Sceleratis Cardinalis Aduentu

Ignite Our Dreams

The Mabon festival continued on for the rest of the week in a waning fashion, mainly consisting of minor rituals and smaller informal parties.

Because of the period of celebration, little duties were required of Sanctum members, but Adaira found herself trying to occupy every minute she had free with whatever tasks she could find.

She tried to remain in high spirits, but always ended up struggling with longing and insecurity regarding her relations with the cardinal.

It had been six days since she had seen him. Six days since he told her they would be together soon.

Adaira knew that the Ministry had been wrapped up in several confined meetings, probably involving the upcoming Samhain formalities, but she hadn't caught sight or heard word of him.

She had not told any of the people she considered her friends what had happened that night in the shadows of the courtyard, in fear of damaging her, or the cardinal's, position with the church.

It hurt Adaira to not be able to talk to someone about it, but it wasn't worth the chance of it getting out.

She had came to the Unholy Sanctum three years ago in order to train under part of the Ministry, in hopes that she might secure a higher position, or at least, commit herself to someone that would be in one.

As she had confided to Cardinal Copia on the night of his party, her family was noted for holding high positions in the Satanic Church under Master LaVey, and so it was their hope that their daughter might achieve such a status, if not more. They had helped Adaira gain her place serving the High Priestess, and so she was always under pressure from them, always being reminded not to disgrace their family.

Adaira found high praise from the Priestess, who had suggested to Sister Imperator and Papa Nihil that she may be of use to them as well. For the latter two, serving them was a slow crawl up the hierarchy, but Adaira was persistent and determined to make a name for herself within the Church.

She had realized that the cardinal could be her key to much more, or at the very least, making her family proud. But she also knew that her ties to him felt much deeper than just being a shallow arrangement. She was not one to use people, unlike her family, and she wanted something more, something honest, for herself.

Adaira had tried to deny herself a curiosity for Cardinal Copia when she first heard of his coming, but this quickly began to change when he broke her with his gaze the night he arrived. When she had escorted him to his new chambers, she still tried to deny herself attraction. It wasn't until after the night of his party, when their lips had briefly met, she knew she could no longer fight her feelings.

Their interactions were always brief and confusing, but that first night of Mabon presented an entirely different level of connection, one she had never experienced. It made her want to spend every minute with the cardinal, learning every detail about him, inside and out.

Perhaps this was why she now found herself wandering the halls of the Sanctum, lost in her thoughts, trying to find any sign of him.

Adaira decided to turn down a corridor she wasn't familiar with, thinking that at the very least she would have an adventure exploring.

She passed the old and dusty paintings lining the walls, still lost in her own mind. The hallway darkened ahead before opening up into a dimly lit cloister.

Adaira shivered as she passed into the shadows and quickened her steps, trying to get out of the eerie quiet hallway as fast as she could.

She stepped into the hazy light of the doubly split walkway and looked in both directions. She figured that the telescoping hall to her right probably led back to the mausoleum, and so she decided to go the opposite way.