I arrive at the nunnery at nightfall, and the Reverend Mother comes out to meet me. "My apologies, Miss, but we were not expecting you."
"That's all right," I assure her, "I only knew I would be travelling here earlier today."
She bows her head and takes the reins of my horse. "I shall show you the stables. How long will you stay here?"
"I don't know, I'm afraid. I don't wish to intrude on your way of life, but the King placed your nunnery in my care."
She gasps. "Are you sure?" I nod, and her eyes well with tears. "I knew this was possible but didn't think it would happen so soon."
"It is a nasty shock," I agree, "but I want to keep this nunnery as close to as it is now. To do that, I want to observe and partake in your life for a while."
"Of course. What is your name, child?"
I flinch at the term. It takes me a moment to remember I am stuck at fifteen but feel much older. "Emma Smith-White, Reverend Mother."
She smiles at me. "Well, Emma, you are welcome to join us. We rise at five, so you will want to head to bed soon."
"Indeed."
We take my horse to the stable and give it fresh hay and water. The Reverend Mother then brings me to one of the empty rooms. There is only a bed and a crucifix in it. She hands me a nun's habit.
It's been ages since I've last seen one. The last time was when I faced the Gorgon. I drop the uniform. "What's the matter?"
"I had a bad run-in with a nun when I was a girl."
"Then why would you want to preserve a nunnery? And what do you mean by a "bad run-in"?"
Answering the last question will lead to more questions. She wouldn't understand that people can be mind-controlled. I sigh. "It's a long story."
"We have time. You can tell us all what happened."
"Thank you." I pick up the habit. "I will be ready tomorrow." The Reverend Mother nods and closes the door behind her. I change into the habit and put my clothes in a box at the end of the bed. It will be strange while I'm here, but I want to make the most of it.
I wake up early to the sound of a bell and make the bed before I join the nuns. We walk to the chapel and begin the day. It is dull, which I expected. The last thing I expected was that these nuns are deprived of food because of what they are. The Reverend Mother refuses to feed those who are Qetesh or Human-Qetesh hybrids. No wonder they resort to hunting rapists and murderers under the cover of night!
I join the other nuns during one of their hunts. "How have you not been found?" I ask. "Sneaking out several times a week must draw attention."
"It does," Sister Eden says, "but we know how to hide." She leads me to a nearby village, and the others head in different directions. "We always go in pairs. No one suspects two nuns walking together."
"But in the middle of the night?"
Sister Eden winks at me. "Have you ever eaten someone before?"
"I stole souls before."
Sister Eden grins, her pearly white teeth gleaming in the moonlight. "You haven't lived."
My blood runs cold. "You murder people?"
"So do you."
"But not multiple times a week!"
Sister Eden shakes her head. "I do not kill people multiple times a week. I sneak out for a bit of fun." She links arms with me. It seems like an extremely modern thing to me. No one in Tudor England linked arms with me before. "I have a helper. Have you heard of them?"
I tell Sister Eden about the Devourer and the Protector. "But you don't seem over twenty. How do you already have a helper?"
"Mine came earlier. I was sixteen."
"What's the name of your helper?"
Sister Eden smiles. "Her name is the Lover."
"The Lover? That's the last thing I thought a helper would call themselves, especially if they're helping a nun."
Sister Eden laughs. "The Lover is a great woman. She helped me sneak out of the nunnery plenty of times. I know a few shortcuts to the local villages."
Sister Eden leads me into the village. "This village is called Qetesh, like the nunnery. The people here are very friendly. We do not hunt here. It's a haven for hybrids."
"That's good to hear. What sort of things go on in the village?"
"All sorts. Most things happen in the tavern or on the village green. We have plenty of festivals. Many people here worship all sorts of religions. They try to be equal."
"What do you think about it?"
"I like it. It is nice that we are accepted for who we are and what we believe, even if we do not believe in anything."
It sounds like the sort of village I would like. But I cannot stay here. It is impossible. But how much longer will I stay at the nunnery? I know I told the Reverend Mother that I want to see what their way of life is like, but it's becoming increasingly clear that I must change it fast. Before these hybrids kill more people. If the Reverend Mother will not do it, I must act.
My dearest Mummy,
I am currently living at the St Qetesh Abbey, and I am appalled by the way the hybrids are treated. The nunnery might specialise in human-Qetesh hybrids, but the Reverend Mother is human. That would not usually be an issue, but she refuses to feed the hybrids. They wear the worst thread-worn habits in dire need of replacement and have no jobs around the nunnery. The Reverend Mother gives all the jobs to the humans, and the hybrids are at prayer every second of the day. Reverend Mother says it is "to cleanse their souls and to repent their wicked and bloodthirsty ways".
There is only so much I can take. Our priest at Hybrid Palace was the worst, but Reverend Mother is a close second. These hybrids already devour rapists and murderers, not by stealing their souls but by eating their flesh. In some cases, these humans are still alive and screaming.
I need your guidance. I don't know what else to do, and I cannot think of anyone else to turn to. Please show this letter to the King. He must know how badly the hybrids can suffer in his realm if they aren't given the care and support they need and deserve.
Your ever-loving daughter,
Emma
I send the letter off. Will Mummy get a chance to reply? Is this a waste of time?
I think about Sister Eden. She is not a waste of time. Nor are the other nuns. If there is any way I can improve life at St Qetesh nunnery, I will do it.
