This Love Only Brings You Pain (COMPLETED) ✓

One

She could still see his face. His pupils were expanding so that they consumed his entire eyeball, until all Ava could see was black. His hands moved in fluid gestures, sending the wraith demons down upon the innocent bystanders. She could hear Lilith telling them to fall back, her arm wrapped protectively around Camila's shoulders, another gripping Beatrice's arm in a vice like grip.

Mary appeared beside her, brandishing her shotguns like swords. "What do we do?"

Ava gulped, the sweat clinging to her palms causing her grip on the cruciform sword to sag. "I-I don't know."

Beatrice yelled over the din of the people's screams. "How many demons are there?"

But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to control her vision. Her knees began to buckle, causing Bea to move forward in one fluid motion to capture her in her arms. Ava's eyes began to burn with unbearable pain, the accompanying background noises of the battle fading into muffled screams. She could hear Adriel's laughter at Mary's weak attempt to hold back the possessed, but all she saw was Bea. Beatrice with her gentle arms looped beneath her knees and around her torso, guiding her away from the impending doom.

It was just the two of them. Only Beatrice.

For a split second, a vial of happiness exploded throughout the four chambers of her heart. She was surprised at how big of a reaction she had to one simple gesture of sisterhood. Just the thought of Bea not feeling the same way about this embrace caused the glow in her soul to diminish, along with her consciousness.

••••

Ava Silva awoke with a start, frantically sitting up. She met Lilith's gaze in the rearview mirror, recieving a curt nod from the grey haired nun before she shimmied around in the van. Three pairs of eyes met her; Camila gave her a sweet smile, Beatrice returned her stare with a concerned one, whereas Mary just gloomily mourned the loss of their ally, Vincent.

"Ava." Beatrice scooted closer to her, laying one hand on her knee, surprising the halo bearer. She usually wasn't very affectionate, and liked to stray away from any form of human contact. "Ava, are you alright? You were thrashing about a lot."

Ava tried not to let the intimate touch affect her expression, despite the fact that it left her skin growing hot and tingly. That was a normal feeling though, surely? It left her feeling safe, just like JC's embrace always had. She thought back to their first kiss on the boat in the supply closet, remembering how fast it had escalated. It wasn't that he'd been a terrible kisser, but there was always something missing. Sex with him had just felt empty. Then again, it was her first time. Surely everyone felt that way, right?

"Ava," Beatrice called out, pulling her back to reality with just one syllable escaping her plump lips. Damnit that British accent was so hypnotic. "Ava, what's wrong? You keep spacing out."

"Sorry," she apologized, clearing her throat awkwardly. She felt guilty upon noticing the worry lines creasing her friend's brow. How dare she be thinking about sex and boys when there was a maniac after the halo. "I've just been stressed. I don't really remember what happened at the Vatican aside from Adriel being alive and the demons."

"I knew something was wrong," Lilith piped up from the driver's seat. "It was when I saw that kid at ArqTech. He was muttering about angels and there were a ton of drawings of some creepy dude with devil horns. I think Adriel managed to communicate with him whilst he was trapped in the tomb."

"How is possible that he's alive though?" Camila asked.

Beatrice shrugged. "I have no idea. It was believed when the angel gave Areala de Cordue the halo, he was made a mortal man. When he died, they used his bones to form the first piece of divinium metal. But when Ava was entering the tomb, there was a Tarask skeleton made of divinium inside the wall. So it's possible Adriel was never actually an angel, meaning that it's unlikely his bones are the source of the holy metal used to strike down demons."

"So our entire education was basically a lie then?" Lilith scoffed in response, making a sharp left turn. "Unbelievable. But I'm hardly surprised."

Ava craned her neck to peer outside the van's windows. "Where are we going? I mean, it's not like we can return to the OCS. We just broke into the Vatican offices and exposed the Order. We're screwed."

Beatrice tightened her grip on Ava's knee, giving it a reassuring squeeze before she spoke. "I promise you it'll be okay. Don't give up."

Ava smiled in response, wincing slightly as Beatrice withdrew her hand. But her words had given the halo bearer hope; she'd follow Bea through thick and thin. She knew the other girls, especially Beatrice, would honour that promise.

*Thank you for checking out my Avatrice story. I hope you liked the first chapter. This is a fanfiction, as I do not own any part of Warrior Nun. My other book, I Have No Right To Love You, shall be posted in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, I hope you give This Love Only Brings You Pain a chance.
Thanks again 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈*