time."
Timothy wiped the tear.
Evelyn wailed behind the door.
"I will tend to
her." Aunt Mae laid a hand on Timothy and Kit's shoulders. "There are
hot cinnamon rolls in the kitchen. You both deserve a good nap after all that
too. Off with you now."
"Ooh. I've never
had cinnamon rolls. What are they? They sound good." Kit rubbed her hands
together.
As Aunt Mae entered the
chamber, Timothy glanced inside his mother's room. She still scrubbed at the
floor with her worn rag.
Not even time can touch
some things.
"Watch her
dress." The man's breath tickled Sister Tera's ear. Timothy and the
red-haired girl walked down the hall.
The scar on the man's
cheek pulled her gaze too much. Tera tore her eyes away and followed the man's
finger.
What was she thinking?
She was a nun. She felt the hard whitewashed stone beneath her fingers as she
leaned around the adjoining hall.
"I've never had
cinnamon rolls. What are they?" The redhead asked.
Timothy kept silent.
"No need to be
pouty, Timmy. You were not the one who had her hair pulled."
Tera glanced at the man
beside her. He nodded. She turned back to the hall.
The girl continued to
natter. Did her head scarf just move? "Hey. That smells nice. Is that the
cinnamon roll thingie?"
"Yes, it is a
sweet. One of my favorites actually," Timothy said.
Tera's breath caught.
The redhead's skirt flapped and revealed what looked to be a red tail tipped
with white.
"I like
sweets!" Yes, it was a tail!
"That doesn't
surprise me," Timothy said.
Tera turned, and the
man's small amulet caught the light. The sister knew what the symbol meant. A
cross flanked by a sword and a branch could only mean one thing: this man was a
member of the Holy Inquisition.
"It is as you
said," she whispered. "I saw a tail. It was red and had white on its
tip."
"She is the demon
I hunt. I need your help, sister. I do not want violence to come to this house
of God."
"I will do
whatever I can to help you, Inquisitor Tahd." Sister Tera swallowed her
excitement, her voice quivering with it. A young nun in a faraway abbey
actually doing something vital for the Church! She wondered if she was going to
wake up to find this a dream.
"What do you want
me to do?"
"Watch. We have to
let the prey think itself safe," the Inquisitor said.
"I won't let this
demon corrupt the abbey. Everyone needs to know!" Tera shifted to stalk
away.
Tahd's hand clamped her
shoulder. His smile lacked mirth. "A good sentiment, but letting everyone
know will chase off the demon. Do you want it to corrupt a village? Your
sisters are safe. There is no place better to stop a demon."
"I hadn't
thought…Oh, I'm sorry. You must be tired after such a long journey. Let me show
you to your room." Tera led the man away, struggling to walk with the
grace becoming of a nun. She wanted to jump and sing. To think, she found the
purpose she dreamed about in this out-of-the-way abbey.
Nothing ever happened
here, outside of farmers taking shelter after a storm last summer. Tera
supposed most abbeys were boring, but a nun could still do more than a wife. If
she didn't leave her home, she would likely live in a hut with a baby on her
hip by now. What could be more important than stopping a demon from threatening
people? The memory of that tail sent chills through her. Only demons had tails.
God granted prayers in odd ways. The rough man behind her had to be a gift from
heaven itself.
Tera found herself
facing a door and reined her galloping thoughts. "H…here it is." She
pushed open the door.
Sister Grace
straightened. The old nun gestured at a copper tray. "Ah! There you are. I
left some hot stew. Stew is good on a chilly day. If you need anything—"
"I will be
fine," Tahd said. "Thank you, sister." He slipped past Sister
Grace. The two nuns left the man to his dinner.
"Did you
see?" Tera asked.
"See what,
child?" Sister Grace flowed down the hall. Tera had to slow her feet to
keep pace.
"He is an
Inquisitor!"
"Hmm? And you
Timothy wiped the tear.
Evelyn wailed behind the door.
"I will tend to
her." Aunt Mae laid a hand on Timothy and Kit's shoulders. "There are
hot cinnamon rolls in the kitchen. You both deserve a good nap after all that
too. Off with you now."
"Ooh. I've never
had cinnamon rolls. What are they? They sound good." Kit rubbed her hands
together.
As Aunt Mae entered the
chamber, Timothy glanced inside his mother's room. She still scrubbed at the
floor with her worn rag.
Not even time can touch
some things.
"Watch her
dress." The man's breath tickled Sister Tera's ear. Timothy and the
red-haired girl walked down the hall.
The scar on the man's
cheek pulled her gaze too much. Tera tore her eyes away and followed the man's
finger.
What was she thinking?
She was a nun. She felt the hard whitewashed stone beneath her fingers as she
leaned around the adjoining hall.
"I've never had
cinnamon rolls. What are they?" The redhead asked.
Timothy kept silent.
"No need to be
pouty, Timmy. You were not the one who had her hair pulled."
Tera glanced at the man
beside her. He nodded. She turned back to the hall.
The girl continued to
natter. Did her head scarf just move? "Hey. That smells nice. Is that the
cinnamon roll thingie?"
"Yes, it is a
sweet. One of my favorites actually," Timothy said.
Tera's breath caught.
The redhead's skirt flapped and revealed what looked to be a red tail tipped
with white.
"I like
sweets!" Yes, it was a tail!
"That doesn't
surprise me," Timothy said.
Tera turned, and the
man's small amulet caught the light. The sister knew what the symbol meant. A
cross flanked by a sword and a branch could only mean one thing: this man was a
member of the Holy Inquisition.
"It is as you
said," she whispered. "I saw a tail. It was red and had white on its
tip."
"She is the demon
I hunt. I need your help, sister. I do not want violence to come to this house
of God."
"I will do
whatever I can to help you, Inquisitor Tahd." Sister Tera swallowed her
excitement, her voice quivering with it. A young nun in a faraway abbey
actually doing something vital for the Church! She wondered if she was going to
wake up to find this a dream.
"What do you want
me to do?"
"Watch. We have to
let the prey think itself safe," the Inquisitor said.
"I won't let this
demon corrupt the abbey. Everyone needs to know!" Tera shifted to stalk
away.
Tahd's hand clamped her
shoulder. His smile lacked mirth. "A good sentiment, but letting everyone
know will chase off the demon. Do you want it to corrupt a village? Your
sisters are safe. There is no place better to stop a demon."
"I hadn't
thought…Oh, I'm sorry. You must be tired after such a long journey. Let me show
you to your room." Tera led the man away, struggling to walk with the
grace becoming of a nun. She wanted to jump and sing. To think, she found the
purpose she dreamed about in this out-of-the-way abbey.
Nothing ever happened
here, outside of farmers taking shelter after a storm last summer. Tera
supposed most abbeys were boring, but a nun could still do more than a wife. If
she didn't leave her home, she would likely live in a hut with a baby on her
hip by now. What could be more important than stopping a demon from threatening
people? The memory of that tail sent chills through her. Only demons had tails.
God granted prayers in odd ways. The rough man behind her had to be a gift from
heaven itself.
Tera found herself
facing a door and reined her galloping thoughts. "H…here it is." She
pushed open the door.
Sister Grace
straightened. The old nun gestured at a copper tray. "Ah! There you are. I
left some hot stew. Stew is good on a chilly day. If you need anything—"
"I will be
fine," Tahd said. "Thank you, sister." He slipped past Sister
Grace. The two nuns left the man to his dinner.
"Did you
see?" Tera asked.
"See what,
child?" Sister Grace flowed down the hall. Tera had to slow her feet to
keep pace.
"He is an
Inquisitor!"
"Hmm? And you
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