WITCH - ARA

Twenty six

I lay back in my bed, a smile creeping across my face as I traced my fingers over the places Keith had touched. The ache between my legs was a reminder of everything that happened between us. It wasn’t pain; it was the thrill of knowing my dreams had finally become real. I had wanted it, every second of it, and the memory was enough to make my heart race all over again.

Just as I was reliving every moment, a knock at the door pulled me back to reality. I quickly straightened up, smoothing down my clothes before getting up to answer it.

Aiden stood there, his eyes sharp with questions. "Blaze, we need to talk. What happened? Where’s Ava?" he demanded, his voice filled with urgency.

I let out a sigh, feeling a mix of annoyance and resignation. "You can’t just show up and start demanding answers from me, Aiden. Where have you even been?"

He blinked, taken aback, his expression softening slightly. "I know... I should’ve been here earlier. But I’m here now, and I need to know what’s going on."

I calmed down, realizing he was genuinely worried. "Look, it’s complicated. And honestly, I don’t understand everything that’s happening either. But the one thing I do know is that I need to find Ava. If you’re here to help, great. If not, you can go back to Liverpool and stop demanding explanations from me."

Aiden’s face softened further, and he nodded. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push you."

I shrugged, feeling a bit guilty for snapping at him. "It’s fine. I’ll tell you what I know." I gestured for him to come inside, and we sat down. "Silas... she went into the woods for some paranormal research. You know her job, right? She was determined to figure out what happened to Ava."

I paused, making sure he was following. He nodded, focused on every word.

"We found her dead. But as for Ava... we don’t have any clue where she could be. That’s all I know for now." I kept my voice steady, careful not to reveal anything about me being a witch or the spirits. Those were secrets I wasn’t ready to share.

Aiden nodded slowly. "I understand. You’ve been dealing with a lot."

I nodded, relieved that he was backing off. "Yeah, but we’ll figure it out."

We sat in silence, a quiet understanding between us. For the first time in a while, I felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, with Aiden’s help, we could finally get to the bottom of this and bring Ava back

Aiden leaned back, his gaze fixed on me. “By the way, who is Keith? I’ve never seen him before when I was here.”

I hesitated, feeling a rush of heat as Keith’s name alone sent a shiver down my spine. I quickly tried to brush off the feeling. “He’s... he’s a fallen priest. He’s helping us with Silas’s case, and now he’s trying to help find Ava too. He’s a really good person.”

Aiden raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. “He doesn’t look like it, though. And the way he acted at the café—possessive, almost—it was strange. Maybe he has a thing for you?”

I forced a laugh, waving it off. “No, he’s just protective. That’s all.” I tried to sound casual, even though just thinking about Keith made it hard to keep my composure.

Aiden didn’t press further, thankfully. “So, did you print Ava’s image and stick it everywhere we know, with her details? The police won’t do that; we can’t rely on them.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I thought of that too.”

Aiden gave a small smile. “It’s all taken care of.”

Relief washed over me. At least we were taking action, trying to do something rather than feeling helpless. "Thanks, Aiden. I appreciate it."

"Of course," he said. "Now, let’s get to work and find her."

Together, we began mapping out the places we’d check next, determined to uncover any clue that could lead us to Ava. I felt a sense of purpose, and for the first time in days, a flicker of hope that maybe we’d find her and bring her back home.