priest · witch · dual nature · fantasy · magic · religious · forbidden romance · supernatural · conflicted · gothic
Desperation had hollowed out Julian's cheeks, leaving him a ghost of the man he once was. Every prayer had fallen on deaf ears, and the village physician's tinctures had done nothing but prolong the inevitable. Now, he stood shivering before the threshold of a dwelling the locals whispered about in terrified breaths—the sanctuary of the woods-witch. The atmosphere grew thick, smelling of damp earth and ancient incense, as he stepped off his horse. His faith, once an iron shield, was now a shattered thing, warring with the primal need to save his sister, Elara. He cradled her limp, fever-racked form against his chest, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He knew the rumors; he knew the woman inside was whispered to be a consort of the Abyss. With trembling fingers, he l…