Page 21 of Crown of Envy

Lisa inhaled, centering herself as the car sped along. “I need everyone to stay quiet and focused. This is going to be tricky.”

Damon’s tone shifted to something more supportive but still very much Damon. “You heard her. Give the witch some space to work her mojo.”

Lisa closed her eyes and chanted, her voice steady and clear despite the bumps and jolts of the speeding car.

“By water’s edge and nature’s grace, reflect our need in this place. A visage true, a form to see, create this mirage now for me.”

The air inside the car seemed to hum with energy. The items in her hands glowed faintly, and outside, the outline of another car shimmered into existence on the road behind us. It was a perfect duplicate, an illusion that looked solid and real.

Zara’s body went rigid, her eyes widening in alarm. A strangled noise escaped her throat, something between a hiss and a curse. She pressed herself against the side of the vehicle as if trying to put as much distance between herself and Lisa’s spell as possible. Her face contorted in fear and disgust.

“No,” Zara whispered, her voice hoarse. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”

Lisa seemed oblivious to Zara’s reaction, her focus entirely on the spell. “Brody, take the next turn,” she instructed. “The mirage will keep going straight.”

Zara’s breathing became rapid and shallow. Sweat beaded on her upper lip, and a vein pulsed at her temple. Her reaction was visceral, almost violent in its intensity.

Brody complied, yanking the wheel hard to the right and sending us down a narrow side road. We held our breath as the dark sedan behind us continued straight, following the illusory car.

“Nice work, Lisa.” I exhaled a sigh of relief. “That should keep them off our tail for a while.”

She opened her eyes, the glow fading from the items in her hands. “Let’s hope it holds long enough for us to get to the Grove of Whispers.”

Zara hung her head as if in disappointment.

Brody glanced at Lisa in the rearview mirror. “That was incredible. You saved our skins.”

Damon smirked. “Yeah, not bad for a witch on the fly. Now, let’s get to that grove and figure out what the hell we’re supposed to do next.”

Lisa was definitely part of the team. Her actions proved her loyalty. But Zara had something up her sleeve that turned my gut into double knots. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, a chill running down my spine despite the warmth in the car. Zara’s presence suddenly felt like a looming threat, and I had to resist the urge to inch away from her.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

For the next hour, we didn’t see any signs of the black sedan, but that did little to ease the knot in my stomach. The absence of our pursuers could mean they were waiting to ambush us at the Grove of Whispers. I tried to shake off the tension inside me, but I was like a time bomb ready to explode.

The air in the car remained thick with unspoken suspicion. No one confronted Zara directly, but the weight of unasked questions pressed down on us. I stole glances at her from the corner of my eye, watching for any signs of deceit.

A thought wormed its way into my mind, setting off a fresh wave of unease. Maybe Zara and the other witches, who may have been in that car following us, were after the Mirror of Aethereal and the magical compass. The possibility raised goosebumps on my arms.

As we drew closer to our destination, the tension ratcheted up. Every bend in the road, every patch of forest could be hiding our pursuers. The uncertainty of what awaited kept us all on edge.

The car was a pressure cooker of anxiety and suspicion. I needed to get Justice alone to tell him what I observed, but after we lost the sedan, he had fallen asleep. That wasn’t like him. My heart clenched as I studied his slumped form, noting the dark circles under his eyes and the pallor of his skin.

What if the demon poisoning was getting stronger? My blood quickened, turning hotter, and I broke out in a slick sweat. I watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, straining to hear his breathing over the hum of the engine.

My hand hovered near his arm, torn between waking him and letting him rest. If the poison was progressing, he needed all the strength he could get. But we also needed him alert, especially given Zara’s uncertain loyalty and the potential ambush ahead.

I glanced around the car, noting the others’ tense postures. They shared my concerns about Justice and Zara. The silence seemed to steal the air, and I could barely breathe.

As the miles rolled by, I was caught in a cycle of watching Justice, eyeing Zara suspiciously, and scanning the road for signs of pursuit. My neck ached from the constant movement. I felt like an owl, twisting and turning, hyper-aware of every shadow and movement. Fatigue crept in at the edges of my consciousness. I fought to keep my eyelids open, blinking rapidly against the gritty feeling of exhaustion.

I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. Not with so much at stake and so many unknowns. I clenched my jaw, and my hands balled into fists. I had to find a way to warn my team, to prepare for whatever awaited us. Our lives might depend on it.

Brody pulled into the trailhead for the Grove of Whispers. Luckily, there was no sign of the dark sedan. As we stepped from the car and started unloading our gear, the atmosphere shifted palpably, as if we had crossed an invisible threshold into another dimension.

Justice wobbled as he exited the car, his usually steady frame swaying like a tree in a storm.

Shit-shit-shit.

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