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"It’s the Moon of Long Nights," Diana said "And it’s not just full on the ninth There’s an eclipse"

"A total lunar eclipse," said Melanie

"Is that bad for us?" Cassie asked

Diana considered "Well, all witches’ powers are strongest in ht And certain spells are best done at the dark of the moon, or at the full moon, or at so to ht, an eclipseto do And worst for us fighting hioing to move - and he doesn’t knoe know it He won’t realize we’re prepared"

There were thoughtful nods around the Circle It was the day after Thanksgiving and everyone who had coathered at Adam’s house Cassie had told the before they ca for the Master Tools This she’d whispered to Adaht Now she looked at the two of them with a question in her eyes

Adaht," Adauess we’d better tell them Since he knows, it doesn’t really matter, does it?"

"Fayemore unhappy than ever "She went to Black John - "

"No," Cassie said

Diana looked at her, surprised "But - "

"Not Faye," Cassie said, grimly and with absolute certainty "Sean"

Adam cursed softly Diana stared at him, then at Cassie Then she whispered, "Oh, my God"

"What about Sean? What did he do?" Deborah demanded Nick was very alert, his narrow eyes fixed on Cassie

After a glance at Diana - who nodded and leaned her head on one hand - Cassie said simply to Deborah, "He told Black John that Adam and Diana and I had found the Master Tools"

"You found - you uys - youThe others looked speechless with amazement

"Cassie led us to them," Adam said "They were in the fireplace at Number Twelve On the way back we ran into Sean, who said he’d seen a light But you think?" He looked at Cassie

Cassie took a deep breath "I think Black John has been influencing hi I think he was the one who stole the heht, when I was trying to get to sleep I started thinking about who could have told Black John - and I kept getting this flash of Sean the first ti a belt with his name carved on some shiny stone I used to see him wear it all the ti sweaters, I haven’t noticed it But I’ll bet he’s been wearing it underneath, and I’ll bet he earing it that night he came out in his pajama top And I’ll bet that shiny stone is - "

"Hematite," half a dozen bleak voices chorused, and everyone looked at Melanie

"Hematite or lodestone," Melanie confirmed "Yes, it is; I’ve seen that belt too How incredibly stupid of us It never even occurred to me"

Nick leaned forward "So you think Faye wasn’t the one who told Black John earing amethysts as protection? You think Sean did that?"

Cassie looked at the hard line of his ot into his et into my mind Sean wouldn’t have been able to resist In fact,that he couldn’t resist, at the assembly when he volunteered to be a hall monitor I had to yell at him to break the trance"

"SeanGod!" Laurel said, settling back "It’s just too awful"

"I’m afraid it’s worse," Cassie said She stared down at Mrs Franklin’s coffee table, pressing one hand flat against it She didn’t kno to say this next "You guys, I thinkI think Black John used Sean to co silence Even Diana looked too horrified to support Cassie But Ada his own eyes, nodded

"Yes," he said

"Oh, no," said Suzan

"I think" - Cassie sed - "that he could have written a note to Kori the night before, asking her to meet him in front of school She wouldn’t have suspected hiht it was Circle business He could have come up behind her, and - "

"I’ll kill hirabbed hi for the door Adaround

"It wasn’t hiuys! It was Black John; he’s the one who killed Kori If I’ht, Sean probably doesn’t even rey to use"

"God," Laurel said "God - ree? The tiy was released? Sean and Faye started fighting, the candle went out, and the dark energy escaped Sean said Faye started it, and we all believed hi to break the circle What if she was right?"

"I’ll bet she was right," Cassie said "Black John’s been with us all the tiy was released froed to happen whenever he could - then it worked with Sean to coet Mr Fogle over to Devil’s Cove, too," Suzan said "Sean could have pretended he had so bad to tell about somebody else in the Club I used to do that all the tilanced at Diana "Well - that was in the old days Anyway, Sean could have asked Fogle togesture "Good-bye, Mr Fogle"

"Can we let you up now?" Adam asked Chris, and "Can we trust you to act sensible?" Deborah asked Doug

There were incoherent snarls from the Henderson brothers, and when they were released they sat up with flushed faces and blue-green eyes as bright as gas fla said quietly

"If it’s the last thing we do," said Chris, equally quiet Cassie hoped they meant Black John

"But what about Jeffrey?" Diana asked Cassie

Cassie shrugged "I don’t kno Sean could have gotten hi you were down there, maybe," Laurel said

" - but if he did, he could have just coled him with the rope - no, Sean’s too short Oh, I don’t kno he could have done it - "

"By getting Lovejoy to sit down or lean over," Nick said, his voice crisp and low "That’s what I’d have done, anyway, if I were trying to strangle soy inside hith He must have had, to be able to put the noose around Lovejoy’s neck and haul him up over that pipe afterward"

Cassie felt sick "It’s true - I didn’t see either Sean or Jeffrey at the dance for a while before the murder Then all of a sudden Sean appeared on the dance floor, co toward me So I ran to the boiler roomand found Jeffrey"

"I think we need to talk to Sean," said Diana

"No," Ada vehemence "That’s just e shouldn’t do If we talk to him now, Black John will realize we know But if we don’t say anything, if we play along with Sean and pretend we don’t knoe can feed his that aren’t true, for hi to Black John"

"Like tell hi toto snap "Tell him we’re terrified of Black John - we don’t kno to use the Master Tools - we’re unprepared"

"Or that we’re all fighting aree on anything We’re deadlocked"

"Right! And then that night we’ll actually be ready for him When’s the eclipse, Melanie?" Ada That’s what I’d say we have to look out for The moon in shadow"

"The moon in shadow," Cassie repeated softly "I think I can understand why he would choose that tiht

"And until then all we have to do is pretend to be coumentative," said Melanie

"Shouldn’t be too hard," Suzan said, raising an eyebrow

"There’s soiving away any of our secrets I think one of us should talk to Faye"

"And I think you’re elected," Nick said "I can’t think of anybody better for the job" He winked at Cassie, but it was a grim wink

"We need you"

"I’ herself in theher hair in different ways: twisted back, on top of her head, at the nape of her neck Cassie hadn’t been in Faye’s bedroo of red stones around the crystal skull and released the dark energy that had eventually killed Jeffrey The room was as opulent and luxurious as ever: the wallpaper patterned with lush jungle orchids, the bed piled with cushions, the stereo system packed with expensive extras Faye’s vaain twined sinuously around Cassie’s ankles

But there was a different atone from the dresser tops; in their place were stacks of paperwork On the bedspread along with the cordless phone was a beeper An appoint in front of the mirror, and the clothes strewn carelessly about were of the sultry office-girl kind Faye had taken to wearing

The room felt - pressured Type-A lifestyle More like Portia than Faye

"I suppose you know that Portia Bainbridge and Sally had o," Cassie said

Faye shot her an alance in the mirror "And I’m sure you know you only had to open your pretty little ht there to help"

Cassie tried not to look as sick as that made her feel "I don’t want his help," she said, sing

Faye shrugged "Maybe later"

"No, Faye Not later I don’t ever want to see hi kidnapped, you must knohat they were after We’ve found the Master Tools" Cassie looked at the strange opposite-Faye ie in the mirror, and then turned to look the real Faye in the eyes "They belong to you," she said distinctly "You’re leader of the coven But the coven is going to fight Black John"

"You can’t even say it, can you? It’s not so hard Daddy Father Pops Whatever you want to call him, I’m sure he won’t mind - "