THIRD PERSON POV:
The next time Hazel regained consciousness, she was slung over the shoulder of a strange man in an unfamiliar environment. She kicked and slapped, struggling to free herself, but the man held firm, carrying her into a room with only a chair in its center. He put her down on the chair, taking the rope from his shoulder and binding her tightly to the seat.
She stopped struggling as her hands were securely bound, then she looked at the man, whose eyes and lips were the only visible parts of his masked face. Without a word, he left the room.
Suddenly, she heard voices in the hallway, immediately recognizing them as Fae and Sebastian approaching.
"Remind me why I'm the one providing people for your plans. You're using my witch, my father's men, and my car. Are you trying to hide your tracks in case we get caught?" Sebastian questioned, his irritation clear.
Fae wished he would stop talking. She had hope in him at first, but ever since he got beaten by the triplets, he had become thrice the coward he was. However, he was right about one thing: she was trying to cover her tracks, and he was going to help her do that. Everyone worked for Fae, not the other way around.
"We had a deal, Sebastian, so quit whining and help me welcome our guest," she said, opening the door to reveal Hazel, bound to the chair.
Hazel gritted her teeth, clenching her hands into fists, and Sebastian tried not to look at her. Fae swayed her hips, strutting toward her like a model on a runway.
"Hello, Hazel, or should I say CEO of Fangtastic Diaries?" Hazel's eyes widened, but she quickly masked her surprise, deciding to play dumb.
"What the hell are you talking about?" she questioned. Fae chuckled briefly, snapping her fingers. The man who had brought her returned, dragging someone else into the room. Hazel's blood ran cold as she recognized Pamela, one of the girls who worked on the diaries with her.
"Does the face ring a bell?" Fae asked, and Hazel remained silent. Fae walked up to her, circling around the chair. "The entire school has been engrossed in the drama of the diaries, but no one has bothered to unmask the actual owner. Since the posts about Bella stopped, I realized it had to be someone whose sole interest was to protect her." She paused, then stood in front of Hazel. "What would Bella and the triplets think when they find out that sweet Hazel has been the one defaming them?"
Hazel scrunched her face. "That's not true. It's run by more than one person, and I've been so engrossed with schoolwork that I barely check it. And..."
"Bella doesn't know that, and Pamela will certainly forget she used to work on it too," Fae interrupted, snapping her fingers. Sebastian grabbed Pamela, staring into her eyes.
"You wouldn't dare!" Hazel wriggled her body, causing the chair to clank against the tiles while Fae laughed. "Oh, I just did, and I cannot wait to get the password from you and watch Bella's life go up in chaos."
Hazel let out a short laugh. "Then maybe you should expand your radar because I don't know the password either. I told you, the blog was created by a bunch of people in the computer club. We didn't even know it would create a buzz until I made the first post about you when you started dating Ryder. People began sending in requests for what they wanted to let out. At first, I thought of it as a weapon against all of you for the constant discrimination and bullying we faced for being smart. It worked perfectly, putting all of you in your fancy little world in chaos. When Bella arrived, I found out she was different, but the guys wouldn't agree to shut it down completely. I had to plead with Pamela to delete every demeaning post about Bella before the others could see it, and make a post."
"Aww, so touching. Are you aware that the person you're trying to protect is going to end up killing you one day? Who knows, she might be preparing you to be her chow." Fae taunted, and Hazel scoffed.
"Bella would never do such a thing, and I know your secret, hybrid." She directed her accusation at Sebastian, whose eyes widened. Fae let out a loud laugh.
"Smart girl, you're one smart girl," she said, clapping her hands. "But too dumb to realize you just gave away everything I needed for my plans to work." She turned toward the door, which opened to reveal a figure in a black cloak entering the room.
"This is the girl, Nyx. Do your thing and let's get this over with."
The cloaked woman nodded and approached Hazel, who began to struggle in the chair, trying desperately to free herself. Nyx grabbed Hazel's body, placing a thumb on her forehead.
"Arrgh!" Hazel screamed as an invisible force surged through her, sending Nyx stumbling backward. She regained her balance, her feet planted firmly on the floor. She turned to face Sebastian and Fae.
"Why didn't you tell me you brought a witch?" Nyx demanded, her voice rising in anger. Sebastian and Fae echoed in surprise.
"What?"
"This isn't the deal we had, Sebastian! Do you want me to put a curse on you?" Nyx threatened, her eyes turning completely white, causing Sebastian to back away in fear.
"Nyx, I swear I didn't know. I thought..."
"Thought? She isn't just a witch; she's from a powerful lineage!" Nyx roared.
Fae sighed. "Am I the only normal person in this pack? Can you all give me a break!" she yelled, rubbing her temples as she walked away.
Hazel, on the other hand, wondered if they were playing a trick on her. She knew something was off about her family and the way her parents were murdered, but no one had ever said anything about it to her. Plus, her aunt seemed to have all the answers, making Hazel assume she was just very knowledgeable.
"So, what do we do now?" Sebastian asked, and Nyx walked up to Hazel.
"Who is your mother, child?" Nyx asked, and Hazel sized her up without a word. She removed her cloak, revealing a youthful face. "I'll do it myself!" Nyx grabbed Hazel's hand, pressing hard on her palm. Hazel's eyes rolled back, turning completely white, then Nyx fell to the ground with a loud groan. Fae backed away.
"Fucking Baudelaire!" Nyx exclaimed, releasing Hazel's hand. "Sleep!" she commanded, waving her hand. Hazel's eyes shut immediately...