Chapter 15

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?"

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.