The warm spring sun warmed Leora's face. The flowers in the convent gardens were blooming as the chill of winter grew more distant. It had been a month since she was fully welcomed into this garden for the first time. Novitiates lived alongside fledglings and sisters but were not permitted into this part of the Abbey until they took their First Vows. A smile touched Leora’s lips as she picked up the watering can beside her.

She smiled each and every time she remembered that she was truly part of the convent. Leora had always wanted to find somewhere where she belonged and once Mother Corvina had welcomed her into the restricted areas of the Abbey she immediately felt at peace. It felt like a miracle.

The Abbey did its best to be self sufficient. It grew vegetables, had pens of animals for eggs and meat, and collected rainwater used for watering flowers and boiled for drinking.

Giddy and proud of her blessed life, Leora filled the watering can. The Abbess made sure to teach her disciples to be grateful for the blessings bestowed upon the humble group of women. Leora always recited a brief prayer thanking the Lord before each and every meal, harvest, and drop of water she used.

She turned off the wooden faucet and set down the watering can. Kneeling beside it she pressed her palms together, closed her eyes and launched into short prayer.

“Thank you for these blessings, my Lord. May your love, light, and night, give these plants strength to grow. Use me as a vessel for my Mother Superior’s kindness as I tend to the flowers of our Abbey.”

She opened her eyes and felt them tugged upward. She spotted the Abbess gazing down at her through the window in her quarters. Startled, Leora’s eyes widened while her cheeks flushed and she quickly looked down at her feet. She hoped that Mother Corvina would not punish her. She recalled the Abbess’ words, ‘Our eyes are not to wander, lest we see things we are not permitted.’

Memories of the Abbess’ words were always so loud in her mind. She found them hard to ignore and still she made mistakes. What had compelled her to look up? She sighed in brief frustration at herself and pictured the negative energy leaving her body with that exhale. The sisters at the Sacred Night should always exercise emotional restraint and a presence of calm.

Leora had been training herself to use her breathing as an outlet for thoughts and emotions she had no need for and she was getting rather good at it! With another exhale the exchange quickly faded into the back of Leora’s mind and she smiled as she picked up the watering can. She wandered toward the flowerbed of equal parts light and dark, white lilies and black roses. Her mind started drifting to a memory.

It was a glimpse of her as a child, she had a loving family and her mother and father were good to her. Their house was on a small property and it had thriving lilies just like the convent. She remembered her small town in the middle of nowhere, and while it hadn’t the modernities and bustle of a bigger city, it was quaint and it was home. She fondly recalled the girl she had eyes for and - ‘wait, girl? That’s not right, it couldn’t have been. His name was… goodness, I can’t have forgotten. Something with a T? Why can’t I remem-‘

“Sister? Leora? Are you feeling alright?”

Leora felt a hand on her shoulder. The watering can was on the floor and its contents spilled, the water slowly staining the cobblestone path. She exhaled a deep breath automatically - like she had forgotten to breathe. She looked up at the sister who had approached her and was caught by a concerned gaze of blue eyes.

“Oh, Sister Lucille. I am so sorry. I - my mind - I was lost in thought. I do not know what came over me…”

Lucille’s concern faded to a gentle smile. The sisters of Sacred Night cared for one another and it was uncharacteristic for the new fledgling sister to be anything but perfect. Lucille collected the watering can off the floor and looped Leora’s arm in hers. Leora felt comforted by her sister’s presence and allowed herself to be led to a nearby bench. She often sat here in her spare time, taking in each and every flower in the garden.

“You are as white as the habit on your head, Leora. Did you see a ghost? I have heard many a story from the older sisters and it would not surprise me if at least one of them was real.”

Leora’s cheeks turned red, returning some color to her face. She tried her hardest to hide the panic she was feeling but Lucille could see through her guise.

“I just - I was going to water the flowers and - and I saw Lady Corvina. I was thinking about my time before the Sacred Night and - “

“And you are grateful for the blessings that our Lord and our Mother Superior have given us,” Lucille interrupted. “We all know you had a rough life before the convent welcomed you in, dear, that is alright! Your story is a common one here.”

Leora frowned, a lock of her dark hair slipping free of the hood of her habit. ‘A rough life? I don’t remember. I was happy before. My family - my town. Where was my hometown?’ Her thoughts felt like they were burning in flame, it hurt. The pain reached her face.

“Are you feeling ill perhaps? Is it time for your monthly period? We have remedies for the pain.” Lucille gently squeezed Leora’s hand, a gesture of understanding.

Leora shook her head emphatically, “Oh no, thank you. It is not that, it is just… After you gave your first vows, did you have any difficulty remembering your past? I keep having this feeling like something in my memories is not supposed to be there.”

“I cannot say I remember anything like that happening to me. I remember my past as clear as the memory of this morning’s service.” She brushed the escaped lock of hair back into Leora’s hood. “I remember feeling lost. I had no greater purpose in life. I was working at a bar in my hometown when Mother Corvina found me. I remember her warmth and radiance, her glow was hard to ignore.”

Leora looked to Lucille’s eyes as she was speaking and almost saw an orange glow around the perfect blue iris, before Lucille looked away. “She asked me if I had considered how the Lord felt about the path my life had taken. My family was not religious and neither was I, so it had never crossed my mind. I - I remember being taken aback when she offered a week’s stay at Sacred Night. A sign from God, I thought at the time. I followed her without second thought.”

She smiled and looked back at Leora, “I was a novitiate for 3 years before I took my First Vows. Mother Corvina says that I will be ready to take my Final Vows in the next few years.” The orange glow Leora had seen in her eyes before was gone. A trick of the light perhaps.

Leora’s mind drifted away again. She had not had much time with the Abbess since the night of First Vows. She saw her at each service, of course, but that was far less intimate than the interaction Lucille had described. Still, she felt confused at Lucille’s words. Lucille had been in the Abbey for somewhere around 4 years and yet…

‘I want you to give your final vows in nine months, Leora. Can you do that for your Mother Superior?’

Leora was visibly confused. To give Final Vows so soon… Was it a dream she had in the night? She so wanted to become a full sister. She was desperate to give her Final Vows and devote herself fully to the Sacred Night; but why? Why in that flash of a memory - that flash of a dream - was she stripped bare?

“Have you been getting enough sleep, Leora? Perhaps your memory issues will remedy themselves with a good nights rest.” They stood up from the bench and started walking toward the water faucet, arm in arm, Lucille with watering can in hand.

“Perhaps you are right, sister. I always wake feeling as if I had not rested at all.” Leora gently took the watering can from Lucille’s hands and filled it once again. They returned to the flower beds together, Leora watering each bed with a loving smile. She promptly forgot her concerns and simply chose to focus on her blessings. Compared to her rough life before the convent, this was heaven on earth.

Lucille watched her sister work quietly. She worried for the younger girl. “Mother Corvina gave me a remedy a little while ago. It is a simple syrup with some sleep inducing herbs and it helped me when I had restless nights. You can add it to a cup of tea before bed. I could - would you like to try it?”

Leora had finished watering the flowerbeds, her eyes trapped by the droplets on the flower petal’s surface.

‘Yes. It will help.’

Turning to face Lucille, her eyes lit up at the offer. “Oh, yes. Yes! That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Lucille! You are so kind.”

“Think nothing of it, I am simply sharing a blessing bestowed on me by our Mother Superior,” Lucille beamed. “Sacred Night sisters will do anything to help each other, anything to ensure more time for devotion to our Lord.”

Leora nodded in agreement and set the watering can down in its resting place, ready for the next sister’s turn to water the flowers. The church bell started ringing, four chimes. The bell had a deep tone that thrummed straight to Leora’s core. It made her ears ring and her body buzz, and left her with excitement for the service to come.

The two sisters turned toward the chapel and walked in unison, greeting the other sisters as they all congregated in a single file between the pews. One by one each sister pressed her palms together, bowed toward the pulpit where Mother Corvina was standing - being sure to keep their heads down - and then took their seat. Lucille and Leora were the last to arrive and Lucille went first.

Last in line was Leora. She looked up at where the Abbess stood and caught her eyes. Leora froze and felt a shiver snake down her spine - and then Corvina smiled.

A smile just for Leora.

Leora felt light headed as she pressed her palms together and bowed, but her eyes never left the Abbess’.

‘Good girl, Leora.’

She took her seat next to Lucille all but glowing at the praise. However, even as she was supposed to be paying attention to the service, she wondered if the praise in her head was a memory.

. . .

Dusk had faded into dark, the moon glowing in the night sky above the convent. Candles lit the hallways to guide the sisters to their quarters safely. The building was silent. Their habits traded for nightgowns, Lucille and Leora met in the hallway.

“Here!” Lucille pressed a small vial into Leora’s hand.”Add a few drops of this to your tea. It should help you sleep the whole night through and help you feel whole again.”

Leora inspected the small vial by holding it up to candle light. The smoky black glass bottle glinted in the light and was finished off with an exquisitely detailed golden bottle top. It depicted a snake coiled around a crescent moon.

“Do you know what kind of herb is in this? Or maybe, what gives the liquid its remedial properties?” Leora was ever curious, ever eager to learn.

Lucille shook her head, “Unfortunately not. Mother Corvina simply handed it to me and said exactly as I told you: ‘Add a few drops to your tea, my child.’”

She giggled at her own imitation of Corvina’s deep-yet-feminine voice and smiled. ”I really hope it helps you, Leora! Remember your prayers, rest well and I’ll see you at tomorrow morning’s service?”

Leora nodded and returned a warm grateful smile. “Of course! Good night, sister.”

“And a holy night to you, Leora.”

The two turned and went their separate ways down the hall. Leora entered her quarters around the corner and sat down on the edge of her bed. One of the major blessings of the Sacred Night convent was that each sister got her own private room. Compared to her previous living situation this was like a big fancy hotel in the city.

She had a candle lamp that gave the room a warming atmosphere. Against the wall was a closet where her habits hung and inside it was an empty spot where the nightgown she was currently wearing would rest during daylight. A cup of tea, still warm, sat in waiting beside her bed. She placed the lamp down beside it and rolled the vial in her hands for a moment.

Leora was exhausted. She was not physically drained, not at all. Her body had no aches and pains and, in fact, felt stronger than ever. Her exhaustion felt deeper down in her core. The lack of sleep and rest was impacting her ability to do her work in the convent and Leora needed to correct it.

For the sake of Sacred Night.

She opened the otherworldly vial and brought it up to her nose. It smelled like flowers and cinnamon. Leora carefully tilted the vial and hesitated. She had no idea how this liquid was going to affect her, and she was nervous. What if she slept so deeply that she missed first service?

‘Do it, Leora. You need to sleep. You are so tired.’

She nodded in agreement at the thought and added exactly two drops to her tea. As she stirred she watched as the slow spiral swirled it into the depths of the cup. Leora’s gaze was entirely transfixed until suddenly she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

She whipped her head around to the darkest corner of the room expecting to catch someone standing there in the dark. Instead, there was nothing. Leora sighed a deep sigh. She really did need sleep desperately. Her hands wrapped around the tea cup and she emptied the entire contents into her mouth.

“There! Now, time for your prayers, Leora,” she spoke aloud to the walls and shadows. She kneeled on the floor beside her bed and pressed her palms together. She felt dizzy and her head was spinning but still she was determined to pray. Not performing her nightly prayers was a terrible sin.

‘Sleep.’

And so she did. Before the first word of her prayer left her lips.