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"Thank you," Elle said "I’ll work"

"You will" Mother Prioress took a step forward and looked down into her face "You’ll work and you’ll behave The sisters here have reat sacrifices to be part of this community They are here to love and serve God, worship Hiood and holy work and they are not to be disturbed, bothered, interrupted or interfered with in any way"

"I understand," Elle said

"You had a lover in the outside world You will keep that information to yourself We have all taken vows of chastity Consider yourself under one, as well You say you aren’t safe outside our walls Then you will re as you are a resident here You will bring no one else inside our walls"

"No one"

"Keep you head down Stay out of trouble Work hard If you harm any of the women here, you will be expelled I

"I don’t" she began, and paused Soed in her throat She sed it down "I don’t want to hurt anybody Ever"

"Yes" Mother Prioress gave her the first smile she’d seen on the woman’s face yet "Yes, I believe that" She turned to Elle’s mother "Take her to the infirmary I’ll send someone to prepare a room for her"

"Thank you, Mother Prioress," Elle’sin her eyes "Thank you"

Elle took her ether they started from the rooave her a tight smile "Elle"

"Yes?"

"You will do as you are told here I certainly hope you’re capable of following orders"

Elle s, it’s follow orders"

Her ed her hand and led her from the room

"I don’t need the infirmary, Mom," Elle said

"You have to call me Sister John or Sister in front of others And yes, you need the infirone in a few ets flogged during a hborhoods more often"

"This isn’t a joke"

"It wasn’t even hih her mother didn’t know that name She knew him as Father Marcus Stearns But Elle couldn’t call him Marcus Stearns in case one of the other sisters had heard of him So "him" it was

"Do I want to knoho did that to you?"

"My friend Kingsley"