Sinners and saints (Radiodust saint au)

✧*̥˚Chapter Eight*̥˚✧

It had been three years since the Ragno family had seen their youngest member.

Molly took no pleasure in her upcoming sixteenth birthday, even less so than her fifteenth or fourteenth. The cloud of depression that had fallen on the little bright jewel of the Ragnos since her twin had been taken reached an all-time low, enough so that her family offered anything they could for her birthday, if only to see her smile again.

And so she only requested that she see her twin. He may have been signed away from the family, but there was a connection with her that went deeper than name. If only once more, just to see him, she would be happy.

It took some weeks, but at last Henri had found the parish in Pennsylvania that Angelo had been sent to and was apparently still at. Henri himself refused to go, and so it fell to Molly and her mother to take the trip.

Molly was a bundle of nerves the entire way there, and she knew her mother felt the same. After all, while it had been her father's insistence on signing Angelo to the church to do with as they saw necessary, it was her mother who had suggested the church in the first place.

"Your brother has demons, mia dolce ragazza," her mother tearfully told her. "Wickedness is in that boy, and I can only pray forgiveness for whatever I had done to invite evil into myself to infect him."

Molly was shamed to admit she thought her mother was right at first. She had seen the darkness in her twin's blue eyes, the vices he seemed almost gleeful to partake in. When she had finally heard what he had been doing, she had been horrified. Over the past three years, however, her ideals changed. She was older, smarter, and now knew the position of power older men would have had over her brother. To put the blame on Angelo infuriated her now, and that fury only fueled her desire to see him, to hug him and beg for his forgiveness.

From the train station they took a cab into a rural village, and from there it was more than simple to be pointed in the direction of St. Katherine's parish and hostel. The footpath into the forest looked new and accessible, almost like it was paved only weeks ago, and there was a bustle of activity up ahead in the clearing.

An old stone building forefronted a newer addition behind it, several people around laughing and talking or performing chores in front. It looked like a very open happy place, one that Molly felt couldn't possibly be where her brother would be if he were taken for exorcisms or spiritual cleansing.

"May I help you?"

Molly and her mother turned around, seeing a tall slim man in priest vestments smiling at them with bags in his hands, no doubt from town. It was difficult to even gauge an age from him at first glance; he looked young but had a definite air of years of wisdom about him.

Mrs. Ragno inclined her head. "Father," she greeted. "I am Bianca Ragno. This is my daughter, Molly." She took another somewhat disbelieving look around the open parish. "...we may have the wrong place -"

The priest laughed, the sound full of amusement and near-glee. "Oh no, Mrs. Ragno, you do not," he said, inclining his head to the door. "Please, come in." He made his way inside the parish, where he spoke quietly to someone and gave them the bags to run to the kitchen before gesturing for them to follow him around the side of the chapel to a door leading out to the hostel area. "Angelo! You have guests!"

Molly's breath stilled in her chest, seeing among the group performing chores a young man lift his head, long locks of cornsilk hair almost framing his face like a halo as he took a look at the priest and then behind him, dark blue eyes widening. He dropped the cloth he had been using to clean the windows and hurried over, eyes shining almost like jewels.