Page 139 of For I Have Sinned

Alex takes us through a set of doors neither of us has ever seen and to a hallway about half the length of the ones we use daily. At the end, there are double doors to the right that are open, and when we step into the doorway, my brows furrow as I take in the room filled with people.

“What is this place?”

“It’s where baptisms are performed,” Alex informs us, and only then do my eyes find the stage where there is a pool of water with a glass window in front of it so you can see everything. “They haven’t used it since I’ve been here.”

“So this was his big secret? Baptizing us?” I ask.

“I guess so,” Alex responds equally as confused.

“Who are all these men?” Esther asks from beside me.

My eyes roam the room, taking in the other priests standing along the walls, conversing with one another, as the women sit in the pews. But I notice that this isn’t all of the women in the convent—only ten women. Why such a small crowd?

“I have no idea,” Alex answers Esther. “I’ve never seen them before.”

Well, that doesn’t make me feel any better. A motion catches my attention at the stage, and when I see Father Keaton step up to the podium, my stomach twists. He isn’t wearing his usual attire; today, he has opted for a sleek, black robe. It is long, with black buttons along its front. I guess he decided to dress up for the occasion, too.

He places a bible on the top of the podium, and then leans down to set something else on the shelf of the wooden stand. He straightens, eyes finding mine, and his smile is dripping with malice.

“If everyone can find a seat, we will begin.”

Chapter 45

Celine

As soon as we take our seats in the back pew, I hear a soft commotion around us. I look to my left, past where Alex is sitting, and I see that the other priests have spread out. Alex glances at me in confusion and then peers around the room.

There are three priests along the left wall, three more along the right, and two standing by the entrance we just came in. All of them are unfamiliar, and every single one of them seems to be standing guard.

I move my head to the front of the room, where Father Keaton is now flipping through the Bible, and Sister Alice stands off to the side of him as she mutters something in his ear. Seeing her standing up there, it dawns on me that she is the only nun here.

A sudden feeling of dread sinks in my stomach as Father Keaton begins to speak, and Sister Alice slips through a door to the left of the stage.

“For those of you who have a strong relationship with God, you will show your commitment to Him today. For the others⁠—”

I don’t miss the way his eyes slide to mine. I divert my gaze, landing on Joanna, who sits eagerly in the front pew, but not with Bekah. The latter is in the row behind her, only a few spaces down, with an expression that mirrors Joanna’s.

“This will be your entrance into the community of believers. To grow your relationship with God.”

Esther leans over and whispers, “You were right, we should have skipped.”

Without looking at her, I ask, “Didn’t you say you hoped we had one of these rooms so they could put you out of your misery?”

She lightly sighs. “True, but now I have you, and it would be rude of me to leave you like that.”

I link my arm with hers and grin. She and Alex have made this place tolerable. Without them occupying my time, I would have gone insane.

“As you are submerged in the holy water, you will be cleansed of your sins, and when you resurface, you will be reborn in the eyes of God.”

I drown him out, peering over my shoulder at the two priests standing by the door. They don’t take their eyes off Father Keaton, and when I look to the other men, I notice that none of them do either. They stand there like robots, void of emotion, and it sends warning signals to my brain.

“Alex,” I whisper. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

“It will be fine.” His hand meets my thigh, glancing at me with reassurance. “The sooner this is over, the sooner we can figure out a plan to get out of here.”

I nod, not feeling any better by his words. My eyes return to the stage, where Father Keaton has finished his speech and stepped away from the podium.

“Joanna, will you come up here?”