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.
Chapter 25
From behind a stand of bulky trees came Max, his dad, and the two hunters who'd escaped from the rooftop - Jedediah and Louvera Felton. Each of them held a stone carved into the shape of the hunter symbol - the same relics they'd used to kill Suzan. Scarlett bolted at first sight of the hunters, disappearing into the woods. Why wasn't Cassie surprised? With all her big talk, of course at heart Scarlett was just a coward.