Page 24 of Where the Dark Knelt (Worshipped by Darkness #1)

Chapter Fifteen

Eveline

I was looking for my boy-cat again. He’d run away today, and after dinner he was nowhere to be seen – not even on the beach by the ocean, where he usually liked to wander at sunset.

I searched the entire monastery grounds, every nook and courtyard, except for the forest. Finally, I decided to go there, because today…

I especially needed to see him. To talk to him.

To pet him. To feel his warmth against my trembling fingers… I needed him more than ever.

Fresh footprints on the soft ground led deep the forest. I thought perhaps they were his – tiny paw prints, though they were mixed with some deeper impressions I couldn’t identify.

With the piece of food I’d wrapped in a napkin just for him, I stepped into the shadows beneath the pine trees.

The sun was still casting its last rays across the earth, staining the path gold and crimson, so I had time to search before darkness swallowed the forest entirely.

“And where did you run off to, Di, cmon buddy… I need you so much today…” I whispered into the cooling breeze as I followed the tracks.

Maybe they were old, but it was worth the try.

I called out softly, “ps, ps, ps,” but the only reply was silence.

The dry pine needles crunched under my sandals, some pricking my feet, their faint pain grounding me in this lonely pursuit.

Deeper into the forest I went, until I noticed a glow ahead – faint light and curling smoke rising between the trees.

My heart quickened. Was someone here? All visitors to the monastery left by six, and today was a weekday…

no one should have been here. I stepped carefully towards the flickering light, straining to hear.

A woman’s voice reached me, humming a melody so hauntingly beautiful that it froze me in place for a moment.

There was no accompaniment, no distant lute or flute, just her voice alone weaving through the trees.

Maybe it was one of the sisters, I thought, wanting to be alone with God and nature. Though, truthfully, I would never choose the forest for solitude, the stone benches overlooking the ocean suited me better or the beach itself. Still, it wasn’t my business.

I stepped closer. Her song grew clearer, more alluring, curling around my chest like warm smoke. There was something about her voice, not just beautiful, but arresting, otherworldly, as if a siren had wandered onto the earth to sing to lost souls.

And then, as I approached the clearing and the glow of her small fire illuminated her face, she opened her eyes – bright green eyes, so luminous they almost glowed in the dusk. My breath caught in my throat. Her eyes… they were almost the same as Di’s!

And there, nestled calmly in her lap, purring as if he belonged to her and always had… was my cat Di.

“Di!” I exclaimed, rushing forward to grab my cat, but he didn’t want to jump out of the woman’s arms. She held him easily, almost lazily, her slender fingers stroking his head as he purred contentedly against her chest.

She was wearing a white dress with long sleeves that pooled delicately at her wrists, and over her head was a large hood that shadowed most of her face. But beneath it, I could glimpse bright cherry-colored hair, perfectly styled despite the forest wind, framing the edges of her porcelain cheeks.

“Who are you?” she asked calmly, raising her eyebrows as if amused by my intrusion. Her voice was melodic and smooth, with an undertone of quiet authority. She continued stroking Di, her green eyes glinting in the fading dusk.

“I… I’m Eveline,” I stammered, unable to tear my gaze away from her. “A nun from the Monastery of Saint Marie. And you… what are you doing in the forest at dusk?”

“Can I ask you the same question, nun?” she countered, her lips curving into a soft smile. “Or did you lose your way to the monastery and get lost? If that’s the case, I can point you back.”

I shook my head quickly, glancing down at the small fire burning between us.

Around it, strange symbols were etched into the dirt, neither runes nor ancient script, but odd geometric shapes and curling hieroglyphs.

Ashes, herbs, and melted candles were arranged in an intricate pattern I didn’t understand.

“Curious, aren’t you?” she chuckled, noticing my staring. At that moment, Di leapt gracefully from her arms and rubbed against my ankles, meowing for the food I carried. I bent down, clutching him to my chest, his warmth grounding me as my pulse raced.

“Hm… interesting…” she murmured, her eyes lingering on the cat with an unreadable glint.

“I… what’s interesting?” I managed, tightening my hold on Di as he purred loudly against my robes.

She tilted her head, her hood shifting to reveal more of her flawless features. “I wanted to ask you… why are you looking at my magic attributes like that? Are you practicing too?”

“I… no, no… it’s not…” The words tumbled out half-formed. Practicing? Magic? What was she talking about? In my world, magic was nothing but forbidden tales, the stuff of dangerous superstition. My throat went dry. “It’s contrary to my religion, yes…” I whispered, taking a step back, “…I know.”

She smiled again, this time with a flicker of condescension. “But we go hand in hand, you know. I often help those in need… even if they refuse to understand what real help is.”

“I…” I wanted to say something, to rebuke her or defend my beliefs, but I didn’t even know what I felt in that moment. My chest ached with confusion and fear. How could she use magic to help people? Magic in this world was just… illusions, darkness, deception… wasn’t it?

I swallowed hard, my gaze darting to the symbols, the burning herbs, the shadows shifting behind her. I have to leave, I thought, panic fluttering in my stomach. I shouldn’t be here… who knows what rituals she’s performing, or what she wants from me…

She laughed softly, a sound like wind chimes in a storm. “Don’t be so afraid,” she said, flicking her fingers dismissively. “I wasn’t going to sacrifice the cat.”

My shoulders sagged with sudden relief, though my heart still pounded. “Well… thank God,” I breathed, clutching Di tighter against me, his little body vibrating with purrs as if mocking my fear.

“I wouldn’t want to have trouble with demons, you know,” the cherry girl said casually, her voice floating among the pines like a teasing wind.

“Demons?” I repeated, frowning as I shifted Di in my arms, inspecting him quickly. He looked perfectly clean, his fur warm with the smell of faint smoke. He gazed up at me with half-lidded eyes, purring softly, almost smiling, as if mocking my confusion.

“What does the cat have to do with demons, may I ask?” I pressed, clutching him tighter.

She tilted her head, green eyes glowing in the flickering firelight.

“It’s not just a cat…” She drew out the words, tasting each syllable with amusement.

“It’s a demonic cat. But it’s nobody’s… so far.

Hmmm…” She narrowed her eyes at Di, considering him as though examining a rare artifact. “…That’s also quite fascinating.”

“It’s mine.” The words slipped out through gritted teeth before I could stop them.

She laughed, a light, tinkling sound that set my nerves further on edge. “It might be yours… but you’re not joined by souls, I mean, honey.”

“Joined by souls… with a cat?” I echoed, eyebrows shooting up. What was wrong with her? Was she mad, raving about demons and soul bonds in the middle of the woods?

She shook her head slowly, still smiling in that unnervingly serene way. My questions began to swirl, rising like a whirlwind in my chest. Demonic cat… soul bond… what does it all mean?

“It’s not just a cat, I’ll tell you that,” she continued in a low, almost conspiratorial whisper.

“His energy… it’s very unique. Be careful with him.

” She winked and turned away, approaching her campfire again and whispering strange words under her breath, her long white sleeves brushing against the symbols etched into the dirt.

That was my cue to leave. I backed away, clutching Di to my chest as his tail curled sleepily around my wrist. Enough, I thought, I already have enough problems without witches in the forest.

I had always known witches existed in the world, though I’d never met one up close.

I thought their craft was something forbidden, something sacred and dangerous, reserved for other women…

not for someone like me. Magic was nothing but illusions, old folk tales meant to scare children into obedience… wasn’t it?

But this woman… everything about her felt wrong, like she wasn’t fully of this world, her soul flickering somewhere far away, only half tethered to her body before me. It was as if she existed in another dimension altogether, her words echoing in my mind long after she stopped speaking.

When she spoke of soul energies… I felt something in me resonate, a pull deep in my chest that frightened me more than any witchcraft ever could.

I looked down at Di, who had curled up in my arms, his eyes already closed, purring softly in blissful sleep.

My path back to the monastery felt oddly easy, as if someone guided my feet along the needle-strewn forest floor.

I didn’t even have to think about where I stepped; the way seemed carved out for me, leading me straight home.

Who was she? I wondered as the monastery walls came into view, glowing gold in the torchlight. Do witches really exist like this? And if so… what else exists that I’ve never been allowed to know?

That night, I fell asleep almost instantly, Di nestled in the crook of my arm.

I didn’t cry. I didn’t feel empty. It was as if he had absorbed every drop of my sadness into himself, sacrificing his own energy to cleanse mine.

But he looked so peaceful, so content, that I let him sleep without worry.

In the morning, though… he was gone again.

Part Two

When the heart is open

Love answers.