Faye took the dagger and handed it to Cassie, handle first. Slowly, Cassie's fingers grasped it. Faye moved back to Black John's side.
"It's just a little blood, Cassandra. Swear obedience to me and I'll release the hurricane, let it turn harmlessly back out to sea. Then you and I can begin our reign together."
The dagger was actually trembling in Cassie's hand. There was no way to steady her pulse now. She knew what she was going to do, but she needed time to get her nerve up.
"How did you kill Jeffrey?" she said. "And why?"
The tall man looked momentarily taken aback, then he recovered. "By getting him to sit down for a moment; and to cause dissent between our kind and the outsiders," he said.
He smiled. "Besides, I didn't like his attention to my daughter. He wasn't one of us, Cassandra."
Cassie wished Portia could see her "Mr. Brunswick" now. "Why did you use Sean?" she asked.
"Because he was weak, and he already wore a stone that I could influence," he said. "Why all these questions? Don't you realize - "
He broke off then and moved lightning fast. While he was in the middle of speaking, Cassie had thrown the dagger at him. She'd never thrown a knife before, but some ancestor who'd worn the Master Tools must have, because the bracelet seemed to guide her right arm, and the dagger flashed end over end straight toward Black John's heart. But the tall man was simply too quick. He caught the dagger in midair - by the blade - and stood holding it, looking at Cassie.
"That was unworthy of you, Cassandra," he said. "And hardly any way to behave to your father. Now I'm angry with you."
He didn't sound angry; his voice was cold as death and poisonous. Cassie had thought she'd been afraid before, but that had been nothing. Now she was truly afraid. Her knees were weak and the pounding of her heart shook her whole body.
Black John tossed the dagger back and it stuck in the floor in front of Cassie, quivering. "The hurricane is about to reach land," he said. "You don't have a choice; you've never had a choice. Take the oath, Cassandra. Do it!"
I'm frightened, Cassie thought. Please, I'm so frightened . . . She was wearing the Master Tools, but she had no idea how to use them.
"I am your father. Do as I tell you."
If only I knew how to use them ...
"You have no power to defy me!"
"Yes, I do," Cassie whispered. In her mind, a door opened, a silver light dawned. Like the moon coming out of a shadow, it illuminated everything. She understood the spell to turn aside evil now. Invoke the power which is yours alone . . . these powers have you over all that is evil...
Suddenly, she felt as if a long line of witches were standing behind her. She was only the last, only one of them, and all their knowledge was hers. Their knowledge and their power. Words rose to her lips.
"Power of moon have I over thee," she said shakily.
Black John stared at her, seeming to recoil.
"Power of moon have I over thee," Cassie repeated, more strongly. "Power of sun have I over thee."
Black John stepped back.
Cassie stepped forward, searching for the next words in her mind. But she didn't say them. A voice said them for her, a voice behind her.
"Power of stars have I over thee. Power of planets have I over thee."
It was Diana, her fair hair stirred as if in a light wind. She came to stand behind Cassie, tall and proud and slender, like a silver sword. Cassie's heart swelled; she had never been more glad to have anybody disregard her instructions in her life.
"Power of tides have I over thee. Power of rain have I over thee," said Adam. He was right beside Diana, his hair shining like firelight, like rubies, in the red glow.
Deborah was behind him, her dark hair tumbling around a small face fierce with concentration. "Power of wind have I over thee," she said.
Nick joined her, his eyes cold and angry. "Power of ice have I over thee."
And Laurel. "Power of leaf have I over thee.
Power of root have I over thee."
And Melanie. "Power of rock have I over thee."
They were all here, all joining Cassie, adding their voices to hers. And Black John was cowering before them.
"Power of thunder have I over thee," Doug told him, and, "Power of lightning have I over thee," shouted Chris.
"Power of dew have I over thee," Suzan said, and pushed a small figure in front of her. It was Sean, and he was shaking, seemingly terrified to come face to face with the man who had controlled his mind. But his voice rose in a shriek.
"Power of blood have I over thee!"
Black John was against the red wall of the house now, and he looked shrunken. His features had lost definition, and the red glow had died, leaving him black in reality.
But there were only eleven in Cassie's coven; the Circle wasn't complete. And only a full Circle could stand against this man.
As Sean's yell died, Black John straightened. He took a step toward them, and Cassie's breath caught.
"Power of fire have I over thee!" a husky voice cried, and he fell back. In astonishment, Cassie looked at Faye. The tall girl seemed to have gained height as Black John had lost it, and she looked every inch a barbarian queen as she stood glaring at him. Then she moved to stand beside Cassie. "Power of darkness have I over thee," she said, each word a stabbing knife. "Power of night have I over thee!"
Now, thought Cassie. He was weak, wounded, and they were united. Now, if ever, was the time to defeat him.
But neither Fire nor Water had done it before. Black John had been defeated twice, had died twice, but always he'd come back. If they were going to get rid of him permanently they had to do more than destroy his body. They had to destroy the source of his power - the crystal skull.