Page 45 of Heart of a Witch
We walked out into the matte-black night, then into our waiting carriage. An oil lamp inside the carriage flickered as we traveled along a bumpy road, toward the little church of Redforest.
I grimaced at the sign when I stepped out of the carriage. Redforest – May Zerheus Bless Our Town. Witches Be Warned.
Someone had added to it since we arrived. I assumed Damian was responsible.
Cas stepped up to my side. “I’m going to greet Maria Montague.”
“Do what you must.”
“Can you keep it together?”
I bared my teeth. “Stop. I’m fine.”
“You could’ve fooled me. Keep an eye on her, Eva.”
I reminded myself to use their aliases. One slipup could cost us greatly. Perhaps I should have been using their aliases at home, so I could get used to them. I tucked away the idea for later when I saw the back of a blond head.
He turned, and the oil lamp hanging over the doorway to the church flickered light to one side of his face. His pointed, glacier-blue eyes focused on whomever he was talking to. He shoved his hands in the deep pockets of his gray coat, nodding as he and the other man conversed, but there was something different about seeing him now. His shoulders were tensed, his jawline hardened.
Trailing my gaze over his face, I saw his father, and my stomach dipped. Every time I saw him, he reminded me of that night, of a face warped with anger as Damian held the heart of my sister, ripping her soul from this world as if she had been nothing.
“Tori,” Alex whispered, gently touching my balled fist. “We don’t have to go in. Cas can manage.”
“No.” I exhaled slowly. “Let us go in.”
We stepped forward, and Elijah flicked a glance in our direction when we passed, then looked back once he realized who I was. Patting the man on the shoulder, he excused himself and walked in our direction.
He stopped a few feet ahead of me, and I noticed eyes on us. “Good evening, Miss Weathermore, and the younger.” He glanced at Alex. “How’s your day been?”
My nose wrinkled as I reined in my annoyance. He was acting as if turning me away this morning was nothing. Had I been too nice to him? I saw him in the club that night with those women. He wanted a challenge, and I had failed.
“Mr. Shaw.” I turned on my heel. “Excuse us. We must find our brother.” Grabbing Alex’s hand, I pulled her with me into the crowd lingering outside before he could say anything else.
She stopped me once we were out of earshot from anyone. “What was that? I thought you were trying to win him over?”
“I am.” I gritted my teeth. “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course you do.”
I nudged her. “Where is Cas?”
She looked around. “Must be inside already.”
“Okay. Follow me.”
She grinned. “Good. We can test if you really will burst into flames.”
My eyes widened, glittering with anticipation. “I’d love to see their god try.”
She smirked. “So would I.”
We were the last to walk inside. The outside gave no justice to the interior, where stone walls were nothing without the fractures of light falling through stained-glass windows depicting scenes of gods, angels, and goddesses. Rich tapestries were draped behind the altar. At the entrance, two pillars of rock narrowed toward the hundreds of wooden chairs standing on an uneven stone. Two veiled women stood on either side of the walkway leading to the altar. Both bowed their heads, not looking through the white, thin net.
“It’s impressive,” Alex admitted, lifting the skirts of her dress and sitting on a chair two spaces into the left side. “If not a little dramatic.”
From a distance, Cas spotted me, sitting at the front with the wives of important men to the church. He winked and turned his attention back to the front.
That was when I saw him. He appeared, robed in red, the colors only worn during sermons, or so I had heard. I’d never bothered going into one of their churches before today.
