Sins of the Sacred Veil Ch. 05 - Teaser (Patreon)

Dust softened the corners where the walls met the floor. The tall windows were half-veiled with old shutters that allowed only thin ribbons of daylight to creep across the floor. It had once housed additional cells when the convent’s numbers were larger. Now it stood mostly forgotten, which made it perfect for the meeting taking place. Four figures gathered near one of the unused archways where the light barely reached.

Sister Superior Agatha Wells stood with her back to one of the columns, hands folded calmly before her as she watched the others arrive. To any casual observer, she would have looked exactly as she always did: composed, dignified, and the embodiment of quiet authority.

But her eyes betrayed the truth, as the pale gray-blue orbs had vanished. In their place glowed the unmistakable silver shimmer of her Other, pupils narrowing into elegant slits that caught the dim light like polished metal. She stood there patiently as, one by one, the others began to filter in.

Selena arrived first, slipping through the hallway with easy grace. She leaned one shoulder against the opposite wall, arms folded loosely as she regarded Agatha with a faintly amused expression. Her eyes burned the same unnatural silver, and with a hunger that Agatha knew would have to be fed later.

Catarina followed not long after, her movements light and fluid. The faintest trace of a hum lingered in her throat as if music still lived somewhere beneath her breath. She joined Selena without speaking; her gaze drifting between the two sisters with open curiosity.

Alessia was the last to arrive. She paused briefly at the entrance to the alcove, glancing once down the hallway to ensure no one had followed her. Satisfied, she stepped forward and joined the small circle, sighing in relief. She looked over at Catarina, sharing a brief smile with the sister who had seduced her just the night before, and loved every moment.

For a moment none of them spoke, but the silence between them was not uncomfortable. It was charged and alive, like the sky often was just before a storm, only in this instance, it was more of a… carnal one that brewed between them. Agatha let her gaze pass slowly over each of them, smiling at each sister in turn. Her voice, when it came, carried the quiet authority of someone who knew she was being listened to.

“We’ve made excellent progress,” she said softly.

“That’s one way to describe it,” Selena smiled faintly.

“I prefer to call it momentum,” Catarina replied as she tilted her head slightly.

“Yes, momentum,” Agatha said, allowing herself a small smile. She shifted her weight slightly, the folds of her habit rustling softly against the stone floor as she continued to speak. “But momentum can also be dangerous if left unchecked. We cannot move too quickly.”

“Four of us already,” Alessia said thoughtfully, nodding in agreement. “If the others begin to notice patterns, suspicion will grow.”

“They already notice things,” Selena said with quiet amusement, as her fingers tapped a rhythm against the wall. “Those girls especially.”

“Nia, Ailis, and Sayuri?” Catarina asked, her brow lifting slightly and Selena nodded.

“They’re sharp,” she said. “Sharper than most of the sisters.”

“Yes,” Agatha said, her expression darkening slightly, though her voice remained calm. “Which is precisely why we must be careful.”

She glanced down the corridor once before continuing.

“Our numbers are growing,” she said. “But not quickly enough to withstand exposure.”

“So we choose carefully,” Alessia stated out loud as she crossed her arms thoughtfully.

“Exactly,” Agatha agreed as her gaze flicked between them again. “We can likely bring one more into the fold before we pause.”

“And after that?” Selena wondered, leaning forward slightly.

“We slow down,” Agatha said. “Observe, learn and plan who comes next.”

“Study their hungers,” Catarina said as her eye glimmered.

Agatha nodded.

“Every soul has a hunger,” Agatha said quietly as her voice carried a faint, almost reverent tone. “You simply have to know what will feed it.”

The words hung in the still air for a moment before Selena pushed away from the wall and began pacing slowly along the edge of the alcove.

“So,” she said. “Who’s next?”