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"I think Scarlett’s in Cape Cod," Cassie said, looking to the others for confirreed "In the town of Sandwich It’s in the northwest corner of the Cape"

Cassie laughed to herself Of course Why hadn’t she figured that out? "But as that man?" she asked

"I know I’ve seen him before," Diana said

And then it was Melanie’s turn to have a laugh "I just read The Scarlet Letter," she said "That was Nathaniel Hawthorne"

"It was probably a clue to a street naested "Lots of the streets are naht," Adaht Hawthorne Street, that’s where she is"

"Well, what are we standing around for?" Nick said

"Let’s go get her"

"We can’t," Diana said firmly "Cape Cod is outside the realerous" Melanie, sensing that Cassie was about to explode, backed Diana up "We’ll need all the poe can get if we have a chance at defeating the hunters," she said "We should wait to battle theuard of the protection spell"

"I’," Cassie said "We can’t count on the hunters sparing Scarlett for long"

Before anyone had the chance to respond, there was a spine-chilling screaistered that this was not the right kind of screarisly sound, pain and shock and horror all wrapped into one It sounded like death

death

Cassie and the others hurried out to see what happened, but it was coed They strived to see over the mad crowd of panic-stricken students and frantic teachers and parents

"There’s a student down, on the bleachers," Adaht of a head of straw-colored hair and instantly kneho it was It was Portia Bainbridge And she was lying right above where the Circle did their spell

"She collapsed," someone froh the crowd to see if Portia was still alive She kneeled over her body, calling her name, and checked for a pulse But it was no use

Portia was gone - as lifelessly stiff as Constance had been on the ground the night of the spring festival And orse, what Cassie wished limmer of the hunter symbol on Portia’s shirt, just over the place where her heart would have been beating

Cassie didn’t need to ask the others if they could also see it this tiht-stricken faces that they could

"We need to get out of here," Melanie said, ghost-faced

"Now," Diana commanded "Everyone toroo fro death, and their own near hts upon the hooked rug, gnawing on his fingernails "Don’t you see what thisthe source of thefrom her So they don’t knoho the witches are yet"

"They still don’t know it’s us," Faye echoed, fro on Diana’s sofa "After all this time I told you so" There was a hint of triued at Faye’s insensitivity "But that was a huge price to find that out, don’t you think? Portia’s dead"

"Ah yes, ly

Suzan unwrapped a Twinkie she had buried in her purse and emotionally bit off its top

With herto not hate Portia, too And then we go and get her killed"

"It wasn’t our fault," Deborah said "There was no e could have known that would happen"

Melanie disagreed "We knew doing a spell as powerful as that was a risk, and illingly took that risk Portia would still be alive if we hadn’t"

Until now Cassie had remained silent Of course she felt responsible for what happened to Portia, but there wasn’t time to dwel on it at the roup’s fear and anger, and even their guilt, toward the task at hand

"I’m as rattled as the rest of you," Cassie announced

"This proves the hunters are strong and getting closer And Scarlett is still being held hostage and tortured in a shack on Cape Cod as we speak We have to act fast before she reaches the sa her head before Cassie had even finished her sentence "I’ure out another way"

Melanie ju Cassie down "We can’t mess with these hunters Look at what they’re capable of"

Faye appeared to be utterly enjoying herself What was it that charged her up? Was it the brutal loss of hu on Cassie?

She sat upright fro position on the sofa

"You had to know there was no ould step right into the hunters’ hands, right?" She narrowed her snakelike eyes at Cassie "Not with this group of cowards, anyway" Nick rose up from his chair "Shouldn’t we put it to a vote?"

"No" Faye laughed "It’s called veto power Right, D?" Diana looked down at her thin hands "It’s called an executive decision"

"We can’t go after the hunters in Cape Cod," Adam said

"But what if we try to lure them back here to New Salem?"

"There’s no time for that!" Cassie lost her patience

Chris Henderson shot up and went to Nick’s side "We should vote Like ays do"

"I agree" Doug joined his brother and Nick in their small insurrection "Since when did you all becoo rescue Scarlett" Then directly to Cassie he said, "I knohat it’s like to lose a sister You shouldn’t have to"

"And I trust Cassie’s judght, but his eyes were full of e to take the risk"

Cassie’s heart was confused How could her soul mate not understand her the way Nick so there now, stubborn and overly protective, shaking his head no while Nick illing to do whatever it took to support Cassie and rescue Scarlett

"It’s not going to happen, boys," Faye said ht to vote on it," Nick insisted, with Chris and Doug growing visibly more restless at his side

But even if they voted, it was clear ould win After everything they’d been through, Scarlett was still an Outsider to thereat-aunt, but when Cassie’s own sister was in trouble, and they had a way to save her, they refused

"Fine" Diana appeared flustered and a little annoyed by this mutiny "We’ll vote But the decision is the final decision for the Circle And let y" Cassie cut Diana off "I don’t need your vote I don’t need any of you" She walked away, leaving a fracture in the Circle as she went