"The leadership vote!" Cassie said, taking an involuntary gulp of salt water again. She stared at Faye with a sudden terrible apprehension. "Faye..."
"That's right," Faye said. In the moonlight she looked like a mermaid, staying afloat effortlessly. Her glorious mane of hair hung soaking-wet down her back like twining seaweed. Her eyes held Cassie's. "I want to be leader of this coven, Cassie. I will be leader. And you're going to help me."
"No."
"Yes. Because this time I'm serious. I've been going easy on you, letting you have your way, not making you play by the rules. But that's over now, Cassie. This is the one thing I want more than anything else in the world, and you are going to help me. Otherwise..." Faye looked over her shoulder to where Adam and Diana were still bobbing, far away. Then she turned back.
"Otherwise, I'll do it," she said. "I'll tell Diana-and not just about that little cuddling session on the bluff. I'll tell her about the way you and Adam were kissing at the Homecoming dance-did you think nobody would see that?
And the real reason Adam went through four circles of protection to save you at Halloween. And"-she floated closer to Cassie, her hooded golden eyes as unblinking as the eyes of a falcon-"I'll tell her about the skull. How you stole it from her and gave it to me, so we could kill Jeffrey."
"That's not what happened! I'd never have let you have it if I'd known-"
"Are you sure, Cassie?" Faye smiled, a slow, conspiratorial smile. "I think, deep down, that you and I are just the same. We're... sisters under the skin. And if you don't vote for me on Tuesday, I'll let everyone know the truth about you. I'll tell them what you really are inside."
Evil, Cassie thought, staring out at the ocean. It reflected the moonlight back like a mirror, like a piece of hematite, and it surrounded her. She couldn't say a word.
"Think about it, Cassie," Faye said pleasantly. "You have until Tuesday night to decide." And then she swam away.
It was Tuesday night.
The full moon was directly overhead, the circle had been cast. The members of the Club sat around it. Diana, who was wearing all the symbols of the Queen of the Witches, had called on the four elements to protect them, but now she was silent. It was Melanie who was calling for the vote, from oldest to youngest.
"Nicholas," she said.
"I told you before," Nick said. "I won't vote. I'm here, because you two insisted"-he glanced from Faye to Diana-"but I abstain."
With a strange feeling of unreality, Cassie watched his handsome, cold face. Nick had abstained, why couldn't she? But she knew that would never satisfy Faye, unless Faye had already won. And Cassie was no closer to knowing which way to vote tonight than she had been three days ago. If only she had a little more time-
But there was no time. Melanie was speaking again.
"Adam."
Adam's voice was firm and clear. "Diana."
From a pile of red and white stones in front of her, Melanie put forward one white. "And as for me, I vote for Diana too," she said, and put out another white stone. "Faye?"
Faye smiled. "I vote for myself."
Melanie put out a red stone. "Diana."
"I vote for myself too," Diana said quietly.
A third white stone. Then Melanie said, "Douglas."
Doug grinned one of his wildest grins. "I'm voting for Faye, naturally."
"Christopher."
"Uh..." Chris looked confused. Despite Faye's frown and Doug's frantic coaching, he was squinting into nothingness as if searching for a lost decision. Finally, he seemed to find it and he looked at Melanie. "Okay; Diana."
Everyone in the circle stared at him. He glared back defiantly. Cassie's fingers clenched on the piece of hematite in her pocket.
"Chris, you feeb-" Doug began, but Melanie shut him up.
"No talking," she said, and put out a fourth white stone next to the two red. "Suzan."
"Faye."
Three red, four white. "Deborah."
"Who do you think?" Deborah snapped. "Faye."
Four red, four white. "Laurel," said Melanie.
"Diana's always been our leader, and she always will be," Laurel said. "I vote for her."
Melanie put a fifth white stone out, a trace of a smile hovering on her lips. "Sean."
Sean's black eyes shifted nervously. "I..." Faye was staring at him relentlessly. "I ... I ... Faye" he said, and hunched up his shoulders.
Melanie shrugged and put out another red stone. Five red, five white. But although her gray eyes remained serious, her lips were definitely curved in a smile. All of Diana's adherents had relaxed, and they were flashing smiles at each other across the circle.
Melanie turned confidently to the last member of the coven and said, "Cassandra."
Chapter Fourteen
There was silence under the silver disk of moon.
"Cassie," Melanie said again.
Now everyone was looking at her. Cassie could feel the heat of Faye's golden eyes on her, and she knew why Sean had squirmed. They were hotter than the pillar of fire Diana had summoned up to protect them at Halloween.
As if compelled, Cassie glanced the other way. Diana was looking at her too. Diana's eyes were like a pool adrift with green leaves. Cassie couldn't seem to look away from them.
"Cassie?" Melanie said for the third time. Her voice was tinged with the slightest note of doubt.
Still unable to look away from Diana's eyes, Cassie whispered, "Faye."
"What? "cried Laurel.