Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The morning sun glistened off the dark blue SUV Sean had obtained for us. My heart fluttered as I squinted against the glare. I immediately put on my sunglasses. Hopefully, the smiling sun was indicative that we would be successful this time. Or at least I hoped we would.

After we loaded our gear, Brody got in the front seat while we all piled in. Doors slammed as Damon and Lisa took the middle row. Justice, Zara, and I squeezed into the back, our bodies pressed together. Garrick, Grady, Scott, and Sean stood on the porch, their gazes tense with dread. I felt their anxiety like a physical weight. A hive of goosebumps broke out across my skin, a shiver running down my spine.

Justice put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. I laid my head on his shoulder.

Maggie still hadn't made an appearance and must still be in bed. The possession had really taken a toll on her. I hoped she'd be completely healed by the time we came back. My chest tightened at the thought of having a demon ride me like a nightmare come to life.

If you can ever be healed from something like that…

As we pulled away from the house, my stomach tightened. The familiar sights of Edinburgh's Old Town gave way to wider streets, the castle looming behind us in the rearview mirror.

"How far to the Grove of Whispers?" I asked, my voice barely audible over the hum of the engine.

Brody's gaze flicked to the GPS. "About an hour and a half, assuming we don't hit traffic on the outskirts."

I nodded, swallowing hard.

As we drove through the city's newer districts, the air in the car grew heavy with unspoken fears. Justice shifted restlessly beside me, his leg bouncing with nervous energy. Zara sat rigid, her gaze fixed on the passing buildings, jaw clenched.

The morning sun climbed higher, casting long shadows across the streets, but its warmth couldn't penetrate the dread settling in my chest. Every traffic light, every roundabout brought us closer to our destination, the urgency of our mission increasing with each passing moment.

What would we find in the Grove of Whispers, hidden away in the Scottish countryside? And more importantly, would we all make it back to the familiar safety of Edinburgh's streets, or would one of us remain a permanent fixture in that forest?

As Brody pulled out of Edinburgh, he kept glancing in the rearview mirror, his posture stiffening.

"Team, we've got a tail. Black sedan, three cars back. It's been with us since we left the city limits," he announced.

Damon glanced over his shoulder, his brow furrowed. "Well, ain't that just peachy. What's next, a marching band and a ticker-tape parade?"

"This is serious, Damon," Brody replied. "We need to stay focused and work together."

"Oh, I'm focused, all right," Damon quipped, rolling his eyes. "Focused on not becoming demon chow in the middle of nowhere. Any other brilliant observations, Captain Obvious?"

Brody's jaw tightened, but he kept his eyes on the road. "Stay alert. We don't know what we're dealing with yet."

"Yeah, ‘cause that's worked out so well for us before," Damon muttered. "For once, I'd like to deal with something we actually know about. Is that too much to ask?"

I felt the tension ratchet up another notch, my muscles coiling tight as a spring. My heart thundered like a bass drum. I stole a glance at Zara to gauge her reaction. She was the only one who didn't seem nervous, her face an impassive mask.

I caught Brody's gaze in the rearview mirror. He obviously noticed her lack of reaction, and anger flashed in his eyes as his jaw clenched. I could practically read his thoughts. She's not part of the team.

An uneasy thought popped into my mind, and my stomach lurched. What if Zara used a spell to make sure she was chosen? Did she have that kind of power? If that was true, we definitely were walking into a trap. My heart rate quickened, and I had to force myself to take slow, measured breaths to avoid giving away my suspicion.

I stole another glance at Zara, studying her profile for any sign of deceit. Her face remained impassive, but now her calmness seemed less reassuring and more ominous.

I kept flicking my gaze between the rearview mirror and the road ahead. Every car that appeared behind us sent a jolt of adrenaline through my system, my body primed for fight or flight. Yet here we were, trapped in a moving vehicle, hurtling toward an unknown danger with another potential threat on our tail.

The engine's roar filled the car as we sped down the winding road, the dense forest of Scotland blurring past. Headlights loomed ominously close behind us.

Brody's knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. "Our company's getting closer. Any bright ideas on how to lose these guys?"

Damon looked at Lisa, his eyebrows raised expectantly. "All right, Sabrina, time to earn your keep. Think you can whip up some hocus pocus to shake our fan club back there? I mean, unless you want to wait for them to catch up and exchange friendship bracelets."

He glanced back at the road before adding, "And make it snappy, will ya? I'd rather not star in ‘Fast and Furious: Demon Edition' today."

Lisa's expression turned pensive. "I think I can duplicate a mirage that looks like our car."

Damon shot her a glance. "You think, or you know?"

"I know," she replied firmly. She rummaged through her bag, pulling out a small vial of water, a sprig of rosemary, and a shard of a broken mirror.

Not surprisingly, Zara tensed. This time, I noticed a bead of sweat trickle down her temple, catching the light as it traced her jawline. Her gaze darted between Lisa's impromptu spell ingredients and the road behind us. A flicker of recognition—or was it fear?—crossed her face. She knew who was in that car.

Zara's fingers dug into the seat beside me, her knuckles white with strain. The contrast between her earlier calm and current distress was jarring, raising a host of new questions in my mind. What did she know that we didn't? And, more importantly, whose side was she really on?

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.