Path of Night

Raised, but soon burned, part I

I stayed at the Academy with Agatha and helped Prudence and Dorcas take care of her. I mean she was still pretty sore, all right that wasn't funny. Prudence and Dorcas had to go back to their classes and, since I still had two days off, I stayed with Agatha. I went to sleep alongside her, because I was really, really, really tired of everything. Prudence woke me up and said that father Blackwood has something to tell us so we all went to The desecrated church. The entire coven was there so I immediately knew that something was off.

"Brothers and sisters last night I witnessed an omen. A horrifying sign that can portend only one thing: the fires of the Abyss are being made ready. The Pit is yawning beneath us. The Dark Lord has seen our contemptible weakness. Our blatant disregard for which law and doctrine. And Satan, vengeful God that he is, plants to punish us!"

Ambrose entered the church with Luke yelling.

"Father Blackwood! It is not the Dark Lord's wrath that has come for us, it's the Greendale thirteen."

"We stumbled upon them in the woods last night. They were performing some kind of a ritual. A summoning spell." – Luke said.

"They bore into our minds. Bewitched us. We're only alive because they wanted us to deliver a message."

"What message, spit it out!"

"They've returned to visit death upon the town of Greendale. Last night, they rose to call forth their Crimson Avenger. Tonight, on the witching hour, he rides!"

"Who rides Ambrose? What are you talking about?" – Aunt Zelda asked.

"The red Angel of Death, Auntie. The Thirteen will knock down all the doors in town for him, and in his wake, the first-borns of Greendale, both mortal and which alike, will perish!"

"You've done well to bring this to as, Brother Ambrose, but if it is the wrath of the Thirteen and their messenger of Crimson Death we face, I, your high priest, will protect you."

"With all due respect, Your Excellency, and acknowledging that I'm excommunicated, protect us how?" – Aunt Hilda asked.

"The coven will gather within the walls of the academy. Fortified, bound by our combined impenetrable magics, we will stand together until the blood-red Horseman has passed through Greendale!"

Sabrina stood up and asked about Mortals, this time I supported her decision. As much as I hate to admit it, we need them. And they are kind of fun, especially when you can torture them. I sound like Prudence and The weird sisters right now.

"I don't understand. Why would the Greendale Thirteen be angry at us?"

"It's a bloody mess what happened to the Greendale Thirteen. The most ignoble chapter of the Church of Nights history." – Aunt Zelda started, but I continued.

"After the Witch Trials of Salem, all the witches in this part of the country were terrified. Mortals were identifying and arresting witches, including the original Thirteen, and while they sat in their cell the other witches met and decided that the Thirteen would be sacrificed to appease The Mortals bloodlust."

"While they were tortured and hung, the rest of the witches burned their poppets and buried their cauldrons. They were scapegoats to follow the rising witch hysteria. The coven could've come together to save the Thirteen, but they didn't." – Zelda said.

"So we're all descendants of the witches who turned their back on the Thirteen and let them die. No wonder they hate us."

"And Mortals who did the actual haunting." – Ambrose said.

We all agreed that it's for the best if we helped mortals, saved them. Aunt Hilda said that in case of a tornado, humans tend to gather in the basement of Baxter High. All we needed now was a tornado.

We took a map of Greendale and put a bowl of water on top of it. Each of us took one jar, except aunt Hilda, she went to her garden for some herbs.

Boreas, North Wind, I summon you.
Euros, East Wind, I summon you.
Notos, South Wind, I summon you.
Zephuros, West Wind, I summon you.

After a few minutes, we all heard a very loud wind starting to howl, and we knew the spell worked.

"Pray to Satan the mortals heed the warning"

We took our stuff and went to Baxter high. Sabrina left to warn Harvey and that girl, Susie, went to another friend of Sabrina. She came back 15 minutes before the witching hour. Thank Satan, she wasn't late, because, in this scenario, it is the matter of life and death. But everything is fine, there is time. We formed a circle and started chanting:

Qui affecto protego,
Mixtisque iubas serpentibus
et posteris meis stripiqu.

We said the spell a few times, and then aunt Zelda disappeared, heaven knows where. I mean, there are four of... Great. Now Ambrose is gone as well.

"Will the spell work if there is only three of us?" – Sabrina asked

"It's a bit dodgy, but if three of us pick up the slack and no one else disappears, it might." – Hilda said

I tried to focus, but of course, someone had to make an appearance. And no surprise, it was Mary Wardwell.

"The witches are getting stronger out there, I can sense it."

"It's only us three now"

"I am fading, love. I don't think I can hold out much longer."

"If you three can't maintain the spell, the Thirteen will throw open every door and window. The mortals will be unprotected when t..."

"Really, we didn't know." I said annoyed

They just ignored me, typical. Sabrina asked how we can stop them, and Wardwell said that there is a way, but I and Hilda need to hold the spell alone for some time. Of course, she has an idea, and of course, Sabrina has to go.

'You are really letting her go'

'Of course not!'

"Aunt Hilda, I think it's best if I go with Sabrina and..."

"And leave me alone. Bloody hell! Wardwell is with her!"

"And that is what worries me! Don't you find it weird that she always jumps out with ideas when it's most critical? Ideas no one thinks of?"

"Well, yes, bu.."

"No buts, please, I will be back as soon as I can."

"Alright love, but hurry."

"Thank you"

With that, I left running.