Fandom: Ghost Rating: Explicit Warnings: none for this chapter Relationships: Cardinal Copia x Female!Reader Additional Tags: one-sided enemies to lovers, eventual smut, dom!Copia, AU, witchcraft, no beta Chapter Word Count: 2137 Summary: After it's discovered you are a witch, you seek refuge at a satanic church. The strange Cardinal that let you inside didn't seem to like you even though you had no idea why. One thing you did know though, you wanted him to like you. Ao3 || Masterlist Chapters: 1/?
Chapter One
It was pouring as you ran through the inky moonless night. Your dress hem was clutched in your hand as you ran, boots pounding through wet leaves. You could hear the hoofbeats gaining on you, your only salvation being the difficult task of navigating through the trees. Your lungs burned as you leaped over a fallen log. Resting wasn’t an option if you wanted to live.
And you really wanted to live.
In the distance, you could see the glow of warm lights coming through windows. The small cathedral you were aiming for was just ahead. You’d be safe there, you were told. As you burst onto the grounds of the church, you let out a cry of relief. Just a little bit more to go.
“She’s going to the devil's church!” One of your pursuers yelled. “Get her before they let her in!”
You willed your legs to run faster, the hood of your cloak finally falling from your head, giving away your identity. You frantically pounded on the wood when you reached the massive oak doors. “Please! Please help! Please let me in!” You cried out as you looked over your shoulder. Four men on horseback holding torches were getting closer.
“Goddess, please don’t let me die,” you prayed, and as though your deity were listening, the doors swung open, and you were falling inside. You heard the horses' neighs and cries as their riders pulled them to a halt, and your hands made contact with the stone floor. You groaned as the doors began to close and thump shut.
You push yourself up onto your knees and look around. The atrium of the cathedral was large. The ceiling high above you seemed to disappear into the darkness, the light of the candles not reaching the top. Despite the coolness of the air outside and the stone enclosure, it was actually very warm and inviting. You then looked at the figure in front of you. There were two; a man and someone you thought might be a man, but you couldn’t tell. They could have been a demon with their black attire and silver horned mask. The man, though, was dressed in a black cassock and beret with the shape of a bat wing on top. He had a prominent nose and mismatched eyes, one green and one white, surrounded by black paint. A thin mustache sat neatly trimmed above his black-painted upper lip. He wasn’t what was considered conventionally attractive by society’s standards, but you thought he was quite handsome. He was looking down at you with a mix of curiosity, apprehension, and distrust.
“Welcome to the Ministry of the Unholy Ghost,” he said with an accented voice. “Normally, we’d have some formal introductions, but you were banging on the door for help, so I have to ask, who are you?”
You gave your name as you got to your feet and smoothed your dress out. “Thank you for letting me in. Someone told me this was a place I could take refuge.”
“I suppose it depends on why you need refuge,” the man said, his eyes roaming over you with scrutiny.
“I’m a witch,” she said. “I was outed by a man I thought I could trust after I refused to have sex with him. The witch hunters were sent after me, and if they catch me, I will be burned at the stake.”
“And why didn’t you go to your coven for help?” The man questioned.
“I couldn’t risk exposing them as well,” you said. “One of them told me of this place and said you’d shelter me.”
The man looked over you with an assessing gaze, as though he were trying to decide if you were telling the truth or not. You shifted almost nervously.
“We will shelter you,” he said after a moment. “I am Cardinal Copia. You may call me by that or just Cardinal, and this is Aether.” He gestured to the strange masked figure next to him. “Welcome to the Ministry.”
“Thank you,” you breathed.
“Come on,” Copia said. “Let’s get you warmed up, and I’ll have the kitchens bring you something to eat while I speak with our head of the Clergy. We’ll need to ask you some questions and find you a place to sleep.”
You nodded, your mind racing with a thousand questions as Copia beckoned you to follow him. He led you down a hall to an empty dining hall with a fire blazing in the hearth to warm it and candles hanging from a wrought iron chandelier to give it light. He gestured for you to sit. “I’ll have a ghoul bring you something, otherwise I will return in a moment.”
You nodded again, sitting down on a long bench at one of the two wooden tables as Copia turned his back to you and walked out of the dining hall. A minute later another silver masked figure was walking into the hall with a tray in their hands. They sat the tray down in front of you, and the aroma of stew wafted up to your nose.
“Thank you,” you said before dipping a hunk of bread into the stew and savoring the hearty flavor. The figure poured you a glass of water before nodding in acknowledgment and leaving. As you ate, your eyes flicked over to Aether who was standing near the fireplace watching you. She shivered in unease, not sensing a single sliver of humanness in them. Demons, definitely demons, you thought as you continued to eat the stew. You were surprised. It was a satanic church after all. They were known for their pact with demons. You had even met a few witches who worked with demons in their craft. It wasn’t something you ever explored. You much preferred to work with your goddess, Hecate, and the spirits of the natural world around you.
Just as you finished the stew, the cardinal returned, and this time he was with a man and an older woman. The man had black hair and the same mismatched eye color and shape as Copia. You assumed they were related somehow. His eyes were also surrounded by black paint as well as his upper lip. He wore black pants and a black button-down shirt and walked with a swagger that said he was the leader.
But you knew he wasn’t.
No, it was the woman who was the leader. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, and she had the same green eyes and nose as Copia. She wore dark-colored robes, and she held herself with grace and confidence. Her presence radiated power, and you knew this wasn’t someone to cross.
Copia said your name and gestured to the two new people. “Sister Imperator, head of the clergy, and Papa Emeritus the third, the current figurehead of the church.”
“Please, call me Terzo,” the other man said.
“The cardinal said you have come seeking refuge?” Sister Imperator questioned as she looked you over.
“Yes,” you answered, pushing your dishes to the side. “I was outed as a witch and am being hunted by the witch hunters.”
“And you didn’t want to expose more of your coven by going to them for help,” Sister Imperator assumed.
“Yes.”
“What kind of witch are you?”
“Eclectic,” you answered. “I practice with what resonates with me and what I’m drawn to and worship a singular deity, Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft and magic.”
“And you’re a real witch? Not one of those who travel town to town claim to predict the future and sell fake love potions?”
You knew the type of people she was talking about. You’ve seen those women come to your village calling themselves healers and tricking innocent people into giving up their hard-earned coin for fake remedies. You cupped your hands in front of you and reached down into yourself for a tiny kernel of magic, envisioning what you wanted them to see. A ball of purple flames formed in your hands. It was warm and pleasant, but if wielded with foul intentions, it would be deadly. You closed your fingers around the flames and disappeared as though they were never there. Sister Imperator looked satisfied. Over her shoulder, you caught sight of Terzo and Copia. Terzo looked impressed and Copia looked bored, like he had seen it all before.
“Very well,” Sister Imperator said. “You may stay as long as you want, but in exchange for sheltering you, I want you to work with the Cardinal and come up with a way to bolster the protections of this place. We don’t have any actual witches within the Ministry at this time and with the locals becoming restless with our presence here, we need to make sure this place remains untouched by those who mean us harm.”
“That sounds fair,” you agreed. You didn’t expect to stay there without having to pull your own weight.
“Excellent,” Sister Imperator smiled, clapping her hands together. “Very well. We have an empty room you may use and we’ll have a ghoul get your measurements so we can get you some clothes.”
“Thank you,” you responded.
“If you’re done eating, the cardinal will show you to your room.”
You nodded and without another word, Sister Imperator walked out of the dining hall with purpose in her step. You looked from the door to the two men in front of you.
“So, you’re a witch?” Terzo questioned. “Haven’t had one of you crawling to our doorstep before. I thought you all could take care of yourselves?”
“We can. I just trusted the wrong person,” you respond.
“Shame,” he said. “That person was an idiot then. Don’t worry, we’re trustworthy here…well mostly.”
You saw Copia roll his eyes and bit back a laugh. “Yes, he was an idiot,” you said as a wave of exhaustion hit you now that you were warm, fed, and no longer running for your life. “I think I’d like to go to bed now.”
“If you will follow me,” Copia said, making his way toward the entrance of the dining hall.
You got up and followed after him, trying to keep pace with him. “Thank you again,” you said as you drew up next to him. “I appreciate it.”
He said nothing as he led you down the hall and then up a set of stone stairs. He led you to a door at the very end of the corridor lit by candles. He opened the door to a dark room. “This will be yours. There is a shared bathing chamber two doors down. You will share it with the other women on this wing,” he said, stepping aside. “Meals are at eight, twelve, and six. Quiet hours are from ten at night to seven in the morning. In the morning, one of the female ghouls will come find you and fit you with clothes.”
You nod. “Thank you,” you said again despite his seemingly clipped tone. You were starting to get the feeling that he didn’t like you, and you couldn’t figure out why. “Sister Imperator said we’re to work together? When should we meet?”
“I will let you know,” he said, stepping back from her. “Until then, good night.” He turned, cassock swishing as he walked back down the corridor.
You watched him disappear around a corner before stepping into the dark room. With a speck of magic, you produced the purple ball of flames again to light your way. You saw a bed, a chest of drawers with handles atop it, and a vanity with a wash bowl with floral patterns. The large window overlooked the forest you had come from only an hour before. The room was surprisingly large, and you made a mental note to ask if you would be allowed to set up an altar in your room. You lit the candles on the dress with a spell, flooding the room with a warm glow. You were pleased to find bedding already on the bed and fresh water in the pitcher by the wash bowl. There were also clean towels in the top drawer of the dresser.
You stripped out of your dress and hung it over the footboard of the bed. In just your cotton chemise, you pulled back the covers and slid in between the cool sheets. You already missed your coven sisters and wondered if they were all safe. Your mind then turned to the strange Cardinal that allowed you entry into the church. You raked your mind, searching for something you said or did that might have offended Copia. For some reason, he just didn’t seem to like you. Any other time that wouldn’t have bothered you. You didn’t need a strange man to like you, even though you wanted him to...
