Secrets and Sins Part 2: Finding Mary

Chapter 40

~Lilith~

She couldn't believe Mother Superior.
After everything Lilith had done for the Order over the last few months, more than repaying her debt for helping Adriel, the winged woman had been ordered to her room on their arrival to the Cat's Cradle.  She had initially been furious with their leader, teleporting straight to her quarters with only a 'seriously?'.

But as she watched from her window as Mother Superior tensely greeted the men in the courtyard below, her rage towards the older woman faded. She was still angry, but more at herself for overreacting, for showing insecurity, weakness. It had been a long time since Lilith had thought about her appearance and its effect on other people. Ordinarily she wouldn't care, not at all, but this situation has blindsided her, bringing up feelings that had long since been buried.

  "Who pissed on your cornflakes?" A voice asked from behind her.

Lilith whirled around, a 'get out' snarl on the tip of her tongue, until she saw who the intruder was.

"Mary! You're on your feet…sort of." Her friend was leaning heavily on the crutches under each armpit.

Mary grinned, "Yep, although only very recently. Can I sit?"

"Sure." The former sister warrior replied, nodding towards the bed.

The injured woman hopped over to the bed and lowered herself down onto it with a groan, letting the crutches lean against the wall beside her. With her friend settled, Lilith’s gaze wandered back to the scene unfolding in the courtyard below. Mother Superior was shaking her head at something one of the men was saying. Lilith could imagine that the Vatican officials were demanding that she hand over Ava and Beatrice while their leader feigned ignorance over the women’s location. The really clever part was Mother Superior actually didn’t know where they were, she had just given them money and orders to find somewhere to go, so she could never be caught out in a lie. 

Lilith couldn't help but dwell on the moment when the older nun had tried to explain, not unkindly, why she was requesting her absence for the meeting, how her appearance may give the Vatican officials the 'wrong idea'. Shaking her head Lilith chewed the inside of her cheek, trying to force herself to move on.

“You okay, Lil?” Mary murmured softly.

“Yep.” Even Lilith could tell that she didn’t sound believable, the winged woman could feel her friend’s eyes burning into her.

Mary let out a disgruntled sigh at her evasiveness, “Don’t bullshit me…you look like you want to kill someone. Tell me what’s going on.”

She did her best to remain silent, offering her friend a nonchalant shrug, keeping her eyes trained out the window.

“Lilith…don’t make me get up and come over there. Seriously.”

Growling under her breath, the winged woman moved from her position to sit down on the bed beside her, very demanding, old friend. She took a breath, trying to articulate the reason for her agitation. Mary waited patiently and quietly next to her, not applying any pressure, just being there.

“I was ordered away when we got back…” Lilith started, glaring down at the floor, “Mother Superior indicated my presence may…complicate matters…with the Vatican.”

Mary hummed softly, “I thought you would have preferred that? I mean, I know a lot has changed, but the Lilith I know always hated the pomp and circumstance of the Church, especially the political shit.”

“I do! I do hate that…” The winged woman replied swiftly, glancing up at the other woman.

“Then why…?” Mary’s intelligent eyes searched her face, Lilith didn’t know why, but the scrutiny brought blood rushing to her cheeks.
She found what she was looking for, “Oh. It hurt you.”