Grayson's Veil
Chapter 23

Grayson sat at the end of the long table, across from the priest.

Phoebe was sitting to the left of him, while the nun sat near the priest on his left.

Bowls of vegetable soup and stale bread was served with a glass of red wine. Phoebe and the others ate vehemently, nearly finishing their food within minutes.

The priest picked up his wine glass, lifting it up high. “To our honored guests! May God watch over your journey and be in your favor.” The red liquid swirled as he lifted it to his lips, causing a small drop to drip onto his white collar.

The nun timidly took a sip of the wine before setting the glass down and scolding the priest for being sloppy.

Phoebe gulped her wine then continued her eating, not paying much attention to anything else.

Grayson decided not to cheers to the priest’s words. He could tell the priest was drunk, most likely already indulging secretly before dinner.

‘Perhaps that is why the nun is so against visitors. She does not want anyone to see her priest, a man dedicated to God, drunk off wine,’ Grayson thought as he continued to observe the two while slowly eating his soup.

They were like an old married couple. Bickering about the amount of wine he could have and the mess that was starting to become evident around his bowl. The nun fussed with his wine-stained collar, trying to soak up as much of the red as she could while he attempted to continue drinking from the glass

The scene brought a ghost of a smile to his lips, reminding him tenderly of Eleanor.

Grayson downed the wine and was about to stand up to leave when he felt Phoebe put her hand on his.

He looked at her, waiting for her to explain.

Her eyes bore into his with such concern, that Grayson felt slightly bad for putting her through so much already.

“You need to eat, Grayson. You need to replenish your strength so you can save Eleanor.” She whispered softly while letting go of his hand.

Looking down at his food, he did not realize that he had barely eaten any of it. So, he sat down and ate the soup and bread with vigor.

“Do you need another wine?” The priest bellowed out while swaying ever so slightly.

Grayson nodded his head with a mouth full of bread.

The priest smiled while nudging the nun to serve more wine. She reluctantly got up.

“So, my son, what brings you to travel this way? Surely you know that winter is upon us?”

Grayson grabbed the bottle from the nun when she was about to pour the liquid into his glass. She glared at him before walking back to her seat.

“I am not your son. And it is none of your concern about our journey.” Grayson lifted the bottle to his lips before gulping back nearly half of it.

“I would like to ask you a question instead,” Grayson murmured while wiping his mouth with the arm of his new shirt.

The priest gestured for him to continue.

“Why would a church have rooms with cribs in them? Your faith is against those who do not wait till marriage to have sex, so why provide refuge for those that do not follow your faith?”

The priest and nun passed a look between them that normally would go unnoticed, but to Grayson it was as clear as day.

“We help those in need. And most of those that need our help are either pregnant or have children with them…” The priest tried to answer with an even voice.

Lifting an eyebrow and the bottle of wine to his lips, Grayson shrugged, deciding it was none of his business.

“Shall the women retire for the evening? I’m sure your lady is exhausted from traveling,” The priest smiled while motioning to Phoebe.

Phoebe started to blink heavily after filling her belly full.

“I believe that would be best,” Grayson answered with suspicion, unsure of how to handle the sudden change in subject. He touched Phoebe’s arm to rouse her from falling asleep in her empty bowl.

“Wonderful, Sister Jane will accompany her to her room. Make sure she has everything she needs Sister,” The priest smiled charmingly at the nun.

Sister Jane pursed her lips, but reluctantly nodded.

Once the women left, the priest put his elbows on the table and regarded Grayson. His eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration.

Grayson was surprised at how intense the priest looked considering how much wine he had drunk at dinner.

The priest inhaled through his nostrils loudly.

“Are you a soldier?”

The question threw Grayson off.

“I can tell by your reaction that you are surprised by my question. And it tells me you are one. Fantastic!” The priest drops his hands to grab his wine and crossed his legs. “You see, I am in need of a soldier. A fighter. Someone who is not afraid of a challenge. I can tell by your eyes you have seen things, done things. This makes you an excellent killer. Not that I condone killing, God is not a fan which makes me not a fan. However, it is needed to survive. And I want to survive.”

The priest paused in his ramblings to take a sip.

“I want to make a bargain with you.” The priest began, standing up to get another bottle of wine. “I want you to retrieve something for me. Just you. Your companions can stay here and have their fill of food, wine, and rest. They will be well taken care of.” He smiled as he put the bottle in front of Grayson.

Grayson watched as the priest popped the cork on the wine bottle and poured the red liquid into his cup. There was a slight tremor in the priest’s hands that made Grayson question whether it was from the drink, or from fear.

“What’s in it for me?” Grayson asked as he gingerly lifted the full cup to his lips.

A small smile tugged at the corner of the priest’s lips. “Well, I figured us taking care of your companions would be sufficient.”

Grayson barked out a cruel laugh. “I am not humble enough for you to take advantage of me, Father.”

The priest chuckled. “Ah, your pride is greater than expected. Fine! I can offer you food and drink for your travels as well as some coin.” The priest spread out his hands in front of him, “it won’t be a lot of coin, but it should be enough for a night or two at an Inn.”

Grayson drummed his fingers on the table while downing his wine. He gulped loudly and slammed the cup on the table.

“Deal,” He put his hand out to the priest.

The priest smiled, a hint of wickedness evident in his eyes. He grasped Grayson’s hand and shook it, squeezing gently to remind him who is in charge.

Grayson stifled a snort.

“Ok!” The priest clapped his hands in excitement. “I will provide you with a fresh horse and get you on your way.”

Before the priest could walk away Grayson grabbed him. “You have not given me any details.”

“Oh yes, of course. Cannot expect a soldier to do his job if he is not provided the right information,” he laughed loudly, his whole body shaking. Grayson was sure if he leaned over he would hear the wine sloshing in his stomach.

“What I need you to do is retrieve an amulet. It is special and it is incredibly important that you handle it with care,” The priest began.

“Get on with it. You could have done it yourself if it was an easy task. Who is guarding it? Why is this amulet so special that I need to waste my time with it?” Grayson leaned forward, feeling his blood boil at the priest’s lack of information.

The priest put up his hands in surrender, “yes, yes. I should just get on with it, I apologize. Like I said earlier, you seem to be a man who has seen things. The amulet is begin guarded by a creature. A nasty, despicable creature. No one has seen it, so honestly it could be just an animal. But from the dead bodies that we replace in the forest, I believe it’s something worse.”

A dark shadow crossed the priest’s features. “Upon getting a hold of the amulet, if you could kill the creature as well, then I can make sure the town that is close by reward you.”

“He is hiding something,” Grayson’s demon finally spoke, his voice coming out in a weak whisper.

“What are you hiding?” Grayson prodded.

The priest straightened his back, his face twisted in animosity. “I have told you what I know. Now you work for me, so go out and get me that amulet!”

The priest twirled around, his black robes flaring out as he neared the exit.

“Wait, I wish to rest. Then I will set out in the morning.”

The priest stopped before the door. His shoulders tightened with anger as he fought the urge to scream at Grayson. Then he turned around with a wide smile on his face, his posture showing no signs of the previous fury.

“Naturally! Even a soldier needs time to recuperate,” his smile dipped as he spoke. “Just be sure to be gone by dawn. Time is of the essence, and I am not about to lose everything I have worked so hard for because the soldier I hired was a little ‘too sleepy’.”

With those parting words, the priest left the dining hall.

Grayson sat motionless, feeling the effects of the priest’s insane change in behavior.

Shrugging off the feeling of uneasiness and slight anger at the interaction, Grayson grabbed the bottle of wine and headed towards the front of the chapel.

Avice still sat on the beams up top.

Once he emerged from the back room, she swooped down and landed on his shoulder.

‘The priest came out rather angry. What happened?’ She asked with hesitation.

Grayson tilted the bottle to his lips.

‘We made a deal and I questioned him. Based on his actions, he does not like being questioned by his subordinate.’

He gulped the wine down, barely tasting the harsh bitterness it contained.

After nearly consuming the entire bottle, Grayson wiped his mouth on his sleeve before tilting his head to regard Avice.

‘You are to stay here tomorrow. Keep a bird’s eye on the priest and nun. Something does not seem right in this church.’

Avice nodded her raven head in understanding, deciding it was best not to argue with him.

Hand on the hilt and bird on his shoulder, Grayson walked cautiously down the stairs.

Avice chittered quietly near his ear, feeling the anxious energy Grayson was giving off.

Trying hard not to shoo the bird off his shoulder, Grayson opened the door to the long hallway.

He picked up his pace, wanting to get to his room even though he was hesitant about entering it again. He was not wanting to dive into another haunting illusion, but sleep was calling him. He needed to replenish if he was to face another cryptic task.

As Grayson came to his door, he noticed the glow of a fireplace from the sitting room was spilling into the hallway.

He turned to take a glimpse into the area, but ended up staring.

Sister Jane sat in front of the fire, arms stretched out trying to warm up her cold extremities. She looked over at Grayson when he started to venture into the warm room.

As he got closer, he noticed the wrinkles on her face were deeper and dark circles encompassed her eyes. In general, she looked painfully exhausted.

“This is my only time to be with God,” she explained, looking back at the fire. “I pray to Him at the main alter too, but Father is always within a stone’s throw. I prefer to be alone when I am praying for my immortal soul.” Her head drifted down while her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

Her posture indicated guilt, an extreme amount of guilt. Her back hunched over painfully, while her whole body began to tremble with sobs silently escaping her throat. She hovered closer to her hands while she began to murmur the Lord’s Prayer.

Grayson did not move toward her. He did not try to comfort her. He knew her culpability was part of her punishment, and he was not one to disrupt a punishment.

Fascinated by the weight of the nun’s shame, Grayson continued to watch her. As his eyes began to water, he wondered how she could manage the heat and smoke from the fire.

He rubbed an eye when a loud crash came from the hallway.

A frustrated grunt echoed down the hall, followed by a yell.

“Sister Jane!” The priest shouted.

The nun’s shoulders slumped a little lower before straightening her back and standing.

She glanced at Grayson, a momentary flash of hatred showing through her tired eyes, before turning her body towards the doorway.

“Coming, Father!” she yelled back.

She shouldered past Grayson even though there was plenty of room for the two of them to get through without touching.

As she hurried down the hall, she tossed cogent words over her shoulder, “Rest well! You will need it.”

Grayson watched her disappear into a room with a splintered door.

He looked at Avice who was still quietly perched on his shoulder. Her beady eyes reflected his sullen expression, telling him that rest was the best thing for him right now.

Not arguing, fatigue began to wrap heavily around his arms and legs as he moved out of the sitting room.

Grayson closed his eyes when he came to his door. He sucked in a readying breath, then pushed it open.

Avice croaked next to his ear, making him open one eye a sliver.

The room was the same.

With a sigh, Grayson opened his eyes and fully entered the room.

Stumbling to the bed, Grayson pushed Avice off his shoulder. “Time for a dreamless sleep, if I’m lucky.”

Avice fell to the floor, landing on her feet. She jumped around croaking and pecking at Grayson’s legs for being a brute.

Ignoring the bird, Grayson fell face first onto the straw bed. He grabbed the pillow and snuggled into it.

Pushing out one last wine-flavored breath, Grayson attempted to sleep.