Saturday morning she left the dorm well before sunrise.  At the school’s gate a black Suburban waited.  A young man wearing a Roman collar climbed from behind the wheel to open the rear door for her, a few minutes later they were on the freeway heading east.

            Before the sun had crested the distant hills the SUV rolled to a stop in front of a set of arched wooden doors set in a snow white stucco wall flanked by triangular buttresses, a bell wall with five bells to the left.  Two young people only a few years her senior waited.  Alighting from the vehicle she embraced the young woman receiving a kiss on each cheek and then took the young man’s hands, giving him a sisterly kiss on one cheek.

            “How are you doing, Chris?” the young woman said as she ushered her through the doors into the candle lit nave of the oldest mission in California.

            “It is very different from anything I have experienced before,” Chris replied.

            All three approached the altar and knelt making the sign of the cross.  Turning left they approached a rough-hewn door where the young man rapped gently then pushed it open.  Behind an antique Georgian desk, in an ultra-modern ergonomic chair sat an elderly man in a red cassock with a matching cap perched atop his balding head.  Leaning back in the chair, he steepled his fingers just under his chin and regarded the trio.

            “This is most inconvenient,” he said in a sonorous voice touched by an Italian accent.

            “Not at all, your Eminence,” the girl beside Christiana said with an authority beyond her age.  “It is vital we maintain close contact.”

            His Eminence sat forward in the chair.

            “I do not need you to remind me of that, Magdalene,” he said in an ominous tone.

            The young girl called Magdalene narrowed her eyes.

            “This is by my will, your Eminence, and I have the authority of the Holy Father.”

            The man cleared his throat.

            “Report,” he snapped to Christiana.

            She fought the urge to snap to attention.  “The class consists of seven, three male and four female including myself.  As yet powers have not been discussed or displayed.  The presumptive leader is ...”

            “Put it in your report,” the man said raising a hand.  “You are dismissed.”

            Christiana felt the girl beside her tense and by reflex she, too, mentally prepared for battle.  The younger man eased the tension.

            “Magdalene, Venatrix,” he said gently.  “If you will accompany me, I believe breakfast has been prepared.

            Herding them from the room he closed the doors behind them and leaned against it.  Slowly a smile crept across his lips.

            “God, Mary, poke the lion, for God’s sakes,” he said pushing off the doors.

            The nave was empty and the walls thick.  There was little fear of their words being overheard.

            The girl grinned, “He deserved it!” she said.  “Old fart.”

            Christiana covered her mouth to suppress a giggle.

            “That’s Cardinal Old Fart,” the boy said.

            Mary pulled him closer and hooked an arm in his then did the same with Christiana.

            “So how is it really, Chris,” she asked pulling them both out into the morning light.

            They sat at a small round table already set for breakfast, covered plates before the three place settings.  The young man held a chair for each of them.

            “Meet anyone hot,” Mary asked eagerly.

            Chris blushed a little.            

            “Ah ha!” Mary leered.  “Spill!”

            “Mary,” the boy said in a warning tone.

            “Nick,” she sneered.  “We AREN’T clergy, we CAN talk about sex and even do it!”

            Nick was Nicholas Shepherd aka The Shepherd.  He was the protector and trainer of the current Magdalene, he was also her best friend.  They had been working together since Nick was twelve and Mary was ten.  That was ten years ago.  Chris, the Venatrix, had only been training with them for a couple of years but in that time the trio had become as siblings, complete with the occasional teasing.

            “Actually,” Chris said,  "there’s a couple.  Slater’s gorgeous, 'bout six one or so, built like Michelangelo’s David.”

            “You saw him naked?” The tone of voice was breathy and excited and Chris knew Mary was teasing.

            “Of course not, I meant like the shoulders and six-pack … sorta like Nick.”  She leered at their male companion who didn’t have the good grace to even blush.

            “Was his ass as good?” Mary eyed Nick.

            “Well, probably not,” Chris drawled.

            “You said a couple?”  Nick ignored them.

            “Yeah, then there’s Nat … he’s like over seven feet tall, bronzed, sun-bleached blonde hair, deep blue eyes … and a girl-friend,” she replied then added, “dammit.”

            Nick looked up at the ceiling and slowly shook his head then looked down at her.

            “Any idea what their powers might be?” he asked, trying to drag her back to the main reason for their meeting.

            “I really can’t say given that no one is allowed to display any powers outside of the dorm rooms.  But, I’d say he's probably pretty strong.”

            “What about the other one?”

            Christi shook her head, “No idea at all.  Nothing obvious or suggestive.  I’ve only been around them two days and Nat and Wren, his girl-friend, don’t stay in the dorms.  They just walk out the gate and disappear.  They did invite me to a beach party this week-end but I knew I had to come here and turned them down.”

            “What better way to learn more about them.  Sounds like you gotta go and get reinvited,” Mary said.  “It is still early, I suggest you get back to your dorm.”

            “Yeah, but a beach party?  What am I supposed to wear, that thing the church gave us for swimming?”

            Mary laughed.  “It’s San Diego, I am sure there’s a swim shop someplace you can find something.”

            “I’ll probably glow I’m so white.”

            “Sun screen.”  Nick suggested.

            The trip back to school was spent fretting about a swim suit.  She had no idea what was either proper or what she’d look like in something that wasn’t provided by the church.  Honestly, there was no way she was wearing the ugly one piece thing with the short skirt that covered her to the tops of her thighs.  She was still debating her options when the car stopped at the school’s gate and the driver opened the door for her.

            “Christiana!”

            Nat and Wren were walking up the hill towards her as the car pulled away.

            “Was that a priest?” Nat said, watching the SUV.

            “Black suit, Roman collar,” Wren said.  “Of course it was a priest.  Although why a high school girl would rate a priestly chauffeur is more the question.”

            “You weren’t kidding about the 'Warrior of God’, were you?” Nat said.

            Chris shook her head slowly.

            “This is one story we simply must hear,” Wren said.

            “What story’s that?”  An unfamiliar male voice asked.

            A brown haired young man dressed in a brilliant yellow Hawaiian shirt and pink baggy trunks held a lime green towel under one arm regarding her.

            “Coming to the party?” the young man asked.  “I’m making the cookies.”

            Josh was the third male in her class and not far behind him trailed Slater with the other two girls, the Goth Alicia and Asian Fuji.

            “Might as well make it unanimous, Christiana,” Nat suggested.

            “It’s Chris and sure, if someone helps me pick out a bathing suit.”

            “Me, ME,” Josh bounced.

            Wren gave him a steady glare and he almost cowered.  “I think not.”

            “Just tryin’ ta help,” he said.

            “How are we getting there?” Chris asked.

            Nat pointed to an ancient looking station wagon like car with wooden panels down the sides and a pair of surf boards strapped to the top.

            “COOL!”  Josh took off at a dead run toward the vehicle.  “Shotgun!”

            “I don’t think so.”

            Josh slid to stop at Wren’s statement.

            “Aw, man!”

            “Guys in the back,” Nat said, lifting the rear hatch.  “Ladies.”  He gestured to the rear seat.

            The car was narrow and Chris thought fitting three across might get a little cramped but Alicia, being 5’ 2” and Fuji, at 5’ 5” gave her plenty of room in the middle.  Alicia hugged the door as they headed out and Fuji wasted no time in pulling out a Gameboy leaving her with plenty of time to consider what she was getting herself into.

            A head appeared between her and Alicia, Slater.  He leaned close to the girl’s ear and whispered something that made her blush and cover her face with the over-long sleeves of her sweater.  Chris wondered if Slater had been playing some kind of trick on the poor girl when he declared 'she’s mine, hands off’ on that first day.  If he was playing the girl, Chris was going to give him a serious beat down.  Then she saw Alicia peeking out at Slater and his expression softened.

            “You know you don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he said quietly.

            She bobbed her head and a smile appear from behind her sleeves.

            “Maybe some day,” she said.