Disclaimer: I do not own this wonderful series, LJ Smith does.

A/N: Here's chapter one. I am trying something new; I've always done Twilight and HP fanfics, so hopefully this will turn out alright. Please review (and don't worry, it gets better)!

Crying served no purpose. Not under the circumstances Cassie was put under. She held herself together, legs tucked up under her, lamenting noiselessly. The ocean batted sand against her face and hair, but she did not surrender and run. For whatever reason, the ocean calmed her. Was it the fact that the ocean itself reminded her of Adam? She was pretty sure.

The fact that she ended up bundled there in the gritty sand was courageous. She stood tall against Adam's beautifully sculpted body and gorgeous golden-burgundy hair. She faced what he had to say in a bold and confident manner. She also challenged her role model, her living sun, without tears betraying her—the one thing she could never usually control.

An hour previous to her self reflection at the beach, she was at Diana's having a girl's night. She didn't even know how, now that she looked back on it. It seemed like ages ago. Ages that she had laughed or had any fun with her friends.

"So Cassie," Diana started, Melanie and Laurel chomped delicately on pieces of popcorn. They were still giggling after Laurel's "guy inspection" in the latest yearbook. "How are things with Adam?"

The three girls sobered up, the only noise heard was the slipping and scratching sound of a sleeping bag rubbing against another. Cassie tried her best to hide her surprise at this turn of topic. "Distant." She answered truthfully, hoping that Diana, as usual, would leave it at that. But for some strange reason she kept prying.

"Really, why is that?" She batted her eyelashes innocently, pulling a strand of her sunlit hair back behind her ear. Melanie and Laurel remained quiet, somewhat fading into the background, not wanting to get in the way.

"I don't really know." Cassie's heart ached a little. She loved Adam, passionate and true, but something was changing—and she couldn't tell if it was for the better.

"I'm sorry." Diana replied suddenly. Her voice left Cassie speechless. It sounded un-Diana like. It was detached and almost careless; almost…almost like Faye's.

Well, they are cousins, Cassie remembered. But no, no, just because they were cousins, this was not some blood-related bond. Diana gave up Adam for Cassie. They were like sisters. Why was there this new-found tension?

"To tell you the truth, Diana, I think…I think he misses you." Silence. This took her by surprise. But, like Faye, she turned her surprise into an almost impossible smugness.

"Well, why would he when he has you?" Okay, this was getting freaky. She sounded too much like Faye. This wasn't Diana. Why did her tone take the breath out of Cassie? Why did Diana give Cassie this startling look that urged to throw her against the wall? And why on earth could Melanie and Laurel not see it?

Melanie was on her side, inspecting Cassie with those wide intelligent eyes. Laurel, sitting cross-legged next to Melanie, watched with a sly grin on her elfin face.

"Oh, I don't know," Cassie began sarcastically, standing to her feet. "Maybe because you are tall, intelligent, someone he's known for forever and you just happen to look like a Greek goddess?" Cassie was almost in hysterics now. Tears were going to boil over at any second, and to Cassie's worst fear, Diana just laughed.

"Oh yes. I must have forgotten."

Cassie ran, tore out of number one Crowhaven Road like it was hell on earth. What was happening? Faye did something. Yes, Faye must have done something. Something sinister. That's the only explanation why Diana was being so…well, like Faye.

She didn't blink, her mind went numb, and she decided to sit down right there in the middle of the street. No one went down Crowhaven unless they lived there. What would it matter?

"Cassie!" She knew that voice from anywhere. She turned to desperately search for the one bright person who could possibly cheer her up in the given situation. Adam stood there, chiseled and somewhat tense. "Cassie, we need to talk." His tone was firm. He didn't even wonder why I was sitting in the middle of the road, noted Cassie.

She expected him, at least, to help her up from the ground. Maybe even walk her over so they could talk on the beach. But he just stood, staring wildly. It was menacing, and Cassie was frightened. "I don't think we're going to work out."

Cassie's heart almost stopped. What the hell was going on? Was everyone she loved going crazy? They weren't being themselves. This had to be some sort of spell. Faye, Cassie thought. I'm going to kill her.

"Adam," Cassie's voice was strong. "Adam, did Faye do something? To you and Diana and the others…she did a spell, didn't she?" She took another look into his deep pools of blue. There had to be an answer hidden there. Had to…

"Adam…what about the silver cord? We're soul mates…"

He was shaking his head, already deciding the fate of their brief conversation. She could practically feel herself fall into thousands of pieces. His expressionless glance left her dry. "The cord somehow is nonexistent now. I feel nothing but pain, Cassie. Pain you have caused. I'm sorry." But he wasn't sorry at all. Not the way he was talking. He was under some sort of spell, Cassie just knew it. But she didn't really. Maybe it was fate taking the plunge after all. Or, back to square one, it could have been Faye.

And that was how it ended. Everything. Her life, her friends, her existence. She could feel the tears glide easily now, and they dripped into the sand and soon shriveled away and were long forgotten. Like her. Nothing could save her now…

"Cassie?" She hadn't heard a voice that called to her more. It was passionate; caring. A tone she hadn't heard in what seemed like days, although in reality, hours.

"What's wrong?" It was a new bright light, a cold and hard one, but nonetheless it seemed to give her hope. It was Nick.