“Well,” Faye said, focusing on Diana with her honey-colored eyes. “I disagree entirely. It would be a waste to not use the Tools. At the very least we should experiment with them.” Her mouth formed a cruel smile. “Don’t you agree, Cassie?”
“Um,” she said. It was weird. Cassie kind of agreed with Faye on this one, which may have been the first time she ever agreed with Faye on anything. She didn’t want to side with Faye over Diana, but how could they just destroy the Tools? What if Black John came back? These were their only means of self-defense. She wished Diana had discussed this with her before now.
“We can talk to Constance for help getting rid of them,” Diana offered. “If that’s what we decide to do.”
Melanie’s great-aunt Constance had been helping the Circle with their magic. Since she’d tapped into her powers to nurse Cassie’s mother back to health last winter, she’d become more willing to share her knowledge of the old ways.
“Constance probably knows a spell we can use,” Diana said. “And with Black John gone for good, I bet she’ll agree it’s time to put the Tools to rest.”
Cassie could see Diana felt strongly about this. As did Faye—that familiar fiery anger had snuck its way into her sharp features.
“We should take a vote,” a strong voice called out. It belonged to Nick, who rarely spoke at Circle meetings. Hearing him express an opinion on this caught Cassie off guard.
“Nick’s right,” Melanie said. “We should all have equal say in a decision so important.”
Diana nodded. “I’m fine with that.”
Faye dramatically swept her red nails at the group. “Vote then,” she said, with the confidence of someone who’d already won.
Melanie stood and stepped to the center of the room. She always called out Circle votes, Cassie noticed. “All those in favor of destroying the Master Tools,” she said, “raise your hands.”
Diana’s hand went up first, followed by Melanie’s own, then Laurel’s. After a second-long pause, Nick raised his, and then finally Adam.
Cassie couldn’t believe it. Adam had voted with Diana even though she knew he’d rather experiment with the Tools.
“All those in favor of keeping the Tools,” Melanie said, “raise your—”
“Wait,” Cassie called out. She’d gotten distracted and lost the chance to choose Diana’s side.
Faye laughed. “You snooze, you lose, Cassie. And a vote against Diana is a vote for me.”
“Wrong,” Cassie said, surprising herself as she said it. “It’s a vote for me.”
She paused to look at Adam and saw he was smiling proudly.
“I propose a third option,” she said. “We keep the Tools, in case we need them. We don’t destroy their power, but we also don’t experiment with them.”
“In that case,” Faye said, “I’d be happy to keep the Tools safe until we need them.”
“Not a chance,” Adam said.
Cassie raised her hand. “I wasn’t finished.” She eyed Faye and then Diana. “I propose that each leader hide one of the three relics, so they can only be used if the whole group knows about it.”
Everyone got quiet then, as they mulled this new possibility over in their minds.
It was a good idea, and Cassie knew it. What she didn’t know was how she’d come up with it right there on the spot like that. When she took control of the floor, she hadn’t had the slightest idea what she was going to say.
Diana spoke first. “That does seem like a fair compromise,” she said. “Melanie, I call for a revote.”
“I second the call for a revote,” Nick said gallantly.
Melanie raised her eyebrows. “Okay then. All those in favor of…Cassie’s idea, raise your hand.”
All hands went up, except for Deborah’s, Suzan’s, and Faye’s.
“It’s decided then,” Melanie said.
Faye stood perfectly still. She didn’t move a muscle, but a dark shadow fell over her face.