Dealing with her rumbling stomach will be the perfect place to start.
3
WILLOW
Despite my best efforts, sleep does not find me.
The small cot was comfortable, far more so than any of the beds at Thorncatcher Monastery.The scent of damp wasn’t too unpleasant.Even the thin pillow supported my head just fine.My mind was the real issue.It wouldn’t stop racing no matter how much my body longed for sleep.
I haven’t determined if my new situation is worse than my last.The monastery was not without its stifling rules, presided over by the odious Father Knoll.Here, at least, I am free from that monster, but now faced with one of a different ilk.
For three days, I’ll be trapped here with that thing.No, not athing, I silently chastise myself,Baezal.He is to be my only companion for the foreseeable future.I should start thinking of him more charitably.
He said he would not hurt me, and I desperately want to believe him.
The only knowledge I have of his kind is what the Faith taught us.It was said they were demons, ones that preyed upon the flesh of virgin Sisters—defiling and devouring them.It was only when the True Blessed Father was able to encase them in stone that we were finally free from their treachery.Their stone bodies were put up in churches as a reminder to all parishioners of the dangers that lurked outside the One True Faith.
To stray from the church was to invite demons into your bed.
However, Baezal did not act like a demon.He’s shown me more kindness in the last hour than Sister Grayvle ever has.He gave me a covering and led me down here to sleep.Baezal did not protest when I locked the door, though that flimsy lock would hardly stop him if he wanted to come in here.
He had magic—that was taught to us in the stories, and I tasted metal the moment I came down here.I can only pray he was using it for a benevolent cause.
Still, the simple fact remains that the moment he was freed from his stone prison, he had been kind to me.Baezal had even made vows of protection.That had to mean something.He did not seem bound to this place in any way.If he could escape this church, maybe I could ask him to take me with him.
A wicked thought blooms.
What if I did leave this church with Baezal?What if, in three days' time, Father Knoll returns and I am long gone from here?I would have to forsake the Faith.That idea normally gave me pause in the past.While I had no family to speak of, all I’ve ever known is life as a Sister.Even if I haven’t felt connected to my prayers in years, can I really leave it all behind?
What will I become if I stay here?Father Knoll will surely harm me.It’s a miracle I haven’t fallen victim to him yet.There are others I am not sure could say the same, and my heart breaks for them.
No, I cannot go back.
I will be brave like the heroes in my books.When I see Baezal again, I will ask him to take me from this place.God willing, he is sympathetic to my plight.
While he may not be the rugged knight I had envisioned as my rescuer, he could very well still be.An odd flush breaks out along my skin when I think of him.He should be repulsive to me.The gray skin and scales—the wings—all parts of his blasphemous form.Yet his face is handsome.The admission steals my breath.
His hair looks as soft as black silk, and my fingers itch to shift through it.
Not to mention the muscles of his chest and stomach.God spare me, he may have been hewn from the marble he was once trapped in.I wonder what those ridges would feel like against my hand, my body, my lips, my?—
I let out a groan as a wave of wantonness flames to life within me.I cannot stop it.My desire is always there, brewing under the surface.Having Baezal become the object of its inferno is surprising but not unpleasant.Once my curiosity is piqued about another, my mind runs wild with the fantasy.Though the men in them normally lack a face, this one does.
If I’m being honest, this isn’t too shocking a revelation.My favorite story is the one about the rugged knight who has just returned from battle.He finds his way into the tower of the princess to free her.At first, he refuses to remove his helmet—scared she’ll find his scarred face ghastly.Instead of recoiling at the gruesome sight, she takes him into her bed and her heart, stating that love is more permanent than any scar.
They would go on to pledge their love to each other and live a quiet life filled with devotion and passion.That is the future I want for myself—it could still be mine if only I can find a way out of here.I must pray that Baezal will help me.I will do anything to not have to return to Thorncatcher Monastery.
With a groan, I flop down onto the bed.Any hope of sleeping evaporates.A scent teases my nose, and my empty stomach growls to life.I haven’t had anything to eat since my measly bowl of porridge at breakfast.Rolling off the bed, my feet hit the cold stone floor.I secure my thin covering around myself, and gently push open the door to my room.
Fragrant garlic and onions dance in the air.The scent of roasting meat and fresh bread enlivens my senses.Like a dying man searching for water, I follow the smells down the short corridor.My stomach leads me there, hunger lowering my guard.If Baezal wants to kill me, surely he would allow me one final meal.
Orange light pours over the stone floor at the end of the hall.Once I reach it, I notice a small kitchen back here.It is simple, made up of only a small table with two chairs, a simple metal stove and oven, and a small cabinet filled with all manner of jarred items.
Thick stew boils away atop the stove in a heavy pot.The sight steals my breath as the heavenly aroma overwhelms my senses.The food inside the monastery is only marginally better than gruel.This stew is decadent—sinful—and my mouth waters at the thought of devouring it all.
Glancing at the table, I notice a basket of steaming bread wrapped loosely in a towel.A goblet of wine rests next to a porcelain bowl.I gasp when I see the dress draping along the back of the chair.I approach slowly, my hand feeling over the thick satin material.This is finer than any of my robes.Such fabrics are only for heathens.Though I suppose that’s what I’ve been condemned as, so I might as well take full advantage.
Glancing around to make sure I’m alone, I let my covering drop and fit the gown over my head.It is slightly too big around my chest, but otherwise it fits snugly.The deep blue shade is gorgeous and only a few shades darker than Baezal’s eyes.
