Page 65 of The Highlander's Virgin Nun
He had to keep his composure.
“Ready, Me Laird?”
Jayden had shed his heavy armor. He had a small sword at his waist and a knife in his sock. Caelan removed his armor too, deeming it too much for a visit to a convent, and took off.
They walked around the convent walls until they found the entrance. It was guarded by two large men, armed and strong. He could have likely thought up a way to subdue them, but he was looking for more cover than that.
Crouching, he indicated with a hand over his head that they should go the other way.
They snuck around the wall until they found what he was looking for—a tree close enough to the wall with an overhanging branch. He began to climb it, and Jayden followed without question.
It took them mere minutes to reach the overhang and drop down into the convent courtyard. From there, they stuck close to the walls, staying low and peering into every window they could reach.
“See anythin’?” Caelan asked.
Jayden was a foot taller than him, so he managed to peer into the first window best. “A nun prayin’. Exactly what ye’d expect.”
He almost chuckled, and Caelan rolled his eyes. “Keep goin’.”
They continued on, reaching more windows and gathering more information. While most rooms were empty, many had a single candle lit inside, giving Caelan a mental map of the lower floor. He saw a few nuns praying, tidying, and reading, but not a single room contained enough nuns for him to ascertain the sort of treatment they received here. Still, they carried on.
“Got it,” Jayden whispered suddenly, a hint of triumph in his tone.
Caelan scurried over and peered through the same window.
They were staring into the kitchen—a large room filled with benches, pots, utensils, and a large table laden with meat and vegetables. Two young women worked side by side. They were as skinny as Rosaline had been when he had first met her, wearing similar tattered and dirty rags. Their cheekbones were sunken, and Caelan could swear he saw a purple bruise around one of the girls’ eyes. He took in their appearances, looking for any more signs of cruelty, when the kitchen door flew open.
“What is takin’ ye so long?” the voice of a tall, old nun boomed as she walked in. The thick, old glass should have muffled her voice, and yet such yelling drifted to Caelan and Jayden’s ears. “Ye have been at this for hours now!”
The girls flinched at the reprimand, their shoulders darting up to protect their bare necks, their eyes widening with fear.
“It will be ready in a moment,” one of the girls said.
Her voice was barely audible, but Caelan had a clear view of her face, so he read her lips.
“A moment too late, as usual,” the old nun barked, grabbing her by the ears and yanking her away from her work.
The other girl kept her head lowered, forcing herself to focus on cooking and chopping vegetables. She had to squeeze her eyes shut to keep from looking at her companion as the nun began to hit her.
“Maybe a little motivation will make ye move faster!” the nun yelled, slapping the girl across the face with the back of her hand.
The sound of the impact also traveled through the thick glass, and Caelan grew enraged. He turned to Jayden, his body itching for violence.
“Break it.”
“What, Me Laird?”
“Break the window.”
Jayden hesitated for a moment, but when they heard anothersmack, he jumped up. He used the pommel of his sword to smash the glass pane in the middle, and he punched his hand through to grab the inside latch and flip it open.
Caelan leaped up, placed his hands on the sill, and swung his legs up and through the opening, landing in the kitchen in a mere second.
All three women had leaped back in shock, but the old nun had grabbed her victim by the shoulders and yanked her body in front of her own. The two girls looked terrified, but not any more than they already had. As Jayden clambered through behind him and brandished his knife, the old nun turned to shout.
“Nae so fast,” Caelan warned.
“Who in God’s name are ye? This is a holy house!” the nun scoffed, attempting to sound appalled, but her fear showed through.
