Chapter 8 - The Red Hood Cult
1257 Words
“Where red gathers, innocence has already been stolen.”
Julieta POV
“First, you need to understand something,” Freckles said firmly, tail flicking.
“You are a witch. And you must never, EVER tell a human. No matter what.”
I laughed nervously.
“Witches aren’t real.”
She ignored me. Of course she did.
“Then I’ll teach you to communicate with your spirit guides—your ancestors.”
A talking cat.
A talking cat lecturing me on spirit guides.
I officially lost it.
“Okay, Freckles… let me think for a second. This is surreal.”
“No, Julieta.” She hopped onto the desk, eyes glowing with seriousness.
“The Lunaris Realm already knows you exist. And so do the shadows. Hunters must NOT find out who you are. Two hundred years ago, humans wiped out our kind because we trusted them. Because we were the bridgesoul.”
“Bridgesoul?” I repeated.
“We weren’t just witches. We were human in flesh but blessed with gifts — able to communicate with the supernatural, humans, gods, spirits, and other realms. And yes… they hunted us.”
Freckles’ voice softened with pain.
“What do you mean ‘us’? Are you… a witch too?”
Freckles sighed deeply.
“Two hundred years ago, I lived as a witch. Back then, there were no separate realms. Witches kept the balance between humans and supernatural beings. The gods made us physical humans with spiritual power and holy souls.”
She paused, voice trembling.
“But humans fell to the shadows. Fear twisted them. Greed made them value power over humanity. They tried to force us to join them, but we couldn’t use our gifts for evil — or the gods would strip our power. So humans burned us. One by one. I was one of them.”
My throat tightened.
“But your soul—”
“Still here,” she nodded gently.
“Familiars are old souls with unfinished business. We guide witches when they awaken.”
I pulled her into my arms, hugging her tightly.
“I’m so sorry, Freckles.”
She purred softly against my chest.
A movement caught my eye.
Outside the window, people in red sweaters were leaving the building — lots of them. Neighbors I recognized from the hallway. All dressed the same. Walking the same direction.
“Freckles… what the hell?”
Her expression sharpened.
“Someone has a Book of Shadows.”
“What’s that?”
“A witch’s diary. Her entire life — spells, rituals, knowledge. If someone found one… and they’re wearing red like that… you’re living near a cult.”
Silence fell.
Then Freckles looked around.
“Julieta?”
She spun in circles in panic.
“Julieta? Where—”
I was already digging in my boxes.
“What are you doing?!” Freckles screeched.
“Looking for a red sweater.”
Found one.
Pulled it on.
Silent phone.
Keys.
Pepper spray—
Forgot it in Eric’s car. Damn it.
I headed to the door.
“JULIETA! THIS IS A BAD IDEA!” Freckles howled.
A baby appeared in front of the door — the ghost baby I saw days ago. His tiny arms opened, blocking the exit.
“He says it’s too dangerous,” Freckles translated.
“Why?” I whispered.
Freckles’ voice dropped.
“Those people… sacrificed him.”
I gasped.
A baby.
They killed a baby.
“Then that’s EXACTLY why I’m going,” I said.
I opened the door.
Freckles stayed behind — coward.
“Some familiar you are!” I snapped.
I waited until the crowd thinned, then followed, hood over my head.
They led to a basement in a neighboring building.
The door was open.
Dim lights flickered inside.
I slipped in, pretending to blend with the rest.
The room smelled like incense and rotten earth.
At the center was a chalked symbol glowing faintly with candles around it.
This is insane.
Like a horror movie… only real.
“Bring the traitor!” the man in the red cape commanded. His face was hidden.
From the shadows, two followers dragged a handcuffed man and threw him to the ground.
“You failed to kidnap her,” the caped man growled.
“You only hit her car, made her suspicious. You want fame? Money? You endangered ALL of us.”
“I—I can get her!” the prisoner begged. “She wasn’t alone! Give me one more day!”
“Well… my muerto already did his part.”
The man in the cape snapped his fingers.
Followers brought in a doll and set it in the center of the glowing symbol.
The prisoner screamed.
“No—NO! PLEASE!”
The doll’s mouth opened wide.
The followers forced the man closer, prying his mouth open.
The doll inhaled.
The man’s skin shriveled.
Wrinkled.
Turned gray.
Broke apart—
Until he collapsed into dust.
The symbol glowed brighter.
The doll grew… twisted… alive.
Then its head snapped toward me.
“Mother…” it whispered.
The crowd turned.
Oh hell no.
I stepped back.
“Don’t let her escape!” the caped man shouted.
I ran — but someone grabbed my ankle and dragged me down the stairs.
I screamed, kicking, clawing.
“Bring her!” the caped man ordered.
They dragged me to the doll.
Its eyes glowed blood-red.
“Mother… we have waited for you.”
“No!” I yelled.
Then I realized —
The doll looked like the baby from my apartment.
My stomach twisted.
“You used his corpse… you monsters! How dare you! He was an innocent baby!”
The doll’s voice warped.
“He summoned me with his cries for his mother. Through him, I found you. We waited for you to break the daylight… and bring the night again.”
“f**k you!” I spat.
The doll cried — then laughed wickedly.
It leaned toward my forehead.
“Mother… time to wake you up.”
It blew once—
Twice—
Just as it prepared for the third—
Freckles launched from the shadows, biting the doll’s face.
A howl shook the entire basement.
“FRECKLES?!” I gasped.
Shouts erupted.
People ran.
Candles toppled.
A flash of movement —
him.
The stranger from the bar.
Lucas.
He moved faster than anything human — his men with him, a blur of strength and violence.
He reached me in a heartbeat, grabbing me tight, his eyes burning into mine before pulling me against his chest.
“Julieta!” Freckles yelled.
“Break the symbol! Say: May the soul rest in peace and find its light!”
The caped man tried to escape with the doll, but one of Lucas’s warriors tackled him.
I ran to the doll, shaking.
“May the soul rest in peace and find its light!”
I blew across its face three times.
“Clear. Clear. Clear!”
The doll convulsed violently.
A large, dark shadow ripped free from its mouth and vanished into nothing.
The baby appeared — smiling softly — then bowed and faded out of existence.
Two white shadows materialized next, revealing their true forms as nymphs, blowing silver dust that made all the followers collapse unconscious.
I let out a trembling breath.
My vision blurred.
Warm arms caught me as I fell.
Lucas held me, lifting me into his arms like I weighed nothing.
“You’re safe,” he murmured, voice low, deep, protective.
“With me.”
And then everything went dark.
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