by L. J. Smith
She thought hard about the words on the brink of leaving her mouth. She had to mean them. She had to feel them. She had to be sure.
And she was.
“I am open to the power and love offered to me today,” she said. “I accept it with unguarded gratitude.”
She repeated those words three times, louder each time, and the moment the final consonant left her lips, the crystals heated in her hands—all of them together, as one. She suddenly became aware of the salt smell in the air and the splashing waves against the pier. She listened to it and felt her breathing slow. She could feel her own pulse and the pulse of the earth, and she became immersed in its rhythm. Then she felt a warmth flow from the stones, up her arms, through her heart, and out through the top of her head. She felt a light radiating from her pores. She was glowing.
She opened her eyes and looked around. She could see in the faces of her friends and loved ones that they also felt it. They, too, were flushed—not with the reception of power but by giving it freely. The whole group was radiant.
Cassie suddenly felt whole again, but without the darkness fighting her from inside. She felt part of the earth, and the sky, and the sea—she felt both tiny and vast all at once. The spell had worked. She felt like Cassie.
CHAPTER 29
Cassie reached for Adam’s hand. “I love you so much,” she said.
She looked down at their intertwined fingers, and it appeared: the silver cord, wrapping around their fingers and their hearts, roping their torsos like a lasso.
Adam rested his parted lips against her hair. “Always.”
He kissed her on the mouth, and her whole body felt warm. She could feel the cord pulling them closer, humming and shimmering, more vibrant than ever.
A bright sun shined down on the vast blue water. Adam’s eyes were wide and loving, and Cassie felt like she was collapsing into them as he looked at her. The moment was perfect.
With a swift motion, Adam swept her up into his arms. “I think we deserve a swim,” he said.
“To the ocean!” Cassie called out for everyone to hear.
Nick raced for the tide. Chris, Doug, and Sean followed him. They ran knee-deep into the water, fully clothed.
Scarlett chased after Sean, diving for his head and dunking it underwater. Melanie, Laurel, and Deborah floated in up to their chins. Adam carried Cassie in deep enough for the sandy floor to dip down, and then shot ahead to join the game.
Max and Diana held one another close, treading water together. Cassie could see the filaments of their cord between them as they kissed the water droplets off each other’s face.
Then Cassie noticed Faye, who was bobbing nearby, smiling sideways. Cassie grinned back at her, and Faye slapped a wave of water into her face.
Cassie caught the coming rush of saltwater right in her mouth, and Faye laughed aloud before she fled, kicking up more splashes through the surf behind her.
Cassie wiped the stinging wetness from her eyes. After everything they’d been through, Faye would continue being Faye—she wouldn’t want her any other way.
The Circle drifted farther out into the horizon, chasing and fleeing one another, spraying through the surf.
The dark times are over, Cassie thought. At last. She felt like she could float here, watching her friends like this, forever—her amazing and powerful friends, laughing and playing beneath the shining sun.
This was her destiny, and the things worth fighting for: friends, family, love.
Connection.
Why had she ever wanted to be anything other than what she was? A witch. With a Circle. Eternally linked to one another.
Cassie swam in toward the center of the action.
She was home, and she was herself. Everything was as it should be.
COPYRIGHT
Cover art © 2013 by Cliff Nielsen
Cover design by Megan Stitt
HarperTeen is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
THE SECRET CIRCLE: THE TEMPTATION. Copyright © 2013 by Alloy Entertainment and L. J. Smith. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
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Library of Congress catalog card number: 2012955883
ISBN 978-0-06-213047-1 (trade bdg.)
ISBN 978-0-06-220596-4 (int. ed.)
EPUB Edition © January 2013 ISBN 9780062130464
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FIRST EDITION
About the Author
L. J. SMITH has written over two dozen books for young adults, including The Vampire Diaries, now a hit TV show. She has also written the bestselling Night World series and The Forbidden Game, as well as the #1 New York Times bestselling Dark Visions. She loves to walk the trails and beaches in Point Reyes, California, daydreaming about her latest book. She also loves to hear from readers ([email protected]) and hopes they will visit her continually updated website at www.ljanesmith.net, where information, new stories, and contests can be found.
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Books by L. J. Smith
The Secret Circle: The Divide
The Secret Circle: The Hunt
The Secret Circle: The Temptation
The Secret Circle: The Captive Part II and The Power
The Secret Circle: The Initiation and The Captive Part I
The Secret Circle: The Complete Collection
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening
The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury
The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion
Vampire Diaries: The First Bite 4-Book Collection
The Vampire Diaries: The Return & The Hunters Collection
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries #1: Origins
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries #2: Bloodlust
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries #3: The Craving
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries #4: The Ripper
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries #5: The Asylum
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries #6: The Compelled
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries Collection
The Vampire Diaries: The Hunters: Phantom
The Vampire Diaries: The Hunters: Moonsong
The Vampire Diaries: The Hunters: Destiny Rising
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Midnight
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