Page 8 of Crown of Envy

Please say no, please say no, I silently begged. I could feel the blood rushing in my ears, the room suddenly feeling too small, too suffocating.

The last thing I wanted to do was give up another memory. The thought of losing another piece of myself, another cherished moment, made my stomach churn and my palms grow clammy. I swallowed hard, trying to calm the rising panic.

I glanced at Damon, searching his face for reassurance, but his expression was grim, his jaw set in a tense line. He understood the depth of my question, the sacrifice we might have to make.

The mirror remained silent for a moment that stretched into an eternity, and I held my breath, my nails digging crescents into my palms as I waited for its answer. The air grew thick with tension, and a bead of sweat trickled down my spine, cold and clammy against my skin.

Please, I thought desperately, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. Don’t make us give up any more of ourselves. We’ve already lost so much.

Finally, the mirror’s surface shimmered, and a soft voice echoed. “The Crown of Envy requires a sacrifice,” it intoned. “To wield its power, you must reveal a deeply held secret or hidden truth. This secret must be something that has caused you great personal turmoil or has the potential to change the course of relationships or events around you.”

My heart sank. A cherished memory had been the price for the mirror’s guidance, and now a hidden truth was the cost for the crown’s power. The mirror continued. “Confess your hidden truth aloud in the presence of the crown. This confession will bind the essence of your truth to the crown, symbolizing the purification of your soul and your readiness to combat the demons of envy.”

The gravity of the requirement settled over me like a heavy shroud. The sacrifice demanded more than a secret. It demanded vulnerability, honesty, and the courage to face the consequences. My mind raced, recalling every hidden truth, every painful secret I had buried. Could I bring myself to reveal anything? Would it be enough to unlock the crown’s power and help us defeat the envy demons?

The mirror’s voice softened, almost compassionate. “After the crown has accepted your sacrifice, it will activate its full powers, allowing you to harness its abilities to counteract and weaken the envy demons. Remember, the path to overcoming envy lies in the strength to confront the truths we hide within ourselves.”

As the mirror fell silent again, I knew what had to be done. The crown awaited, its power dormant yet potent, ready to be awakened by the revelation of a truth I had kept hidden for far too long. I drew a deep breath and steeled myself for the confession that could change everything.

CHAPTER FIVE

A heavy silence fell over the table. We retreated into ourselves, delving deep into the darkest recesses of our souls, where we hid our most closely guarded secrets. The thought of bringing those secrets to light, even to each other, filled the air with a deafening sense of unease.

I glanced around at the others, seeing the same trepidation on their faces that I felt twisting in my gut. These were secrets we hadn’t shared with anyone, not even our closest confidants. Secrets that could shatter the carefully constructed facades we presented to the world, revealing the vulnerable, flawed, and sometimes broken people we were beneath the surface.

Damon released a low whistle, shaking his head. “A hidden truth, huh? Great. Just what we need. Another deep, dark secret to spill.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Why can’t these things ever ask for a drop of blood or something simple?”

He glanced around the room. “All right, who’s got a secret they’re ready to share with the class? And it better be a good one because it sounds like this crown doesn’t mess around.” He crossed his arms and leaned back. “Guess we’re gonna have to dig deep, folks. But hey, if it’s what we need to take down those envy demons, we’ve got no choice.”

“You can’t share this secret alone. It must be revealed to everyone. Once revealed, you will have the power to wear the crown and dispel the envy back to hell,” the voice intoned, its tone haunting and insistent.

A cold, clammy sensation washed over my skin, and my stomach twisted into knots. The thought of baring my deepest, darkest secret to everyone made my palms slick with sweat, and I had to fight the urge to bolt from the room.

The image in the mirror shimmered and changed, revealing Maci holding the green emerald the creature had ripped from Justice’s hand.

My breath caught in my throat, and I leaned forward, my heart pounding as the voice continued. “You’re not the only one seeking it. Your enemy has one of the jewels, and the jewel will act like a beacon, drawing her to the crown. If she and the demons of envy find it first, they will destroy it, and the demons of envy will remain in this realm forever.”

I slumped in my chair, my shoulders sagging. “Great, another race against Maci,” I muttered with exhaustion and frustration. I dragged a hand down my face, feeling the sweat on my chin wet my palm.

I glanced around the table at my companions. We were in this together, for better or worse. But as my gaze lingered on each of them, I couldn’t help but wonder what secrets they held close to their hearts and how those secrets might change everything.

Brody sat taller in his chair, squaring his shoulders, then gestured toward the mirror. “All right, let’s focus on the mission. This mirror holds the information we need. What exactly is this entity we’re up against, and more importantly, what’s our plan to take it down? We need to be prepared for anything.”

We turned to Zara. She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “No one knows what this entity is since we haven’t been able to find it.”

“Sawyer, can you ask the mirror about the creature guarding the crown?” Brody questioned. “We need to know what we’re facing.”

I gripped the mirror, my palms sweating as a chill ran down my spine. “Show us the creature guarding the Crown of Envy,” I commanded in a trembling voice.

The mirror rippled, its surface shimmering like quicksilver. A gasp escaped my lips, my body involuntarily recoiling from the sight of a massive, serpent-like creature with shimmering emerald scales that absorbed and reflected light, giving it an otherworldly glow. Its piercing, luminescent green eyes bored into my soul and sent a wave of terror through my body. Intricate patterns that pulsed with an eerie light, mesmerizing and terrifying, adorned the creature’s body.

The snake opened its mouth, revealing long, sharp fangs that gleamed menacingly. A low, guttural hiss escaped its throat, echoing through the room and making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. My heart raced as I struggled to catch my breath.

Damon stared at the reflection, his brows furrowed. “Well, that’s awesome,” he muttered sarcastically, his jaw clenching. “It’s like a freakin’ basilisk from Harry Potter, but with a serious case of the uglies.”

Despite the fear churning in my gut, I couldn’t help but smirk at Damon’s comment. He had a way of facing even the most terrifying situations with a cocky grin and a sharp tongue.

“Sawyer.” He clasped my stiff arm. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a real-life Slytherin mascot to gank. Better break out the big guns for this one.”

---