The rays of dawn refracted through the glass, falling onto Lucia’s eyes, mingling with her dreams before she stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, then immediately, yanked the blanket over her head.

  For a moment, she felt the persistent headache nudge at her skull. Then at once she gasped, throwing the blanket open, back stiff, eyes wide with shock.

  “What? What?!” V jolted awake, fists balled, ready to throw hands from her deflating mattress.

  Lucia stared at her own body, still dressed in last night’s uniform. Her fingers crept to her face, then her hair. Her veil hung loose, tangled strands spilling over her eyes. She scrambled toward the mirror hanging by the door.

  “What is it?” V yawned, rubbing her eyes.

  Lucia caught her reflection, all disheveled, disordered, a mess. She almost let out a shriek remembering moments from last night. The wine, the cellar, the garden, the brother.

  She slapped her mouth shut in shock. Then turned to V slowly.

  “What happened?” she mumbled.

  “Huh?” V blinked. “Can’t hear you.”

  Lucia released her mouth then crawled over to V jumping next to her, startling V. “What happened? How did I end up back here? I—I don’t remember.”

  V was confused. “What do you mean? You walked in the door just before midnight and went to bed.”

  Lucia blinked. “No, but—” She stopped herself. Of course V didn’t know. She wasn’t ready to tell her about the kitchen and the garden. Not yet.

  “Although,” V sat up, finger raised. “You did wake up halfway through. Went on this wild rant about setting the vegetable patch on fire.”

  Lucia’s eyes widened. “What?”

  “At first I thought it was ridiculous. But then you went on about the sprinkler system and how you jammed it shut last night so one match tonight would send the whole place up in flames.”

  Lucia gasped so hard she tumbled off the bed with a thud.

  “I did what?!”

  Lucia got up and started yanking on her hair. She was panicking, pacing like a crazy woman. V tried to calm her. “I think it’s brilliant. Just enough smoke to trigger the barrier’s detectors. We’ve got that part of the plan figured out, then?”

  Lucia froze mid-pace, knuckles pressed to her temples, her head throbbing. “Roman,” she whispered, suddenly remembering.

  “Huh?” V squinted, not grasping her sister’s words.

  But before she could ask anything more, Lucia was gone.

  ***

  A quick stop at the bathroom was all Lucia needed to tidy her loose strands, dust off her dried muddy knees, and wash up her face before she dashed out the dormitory looking for Roman.

  She looked everywhere. Loitering at the guest wing, passing by the Senior nuns’ corridors, the infirmary, the garden fences, back to the guest wing and even the library. But he was nowhere to be found.

  It wasn’t until after breakfast, when V still hadn’t shown and Lucia was fumbling excuses, did she finally spot him. Roman. His face unreadable, eyes steeled, standing among the other Brothers.

  “Such a shame V has to miss today’s training,” Sister Cathy said beside her. Lucia nodded vaguely, eyes locked on Roman. “We’ll be going over the ceremony in full and she’s going to miss all of it?”

  “Oh don’t worry, Sister Cathy. I’ll be sure to walk her through it all,” Lucia said, quickly.

  Cathy smiled then leaned in, “I have noticed, you have grown fond of her.”

  Lucia knotted her brows. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  “Sister V. I remember your first meeting, quite turbulent. But now, you two are practically joined at the hip!”

  Lucia nearly gagged. “I wouldn’t go that far. She’s my mentee after all.”

  Cathy nodded. “I suppose being roommates helped after all.”

  Lucia bit her tongue. The last thing she needed was anyone joking they looked like sisters. Even in passing.

  Just then, Brother Ilya appeared, papers stacked in hand, smiling wide. “Sisters, good morning!”

  The sisters greeted back. Lucia’s eyes fell on Roman, who was actively avoiding hers, appearing beside Ilya.

  “Apologies, Brother Ilya, one of our mentees, Sister V, isn’t feeling well today so she will have to skip the session,” Cathy announced promptly.

  Lucia was about to explain further when Roman’s eyes snapped to hers. It was as if Roman had already linked V to Lucia through something deeper than their mentor-mentee relationship. Lucia felt it.

  “Ah, no worries,” Ilya replied cheerily. “Let’s gather the rest. I hear the old hall was cleared for us to practice in.”

  Lucia looked away before Roman could meet her gaze again.

  ***

  The novice brothers and sisters found themselves at the old hall in two lines listening to the mentors directing them with the ritual processes of the upcoming grand ceremony. Lucia was in charge of the ceremonial robes and sashes. She was carefully collecting them back after the first round of practice when Brother Ilya from the corner announced. “Sister Lucia, I’ll send Brother Roman there to help you with those.”

  She stiffened. And sure enough, Roman appeared, quiet and tight-lipped, joining her in the quiet corner of the hall.

  “Funny how your mentee’s the one skipping today’s training, and not you,” he initiated conversation.

  Lucia narrowed her eyes. “Excuse me?”

  Roman cocked his brow. “You seem…fine.”

  “I am fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  Stolen story; please report.

  She jabbed first making Roman stare back at her. It was he who made her repeat the vow of never speaking of last night and here he was alluding to it.

  “I figured you’d be searching for me all morning,” he said, deadpan. “Wanting to apologize.”

  Lucia scoffed, “I’m not sure for what.” A part of her annoyed he caught on.

  He raised his eyebrows then nodded in acceptance. “Fair enough.”

  He fell silent after, though it made Lucia question herself. If V was right, if she really had jammed the sprinklers, had Roman seen her?

  “I suppose there was nothing of importance to note last night,” she edged, not knowing how to pull it out of him.

  His brows knotted. “Last night? I was sleeping…in my room.”

  Lucia rolled her eyes then glanced about. No one too close to them. “You know what I mean.”

  He opened his mouth, then paused, dropping to a low voice, “You didn’t black out after that little wine, did you?”

  Lucia wanted to throw the sash pile at him. True, she was a lightweight, but the fact that she may have caused irreparable damage by letting him witness it was even more concerning.

  Roman watched her simmer her anger then made a final poke. “You did want to take a piss on the lettuce patch.”

  Lucia gasped so loud half the novices turned around. Roman gave them a wave, face deadpan, lips twitching.

  “And…” Lucia couldn’t help but ask, “...Did I?”

  Roman shrugged. “I left before that.”

  Lucia exhaled hard. Maybe she hadn’t humiliated herself entirely. And if that was the only thing of significance Lucia was a bit more certain her drunk self had the forethought to do whatever alone.

  They worked in silence, sorting through the last of the sashes, until Lucia asked, bold as ever, remembering Roman’s careful watchful prowl about the gardens.

  “Did you find whatever you were looking for? In the gardens?”

  Something shifted in his expression, from curiosity to calculation. Eyes sharp. Shoulders stiff.

  “We made a deal not to talk about it,” he said. “Stick to it. For your sake.”

  Lucia opened her mouth to push back.

  But Roman cut her off, “It's not a suggestion, it's an order. If you don’t want to be sent back to the desolate outlier regions, I’d keep quiet.”

  Lucia froze. “Sent back? I—I am not from the outlier regions. I’m from the South—” Her records at the convent stated so.

  Roman straightened. “I work with the High Priest. I know more than you think.” His voice had turned cold. “Don’t confuse last night with camaraderie. I work alone. And I suggest you stay in your little shell. Cozy and quiet.”

  Lucia felt his stare sear. It wasn’t the Roman she remembered from last night. It wasn’t the Roman she had known so far either. He was somehow darker.

  He gave one final look at her before saying, “Last night was nothing but a drunk dream of yours. Let’s not cross paths in such a manner ever again.”

  He parted ways, robe following after him ominously. It did in fact seem like it was a drunk dream. That man from last night burned off with the sunrise.

  ***

  While lunch kept everyone busy, Lucia slipped away to the garden shed.

  Indeed, just as V had said, the sprinkler system remained shut, jammed shut, exactly like the mistake she'd made years ago.

  Her hand hovered over the release lever. A part of her wanted to fix it. This was nonsense. Irrational and dangerous.

  But she pulled back, wondering what else she would do if V tripped the alarm tonight and got caught.

  Lucia exhaled deeply before stepping away, leaving her actions of last night as they were, unable to make up her mind.

  Back in the kitchen, she tucked some food into her pockets and made her way to the dorm. V hadn’t surfaced all day. She was getting concerned.

  She walked to her door, hand on knob when she noticed the dead silence. Lucia’s brows knotted for a moment before she pushed the door open.

  The room was dark. Window boarded up covering the world outside. She closed the door behind her. Her eyes struggled to adjust until she saw them. Blotches of deep red scattered across the room.

  No. Her breath caught. Not again.

  Immediately her memories flooded back. “Rahi…my sweet, Rahi.” The haunting words began echoing. Her step faltered, heel catching on something soft and structured.

  Lucia’s eyes finally adjusted. It wasn’t blood. It was clothing. The deep red tunics, pants, and shirts strewn everywhere.

  Confused, she marched forward then yanked the board off the window. Light flooded in.

  “What the hell!”

  Lucia found V at the corner behind the door, squinting.

  “What do you mean what the hell, what are you doing?” Lucia shouted back.

  V stood hand over her eyes. “I’m trying to focus. Meditating, clearing my mind for tonight. What else?”

  Lucia’s rage flared. “What else? Sister Cathy has been up my ass trying to come check on you. And you didn’t even care to let me know you’d be skipping training today?”

  V waved it off. “What did you expect me to do? Tonight’s a pivotal night. If I miss the drop, it’s over. There’s no mission. I go home with my head on a platter.”

  Lucia hissed. “Then you should’ve told me. We could’ve come up with a better plan!”

  V laughed. “A better plan? You barely agreed to this one—”

  “I never wanted to be a rebel!” Lucia burst out. The words tore from her throat. “It's always you dragging me into your chaos. And I'm just the one left cleaning up after you!”

  V narrowed her eyes. Lucia’s retort confused her for a moment, before she smirked. “Oh, I know what this is about. This isn’t about me missing training, is it? You are pussying out, aren’t you?”

  “What?”

  V crossed her arms. “You don’t want to set the convent on fire.”

  Lucia charged back. “I obviously wouldn’t if I had a choice!”

  “But you do,” V said, stepping closer. “And you don’t know what to do with it.”

  Lucia quietened. She was in true turmoil. Last night she jammed the sprinkler system and today she was hesitating to undo it.

  They stood in silence. V watched Lucia fidget, something she rarely did. Despite Lucia opening her mouth twice, no words were spoken.

  Finally, V sighed. “Fine. I’ll make this easy for you then.” V said, rubbing her forehead. “I’m going to be up at the Cathedral spire tonight right at midnight regardless of your decision…”

  Lucia listened.

  “...At twelve past twelve, the Lantern will launch my delivery. You have till then to decide what to do. If you don’t create a distraction, the delivery will trigger the alarm, and I will get caught. But if you do want to help, one large distraction enough to overwhelm the convent’s security system will likely be enough for me to go unnoticed.”

  Lucia scoffed. “You basically repeated same plan—”

  “No, I’m giving you a choice. I’m letting you off the hook this one time. You decide.”

  V turned ready to leave catching the door knob when Lucia blurted, “And you think it's easier? Now that you’ve given me a choice?”

  V nodded without hesitation, “I’m not making you do it. Wasn’t that the issue?”

  Lucia felt the burden heavy on her shoulder. “No, you just passed the responsibility over to me. Your life is in my hands now.”

  She watched V snort out and laugh. Her smile sinister and her laugh cutting through Lucia. Yet V said nothing more, no acknowledgment nor denial. She simply shook her head and left Lucia alone in the room.

  And she stayed there through sundown. Motionless, numb.

  Closer to midnight, V returned.

  She ignored Lucia, pulled out a rucksack from under Lucia’s bed and immediately began changing into a tighter pair of pants, tucking her shirt in. She tightened her messy hair then pulled her veil on.

  Lucia, hair loose, instinctively handed over her pins. V ignored her.

  “Pin it. The veil will fall if not,” Lucia shoved the pins at her.

  “I don’t need it,” V said. Then turned around to leave.

  “Wait,” Lucia jumped, grabbing V’s wrist. “What do I do?”

  V only glared at her before pulling her hand back. “It’s your choice.”

  She disappeared leaving Lucia alone in the room.

  Lucia stood there, chest pounding. She ran to the window, caught V walking past the courtyard, then fading into the shadow of the night.

  Her eyes found the bell tower clock, only four minutes till midnight.

  Twelve past twelve…

  Only minutes left. To save the convent. Or her sister.