by Holly Lujah
She nodded as Hairwig flew down from her metal perch and landed on her shoulder.
“Good, now for our familiars. Boo has a custom-made set of armour,” Breanna said as she fetched it from a small rack. The small guinea pig held perfectly still as she strapped on a matching set of plate mail, as if he understood this was important.
“I think we could find something to fit Hairwig.”
“Perhaps, but I’d be concerned it would weigh her down. She is a small bird,” Biffy replied, both horrified and amused by the idea.
Breanna nodded, looking thoughtful for a moment, but she didn’t return to the racks of armour, instead putting Boo back down on the ground.
“What’s next?” Biffy asked as Boo scurried over to the door and squeaked.
“Boo knows. Next we strengthen our bodies for the possibilities of the night. Come. I will share my usual portion with you.”
This seemed far more ominous than Biffy liked the sound of. A usual portion of what? Everything food- or drink-related that Breanna had ever shared with her had resulted in her hurrying to a toilet at some point afterwards. That kind of thing would be the opposite of strengthening.
“When I was young, my grandmother had a tradition before she ever went out with my dear pa to protect the village. She made me promise to keep it up. I owe this one thing for all my strength, I am sure of it. When she first gave it to me, I was a whip of a lass. Willow wand thin, and easy to bend. Now the mountains wouldn’t move me if I didn’t want them to.”
There was a bittersweet tone to Breanna’s voice as she spoke, and Biffy knew if she looked at the nun she’d see eyes that shone a little brighter, proud if a little wetter. If her grandmother had recommended it, perhaps it would be something more palatable. But the hope of something better vanished when Breanna stepped into the kitchen and started to root in the larder.
“Grandmother only trusted me with the recipe and I have promised never to let anyone else know it. I’m afraid I must ask you to turn and face the door while I prepare it.”
Biffy tried to stifle a sigh as she did what Breanna asked. It was a strange request when Biffy had just seen all the ingredients as they were gathered, but she didn’t want to upset her.
Over the next few minutes Biffy stood, crossbow in one hand, Hairwig on her shoulder, as she listened to different clatters, bangs, chopping noises, and even the occasional squelch.
“Right, all done,” Breanna said. So long had passed that Biffy’s mind had wandered, and it took her half a second to remember what must have been completed. She turned back, grateful she’d chosen the leather and not metal.
Breanna held out a large wooden tankard to her, another clutched in her other hand. More than a little hesitant, Biffy reached out and took the offered drink. She noticed bubbles rising to the surface and popping, the sound somehow soothing.
Grinning, Breanna lifted her large cup to her mouth. She took a single swig and swallowed before sighing.
“Just the way grandmother used to make it.”
There was no putting it off any longer. If Biffy was going to be polite, she needed to try the drink. Thankfully Breanna hadn’t downed all hers. At least Biffy wouldn’t be expected to drink it all in one go.
Ready to dislike it and have to fake a more positive reaction, she slowly raised the fizzy pink liquid to her mouth. Trying not to think about what the ingredients tasted like alone, she tipped the first bit into her mouth. A sweet yet tangy explosion rippled across her tongue, taking her by surprise.
It was good. More than good. Biffy took a large gulp, swilling the fruity mixture around her mouth before swallowing.
“That’s amazing,” she said.
“I know. But none of the other nuns will even try it. I’ve offered many times, but I think they are wary, for some reason.”
Biffy frowned. Had no one else ever even dared? It wasn’t surprising given the other things Breanna liked to eat. Chicken drumsticks and ice cream was a particular favourite, but this was actually amazing.
“Perhaps they don’t want to spoil how important it is to you. Or maybe they have their own specific preparations,” Biffy replied, instantly wanting to make Breanna feel better.
“These are the kinds of things they say, but I think they just don’t want to hurt my feelings. Or Boo’s. He can be very sensitive.
Either at hearing his name or because of agreeing, Boo squeaked and scurried across the kitchen surface. He’d found the cut-off top of a strawberry somewhere, and he came to a halt near them. Rocking back, he nibbled on the fruit, holding the leaves and stem between both paws.
For a moment everything was serene, calm, and Biffy found herself feeling relaxed in Breanna’s company for the first time ever. Now that it came to it, Biffy was beginning to look forward to going out on patrol with the exuberant nun. She might be loud and she wasn’t the brightest, but she was dependable, and she had a bravery and heart Biffy was starting to really like.
Just as she was thinking this, Boo finished eating the rest of the piece of fruit. He let out another squeak and threw the stem outwards. It sailed towards Hairwig, narrowly missing as the bird fluttered her wing.
“Boo! You bull snot. Apologise right now,” Breanna said, putting her tankard down, but Boo wasn’t listening. Instead, he was running. Offended, Hairwig had leapt from Biffy’s shoulder and now flew after him. On the way past, Hairwig grabbed some more of the fruit, these ones whole.
Squeaking in a high-pitched frenzy, Boo scurried about the kitchen, knocking pots and pans over, clattering cutlery and generally trying to get away. Hairwig flew almost silently, only hooting as she used her talons to throw one of the small fruit like a missile. Most of them bounced harmlessly off the kitchenware as Boo sent it scattering away, but more than one found their target, splattering Boo with the juice before dropping in a sticky mess behind him.
At first Biffy felt horrified, but it soon grew comical, Boo hiding behind a pot of dried spaghetti while Hairwig tried to fly and find an angle to attack from. It became a stalemate, Hairwig flying out of reach every time Boo threw a strawberry, and Boo ducking down behind the pasta every time Hairwig hurled one.
Breanna giggled and laughed until tears streamed down her face and she had to clutch her sides to stop them from hurting. It didn’t take long for Biffy to follow suit. The kitchen was a mess and there were bits of strawberry everywhere, but it was evidently fun for both animals, their vocal sounds like gentle taunting.
“I think Boo likes your Hairwig,” said Breanna when the two animals finally gave up and Hairwig landed on the edge of the kitchen surface. A moment later Boo peaked back out from behind the jar of pasta. He squeaked. In response, Hairwig hooted.
“Hairwig likes him too,” Biffy replied. Within seconds, the two familiars were stood side by side. Tentatively, Hairwig reached forward and used her beak to gently remove a small bit of fruit that had stuck in Boo’s fur. Boo soon returned the favour.
More than a little amused, Biffy helped Breanna return the kitchen to its former tidy state, and then they picked their drinks up again.
“To friendship, no matter the differences,” Breanna said as she raised her tankard. Biffy returned the gesture and the words, feeling even more warmth spread through her. She contemplated asking the sister what had happened to her previous partner, but even after all the humour, she hadn’t forgotten what she’d been through. It would only put a damper on the atmosphere, and she couldn’t bring herself to do so.
“Come,” Breanna said once their cups were empty and the two familiars had finished cleaning each other back up again. “I wish to show you the next part of my preparations.”
Trying not to focus on the time, Biffy followed and whistled to Hairwig. Whatever was next, Biffy found herself hoping it was like the drink, much more amazing than it sounded.
Chapter 16
Standing beside Breanna, Biffy tried to look confident. It was almost time for them to begin the third watch. A part of her wished B
reanna had tried to force one of her more exotic concoctions on her, just so she had something else to think about, but she didn’t. Instead, her focus was on the open academy front door and the soon to be returning nuns.
Breanna and Biffy were due to replace Gelina and a nun called Felicity, but she’d not seen either come through yet, only the other pairs due to change shift.
Just as Biffy was beginning to think something must have happened to them, they appeared, slightly out of breath, hurrying in the door.
“Oh my, we’re not too late,” Gelina said.
“No, but that was a close call,” Felicity replied.
“Did something happen to cause a problem?” Breanna asked. Sister Gelina shook her head as she came over.
“No, we found a few loose panels on Gladys’ greenhouse. We were worried that she hadn’t shut it up properly, but a stray werewolf had obviously tried to hide there, we found a few tufts off hair. Caught a shadow as it ran. The size of a runt or a rejected teen. On its own. It hadn’t managed to do any real damage.”
Biffy raised her eyebrows. Finding lone werewolves hadn’t been something she was used to.
“We’ll keep an eye out for him.” With that, Breanna lifted her sword and looked briefly at Biffy.
Biffy lifted her crossbow and stepped up again, making it as clear as she could that she was ready without actually saying the words.
“Good luck,” Gelina said, smiling as she went past. There was no chance to reply, the other nuns moving into position and getting ready to close the academy doors once more. Unless something drastic happened, they would remain that way until dawn. As the sun rose in the sky, the city would once more become safe and the nuns could return to their home.
Although Breanna had shown her the route on a map as part of their preparations, Biffy found it wasn’t easy to remember it now she was faced with real streets and a real threat.
Despite this not being the first time she had gone on some kind of patrol, Biffy felt her hand shaking on the hilt of the crossbow, her eyes darting from left to right to try and pick out potential threats in the darkness.
“Come, let us see what evil lurks for Boo, Hairwig and us to vanquish tonight,” Breanna said, sounding a little overly cheerful given the nature of the task. A part of Biffy hoped not to find anything evil, but another part of her wanted to face some epic challenge to prove her worthiness as a fully fledged nun. In each given moment, the part that was biggest changed, until more of the drawbacks of each scenario occurred to her.
As the minutes ticked by and the pair merely walked from one place to the next, Biffy found herself wondering what it must have been like to patrol when the nun academy was at full strength. Back when humans and vampires had fought more ferociously. Now, there seemed to sometimes be a sort of stalemate. Vampire numbers had grown, but they’d also become more territorial. And humans had learnt how to keep themselves safe.
But she wasn’t likely to find out, not if it continued to be so quiet.
Almost an hour into their three-hour watch, Biffy had to stifle a yawn. They’d seen nothing but animals and houses all shuttered up. Everywhere they went, only stray cats and dogs dared roam.
Would it be wrong to pray for something more exciting to happen? Biffy asked herself. She knew the answer and therefore didn’t voice the thought, but a part of her wanted some action. Anything but traipsing around the city while nothing happened.
As if answering her prayer, a figure appeared, darting across from one house to another. In the gloom it appeared to be a small vampiric male, but she couldn’t be sure.
“The enemy,” Breanna cried, no consideration made for how likely the enemy would be to hear her.
Boo squeaked and rushed down the sister’s larger frame and off into the night in pursuit, while Hairwig launched herself off Biffy’s shoulder and into the night air. The three led the way towards the problem while Biffy hurried to catch up.
When they arrived at the spot they’d first noticed the vampire they paused, Breanna looking around at possible nearby hiding places. Wary, Biffy raised her crossbow, a bolt fitted and ready.
There was no sign of the young undead.
“Where could it have gone?” Breanna said. “I assume you definitely saw it too.”
Biffy nodded. “That was definitely something that shouldn’t be out here.”
“Good. For a moment I was worried that I’d imagined it. If you saw it as well, I must not be crazy.”
Restraining herself from pointing out other things that made the nun crazy, Biffy crouched to see if there were any tracks. Nothing met her gaze, although the darkness didn’t lend itself to particularly easy tracking.
Not finding anything to indicate the passage of a vampire or clues to what the foul creature might have been up to, they returned to their patrol, now a few minutes behind schedule.
It wasn’t long before another vampire appeared, this one female. She was equally as young, but she grinned at them before turning and hurrying away, moving far faster than either of them was capable.
Once more, Biffy and Breanna hurried up to the house she’d been outside just to find nothing of any particular consequence. It hadn’t even been disturbed by the creature. Frowning, Biffy didn’t continue when her companion did.
“Does any of this seem a little... strange, to you?” Biffy asked Breanna when she turned to see why Biffy wasn’t following.
“Strange? That the evil won’t meet us in battle? They must fear us! That makes them far more sensible than most.”
“Perhaps,” Biffy replied, a large brick-like weight settling in her stomach. “What if they’re distracting us? They’re leading us off the patrol path, are they not?”
Breanna opened her mouth to respond, but she closed it again immediately and looked at their surroundings. “We are a little off the normal route, yes.”
“Didn’t Sister Gelina mention that another lone werewolf distracted them earlier?”
“What are you thinking, Initiate? Tell Sister Breanna and Boo and let us see if we can agree.”
“What if they’re drawing us away from the academy?”
“But why?”
“We’re low on nuns. The others are all tired. Now would be the best time to attack.”
“But to do so would be foolhardy. There’s no way in. They would need an ally on the...” Breanna trailed off, her normally happy look draining into despair.
“A vampire. Locked in the under-croft,” Biffy said, knowing Breanna was beginning to follow her thoughts. “Having plenty of time to come up with some kind of plan. How long has Spoke been there?”
“Only a few months,” Breanna replied. “Quick, Biffy, we must return.”
For a moment Biffy couldn’t respond, her eyes going wide. Sister Breanna not only believed the idea, she seemed as concerned.
“Boo, Hairwig, lead us back to our sisters and let us hope we find them in one piece.”
As Breanna set off, marching at a speed Biffy wouldn’t have thought possible, she felt the dread grow within her. If she was right, they could be too late, finding the academy overrun. And if they were wrong, Biffy would have just ruined her chances at becoming one of the sisters she now sought to protect.
Despite this, she wasn’t sure she could hope to be right. Had Spoke played them all? Could he have allies? Or could all this be one big coincidence?
A thousand different scenarios played out in her head, each one as bad as the one before in slightly different ways. Her feet couldn’t go fast enough, but she let Breanna set the pace, wary of outstripping her. If something had happened, she had to trust Breanna would know what to do.
As they grew closer, they heard the sounds of yelling, followed by a scream from up ahead. Breanna and Biffy glanced at each other for a fraction of a second before both of them broke into a full sprint, heading for the large, looming dark mass on the horizon.
Rounding the final corner, the door came into view, open, light from the torches spilling ou
t onto the street. Both women hurried closer, dread filling Biffy as she spotted the habit of a fallen nun just inside.
Breanna let out a cry and rushed into the building. The hallway was empty, no one else to be seen. She reached down and touched the neck of the woman, careful to avoid the puncture wound she sported on one side.
“She lives,” Breanna said a moment later, the relief obvious. “Whoever did this must have been disturbed by something.”
“Or hurried on to do something,” Biffy replied before gulping.
“Quick, let us move Sister Serena somewhere safer and bar the door against any other would-be attackers.” Breanna slid her arms underneath the nun, lifting her torso. Biffy gently picked up her ankles, and between them they carried the nun to a cloak room, resting her on a bench. Breanna then folded a jacket and placed it under her head.
When she’d finished, a small mouse scurried out of the habit somewhere and stopped on the woman’s chest, nuzzling at her neck as if trying to wake her.
“Ah, there you are, Monty,” Breanna said as she got the creature’s attention. “Look over her until she wakes.”
The familiar nodded, clearly understanding the instruction.
The pair then worked together to swing the heavy front door closed again. Together, they lifted the thick beam that sat across it, holding it closed. Even Breanna, with her strength, grunted at the effort to lower the far end into the bracket and secure it.
“What now?” Biffy asked when they had finished the task.
“There’s an emergency bell in the east tower,” Breanna replied. “It would alert the other sisters to the attack quicker than anything else we can do, but we also need to get to Mother Superior. She must be safe.”
“Then I will go to Mother Superior. I don’t know where the bell is and I don’t know if I have the strength to ring it even if I did.”
Breanna nodded, scooping up Boo from the floor.
“May God go with you,” she said before hurrying away. Biffy gulped, realising she was alone.
“Hoot,” Hairwig said as Biffy looked back towards the hallway.