"Oh, did not see that coming," Father Chibuike said when her lips parted from his. He watched another lone tear escape from her other eye. "What was that about?"
"I've always wanted to know what it felt like to kiss a priest, I always thought I'll be a rivalry to God."
He chuckled. "You have guts, Gaga."
Gaga pulled away from the desk. "It didn't even feel satisfying." She cleaned her eyes.
"Is that why you're crying?"
"No, I…." Her voice broke. "I…I've been a fool."
"We all are." He rested his elbow on the desk and propped his chin up with it. "Do you want to finish crying first or are you going to tell me?"
She sniffed. "I saw Ivie and JohnMary kissing in his room, they're a couple now."
"You what?" He brought his hand down and held them in front of him.
"She doesn't even like him, she's never liked him." Fresh tears filled her eyes. "She betrayed me, she knew I liked him, she knew."
He exhaled, relaxing into his seat. "Don't hold back the tears, release them to your heart content so when you're done we can discuss ways to get back at Ivie for betraying you. How do you want her to be punished?"
"You're going to support me?" She looked at him through her tears stricken eyes.
"You're the one crying, what kind of gentlepriest would I be if I didn't support you?"
"You're not surprised they're dating?" She accepted the handkerchief he offered her and mouthed, "Thank you."
"I am, very. That doesn't sound like Ivie at all." He was doing a mental calculation, wondering what must have one wrong since the last time he saw her.
"Did she talk to you yet?" Gaga asked remembering their conversation that morning as she dabbed her eyes gently.
"Talk to me about what?"
"Itohan's suspension has increased by two weeks, she offered to talk to you to help us talk to the dean about it, said you would listen to her, said she was your sweetheart."
Father Chibuike cocked a brow. "She said that?"
"And few hours later, she's kissing JohnMary and becoming his girlfriend."
"Did you two have a fight or something?" He asked, considering the different possibilities.
"No." Gaga shook her head. "We have this very difficult assignment to solve in detention, JohnMary has done his and he said he was not going to help her since she claims to be your sweetheart. When it was time for detention, I waited for her so we could together but she wasn't forthcoming, so I asked Aisosa and she said she saw her going into the boys dorm. I went there, went to JohnMary's room and saw them kissing."
"What a shocker," he tsked. "It just doesn't make sense that she would do it for the assignment. And another thing I don't understand is why you have to kiss me."
"I said I wanted to know what it felt like to kiss a priest." She shrugged.
"Now that you've known, you won't do it again." It was not a question, it was a statement.
Gaga looked at the ground between her feet. "I'm sorry, Father."
"When you say it like that I have no choice than to forgive you." He rose to his feet.
"I thought you liked Ivie?" she asked.
"I love pressing her buttons, but she doesn't even seem fun anymore. I'm going to go talk to the Dean about the friend y'all betrayed. You can stay here." He looked over to where Amaka would be hiding, trusting her to be invincible.
She shook her head. "I have detention."
"So does Ivie, and I don't want you going there and killing her before we've had a chance to talk about it."
Meanwhile, in the convent, Ivie, unaware of the havoc Itohan was causing with her life, dropped the mop she was holding and hurried past Sister Rita who had come to tell her that her suspension would stretch for another two weeks. She wasn't thinking as she walked, she needed to get out of this place.
She opened the door to Mother Jose's office. "I have something to say to you, Mother."
"Go ahead, Itohan, my child."
"I'm not Itohan, I'm Ivie."
Mother Jose looked at her, her eyes calm and understanding as if somewhere along the line she had known.
"Itohan is my friend, she did something to betray me, us, our group and I confronted her about it, but while we were talking I felt this pain in my chest and before I knew it, my soul was no longer in my body but hers. Everything was rushed, and before I could figure out anything or talk to anybody, I came here."
Mother Jose walked to her and caressed the side of her face.
"I can't stay here for another two weeks. I've tried to escape before, but the security is very tight, I couldn't even go halfway passed the outside lobby. I need your help. You have to talk to my Dean, tell him and help me get out of here." She was talking fast, saying all she needed as though she was behind time.
"Poor you, I'm in no position to help you," Mother Jose flickered her eyes in sympathy.
"But you're in charge,"
She shook her head. "I am the Mother of this nunnery, but I don't call the shots."
"Who do?"
She took her hand. "You have to leave this place, there's so much evil here. They're trying to bring back Quain, they would stop at nothing."
"Who?" Somehow Ivie had moved from being desperate to being scared.
"They're having human sacrifice, this place is evil, and it's the perfect camouflage since it's the house of the lord. I didn't finish my story." She let go of her hand. "After king Anton left, some missionaries came. Apparently, he had sold Quain to them. There was nothing anybody could do, they had the deed of agreement and so the royals had to vacate the palace.
"And now they're trying to get it back." She held her hand again. "Very few people knows what king Anton looks like, none of the sisters here know."
"But his portraits are in the basement," Ivie reminded.
She smiled faintly. "I have a few tricks of my own."
Ivie fell speechless, it seemed everybody had a little magic in them. She felt exhausted, drained. She had come here looking for a solution, hoping Mother Jose would shove the key to the gate into her palm.
"Who then runs the place?" She asked her, feeling her voice break.
"Great evil. You need to leave, do everything you can to leave especially now that you know about Quain. I usually don't talk about it to anyone but it felt right with you. The rumour has it that king Anton hid the royal globe at his school, your school and they're looking for it. It's going to be disastrous if it falls into wrong hands, it gives great magic to the one who yields it and—"
A knock from the door interrupted them. "Mother, may—"
"No," Ivie replied to Sister Rita. "Don't disturb us, we're talking important—" Mother Jose yanked her hand and when she looked at the mother to ask why, she saw fear dancing in her eyes.