I don't know how I got here. Memories of the last few hours were faint, like someone had taken them away.

I don't know how I could have not seen the real danger, which seemed to be right in front of our eyes, until it was too late.

And I don't know how all the events beforehand led up to this moment…led up to everything falling apart.

Looking at myself tightly tied up to a chair, I knew one thing…I was going to die.

And it was all because I sacrificed everything for love.

…

From the beginning my feelings towards Jake were uncertain and confusing. He was handsome, charming, mysterious and sexy. However those were not the traits that drew me to him. I fell for his insecurities, his loneliness, his bravery and his ability to make my heart beat a million times per second.

I first saw Jake from my bedroom window. I was looking over to the Armstrong house trying to picture Nick. Trying to picture his shirtless posture from inside his bedroom window…Trying to not think about the events leading up to his death and instead to the first time I had seen him; However doing so someone else's posture had caught my eye. My first instinct was that it was Nick; however this person was taller and leaner and had less of a floppy sand of hair. As if sensing my stare the figure turned his head and soon grey eyes met blue. This only lasted a second, as I came to my senses and consisted to doing a delayed attempt of hiding behind my curtain. I tried to regain my composure as I turned back to look at the unfamiliar person, however he was gone. The few seconds that I had removed my gaze from his, he had disappeared. But I knew that wouldn't be the last time I'd ever see him.

And I was right. The character introduced as Jake Armstrong, Nicks older brother turned up numerous times in my day to day activities. He was unwelcomingly at the boathouse when I was there, he looked to be aimlessly wondering around his house, and casting long glances at mine…he even happened to be there to save me from a witch hunter.

Jake was not like anyone I had ever met before, and that's what attracted me to him…he was different…he was alone….he was like me.

Because of Jake's heroism at saving me from a witch hunter we decided to welcome him into our circle. It was his anyway considering Nick was dead and it was only evidentiary that Jake takes his place. I knew however that not everyone agreed. Adam obviously despised Jake for almost ruining his father's business; Melissa was still emotionally wrecked over Nick and was not immune to the idea of replacing him, especially with his own brother and Diana though open to her opinions obviously did not approve of Jake. Only Faye and I were willing to have Jake in our circle, Faye more because of the fact that she had history with him, and noticeable to everyone wanted to renew that history.

Jake however did not want to be part of it. But that didn't stop him from hanging around. I became closer to Jake, much to Adam and Faye's dismay. I knew I was attracted to Jake but the fact that I didn't make a move was because I didn't trust him. It just seemed more than a coincidence that Jake just happens to be there whenever something went wrong.

The night of the Halloween party that Faye suggests I throw because she wanted to impress Jake, I was snooping in his room. I know it may not have been right but my curiousity always got the better of me and Jake seemed to be hiding more than he was letting on. Whilst snooping I happened to see 'Faye's attempt at distracting Jake' this consulted to her heavily making out with him in none other than my bedroom. I let the irritation and slight jealousy slide as I quickly looked away and began to look through once Nicks, now Jakes draws.

I should have known that it would happen. I had found what I thought was the answer to Jakes mystery; weapons belonging to a witch hunter, a witch hunter I presumed was Jake. But sadly I had failed to notice that Jake and Faye had left my room so had been caught red handed by Jake himself. They saw curiousity killed the cat; that was what was going through my head. I thought I was in danger. However Jake reassured me that the weapons were not his but had belonged to Nick, that Nick had probably been researching witch hunters. I had of course believed him. With his deep eyes boring into mine, I knew I would have believed anything he told me.

Later that night our circle was kidnapped. Witch hunters were still in Chance Harbour and had set their sights on killing us. We had gotten away however. And I think it was because of me. Something inside of me just snapped and before I could stop it the hunter, my apparent date to my party, burst into flames. We heard a scream so we ran outside only to find Jake lying on the ground. He complained to us that he had been taken as well however I was sceptical about it…we all were. Besides the obvious confusing fact that Jake wasn't with us when we were about to get killed I noticed the less distraught expression in his face. Faye, Diana, Melissa, Adam and I looked shaken up while Jake's clothes were still wrinkle free.

Jake came over that night and I refused to let his charm get the better of me. After a brief discussion of me mainly prying I sent him out to which he resulted to by confronting me of not trusting him; although he said it in a cheeky tone, like he knew I shouldn't trust him anyway. I told him honestly that I didn't, but he didn't seem upset, he seemed intrigued.

A couple days later the circle, including Jake, made a trip to Faye's grandfather's house in an attempt to relieve my worries of where my grandmother was. The trip wasn't all what I expected; As if a trick of fate I had somehow been put into a car with Jake while Faye, Diana and Adam were driving in Adams car. The whole trip Jake seemed to be questioning me about my family and about my powers. I figured he was worried about my sudden necessary of being able to do solo magic, however I should realised that he was just curious about how powerful I was…how much of a threat I was.

Faye's grandfathers house seemed to be empty, so we decided to stay the night preferably because of the weather. We all were set among the house trying to make the dark and gloomy place as comfortable as possible. I had been put on fire duty job; while I was about to light the fire place Jake's presence stopped me. He was taunting, obviously, and I was falling for it. I breathed in his sweet scent as his hard body pressed against my back and his sexy voice whispered in my ear. I wanted to melt into him, but I he was pressuring me to stay concentrated, to use my power. And it worked. I had lit the fire, picturing the outcome and picturing kissing Jake. However starring into his eyes I had to take a deep breath and realise my surroundings. I was not here to kiss Jake. But apparently a game of truth or dare can change that.

Being confronted by Faye on the fact that I was a boyfriend stealer was absurd. I may be the reason that Diana and Adam broke up, but it was there choice and I hadn't done anything to react on my feelings for Adam, feelings that were now slowly fading. As for the Jake part that she was obviously angry about, I didn't care. When Diana dared me to kiss Jake I had been more than happy too, not just because I had been dying to kiss Jake all night but because I wanted to make a statement to Faye. Jake was not hers.

Before I could stop myself I had brought my lips to Jakes and instantly Faye left my mind…as did Adam and Diana. All that was on my mind was the heat coming off Jakes soft lips. The kiss was empowering, it was amazing…it lasted a little longer than it should have.

Faye had decided to make a scene, as I knew she would and it left me to react, and I knew I would. I don't know if it was the power running through my veins or the heat from Jakes kiss reminiscing off my body but I took great delight in setting her straight. But my feelings changed when I saw her face instantly fall. I excused myself and found a cosy area downstairs where I could think of my sudden change of attitude in private.

But I was interrupted. Jake was set on telling me how my emotions were making me react, and it was making me angry. He talked like he knew what was going on with me, why I had so much power. Then he had the guts to tell me that I was afraid, which triggered the anger even more. Before I could think twice I had impersonated some tacky line and brought my lips to the ones I had kissed before. Except this time these lips didn't kiss me back, they pushed me away. Like what Jake said about my emotions changing rapidly the anger swelled and left, and instead was replaced by embarrassment and stupidity. I made some lame excuse of getting the rest of my stuff, which was already in the house, and ran from Jake.

I decided that maybe I should at least look like I was doing something; maybe distract myself from the mortification running through my veins, so I went outside to look for Faye. That's when everything went downhill.

In the couple of days that I had discovered my ability to do solo magic, it had increased rapidly, as if setting fire to Luke triggered it all.

For some reason I was able to see the spirit that had been messing with Faye, I had been able to use unfamiliar magic to find her grandfather's dead body…and I had no idea how.

Driving back to Chance Harbour with Jake proved to be more pleasant than I presumed. Our kiss was forgotten and instead replaced by my new recognition of how my powers worked. Jake seemed more interested than he was letting on though and I felt like he knew exactly what was happening to me.

Not long after that whole event everything seemed to fall back into place. My grandmother, though seemly slightly off was home safe and sound, the circle began to fall into its usual activities and it seemed safer now that all of us were together, we went back to school and fell into the habit of teachers, friends and homework, and Jake and I got back to just being acquaintances….though I wanted to be more than that.

One day I decided to invite Jake to the abandon house, I figured he'd want to see what he could be a part of, what I was hoping he'd be a part of. There we discovered my family tree and there was when Jake became distant. My family tree was originated from a name Balcoin, and it was evident in Jakes expression that, that name didn't appease him. I was instantly tempted to ask more of it, but before I could he left.

All day I was curious of Jakes behaviour, so plucking up the courage I went to his house only to find him in his bedroom packing. I asked if he was leaving, but he reassured me he wasn't. I don't know why but this statement made me relieved, I didn't want Jake to go. Before I could stop myself I asked him to be my date to a formal event that my grandmother begged me to go to. I figured that if I wanted to endure a painful night of snobby old people than the person I would want to do it with would be Jake.

However his reaction was like a knife to my heart. He rejected me, and accused me of having his feelings towards me mixed up. But I knew I didn't. I knew Jake felt something towards me; I could see it clearly every day in his deep eyes. So I told him that. I told him how I felt, and how I knew (was hoping) he felt to. But Jake was like a shield, a cage that didn't want to open up…so I left him.

I tried to let my feelings of Jake subside as I got ready that night. I tried to look at myself clearly in the mirror, tried to picture what Jakes reaction would be if he saw me dressed like this. Would he like it? Would he hate it? I wasn't sure. Even though I was trying to be rid of my spoken feelings towards him it didn't hide my disappointment that I would be attending the event without him.

While briefly chatting with my grandmother about the family tree I had found and the relation with Balcoin the doorbell rang. I thought maybe it would most likely be Diana or Faye, possibly Adam but I was completely dumbfounded when I found Jake standing there in a fitting tux with a bundle of red flowers, which I noticed matched my dress, in his hands. After I accused him of stealing those from my garden he began to talk, in which I thought was his lame attempt at opening up to me. As much as I wanted to reject him like he did me, the fact that he had even confessed that he felt something towards me held a stronger pull and before I knew it I was dancing with Jake in the midst of many familiar faces, including the circles.

Jake had me and he knew it. For some reason I was able to open up to Jake, more than I'd ever been able to open up to anyone else. I even confessed of having an imaginary dad, which in some people's minds would relate to mental, however not to Jakes. He told me that he had talked to Nick before he passed and that Nick spoke of me. What Jake told me was making my eyes water, even though he may not have known it he was complimenting me, which was a nice turn form him complimenting himself. This moment I wanted to kiss Jake, and I could tell by the lustful look in his eyes he wanted to kiss me to, but along with lust I saw fear and guilt in them. But that didn't seem to stop him, as he began to lean it, total cliché -his phone rang. Jake excused himself only to return in a distraught matter.

I was instantly confused of Jakes strange behaviour. Especially when we ended up in his bedroom, of course me being a girl thought he was trying to make a move, in which I was hoping he would. But Jakes never seized to surprise me. He told me of my powers, my true powers and what Bacoin meant. The only reason I was powerful was because of dark magic that was running through my veins. I didn't know what to say, I instantly figured he was scared of me, that he was afraid of what I might do. But then he told me that he wanted to take care of me, and every bad emotion I had been feeling towards him subsided. Until Adam texted me.

Jake is a witch hunter

Those five words broke my heart and as I brought my face up to look at Jakes it was like seeing him for the first time. I had believed everything he had told me, I had believed that he had fallen for me, I had kissed him, I had danced with him, I had trusted him. And the whole time he was lying to me, he was trying to kill me.

I walked to his window feeling like I was going to break down, but I knew I shouldn't, I had to hold it in so I could get away. But it was hard. Jake was telling me to run away with him and though I wanted to believe him so bad I couldn't shake the feeling that he was leading me into a trap. He was looking at me so sincerely and with so much passion that it was making me forget he was a witch hunter. All I could see was Jake, my Jake.

It was like a movie, shouldn't the girl run away with the guy and live happily ever after?

No. The girl had to stop being sappy and realise the situation at hand. So making up some excuse to go and get my stuff I bolted. I ran to my room and took a deep breath. I knew that Jake had believed me and that all I had to do was wait for the circle to show up…for now I was safe.

I walked to my bedroom window and instantly Jakes eyes met mine. I was sending him a message. I wasn't going to leave with him, I knew who he was. Before I could fully move closer someone grabbed me and the last thing I saw before I blacked out was Jakes frightened expression. It had made me believe for a second that he really did care about me.

And he did. He had saved the circle from any harm; he had saved me from any harm. As we stood there and watched Jake leave, I knew instantly. Jake had sacrificed it all for me. He had fallen for me. But then why was he still leaving? He was starring right at me and I couldn't help but consider my true feelings for him. I didn't know if what I felt was passion, hate, anger…love. Starring at him moving further away I thought that I was never going to see Jake Armstrong again.

But I did.

It was no more than a few days later when I entered the Armstrong house and went to Jakes room only to find Jake himself with a bundle of bags. This had surprised us both and after starring at each other for what felt like forever I had ran into his arms, unable to stop myself. He told me he was sorry, he told me everything; how he had been set on killing me, how he had started to fall for me, how he had tried to push me away, and then how he had decided that I matter to him, and he wasn't going to let anyone hurt me. Then he told me he loved me.

The realisation of his feelings for me, hit me hard and before I could stop myself I had made love to Jake Armstrong.

I had given myself to Jake in every way possible, knowing that he was going to leave me very soon…and he did.

I awoke the next morning; my naked body in a bundle of sheets, besides me…empty sheets. Jake had left and instead a note took his place.

Cassie,

I'm sorry, but maybe fate with bring us back together someday.

Just know that as much as it hurts I can't stay, for you and other reasons

I need to tell you that you are not the only person in your circle descendent from Balcoin.

And that puts everyone in danger. You need to find out Cassie, but carefully, no one must know.

I know I have left you in much danger, but know that I love you and I trust that everything will turn out as it should.

With love,

Jake

His note scared me and I stood in shock as I watched it fall to the ground. I couldn't stop the words repeating in my head: another descendent of Balcoin.

After Jake left I had kept my distance from the circle. I didn't tell a soul about me seeing Jake again or about the note…I didn't tell them anything. Lucky for my they took my behaviour as sadness for Jake leaving, lucky for me it meant I had my own time to find out whom the other descendent was.

I first looked into Faye, being completely honest; she's the most obvious choice. Faye is reckless and mean and above all is well known for acting on her emotions, which has been happening to me since I realised my power. Also Faye and I were the only ones to see her grandfather's spirit trying to reach out. Maybe the spirit wasn't trying to just reach Faye like everyone thought, but to reach anyone of us. Obvious that Faye and I would have had the most power to see the spirit. But then there was the fact that inside Faye was just a scared, insecure girl and even if she had dark magic the outcomes would be more brutal considering Faye's thoughts and feelings. And the fact that Faye also has attempted at doing solo magic, but failed. So I crossed her off the list.

Next was Melissa, whom I would guess after Faye. Even though she was quiet and sweet, we've all seen what happens when you spark her emotions. However she was easily possessed by a Demon, indicating that she didn't have enough power to draw it away…neither did Nick. So I crossed Melissa and Nick off the list as well as Jake. Even if he could do solo magic, he and Nick are full brothers, so if Nick couldn't possess the power, than neither could Jake.

Though I was still sceptical as if Jake was the other Balcoin or not, my phone had interrupted my thoughts. I had pulled it out of my pocket to find a text message from Diana:

"HELP"

Before I knew it I was in my car and driving to Diana's house, hoping that she would be there. The worst scenarios were going through my head, what if someone was hurting her, or trying to kill her.

Once I got to her house I immediately barged in and began calling out her name. I was panicking Diana was like a sister to me and I didn't want anything to happen to her.

That's when it hit me.

Diana was like a sister to me….

Before I could take note of the figure behind me something hard hit my head…and I blacked out.

….

Leaving me to where I am now, tied up in what looks to be Diana's basement waiting for something to happen… waiting for Diana.

I was still processing the fact that Diana had tricked me and put me in the position im in now, still processing the fact that Diana was the other Balcoin.

Never would I have thought that Diana be the other one to possess dark magic. She was too sweet, too nice, and too insecure.

But she easily broke up with Adam when she had the least bit of doubt, after they did she had showed up and my house, and maybe I'm taking it too seriously but she had confessed to not knowing why she was even there, a sign that maybe her anger had brought her there. Then Diana and I became close, and I would and do consider her like a sister…like we were meant to be sisters. Diana's mother is dead…could it be possible that her mom had an affair with my dad, that the man she is living with now is not her biological father?

"How are you holding up sis?" Diana's usual sweet voice was now stone cold. She was looking at me like I was a piece of dirt, like she was ashamed that we were sisters.

"How long have you known?" I avoided her question and instead cut straight to the chase.

"Not long at all actually" she replied honestly "You see a few days ago I went to your house, hoping maybe we could hang out, but your grandmother said you were out so I decided to check Jakes. I went to the obvious spot…his bedroom and that's when I found a piece of paper lying on the ground" she held up the note that Jake left me and I instantly shuddered "You could say I was completely surprised when I realised that you were a descendent from Balcoin, but that there was another in our circle as well" she came to stand right in front of me "I instantly knew it was me, it made sense really…made sense only to me. You didn't see it did you Cassie? You didn't notice the fact that I do not resemble my father in anyway, that I was a little more jealous than necessary when it comes to Adam, that at Faye's grandfathers I had let my emotions spiral out a bit and dared you to kiss Jake, and that besides you, I am the only other in the circle with a spell book" she bent down to my level and her venom stare held mine "And last but not least, something no one knows is when I was little I could picture my dad, it was like he was actually here with me, he would play with me, have tea parties with me, tell me how proud he was of me" her words made my whole body shiver, those were the things I had done with my imaginary dad, it didn't make sense "Then I realised that he wasn't imaginary, his spirit was really there, his spirit actually came to me…but I wasn't the only one he came to…right Cassie" I thought it was impossible but her eyes darkened even more forcing me to look away.

"Why are you doing this Diana?" I asked when I had finally found my voice "I thought we were friends?"

"Friends." She spat the word out like it was a sin "I despise you Cassie. You took everything away from me: Adam, the circle, and soon my power" I brought my eyes back to hers…what did she mean by power? "You see Cassie we each have dark magic coursing through our veins, however our magic doesn't reach its full potential…and it never will…unless one of us dies." I knew than, Diana had answered my question.

"You don't have to kill me Diana, we could both have equal amount of power and-…"

"Liar!" I winced as her cold hand slapped me across the face "You don't want to keep individual power, you were going to kill me weren't you Cassie? You and Jake were going to kill me" Diana was crazy, I would never do that.

"Diana I would never hurt you" I spoke my thoughts aloud trying to get her to understand.

"STOP LYING!" she yelled "I know you wanted to kill me, you want all the power and you want to lead the circle and you want to be with Adam and-…"

"Diana stop!" I shouted over her rambling "What you're feeling, it's the darkness…don't let it take you away Diana…you have to fight it"

"I don't want to fight it…I don't want it to go away" her voice was now levelled as she walked away from me and towards a miniature table "I want you to go away" she retrieved back to me and I flinched when I noticed what was in her hand... a dagger.

"My mother left this for me after she died. She said that it was one of the most powerful weapons in the world…that it could kill any person, demon or witch…kill anyone."

"Diana don't please" I begged her, I didn't want to die.

"I'm sorry Cassie, but I will not let you take everything away from me…you have to die" I felt like Diana had already stabbed me in the heart. I tried so hard to reason with her, but I knew I couldn't…Diana was set on killing me and there was nothing I could do to stop her.

I wasn't going to use magic on her, no matter how hard I tried I couldn't build up the emotions to stop her…because I didn't want to…I couldn't hurt Diana.

I closed my eyes as I anticipated what was going to happen next. My life was going to end and the only person I could think about in my last moments was Jake. I tried to picture his soft kisses, his handsome face, his sweet voice, his bravery, his strength, his comfort.

Thinking of Jake, I opened my eyes and when Diana brought the dagger to my heart I thought I saw him. He looked so frightened and scared, I closed my eyes thinking that it was all a part of my imagination…I thought I heard his voice whisper my name as my heart stopped beating.