The Witch's Love ( Book I of The Witch Duology )

Epilogue: Virtue And Vice

I walked down the corridor alone. My footsteps were the only sound I heard. The Church was empty and it struck eight in the evening. There were paintings that depicted scenes from Bible verses that hung on the caramel painted walls beside me. The maroon carpet was soft and little chandeliers hung above me, spaced with perfect equal gap.

The Hazelwood Church reflected sanctity and discipline in every piece of brick that it was made of.

Before he took us to meet Father Xavier, James made sure we looked like civilized people and not running Barbarians. The meeting at the Church court went down easily. Short and smooth. In the presence of all the priests and the senior Fathers of the Church, it was made clear that Irina was not a witch in real. Proper evidence was given as James and I stood strong witnesses, including Alfred's unawareness of any activity of witchcraft or black magic. The plague was already proved to be a natural epidemic.

Father Xavier, quite trying to keep a balance, made it sure that it was announced. If later anywhere, anytime there was found hints of evil practices and those were directed from Irina, who in spite of belonging from a witch's family is being spared, of course, she had to face the required punishment. I didn't hesitate to chuckle at that. The law and belief of the witch's awakening prevailed.

Now, as I reached Father Xavier's meeting room at the end of the corridor, I inhaled nervously. Two guards stood still like statues beside the rosewood door, one on each side. I wondered what had made Father to tread towards me after the trial was over and whisper in my ears to come and meet him. I slowly removed the gap between the entrance and myself and touched the knob. Probably he wanted to teach me some lessons that--

I jumped when out of nowhere James opened the door from inside and stood right in front of me.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, still suffering from the sudden quick gesture.

The smile was already there on his face, "Oh! You here finally! Father has been waiting for quite a minute and since you weren't showing your face he asked me to go and find you." He rambled and moved back to make space for me.

I entered and closed the door behind me, "Yeah I just sent Irina home in the carriage."

He nodded merely.

The room I was standing in now looked very similar to the one I had seen in the dream Irina had showed me. That chandelier that had lighted candles overhead, the fresco of Jesus, Mary and David, those green-tinted windows. Only the furniture was changed. It now looked better, however. And of course, there was no tension prevailing in the air.

Hearing us enter and talk, Father Xavier replaced a book back on the shelf and turned back to us. He smiled slightly and removed his glasses.

"Chris! I was waiting for you." He said unnecessarily.

I gave a tightlipped smile, "I know. What do you want me to do?"

"Want you to do." He repeated and walked round the table so that we could stand face-to-face with me. "I think you've already done what you should have without me ordering you."

My eyebrows pulled together, "I don't understand, Father."

"You will. Let me tell you a something. Yesterday, when you rambled on the evidences and proofs that Irina was not what we thought of her, when you dared to hurt yourself..." He shook his head suddenly, "I would not use 'hurt'. It was quite evident in your eyes that you could even..." He hesitated slightly, "...kill yourself if you failed to convince us."

I quietly looked at blank space from the corner of my eyes. I don't recall, neither did I feel anything what was going on in my head at that time. All I knew then that I had to prove them somehow, anyhow.