Grayson's Veil

With food on their plates and the wax of the candles dripping away, the priest glared at Grayson.

“Go on. Ask your precious questions so you can get out of my church.”

Grayson leaned his elbows on the table and steepled his hands like the priest did earlier, mocking him in his own way. “Tell me about yourself.”

LIfting an eyebrow, the priest questioned him. “You want to know about me? Is this an interrogation?” he began to laugh, “Am I under arrest?”

Not reciprocating the laugh, Grayson waited patiently.

Sighing, the priest answered. “As long as I get my amulet,” he muttered. “I have been in the service of God since the age of twenty. I sewed my oats beforehand but my calling was made abundantly clear when I found myself deep in my cups on the front steps of this very church.”

Swinging his arms out, motioning to the things around him, he spoke with pride. “The rest is history.”

Deciding he was done with the priest and his evasive answers, he turned to the nun. “Sister Jane, tell me about how you became a nun.”

“That was not part of the deal, Grayson! You wanted to know about me, not her!”

Grayson ignored the priest but kept his gaze on Sister Jane.

She looked back and forth between the angry, red faced priest and the damaged, pride-filled soldier before making a decision.

Taking a breath, she began.

“How I became a nun is nothing short of my love for God and my religion. I fell in love at a young age and dedicated my life to it. Simple as that.”

The priest smiled like he had won, taking sip of his wine while leaning against his chair.

“However, it wasn’t until I met Father here that I had ever questioned my decision.” Sister Jane stared at the priest, an anger that seemed to have laid dormant for years rising to the service.

The priest slammed his cup, wine flung out onto the table and splashed on Phoebe.

Phoebe squealed at the contact, but Grayson did not moved to help clean her. Instead, he watched the interaction between the priest and Sister Jane with ardor.

“You have done nothing that relates to God since that horrible night. You have not prayed to God, you have not guided the misguided, you have not held congregation to provide spiritual instruction, you have not done anything except drink your wine and wander the church until a new victim came.”

Grayson’s back straightened. “Victim?”

The priest launched himself out of his chair, latching his hands around Sister Jane’s neck.

Grayson grabbed a knife that was strategically placed next to the plate and placed it at the priest’s throat.

The priest gritted his teeth as he applied pressure. “Vile creature. You spew ugly lies about me to our guests and think there will not be consequences?”

Sister Jane’s mouth opened but no sound came out.

“Release the nun. I want to hear more.” Grayson pressed the sharp knife deeper into the priest’s skin, a bead of blood rolled down and soaked into his white collar.

The priest scoffed, flinching as the blade bit into his skin more at the movement.

“You would not dare,” he muttered.

Grayson stepped in closer, his chest bumping against the priest’s back. He snaked a hand up into his hair, almost tenderly, before grasping it and roughly tugging his head back.

“You have not commented on my eyes, Father. Are you not curious as to what had happened to me out in the forest?” Grayson whispered, allowing the blade to teeter on the priest’s throat. “Or do you already know what was out there and decided not to warn me?”

Without waiting for an answer, Grayson answered for him. “You knew. And that got me thinking. If you knew of the demon out there, that means you are connected to that world. I want to know how. I want to know why. Because that demon, told me something about you and Sister Jane that has peeked my interest.”

Grayson leaned in until his lips almost touched the priest’s ear. He locked his eyes with Sister Jane’s, panic beginning to grow within them.

“The two of you seem to know of two people that are of importance to me.”

Swallowing, the priest released Sister Jane. She grabbed her throat and coughed, trying to get in as much air as possible.

Smiling, the priest held up his hands in surrender, trying hard not to show the shudder that was overtaking his limbs. Grayson released his grip and took away the knife, shoving the priest back to his chair but decided to stay at Sister Jane’s side.

“As I was saying,” the nun rasped out, rubbing the red markings on her skin. “Since that horrible night, nothing has been the same.”

She looked over at the priest, sadness clouding her eyes. “You have not been the same.” She stifled a sniff but continued even though the priest was glaring at her.

Sister Jane looked over at Grayson, “We killed a nun and her unborn child.”

Grayson twirled the knife in his hand. “That’s not surprising in the least. The church is against a nun fraternizing outside of its walls.”

“Yes, but the conditions of how this happened are what caused such a panic within our organization.” Clearing her throat, she began to tell their tale.

“Many years ago, this church flourished with people. It was one of the most prominent churches in the country. Royalty would come from miles away just to witness the sermon and the spiritual magic that this land held.” The nun glanced at Grayson, making sure she had his attention. “We were well known for helping those in need, especially unwed mothers.”

“One day the Priest and I were summoned to a castle in the mountains. The senior priest there requested our aid. Given our specialty, and them willing to pay for our travels, we went. The moment we stepped inside that castle; we knew something was not right.” The nun’s eyes glazed over as she recalled the memory.

“The elder priest made us take an oath immediately upon arrival. ‘Never speak of what you see and hear today. You are here for a job and nothing more.’ The whole thing was ominous and concerning, but he was the elder priest so we had to do as he said.”

The priest shifted in his seat, anger boiling underneath his cool exterior. He reached for his wine to drown himself within its flavor. Grayson kept his eye on him but reached for his own wine while twirling the knife between his fingers.

Sister Jane continued, not paying any mind to the men.

“Once we reached the church, the priest introduced us to the other nuns, though one in particular stood out. She was quite beautiful but was pregnant. Being a nun, sworn to a life of celibacy, this was a major sin. The other nuns had shunned her, and the elder priest was abusive to her. But even with those trials, she still seemed to shine bright and stand tall.

“When we were taken into a private office, the older priest demanded we take care of the situation. We were stunned. We thought they needed help with anything other than getting rid of an unborn child. We outright said no. But when he told us of the circumstances of the conception and how only the priest and I could take care of it due to our connection to this spiritual place. We ended up changing our minds. A mistake that will haunt me until the day I perish.

“The elder priest told us she was seduced by a demon. Most likely brainwashed into having intercourse with him. So, we decided she most likely was not sound of mind and decided for her…

“She was not happy to say the least. She fought us, trying to protect the demon child. Eventually, the elder priest slapped her so hard she blacked out, giving us the opportunity to strap her down on a table. I was mortified that the older priest went to those lengths to get the child out of her.”

She folded her hands into her chest, the rosary dangling between her fingers. She rotated the beads one by one as she talked.

“The moment she was completely strapped to the table with her skirt lifted, legs bent and spread, was the moment the world seemed to split.”

Sister Jane’s voice quivered. She looked to the priest for a sliver of guidance, but he would not look at her. He kept his sight on his wine, savoring each sip like it was his last.

Grayson narrowed his eyes at the man.

The priest truly believed he was going to die once the tale was told.

An unsettling sensation began to stir in Grayson’s gut. This story was not what he thought it would be. He was not learning anything, other than that the two religious people in front of him were imposters. But he stayed silent, hoping there will be something that will give him some kind of clue to Uphir’s words.

How was all this tying together?

Finding no assistance in her priest, the nun took in a shuddering breath. The speed on her rosary picking up.

“Blood was everywhere. On the table, on the floor, on her clothes, on Father’s hands…It just did not seem to end.

“The girl grew paler and paler as he worked. I remember the smell of blood soaking the air and how no matter how many times I reached for a clean cloth the previous one would be soaked through within minutes.

“I remember deciding she was too pale and reached out to her. I remember her body felt like I was touching ice cold water. I remember nearly fainting myself when I realized what we had done. We killed her. We killed her and her unborn child.”

A single tear trailed down her cheek, but neither man made a move to remove it.

‘Let her weep.’

Laughter cut into the somber moment.

The priest was laughing. He clutched his stomach with one arm while the other continued to clutch his empty wine glass.

“I cannot let you keep going with this story.” Chuckling, the priest took a wine bottle and filled his glass.

“You foolish nun. Believing your own lies, trying to make everyone believe you so you can be considered innocent.” He slammed the bottle down.

Sister Jane’s eyes widened. She brought her hands close to her mouth, whispering into the rosary.

Grayson watched the interaction, unsure of what to believe.

“What is the truth?” He asked.

The priest starred at Grayson for several seconds before setting his wine on the table. “Most of the story has truth, but what she is not telling you is that the woman and child survived. And because of that, we are tied to the other side of the veil.”

Jaw twitching, Grayson glared at the priest. “Stop dancing around the subject and tell me the story!”

Sighing, the priest dramatically flung his head back. “I do not understand why this is so important. Why can you not just give me my amulet then be on your way?”

Grayson leapt out of his chair, over the table and grabbed the priest by the neck. He pushed him against the wall, growling in pure frustration.

“I want that information! If you are not going to tell willingly, then I will torture it out of you,” Grayson took the knife he still held and sliced the priest’s cheek.

The priest screamed, pure panic appeared in his eyes.

“Ah,” Grayson exhaled. “Finally. Fear.”

Pressing his back further into the wall, the priest’s eyes rounded.

“No,” the priest breathed out. “I know who you are.”

Grayson lifted a brow, waiting for him to continue.

“You were the babe inside of the cursed nun. Oh God,” he made a cross over his body, “you have come to punish us, haven’t you?” His body trembled.

Grayson squeezed the priest’s throat, wanting nothing more than to feel his blood drip down onto his fingertips.

A thud followed by sharp pain sprouted from the back of Grayson’s head. Groaning, he let go of the priest and stumbled back.

“If you are the spawn of a demon than you must leave!” Sister Jane yelled, holding a full bottle of wine above her head.

Phoebe ran over to Grayson, catching him as he tried to regain his balance.

Holding his now throbbing head, he looked up at the pair.

Humans. They were nothing more than humans trying to survive in a world that barely made sense to them.

He watched as the priest murmured prayers and the nun continued holding a shaking wine bottle.

Words from Alice came back to Grayson. “You are going to see many things that should not exist… You are going to need our help to keep you sane.”

“They’re going insane,” He whispered to Phoebe.

She clutched his arm tightly in response.

Grayson took a step back, trying to give them space.

The priest noticed and grabbed Grayson by the shirt.

“No!” his voice quivered in fear. “You must give me the amulet! I need it!”

Grayson recognized the wild look that was in the priest’s eyes. He grabbed the priest’s hands, squeezing them so they would release him from their hold.

“No! I have been cursed for too long for this to slip away!” he fell to his knees, releasing his hands but grabbing lower on Grayson’s shirt.

“Father, hush!” The nun grabbed at the priest, trying to pull him away from Grayson.

“I need that amulet! I do not want to keep killing babes and sending the mother’s into the woods! I do not want to feel satisfaction from it anymore! I do not want to wait for the next poor soul trying to find solace in the church, only to take it away and piss on it like it meant nothing to me!”

Tears fell from his cheeks while trying to fight off Sister Jane and keep clutching to Grayson. “I do not want to turn into a demon, just like your father demon promised! I want to be the old priest, the one-“ He paused, looking unsure of what he was saying. “The one… who…”

Grayson waited with the knife ready in his hand. He could feel the shift in the air, the shift that something bad was coming, and the priest was the center of it.

“Father?” Sister Jane whispered.

The priest smiled, evil glinting in his eyes. He released Grayson, almost throwing the clothing back at him.

“The one who will devour them all,” he rose to his feet and turned to Sister Jane. Before she could speak again, he backhanded her, sending her head snapping to the side and blood to spray out her mouth. She stumbled, covering her mouth that was now covered in blood.

“That was for faking innocence.” The priest walked over to her slowly, each step more careful than the last.

Grayson was tense from the teeter totter of emotions that the priest was throwing at them. He was about the drop the knife and grab his sword when he caught a whiff of the sweetest smell.

It made him salivate and gulp, wanting nothing more than the smell to be consumed by him.

The priest grabbed Sister Jane by the neck and walked her to the nearest wall. “You broke the promise we made to each other. Remember? We were going to get out of this curse together, but unfortunately for you, I had changed my mind. For your betrayal, I will end your life and dispose your body to the woods. I highly doubt anyone will find use in it.” His lips curled up in disgust.

Before he could run his hand threw her stomach, she was taken from him.

The priest turned to follow, only to find Grayson had taken her to the floor and was hunched over her. Her habit was next to them, in pieces. Like it was torn off in a fit of passion, or hunger.

Phoebe let out a shriek before covering her mouth and putting her other hand to her stomach.

“Graaaaysoooon,” The priest singed.

A gurgled sound came from Sister Jane’s mouth.

“Do you have something to tell me?” he began to taunt.

The knife Grayson had threatened the priest with laid beside the nun’s head, blood covering it and dripping down to the dirty wooden floor.

The priest laughed. “Never have I imagined would I see the child of the great General Demon. He would be so proud… and disappointed.”

Grayson did not hear a word. He was too busy sucking down the delicious virgin blood. Every drop felt like ecstasy exploding on his tongue and an addicting warmth continued to spread throughout his body. It reminded him of whiskey and making love to Eleanor.

His grip tightened as she tried to fight, but it was in vain. He had slit her throat while attacking her. Nobody could prevent the death that was going to take her.