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.I swore I'd never betray her.Doyouwant to betray her?"There was a silence, and she felt the involuntary heave of his lungs.Andwith her inner senses she felt his agony.Then he let his breath out and shuthis eyes again.When he opened them, she saw his answer before he spoke it,and felt it as his arms released her and he sat back, the cold air rushing inbetween their bodies, separating them at last."No," he said, and there was new strength in his voice.And in his face a newresolution.They looked at each other then, not like lovers, but like soldiers.Likecomrades-in-arms utterly determined to reach some common goal.Their passionPage 117 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlheld down and locked away, so deep that no one else would ever see it.It wasa new closeness, maybe even more intimate than the trust of boyfriend andgirlfriend.Whatever happened, whatever it cost them, they would not betraythe girl they both loved.Looking right into her eyes, he said, "What oath was it you swore that night?Was it one you got from somebody's Book of Shadows?""No," Cassie said, and then she stopped."I don't know," she qualified."Ithought I was making it up, but now it seems like it might have come fromsomething longer.It just went, 'Not by word or look or deed& ' "He was nodding."I've read one with those lines.It's old and it's powerful.You call on the four Powers to witness you, and if you ever break the oath,they're free to rise against you.Do you want to swear it again now?With me?"The abruptness of his question took her breath away.But she was eternallyproud of herself that with scarcely any hesitation she spoke clearly."Yes.""We need blood." He stood and took a knife out of his back pocket.Cassiethought she was surprised,then decided she wasn't.However nice a guy Adammight be, he was used to taking care of himself.Without any particular flourish, he cut his palm.The blood showed black inthe dim silvery light.Then he handed the knife to her.Cassie sucked in her breath.She wasn't brave, she hated pain& But shegritted her teeth and put the knife against her palm.Just think of the painyou could have causedDiana , she thought, and with a quick motion she broughtthe knife downward.It hurt, but she didn't make any noise.She looked up at Adam."Now, say after me," he said.He held his palm up to the star-filled sky."Fire, Air, Earth, Water.""Fire, Air, Earth, Water& ""Listen and witness.""Listen and witness." Despite the simple words, Cassie felt that the elementshad indeed been evoked and were listening.The night had a sudden feeling ofelectricity, and the stars overhead seemed to burn colder and brighter.Goose-flesh broke out on her skin.Adam turned his hand sideways so that the black drops fell onto the scragglybeach grass and the sandy earth.Cassie watched, mesmerized."I, Adam, swearnot to betray my trust not to betray Diana," he said."I, Cassie, swear not to betray my trust& " she whispered, and watched her ownblood trickle off the side of her hand."Not by word, or look, or deed, waking or sleeping, by speech or by silence& "She repeated it in a whisper."& in this land or any other.If I do, may fire burn me, air smother me, earthswallow me, and water cover my grave."She repeated it.As she spoke the last words, "and watercover my grave," shePage 118 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlfelt asnapping , as if something had been set in motion.As if the fabric ofspace and time right here had been plucked,.once, and was resonating back intoplace.Breath held, she listened to it a moment.Then she looked at Adam."It's over," she whispered, and she didn't just meanthe oath.His eyes were like silver-edged darkness."It's over," he said, and reachedhis bloodstained palm out to her.She hesitated,then took his hand with herown.She felt, or imagined she felt, their blood mingling, falling to theground together.A symbol of what could never be.Then, slowly, he released her."You'll give the rose back to Diana?" she asked steadily.He took the chalcedony piece out of his pocket, held it in the palm that wasstill wet."I'll give it to her."Cassie nodded.She couldn't say what she meant, which was that where thestone belonged, Adam belonged."Good night, Adam," she said softly instead, looking at him standing there onthe bluff with the night sky behind him.Then she turned and walked toward thelighted windows of her grandmother's house.And this time he didn't call herback."Oh, yes," Cassie's grandmother said."This was in the front hall thismorning.Someone must have put it through the letter slot." She handed Cassiean envelope.They were sitting at the breakfast table, the Sunday morning sun shiningthrough the windows.Cassie was astonished at how normal everything was.But one look at the envelope and her heart plummeted.Her name was written onthe front in a large, careless hand.The ink was red.She tore it open and stared at the note inside while her Raisin Bran gotsoggy.It read:CassieYou see I'm using my own name this time.Come over to my house (Number Six)sometime today.I have something special I want to talk to you about.Believeme, you don't want to miss this.Love and kisses, FayeP.S.Don't tell anyone in the Club you're coming to see me.You'll understandwhen you get here.Cassie was tingling with alarm.Her first impulse was to call Diana, but ifDiana had been up all night purifying the skull, she was probably exhausted.Faye was the last thing she needed to deal with.Page 119 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAll right, I won't disturb her, Cassie thought grimly.I'll go and see whatFaye's up to first.Something about the ceremony, I'll bet.Or maybe she'sgoing to call for a leadership vote.Faye's house was one of the nicest on the street.A housekeeper let Cassiein, and she remembered Diana saying that Faye's mother was dead.There were alot of single-parent families onCrowhavenRoad.Faye's room was a rich girl's room
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