Page 23 of Crown of Envy

I watched her carefully, noting the slight tremor in her hands, the way her breath quickened as she spoke. Was it excitement? Fear? Or something else entirely?

Brody gave her a hard stare. The air between them crackled with tension. “Is that why your friends were following us in the dark sedan?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Zara’s eagerness faltered, her face paling visibly. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

The accusation hung in the air. I glanced between Brody and Zara, then at the others, gauging their reactions. Justice’s hand had moved closer to his weapon while Lisa’s fingers twitched, ready to cast a spell if needed.

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zara finally managed, but her voice lacked conviction.

Brody stepped closer. “I think you do,” he replied quietly. “And I think it’s time you come clean about what’s really going on here.”

The whispers of the grove seemed to grow louder around us as if feeding off the mounting tension. We were standing on the edge of a knife, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever Zara said next would tip us one way or the other.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Panic flared in Zara’s eyes, her gaze darting from face to face like a cornered animal. Her earlier confidence had evaporated, leaving behind a trembling facade.

“I’m…I’m part of this team,” she insisted, her voice quivering. “The mirror chose me. It did!”

A breeze brushed over us, and I swore there was a whisper.

She’s not part of the team. Give her to us.

Brody’s eyes narrowed, his jaw set in a hard line as he stepped closer to Zara. “Did it? Or did you use some kind of spell that made the mirror choose you?”

Justice, still weak but alert, placed a steadying hand on Brody’s shoulder. “Easy, man,” he murmured, though his gaze remained fixed on Zara with disappointment and wariness.

Damon, ever ready with a quip, chimed in. “Well, isn’t this a regular old episode of Witch Hunters: Grove Edition? Gotta say, sweetheart, if you’re playing us, you picked one hell of a creepy place for the big reveal.”

Lisa remained silent, but her fingers twitched.

Zara’s lips trembled as she struggled to form words. “I… I can explain,” she began, but her voice trailed off, lost in the whispering winds of the Grove.

As I watched this drama unfold, I couldn’t help but wonder. If Zara had indeed manipulated her way onto our team, what other secrets was she hiding? More importantly, how would her deception affect our mission in this treacherous Grove of Whispers?

Lisa scowled, her eyes flashing with indignation. She stepped forward, positioning herself slightly between Brody and Zara. “Why do you think Zara did anything, Brody?” she asked sharply. “Do you have a thing against witches?”

The air crackled with tension as Lisa’s fingers twitched again. Her loyalty to her fellow witch was evident, but so was the conflict in her eyes. She wanted to believe Zara, but doubt had begun to creep in.

Brody’s posture stiffened at Lisa’s implication. “No,” he replied, his voice low and controlled with an edge of steel. “I have a thing against anyone who sabotages this team.” His gaze swept over us before settling back on Zara. “We’re walking into unknown dangers here. If there’s even a chance one of us isn’t fully committed to this mission, to this team, we need to know. Now.”

The Grove seemed to respond, the whispers growing louder, more insistent. Shadows danced at the corners of our vision as if feeding off our conflict.

I glanced at Zara, who stood frozen. Her gaze darted between Lisa and Brody, then to everyone else, as if searching for an ally, an escape.

The schism in our group grew more apparent by the second. Lisa standing firm in defense of her fellow witch. Brody unwavering in his suspicion. And the rest of us caught in between, unsure who to believe.

As the standoff continued, I wondered if this divide was exactly what the Grove wanted. Were we playing into the hands of whatever malevolent force resided here by turning against each other?

I stepped between the men and the witches, my heart pounding. The whispers seemed to grow almost gleeful at our discord. “We need to stay a team,” I insisted, trying to keep my voice steady. “This forest wants to pull us apart. Can’t you feel it?”

Brody nodded, his posture relaxing slightly. “Agreed.” I noticed he didn’t apologize. His eyes remained fixed on Zara, suspicion still evident in his gaze. It was still a standoff, reminding me of movies where vampires and werewolves threw down, ready to rip each other apart at a moment’s notice.

Zara held her head up, but her lower lip trembled with the fear she was trying to hide. Lisa stood beside her, gripping her hand tightly in solidarity.

Justice swayed slightly beside me, a stark reminder of his weakened state and the urgency of our mission. Damon’s hand rested on his weapon, his usual smirk replaced by a wary frown.

I quickly pulled the compass from my backpack, the metal cool against my sweaty palms. “Come on,” I pleaded. “We need to find the Heartstone amulet, then figure out what the next task is. We have to do this together, remember?”

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