Literature

“It’s the Moon of Long Nights,” Diana said. “And it’s not just full on the ninth. There’s an eclipse.””A total lunar eclipse,” said Melanie. “Is that bad for us?” Cassie…

“Get out of here before any of them see us,” the voice said tersely. Cassie could smell the acridity of sweat.Jordan, she was thinking. The one with the gun. The…

From the start, this dream was clearer than the others. Or maybe it was Cassie that was clearer; more calm, more aware of what was happening. Saltwater slapped her face;…

Cassie stared, beyond speech, beyond thought. Not believing – but inside her, something knew.”It’s true. He’s your father.” Cassie just sat. “And he wants you to be happy, Cassie. He…

Cassie’s piece of amethyst was quite large. It was a pendant, hanging from the claws of a silver owl with outspread wings, and it felt cool against Cassie’s chest under…

Faye drew a circle on the road with the black-handled knife. Then she went around the circle with water sprinkled from a cup, then with a long stick of incense,…

There was a scattering of applause, hesitant, dying away quickly. Already the atmosphere in the auditorium was uncertain, alert. The usual whispers and fidgets snuffed out like candle flames, until…

“Aunt Constance!” Melanie gasped.”You heard me,” the dark-haired woman said to Adam. She looked at the rest of the group. “Get out of here, all of you! I don’t like…

Cassie opened her mouth to speak, but Nick was going on.”You know, when I first saw you I thought you were just ordinary,” he said. “Then I started noticing things…

“Hey, watch out, Cassie,” Chris said, running into her as she stopped in her tracks. “What’s wrong?””I just saw someone.” Cassie could feel how wide her eyes were as she…

“Jacinth! Are you in there? Jacinth!” Cassie blinked in the bright sunlight. She’d seen this room before. It was her grandmother’s kitchen – except that it wasn’t. The walls of…

“You’ve told the story your way,” Adam said. “Some of it’s been close to the truth, and some of it’s been just plain lies. But none of it happened exactly…

“Diana, I have a little surprise for you,” Faye said.Diana’s emerald eyes, with their thick sooty lashes, were swimming already. She still hadn’t recovered from the shocks of tonight, and…

Cassie’s grandmother shook her head. “To talk! If they’d come to us, to the older women, we might have warned them. Me and Laurel’s grandma, and Adam’s grandma, and Melanie’s…

Cassie jumped off the motorcycle and ran up the driveway. But as soon as she entered the red light, she slowed. Something about the light made it hard to move…

There was silence under the silver disk of moon.”Cassie,” Melanie said again. Now everyone was looking at her. Cassie could feel the heat of Faye’s golden eyes on her, and…

“Cassie, no!”Later Cassie would realize it was Diana who had shouted. At the time the words came to her only through a fog, and they sounded slow and dragging. Meaningless,…

Cassie stood petrified. Her heart was going like a trip-hammer, but that was the only part of her capable of motion.Adam and Diana… they couldn’t. Only, of course, they could….

“This is all too weird for me,” Laurel said, shivering.”But what does it tell us?” Deborah challenged. “It’s another link to Black John,” Adam said. “Other than that, nothing.” “So…

“Yuck,” Deborah said, as they peered out the parlor window again. This delivery guy was skinny, with lank hair and acne.Faye was already moving to the front door. “Pizza? We…