The carriage lurches to a harsh stop, almost sending me to the floor of the compartment.Without hesitation, Sister Grayvle pushes open the door.Both she and Father Knoll take my arms in their iron grips and pull me out into the pouring rain.Instantly, I am soaked to the bone.My robe clings to me, and dark hair falls into my eyes.
The only thing I can see is a crumbling building, the door nearly falling off the hinges.Apprehension makes me plant my feet.I thrash in their grips, refusing to move any further.If only I could escape them—make a break for it and finally?—
“Behave,” snarls Sister Grayvle.“This can always get worse.”
Her words find their mark, and I go limp.I have been trained to obey her commands, and no matter how much I want to fight, my body isn’t listening anymore.
Father Knoll huffs at my side but offers no other words.The scent of alcohol mixes with his body odor and nearly upends the contents of my stomach.I shake my head, focusing instead on where they are taking me.
As we approach, I realize this is no ordinary building.It is a church—one that has seen better days.It is a modest structure with a tall steeple pointing towards the gray sky.The windows are busted in, and the door hangs from rusty hinges.The steps are nearly completely rotten.
“Where are we?”I ask in a trembling voice.
“Silence,” Father Knoll snaps.
For the first time since we left on this journey, fear grips me tightly.My heart hammers painfully in my chest.The scent of wet grass and rotting foliage nearly chokes me.Darkness begins to cloud the edges of my vision.I do not know what awaits me inside.We are beyond the monastery walls.There are no rules here.I am completely at their mercy, and I’m frightened.
As much as I long for my freedom, them casting me out for my transgressions is not an option.They will not simply let me go.I am a ward of the One True Faith—their property.A runaway dog that needs to be reminded of who owns her.
“Please,” I whimper.“I’m—I’m sorry.Mercy, I beg.I’ll be good.Please!”
“Quiet!”Sister Grayvle roars.
Together, my two captors yank open the crumbling church doors and pull me inside the dilapidated structure.Once inside, the two whirl me in front of them.Father Knoll’s eyes are bloodshot.Raindrops glide along the deep grooves of his heavily jowled face.
“Your soul is polluted with sin, Sister Willow.You reek of it,” he spits.“Some time spent in Shadowveil Church should help remind you of your place.You will be remanded here for three days and be given no water, no food?—”
His eyes swirl with heat.In one fluid motion, he grips the front of my robe and yanks it off me.The threads snap easily.The fabric all but disintegrates in his hand.I scream as he bares my flesh to his lecherous gaze.A tremble starts in my hands that soon consumes my whole body.I try to cover myself, but Sister Grayvle holds my hands bound.
“No clothing of any kind,” he continues.“As humble as a beggar, maybe once you are reminded that you are nothing, you will be grateful to me for the life I’ve given you.You should think about that while spending your days and nights begging God for forgiveness.”
Sister Grayvle shoves me back.I stumble on an uneven floorboard and fall against an overturned pew.Her thin lips twist into a haughty grin.
“Whores deserve to be punished,” she sneers.
My chest feels tight as I watch her snatch up my robe and walk towards the open door.Father Knoll stares at me for a moment, his eyes licking over every inch of me.I can see him weighing the decision.Bile races up my throat as he takes one small step forward.
“Father!”Sister Grayvle calls.“Come before it’s dark.”
Father Knoll groans, licking his lips before slinking away.The danger he presents is still there.I can’t even bring myself to feel relief as the door slams shut.The light from outside is faint.It bathes the uneven wooden floorboards in pale yellow light.The ceiling above consists of decorative arches and stained glass.There’s a chill inside the church that makes me shiver from my place on the floor.
Any thoughts of escape are quickly squashed by the sound of nails being hammered against the door.The light drains as the gaps in the slats are mended by heavy planks of wood.Each slam of the hammer rattles through the barren church.With each nail struck, my punishment becomes all too real.
Sitting in the darkness, I will the stinging in my eyes to dissipate.There has to be another way out of here.
Still, even if I found it, I have no money, no allies.I am a woman—a naked woman—all alone in the world with no connections.I may be naive to life outside the monastery, but I am no fool.It would be ignorant to believe the only people I would run across in the neighboring town would have my best interests at heart.
Even still…I can’t just sit here.
Maybe there is something I can use to set myself free, and that will also double as a weapon.I have to try—at the very least, find something to protect myself in case Father Knoll decides to come back.
With a steady breath, I rise to my feet.This is an older church, like the one on the grounds of Thorncatcher.If I remember correctly, there should be living quarters for a few Sisters and a Blessed Father behind the altar.
In the dark, I have to focus on each step, careful not to trip over a forgotten candlestick or broken board.The last thing I need is to injure myself.The aisle finally begins to taper up towards the altar.Without thinking, I look up and immediately wish I hadn’t.
A scream rips from my lungs at the figure awaiting me at the center of the dais.A demon—straight from the pits of hell—stares back at me.A gargoyle is encased in marble.Its large maw is open, showing two rows of extra-sharp teeth.Its hands end in deadly claws and are extended forward as if to make a grab for me.Large wings, tipped with two sharp claws, strain from his muscular back.They fan out behind him as if in mid-flight.
I cannot stay here.Not with that thing present, I’ll take my chances back at Thorncatcher.With a scream still stinging my ears, I turn from the gruesome sight and run towards the door.Throwing myself onto it, I bang my fists against the unyielding wood.
