Eight O'clock PM Central Standard Time, the large bells rang out to mark the passing of the hour. St. Louis, Missouri, The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. The Cathedral had been closed down for several hours already but in the very back of the nave –seated in one of the wooden pews– was a woman with her head bent in respect, hands clasped, one around the other. She wouldn't have to worry about Father Nick, who loved to pray in the church at night, coming in that night, he had work to attend to. Her right hand removed it from underneath her left, thumb and first two fingers pressing together as she crossed herself. Forehead, stomach, right shoulder, left shoulder. That was the distinctive mark that she couldn't hide when other people were praying in the Cathedral. Translating her prayers into Latin was easy enough due to her mastery of languages, but she wasn't Catholic. Technically she wasn't supposed to be anything, but she was. She was Orthodox Christian. Russian Orthodox. And in the Orthodox Church parishioners placed the cross on themselves after priests blessed them, believing that they were placing themselves on the right side of God, his favored side.
"Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." She crossed herself once again as the words left her lips in Russian before whispering a soft, "Amen." Illyana allowed herself to lift up her head to stare at the grand altar in front of her, each mosaic was beautifully crafted, the columns made her feel like she was sitting in St. Peter's Basilica, before her eyes gazed back down to the floor.
"Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee! O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. O Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, and all the saints, have mercy upon us." Her eyes spied the purple rose window in front of her, mesmerized slightly by the sight that the barely visible light was making through the ornate panels. This would be the hard part for her, her eyes closed tightly as she spoke next.
"O God, our heavenly Father, Who lovest mankind, and art most merciful and compassionate, have mercy upon our children, Thy servants, Autumn, Kalina and Sophia, for whom I humbly pray Thee, and commend them to Thy gracious protection. Be Thou, O God, their guide and guardian in all their endeavors; lead them in the path of Thy truth, and draw them near to Thee, that they may lead a godly and righteous life in Thy love and fear; doing Thy will in all matters. Give them grace that they may be temperate, industrious, diligent, devout and charitable. Defend them against the assaults of the enemy, and grant them wisdom and strength to resist all temptation and corruption of this life; and direct them in the way of salvation, for the merits of Thy Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, and the intercessions of His Holy Mother, and Thy blessed saints. Amen." She swallowed hard, the last time she had said that prayer she had also had three children, but Autumn hadn't been born yet, and Jon was still alive, instead she would have to say the following prayer for each soul she prayed for.
"O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled down death and overthrown the Devil, and given life to Thy world, do Thou, the same Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy departed servant Jon Valnir Lokison in a place of brightness, a place of refreshment, a place of repose, where all sickness, sighing, and sorrow have fled away. Pardon every transgression which he hast committed, whether by word or deed or thought. For Thou art a good God and lovest mankind; because there is no man who lives yet does not sin, for Thou only art without sin, Thy righteousness is to all eternity, and Thy word is truth. For Thou are the Resurrection, the Life, and the Repose of Thy servants who have fallen asleep, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever unto ages of ages. Amen." Tears slipped down her cheek as began to repeat the same prayer.
"O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled down death and overthrown the Devil, and given life to Thy world, do Thou, the same Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy departed servant Loki Laufeyson in a place of brightness, a place of refreshment, a place of repose, where all sickness, sighing, and sorrow have fled away. Pardon every transgression which he hast committed, whether by word or deed or thought. For Thou art a good God and lovest mankind; because there is no man who lives yet does not sin, for Thou only art without sin, Thy righteousness is to all eternity, and Thy word is truth. For Thou are the Resurrection, the Life, and the Repose of Thy servants who have fallen asleep, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever unto ages of ages. Amen." Her husband hadn't been religious, he was a Norse God, how could he have been? But he knew that she was, and didn't stop her from praying for him or for their children. It gave her solace in a world where she was unsure of everyone and everything. Without even thinking the next prayer left her trembling lips before she could recall it.
"My bountiful God, I beseech Thee, listen to my humble prayer, that I may ever feel that the married state is holy and that I must keep it holy. Grant Thy grace that I may never sin against the faithfulness and love of this marriage. Foster between us the spirit of understanding and of peace, that no strife, quarrel or misunderstanding, may arise between us. Grant us health and our daily bread, whereby we may serve Thee more. Amen." That was before she realized there was no more ring on her finger. No more man that she had to be faithful to, for he was gone, and she was left. She had someone else in her life now, but it was too soon for her to take it seriously, she had been hurt before.
"O Lord Jesus Christ, our sweet Savior, Who hast commanded us, saying, Love ye one another, even as I have loved you, kindle in my whole being the holy flame of love of Thee and my neighbor, that in all things I may do Thy will. O holy Lord, keep also my brothers Mikhail Nikolievitch and Piotr Nikolievitch ever in this holy love. Grant them wisdom, health, a good life, and Thy Divine grace, so that they may walk in Thy ways and do those things that are well-pleasing to Thee. O sweetest Lord Jesus, help us by Thy grace, so that from this time until the end of our life we may love one another, for What is more good and more beautiful than for brothers to live together in unity? Thus, O Lord, hear our prayer and be Thou merciful unto us. For Thou art good, merciful, and the Lover of men, and to Thee do we ascribe glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen." Her prayers were almost over as the sun began to set.
"O saint of God, Eudoxia Dmitriyevna, pray to God for me, for my home and my family. Amen. Pray to God for me, O saint Eudoxia Dmitriyevna, well pleasing to God, for I readily recommend myself to you, who are the speedy helper and intercessor for my soul. Amen." Her hands finished the cross as she whispered Amen under her breath to find a gun at the back of her head, then a hand snaked around to clasp her mouth shut from screaming.
"Ви думаєте, що ми не будемо знаходити вас? Те, що ви були в безпеці в цьому соборі? Шановний Уляна ви були неправі, ми завжди знайдемо вас. Ви / наша / ми маємо вас. Цей маленький обмеження з норвезького Бога був симпатичний, але це закінчилося. Ви можете перестати молитися вам благочестиву сука, ваша душа вже проклятий на віки вічні. Незалежно від того, скільки ви моліться, ви не будете спалювати у вогні свого гріха." The voice whispered to her in Ukrainian, he knew she had always hated the sound of that language, it revolted her. Reminding her of her tormentors from when she was no more than a toddler. Illyana thrashed around in her captors arms but he had effectively pinned her to where she was kneeling, able to use a sedative on her to knock the female mutant out before picking her up and carrying her out of the Basilica and to a waiting car out front, no one was the wiser. And half an hour later when Father Nick came in to pray just feet from where she had been kneeling, the rose quartz prayer beads that had been in her hands that had fallen to the ground when she was carried away, went unnoticed by the praying priest. Yet her final prayer was still being whispered in a corner of the church by the magic in her beads as she prayed for forgiveness. For the forgiveness of the sins she was about to commit and the people she had hurt along the way.
"O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, the Shepherd and the Lamb, Who takest away the sins of the world, Who gavest remittance unto the two debtors, and didst grant remission of her sins unto the harlot: Do Thou Thyself, O Master, loose, remit and pardon the sins and transgressions and iniquities, whether voluntary or involuntary, whether known or unknown, whether by mistake or disobedience, which Thy servants have wrought, and whatever they have done as men bearing flesh and living in the world, being beguiled by the devil; If by word or deed, in knowledge or in ignorance they have sinned, or have despised the word of a priest, or are under a priestly anathema, or are fallen under their own anathema, or are bound under oath, do Thou Thyself, as Thou art good and gentle, O Master, be pleased that these, Thy servants, be loosed by Thy word, forgiving them their own anathema and oath, according to the greatness of Thy mercy. Yea, O Master and Lord, O Lover of mankind, hearken unto us who are entreating Thy grace for these Thy servants; and, as the greatly merciful One, overlook all their transgressions, and deliver them from eternal torment. For Thou hast said, O Master, "Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." For Thou art sinless and unto Thee do we ascribe glory: To the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen." Maybe now he would forgive her of everything she had done.