The Abduction (Omegas of Hunter's Point Book 2)

Chapter 22

Von rubbed at her arms in a vain attempt to warm herself as she followed Mother down a stone corridor lit by oil lamps in antique bronze sconces.

Mother spared a glance backward. "Not what you're used to, is it?" She harumphed. "Best toughen up, my girl. This convent was established over a thousand years ago and has changed very little since. You will find few concessions to modernity here."

So, Von had noticed. No electricity from what Von could see. Please, let there at least be hot water. "Is there a phone? I'd like to call my mate and let him know I've arrived safely."

"No phones," Mother answered, brusquely. "Our order was cloistered once upon a time, and we have yet to fully open to the outside world. Our benefactor will notify your mate. Do not worry yourself."

I bet he will. With a big, fat demand for money.

Mother paused before an arched wooden door. "Here we are." Pulling a keyring from her belt, she unlocked it with an ancient key that looked to Von as if it could double as a weapon. "After you."

Von stepped into a dungeon cell: stone floor, stone walls, stone ceiling.

Mother lit a candle. "These rooms are normally reserved for girls who are considering joining the order, but it will be yours for the time being. You are to keep it tidy at all times. Your candle will be refreshed every other day, so use its light sparingly."

Von's eyes adjusted to the wan light coming from the candle. A washstand with a ewer and pitcher stood in one corner, and a clean, if dingy, pad rested on the floor against the wall. She supposed it would form the base of her bed. Things being what they were, she guessed it could have been worse. The candle gave off the soothing aroma of lavender, and room had the potential to be cozy once she got her hands on some bedding.

"Ah, here we are," Mother said.

In the doorway, her arms overflowing with sheets, blankets, and pillows was a young woman clad in the same green novice robes as Von, but with an additional white wrap around her hair. She blew a stray reddish-gold lock out of eyes of a deep and alluring green.

Mother said something in Alsatian, at which the girl lowered her head and dipped into a shallow curtsey. "This is our newest novice." Mother looked upon the girl with fondness as the novice placed the bedding on top of the pad on the floor. "She only recently decided to take the veil. She has not earned her name, yet, and has taken a vow of silence for the duration of her novice period, as have the others."

So don't think to find an ally among them, Von filled in.

"And the other Sisters know better than to indulge your nonsense, either," Mother admonished. "They know why you're here the same as I."

The novice moved past Von in a swish of robes that smelled of...fresh-cut grass? That was a beta scent. What was a beta doing in an omega religious order? Von watched the girl, noting the younger woman's uneven gate. She seemed to favor her right side.

"Dinner is in an hour in the main hall. As the lowest-ranking member of our house, you will assist the novices in serving, in clearing the tables, and in washing up, afterward. Were I you, I'd use this time to freshen up and assemble your nest. I guarantee you'll be far too tired to do it later."

On that note, Mother and the nameless novice departed. The heavy grinding sound that followed the closing of the door told Von she'd been locked in.

She'd expected as much. Might as well do the nest thing. Von sorted through the bedding. They had probably been a much coarser weave when new, but now, after years of use, the thick material was soft to the touch. Von spread and draped this and that, using the hooks in the stone she'd discovered almost by accident that seemed to be for that exact purpose. Dismayingly, as she worked, it became clear her bedding had been used by many, many other omegas. Berries, honey, various florals, and caramel undercut the reek of the lye soap the sheets had been washed in.