Excerpt
Sweat poured down Quinn's body like a Cygnus Secundus afternoon thunderstorm, and every muscle in her body trembled. She wouldn't break—she'd never break. But holding this y'ga stance—standing on her right leg, bent forward, with her left leg raised behind her and her arms out to the side—was agonizing. As it should be—there was a reason the Sisters of Cygnus called these punishment poses.
"Release," Sister Lashtar snapped.
Quinn gratefully dropped her left leg to the floor, pulled her arms into her sides, and stood upright.
"Recover. Ten minutes."
Slowly, Quinn sank to the floor, folding her legs below her body and lowering her forehead to the mat. Ah. Eventually, she got up the energy to turn flat on her back. She breathed, slowly and evenly, concentrating entirely on her breathing. The fading remains of resin-laden incense was sharp in her sinuses but soothing all the same, as was the silence.
"Penitents are released to drink and eat. In silence." Sister Lashtar's voice was as cold as a Cygnus Gliese winter night—Quinn didn't remember a lot about Gliese, but she remembered those frigid, starry nights. Cygnus Secundus was warmer but far wetter—a clear night was rare. "Quinn, my office after the meal." A faint sigh followed. Poor Sister Lashtar, stuck with all the tough cases, like Quinn. Lashtar led the Sisters for more than one reason, but her tough love approach was a cornerstone.
Quinn heard the rustle of clothing and the pad of bare feet. She knew the others were gathering bev-tainers and y'ga mats, more than ready to leave the Sisters' meditation room, but if she moved, she'd have to think, and she didn't want to do that yet.
Something hit the bottom of her foot. When Quinn ignored it, the tapping continued, getting harder and switching feet randomly. Quinn sighed and opened her eyes.
"Finally," Nat hissed, brown eyes scowling at her. She held out a hand. "Come on. We need water and calories." She glanced at the door, obviously hoping Sister Lashtar didn't hear her.
Quinn took Nat's hand and let the taller, older girl pull her up. Head swimming, she focused on a single spot on the wall and clung to Nat. Finally, she let go, pulled the rough-spun Sister's robe Nat handed her over her head, and gratefully accepted the bev-tainer Brin handed her. Drinking slowly, she followed the two young women out of the meditation room, down the hall and into the dining hall. They lined up at the kitchen window, muttering, "Thank you, Sister," as they took trays with stew, bread, and water and then headed to the front of the huge room. As usual, the scent of baking bread permeated the huge dining hall, and the clatter of hand-thrown clay pottery seemed loud in the silence of the Sisters of Cygnus's orphanage. Quinn put her tray on the small table and turned to face the leadership table.
Sister Navarr stood and intoned, "May the Mother bless the food we are here to share. May the Mother bless our efforts to praise her. May the Mother bless us."
"May the Mother bless us," echoed back from every corner of the high-ceilinged room, Quinn joining in. She was blessed to be here, but sometimes boredom drove gratefulness and common sense right out of her head. Then, she'd find something she wasn't supposed to see, and her anger wiped out every thought, including gratitude, like a lightning strike shattering a tree.
Sitting at the small punishment table at the front of the dining hall full of her fellow orphans, Quinn concentrated on eating her simple stew slowly. Why bother looking up? She'd only see the rest of the girls pointing and laughing at them, a practice the Sisters ignored, hoping peer pressure discouraged further bad behavior.
Too bad for the Sisters that it didn't work. Quinn smirked. She could care less what the "good girls" thought. She ate, trying not to think about what she'd found. But it was hard to concentrate on a negative. Still, she did so until she finished eating. She stared down at her bowl, watching the head table out of the corner of her eye.
Finally, the leaders stood, bringing everyone to their feet, and they waited while Sister Navarr announced the work assignments. The leaders left, then the long table with the teenagers caring for babies and toddlers, another teen shepherding the young children, then the pre-teen table and finally, the few remaining teenagers without childcare jobs tonight. Most of them headed to the kitchen to pick up hot boxes containing their midnight meal—something to warm them during night watch. Quinn wished she was headed out with them. A boring night watch over the Sisters' compound would be far preferable. For that matter, a terrifying night watch defending their fields and flocks against the huge, dinosaur-like wildlife would be better.
Quinn reluctantly followed the leaders out of the dining hall, Nat shooting a half sympathetic, half accusatory look at her as they split, Nat and Brin going to clean the kitchen. Quinn trudged up the stairs to Sister Lashtar's office and knocked quietly.
"Come in."
She sighed and entered the dragon's lair, standing in front of Sister Lashtar's desk, looking straight ahead.
"Well, here you are. Again." Lashtar's voice was dismissively disappointed. "Despite defining your limits, you insist on exceeding them, prying into things you have no right to know. Why?"
Why? Isn't that obvious? Or is this a trick?
"I asked a question, Penitent Quinn."
Well, she had little to lose. Why not give her the real answer? "Yes, Sister. After Ferra's betrayal for credits, how can you ask any of us to trust you?" Their home destroyed, friends dead, fleeing Cygnus Gliese as refugees, all because of one woman's greed.
A sharp inhale followed by silence. Quinn risked a glance. Sister Lashtar's eyes were closed, mouth clamped shut. Uh oh.
Sister Lashtar exhaled ever so slowly and took in another deep breath. Her eyes opened, their icy blue pinning Quinn's. "Penitent Quinn, we have outlined the processes and procedures we have put in place to ensure no one person has control of the Sisters ever again. Full Sisters are given full access to everything. You are not a Sister. I sincerely doubt you will ever be a Sister of Cygnus."
Quinn gasped. Not be a Sister? What else would she be? She'd lived with the Sisters her entire life.
