Pray For Me, Then Kiss me

CHAPTER 1 Title: The Boy Who Smelled Like Ash The first time Father Elias touched me, I stopped breathing. Not because I was scared. Because for 200 years, no holy hand had been able to touch me without burning. But his hands were cold. And they didn’t burn. "Son, you’re shaking," he whispered. His voice sounded like Sunday morning. Like forgiveness I didn’t deserve. "What’s your name?" I lied. "Ash." Because that’s what I leave behind. Ash and ruined churches. I came to St. Michael’s with one job: break the priest. Break his faith, break his city, and go home. Shadows don’t fall in love. That’s the first rule. But then he prayed over me. "Lord, heal this boy," he said, and his palm pressed to my chest. Light poured out of him. Gold, warm, impossible. It sank into the crack in my chest where my heart should be. And for one second... I felt human. That’s when I knew I was in trouble. Because Shadows aren’t supposed to want to be human. And priests aren’t supposed to look at sin the way he was looking at me. Like I was something to save. "Come back tomorrow," Father Elias said as I ran out. "We’ll pray again." I nodded. Even though I knew if he touched me again, one of us wouldn’t walk out holy. --- To be continued...