“Thank you,” Ward murmurs, bringing his face too close to mine. “God has brought you back to us, Sister. I want to thank you for your bravery, your courage, your sacrifice. You are doing more for this world than you know.”

I nod, unable to say a word, and he smiles because he thinks I am being modest when in fact I am teetering between terrified and wanting to tear out his fucking throat.

Reverend Brother Ward turns back to the congregation, one of my hands still held in his.

“When we first began our mission, there were almost nine billion people on this earth. Can you believe it? Earth creaking under the weight of nine billion souls. And as we watched that number climb higher, and we watched plagues sweep over our people, and summers got hotter, and unrest tore societies apart, our leader High Reverend Father Ian Clevenger received a message from God!” Yes! the chapel cries. “For the earth must be liberated of us once again for the world to be saved, for our souls to be saved, so we can reach the Kingdom of Heaven.”

I stare across the congregation, at so many people who believe every word of this, who believe the only way forward is slaughter. Who want to wring every breath of life from the world and watch every person suffer. Who prayed for the creation of me.

“Our way forward has been returned,” Ward says. “We will be washed in the blood. We will wash the world in the blood. We will cleanse the world for Christ’s coming, and we will help the Lord bring His flock to deliverance. And you, Seraph—you, Sister Woodside! Are the one who will lead us! You will lead the Flood! You will lead the Graces! You will lead God’s people!”

These people have lived their lives for murder. Their singular goal is genocide in the name of salvation, and they will not rest until every human on Earth is extinguished. We are nothing but vermin to them. I’ve watched attempts at reasoning be met with bullets and crucifixion, and now there is nothing else to be done but fight back. The only way to survive is to extinguish them first.

Tomorrow. I just have to make it until tomorrow.

Theo’s father acknowledges him for exactly half a second after service ends, so Theo meekly returns to my mother to ask if he can stay with us.

“Of course, Theodore,” she murmurs. The general disappears into the crowd with his men. “I’ll make up the couch for you.”

“Thank you, Reverend Mother.”