Secrets and Sins

Chapter 25

~Beatrice~

Beatrice felt drained.

It was the morning after the battle in the town square and she was lying on her side next to a still unconscious Ava, stroking her fingers through the other woman’s somewhat clean hair.
When they had arrived home, Ava had been rushed to the medical wing, this time Beatrice accompanied her. They didn’t want a repeat of the last time the woman had woken disorientated there.

The doctors had secured a new cerulean bracelet to the Halo bearer’s wrist before digging the bullet out of her shoulder and bandaging her up. After some convincing, the doctor also talked Beatrice through cleaning and dressing the now very inflamed halo scar on Ava’s back. The sister warrior wouldn’t risk anyone else touching Ava there, even with the bracelet on, just in case.

The nurses had then helped Beatrice use wet clothes to clean the concrete dust and blood from Ava’s face, body and hair, so she could rest more comfortably. The sister warrior was too tired to be embarrassed by the Halo bearer’s state of undress.
Beatrice insisted that Ava be stretchered back to her own quarters after being treated, she knew the last thing the other woman would want was to wake up in the medical wing again.

So here they were, Beatrice had tried to sleep, but it was fitful, she desperately needed Ava to wake up, even for a moment, so she knew she was okay. The sister warrior felt like she was treading water, barely keeping her head above the surface, the stress and fear and pain threatening to drown her at any moment.

Beatrice sighed, rolling onto her back with a groan. She had brushed off the doctors who had tried to examine her injuries when they had reached the Cradle, the adrenaline was still pulsing through her body making her numb to them. But now she was finally somewhat relaxed, her ribs throbbed sharply. Beatrice lifted the edge of her loose-fitting black shirt to expose her torso.

Shit.

Her entire right side was a mosaic of black, blue, purple and green bruising, starting from her hip, travelling all the way up and under her bra.

“Well, that doesn’t look good, are they broken?” A soft voice spoke from beside her.

Beatrice's gaze snapped up to Ava’s face, honey brown eyes were inspecting her ribs with concern. As the sister warrior watched her, those beautiful eyes rose to meet hers. Ava looked weary but pleased to see her.

“Ava.” Beatrice whispered, raising her hand up to stroke the Halo bearer’s cheek, just drinking her in for a moment, a couple of tears escaping from the corners of her eyes.

“Hey. Bea. I’m sorry. Don’t cry. I didn’t attack anyone did I? Wait, did I do that to you?” Panic started to escalate in her voice.

“No. No. One of the possessed did. I promise. You didn’t hurt anyone.” Beatrice swiftly reassured her.

Ava exhaled a sigh of relief, closing her eyes for a moment. She turned back to Beatrice trying to roll over so she could face the sister warrior easier but let out a surprised cry of pain as she moved her shoulder.

“Ow! What the fuck is wrong with my arm.” She cried out, raising the hand of her non injured limb up to finger the bandage wrapped tightly around her right shoulder.

“Careful Ava.” Beatrice started, quickly grasping the hand with a grimace.
“You got shot.”

Ava gaped at her, “I got what?”

~Ava~

Bea filled in the blanks as to what had happened after she had passed out. Even though Ava was grateful that she had been incapacitated before she hurt anyone, she was kind of pissed off no one had told her about the fucking bullets made specifically to take her down.

Would have been nice to have a heads up.

Bea was angry about it as well, Ava wondered why the sister warrior had been kept in the dark.

Maybe they knew she would never be able to shoot me.

“Wait! Camilla fucking shot me?” Ava exclaimed, interrupting Bea’s recounting of events, shocked that the nun had it in her.

Bea nodded solemnly, “I wanted to kill her.” She whispered so quietly; Ava almost couldn’t hear her.

The other woman was struggling telling her this part of the story, Ava took her hand, the Halo bearer could feel her trembling. She tugged her closer gently, wrapping her up gingerly in her arms, very aware of both of their injuries. Bea took a shaky breath in pressing her face into Ava’s neck, the younger woman could feel tears dripping onto her collarbone.

After a few minutes, Bea breathed out a small sentence into Ava’s skin.

“I nearly lost you…again.”

She sounded so broken; Ava felt her heart break for the woman in her arms.

“Hey, I’m still here. I’ve got you. I love you.” Ava soothed, caressing Bea’s back as she held her.

They lay there just relaxing in each other's presence. Bea’s tears stopped and she drifted off into a deep sleep. Ava knew they needed to talk about what she had witnessed when she had blacked out, but for now Bea needed to rest. The Halo bearer had never seen the sister warrior so distraught before, her heart throbbed painfully as she realized this must have been what Bea had to endure when she had gone through the portal dying. Ava pressed a kiss into her hair.

I promise I will do everything I can to never leave you again.