Sigil | Ghost The Band

Prying Eyes

"So, Sister Imperator tells me you've had an incident at the funeral," Terzo inquired, pressing the golden rim of his wine glass against his cheek. His gaze was still intense and focused, despite the fact that he'd already drunk more than half the bottle of ancient wine.

Calliope wished she could hold her liquor that well, hence why she was pacing herself. Being drunk around Terzo didn't seem like the brightest idea. The question cleared the light fog of her mind, confusion making itself known once more.

"I didn't know- why would she tell you that?" She countered, surprised.

"Because she informs me of everything that happens within the church, much to her dismay." He said simply not turning his strict gaze away from her. "Answer the question."

Fidgeting under his uncharacteristically intense stare, she averted her own gaze. "Well, the officiant was just... weird."

"'Weird'? Weird how?"

"Jesus, what is up with you? You're acting strange." She scowled, unable to hide her nerves as she repositioned herself in her seat. He smiled, the falsity of it made her stomach turn. What the hell is up with him today?

"You know that word is frowned upon, tesoro." He told her gravely, his tone bearing a hint of mischief. Not the kind she was used to, this was a little darker.

She rolled her eyes but continued nonetheless. "You are making a huge deal out of this, Terzo. He just made me uncomfortable, that's it."

"What did he say?" His gaze never faltered; she worried about her safety for a second. She had obviously known Terzo a long time, but only via banter and cheeky comments, they'd never sat down and spoke like this before. If this is how he is in casual company, I might need to avoid these... exchanges. Or all social interactions, for that matter.

"Nothing, he just pried about my religious beliefs and I told him I didn't have any." Calliope shrugged, picking her glass up once more. She felt undeniably skittish, whether that was from his behaviour or the interaction in the kitchen, she didn't know.

He hummed in response, dropping the subject as he finally tore his gaze from her, dangling the glass by its rim. Calliope squinted at him. What had Sister Imperator told him? As much as she wanted to know, she also knew she'd be wasting her time if she asked. Both Sister and Terzo were practically made of stone when it came to prying topics.

Her eyes darted to the clock on the farthest wall. It was nearing midnight, and she had to leave now if she still wanted to take a shower. Going to bed without a shower wasn't an option tonight, and she certainly wasn't about to wait until the sermon was over.

"I should probably go." She sighed, placing down the glass and standing up.

Terzo grunted, looking slightly peeved. "Why?"

Unbothered, she gestured to the clock. "I have about twenty minutes to shower before your little ceremony begins, and after seeing how those people came flooding in last time... I don't want to be caught up in the middle of that."

A look of pure dread graced his face and he nodded. "Yes, it's probably for the best."

She offered him a small smile. "Thank you for drinking your wine with me, and the... conversation?"

Terzo scoffed but cracked the smallest of grins nonetheless. "I think you meant 'interrogation'."

"Hey, at least you're self-aware. Also, finish that bottle and unwind a little." She quipped, closing the door behind her with a transient laugh. It faded quickly, though.

The deafening stillness of the hall made her insides restless, especially since each and every sconce had been lit. The dull orange light offered an ambience that she wasn't fond of, and she wasted no time in heading for the staircase to the third floor.

She dropped her coat on her bed as she finally reached her room, scrambling to get her bathroom supplies ready. Calliope grabbed her bathrobe on the way out and stormed for the communal showers down the hall. She heard a bustle over the balcony, the chatter of people and pews scraping against the uneven stone floor. Said bustle triggered a sense of suffocation, which often appeared around clergy members.

Calliope shoved the thought aside as she continued her trek. She descended yet another spiral staircase to the depths of the building.

Her movement halted as she listened to the familiar, steady dripping that echoed through the rocky ceiling. She observed the abyss that led to the catacombs even deeper below the ancient structure.

The defiant courage she felt faded as quickly as it came, and she rushed in the opposite direction to the bathing chambers. The rocky pool in the centre of the room beckoned her under the candlelight, but the inky waters spelt nothing but trouble. Every single thing about this church was ominous.

She found her way to the communal showers quick enough and turned the water on. She was surprised that the building even had running water this far below the surface. Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she paid attention to her surroundings. It seemed like the smart thing to do.

The wind howled ominously through the cave-like structure, billowing the thin shower curtain against her bare legs. Where would wind like that - especially down here - even come from?

Ignoring the chill that spread up her spine, she hopped underneath the harsh stream and rushed to wash, even though the water wasn't even warm yet. The showers were always peaceful in the mornings but at night...

She wrung her hair, turning off the water. She patted herself dry as fast as humanly possible before tugging on her robe. She would no doubt sprint up the stairs and back to her room, especially with all the soothing ambience she was provided on this fair night.

Proving she knew herself well, she sped to the staircase, a sharp laugh echoing through the catacombs. It must've been them, only this laugh sounded distinctly female, like a witch's.

For once, the thought of not being alone in a dangerous situation didn't soothe her at all. Calliope bolted up the stairs, and she could've sworn she heard another set of steps beside her own.

Finally safe, she peered down the stairs into the darkness, and surely, there was nothing there.

"Fucking hell, Cal," She scolded herself, continuing down the hallway at a considerably slower pace.