Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Damon and I walked into the dining room, where two chairs waited for us. A third remained empty, putting a hollowness in my chest. It was where Justice would usually sit. God, please let him be all right.

Zara regarded us with an intense, unwavering gaze. "Now that we're all here," she began with a hint of condescension.

I bristled at her tone, my hands clenching into fists beneath the table. I bit my tongue, fighting the urge to snap back at her. Damon grumbled under his breath.

Zara ignored him. She drew a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling with the effort to maintain her composure. "The Crown of Envy is from the Court of Blossoms," she explained, her words measured and deliberate. "Centuries ago, the envy demons invaded Edinburgh. The fae came and forced them back to hell with the crown."

She paused, her gaze distant as if lost in the memories of the past. "Then, during the Jacobite rebellion, the crown vanished, and we haven't been able to locate it."

Damon leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed. "How did you lose it?" he asked, his tone dripping with skepticism.

Zara's eyes flashed, her jaw clenching. "We didn't lose it," she replied tightly. "Someone stole it, but we don't know who. They used dark magic."

Brody leaned forward, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Did this crown have green emeralds?" he asked.

Zara blinked, surprise flickering across her face. "Yes, it did," she confirmed. "How did you know that?"

"We found the emerald in our jeep," Brody explained, his gaze locked with Zara's. "Justice was holding it when the creature attacked him."

Damon's hands smacked the table, the sudden movement making Zara flinch. His eyes bored into hers. "You should know that," he pressed, his voice low and accusatory. "You must have seen something. You were here at the Manor with Sean."

Zara's gaze faltered, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I was talking to Sean, but I didn't see what happened," she admitted.

Brody broke the standoff between Zara and Damon. "What does this crown look like?"

She turned away from Damon, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "It is a beautifully crafted artifact," she began in a trembling voice. "Forged from a rare and shimmering green metal that glows faintly in the dark." Her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms.

"It is adorned with intricate carvings of serpents and thorny vines," she continued, her voice strengthening with reverence and bitterness. "They symbolize the dangerous and consuming nature of envy." She closed her eyes, drawing a shuddering breath as if the mere thought of the crown's power was overwhelming.

"Embedded in the crown are seven large emeralds. Each represents a different facet of envy." A single tear escaped, trailing down her cheek as she opened her eyes.

She turned back to face the others, her shoulders sagging. "It is a powerful and dangerous artifact," she commented. "In the wrong hands, it could bring unimaginable destruction and suffering. We have searched for it for centuries, but every lead, every glimmer of hope, has turned to ash in our hands."

She bowed her head, her hair falling forward to obscure her face as she fought to regain her composure, the weight of her failure pressing down.

Zara's words stabbed me in the heart, and frustration bubbled inside me. Justice and I had just found each other. This wasn't happening. I couldn't lose him now.

I threaded my fingers through my hair, my mind racing with the enormity of the challenge. "If you couldn't find it, how are we supposed to?" My voice was tight with desperation. The thought of not finding the crown wasn't an option. I'd rip this country and all the realms apart to locate it.

Zara motioned toward the mirror I had put on the table. "With that. It will give you clues about where to find the Crown of Envy. All you have to do is ask it."

Damon leaned back in his chair and smirked. "So what, we ask the magic mirror on the wall who's the fairest of them all, and it'll solve our little dilemma? Gotta say I like the sound of that. Beats traipsing through an enchanted forest or taking a bite of any suspicious-looking apples." He chuckled darkly. "Though with our luck, even that damn mirror would probably try to screw us over. Nothing's ever easy in this messed-up fairy tale we call life, is it?"

I picked up the mirror. "Where is the Crown of Envy?"

The mirror's surface shimmered, and an ethereal voice that sounded hauntingly like my mother's emanated from it. "Seek the forgotten depths beneath the streets of Edinburgh, where the dead slumber in eternal unrest. There, in the heart of the catacombs, lies the crown you so desire."

That voice sent shivers down my spine every time I used the mirror. I never thought I'd hear our mother's voice again.

Damon looked at me, the blood draining from his face. "Mom?" he whispered.

I glanced at my brother, seeing the pain and longing etched into his features. Our mother's death had left a gaping hole in both our lives, but Damon had always taken it especially hard since he was the one who found her body.

Damon stared at the mirror as if in a trance. "Mom, is it really you?"

I clasped his shaking hand. "Damon, it's not her. It's the mirror using her voice."

He blinked, tears glistening as he tore his gaze from the mirror to look at me. The raw vulnerability on his face made my chest tighten. After a moment, he nodded, swallowing hard as he tried to compose himself.

He shook his head. "Well, that's just peachy. As if we didn't have enough nightmare fuel already, we've got Mom's voice giving us directions from beyond the grave."

An image formed in the mirror of damp stone walls, eerie carvings, and winding passages cloaked in shadow. My heart raced, and a cold sweat broke out on my skin. The witches had searched for centuries without success. If the crown was hidden in such a foreboding place, something powerful must be guarding it.

"The path ahead is fraught with peril," the mirror warned, its tone more ominous. "An ancient sentinel stands watch, a creature of darkness that has thwarted all who dared to claim the crown. Tread carefully, for its gaze brings madness and its touch, oblivion."

I bit my lip, my heart pounding as I forced the question past the lump in my throat. "Will we have to give up a memory like we did with the Grimoire?"

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.