Captive by L. J. Smith Read Free Book Online Page A

going with you. I want to watch."
    Faye's black eyebrows, curved like a raven's wings, lifted higher. "So voyeurism's your idea of fun."
    "No, it's yours-or your friends', rather," Cassie said.
    Faye chuckled. "You're not such a spineless mouse after all, are you?" she said. "All right; come. You might find it's more fun to join in than to watch, anyway."
     
    Faye shut the bedroom door behind Cassie. Then she went and took something out of the closet. It was a comforter, not rose-patterned like the one on the bed, but red satin.
    "My spare," Faye said, with an arch smile. "For special occasions." She shook it out over the bed, then went around the room lighting candles that gave off pungent, heady scents. Then she opened a velvet-lined box.
    Cassie stared. Inside was a jumble of loose stones, some polished, some uncut. They were dark green and amethyst, black, sulfur-yellow, pale pink and cloudy orange.
    "Find the red ones," Faye said.
    Cassie's fingers were itching to get into them anyway. She began to sort through the rainbow clutter.
    "Those garnets are good," Faye said, approving some burgundy-colored stones. "And carnelians, too, if they're not too orange. Now let me see: fire opal for passion, red jasper for stability. And one black onyx for surrendering to your shadow self." She smiled strangely at Cassie, who stiffened.
    Undisturbed, Faye arranged the stones in a circle on the comforter. Then she turned off the lamp and the room was lit only by the candles.
    "Now," Faye said, "for our guest."
    Cassie thought that was an odd way to put it, and there was a sinking in her stomach as Faye opened the backpack. She'd promised herself that she would keep Faye from doing anything too terrible with the skull-but how?
    "Just what are you planning to do with it?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
    "Just scrying," murmured Faye, but she wasn't paying much attention to Cassie. She was gazing down as she slowly peeled the wet, sandy white cloth away to reveal the glittering dome of the crystal skull. As Cassie watched, Faye lifted the skull up to eye level, cradling it in red-tipped fingers. Reflections of the candle flames danced in the depths of the crystal.
    "Ah," said Faye. "Hello there." She was gazing into the empty eyesockets as if looking at a lover. She bent forward and lightly kissed the grinning quartz teeth.
    Then she put the skull in the center of the ring of gems.
    Cassie swallowed. The sinking feeling was getting worse and worse; she felt sicker and sicker. "Faye, shouldn't you have a ring of candles, too? What if-"
    "Don't be silly. Nothing's going to happen. I just want to see what this fellow's all about," Faye murmured.
    Cassie didn't believe it.
    "Faye . . ." She was starting to panic. This was a bad idea, this had always been a bad idea. She wasn't strong enough to stop Faye from anything. She didn't even know what Faye was doing.
    "Faye, don't you need to prepare-" "Be quiet," Faye said sharply. She was hovering over the skull, gazing down into it, half reclining on the bed.
    It was all happening too fast. And it wasn't safe. Cassie felt sure of that now. She could feel a darkness welling up inside the skull. "Faye, what are you doing with it?"
    More darkness, rising up like the sea. How could Faye be this powerful, to raise it from the skull so quickly? And all by herself, without a coven to back her up?
    The star ruby at Faye's throat winked, and for the first time Cassie noticed matching gems on Faye's fingers. All these red stones-to heighten the energy of the ritual? To enhance the power of the witch-or the skull?
    "Faye!"
    "Shut up!" said Faye. She leaned farther over the skull, lips parted, her breath coming quickly. Cassie could almost see the darkness in the skull, swirling, rising like smoke.
    Don't look at it! Don't give it any more power! the voice in her head cried. Cassie stared instead at Faye, urgently.
    "Faye, whatever you're doing-it's not what you think! It's not safe!"
    "Leave me