Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence

Author:Mark Lawrence [Mark Lawrence]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2019-01-01T16:00:00+00:00

17

Holy Class

‘How could you not tell me you’d taken the Blade-test?’ Nona asked.

Ara held up her hands. ‘To begin with I didn’t want to put pressure on myself. If I failed I wanted to tell people in my own time, not have them lined up to ask me. And then afterwards I didn’t want to put pressure on you. Tallow said you’d be called up next.’

Nona shook her head. ‘I can’t believe you beat me to it.’

‘I’m almost two years older than you!’

‘You know what I mean. We joined the same day.’ Nona looked up at Path Tower. They had gone with the rest of the class to the lesson only to have Sister Pan gently point out that neither of them were in Holy Class any more and as such had no business in her classroom.

‘Explain it again,’ Ara said. ‘Nona Grey, a Holy Sister?’

‘I told you.’

‘You did, but I’m hoping it will make sense second time around.’

‘What’s wrong with being a Holy Sister?’ Nona asked. ‘It’s good enough for Jula but not for me? Don’t you love the Ancestor, Sister Thorn?’

‘I love the Ancestor fine, Sister Cage, but I know you love this.’ Ara patted the sword at her hip. ‘How are you going to live without all of … that?’

‘Abbess Glass didn’t need all of that and she made a difference. She was more dangerous than a dozen Red Sisters, or Grey, more deadly even than Holy Witches.’

‘But to never swing a sword again? And you’re so good at it! Isn’t it a sin not to use a gift the Ancestor gave to you?’

Nona said nothing for a long moment, her eyes on Ara’s sword. ‘Any sister can be drafted into the Red during an emergency. Jula says that the convents east of the Grampains armed even the youngest novices when the enemy came for them.’ Nona quoted: ‘“Every child of the Ancestor wore red on that day when the Scithrowl arrayed their number before the Convent of Wise Contemplation. They ran short of habits for Red Sisters and instead painted the newest novices with the blood of captured heretics”.’

Ara opened her mouth. Then closed it.

Nona looked up at the smoke-stained sky and shook her head. ‘I don’t think many days will pass before I’m handed a sword again, Sister Thorn.’

‘I should go and report to Sister Tallow— I mean Sister Iron,’ Ara said. ‘I take instruction from her now. And she from the abbess.’

‘And the abbess from the emperor …’ Nona frowned. ‘You don’t think the emperor actually talks to Wheel, do you?’

Ara shook her head. ‘Father told me that the new Lord Glosis is the emperor’s military adviser. Glosis instructs the generals, and General Wensis oversees the deployment of martial brothers and sisters in times of crisis.’ She glanced across to Blade Hall. ‘I’d better go … I guess I’ll see you tonight at the dormitory—’

‘We’ll be given cells. We’re big girls now.’

‘Oh yes. Well, at least we won’t have to see Joeli every morning.’ Ara frowned.

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