The Bonds of Trust

Damn
 it’s cold this deep in the night. I get why we’d have to meet in a
secluded place, but when Patricia suggested meeting at 2 in the night in
 December, I should have remembered that one of the items I left behind
at the college was my coat.

Oh
 well, on the grand scheme of things, that’s the least of my problems
right now – after all, my new Mentor had thought me some tricks to
survive in the cold. The hare’s heart-blood from the sacrifice earlier
kept the sting of frost away, at least.

Tonight
 would truly be my last night as Gwen Davidson, prospective Black Suit
of the New World Order. Tomorrow, with Patricia’s help, the last ties
would be severed, and I can start my new life with the Coven.

Well, “prospective” was probably off the table already – it’s been three weeks since I’ve been saved by Elder Abigail. She showed me the depravations
 of the Technocracy, and through a ritual – a bloody one, perhaps, yet
still less cruel than some of the things she had seen the Union do – the
 mental shackles were broken.

I
 wonder if it was a mistake not to tell Abigail that I was going to meet
 Patricia… although, Patricia was probably right, Abigail wouldn’t
understand the bonds of trust we had developed. If nothing else, I had to tell her what I learned, to see if she could be saved from the Technocracy’s grip. And after hearing her on the phone again, I just had to see her one more time…

Ah, there she is. A warm embrace, followed by the warmth of my coat that she brought along. She’s saying we should go to a safehouse – she has documents prepared for me there. There’s a hint of nervousness in her voice – but that made sense given the circumstances.

She’s
 asking about my mental shields – damn, she has a point. Enlightened
Psychology was never my strong suit. Patricia is the best in our class
though, so she’s suggesting to put them up for me, if only I open up my
mind for her. That makes sense – and I can trust her, after all.

It’s
 a short, but awkward ride to the safehouse. She smiles at me – she’s as
 happy to see me as I am her, but of course, the realization that this
will likely be the last time we see each other is making it hard on both
 of us.

The
 place is more comfortable than I imagined; Patricia leads me to a small
 room in the middle. No windows for prying eyes, makes sense. She leads
me to a nice comfortable chair in the middle and asks me what happened.

Strange,
 I imagined it would be harder to open up to her about my new coven.
She’s a lot more open to hearing what I have to say, however; she was
always such a good listener.
 I tell her everything I know – the way of thinking the Verbena are
teaching me, the rituals and the power of their magic, the depravities
of the Technocracy. She seems sad – it was hard for me to hear it as
well – but she seems to open op to my teachings.

Once
 all is done, she kneels down next to me. She places a warm hand on my
arm – I feel a prickling sensation in my back – and she reassures me
that everything will be as it should be. Content, I lie back, a warm prickling sensation filling my veins. Finally,
 I relax, as my eyes get heavy, Patricia's smiles warmly, but her in her
 eyes I see a twinge of regret. I suddenly realize what's really
happening and I panic, try to fight the sleepiness. The last I see is Patricia's eyes lighting up.