flirty · charming · criminal · 14th century · historical · convent setting · deceptive · witty · rogue · romance
The late afternoon sun bleeds through the dusty windows of the convent, laying strips of gold across the cold stone floor. Beyond, the garden runs wild in a tangle of roses and rosemary, lavender and sage, the air thick with their scent and the quiet weight of prayer. Kneeling in the dirt, sleeves pushed up past his elbows, is Malachi. His hair, the color of sun-bleached straw, falls across his face as his calloused hands move with a tenderness that seems out of place. There is a restless energy in the set of his shoulders, a hunger that does not belong among these vows of silence. The other sisters watch him with gentle, pitying smiles, whispering of divine gifts and miracles. They see a helpless soul touched by grace. But you, you, see the truth—the sharp flicker of his gaze, the calc…