Convent of Saint Amara – Midnight
The convent was quiet, deep in the night. The stone walls felt cold, and the few candles in the hallway cast long, shaky shadows. All the sisters were asleep, dreaming of their prayers and duties.
All but one.
Sister Emilie lay in her narrow bed, too restless to sleep. Her thin nightgown was already twisted around her. She'd told the others she needed extra candles to read her holy books in the dark. She'd said her eyes weren't very good.
It wasn't a total lie. Her eyes did fail her, but not for reading. They failed her when she saw pictures in her mind: hands touching, mouths, and feelings that weren't allowed in a convent. These pictures wouldn't leave her alone.
The candles weren't really for reading.
Three now glowed beside her bed, making her s
