Page 35 of Sinner
Fourteen
It seemedlike only seconds since Flint had laid down on the couch with Mary and closed his eyes, but he woke to the sound of a baby crying and empty arms. Sunlight illuminated the room through gaps in the curtains, leaving dust rays slicing over the beds.
The children were waking, prodding and poking anyone left asleep. Flint rubbed his eyes and looked for Mary. She stood in the bathroom with the newborn tucked into her arms, rocking him back and forth, quietly humming. She had replaced her ruined nun attire from the day before with a very normal, very casual outfit—jeans and T-shirt. Her long, black straight hair fanned about her shoulders and he had an urge to run his fingers through its silky length.
Flint’s gaze traveled to Mary’s face and his throat closed up with emotion. The adoration in her eyes as she gazed down at the baby said it all. She cared as much for these children as if they were her own—except, she couldn’t have her own. But instead of swearing off children, she faced her pain head on. The Sisterhood wanted her to infiltrate Biolum Industries and spirit the children away. But she did more than that. She nurtured them. Protected them. Loved them.
That woman was magnificent. For a moment, her brilliance overwhelmed him, and he was lost watching her. Before they’d fallen asleep last night, she’d confessed the truth of her past. She came from a shitty childhood where her parents used and abused her, and then she shifted to another kind of abuse, the Hildegard Sisterhood. A bad taste entered his mouth, and he took a moment to realize what it was. He didn’t like them—the Sisterhood. He’d never met them, but he didn’t like them. He didn’t like the fact they’d picked up a starving child and persuaded her to train like a soldier for their cause. They’d convinced her she was asinner,for Christ’s sake. Years, decades, they manipulated her… enough to possibly make her barren. What would that do to the children?
The warmth in his heart turned to rock-hard resolve as a new plan formed in his head. He wouldn’t ignore his gut instinct. This time, he’d do something about it.
“You have hair on your face!” came a tiny voice from his side.
It was the small girl, not the baby, but the… maybe four-year-old? She had on flannelette pajamas that had pictures of unicorns on them. Her hair was dark, wavy and came half way down to her back. She looked like a mini Gloria. Wild, pale and very clever.
“It’s called a beard,” he said and scratched his jaw. He must look like Big Foot to them.
Her eyes widened. “And your voice is funny. You have a funny voice.”
He chuckled, but then wondered if she’d ever seen a grown man. They’d been locked up in that room for years, with only the nuns and other children as their companions. And now they were supposed to hand them over to more nuns.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
She smiled. “Lust. What’s yours?”
Flint flinched. “Yeah, I’m not calling you that. Don’t you have a real name?”
“We only have one name. Mine’s Wrath,” said an older boy from the bed. He had short black hair that stuck up in a natural Mohawk. He jumped over his siblings as though they were an obstacle course, bounced near the toddler, and jumped back. “Why have two names?”
“Well, it’s not so much having two names, just more appropriate names,” Flint elaborated.
“What’s applopliate?” said the little girl.
The tallest boy, who had been tickling the one-year-old on the bed rolled his eyes. He had long, shaggy hair. He looked quite wild, yet his golden eyes were smart and shrewd. “It means fitting, Lust.” Then he shot a glance Flint’s way. “I’m Pride, by the way.”
“Fitting. What’s fitting?” she asked again.
“Aargh, you ask so many questions,” Wrath burst out.
“Youask too many questions!” The little girl jumped on the bed then launched onto her big brother’s back where she wrapped her hands around his face, blocking his sight.
“I hungry,” cried a toddler the same time another child, possibly Greed, said, “Where’s Sister Josephine?”
“Ahh…” Flint swallowed and glanced at Mary who, thankfully, walked back into the room. She lifted her brows and shrugged.
“Um,” he continued. “I told Sister Josephine that the Hildegard Sisterhood would look after you from now on, and she knows you’ll be in safe hands, so she left to check on emergency services.”
“Who’s the Hildegard Sisterhood? Where’s ‘Spair? She always makes me give her a morning cuddle.” This was Lust again—Christ. He was not calling her that. Maybe something starting with the same letter as her sin… Lauren… Lizzy… Liza. Yeah, Liza was good. Easy to remember.
“Spare?” he asked. “Who’s Spare?”
“She means Despair.” Pride gave Flint a pained look as if to say,You know all the answers? Answer that!
Mary laid the sleeping infant down in his bassinet. “Did you just say you told Sister Josephine about the Sisterhood?”
“Yes,” Flint replied. “I’m sorry, was I not meant to? I thought she worked there too. After I spoke about you being the Sinner, Sister Josephine said she would do anything we asked.”
She pursed her lips and cast a worried glance at the watchful children. “We’ll talk more about this in a minute.”
