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“You have been Judged and found worthy. Now it’s time for you to prove your devotion to God,” Sister Agatha huffs as she works on catching her breath. “It’s time for you to raise your rod in His name and carry out His justice.”

“W—what?” Jeffrey stumbles out and takes a step back.

Sister Agatha snorts and stomps up to him. Grabbing him by the arm like she did with me, she drags him closer and points at my face.

“This one has been Judged and found to be tainted! She is the spawn of Satan. A whore of Babylon. If we allow her to roamfree, she will spread her legs and birth more evil into the world! Her wicked kind will destroy us all!” she heaves out, her words starting to sound husky and breathless.

Jeffrey’s eyes widen and he glances at me in surprise. “What do you want me to do?”

Sister Agatha smiles down at him, looking both pleased and relieved. “I want you to use your rod, dear boy. Use the power you’ve been granted.”

Jeffrey looks down at his rod, his expression shifting to one of horror, and his hands begin to tremble.

Voice cracking, he says, “I don’t think I can…”

His grip loosening, the rod starts to slide out of his hands.

But before it can hit the floor, Sister Agatha places both of her hands over his, forcing him to keep his grip on it.

“Is that so?” she asks softly, too softly. “Are you forsaking God, Jeffrey? Are you turning your back on Him?”

Tears filling his eyes, Jeffrey shakes his head. “No, of course not. But… I can’t…”

“Why?” Sister Agatha demands.

Jeffrey glances at me, his face full of torment. “Because I know her. I like her…”

Hope flares to life inside me. Maybe I haven’t been completely abandoned. I could run, could try to make it out on my own, but there’s too many angry people in the cathedral.

But I might be able to escape if Jeffrey helps me with that rod.

Nodding her head in understanding, Sister Agatha’s eyes light up with a strange light at his admission. “Of course you like her. That’s what her kind does. They use their wiles and charms to seduce good, honest boys like you away from God.”

Jeffrey’s forehead wrinkles as he considers her words.

Sister Agatha grins. “Dear boy, you’ve passed your Judgement. You’ve been found worthy. You’ve been chosen as awarrior of God, and I know you feel this truth inside you. Know whatever you feel for her is false. It does not compare to God’s love. She is trying to turn you away from Him.”

Jeffrey slowly nods his head, but he casts another quick glance at me, and I can see in his eyes he’s not completely convinced.

Hoping I can turn him to my side, I plead, “Jeffrey, please help me. I just want to go home. I want to see my daddy.”

“See!” Sister Agatha says, and points her finger accusingly at me. “Even now, she tries to turn you from His grace. She wants you to forsake God for her. She wants you to join her in eternal damnation! Do you want to burn for eternity, dear boy?”

“No!” Jeffrey cries out, tears spilling down his cheeks as he shakes his head.

“You will if you listen to her!” Sister Agatha insists. “Look! Is that a forked tongue coming out of her mouth?! She’s speaking for the serpent! Her words come straight from the Devil!”

“What?!” I half-gasp, half-sob at the accusation.

But Jeffrey turns fully toward me, looking at me with a new kind of horror.

“If you do not use your rod, if you do not silence her, she will doom us both!” Sister Agatha cries out in despair, helping Jeffrey lift his rod up. “Hit her! Hit her now! Or we will both suffer!”

Moving her hands away, Sister Agatha breathes heavily as she waits for Jeffrey to do as she commanded.

Jeffrey hesitates again, his arms trembling so hard I’m surprised they don’t tremble right off his body, unable to bring himself to do it.

Seeing this as my last chance to stop this madness, I cry out to him, “Don’t hit me, Jeffrey, please! Hit her! She’s the evil one!”