The Temptation (The Secret Circle #6)(16)
Author: L.J. Smith

“No,” Cassie said firmly. She shook herself from Alice’s grip.

“Our side is going to win.” Alice’s eyes were smoldering, but Cassie wouldn’t be intimidated.

“No!” she screamed out again, not caring who heard her over the jazz band.

Alice let out an exasperated breath and turned away. “Forget this,” she said to Beatrix. “Let’s bring this place down.”

Wasting no more time, Alice signaled to Absolom, ordering the ancestors into action.

Before Cassie could even raise a hand in protest, the centerpiece of the ballroom, a stone statue of New Salem’s first mayor, exploded to a million bits that scattered across the checkered floor like hardened raindrops.

People screamed and ducked, covering their heads. Cassie’s friends searched for one another through the pandemonium.

Mr. Waltman, Sally’s father, waved his arms. “Just a freak accident,” he called out. “Nobody panic. Is everyone okay?”

Then another statue burst, and another. The black-and-white floor rumbled. Plaques slid down the walls. Mr. Waltman covered his balding head and began running, along with the rest of the crowd, toward the exit.

“Earthquake!” people yelled.

Cassie and her friends had anticipated this. They huddled close to each other and bound their energy.

“Power of Earth,” Diana said, leading the defense spell. “We call upon you to protect us, to help us defend this room and the innocent people in it from harm.”

A momentary calm swept through the air, enough to trick the terrified Outsiders into believing the worst had passed.

But the ancestors countered the Circle’s defense with an even stronger attack, breaking down their protective barrier.

All the smashed stone and shattered glass upon the floor whirled into the air like a tornado. It spun through the room, a storm gone wild, destroying everything in its wake.

A ruined brass picture frame boomeranged toward the back of Sally’s head. Max dove, knocking her out of harm’s way just in time.

The Circle cast another spell. This time Cassie took the lead. “Guardians of the defenseless,” she called. “We entreat you! Combatants of right causes, join us against this malevolent attack. Let the innocent rise up against this evil.”

But the ancestors were too powerful. A dark shadow descended upon the room, like night. The Outsiders banged on every exit door to no avail. There was no way out. They were sealed in, just like Alice had said.

Smoke clouded the air. Max and Sally tried breaking down one of the doors, using a table as a battering ram, while the Circle’s defense spells continued to falter.

Cassie exchanged a look with Adam. He had joined the Circle in their attempts to block the ancestors’ destruction, forgetting his feigned allegiance to Scarlett.

“They’re so strong,” he said. “You have to do something, Cassie. You’re the only one.”

Deep down Cassie had known it would come to this. Her black magic was their solitary chance. She went inward to her darkest place and stirred around for the right words. A heat flooded her veins just as the ballroom caught fire.

Cassie felt her eyes harden like calluses. She raised her arms and stretched her fingers taut.

Malignis vis intra me, perdere hoc malum.

Purgare eam. Purgare.

Haec entia non gerunt nequam auctoritas!Cassie’s whole body trembled. The flames crawling up the ballroom walls settled, as if in sudden fear.

Absolom shouted out new instructions in a language Cassie couldn’t understand. The ancestors lifted their hands, and the fire roared twice as high as before.

It was at that moment that Cassie realized the Circle was going to lose. All along the ancestors had been holding back, merely toying with them—with her.

This was their show.

Outsiders began collapsing left and right from smoke inhalation. Many fell unconscious. Max and Sally lay on the ground among them. Those who were still awake were hysterical, tumbling over one another. They shrieked and cried for help, banging senselessly on the locked doors. It sounded to Cassie like hell on earth.

She wanted to run, but she couldn’t. Yet she couldn’t fight either. She had nothing left. This room would be their shared, ovenlike tomb. Hers and her Circle’s, and the town’s. It was over, at last.

Then Absolom clapped his hands three times, and the room fell silent. All movement ceased. Only the ancestors and the Circle remained cognizant.

“You’ve already lost,” Alice said. “But we’re willing to make you an offer.”

Cassie exchanged a cautious look with Adam.

“These people can still go home tonight, safely,” Alice said. “If one of you is willing to cross over right now.”

“These Outsiders won’t remember a thing,” Beatrix added. “It’s in your hands.”

Cassie turned to her friends. They were exhausted, defeated. All the historical relics had been destroyed, reduced to charcoal and ash.

It wasn’t in their hands, Cassie thought. Because suffering would still be the end result, it was only a question of when. Either way, she’d failed to protect New Salem as she’d promised Sally she would—as she’d promised herself she would.

“I’ll do it!” Faye shouted out.

Cassie felt a writhe of panic in her stomach.

“Call off the fire,” Faye said to the ancestors. “And I’m yours.”

With a nod from Absolom, Alice waved her hand and the flames died, the smoke dissipated.

“Come,” Alice said.

Faye stepped across the black-and-white ballroom floor with a confident stride.

Alice rested her heartbroken eyes on Cassie while Samuel, Charlotte, and Thomas gathered around Faye, drawing her in, murmuring their approval.

“We should do something,” Nick said.

Melanie agreed. “We can’t let this happen.”

But no one made a move to cut in. There was really nothing to be done. The Circle, and Cassie alone, had expended all of their energy, and it wasn’t nearly enough.

“Faye’s only going with them to save all these people,” Deborah whispered. “She’s doing the right thing.”

Diana looked to Cassie. “But we can’t just let them have her, right?”

Beatrix wrapped her arm around Faye.

“You were my first choice all along,” she said, leading her to the door. She opened it with a silent spell. “Let’s go home.”

Adam rushed to catch up with Cassie as she made a beeline for the door, trying to get away before anyone could see her cry. It was all just too much. At a certain point a girl had to break.

Adam caught her by the wrist. “Can I at least walk you home?” he asked.

Cassie agreed, but as they trudged down the road neither of them said much. Cassie watched the ground, feeling silly now in her fancy clothes and makeup in the midst of so much defeat.

“It’s going to be okay,” Adam said. “We’ll figure out how to get Faye back.”

He put his arm around Cassie’s bare shoulders.

“I’m not so sure,” Cassie said. “Defeating the ancestors feels so impossible.”

Adam came to a standstill and made Cassie face him. His hands trembled slightly on her arms.

“This is not over yet. And you’re not giving up,” he said. “I won’t let you.”

It amazed Cassie how Adam never lost his hope, how he never surrendered to defeat or despair. He truly was one of a kind.

“And did I mention how beautiful you look tonight?” he added.

“Well,” Cassie said, “in spite of the great failure of the night, at least you aren’t going home with Scarlett.”

“Were you worried about that?” he asked, sounding honestly surprised. “I only did all of that because you told me to.”

“I wasn’t worried,” Cassie lied. She rested her head on Adam’s chest and breathed him in. “But I’ll take whatever small victory I can get right now.”

Then she lifted her head and kissed him softly on the lips.

CHAPTER 22

Gathered in the secret room, everyone’s body language spoke for them. Melanie, Laurel, and Deborah hunched in their chairs. Diana and Max slumped on the bed. The guys were sprawled across the sofa, slouching as if holding up their own heads took too much effort. The words no one said aloud were that the next full moon was only three nights away. It wasn’t much time before the ancestors would be a threat forever.

Cassie disappeared to the kitchen and returned with some snacks to liven the mood. She set down a plate of cookies and a bowl of popcorn that nobody touched, and then sat beside Adam on the couch.

Deborah took the floor. “Our magic isn’t strong enough against them,” she said. “How are we supposed to rescue Faye?”

Sean widened his eyes. “We should burn down the warehouse.”

Chris approved, but Doug shook his head. “That’ll never work.”

“We only need to distract the ancestors long enough to give Faye a chance to escape,” Diana said. “Maybe a fire would do the trick.”

“I have a better idea.” Laurel stood up. “Somnus pulvis,” she said, looking at Diana. “Sleep powder.”

“Seriously?” Chris laughed out loud. “You think a little pixie dust can take down the most powerful witches of all time?”

“For about two or three minutes,” Laurel said defensively. “And that’s all we need to get Faye out of there.”

She turned to Cassie. “I was up all night studying the ingredients. All we have to do is get it into their eyes and they’ll go right down.”

Cassie tried to sound appreciative. “That sounds great, Laurel, but I don’t think any potion or powder will work on a demon.”

“A regular potion won’t,” Laurel said. “But if I spell it, and mix in the proper herbs, it will.”

Diana’s face broke into a half-smile. It was the first of its kind all day. “You really think you can do it?”

“Of course she can,” Melanie said. “Laurel’s a genius!”

Laurel pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket and began reading off ingredients. “We’ll need lavender, chamomile, valerian, boneset, foxglove, marjoram.”

“What are we waiting for?” Adam stood up. “Let’s head to the garden.”

Cassie followed the group outside. It was a long shot, one she wasn’t even sure she believed would work. But seeing her Circle hopeful was worth going along with the idea.

As soon as it grew dark outside, the Circle left for the warehouse. They’d collected all the ingredients from Laurel’s list, crushed them into a fine powder, and spelled it with magic. They each held a small felt sack of that powder now, to be tossed into the eyes of their enemies.

Their plan of action was straightforward: stun the ancestors, put them to sleep, rescue Faye. Every Circle member had an ancestor to target. Cassie would pursue Scarlett.

Nick checked the loose pane in the warehouse’s back window. “These ancestors are so cocky,” he whispered, “they still haven’t bothered to cast a guarding spell to keep us out.”

They hadn’t even secured the broken window, Cassie realized. They obviously revered themselves as too powerful to take such precautions.

Nick pulled aside the loose pane, and the Circle climbed through, catlike, one at a time. The ancestors didn’t hear them come in. They were seated in the main room having a discussion, totally unguarded. Cassie squeezed her fistful of powder in her right hand and located Scarlett leaning on a crate, off to the side of the group.

“Let’s go,” Nick said, and the Circle descended upon them, scattering into battle.

Adam was the first to hurl his fistful of dust into Absolom’s eyes.

Absolom blinked rapidly and hobbled on his feet for a few seconds, then covered his face and screamed. He fell over onto the floor as an acidic smell rose to the air. His skin sizzled gruesomely beneath his hands. Cassie wasn’t sure what was happening.

Laurel was horrified, but she still managed to hurl her dust into Charlotte’s face.

Diana took out Alice. Deborah handled Beatrix. It may as well have been battery acid they were throwing, singeing the ancestors’ eyes and faces so badly that an acrid cloud of smoke filled the room. They dropped, shrieking, one by one.

Cassie locked eyes with Faye, standing with her hands down at her sides in the middle of all the action. She didn’t move; she appeared mesmerized that this battle was being fought on her behalf—that she was the prize.

Scarlett raised her hands in defense, to stop Cassie’s approach with a spell, but it only took one second to heave her handful of toxic dust into Scarlett’s eyes. She went down, the same as the others, writhing on the floor between Samuel and Thomas.

Soon Faye was the last left standing. The Circle assembled around her.

“Come on, Faye,” Cassie said. “Let’s get you out of here.”

“Quickly,” Melanie added. “We may only have a few minutes.”

Faye began backing away. “What makes you so sure I want to leave?”

The ancestors were already climbing up to their feet, but they still cradled their faces and covered their burning eyes.

“Faye,” Diana said, reaching out to her, but Faye batted Diana away. “No,” she said. “I like it here. They understand me. And they have power, real power.”

“We don’t have time for this!” Melanie shouted.

“I’m not coming with you,” Faye said.

Deborah grabbed her by the arms. “Yes, you are.” She tried to wrestle Faye toward the window, but Faye pushed her off, filled with rage. She splayed her fingernails, which were long and painted bloodred.

“I’ve learned a few new spells since I’ve been here,” she threatened. “Don’t make me show you.”

Cassie centered her energy. Faye left her with no choice but to use magic against her. A simple binding spell would do. Just enough to haul Faye out of here.