Chapter 47: Janice
The moon hung in the night sky, and the forest was quiet, with no more people appearing in the vicinity.
Inside the medical room, everything was calm, as the staff had retreated to the break room, leaving Fiona as the sole patient.
Fiona lay in the dark room, her eyes closed, waiting patiently for Putnam’s arrival.
In the morning, she had communicated with Putnam through the mind link, seeking his help. No one knew the extent of the suffering Fiona had endured that day.Exclusive © material by Nô(/v)elDrama.Org.
When the familiar sound of footsteps reached Fiona’s ears, she opened her eyes, recognizing that Putnam had arrived.
In the pitch-black room, a gust of wind blew, making a creaking sound as the door swung open.
A werewolf’s vision was extraordinary, even in such darkness, Fiona immediately identified Putnam’s silhouette, and the scent of him put her at ease.
“Putnam,” Fiona whispered, her voice low. She was eager to see Putnam.
“Darling, you’ve suffered,” Putnam said, his brows furrowed. He noticed that Fiona was wrapped in bandages from head to toe. He hadn’t expected her condition to be this severe. What had Cyril done to her?
“Putnam, it hurts so much,” Fiona couldn’t speak loudly, fearing she might attract the attention of the staff.
“Please don’t be afraid. Look who I brought with me,” Putnam said.
Fiona became aware that there was another person in the room. A woman in a black robe approached Fiona’s bedside. She observed Fiona’s condition and realized she wasn’t doing well.
“Janice, you almost killed me,” Fiona’s gaze turned fierce when she saw the woman remove her black robe. If it weren’t for Janice, she wouldn’t have suffered like this. She better have a solution!
“First, take off that face,” Janice said, her expression devoid of fear. She didn’t find Tania’s attitude impressive. Even though her power couldn’t compare to Kassandra’s, it didn’t mean Tania could act recklessly in her presence.
Though Fiona was angry, she didn’t want to easily offend Janice. She still needed Janice’s help, so her earlier outburst was just a moment of frustration.
“Putnam, could you help me take it off?” Fiona looked to Putnam. She also didn’t want to continue wearing the face that resembled a dead person.
Putnam pressed his lips together and without hesitation, reached over and removed the skin from Fiona’s face. In reality, it was a human-shaped mask, and beneath the mask, it was clearly Tania.
“Janice, you promised to help me!” Tania said. Her wounds no longer hurt as much, but they had become unbearably itchy. “I’m really suffering!”
Fiona was beginning to suspect if Kassandra had intentionally given her fake herbs. It seemed like those herbs had no effect whatsoever. Or was it possible that Kassandra had already detected the problem with her wounds and used the pretense of treatment to harm her? Fiona couldn’t comprehend why her condition had worsened after applying those herbs. She couldn’t reject Cyril’s and their demands either, or she would risk exposing her true identity.
“Let me first assess your injuries,” Janice said, paying no heed to Tania’s anger. She began to unwrap the bandages covering Tania’s body. The wounds had turned purplish-red, and although no more pus oozed from them, they remained a distressing sight.
“It’s Artemis sage,” Janice said, tossing the bandages aside as she carefully examined Tania’s wounds.
“What is that?” Putnam inquired. He had no idea that Cyril had brought Kassandra, and he didn’t know what Kassandra had used to transform Tania like this.
“Artemis sage is named after the Greek goddess of hunting. Normally, it has healing and restorative properties. There should be no reason for this outcome,” Janice’s expression darkened.
Artemis sage could indeed neutralize the poison in Tania’s body. But if Kassandra truly intended to help Tania recover, how could Tania’s wounds have ended up like this? Had Kassandra truly failed to notice anything wrong with Tania’s injuries? Had she overestimated Kassandra’s capabilities?
Doubt filled Janice’s face.
“What’s going on now?” Tania’s anger reached its peak.
Janice circled Tania’s bed, and there seemed to be a faint fragrance in the air. Her gaze remained fixed on Tania’s location. Janice placed her hand on the bed as if sensing something.
Tania didn’t dare to speak; she feared she might disturb Janice.
“It’s because of this,” Janice’s hand hovered over a particular spot on the bed, and she had a wicked smile on her face.
“What is that?” Tania immediately asked.
“It’s the powdered form of ground rosemary, Kassandra’s favorite herb,” Janice’s eyes grew darker.
Rosemary, also known as the “dew of the sea,” had the ability to repel evil spirits and terrifying nightmares in the witch’s world. Kassandra was particularly fond of using rosemary to create various potent herbal mixtures, and her concoctions often had frightening powers.
This was Kassandra’s innate talent. In the witch family, if a witch had the ability not only to concoct herbal mixtures but also to use her magic without backlash, she was considered the chosen one.
Kassandra had both of these abilities, making her the most powerful witch in the McGo Family and the reigning authority within the family. This was also the reason Janice had always been envious of Kassandra. She had to fight for everything she wanted, while Kassandra could obtain it directly, even taking the position Janice had longed to attain.
“If you merely used Artemis sage, it would indeed help your wounds heal,” Janice continued. She looked down on Tania from her elevated position. “But when combined with rosemary, it makes the situation worse.”
If Janice’s guess was correct, Kassandra must have done more than this-she might have cast a spell.
“Are you suggesting that Kassandra did this intentionally?” Putnam furrowed his brows.
“If she could detect something wrong with Tania’s wounds, she would do this,” Janice’s gaze turned icy.
She didn’t care about Tania as a person, but she needed Tania and Putnam’s Pack for her use. They had promised to help her, and as allies, she would help Tania and Putnam in return. If she had other options, Janice wouldn’t want to cooperate with Tania and Putnam.
“Does that mean they already know I’m not the real Fiona?” Tania spoke slowly, considering it as the only possibility. If she were the real Fiona, would Kassandra have done this?
“I can only help you with your wounds. The rest is up to you,” Janice said.
From her pouch, Janice took out a small glass vial containing a dark red liquid, which was blackberry oil. She opened the bottle and applied the liquid to Tania’s body.
“Open your mouth,” Janice instructed as she took out a box filled with dried flower petals of globe amaranth. She crushed the petals and placed them in Tania’s mouth.
“Swallow it,” Janice instructed again.
Tania followed Janice’s instructions and swallowed the dry, gritty powder, feeling it dissolve in her throat.
“Is that enough?” Tania asked. She needed to ensure her return to her original state; she didn’t want to become a monster.
Janice looked at Tania’s wounds but refrained from saying certain things.
“This will prevent your wounds from oozing any more. They should gradually heal,” Janice put the items back into her pouch. “What to do next, you probably know better than I do.” Janice smiled, eagerly anticipating Tania’s retaliation, as Tania was known to be unpredictable.
“Janice, you’ve helped me, and I won’t forget it,” Tania said, looking at her wounds. She would definitely make Kassandra pay for the pain she had suffered today. No, she would make Hazel and Cyril pay as well!