Bury all your secrets in my skin

10. A remedy

"She's gone."

Ava blinked, Lilith's voice snapping her back to reality. She pulled her eyes away from the spot where the wraith, no, Bea had just been standing.

"Fuck!" Ava's heart rate spiked as she let go of Lilith's arms and rushed forward, even though it was far too late to see where Bea had disappeared to. "Bea!"

She scanned the grounds lit by the late afternoon sunshine. There had to be some sign, even a wisp of crimson smoke would be enough for Ava to track. But there was nothing.

"I never thought it would go this far..."

The murmur had Ava twisting back around, Lilith was staring into the distance a guilt stricken expression on her face as she stared into the distance. Anger surged through Ava's body, and suddenly she was in front of the former sister warrior, her hands fisting in the front of Lilith's tunic.

"What the hell do you know?" Ava growled, barely keeping her rage in check.

For a split second Lilith looked sympathetic before her face hardened, every ounce of guilt washed away.

She grabbed Ava's wrists, meeting her furious gaze head on. "Let go of me, Ava."

But Ava couldn't hear her over the rushing in her ears. The Halo warmed at her back, reacting to her emotions in a way it hadn't done since she first received it.

Lilith's hands tightened, her talons pressing sharply into Ava's skin. "You need to calm down... control yourself."

Ava bared her teeth, an animalistic snarl tearing from her throat.

The Halo began to hum.

"Ava! Lilith!" Mother Superior's shout from the front of the Cradle cleared some of the haze of rage. "Why in God's name do I have two dozen sister warriors needing medical attention?"

~

Ava didn't want to be here anymore, she wanted to be out searching for Bea. The thought of the sister warrior out there all alone, terrified with what was happening to her made Ava feel physically ill. But she couldn't. She was stuck in Mother Superior's office with Lilith, Camila and Mary all trying to puzzle out what the fuck was going on.

"Beatrice turned into a wraith." Mother Superior repeated slowly, as if it might make more sense if she did.

Ava didn't look up from her pacing, but saw Lilith's nod of confirmation out of her peripheral vision. She stifled the bolt of anger that shot through her chest. Lilith still hadn't explained her cryptic statement in the courtyard.

"As in an actual wraith demon?" Mother Superior's eyebrows were knitted together in confusion, Ava couldn't blame her.

"It would appear so, yes." Lilith answered quietly.

"But, how...?"

Good question.

"It has to be from the bite..."

Ava just about tripped over her own feet, she spun around so quickly. Camila was perched on the edge of the seat Mary was sitting in. She seemed surprised by how shocked everyone was by her statement.

"Well it does, right?" Camila looked around and met Ava's eye only to quickly look away, her face reddening like at breakfast earlier.

Why the hell is she being so weird...

"During the..." Camila's voice cracked, and she stopped to clear her throat. "During the fight in the tunnels, one of the possessed took a chunk out of her shoulder."