Catee's Grace

by Keith Holmes

  “It’s incredible,” Tara marveled.

  “Yeah it is,” Sasha concurred, “but I didn’t see any bags for you. Don’t you have any clothes?”

  Tara shook her head. “Not yet.”

  “Well I wouldn’t worry much about that,” Sasha answered. “I'd bet Joli' took that into account."

  "Nothing would surprise me now," Tara smiled. Sasha moved toward the door. “Okay, you guys get settled. I’ll come back later to give you a tour okay?”

  “You really like it here don’t you?” Tara asked, wary.

  Sasha recognized the young mother's reluctance and her face filled with empathy. “Hey, I know it’s scary Tara, but you’ll be fine. This is the greatest place… “She struggled for a comparison for a moment, “… on Earth,” she said, sincerity in her face. “In fact, you’re quite lucky. Most of us here only get to visit a few times a year. But you… you’re gonna get to love this place all year round!” Sasha cast a playfully jealous glance at Tara and then slowly backed out of the door. “If you need anything, somebody to talk to… anything, look me up. I’ll be back in just a few.”

  As Sasha closed the door, Tara turned and looked around the place and its expensive trappings. It was a far cry from her home, an even farther one from any place that the Templars had offered her family. Still, something about it didn't feel right. She rubbed Catee's back and moved to the couch to lay her down. As she did, a recessed panel opened to reveal a cutting edge TV. Tara chuckled, surprised and pleased. In the moment, she believed wholly what Joli' had explained; that they deserved this, that there was nothing noble about being poor.

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  Joli’ emerged from her office with a broad smile on her face, then headed off down the hallway. Two luxurious, blue silk robes were folded across her arm. She paused before a set of ornate double doors when a young woman met her.

  "Hello Priestess."

  Joli smiled to her.

  "You're going to call her, aren't you?" the young woman asked gleefully.

  Joli winked and then slid one of the doors open to disappear inside.

  The room was unlike those of the rest of the house, much more blank and bare, circular, dotted with kneelers of mahogany and white. The walls were a caramel swirled marble while the floor was glossed black wood. The entirety of the floor held a huge Sponsas Draco symbol, highlighted in dark cherry.

  A pool of pristine water was centered in the chantry, it easily twenty feet in diameter. It had a glow from beneath, bright enough to softly light the room and across its marble bottom the Sponsas Draco symbol that scrawled the floor was completed.

  At the circular pool's south lay an odd furnishing. An obsidian altar, about the size of a twin bed tilted toward the water. At first glance one would imagine it a waterfall element of some kind. A channel protruded at its foot to let spill the contents of the table into the pool and the slab itself was concaved with craftsman's precision. But for all its cascading features, it was as dry as a bone.

  Ornate tables flanked the unusual looking shrine. Their mahogany tops were covered with myriad oddities, but the most perplexing; several locks of what looked like human hair, each twisted into a broomtail.

  At poolside Joli’ shed her clothes and made her way to the tables beside the shrine. She took a white, fern-like frond into her hand as well as a long, gray lock of hair, then she made her way into the pool to reveal a depth that licked at her upper thighs near its center. She spoke softly, beginning her incantation.

  “Great Mother, I call to thee. By thy loving-kindness, by thy gentle mercy, by thy unending might; I open to thee the gates of my body and soul, beckoning thee, come for the hour is late and the watchmen sleep.”

  Slowly she lowered the frond and the lock of hair into the pool until both were submerged, then she released the white wormwood and lifted only the hair from the water. As it emerged, astonishingly, it was dry but it had also turned a youthful, golden color.

  Joli’ grinned as she received her answer and backed out of the pool. She sat with her legs folded beneath her, her spine straight and her head bowed as the water began to roil.

  From the center of the broiling a black spot emerged. Joli' set her gaze upon it and watched as it grew closer and closer, larger with each passing moment. She could see her Mistress' legs kicking as she passed through the infinite pool. And then the 'Great Mother' passed through the water's skin. She stood, dry save for the parts of her still in the pool, a Holy Sister in a black habit. She passed milky, blue eyes over her acolyte and spoke softly.

  “You have the Dawn Child?” she asked.

  Joli’ smiled proudly and nodded.

  “Good,” the old nun said, reaching up to take hold of her habit. Peeling the garment from her head, she thumbed a black stone she'd pinched between her thumb and finger as she whispered, indiscernibly.

  A mysterious wind lifted her gray hair as the rest of her garments began to fall from her body, followed by layers of elderly flesh. The first to fall came from her cheek and across the bridge of her nose, but rather than the hideous sight of bone and sinew, young flesh shone. As though she were peeling away a living costume, the Great Mother slowly shed the flesh of her old age, her hair transforming from full gray to golden. Bits of blood-drooling ichors plopped into the formerly pristine pool around her until, piece by piece, they were gone and thigh-deep in the water stood a stunning, dark-eyed blonde.

  She took a moment to wash away the clinging bits of blood and gore from her skin. And then she lifted her dark eyes to Joli. She stepped from the water, taking Joli’ by the fingertips to help her to stand. The two exchanged a peck on the lips before speaking.

  “Hail Claudia, my dowager,” Joli’ said.

  “Hail Priestess Joli’, child of my heart,” Claudia replied as she slipped into the silk robe Joli' had brought for her.

  “What did you do about the Vigilant?” asked Claudia.

  “Adele’ killed the Chronica. The other is a lost little sheep, fumbling about with the father somewhere in Paris if they aren’t in jail by now,” she said.

  Claudia chuckled. “And what cost?” she asked, wearing a coy grin.

  Joli’ rolled her eyes. “For the taste of my lips that man would kill his own father.” They shared a laugh. “He’s meeting me in town for his payment in the morning,” she said. “I only hope I can stomach it.”

  The final addition to Joli’s statement caused Claudia to frown a bit. Joli’ saw her matron's disappointment and quickly corrected herself. “I will stomach it of course. He did help deliver the Dawn Child to us after all.”

  Satisfied with the correction, Claudia smiled once more though her eyes had become more sullen. “And the mother?” she asked. Joli sighed and looked to the floor.

  “Broken,” she said. “Enslaved to the will of her husband. But she may be redeemable. The child’s consolation is her primary concern and it has her second guessing herself.”

  “We’ll only need her for a while. Just until the child has accepted us,” Claudia replied. “If she can’t be redeemed then she can be disposed of after that.”

  Joli’ nodded, her sadness obvious.

  “Of course, but I’d like to win her over. She’s quite beautiful.”

  “Is she a smart woman?” Claudia asked.

  “She isn’t stupid,” Joli' offered sheepishly. “I think she has potential.”

  Claudia chuckled. "Does she really? I know the sound of doubt in your voice my child."

  "I believe so. But only your wisdom can judge her," Joli' deferred.

  “And judge her I will. To be a bride, she must possess all of the gifts of feminine perfection. Does she?”

  “Well, she's the mother of the Dawn Child. Surely that counts for something?”

  Claudia sighed. “It counts for the fact that you lust for her and nothing more. If the Dawn Child were born to a goat would you also want to teach it to rule the world?”

  Joli’ didn’t answer, feeling scolded. "Do
you judge her without having tested her?"

  Claudia's eye twitched a bit. She glared at Joli. "She is beautiful. That much I believe. I also believe that you already know whether or not she can become one of us. You're hesitation to commit tells me much more."

  "I do lust after her Great Mother. That's why I hesitate. I fear that my judgment may be clouded. I seek your clarity. Forgive my weakness."

  Claudia's features softened. "Ah, honesty. That's what I wanted," she said. "I will be in the bath. Bring her to me."

  "Thy will be done Mother," Joli bowed.

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  Light filtered in through the slats of the railcar, its motion causing Ethan to jostle back and forth as the freighter made its way down the tracks. It was a livestock car and as such, smelled of what it carried. Mercifully, Jahleel had picked an empty one and the wrist-deep straw that covered the floor offered a bit of comfort and warmth.

  "When you said we were catching a train I didn't think...," Ethan cut his words short when he saw that Jahleel had nodded off. He had questions for the young knight, but they could wait. Something else was on his mind. He watched as the Austrian countryside rolled by. It was cold but it hadn't bothered him much. Instead, the indecision of his stomach - was he hungry or did he need to vomit - took most of his concern. He couldn't remember the last time he was sick. Suddenly it occurred to him: Catee was the reason he was never ill. He chuckled at the irony and missed she and her mother more.

  A sharp baying suddenly cut the air, a horrible sound of a creature in pain. Ethan's glance shot to Jahleel, but the knight hadn't moved a muscle. Instead, his eyelids still closed, he pointed toward the cars behind them.

  "Freight car. Sheep." He said, and considered the conversation through.

  Ethan nodded at the explanation but the terrible sound blasted once more.

  "Are they killing them?" Ethan asked, realizing that the knight wasn't sleeping after all. Jahleel shook his head and shrugged. It was clear he'd rather rest.

  Again the bleat resounded. Ethan couldn't just ignore it. He stood and walked to the back of the train car. There was an access door about six-feet up. He studied the wall and then toed a support timber for the short climb.

  As he released the latch the door swung open. He looked over the edge of the wall, down at the iron knot that connected the cars and the whoosh of the railroad ties as they passed beneath him. On the outside walls of each car steel ladders hung, but the transition from one car to the next still seemed intimidating. He was about to close the door and abandon his query when the poor creature bleated again. He drew a breath and pushed up and over the door onto the ladder.

  The distance between the cars was about six feet, but the metal ladders were slick with snow and ice. Again Ethan reconsidered the climb just as another pained cry sounded. He nodded to himself and stretched a leg across, then an arm. And then, bravely, he swung fully to the ladder. As he climbed, pellets of ice began biting into his skin. One eye closed, he glanced to the sky and shook his head at the irony.

  "No good deed...," he muttered.

  Ethan opened the access door to a car crammed full with sheep. The animals were packed so tightly, he wondered if he'd even be able to step onto the floor let alone find the one that was distressed. He threw one leg over the edge of the wall and then the other before lowering himself down, nudging a path between the sheep as he did. The young father shoved his way into the herd when that pained bleat sounded, loud and near. Quickly he scanned woolen backs until he found one bucking and tugging.

  He nudged his way to the lamb, looking it over. It's leg was caught in a chain and it was frantically trying to free itself. Ethan pondered a way to help without getting stomped or crushed. Bending over the sheep, he got it in headlock and then traced his hand down its leg until he could reach the chain. It took some work to undo what the lamb had done to itself, the chain wrapped tightly and biting into the animal's flesh, but after a few moments it slipped free. As he released the headlock, the lamb knifed its way through the herd, wanting desperately to get away from the crazy human. The young father's nose upturned as he watched.

  "You're welcome," he chuckled.

  A tickle met his palm. He lifted it before his eyes to find that it was coated in matted wool and lamb's blood. It made his stomach leap and a haze fell over him as it had at the airport. Ethan shook his head trying to clear it - he wasn't a squeamish man. But he knew that it wasn't disgust that caused his head to float. He marveled at how loudly the blood's coppery sweetness smelled. It was the same with Adele. The aroma was thick and beckoned him like a rare prime rib.

  Slowly his hand moved toward his face. He tried to stop it, but it was as if his body betrayed him. His tongue jutted from his mouth and met his bloodied palm. He heard a moan and realized that it sounded like his own voice. And then everything faded to black.

  Ethan awoke to a wet sheep's nose against his cheek. He leapt to his feet, wide-eyed and afraid. His stomach had settled, his head steady again. He remembered the blood on his hand and without looking at it, wiped it on his pants. Satisfied that his good deed was done, he moved quickly to the access panel and back to his car. As his feet thumped down into it, he turned to find Jahleel.

  "Are you okay?"

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” He cast a thumb over his shoulder to illustrate his story.“Damned sheep got hung up in a chain. Loud little shit kept me up so I thought I’d go help him out.”

  “What've you got on your face?” the Vigilant asked.

  “Probably sheep shit,” Ethan chuckled, lifting a hand to wipe at it. “Fell down back there.”

  But when he withdrew his hand, he found only blood and his brow furrowed. Quickly he lifted the arm of his jacket to his mouth and wiped at it frantically.

  “You’re sure you are all right?” Jahleel asked warily.

  “Yeah! I’m fine,” he said, finishing the cleaning of his face. “Did I get it?”

  Jahleel nodded once and then returned to the spot where he'd rested.

  "Don't go playin' hero no more," he instructed. Ethan rolled his eyes.

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  Tara sat on a luxurious couch, looking to Catee as the child started to stir. She dreaded it given Catee’s behavior during her wakeful moments of late. She watched with bated breath, wondering if she’d have to face another painful scene, but as Catee laid eyes upon her mother she smiled a gentle smile and spoke.

  “Good morning Mommy,” she said, though it wasn’t morning at all. It was what she always said when she awoke. The tension released in Tara's body and she smiled.

  “Good morning baby," she answered, gladness in her heart. “Did you sleep well?” It was the banter the two shared on any given morning. Catee nodded softly.

  “Daddy’s okay. Him's coming.”

  Tara’s smile faded to a look of curiosity. “Did you have a dream that Daddy was coming?” she asked, confused.

  Softly the child nodded as she climbed across the couch and into her mother’s arms. “Uh-huh. Him and Kahjeel ride a train,” she said, mangling the Vigilant’s name.

  “Daddy's not coming baby. Not yet. He doesn't know where we are," she explained.

  "Him is Mommy," Catee retorted. "You not want Daddy to come?"

  “I don't know Catee. Daddy’s pretty mad at me right now.”

  Catee took her mother by the cheeks, forcing her lips into a purse. “Daddy loves us Mommy. Him not be mad at you.”

  Tara made a 'fish-face' and Catee pecked her lips, then let go. "What else did you dream?" she asked.

  “The bad lady wants to hurt us,” she said before trying again to capture her mother’s cheeks in her hands.

  “What bad lady?” Tara asked, dodging Catee’s grasp.

  “Cloudy.” Came her daughter’s answer.

  Before Tara could ask more, a knock came to the door. She sat Catee aside and took hold of her hands. "Sweetheart, these people are helping us, so I don't want for you to tell anyone else about you
r dream okay? It's rude."

  "Okay," she answered moving to the door with her mom.

  Tara opened the door to find Joli' and Sasha. Catee looked to them and offered a wave. Joli’s eyes filled with glee ignoring Tara for the moment as she addressed the little one. “Hello Catee! I didn’t know you were awake!”

  “Good morning!" Catee nodded.

  “Good morning!” Sasha sang, trying to reflect Joli’s excitement in her voice as she knelt before the little girl. “I’m Sasha,” she said. “What’s your name?”

  “My name’s Catee,” she answered proudly. “You wanna play with me?”

  “I know where we can find some games,” Sasha said, extending her hand to Catee who quickly took it as they went on a search for games.

  Joli’ watched them and then turned to Tara with surprise. “She’s doing much better.”

  “She just… woke up like that,” Tara shrugged.

  Joli’ placed a hand on Tara’s shoulder and offered a reassuring squeeze. “You see? Everything is going to be all right.”

  Tara nodded, hoping she was right.

  “Come with me,” Joli' said, taking Tara by the hand. “There’s someone I want for you to meet.”

  "I should stay with Catee," Tara replied, shaking her head.

  "It's important. We won't be long. Sasha will stay with her."

  Just then Catee and Sasha emerged from a back room, arms loaded with board games.

  "Catee, I'm going to go with Joli' for a few minutes. Will you and Sasha be okay?"

  The little girl considered for a moment, then she nodded and smiled. Tara turned to Joli' and canted her head toward the door. With that, the two were headed down the long narrow hallways of the mansion passing faces that Tara vaguely recalled and new ones she hadn’t seen at all. Each greeted Joli’ with esteem.

  “Who are all these women?” Tara asked, watching one pass.

  "These are sisters and sisters-to-be, daughters of our current membership. You see, this house is a sort of ‘finishing school’. Old members come here to teach the new and to get away from it all. New members come here to learn how to become the strongest women they can be.”