by Holly Lujah
“Our biggest heroes of the night, however, were none other than our Sister Breanna and the initiate she had agreed to take out on her first patrol. The pair showed exceptional foresight and understanding of the enemy, ensuring we were warned in time to defend our home and the city.”
Breanna grinned and Boo gave a small bow. Smiling, Biffy didn’t know where to look. The three Marys and every other sister in the room were looking at her and Breanna, and she wasn’t sure what she truly deserved. Yes, they’d warned the nuns, but she’d also failed to stop Spoke from escaping.
“This also concludes our latest initiate’s seventh and final task. Biffy Snows, you have passed with flying colours. It is an honour for me to declare you worthy of becoming a trainee nun and having the option of taking your vows.”
Sister Gelina was the first to begin clapping, and then she stood as well. Breanna joined her next, and then other sisters until the whole room was clapping and at least half were standing. Biffy’s cheeks turned crimson, but her heart also raced and she knew she was wearing the most enormous grin. She’d wanted to be one of the famed fighting nuns for a long time.
“I recommend you all get some rest. Duties will be relaxed today to aid in this. Tonight we may find the undead particularly cranky and willing to take that out on the city, so it would be unwise for us to let down our guard now or not take the opportunity to recharge and protect our neighbours.”
This seemed to be the last thing Mother Superior had to say. She gave a small clap to the room, her eyes glancing at Biffy more than once before she walked away.
Biffy was bombarded by nuns saying congratulations and wanting to shake her hand, giving her little time to think or process what had just happened. She’d become a trainee nun, something she’d always wanted, but it didn’t feel right. A weight sat in the base of her stomach.
As soon as the nuns distracted themselves with other topics and the attention fell from her, she quietly slipped from the room into the cool gloomy corridor outside the dining hall. A moment later, Hairwig appeared and fluttered down onto her shoulder.
“I know,” Biffy said before Hairwig could comment. “My conscience won’t let me rest.”
“Hoot,” Hairwig said.
“I’m glad you agree,” Biffy replied. “And that’s where I was going.”
“Hoot.”
Biffy grinned, amused that her familiar seemed to think she needed the permission or encouragement. Her own desire to make sure all was right was strong enough to overcome her doubts and what the others might think of her.
The academy seemed quiet with all the nuns in one place, the patter of her own feet far louder than she’d have liked. Making a mental note to find some quieter shoes, Biffy made her way to Mother Superior’s office.
She found the door open, the elderly nun inside, gathering up some of the fallen papers from the earlier fight. Acting on instinct, Biffy knelt and began helping her.
“I thought I’d see you this morning,” Mother Superior said after a few seconds’ silence. Biffy handed her a pile of documents from one corner of the room as she nodded. “What would you like to ask me? I am happy to listen, although I expect to be given the opportunity to answer.”
“I find myself feeling uncomfortable,” Biffy replied, grateful to find the nun so willing to talk. “You made no mention of the attack originating from Spoke. Or, well, any mention of him at all.”
“Yes, I thought this might bother you. In truth, it doesn’t sit entirely happily on my own heart either.”
“Then why not tell them? Is it a secret? It feels like you’re lying to them. I’m no hero, yet you implied Breanna and I were.”
“It is a lie. A lie by omission, but that doesn’t detract from the sense and quick thinking you and Breanna displayed. You still responded to the threat quicker, even having the wisdom to see it where others didn’t.”
Biffy nodded, at least placated on the final thought, but she frowned anyway, still gathering paper from the mess on the floor.
“As for keeping Spoke’s existence a secret. It was necessary for the test to work, but since the attack, it would only damage their faith to tell them more. I believe you’ve already been informed that the reason our crosses and holy water work on the vampires is our belief in them. Or, at least, that’s a component. It’s more complicated than that, but in brief, our faith is our most important weapon.”
“Right,” Biffy replied, only just following the conversation.
“The faith the nuns have in the academy, the sisters around them, and especially the three Marys is important. Without it, the academy would have been lost in this sea of undead a long time ago. It was even your faith which brought you here.”
“I still don’t think I like it.”
“No. Which is why we won’t use an imprisoned vampire again for an initiate task. It was a relatively new idea, and it’s clear it was unwise.”
“Will you go back to the tasks you had before?” Biffy asked, almost forgetting who she was questioning.
“I don’t think so. I’m not sure it was entirely effective. We had more than one nun over the last few years who, shortly after initiation and becoming a trainee nun, was seduced by the more charming of the undead. It’s one of the reasons we removed the vow of celibacy from the requirements. It did rather encourage the vampires to try other methods. We’ll have to come up with something else entirely.”
“Thank you for explaining,” Biffy said as she got up off her knees and helped the elderly nun do the same. The paper was now stacked back as it had been, in piles on the different surfaces.
“I am always willing to talk, Biffy, even if I appear to have my secrets, but I will ask that you keep your encounters with Spoke to yourself.” Mother Superior paused to look at Biffy, watching as the trainee nun nodded. “And you too, Breanna.”
Whirling around, Biffy spotted the portly nun by the door, Boo on her shoulder, sniffing the air.
“Of course, Mother Superior. I wish to put him and his words behind us. He did not succeed, and one day I will see him sent back to the fiery pit of hell.” Breanna looked serious for a fraction of a second, but her smile soon reappeared as Hairwig hooted. Biffy frowned, aware the nun appeared to feel far more guilt than she ought to. Had Breanna also done something she wasn’t proud of?
“Then both of you should return to your day. Sister Gelina will oversee your journey as a trainee, Biffy. I know she’ll be the perfect fit to show you the rest of our ways.”
“Yes. Sister Gelina is the best,” Breanna said, fist pumping the air. “Come, let us celebrate. I knew you would pass initiation. I know just the thing to mark the occasion.”
Biffy tried, and failed, not to groan about this news. Another Breanna mystery food? How much could her stomach handle?
Hairwig gave her a look and flew off, making it clear she was on her own. Traitor!
Not waiting for her to respond positively, Breanna turned to go.
“There’s this wonderful recipe my cousin knew. Perfect for this. I will try to remember it. It needed watermelon... or, no... was it courgette?”
Raising her eyebrows, Biffy found her feet slowing down. But before she could object to being experimented on once more, Boo gave her a squeak, and dived off Breanna’s shoulder and down her habit. A moment later the guinea pig was scurrying as fast as it could down the hall.
“For the love of Pete, Boo. Where are you going? The kitchen is the other way.”
But Boo didn’t listen or stop, and Biffy found herself grinning as she followed the nun.
~
Thank you for reading The Initiate. Currently there aren’t any sequels, but if you loved this book and would really like one, please let me know (email is below).
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For a complete list of all works under me and my pen names, separated by genre, please continue. If you have enjoyed the book you just read and would like to let me know you can email me via [email protected] or alternatively leave a review at your place of purchase.
Books by Jess Mountifield
Already published
Historical Adventure:
With Proud Humility (#1 in the Hearts of the Seas series)
Chains of Freedom (#4 in the Hearts of the Seas series)
Fantasy (Tales of Ethanar):
Wandering to Belong (Tale 1)
Innocent Hearts (Tale 2 & 3)
For Such a Time as This (Tale 4)
A Fire’s Sacrifice (Tale 5)
The Hope of Winter (Tale 6.05)
Sci-Fi:
Sherdan series:
Sherdan’s Prophecy
Sherdan’s Legacy
Sherdan’s Country
Sherdan’s Road (A short story in the anthology ’The End of the Road’)
The Slave Who’d Never Been Kissed (A short in the charity anthology ‘Imaginings’)
New Beginnings
Santa’s Little Space Pirate
Writing with Dawn Chapman:
Jessica’s Challenge (#5 in the Puatera Online series)
Dahlia’s Shadow (#6 in the Puatera Online series)
Lila’s Revenge (#7 in the Puatera Online series)
In the multi-author Adamanta series:
Episode 1 – Adamanta
Episode 3 – Excelsior
Episode 8 – Phoenix
Episode 13 – New Contacts
Episode 17 – Sacrifice
As Holly Lujah
The Initiate
Other:
Clues, Claws and Christmas
Find purchase links here
Coming soon:
Fantasy (Tales of Ethanar):
The Fire of Winter (#1 in the Winter series, Tale 6.1)
Fantasy (other):
The Guild of the Eternal Flame #1
Sci-Fi:
Alliance (#1 in the Fringe Colony series)
Books under Amelia Price
Mycroft Holmes Adventures:
The Hundred Year Wait
The Unexpected Coincidence
The Invisible Amateur
The Female Charm
The Reluctant Knight
The Ambitious Orphan
The Unconventional Honeymoon Gift
The Family Reunion
The Immortal Problem
About the Author
Jess was born in the quaint village of Woodbridge in the UK, has spent some of her childhood in the States and now resides near the beautiful Roman city of Bath. She lives with her husband, Phil, her two tiny humans (one boy and one girl) and her very dapsy cat, Pleaides.
During her still relatively short life Jess has displayed an innate curiosity for learning new things and has therefore studied many subjects, from maths and the sciences, to history and drama. Jess now works full time as a writer and mummy, incorporating many of the subjects she has an interest in within her plots and characters.
When she’s not busy with work and keeping her tiny humans alive she can often be found with friends, playing with miniature characters, dice and pieces of paper covered in funny stats and notes about fictional adventures her figures have been on.
You can find out more about the author and her upcoming projects by following her on her fanpage on facebook or emailing her via [email protected]. Jess loves hearing from a happy fan so please do get in touch!
Jess is also opening up her discord for fans to come chat about what she’s up to, and see a few sneak peaks of future work. There’s also a chance to become one of her beta readers. If you’d like to check that out you can do so here.
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