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“Its good to be back” Beatrice turned her head to face the Nun that smiled warmly at her.
“You are always welcome to visit, Sister Beatrice”
“Its just Beatrice now” Beatrice shook her head.
“Sorry – bit hard to think of you as anything else but a Sister”
“I’m still your sister but not a Sister, Camila”
“True” the smaller woman grinned. “I know the others have been dying to meet you” and then she looked as Beatrice kept looking around the front of Cat’s Cradle. “Something the matter?”
“The last time I walked in here, it was with Ava and I walked out without her… Well, there is time enough to think about that” Beatrice picked up her bags and followed Camila as she led the way into Cat’s Cradle. New members of the Order practiced various forms of fighting skills from unarmed to bo-stick whilst others walked around and tended to some of the plants or read quietly in the shade. It felt both the same and yet different from what Beatrice remembered but she followed her friend through the familiar corridors and then to the office of Mother Superion.
“Ah, Beatrice…” the older woman’s voice was full of warmth and not much at all like the former nickname that Beatrice herself had applied.
“Mother” Beatrice nodded, “It is good to see you. I trust that you have recovered well from your hip replacement?”
“I am doing as well as can be expected – Jillian knows a few good surgeons after all” Superion got up and walked over with her ever present cane helping her to hug Beatrice. “How long can you stay for? Camila said she had convinced you to spend some time here but did not say for certain a time period”
“Two weeks is all I can manage without my responsibility back home” Beatrice frowned.
“Something wrong, my child?”
“Home… Its where I wanted to tak-”
“I understand” Superion cut her off. “I have had your old room prepared and some food put there to have before you rest. I know the journey must have been difficult for you”
“Thank you”
“Whilst you are here, perhaps you could give our newest members a demonstration or two of your skills? I would say it is your way to sing for your supper, but Camila and Yasmine inform me your vocal skills are needing improvement”
“I think I need to have words with them” Beatrice allowed herself to smile. “Is Lilith here, Mother?” she stuck to the title as calling her by any other name seemed too much.
“No” the older woman shook her head. “Sister Lilith has returned to the Order but she was sent away for your stay as it was thought not politic for the pair of you to meet”
“That might be for the best. Is the evening meal at the usual time?”
“Yeah, but we thought that you might want to eat alone for this night at least” Camila said. “Yasmine has done the cooking this evening and did a great smelling dish” and then she grimaced.
“Camila, what is the matter?” Superion frowned as the younger Nun seemed uneasy about something.
“Forgive me, Mother, but it is the name she has given it”
“Oh?”
“Coq au Erotic Pastries Vin”
“I see” Superion sounded stern but Beatrice could tell by the flicker of the corners of her mouth she found it funny. “I shall be sure to write about Yasmine’s new found pun ability when she returns to her own convent” and then she glanced briefly at Beatrice who was noticing a few more changes in her face – she must have spotted a few new age lines since they had last spoken in person. “Camila, please escort Beatrice to her room – I have some more work to do before Vincent returns to us”
“Vincent?” Beatrice hissed. “He is still in the Order? In the Church?”
“Yes, but not by my choice. Although he helped us at the end, His Holiness decided that to let him go free would be a risk so he spends his time between here and the Vatican Archives helping to research more information on Divinium” Superion could see Beatrice was angry and tried a new tactic to calm her. “You are, of course, free to speak to him or not as you wish – our rules do not apply to you now as you know. I have also told the Sisters that you are free to come and go as you please and they are not to stop you”
“Come on, Bea… We’ve put a gift in your room to welcome you back” Camila picked up Beatrice’s bags and walked to the door.
“You didn’t need to, Mother”
“I had nothing to do with the gift” and Beatrice could tell that she was telling the truth but knew more then what she was letting on.
#
They stopped by the kitchen where Yasmine was going round several of the large ovens cooking and baking in her wake – the young Egyptian squealing in delight and hugging Beatrice who returned the gesture with feeling. She was happy to be amongst her friends, but she knew that she could never return to being a Sister with vows after what she went through. As they walked the various corridors and passages, they found Dora who had been teaching a class on knife throwing and who nodded and mouthed that she would talk later on. Camila stopped at the door to Beatrice’s old room and handed her the bags before nodding and blessing her quickly and walking away. Beatrice stood and watched her go with a smile and a shake of her head – Camila always did that in the past and she was glad to see that the experience of having Adriel’s cross embedded in her neck had done nothing to change the curly haired young woman. Pushing open the door and then closing it behind her, she put down the bags and said a silent prayer of thanks for her sisters, her friends and for-
“Hey, Bea…”
“No” Beatrice whispered. She knew that coming back here would bring back both good and bad memories but the sound of Ava’s voice seemed as crisp as the last day she had heard it in the arc’s chamber deep underground.
“You know, someone told me it was impolite to mutter in company” and Beatrice spun to face the bed and saw someone laying on the bed covered in paper and string and bows. The Order members must have known and kept it as the best surprise since sliced bread. Seeing her friend, her partner and the woman she loved in front of her with a smile that could power half the known universe, Beatrice thought carefully about her first words.
“What the fu-”
“I know its a week before like but” Ava traced the middle finger of one hand down her chest, round both breasts and to her centre as she spoke with a teasing tone, “Do you want to see if Christmas comes more then once...?”