The Secret Circle: The Hunt (The Secret Circle #5)

"If we don't initiate Scarlett into the Circle," Adam said, "we'll be much weaker when we're fighting the hunters."

The rain continued pouring down in sheets. Cassie watched it through the large bay window in Diana's living room. It was better than staring down at the magenta ink of Scarlett's name on Suzan's family tree.

"We have to initiate her," Melanie said. "Nothing matters more than defeating the hunters, especially after what they did to Suzan."

"But we know she has ulterior motives and can't be trusted," Nick said. "Remember, she wanted Cassie's place in the Circle so she could use our Circle's power for her own agenda. She'd be as bad as initiating Black John himself."

Melanie scoffed at Nick. "That's an overstatement if I've ever heard one."

Cassie wanted this conversation to stop. The sky outside had settled to a deep purple and the clouds rolled and shifted in ever-changing shapes. Cassie saw a heart and then a castle, and then nothing, just a sheet of gray. Her mind wandered and an image flashed into view: herself back at the Mission House on the brink of killing Scarlett. But this time she'd gone through with it. She completed the killing spell and Scarlett's eyes had glassed over the way Suzan's had up on the roof, and then she stiffened to a lifeless statue. Cassie imagined exactly what it would feel like for Scarlett to be gone forever - how the Circle would be free at last.

That's it, Cassie thought. That was the solution. She would have to kill Scarlett. Then they could take their chances with another lost family member to be next in line for the Circle.

But then she shook the idea from her mind. No, she told herself. Send light to that dark thought, and cast it away.

Cassie knew she had to fight off every evil intention the moment it appeared now, before it could really get to her and take hold.

"Cassie," Adam said. "Are you okay? You're as pale as a ghost."

"I'm fine." But the faintness of Cassie's voice gave her away.

"See," Melanie said. "Even Cassie is weaker now. I told you."

"I'm not weaker," Cassie shot back.

But Melanie was adamant. "Yes, you are. We all are."

"Let's just see about that." Chris directed his attention to the bowl of fruit on Diana's coffee table. "Who wants to see me levitate an apple?" he asked. But seconds passed and nothing happened. The apple didn't move, and Chris grew more and more frustrated as the clock continued to tick.

Melanie crossed her arms over her chest, looking smug.

"Maybe if we both try," Doug said, going to his brother's side. He focused his attention on the fruit as well. With their combined powers, the apple began to shiver. It lifted from the bowl for a brief second, but then it dropped back down.

"Shoot." Chris was breathless with fatigue. "We almost had it."

"Thank you for proving just how powerless we are," Nick said. He looked worriedly at Cassie. "We may actually be weaker than we were before you came to town."

Cassie returned her gaze to the window and took a deep breath. It was becoming more and more clear that their only option wasn't destroying Scarlett. It was going against all logic and asking her to join them.

"We can barely do the simplest everyday magic with an incomplete Circle," Melanie said. "Let alone anything strong enough to fight off the hunters. I say we initiate Scarlett, defeat the hunters, and then figure out what to do with her later."

"What do you mean, 'figure out what to do with her later'?" Diana narrowed her eyes at Melanie. "Once she's initiated, we're bound to her. You know that. Using her and then betraying her would compromise the integrity of our Circle. Not to mention our self-respect."

That's probably what Scarlett will do to us, Cassie thought, but saying so would only make things worse. She stood up and took the center of the room.

"There is no good decision to make here," she said. "Only a less bad one. As much as I hate to admit this, I think we do need Scarlett."

Nick's jaw tightened as he ground his teeth. "I don't want her as a member," he said. "There must be another option."

"It's Scarlett or no one," Adam said, refusing to make eye contact with Nick as he addressed the group. "We don't have to trust her, but I think we do have to initiate her. You know what they say about keeping your enemies close. Well, we can't keep her much closer than in our Circle. At least she'll be somewhere we can keep an eye on her."

"Great," Nick said. "So we can have a front-row seat as she takes control of us."

"Now hold on." Diana raised her arms to quiet both of them. "There are eleven of us and one Scarlett. What makes you so sure it'll be that easy for her to take control of us?"

"Yeah," Sean said. "One bad seed can't spoil the bunch, otherwise Faye would have ruined our Circle long ago."

Faye glared at Sean as Diana continued.

"My point is, we know what Scarlett is capable of, so we're less likely to fall for any of her tricks. And don't forget, we have the Master Tools back in our possession."

Nick considered Diana's argument for a few seconds before conceding. "Fine," he said. "If Cassie's willing to take a chance on Scarlett, then I'm with her."

"Do we all agree, then?" Adam asked.

Nobody spoke out to disagree, which was as close to consensus as they were going to get.

"Good. It's settled," Adam said. "Cassie and I will take care of telling Scarlett the news and bringing her back to New Salem tomorrow."

As the group started to split up and head home for the night, the full impact of the decision sunk in. Had she really agreed to bring the other girl Adam's soul was connected to back into her life? The girl who had tried to kill her, and whom she had tried to kill? It was like restriking a dulled match just to see what would burn.

Cassie reached for Adam's hand and squeezed it. "I'll catch up with you a little later," she said. "I want to have a word with Diana."

Adam kissed her on the lips without question, so she didn't have to explain exactly why she wanted to speak to Diana. She didn't have to justify her father's Book of Shadows shoved deep into the bottom of her tote bag. She simply waited for everyone to trickle out of Diana's house until it was just the two of them.

"I thought you left with Adam," Diana said, when she realized Cassie had been lingering.

"Can we talk?" Cassie asked.

Diana nervously glanced around the living room even though they were alone, perhaps because she thought Cassie was going to ask her about Max. "Let's go up to my bedroom," she said, leading Cassie to the stairs.

It had been a long time since Cassie and Diana hung out on Diana's bed sharing secrets. After only a few moments of sitting there, Cassie was overwhelmed with longing for those simpler times. Before Scarlett had entered their lives, and even further back, before Adam had become an issue between them.

Diana huddled close to Cassie and asked, "Do you think Suzan's father knew about Laura Forsythe? Or that she'd had a daughter?"

"My guess is he never knew Scarlett existed," Cassie said. "But even if he did, it's ancient history now."

Diana nodded. "It's just so strange, how connected we all are, even when we don't know it. And even when we don't want to be."

Cassie sensed Diana was referring to more than just their familial lines. "I get the feeling you're thinking about Max," she said. "And the silver cord."

Diana got quiet and Cassie had the urge to tell her all about the cord between Adam and Scarlett. She wanted to cry about it on Diana's shoulder until she delivered some typical words of Diana wisdom that would make it all better. Unfortunately, there were more pressing issues to deal with.

Cassie dug through her bag until she retrieved her father's book. She held it out to Diana. "Will you hold on to this for me? To keep it away from me for a little while?"

Diana eyed the book carefully, and then gently accepted it from Cassie's hands. "Of course. But why?"

Lines of worry creased Diana's forehead as Cassie described how she had felt on the roof when she used dark magic against the hunters. Cassie also told her what had happened with Scarlett in Stockbridge.

"I went into a trance," Cassie said. "And I almost killed Scarlett. I know it's because of the book. It's doing things to my mind."

Diana nodded gravely. "Like Adam said, you're bound to the book now. And we still don't fully understand what that means."

"But the worst part," Cassie said, "is that it feels really good when I'm like that. It's the most seductive pleasure - I can't even describe it. And it's only afterward, after I snap out of it, that I feel bad." Cassie looked down, ashamed.

"Hey." Diana put her arm around her. "We've all succumbed to temptation at one time or another. Even when we know it can be damaging."

"But I'm afraid one of these days I'll take it too far. What if I do something I can't take back - or worse, what if I can't get myself back? Every time it happens I feel like I'm going in deeper and deeper."

"You don't have to worry," Diana said. "I'll keep the book safe, and together we'll keep you safe."

Cassie felt better already. If there was anyone on earth who could be trusted with the book, it was Diana. But she still felt the need to give Diana a stern warning. "You have to let me know if anything out of the ordinary happens, do you understand? If you start feeling strange, or if it seems to be speaking to you."

Diana nodded solemnly.

"If that happens, we'll find something else to do with it," Cassie said. "I don't want you going through what I have."

"Neither do I," Diana said, trying to make light of the heavy situation. "Trust me. I've had my fair share of transgressions lately as it is."

"And whatever you do," Cassie said, "don't let Faye know you have it. In fact, don't let anybody know. Not even Adam."

Diana hesitated but then agreed. "It'll be our secret."