The Witch from The Human Realm

18 Sweet Suspicion

After exiting the alley, Raven felt her cheeks cool off, which heated up unexpectedly earlier, as she set her gaze upon the house in the clearing in front of them.

But house might be an inappropriate noun to use. Because right before them was a castle. An actual castle. The kind that her mother convinces her, and she guesses Maddie as well, to see in their mansion-of-a-house.

And this particular castle is made up of treats.

"This is so coo--" Maddie began.

"Weird," Raven interrupted. "There may be a lot of gingerbread houses here, but gingerbread castles are rare. And I could have sworn this wasn't here before."

She took out the checklist and checked the address. Her eyebrows furrowed upon looking.

"Is everything okay?" Maddie asked.

Raven shoved back the clipboard. "Yup. Just weird… We're at the right address, but something feels off about this place."

The two stepped closer to the gingerbread castle and up the decorative wafer stairs, and stopped right in front of the huge chocolate double doors. Raven, being the taller one, held one of the dark chocolate knockers and knocked.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound echoed through the towering walls of the pastry castle. It was as if it was empty.

After a moment, Raven clasped her hands together. "Well, it seems like no one's home. Let's go."

She turned around and took a step down.

That was when the doors creaked open, making her turn back around.

Maddie nodded towards the entrance. "Looks like someone's inside after all," she said before skipping inside.

Raven's gaze went from the tri-colored-haired girl and to the candy cane door frame.

'Something is wrong, but I can't pinpoint what it is,' she thought before following Maddie inside.

The door swung close once she got in.

"Gah!" Raven yelped.

She heard Maddie giggle from behind her. She turned around to face her.

"You don't have to be afraid, you know," Maddie assured with a smile. And then frowned. "But then again, neither of us wants to get fired at with a spell."

Raven sighed and looked up at the chocolate ceiling. "Let's just deliver the vial and get going."

They began to walk through the hallway, stopping at what seems to be the grand hall. But instead of the usual empty room with the usual grand staircase, there were tables spread out.

And the tables had pastries on them.

It was as if there would be a feast later that day.

Raven looked around, and the gut feeling that she had from earlier intensified.

"It seems like there's going to be a party later," Maddie commented, her voice echoing through the sugary halls of the gingerbread castle.

"Indeed, there is," a new voice spoke.

Raven yelped upon hearing the voice.

The person chuckled as they stepped out from behind a tower of doughnuts, revealing a woman in her mid-20's.

She had tan skin, blue hair, and emerald green eyes. And she's wearing a white blouse with puffy sleeves, a black flowy mid-calf jumper skirt, and a pair of black leather boots.