POV: JACKSON
I stood alongside Chris, Sam, and the pack's doctor, waiting for the witch's arrival. He was scheduled to show up this afternoon, and I had taken it upon myself to welcome him personally. I was determined to avoid any more tales of others arriving with him, leaving us in the dark.
Saint was meant to join us, but he declined. He said he didn't want to disrupt Marcus' treatment. Naturally, I disagreed, but there was nothing I could do to convince him otherwise.
Since it was Saturday, Tom didn't have school. He thought Saint was sick and insisted on staying by his side. However, Saint was reluctant, he was concerned about the possibility of hurting Tom instead.
Tom, though he didn't understand why Saint didn't want him around, had a solution to that. He suggested he would play just outside the door while Saint stayed inside. In response, Saint took precautions and locked the door. Samantha offered to stay with both of them in case anything went awry, which I greatly appreciated.
I wasn't surprised when Chris mentioned that rumors were swirling about Saint being mad. Given what Mateo had shared, I knew that's how the pack would react. I quickly sut down the gossip, insisting that he was merely unwell. I knew that if I ignored the it, the rumors would only multiply, and possibly worsen. Which is why I was eager for the witch to find a Saint's situation.
As the witch passed through the gates, he was dressed in an all black shirt and pants, with long brown hair cascading down his shoulders. He appeared younger than the pack doctor, likely in his mid-twenties, and he arrived alone.
After exchanging pleasantries, we introduced ourselves while making our way to the pack hospital. I discovered that his name was Owen, the second child in his family, and he was next in line within his coven. His father, aged 65, was still living.
As we strolled along, the pack members seemed unfazed by the presence of a witch, as witches weren't generally met with disdain—only my father held such feelings. Soon we arrived at the pack hospital, where we guided him to Marcus. Owen touched Marcus, and his brown hair transformed into a striking white before he asked, "So, what really happened?"
I recounted the story as Saint had told me. "Hmm, so it was a wrong spell. The spell was to paralyze your mate, causing his blood to gradually dry up until he ultimately die. Seems like the girl has some serious hate toward him," he remarked with a chuckle.
I chose to overlook the chuckle. "Since it was a mistake, what spell was actually cast on him?" I asked, gesturing toward Marcus.
"Based on what you've told me, since Marcus wrapped his arms around her neck and choked her while she was still casting, her words got all mixed up."
His hair shimmered once more, "And because her words were jumbled, she mistakenly casted a spell that froze his blood instead of causing it to dry up, and instead of paralysis, he would..." He trailed as he began reciting some incantations.
"He would what?" Chris interjected, but his question went unanswered. Owen continued his chants, finally completing them and placing his hands on Marcus' head, pressing his fingers gently. His hair returned to its original brown as he exhaled deeply.
"He should be alright now," he declared while rearranging his hair. "My job is done."
"But you never finished what you were saying. He would what?" Chris pressed, still eager for more information.
Marcus blinked awake, looking around the room as he propped himself up. Rubbing his head, he winced and asked, "What happened to me?"
"You had a little incident, so I've been told," replied Owen.
"Was that enough to land me here? What went happened?"
"Don't you remember?" Chris interjected.
"Remember what?" Marcus looked from one face to another, confusion clouding his expression.
"Instead of being paralyzed, the spell seems to have caused him to lose some memories," Owen explained, glancing at us.
"His memories?" Chris and I echoed simultaneously. This was bad—very, very, bad. We had no way of knowing who was assisting Ava.
"Is there any chance of restoring his memory?" Sam inquired.
"Not really. Once memories fade, they're hard to get back. Sure, he might start to remember bits and pieces over time, but that's going to take a long time, and everything could be jumbled."
"What do you remember?" I asked Marcus.
"Everything?" he answered, still confused.
"What's the last thing you remember?" I pressed.
He paused, deep in thought. "My house."
"Not in a cell?" Chris asked.
"I was released. I remember that," he confirmed.
At that moment, it dawned on me that he was talking about his first arrest, not the second one. We had no hope of discovering what Ava had revealed to him that day.
"Am I supposed to remember something?" he asked, confusion etched on his face.
I sighed. "Forget it."
"Well, that wraps it up. He's alright now, just needs to rest. I'm finished here and will be leaving tomorrow," the witch announced.
"I need your help to check on someone. My mate—something's off," I said.
"Hmn, that's fine. Shall we go?"
"Not today; it's late, and I want to inform him that you're coming to visit first." Saint always seemed a bit anxious around anyone other than Tom and me, so I wanted to avoid catching him off guard.
"I was planning to leave tomorrow anyway. I suppose I'll just do that before I head out."
"Thank you," I replied.
"He'll stay with me tonight," the pack doctor stated.
I nodded in agreement. "If you need anything at all, just let me know." The witch acknowledged my words and departed with the pack doctor.
"At least he's still alive, right?" Chris remarked.
"Saint and I were really relying on what he had to say," I replied as I stepped outside, with Chris and Sam following closely behind.
"His words?" Sam asked, looking puzzled.
"Yeah, he—" I hesitated. Since Marcus couldn't recall what had happened, I had to be cautious about whom I revealed crucial information to until they prove I could trust them.
"Yeah, we were hoping Ava had shared something with him."
"Oh," Sam nodded in understanding.
We continued in silence until we reached the spot where Sam would head home.
"Why didn't you tell him what Marcus said to Saint?" Chris questioned.
"Because I'm not sure who Marcus was referring to."
"But you told me."
"You know exactly why I told you; you just want me to say it out loud," I said, narrowing my eyes at him.
He chuckled lightly before replying, "Yeah, that's right." But then his demeanor shifted to a more serious tone. "I just wish I could recall her scent to see who she smelled like. Cora mentioned that they would need to willingly share their scent with her, right?"
"I think we should let go of the idea of finding her scent. We won't uncover any leads if we depend on it."
"What do you suggest we do instead?"
"Saint mentioned he hears the voice of a child. This means that Ava is using a child from the pack to get to him. Our first step is to find out which child it is. It's unlikely that Ava managed to persuade the child on her own. Someone must be influencing the child for her. That child will reveal who that person is."
"That's a solid plan."
"And we'll keep this under wraps. Only you, Saint, the witch, and I will know about this."