewhere. He was watching someone.

  “Max is here,
” he said. “Act natural.”

  “Whatever that means,” Nick mumbled under his breath. He turned around and cut through the crowd toward the punch bowl. Their merriment was nothing more than a lingering memory.

  “It’s supposed to be our night off,” Suzan said, pouting. “Remember? No policing tonight.”

  But Cassie knew it was only a matter of time before the Spring Fling became about Circle business, just like everything else. Come to think of it, she was surprised it had taken this long. The group dutifully exited the dance floor and gathered near the back wall.

  Max sauntered over to them with his usual air of confidence. He was dressed in a black shirt, black pants, and a necktie as brilliantly green as his eyes. “Hey,” he said, greeting Diana first, as always. “Is Faye around? I can’t find her.”

  “Didn’t she tell you?” Diana said. “Faye’s got a terrible cold.”

  “Oh,” Max said, disappointed. “No, I didn’t know. She hasn’t answered any of my calls.” When Max pouted, his features softened, bringing out the boyish charm to his face.

  Diana frowned sympathetically. “Don’t take it personally. She’s been knocked out on decongestants since yesterday. I bet she turned her phone off.”

  Cassie couldn’t tell if Max was buying Diana’s story or not. She thought he looked more confused than skeptical, but Diana must have sensed some suspicion in him because she didn’t stop there.

  “Just because Faye’s not here doesn’t mean your night should be ruined,” Diana said to him.

  Max cracked a sideways, hopeful smile.

  “Dance with me,” Diana said. And before Max could even react, she grabbed him by the arm and hurried him to the dance floor. The band was still playing a slow song, so Diana clasped her arms around the back of Max’s neck and let him hold her lower back.

  Max gazed into Diana’s eyes as if he couldn’t believe his good fortune. All his arrogance and swagger had given way to a sturdy modesty, and he held Diana with care. Faye was the furthest thing from his mind, Cassie was sure of that.