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surprise, something Cassie wasn't at all used to. It was the kind of openmouthed stare guys turned on

Diana when Diana was looking particularly beautiful.

A sudden warmth and a glow that had nothing to do with Suzan's artistry swept over Cassie. She knew

she was blushing. She felt conspicuous and overwhelmed-and at the same time thrilled and excited. But

through the wild mixture of emotions, one thing remained clear and diamond-bright within her. She was

here to play a part and to keep her oath to be true to Diana. That was what mattered, and she clung to it.

But she couldn't just stand here with everyone staring at her any longer; it was too embarrassing. She

turned to Adam.

It was an awkward moment. They couldn't sit down together in some dark corner-that would never do.

Then Adam gave a crooked smile and said, "Want to dance?"

Relieved, Cassie nodded, and they went out onto the dance floor. In a matter of seconds they were

surrounded by other people.

And then the music started, soft and sweet.

They stared at each other, helplessly, in dismay. They were in the middle of the dance floor; to get out

they would have to forge their way through the crowd. Cassie looked into Adam's eyes and saw he was

as confused as she was.

Then Adam said under his breath, "We'd better not be too conspicuous," and he took her in his arms.

Cassie shut her eyes. She was trembling, and she didn't know what to do.

Slowly, almost as if compelled, Adam laid his cheek against her hair.

I won't think about anything, I won't think at all, Cassie told herself. I won't feel. . . But that was

impossible. She couldn't help feeling. It was dark as twilight and Adam was holding her and she could

smell his scent of autumn leaves and ocean wind.

Dancing is a very witchy thing-oh, Laurel had been right. Cassie could imagine witches in ages past

dancing under the stars to wild sweet music, and then lying down on the soft green grass.

Maybe among Cassie's ancestors there had been some witch-girl who had danced like this in a moonlit

glade. Maybe she had danced by herself until she noticed a shadow among the trees and heard the

panpipes. And then maybe she and the forest god had danced together, while the moon shone silver all

around them. . . .

panpipes. And then maybe she and the forest god had danced together, while the moon shone silver all

around them. . . .

The music stopped. Adam moved back just slightly and she looked up at him, cheek and neck tingling

with the loss of his warmth. His eyes were strange, darkness just edged with silver like a new moon.

Slowly, he bent down so that his lips were barely touching hers-and stayed there. They stood that way

for what seemed like an eternity and then Cassie turned her head away.

It wasn't a kiss, she thought as they moved out through the crowd. It didn't count. But there was no way

that they could dance together again and they both knew it. Cassie's knees were shaking.

Find some people to join-fast, she thought. She looked around desperately. And to her vast relief she

glimpsed a sleek auburn crop and a head of long, light-brown hair interwoven with tiny flowers. It was

Melanie and Laurel, in animated conversation with two outsider boys. If they'd seen what happened on

the dance floor a minute ago . . .

But Laurel swung around at Adam's "hello" and said, "Oh, there you are!" and Melanie's smile was quite

normal. Cassie was grateful to talk with them while the boys talked about football. Her lightheartedness,

inspired by the magic of the dance, began to return.

"There's Deborah. She always gets one dance in before heading off to the boiler room with the

Hendersons," Laurel murmured, smiling mischievously.

"What do they do there?" Cassie asked as she followed Laurel's gaze. Deborah was wearing a black

micro-mini and a biker's hat decorated with a gold link bracelet. Her hair was mostly in her eyes. She

looked great.

"Play cards and drink. But no, not what you're thinking. None of the guys would dare try anything with

Deb-she can outwrestle them all. They're just in awe of her."

Cassie smiled, then she spotted someone else, and her smile faded. "Speaking of awesome . . ." she said

softly.

Faye had on a flame-colored dress, sexy and elegant, cut in her usual knockout style. Her hair was black

and glossy, hanging untamed down her back. She was like some exotic creature that had wandered onto

campus by accident.

Faye didn't see the three girls scrutinizing her. Her entire attention seemed to be focused on Nick.

Cassie was surprised Nick was even here; he wasn't the type to go to dances. He was standing by a

blond outsider girl who looked frankly spooked. As Cassie watched, Faye made her way over to him

and placed a hand with red-tipped fingers on his arm.

Nick glanced down at the hand and stiffened. He threw a cold glance over his shoulder at Faye. Then,

deliberately, he shrugged her hand off, bending over the little blonde, whose eyes widened. Throughout

the whole incident his face remained as wintry and remote as ever.

"Uh-oh," Laurel whispered. "Faye's trying to hedge her bets, but Nick isn't cooperating."

"It's her own fault," Melanie said. "She kept after Jeffrey until the last minute."

"I think she's still after him now," said Cassie.

"I think she's still after him now," said Cassie.

Jeffrey tried to hustle Sally back onto the dance floor, but Faye moved as quickly as a stalking panther

and cut them off. Then she and Sally stood on either side of Jeff, like a big, glossy black dog and a little

rust-colored terrier fighting over a tall, slim bone.

"That's stupid," Laurel said. "Faye could have almost any guy here, but she only wants the ones who're a

challenge."

"Well, it's not our problem," Melanie said sensibly. She turned to the outsider boy beside her and smiled,

and they went together onto the dance floor. Laurel looked nettled for an instant, then smiled, shrugged at

Cassie, and collected her own partner.

Cassie watched them go with a sinking heart.

She'd been able to block out Adam's presence for the last few minutes, but here they were alone again.

Determinedly, she looked around for some distraction. There was Jeffrey-he was in real trouble now.

The music had started, Faye was smiling a lazy, dangerous smile at him, and Sally was bristling and

looking daggers. The three of them were standing in a perfect triangle, nobody moving. Cassie didn't see

how Jeffrey was going to get out of it.

Then he looked up in her direction.

His reaction was startling. His eyes widened. He blinked. He stared at her as if he had never seen a girl

before. Then he stepped away from Faye and Sally as if he'd forgotten their existence.

Cassie was dismayed, confused-but flattered. One thing-it certainly got her out of her present dilemma

with Adam. When she turned and looked into Adam's eyes, she saw he understood, without even

nodding.

Jeffrey was holding out his hand to her. She took it and let him lead her onto the dance floor. She cast

one glance back at Adam and saw that his expression was a paradox: acceptance mixed with something

darker, more disturbing.

It was another slow dance. Cassie held herself at a decent distance from Jeffrey, staring uncertainly down

at his shoes. They were dark brown loafers with little tassels, the left one slightly scuffed. When she finally

looked up at his face, her awkwardness vanished. That smile was not only blinding but openly admiring.

When we first met he was trying to impress me, Cassie thought dizzily. Now he's impressed.

She could see the appreciation in his eyes, feel it in the way he held her.

"We make a good couple," he said. She laughed. Trust Jeffrey to compliment himself in complimenting

her. "Thank you. I hope Sally isn't mad."

"It's not Sally I'm worried about. It's her." "Faye. I know." She wished she had some advice for him. But

nobody knew how to deal with Faye.

"Maybe you'd better be worried too. What's Diana going to say when she finds out you were here with

Adam?"

Adam?"

"Hey. Hey. I was just teasing. Everybody knows Di and her prince consort are practically married.

Although maybe she wouldn't have asked you if she'd known how beautiful you were going to look."

He was still teasing, but Cassie didn't like it. She looked around the dance floor and saw Laurel, who

winked over her partner's shoulder. Suzan was dancing, too, very close with a muscular boy, her

red-gold hair shining in the gloom.

And then it was over. Cassie looked up at Jeffrey and said, "Good luck with Faye," which was the best

she could offer him. He flashed the smile again.

"I can handle it," he said confidently. "Don't you want to dance again? No? Are you sure?"

"Thanks, but I'd better get back," Cassie murmured, worried about the way he was looking at her. She

managed to escape his restraining hand and started toward the sidelines, but before she could get there

another boy asked her to dance.

She couldn't see Adam anywhere. Maybe he was off enjoying himself-she hoped so. She said "yes" to

the boy.

It didn't stop with him. All sorts of guys, seniors and juniors, athletes and class officers, were coming up

to her. She saw boys' eyes wander from their own dates to look at her as she danced.

I didn't know dances were like this. I didn't know anything was like this, she thought. For the moment she

was entirely swept up in the magic of the night, and she pushed all troublesome reflection away. She let

the music take her and let herself just be for a while. Then she saw Sally's face on the sidelines.

Jeffrey wasn't with her. Cassie hadn't seen Jeffrey in a while. But Sally was focused on Cassie

specifically, and her expression was venomous.

When that dance was over, Cassie evaded the next boy who tried to intercept her, and headed for

Laurel. Laurel greeted her with glee.

"You're the belle of the ball," she said excitedly, tucking her arm through Cassie's and patting Cassie's

hand. "Sally's furious. Faye's furious. Everybody's furious."

"It's the magnet perfume. I think Suzan used too much."

"Don't be silly. It's you. You're a perfect little-gazelle. No, a little white unicorn, one of a kind. I think

even Adam has noticed."

Cassie went still. "Oh, I doubt that," she said lightly. "He's just being polite. You know Adam."

"Yes," said Laurel. "Sir Adam the Chivalrous. He turned around and asked Sally to dance after you left

with Jeffrey, and Sally almost decked him."

Cassie smiled, but her heart was still pounding. She and Adam had promised not to betray their feelings

for each other, not by word or look or deed-but they were making a horrible mess of things tonight on all

fronts. Now she was afraid to look for Adam, and she didn't want to dance any more. She didn't want to

be the belle of the ball; she didn't want every girl here to be furious with her. She wanted to go to Diana.

Suzan arrived, her extraordinary chest heaving slightly in her low-cut dress. She directed an arch smile at

Cassie.

Suzan arrived, her extraordinary chest heaving slightly in her low-cut dress. She directed an arch smile at

Cassie.

"Wonderful," Cassie said, digging her nails in one palm. She opened her mouth to say something else, but

just then she glimpsed Sean making his way toward her. His face was eager, his usually slinking step

purposeful.

"I should have warned you," Laurel said in an undertone. "Sean's been chasing you all night, but some

other guy always got there first."

"If he does catch you he'll be all over you like ugly on an ape," Suzan added pleasantly, rummaging in her

purse. "Oh, damn, I gave my lipstick to Deborah. Where is she?"

"Hi there," Sean said, reaching them. His small black eyes slid over Cassie. "So you're free at last."

"Not really," Cassie blurted. "I have to-go find Deborah for Suzan." What she had to do was get away

from all this for a while. "I know where she is; I'll be right back," she continued to the startled Suzan and

Laurel.

"I'll come along," Sean began instantly, and Laurel opened her mouth, but Cassie waved at both of them

in dismissal.

"No, no-I'll go by myself. It won't take a minute," she said. And then she was away from them, plunging

through the crowd toward the double doors.

She knew where the boiler room was, or at least where the door that led to it was. She'd never actually

been inside. By the time she reached C-wing she'd left the music of the dance far behind.

The door marked custodian's office opened onto a long narrow room with unidentifiable machinery all

around. Generators were humming, drowning out any other noise. It was cool and dank . . . spooky,

Cassie thought. There were NO smoking signs on the walls and it smelled of oil and gas.

A stairway descended into the school basement. Cassie slowly went down the steps, gripping the smooth

metal handrail. God, it's like going down into a tomb, she thought. Who would want to spend their time

here instead of in the light and music up in the gym?

The boiler room itself smelled of machine oil and beer. It wasn't just cool; it was cold. And it was silent,

except for the steady dripping of water somewhere.

A terrible place, Cassie thought shakily. All around her were machines with giant dials, and overhead

there were huge pipes of all kinds. It was like being in the bowels of a ship. And it was deserted.

"Hello? Deborah?"