The Priestess' Affair [Books 1 &2]

𝐗𝐈. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞-𝐨𝐟𝐟

-HER-

As per their natures, the sun came out the next day; the waves got busy wiping the shores, the early birds went out to look for the worms, the fishes got on to do whatever they did under the water, the air went to more places than a whore, the trees stood still and produced oxygen for me to waste, the dead priestesses slept in their new positions after rolling in their graves last night.

Everyone got on with their lives. I pretended to get on with my life, too, as if I wasn't mud-covered from having dug out a former High Priestess and then burying her back. Undoubtedly, I had a busier night than a newly wedded couple.

The sun was midway in the sky when I trod down the dead mountain with the deceased priestesses and went up the mountain with the living ones. I felt like a blasphemously different person as I entered the shrine this fine morning. I snuck in through the back door and went to my room to change clothes and clean myself. I was precisely on time to attend the first class of the day.

I showed up to the class on time, looking as if I was the one exhumed last night. Nonetheless, I was pleased to have made it on time.

"Where have you been last night?" Nuncia asked when I sat beside her for the day's first class. As I busied myself by taking my books out of the satchel and arranging them on the table, I felt more and more eyes on me.

"In my room. Why?" I lied. Nuncia gave me a lingering look. She knew that I was lying; her room was next to mine.

"Oh really?" 

"Yes. Where else do you think I could be?" I snickered.

Why? Out in the dead mountain, digging out a dead High Priestess.

"Both of us know you're lying," She stated, "And if you don't wish to tell me where you'd been last night, fine. But have a believable answer ready when you see Vittoria. She'd been looking for you since last evening,"

"How sweet of her," I grinned, puzzling Nuncia even more. As we talked, a certain group of priestesses entered the class, which I detested. I faked being busy and dodged eye contact with any group member, but they had other plans. The group chose to sit right behind Nuncia and me. I felt Arke's breath fan my back.

"You're back," I heard the sneer in her voice.

"Yes, you're facing my back, Arke," I responded calmly. Nuncia sucked in air enough for three people and stilled like a statue.

Arke chuckled and commented, "You have no idea how much we've missed you, Theresa," She groaned, "The classes get boring without you fvcking up,"

"I don't blame you," I replied, "It must be boring to be you," Previously, Nuncia had turned into a clay statue, but now, she resembled a stone statue— granite, to be more specific. Arke grounded her teeth behind me.

"You missed a lot of important lessons. Any idea how you're going to catch up, or are you planning to repeat?" She questioned.

"Thank you for caring so much, Arke. I think I'd be fine,"

"You think?" She chuckled.

"Yes, unlike you,"

"Why don't you meet me back in the woods after lunch. I want to settle some scores," She challenged, cracking her fingers. 

"Why in the woods? You don't want others to see me beating the shit out of you?"

"Fine then, I'll fight you in the courtyard. How about that?"

"I'm not that desperate to put you in your place, Arke. I've more important things to do,"

"Like what? Learning to do your laundry 'cuz you're such a Royal? I'm sure you had people wipe your ass for you," She had the last say. I wanted to respond with words that would have made her ancestors blush, but the Senior Priestess stepped into the class, robbing my opportunity.