"If you guys are all finished yelling and dancing," Laurel said, in a carefully patient voice, "can we go home now? Because Deborah's arm is broken."
Cassie jumped up guiltily. "Why didn't you say so?"
"Aw, it's nothing," Deborah said. But she let Nick and Laurel help her up.
As they walked back, Cassie was struck by another thought. Her mother. Black John was dead, the hurricane was detoured, but what about her mother?
"Can we take Deborah to the crones?" she asked Diana.
"That's the best place, anyway," Diana said. "They know the most about healing." She looked at Cassie with understanding in her green eyes, then she took Cassie's hand and squeezed it.
I've got to prepare myself, Cassie thought as they approached Number Four. I've got to be ready. She could be dead. She could be just the same as when I left there . . . lying on that bed. She could stay that way forever.
Whatever happens, I kept my promise. I stopped Black John. He won't ever hurt her again.
Cassie glanced up at the moon before stepping up to Melanie's house. It was a thick crescent now, a fat happy moon. She took it as a good omen.
Inside, candles flickered. Cassie wondered for one wild instant if the three old ladies were still dancing around sky-clad, and then she saw the parlor. Great-aunt Constance was sitting as stiff as a ramrod on the rounded seat of a chair, immaculately dressed and looking very proper as she served tea by candlelight to her three guests.
To her three guests . . .
"Mom.'" cried Cassie, and she ran forward, knocking over one of Great-aunt Constance's fragile chairs as she went. The next minute she was holding her mother, hugging her wildly on Aunt Constance's couch. And her mother was hugging back.
"Good heavens, Cassie," her mother said a few minutes later, pulling away slightly to look at her. "The way you're dressed . . ."
Cassie felt for the diadem, which had fallen askew. She settled it on her head and looked into her mother's eyes. She was so happy to see those eyes looking back at her, and seeing, that she forgot to answer.
Deborah's voice came from the hallway, tired but proud. "She's our leader," she said. Then: "Anybody got an aspirin?"
"Well, obviously it isn't just temporary," Laurel said, looking nettled. "I mean, we elected you."
"And you came through," Deborah said, taking a large bite out of an apple with the hand that wasn't in a cast.
It was the next day. There was no school, because of minor storm damage and the disappearance of the principal. The Circle was enjoying the unseasonably mild weather by having a picnic in Diana's backyard.
"But we've got two leaders now," said Chris. "Or is Faye unelected?"
"Hardly," Faye said, with a withering glance.
Melanie shifted thoughtfully, her gray eyes considering. "Well, other covens have had more than one leader. The original coven did; remember, Black John was only one of the leaders. You could share with Faye, Cassie."
Cassie shook her head. "Not without Diana."
"Huh?" said Doug.
Nick directed an amused glance at her. "Diana might not want the honor," he said.
"I don't care," Cassie said, before Diana could say anything. "I won't be leader without Diana. I'll quit. I'll go back to California."
"Look, you can't all be leaders," Deborah began.
"Why not?" Melanie asked, sitting up. "Actually, it's a good idea. You could be a triumvirate. You know, like in Roman times; they had three rulers."
"Diana might not want to," Nick repeated, with rising inflection. But Cassie got up and went over to her anxiously.
"You will, won't you?" she said. "For me?"
Diana looked at her, then at the rest of the Club.
"Yeah, go on," Doug said expansively.
"Three's a good number," Laurel added, smiling impishly.
Faye sighed heavily. "Oh, why not?" she grumbled, looking in the other direction.
Diana looked at Cassie. "All right," she said.
Cassie hugged her.
Diana pushed a strand of fair hair back. "Now I've got something for you to do," she said. "As a leader, you're not a junior member of the coven anymore, Cassie, but nobody else can do this. Will you please go and dig up that box I gave you on the night of Hecate?"
"The trust festival box? Is this the time to unbury it?"
"Yes," Diana said. "It is." She was looking at Melanie and Melanie was nodding at her, obviously sharing some secret.
Cassie looked at both of them, puzzled, but then she went down the road to get the box, accompanied only by Raj, who trotted along behind her. It was wonderful to be alone, and to know that nothing was out to get her. She dug in the sand near the big rock where she'd buried it that night, and pulled the damp box out. The sea flashed and sparkled at her.
She brought it back to Diana's house, breathless from the walk, and presented it to Diana.
"What's in there? More Master Tools?" Doug said.
"It's probably some girl thing," said Chris.
Diana bent over the box, an odd expression on her face. "You didn't open it," she said to Cassie.
Cassie shook her head.
"Well, I know you didn't," Diana said. "I knew you wouldn't. But I wanted you to know. Anyway, it's yours; and what's inside it, too. It's a present." She blew drying sand off the box and handed it back to Cassie.
Cassie looked at her doubtfully, then shook the box. It rattled lightly, as if there were something small inside. She glanced at Diana again. Then, hesitantly, with an almost scared feeling, she opened it.