Page 7 of Unholy Fate

“What happened, Sister? You’ve been hurt.” The spell he’d woven around me shattered, and with a gasp, I snatched my arm away.

My neck burned crimson, the ghost of his fingers igniting a wildfire of forbidden desires. An anxious tension, tight and suffocating, battled with my conscience, as improper musings warred with morality.

“It’s nothing,” I stammered, mortified by my body’s response. The cool cotton of my blouse felt strangely comforting against my skin as I carefully pulled the cuffs down to conceal the bruises.

“There was an incident at the homeless shelter where we volunteer. One of Sister Evelyn’s clients had a psychotic break and attacked her. He was shouting about demons and hell walking on Earth,” Serena supplied.

“Serena,” I cut in bluntly, irritated with her unnecessary explanation to this man who was making me increasingly nervous which only aggravated my already frayed nerves. “Idle gossip isn’t a practice we should be engaging in.”

“No gossip between friends, right?” said our unwelcome visitor, throwing me an attractive smile. Yet, a peculiar, momentary flicker across his face hinted at something more. “I’ll be sure to stop by and light a candle for you,” he said. “Perhaps our paths will cross again.”

With that, he got up from the booth and sauntered across the coffee shop to another table, leaving me reeling in his wake. I clutched the smooth rosary beads in my pocket with trembling fingers, the rapidly expanding catalogue of my transgressions weighing heavily on my conscience.

I tried to calm the maelstrom of emotions swirling inside me. A small, secret part of me was thrilled at being seen, just for a moment, as an attractive woman. With a flicker of shame, I buried that dangerous wisp of vanity deep down where I need not examine it further.

“Let’s go,” I said to Serena. “We should get back to the convent.”

Serena nodded. “Are you all right, Evelyn? You look pale.”

I shook my head. “I’m fine. Just a little shaken, that’s all.”

We gathered our bags and made our way out of the coffee shop, and the stranger watched as we left.

The bells above the door jingled merrily as we stepped out onto the sidewalk. The sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, but the beauty of the sunset was lost on me as we hurried back toward the safety of the convent.

Once there, I detoured to the chapel and knelt to pray. Despite my good intentions, my mind kept drifting back to the encounterat the coffee shop and the way my body had responded to the man against my will.

Shame washed over me. How could I, a woman pledged to God, harbor such impure ideas? I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the images away, but they only grew more vivid.

The brush of his fingertips against my skin. Then out of nowhere, images of his lips, so full and sensual, grazing the column of my throat, the shell of my ear...

“Our Father,” I whispered. The rest of the familiar words of the prayer soothed the tears of frustration burned behind my closed lids. Why was this happening to me? I had always been so strong in my faith, so certain of my path. But now, with just one encounter, everything felt unsteady, like sand shifting beneath my feet.

Taking a shaky breath, I forced myself to my feet and made my way out of the chapel. I needed to clear my head, to regain my focus. As I walked the quiet halls of the convent, I repeated the words of my favorite prayer like a mantra:

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon...”

Slowly, my turmoil eased. It wasn’t easy, walking the path of righteousness. But with God’s grace, I would persevere. I had resisted temptation today—first with the pastries, then with the man.

I needed to pray and I’d find my balance again.

CHAPTER FIVE

LEVI

Evelyn walkedout of the coffee shop. I was confident that I had made a good start with this challenge Lucifer had given me. She would be an interesting conquest, but whatever it took, I would do Lucifer’s bidding.

Evelyn’s cheeks had flushed an appealing shade of pink as we talked, and I caught her stealing glances at me as she left, desire mixed with shame in her expression. I could almost smell her arousal, along with her guilt for having such unvirtuous thoughts. This was going to be fun. There was a fiery temper hidden beneath that pure, innocent exterior, waiting to be revealed. I looked forward to bringing it out.

The hunt was the best part of taking a soul, and the one for hers would be a challenge.

Evelyn was pure in body, too. Never having been sullied by a cock, virgins had a sweet, arousing scent.

As I turned to leave, an idea crossed my mind. Why not snap my fingers and sour all the cream and milk in the shop? I paused, considering it. Was that a little too cutesy and on-the-nose?

Nah, I decided with a chuckle. Because as soon as the first customer got a mouthful of spoiled dairy in their drink, they would unleash their anger on the poor unsuspecting barista. It would completely ruin the kid’s day. A little extra chaos and misery was always a good thing in my book.

Mind made up, I headed for the door, anticipating the mayhem that was about to unfold. I snapped my fingers surreptitiously as I approached the exit. The magic tingled through my hand, foul and invigorating. With relish, a middle-aged man in a cheap suit took a big gulp of his latte, which now contained chunky, rancid cream.

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