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That looked like she was carrying twin elephants. There wasn't much celebrating at Samhain; the girls

were all too sick.

"We knew by then the babies were coming soon, and that was another reason to celebrate. But it was in

October that some of the older women started to worry. The girls were all so pale and the pregnancies

seemed to take so much out of them. Poor Carmen Henderson was flesh and bones except for her belly.

That looked like she was carrying twin elephants. There wasn't much celebrating at Samhain; the girls

were all too sick.

"And two days later it happened again. Elizabeth Conant had a baby boy, with hair like Bacchus's wine

and eyes like the sea. That baby looked at me, and I could feel his power."

"Adam," Cassie whispered.

"That's right. Three days later Sophie Burke went into labor-her that kept her own name even when she

married. Her baby, Melanie, was like the others. She looked two weeks old when she was brand-new,

and she saw me as clearly as I saw her.

"The strangest ones born were Diana and Faye. Their mothers were sisters and they had their babies at

the same moment, in two separate houses. One baby was bright like sunlight and the other one was dark

as midnight, but those two were connected somehow. You could tell even at that age."

Cassie thought of Diana and a pang went through her, but she pushed it away and went on listening. Her

grandmother's voice seemed to be getting weaker.

"Poor little things ... it wasn't their fault. It isn't your fault," the old woman said, focusing suddenly on

Deborah and Cassie. "Nobody can blame you. But by December third, eleven babies had been born,

and they were all strange. Their mothers didn't want to admit it, but by January there was no way to deny

it. Those tiny babies could call on the Powers, and they could scare you if they didn't get what they

wanted."

"I knew," Cassie whispered. "I knew it was too weird for all of those kids to born within one month ... I

knew."

"Their parents knew, too, but they didn't know what it meant. It was Adam's father, I think, who put it all

together for them. Eleven babies, he said-he guessed that with one more that made a coven. And who

was the one more? Why, the man who'd arranged for all those babies to be born, the man who was

going to lead them. Black John had come back to make the strongest Circle this country had ever

seen-not from this generation, but from the next, Adam's father said. From the infants.

"Nobody believed the story at first. Some parents were scared, and some were just plain stupid. And

some didn't see how Black John could come back from the dead after all those years. That's one mystery

that hasn't been solved yet.

"But gradually some of the group were convinced. Nick's father, who'd lost his own fiancee, seen her

married off to his younger brother-he listened. And Mary Meade, Diana's mother; she was as smart as

she was pretty. Even Faye's father, Grant Chamberlain . . . he was a cold man, but he knew his infant

daughter could set the curtains on fire without touching them, and he knew that wasn't right. They got

some of the others talked around, and one cold night, the first of February, the bunch of them set off to

talk to him about it."

SIXTEEN

SIXTEEN

Tears were running slowly down the seamed old cheeks. "So you see, it was the brave ones, the strong

ones that went and died. The ones that are left are the ones too scared or too stupid to see the

danger-I'm sorry, Deborah, but it's true." Cassie remembered that both Deborah's parents were alive.

"All the best of Crowhaven Road went to fight Black John that Imbolc Night," her grandmother said.

"But howl" Cassie whispered. She was thinking of that row of gravestones in the cemetery. "How did

they die, Grandma?"

"I don't know. I doubt if anyone alive knows, unless it's . . ." Her grandmother broke off and shook her

head, muttering. "There was fire in the sky, and then a storm. A hurricane from the sea. The older women

got together the babies that had been left with them, and the young parents that hadn't gone with the

group, and we managed to save them. But the next day the house at Number Thirteen was burned to the

ground, and all the ones who'd gone to challenge Black John were dead.

"We never found most of the bodies. They were washed out to sea, I suppose. But one thing we did find

was the burned corpse at Number Thirteen. We knew it was him by the ring he wore, a shiny black

stone we used to call lodestone. I forget the modern name. We took him out to the old burying ground

and put him in the bunker. Charles Meade, Diana's father, dropped that chunk of concrete in front of it.

We figured that if he'd come back once, he might try again someday, and we meant to stop him if we

could. And after that the parents that had survived hid their Books of Shadows and did their best to keep

their children away from magic. And it's strange, but most of them forgot what they could. I guess

because they couldn't remember and stay sane. Still, it's funny, now, how much they've forgotten."

The cracked voice had been growing weaker and weaker, but now Cassie's grandmother grasped

Cassie's wrist hard. "Now, listen to me, child. This is important. Some of us didn't forget, because we

couldn't. I'd named my daughter for a prophetess, and she did the same for her daughter, because we've

always had the second sight. Your mother couldn't bear what her gift showed her, and so she ran away

from New Salem; she ran all the way to the other coast. But I stayed, and I've watched all my

premonitions come true, one by one. The babies that were born on Crowhaven Road in that single month

grew up different, despite everything their parents could do. They were drawn to the Powers and the old

ways from the beginning. They all grew up strong-and some of them grew up bad.

"I've watched it happen, and in my mind I've heard Black John laughing. They burned his body, but they

couldn't burn his spirit, and it's always been here, waiting, hanging around the old burying ground and the

vacant lot at Number Thirteen. He was waiting for his coven, the one he'd planned, the one he'd gotten

born. He was waiting for them to come of age. He was waiting for them to bring him back.

"I knew it would happen-and I knew only one thing could stand against him when it did. And that's you,

Cassie. You have the strength of our family, and the sight, and the Power. I begged your mother to come

home, because I knew that without you the children of Crowhaven Road would be lost. They'd turn to

him, the way their parents did, and he'd be their leader and their master. You are the only one who can

stop him from taking them now."

"So that's what you and Mom fought about," Cassie said in wonder. "About me."

"So that's what you and Mom fought about," Cassie said in wonder. "About me."

"I . . ." Cassie didn't know what to say. "I helped her, Grandma," she said finally. "We found the crystal

skull that belonged to Black John, and it was full of dark energy. Every time we used it, somebody died.

And then-" Cassie took a deep, ragged breath. "Then, tonight, Faye told us to bring the skull to the

cemetery. And when she uncovered it there-I don't know-all this darkness came out . . ."

Cassie's grandmother was nodding. "He was master of dark things. Just like the real Man in Black, the

lord of death. But, Cassie, do you really understand?" With a supreme effort, the old woman tried to sit

up to look in Cassie's face. "When you took the skull to his burying place and let that energy out, it was

enough to bring him back. He's here now; he's come back again. Not a ghost or a spirit, but a man. A

walking, breathing man. He'll look different the next time you see him; once he's had a chance to pretty

himself up. And he'll try to fool you." She sank back wearily.

"But, oh, Grandma-1 helped let him loose. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry . . ." Tears swam in Cassie's eyes.

"You didn't know. I forgive you, child, and what's done is done. But you have to be ready for him . . ."

Cassie's grandmother's eyes drifted shut, and her breath had a frightening sound.

"Grandma!" Cassie said, shaking her in panic.

The old eyes opened again, slowly. "Poor Cassie. It's a lot to face. But you have strength, if you look for

it. And now you have this." Feebly, she pressed the Book of Shadows again into Cassie's hands. "The

wisdom of our family, and the prophecies. Read it. Learn it. It'll answer some of the questions I don't

have time for. You'll find your way . . ."

"Grandma! Grandma, please . . ."

Her grandmother's eyes were still open, but they were changing, filming over, as if they didn't see her

anymore. "I don't mind going now that I've told the story . . . but there's something else. Something you

need to know . . ."

"Cassie!" The voice came from the doorway, and it startled Cassie so much that she jerked and looked

up. Laurel was standing there, her elfin face white with concern. "Cassie, what's happening in here? Are

you okay? Do you want a doctor?" She was staring at Cassie's grandmother on the floor.

"Laurel, not now!" Cassie gasped. She was crying, but she held on harder to her grandmother's knotted

old hands. "Grandma, please don't go. I'm frightened, Grandmother. I need you!"

Her grandmother's lips were moving, but only the faintest of sounds came out. ". . . never be afraid,

Cassie. There's nothing frightening in the dark if you just face it . . ."

"Please, Grandma, please. Oh, no . . ." Cassie's head dropped down to her grandmother's chest and she

sobbed. The knotted hands weren't holding hers anymore.

"You said you had something else to tell me," she wept. "You can't go . . ."

An almost inaudible breath came from her grandmother's chest. Cassie thought it was the word "John."

And then, ". . . nothing dies forever, Cassie . . ."

An almost inaudible breath came from her grandmother's chest. Cassie thought it was the word "John."

And then, ". . . nothing dies forever, Cassie . . ."

Outside, a yellowing moon hung low in the sky.

"The Mourning Moon," Laurel said quietly. 'That's what this one is called."

It was appropriate, Cassie thought, although her eyes were dry now. There were more tears inside her,

building up, but they would have to wait. There was something that had to be done before she could rest

and cry. Even after her grandmother's story, she had so many questions, so much to figure out-but first,

she had to do this one thing.

There were a bunch of cars parked near the street. The rest of the coven was there-no, not all of them.

Cassie saw Suzan and Sean and the Hendersons, and Adam and Diana. But she didn't see the person

she was looking for.

"Melanie and Nick took your mom to Melanie's aunt Constance," Laurel said hesitantly. "They thought it

was the best place for her, tonight. She was still kind of spacey-but I know she'll be okay."

Cassie swallowed and nodded. She wasn't sure; she wasn't sure of anything. She only knew what she

had to do right now.

Never be afraid, Cassie. There's nothing frightening in the dark if you just face it.

Just face it. Face it and stand up to it.

Then Cassie saw who she was looking for.

Faye was in the shadows beyond the headlights of the cars. Her black shift and her hair blended in with

the gloom, but the pallor of her face and the silver ornaments she wore stood out.

Cassie walked up to her without hesitation. At that moment, she could have hit Faye, strangled her, killed

her. But all she said was, "It's over."

"What?" Faye's eyes gleamed a little, yellow as the moonlight. She looked sick and unsettled-and

dangerous. Like a pile of dynamite ready to go off.

"It's over, Faye," Cassie repeated. "The blackmail, the threats . . . it's all over. I'm not your prisoner

anymore.

Faye's nostrils flared. "I'm warning you, Cassie, this isn't the time to push me. I'm still leader of the coven.

The vote was fair. You can't do anything to change it ..."

"I'm not trying to change it-now. Right now I'm just saying that you don't have a hold over me anymore.

It's finished."

"It's finished when I say it's finished!" Faye snarled. Cassie realized then how close Faye was to

snapping, how dangerous Faye's mood really was. But it didn't matter. Maybe it was even better this

way, to get it all over with at once.

"I'm not joking, Cassie," Faye was going on heatedly. "If you can turn on me, I can do the same to you

..."

Cassie took a deep breath and then said, "Go ahead."

Cassie took a deep breath and then said, "Go ahead."

"Fine," Faye said between her teeth. "I will."

She turned around and strode to the place where Diana and Adam were standing, arms around each

other. Adam was practically supporting Diana, Cassie saw, and for a moment her heart failed her. But it

had to be done. Despite the oath, despite Diana's pain, it had to be done.

Faye turned back once to look at Cassie. A look that said, clearly, you'll be sorry. Cassie wondered in

sudden panic if it was true. Would she be sorry? Was she doing the wrong thing after all, defying Faye at