Chapter Twenty-Eight
S he stepped up to the altar as the eyes of her peers watched, proud and mesmerized by her graceful beauty and strength. She never expected to be chosen, never in her wildest dreams to have the Lord himself call on her to lead the line of warriors. But she stood, sure and ready, as Father Alpheus draped a new scarlet cape over her shoulders with the proudest smile on his face. Applause erupted in the cathedral as the stained glass glistened from the sun upon her stature, marking a new beginning. The warmth radiated throughout her body, glowing from the inside out, feeling the Lord’s invisible hand touch her shoulder, reminding her of her purpose in life.
“For she is the Lord’s descendant; she shall save us all from the evil that walks among us. Juniper, our Scarlet warrior, the first blessed and the first to lead!” praised Father Alpheus.
Juniper smiled and beamed like a lighthouse on a cliff as her fellow sisters returned the same feeling. The whole room exploded with pure light, leaving nothing but happiness radiating through the convent.
As time seemed to slow down, Juniper descended from the dais, moving through a sea of her sisters. The others were unaware, but Juniper could sense his presence, watching, waiting, biding his time until nothing stood between them. Until the stars aligned, when the veil was at its thinnest, he would return, only for ultimate destruction to follow.