Vixen Hunted (12 page)

Tera found herself
facing a door and reined her galloping thoughts. "H…here it is." She
pushed open the door.

Sister Grace
straightened. The old nun gestured at a copper tray. "Ah! There you are. I
left some hot stew. Stew is good on a chilly day. If you need anything—"

"I will be
fine," Tahd said. "Thank you, sister." He slipped past Sister
Grace. The two nuns left the man to his dinner.

"Did you
see?" Tera asked.

"See what,
child?" Sister Grace flowed down the hall. Tera had to slow her feet to
keep pace.

"He is an
Inquisitor!"

"Hmm? And you know
this—"

"You didn't see
the Seal of the Inquisition?!"

"I didn't
see," Sister Grace said.

Of course she did not
see. This abbey overflowed with blind women. How could they be content with
being able to read, write, and pray but not use the skills for anything?

"He is after a
demon. A fox demon."

"Child, the Church
took care of those demons when you were still in swaddling."

"Did they get all
of them? How could they?" Tera stopped in front of the nun.

"Do you doubt the
Church's word?" Sister Grace wore her patient lecturing expression. Tera
knew that expression too well.

"No. No, but there
could be some they missed."

"Possible. What
does this Inquisitor say?"

She had to tell
someone! She bounced on her toes. "We have a demon here. The
redhead."

"Young Timothy's
companion?" Sister Grace shook her head. "I suspect unseemly things.
He is young, but she is no demon. Timothy was raised here. He would not be with
a demon. Why, I always thought he would make a good priest despite
his…antics."

"She is! I saw a
tail! I do not lie."

"Calm yourself,
child. I…I have a distaste for the Inquisition. There…you know even my old
bones doubt. Even the Jews in the Old Word demanded proof of many witnesses.
The Inquisition does not."

"But—"

Sister Grace held up a
finger. "No more of this. We offered our hospitality. You will not break
it. Nor will this Inquisitor without proof. My old bones are too tough for the
Inquisition to burn. They will have to prove her a demon. Show me, and then I
will believe. Leave it be, Sister Tera."

The old nun held Tera's
eyes until Tera looked at her feet. Tera would show the old woman proof. She
would not let this chance to do something important pass her. Sister Grace said
something Tera did not hear and left to tend to her business. Tera moved
through the abbey's silence with her mind whirring. She stopped at the dining
hall.

"Cinnamon's sticky,"
the red-haired demon said.

Tera stalked into the
spare dining hall. What was Mother Mae thinking? Even if the red was not a
demon, these two were living in sin. Of that Tera had not doubt. What man could
resist such an exotic creature? Red hair and the way the demon walked! Beyond
her demonic nature, she was an obvious strumpet.

"Cinnamon's
expensive," Timothy said. "I wonder how Aunt Mae…Sister?"

"I know what you
are," Tera said. "I deny your power. I will reveal you. You will not
take me. You made a mistake stepping into the house of the Lord."

"What I am?"
Timothy asked.

Tera knew only a little
about Timothy from the other nuns, but his stricken face and the way he looked
at the strumpet told Tera everything she suspected.

"Why, shepherd, I
do believe you are making the poor nun reconsider her vows." The demon
turned her cursed eyes on Tera. "He is mine until I say I am done."

"I deny your
power! You will not have me." Tera jabbed a finger at the red.

"Wait! You don't
mean…" The demon laid a hand against its cheek. "Oh, dear me. I have
heard stories about nuns, but I thought them too naughty to be true. I'm
flattered. Really I am, but I like men. Well, Timmy somewhat counts as a man. I
haven't looked yet."

Tera gaped. The demon
thought it a joke! And to say such lewd things in a house dedicated to God!

Timothy watched the
exchange with a questioning frown. Then his eyebrows lifted, and his cheeks
flushed. Tera quivered and her fist clenched.

"Your tongue
betrays you, fox. If only that were proof enough." Tera stalked away. The
proof would be the tail. Not even Mother Mae could deny the sight of that. A
plan started to take shape.

"I really should
check to see if you are a man, Timmy," the fox said. "Just a peek to
make sure."

Chapter 7

The cool sun poked
holes in the gray clouds. Timothy lounged on a stone bench in the courtyard.
Birds chirped, and insects mourned the passing of summer. Sister Rae mucked the
small stable across the courtyard. Timothy tried to ignore the questions
rampaging through his mind and enjoy the peaceful moment. How could he tell Kit
what he found? Did she suspect what the Inquisition claimed?

"Baa!" Cat
bounced across the courtyard. Timothy scratched the lamb's head with a finger.

"How should I tell
her?" he asked the lamb. "When?" He was not sure where Kit was.
Likely eating or taking a bath. She spent the better part of the day grooming
her tail when she was not visiting Aunt Mae.

"Baa," Cat
said. She hopped a circle.

"Cat!" Sister
Rae leaned on her pitchfork. "Come here, girl."

Cat scampered toward
the sister. It would be nice if they could stay here. Few people visited the
abbey. It took a good day's walk to find the closest cluster of farmers. The
one visitor Timothy heard about had left before Timothy had seen him. A merchant
staying for a night or two, he guessed. He leaned back and crossed his ankles,
watching the sun push aside a few more clouds. He knew they could not stay, but
it was nice to indulge that fantasy.

"Child, I am only
doing this to prove you have an overactive imagination," Sister Grace
said. "You will apologize to the poor girl when all of this nonsense is
over."

"I know what I
saw," Tera said.

Sister Grace sniffed.
"I'm of a mind to bend you over my knee for this foolishness, sister or
no!" She gestured at the door to the washroom. "Go on. If one's going
to jump in the mud, there is no point in tiptoeing to get to it."

Tera shoved open the
door. The red-haired creature sat on the edge of one of the washtubs, a long
white wash robe wrapped around its body. A towel formed a beehive around its
head.

"What can I do for
you, sisters? I was just about to take a bath, as you can see." The
creature clasped the robe tight to her chest.

Sister Grace grabbed
Tera's earlobe. "Just a little mischief from an overly imaginative sister.
Apologize, child, and let the girl be. I don't know why I decided to indulge
your fancy."

"She is a
demon!" Tera pulled away from Sister Grace's vice-like fingers.

"Such nonsense is
not becoming of a sister. You will apologize now and stop this foolishness. The
abbess will know of your antics." Sister Grace planted hands on her hips.

"Do leave. You are
letting in chilly air and cooling my bath." The abomination shivered.

Tera refused to be
turned away. A Hand from the Inquisition itself asked for Tera's help. She
twisted away from Sister Grace. The demon stood and bared her teeth.

Fangs! The demon had
fangs.

No. She would not fear
the demon. God protected her. She served a just cause. Tera grabbed the demon's
hand holding the robe closed.

"Don't touch
me!" The demon struggled against Tera's grip.

"Stop this at
once." Sister Grace pulled at Tera's habit. "I knew I should have
switched all those fancies out of you."

"You will see the
truth." Tera yanked the demon's hand from the wash robe.

"I warned
you," the demon growled.

"Tera! You will
stop this now." The old nun heaved Tera back.

The demon lashed out
with its fingernails, and fire burned across Tera's cheek. Her eyes watered,
but she held on. Sister Grace toppled, pulling Tera down. Tera kept her grip on
the demon's wrist and robe. She thumped onto the floor with the demon on top of
her. Her head smashed against the floor tiles, and her vision swam.

Sister Grace gasped.

The demon's terrible
green eyes widened. Rage glinted in their depths, along with something else.
Demons did not understand fear. It could not be that. Tera grabbed a fistful of
towel and pulled it off. White tufted ears slipped from the fabric.

The demon crushed
Tera's jaw with a fist. The room wavered and Tera tasted blood.

Suddenly, the weight
lifted. Tera staggered to her feet and caught the edge of the washtub before
hitting the tiles again. The room spun. She forced her eyes to focus. Sister
Grace wrapped her strong arms around the red-haired demon, and the fox tail bristled
and slapped at the elderly sister. A low primal growl rumbled the air. The wash
robe fell from slender shoulders. A pale muscular body that looked far too
normal writhed in the sister's grip. That body mocked God's creation. It was
unblemished and petite. God liked the perfection of imperfection.

Sister Grace roared and
she held on. Tera knew the old nun had a strong arm, but she never knew the nun
held this much strength. The demon twisted and kicked. The hall outside echoed
with voices.

The demon sank its
fangs into Sister Grace's exposed forearm. The nun bellowed but held on.

Three sisters, Abby,
Nika, and Rebecca, froze at the sight of Sister Grace and the red demon
wrestling. The demon kicked and clawed.

"Help us! She is a
demon!" Tera shouted.

She didn't wait for
them. She lurched in and grabbed a kicking bare foot. The other sisters rushed
beside her. Abby grabbed the other foot. The others helped pry the demon off of
Sister Grace's bloody forearm, forcing the creature down to the tile. The fox howled
in fury, its ears pressed against the hell-fire hair. Tera knew ears like those
could hear the commands of the demon's dark lord.

"What is all this
racket! This is a house of God…" The abbess flowed into the room.

Sister Grace slumped to
the tiled floor. "The fool girl was right. She is a demon! Sorry I doubted
you, sister." The last word held a level of respect that surprised Tera.

The demon went limp.
The red-haired fox mocked what a woman should look like. Tera felt the urge to
ward against its evil. The skin under her hands felt like normal skin, but it
was a lie. No normal woman had red hair like this or ears and a tail. Tera kept
a tight grip as the demon panted. She refused to fall for that. Demons did not
get tired. She dug her fingers into the demon's skin. The Inquisitor said hell
spawn like this one were tricksters.

"Mother,"
Sister Grace panted. "This girl…"

"Get off her,
sisters. I can see what is before me. I trust she will not be going anywhere
with all of us here. Let go of her."

Abby, Nika, and Rebecca
released the creature, sharing an anxious, proud look. The abbess bored her
eyes into Tera's.

"Fine." Tera
let go and backed far enough to avoid another fist. Her jaw ached. Blood from
her cut lip tasted like the last of the Lenten soup.

The creature staggered
to its feet and swept all of them with baleful eyes. The twin green fires
lingered on Tera, and the nun raised her chin. The creature crossed its arms
beneath small breasts. It didn't even bother to cover itself. What sort of
creature wouldn't want to cover itself with so many eyes looking?

The abbess held a hand
to her forehead. "I can see you deceived us, deary."

A partially robed
shoulder shrugged. "You didn't ask. It shouldn't matter." The demon
sniffed. "You humans are always swift to curse those who are different. So
much for the compassion your God teaches."

"Only the foolish
among us are swift to curse those who are different." The abbess turned to
the sisters. "Sister Grace, you and Sister Tera need to be tended to. The
rest of you can escort our guest her room. You will behave, won't you? Good.
Nika, go find Timothy, please."

"What! You are not
going to do anything?" Tera stomped up to the abbess.

"I am going to
finish my bath." The red tail swished. "I need to wash off the feel
of your groping."

"I need to
consider—" the abbess said.

"What is there to
consider? It is a demon!"

"My bath water is
cold now. I am not in the mood for your foolishness, so don't think I will be
easy on you this time." The demon bared fangs.

"Just because she
is…different doesn't mean she is a demon, sister." The abbess waved a hand
as Sister Grace opened her mouth. "You two need to have those wounds
tended."

"Close the door
behind you. I prefer to bathe in private," the creature said.

"You will promise
me no trouble, deary." The abbess skewered the demon with a glare. The
demon replaced the wash robe. "No trouble for Timothy's sake. Do you hear
me?"

"For the
shepherd's sake. I won't cause trouble."

"Promise me,
deary."

"Fine! I swear I
will not cause trouble. Can I finish my bath now?"

"We will talk
later, sister," the abbess told Tera. "For now, see to your face and
stay out of trouble." Tera opened her mouth. The abbess raised an eyebrow.
Tera shut her mouth.

"Later," the
abbess said.

Tera sighed. Fools.

Across the courtyard,
Cat lay in Sister Rae's lap as the sister stroked the lamb's head. A few notes
of a tune she hummed hung in the air.

He should just tell
Kit. It was best to just be out with it.

A dark-haired nun about
the same age as Timothy skidded to a stop. She panted and gulped.

"What's the
matter, Sister Nika?"

The nun shot Timothy a
look he could not decipher. "The…abbess…needs you in her office.
Now."

Timothy stood. So much
for a peaceful day. "Did something happen to Evelyn?"

The sister shook her
head. She slumped to the stone bench. "Important. Needs you now," she
managed between gasps.

It had to be Evelyn.

"Rest
awhile." Timothy left the nun. It must be something for Aunt Mae to deem
it important. Most of the time, Evelyn's antics were not worth bothering about.

The interior of the
abbey held the quiet activity of daily chores, and the normalcy eased Timothy's
anxiety a little. If it were serious, the nuns would not be working as usual.
Gossip traveled faster than prayer.

He rapped knuckles on
Aunt Mae's worn door. How many times had he been to her office for his drawings
and pranks? At least as many times as the pleasant visits.

Timothy doubted this
time would be pleasant.

He rapped his knuckles
on the door again. Maybe Evelyn broke out of her insanity. Not likely.

"Come in."

The bare walls held a
single icon of the Holy Mother. She seemed to accuse him. The Holy Mother
witnessed all of his antics, so Timothy understood the accusing look. The desk
held its usual clutter of papers and the ever-present, battered tea set. Aunt
Mae eyed Timothy over her teacup.

"Sit down,
Timothy."

He closed the door and
sat. He felt like squirming under her steady gaze. Maybe he had visited the
room more often because of pranks than not.

"Were you going to
tell me?" she asked.

"Tell you what,
Aunt Mae?"

"Mother Mae. That
your companion is a fox." The abbess sipped her tea.