“She can’t stay here.”
“We can’t let her go. You read the letter.”
“We don’t know that it’s true.”
“It’s true. You’ve seen her temper. There’s a devil inside.”
“She’s a child.”
“She’s not just a child.”
“Fine. But there are organizations that will take a creature like her. We could send her there.”
“We should kill it, in the name of the most holy. Nothing born of the devil has any place here.”
“Sister! She has a name!”
“I don’t care what her name is. You’ve let her live too long. She struck a child yesterday.”
“Children do things -”
“You did not see her face afterwards. I did. I saw the fire in her eyes. I saw it!”
“Mother Superior-”
“We will do as we should have done and put an end to this. If we don’t the blood this creature spills will be on our hands. Mark my words, if you it live it will be nothing but a killer.”
Seven year old Cait backed away from the door, silent tears streaming down her face. Quiet but quick, she went back to the dorm where the other orphans were sleeping. She reached under her mattress, pulling out the worn letter she’d stolen from Mother Superiors office. The envelope was rumpled and faded but she could read just fine. Her name was scrawled on the front. Cait pulled out the letter and read it for the hundredth time.
“I want to be free of this wolf, more than I wanted you. I’m sorry. I’ve lost too much to stay like this. You were a means to an end. But I’ve spent nine months carrying your kickin ass around so I want you to know, I do hope your devil father is kind to you. That you do somethin’ in hell that maybe makes you forgive, or maybe that you get something out of this instead of just the raw end of the deal. Sorry.” -Ciara.
Cait sniffled, choking back her small sobs. She knew that devil’s were bad. Devils came from hell. And if Cait’s father was a devil, that meant she was bad too.
But she didn’t want to be bad! She just got so angry sometimes! And Emma deserved to get punched, she had no right to break Lilly’s toy like that. And Lilly was too little to stand up for herself. Cait told Emma to fix the toy, but Emma laughed and called Cait a hell bitch, and Cait didn’t know what bitch meant, but she wasn’t so little, so she punched Emma in the face.
Cait tried to tell the Sisters what happened but Mother Superior wouldn’t listen to her! And now Mother Superior wanted to kill her!
Cait bit her bottom lip so hard she could taste her own blood. She couldn’t stay here anymore. She didn’t care her daddy was a devil, she wasn’t gonna be one. They said she was a Faoladh too, that’s why her eyes looked different sometimes, and why she was so quick and strong. She’d be that. Faoladh. Faoladh were protectors. She’d read all about them. And one day she’d learn how to shape shift into one, and she’d stop mean girls like Emma from being bullies. Maybe if she just ran into the woods she’d find some Faoladh and they would take her in, and show her how to shift. Yeah. Yeah! She’d do that.
Cait sucked back in her tears, and angrily pushed the letter back into the envelope. She shoved that and some clothes into her pillow case. Quick and quiet she was when she wanted to be. She snuck into the kitchens and got a little bit of food.
“Cait?” Lilly’s sleepy voice. “Watcha doin?”
Cait stopped her motions, looking at tiny friend. Lilly’s hair was all mused from sleep, her stuffed rabbit that she always slept with tucked under one arm.
“It’s okay Lilly go back to bed.”
“I had the scary dream again.”
Cait sighed. Poor Lilly was only five, and had terrible nightmares. Cait chewed her bottom lip. She couldn’t leave poor Lil standing alone in the kitchen. “Right. C’mon then.” She gripped the pillowcase tight in one hand, and presented her back to Lilly.
Lilly giggled and climbed onto Cait’s back.
“How come yah got that pillow case?”
“I gotta take a trip.”
“Like when the sisters take us into town?”
Cait paused. “Yeah something like that.”
Cait got Lilly back into their dorm. She dropped Lilly into her bed, and tucked the blankets around her. “Now listen, I might not be back right away so you gotta do somethin’ for me.”
“Okay. What?”
“Don’t let them be mean to you, yah hear me? You remember how to punch? Show me your fist.”
Lily made a fist. Cait smiled.
“Yeah like that. And next time Emma tries to bully you, you put that fist right in her nose okay?”
“Like you did?” Lilly giggled.
Cait smiled. “Yeah, just like I did. Night Lilly.”
“Here, take her. She’s good luck.”
“I can’t take your rabbit, silly.
“Take her.” Lilly insisted. “I want you to have good luck too.”
Cait swallowed hard and took the rabbit, holding it close. “Okay. Thanks. Go to sleep.”
Lilly yawned. “Night Cait. See you when you get back.”
Cait lingered another moment, brushing back Lilly’s hair, waiting for the tell tale sign that Lilly was indeed asleep. When she was, Cait kissed the top of her head, grabbed her pillow case and left.
Sneaking out was easy. The night was dark, but Cait had always been able to see just fine. She didn’t even feel scared walking away from covenant towards the unknown. She’d find some Faoladh no problem, and maybe she could even come back and get Lilly one day.
Cait looked up at the sky and caught sight of the moon. It would be a full moon tomorrow night, second one this month! As the little seven year old walked with all the confidence an ignorant child can muster, she wondered if that would make it easier to find her pack.