WITCH - ARA

Fifteen

As I trudged up the steps to my porch, my muscles screamed in protest. Every inch of me ached from the hours I’d spent in the library, rearranging those damn new arrival books. Mitchell was useless as ever, glued to her phone and texting her boyfriend all day. My head throbbed with annoyance just thinking about it.

But all thoughts of Mitchell evaporated when I noticed something on my porch—a figure sitting with its hair loose, shrouded in the dim light. My heart leapt into my throat. My first instinct was to yell, so I did. “Who the hell is there?”

The figure jerked up, and as it turned towards me, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Ava? What the—what are you doing here?”

Ava stood, rubbing her eyes like she’d been crying. “Blaze, I’m sorry to just drop by like this, but I had to see you. I found someone who can help us.”

The exhaustion clung to me like a second skin, but curiosity and concern pushed through. “Help us? With what?”

“I asked around, and my classmate Ethan told me about this priest—well, fallen priest. He thinks this guy might be able to help us figure out what happened to Silas.”

A fallen priest? My stomach churned at the thought of meeting any priest, fallen or not. It wasn’t like I could just blurt out, *Hey, by the way, I’m a witch that's why Silas died,* and expect everything to go smoothly. But saying no outright? That would definitely raise Ava’s suspicions. I couldn’t afford that.

“Ava, I don’t know…” I began, trying to find the right words that wouldn’t give me away. “I’m not sure if this is a good idea.”

Ava’s eyes pleaded with me. “I know, Blaze, but this one’s different. He’s not your typical priest—he’s fallen, remember? If anyone understands being on the outside of things, it’s him. And besides, we don’t even know what he did to fall.”

I bit my lip, weighing my options. If this guy was truly fallen, maybe he wouldn’t be too quick to judge someone like me. And Ava was desperate; I could see that. If I refused now, she’d definitely start asking questions I wasn’t ready to answer.

“Alright, fine,” I sighed. “But we can’t go now. It’s already late.”

Ava wasn’t having it. “Blaze, please. We need to do this now. Who knows when we’ll get another chance like this?”

I hesitated, feeling that familiar unease settle in my gut. But she was right—we had to find out what happened to Silas. And if this fallen priest was our best shot…

“Okay,” I finally agreed. “Let’s go. But I’m telling you now, if this guy gives me any weird vibes, we’re out of there.”

Ava nodded quickly, relief washing over her face. “Deal.”

As we drove through the deserted streets of Ashbourne, the sight of the old chapel looming in the distance filled me with dread. The building was worn and crumbling, tucked away in a forgotten corner of the city where the streetlights barely reached. The night air felt heavy, as if it carried the weight of something ominous.

When Ava and I stepped out of the car, I couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that settled in my chest. The chapel stood tall and imposing, its stone walls dark and weathered. The windows were clouded and dusty, hiding whatever was inside. There were no bushes or trees around the entrance—just an empty, barren path leading to a heavy wooden door that creaked as we pushed it open.

Inside, the chapel was dimly lit. The air smelled of dampness and neglect. The pews were lined up in perfect rows, but most were covered in dust. The only light came from the main hall, where the altar stood, illuminated by a few flickering bulbs. The walls felt like they were closing in on us, the shadows stretching long and dark across the floor.