Page 24 of Crown of Envy

The compass needle spun wildly before settling on a direction deeper into the misty grove. I looked at my companions. “Whatever happened, whatever secrets we’re keeping, we can deal with them later. Right now, we need each other to survive this place. Agreed?”

A tense moment passed as everyone exchanged glances. The whispers seemed to hold their breath, waiting for our decision.

“Is that…is that a statue?” Lisa broke the silence. Her lips trembled as she pointed with a shaking finger.

I followed her gaze, my heart rate quickening. There, in the shadows, stood a statue of a woman. Her hands were raised, frozen in time as if desperately trying to protect her face. The stone figure wore a cloak that seemed to ripple despite its solid form. Beneath it, I made out the familiar shapes of jeans and a sweatshirt. My mouth went dry as I took in the eerily lifelike details.

“Sawyer,” Damon called over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off the stone figure. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a real-life game of supernatural freeze tag. Any lore on statues wearing Levis?”

A choked sob beside me made me turn. Tears streamed down Zara’s face, her eyes wide with recognition and horror. Her body shook as she stumbled forward, one hand outstretched toward the statue.

“Yes,” Zara managed to croak. She swallowed hard, struggling to speak through her tears. “That’s my sister, Mary Beth. She’s been here for over eight years. I was twenty when she was cursed.”

A chill settled over us as the implications sank in, leaving us rooted to the spot, staring at the stone figure that was once a living, breathing person. The air felt thick, almost oppressive as if the statue’s presence had altered the atmosphere around us.

Brody’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing as he turned to Zara. “Why was she here?” Suspicion hung from every word.

Zara’s hand trembled as she wiped the tears from her cheek, leaving a smear of dirt behind. Her breath hitched as she struggled to compose herself. “She was one of our most powerful witches,” she admitted. “The head of our coven sent her to retrieve the Heartstone amulet. We thought we could use it to find the Crown of Envy.”

Brody’s posture stiffened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “The black sedan?” he asked, each word deliberate and sharp. “They were witches from your coven?”

She sniffed, her shoulders hunching as if trying to make herself smaller. “Yes,” Zara replied, her voice cracking.

Brody’s nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply, clearly trying to control his rising anger. “So, you planned to steal it?”

Zara’s eyes widened, a fresh wave of tears spilling down her cheeks. She shook her head vigorously. “No, we thought…” She paused, swallowing hard. “We thought the Heartstone would heal her.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “The people in the sedan were my other two sisters.”

Suddenly, whispers echoed through the woods. It was as if invisible people surrounded us, their voices merging into a haunting chorus. The air grew thick and heavy, making it difficult to breathe.

The Heartstone is here, behind the statue.

The words slithered into our ears, tempting and insistent.

Damon’s eyes glazed over, his body tensing as if pulled by an unseen force. He stepped toward the statue with jerky, unnatural movements.

My heart raced, pounding against my ribcage. Without thinking, I lunged and dug my fingers into Damon’s sleeve. “No, Damon, stay on the path!” I hissed. My other hand clutched the compass, its solidness reassuring in my palm. “The compass isn’t pointing in that direction. It’s a trick.”

Damon’s muscles strained against my grip, his body still drawn toward the statue. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I struggled to hold him back, my feet sliding slightly on the uneven ground.

The whispers grew louder, more insistent, pressing against us like a physical force. I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to cover my ears, knowing I couldn’t let go of Damon.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Brody’s hand shot out, gripping Damon’s other arm with bruising force. “Snap out of it,” he growled. He shook Damon hard, the motion jarring enough to make my brother’s teeth clatter. “You’re under a spell, man!”

Damon’s eyes were glassy, unfocused, staring blankly at the statue. His body swayed as if he was caught in an invisible current. His lips moved silently, mimicking the whispers around us.

“Damon!” I shouted. “Fight it!”

For a heart-stopping moment, nothing happened. Then, like a rubber band snapping back into place, Damon blinked. His eyes cleared, focus returning as he shook his head vigorously as if trying to dislodge water from his ears.

“Whoa,” he muttered roughly. He looked around, confusion etched on his face. Then, a lopsided grin spread across his features. “Well, that’s one way to clear the cobwebs. Next time, maybe offer me a strong cup of coffee instead of the magical mind-whammy, huh?”

He rolled his shoulders, wincing slightly where Brody and I had gripped him. “Seriously, though, thanks for the save. I feel like I went ten rounds with a psychic octopus.” Damon’s gaze darted back to the statue, now wary and alert. “So, any bright ideas on how we avoid becoming garden ornaments while we look for this Heartstone?”

The tension eased slightly with Damon’s quip, but the whispers still lingered at the edges of our consciousness, a constant reminder of the danger surrounding us.

“You have to be careful,” Zara’s voice trembled. She hugged herself tightly as if trying to hold herself together. “What happened to you, Damon, is what happened to my sister. She veered off the path, and…something attacked her.”

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