Warrior Nun Season 3

Isaiah 55:7

"Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."

Yasmine has been in the care of Jillian for the past week. Treatment after treatment has been issued, and she's made progress, just not enough. Ava calls daily, sometimes multiple times, checking in on Yasmine's developments. She feels responsible. As much as Beatrice reminds her she isn't, when Ava sets her mind on something, it stays that way.

She's been quiet since the mission. Not cold or closed off, she still reaches for Beatrice, still leans in when her love lays a hand on her. Just quiet. Which is almost worse for Ava. She's thinking. And Beatrice gets fearful when she thinks.

It's at breakfast when Beatrice pesters her about it. After sitting down and eating a meal with her sisters, all chatting and making easy conversation, Ava spoke not a word. Just listened with changing facial expressions to show she was listening. When the others stand to dispose of their trays, Beatrice grabs her hand and keeps her to the table, letting the others get a safe distance away.

Ava doesn't pull away. She doesn't look at her. She knows what Beatrice will ask of her. And Beatrice knows she knows. She doesn't have to speak.

"I know it wasn't my fault," Ava whispers. "But knowing and feeling are two very different things."

"How do you think the others feel? How I feel? We were all there, Ava. Any one of us could have stopped Lilith. But we didn't. You can't let it all fall on your shoulders."

"But I'm..." Ava stops herself, closing her eyes at the selfish next part of that sentence.

Beatrice purses her lips. "The Warrior Nun. Yes. And I am a Sister Warrior. Our jobs are the same. Protect each other, stay on the mission. You are the lead, yes. But I am supposed to have your back. Just as you have mine.

"We are going to get hurt, darling. It comes with the territory. Where it gets dangerous is when we take the blame for those hurts. When we dwell on it. Because when we dwell, we lose time. And we don't have the time to grieve over a mistake. Yasmine wouldn't want us to halt strategizing to wait for her to get better. Because the truth of it is, and I'm so sorry, darling, she might not get better."

Ava looks at her then, tears in her eyes, forever thankful that Beatrice is so straight with her. Enough people have coddled her.

Beatrice tilts her head, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind Ava's ear. "What are you thinking?"

Ava sighs, pulling her eyes away from her love and letting the tears dissolve. "I think I know Samael's weakness."

The team gathers in Superion's office, the unofficial headquarters for their planning. Ava stands in front of the desk, everyone else in front of her awaiting her words. They were eager when she called them to a meeting, and now they listen with fidgeting bodies.

"I've been thinking back to the first time we were aware of Samael's presence. It wasn't when Lilith went to Jillian for her headaches. It was when Adriel came into the picture. They come from the same divine realm. Samael's power is similar to Adriel's in that sense. It all stems from the same source, and they've used it the same."

"Explain," Superion prompts.

"I think they aren't as strong here in our realm compared to when they are in theirs. Their power is minimized. They need someone else to do their bidding for him, hence, Lilith and by association, me with Reya. The two of us are like vessels for them."

"So his power is uncontrolled," Superion muses. "He can't use it properly for what he wants, so he gets another person to do it for him."

"Exactly," Ava nods. "When we confronted him with the Molten Mirror and entrapped Lilith, he disappeared the second I went after him. He had no defenses. He was scared, if I was to be so bold to assume."