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

Adam and Cassie drove in nervous silence over the bridge toward the Mission House.

Small talk felt too trivial, and there was nothing left to be said about the benefits and disadvantages of bringing Scarlett back to New Salem. Better to mutely admire the scenery.

Cassie observed the sugar maples glowing red beneath the sun on both sides of the highway. They were tall, graceful trees, dignified almost - a vast change in landscape from the wharves and rocky beaches on the island. The Mission House wasn't far now. As they drew closer, Cassie clung to an unvoiced hope - that Scarlett wouldn't be at the house when they arrived. The Circle couldn't initiate her until they found her. Prolonging the inevitable wasn't a solution, Cassie knew, but a little more time might help her get used to the whole idea. Just because Cassie had convinced the Circle to take a chance on Scarlett didn't mean she'd succeeded in convincing herself it was the best thing to do.

But Cassie's secret hope deflated the moment the Mission House came into view. Scarlett was right out front, packing up a car, and she looked just about ready to head out on the road. Another hour and she would have been gone.

"We lucked out," Adam said, and Cassie nodded.

Scarlett put her hands on her hips and curled her mouth into a smile when they came into view. The look she gave Cassie was sly and peculiar.

"She doesn't seem very surprised to see us," Cassie said. "Or very intimidated."

They climbed out of Adam's car awkwardly. Cassie had the distinct feeling her every gesture was being examined.

"I thought I might be seeing you again," Scarlett said.

"Why is that?" Adam asked.

Scarlett chuckled in a rich, disturbing way. "Just a hunch." She gestured to the house. "Come on inside."

Cassie and Adam followed Scarlett back into the main room. She pictured Scarlett writhing in pain on the floor during their last encounter and could almost hear her begging for mercy.

Adam glanced at the chair he'd been tied to and chose to sit on the couch instead. Cassie remained standing.

"Strange things have been happening to my powers," Scarlett said. "They've been unpredictable. There one minute, gone the next." She made herself comfortable in the chair Adam was avoiding. "Is it happening to you, too?"

"It's because Suzan died," Cassie said. The moment those words left her mouth the truth behind them became real to her in a whole new way.

"Do you remember Suzan?" Adam asked.

Scarlett nodded. "The natural redhead, of course. How'd she die?"

"The hunters killed her," Cassie said.

"Bummer." Scarlett's voice came out without much emotion. "But what does your friend's death have to do with my powers?"

"Our Circle is now incomplete." Adam inched up to the edge of the couch. "And the bind of the Circle means that you're next in line for Suzan's place."

Scarlett had no reaction for a few seconds. "I don't understand. How could it be me?"

"Your mother was Suzan's aunt," Cassie explained. "But nobody knew about her."

The confusion in Scarlett's eyes gradually progressed to surprise, and then delight. "I don't believe it," she said. "And to think I wasted so much time and energy trying to destroy you, Cassie."

Cassie was stone-faced. "I can hardly believe it myself, but here we are."

"And you're willing to initiate me?" Scarlett asked.

"Our friend is dead," Adam said. "And more of us are sure to die if we don't do something. We'll allow you into our Circle because we need your help to defeat the hunters. That's the only reason."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Scarlett put her hand to her ear. "I couldn't quite hear you. Did you say you needed me? That you need my help?"

Adam shot up from the couch. "You know what? Forget this. Cassie, let's go."

Scarlett also stood up and blocked Adam's path to the door. "Relax a little. I'm just playing with you. The fact of the matter is you do need me. But I also need you. We all have something to gain from this."

Scarlett directed her next words at Adam. "Undo that restraining spell, and I'm yours for the taking."

Cassie felt the blood rise to her cheeks and went to Adam's side. "First we set up some ground rules."

Scarlett tossed her hair back and laughed. "You all love your rules, don't you?"

"We don't trust you." Adam's back was rigid and his voice was hard. "And we don't like you. I want that to be clear. One wrong move, and we won't hesitate to do worse than banish you from New Salem. You can bet we'll be watching you."

"Oh, I know you will, honey." Scarlett pouted her dark red lips. "You in particular can hardly keep your eyes off me."

Adam flinched and Cassie raised her arm to quiet him. "It's okay," she said. "I expected this."

She stared at Scarlett for a moment with an expression of disgust. A murky voice from the depths of her mind whispered, Kill her. But Cassie knew to ignore it, and she also understood that, for Adam's sake, she had to appear confident they were doing the right thing by bringing Scarlett back to New Salem.

"Let's reverse the spell," she said to him. "That's what we came here to do."

Cassie showed no hesitation or doubt as she placed her hand on Scarlett's forehead and began the process of disabling the restraining spell. But deep down inside she was terrified of what she was about to unleash on the Circle, and on her relationship.

As soon as they arrived back in New Salem, Cassie and Adam escorted Scarlett into the dark woods. Cassie steeled herself against the dull throbbing in her gut, the urge to restrain Scarlett again and banish her not only from New Salem but from Adam, the Circle, and her life. But the rest of the group was already gathered, preparing for Scarlett's initiation. There was no turning back now.

Diana was the first to come into view. She was dressed in her white shift and wore the Master diadem upon her head. In her hand was a dagger.

Scarlett stared at the blade of the dagger and at the moonlight shimmering on it. "I see we're not wasting any time," she said. "The situation must really be dire."

"It is," a husky voice behind her said.

Faye was wearing her black ceremonial shift and the leather garter around her leg. She held the silver bracelet out to Cassie. "Put this on," she said.

Cassie was the only leader dressed in her regular clothes, but they would each wear one of the Master Tools.

Diana squared herself to Scarlett. Her long blond hair hung loose beneath the diadem and reflected the moon in such a way that it cast her face in an ethereal glow. "If you're going to be a member of our Circle," she said, "you have to act like one. This initiation is based on a set of promises."

"You mean rules," Scarlett murmured coolly.

"Yes, rules," Diana replied. "For you and for us to follow."

"Don't even bother trying to talk to her like a human being," Faye said. "She'll never be one of us. Let's just get this over with. Everyone step inside the circle."

Scarlett smiled ingenuously and Cassie led her to her place just outside a gap in the circle that had been drawn into the ground.

Diana stood in the center and formally began the ceremony. She raised the silver dagger to the sky - the same dagger used in Cassie's initiation - and asked, "Who challenges her?"

"I do," Cassie said, at the same time as Faye.

Everyone's eyes bounced back and forth between the two of them. "Faye, I've got this," Cassie whispered, and then much louder, she repeated, "I do. I challenge Scarlett."

Cassie went to the center of the circle and took the silver dagger from Diana. Then she stood before Scarlett with the blade in her outstretched hand. She held it up to Scarlett's throat.

"If there is any fear in your heart," Cassie said, "it would be better for you to throw yourself forward on this dagger than to continue."

Cassie put a little more pressure on the blade, so it pressed lightly into the hollow of Scarlett's neck. "Is there fear in your heart?"

Scarlett smiled. "None."

Cassie stared hard at her, deep into the dark eyes that were just like their father's. It occurred to Cassie that Scarlett's life was completely in her hands. She could slice her open right there like a sheep in a slaughterhouse.

"Cassie." Faye sounded faint and far away.

Cassie continued glaring at Scarlett, putting a little more pressure on the blade, just enough to prick the fine surface of Scarlett's skin.

"Cassie!" Diana shouted. "Scarlett gave her answer. Now step away."

Cassie swallowed hard and realized that Faye was at her side, guiding her back to her place on the circle's perimeter. She wrenched the dagger from Cassie's grip and passed it to Diana. Cassie suddenly felt weak.

"Scarlett, please step inside the circle," Diana instructed.

Scarlett did as she was told, and Diana dragged the dagger through the ground to close the circle behind her.

"Now come to the center." Diana raised her arms over Scarlett and asked the initiation questions. "Will you swear to be loyal to the Circle? Never to harm anyone who stands inside it? Will you protect and defend those who do, even if it costs you your life?"

Scarlett smirked before answering. "Yes."

"Will you swear never to reveal the secrets you will learn, except to a proper person, within a properly prepared Circle like the one we stand in now? Will you swear to keep these secrets from all outsiders, friends, and enemies, even if it costs you your life?"

There was a disturbing triumph in Scarlett's eyes. "Yes," she said.

"By the ocean, by the moon, by your own blood, will you so swear?"

"I will so swear," Scarlett said.

Diana looked over each member of the group. "Scarlett has sworn," she said. "And now I call on the Powers to look at her."

Just as she had when Cassie was initiated, Diana raised the dagger high above her head, with its blade pointed to the sky. She aimed it east, south, west, and north. And then, finally, she pointed it at Scarlett and said:

Earth and water, fire and air,

See your daughter standing there.

By dark of moon and light of sun,

As I will, let it be done.

By challenge, trial, and sacred vow,

Let her join the Circle now.

Flesh and sinew, blood and bone,

Scarlett now becomes our own.

And that was it. Just like that, Scarlett was one of them. The Powers had welcomed her and the group had welcomed her, but it was nothing like when Cassie had become a member. There was no hugging, no real sense of welcoming.

Diana and the other members of the Circle did what they had to do in the best way they knew how, but they didn't have to celebrate it.

"Are we done here?" Scarlett asked disdainfully.

"Yes." Diana sheathed her dagger. "We're done."

Laurel blew out all the candles and collected them, one by one. Cassie was ready to get away from this sham of an initiation as quickly as possible, but Faye pulled her aside.

"Can we talk about what happened back there?" Faye asked.

"Back where?" Cassie asked. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do." Faye leaned in close to Cassie's ear and brought her voice to a whisper. "The others may be willing to play along and pretend like you didn't almost just make mincemeat of your half sister, but I won't."

"You mean with the dagger?" Cassie said. "I was just testing her. I wanted to scare her."

"Cassie, I saw you. I saw your eyes. We all know what's been happening to you, but everyone's too afraid to talk about it."

"And you expect me to believe that you want to talk about it, why, Faye? Because you're so concerned about my welfare? Or Scarlett's safety?"

"Heck, no. I think you should have stabbed her. It would have made things easier for all of us."

Cassie looked at Faye, stunned, and then Faye cracked a smile. "Okay, maybe that would have been going a little too far."

Cassie let herself laugh for the first time in a while, and Faye looked at her with a strange expression - something like understanding.

"But I'm serious that I think it's a mistake to keep trying to handle all this black magic stuff yourself," Faye said. "It's obviously not working."

Cassie examined Faye's face for a clue as to what she was after. What strategy was she playing? After a moment, Cassie said, "You want me to show you the book."

"Of course I want you to show me the book."

Cassie shook her head. "Nice try." She laughed again.

Suddenly there was a rustling in the woods. Faye turned quickly to locate the source of the sound. They all did.

"We've got a problem." Adam focused on one of the trees in the distance.