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I just hope it didn't translate to 'fuck you six ways from Sunday' in shifter.
I lowered my hands as Zophia relaxed.
"Thank you. Some people have strange ideas about women like me."
"One of my brothers preferred men," I said softly. "Some of the other witches had some ideas about beating it out of him, or marrying it out of him, as if that would help." I averted my eyes. "He was the least shit of my brothers."
"Was?"
My throat tightened. "He gave himself to Hades rather than face any more bullying."
"You don't mean he became a priest, do you?" Zophia asked gently.
"No. He threw himself from the top of the Council when I was twelve years old. He was only fifteen." I met her eyes. "He was just a kid. He did nothing wrong." A tear trickled down my cheek.
I wondered if the Covener hoped I'd do the same.
I swiped the tear with the back of my hand.
"Of course he didn't," Zophia said firmly. "I'm sorry that happened to you both. My mother was disappointed in me, but she accepts me now, and here no one cares. I'm not the only one in the Sanctuary who dabbles with other women. Gia and Kim have been lovers for years. I'll have to introduce you, they're adorable. You'll love them."
"I'm sure I will." My breath hitched. "I…"
"It's all right, you don't have to tell me you're not like me. I didn't tell you to make you feel uncomfortable, I just like to be open and honest with people. Sometimes the consequences of that aren't . . . Why are you staring at me like that? Do I have food on my face?"
While Zophia wiped at her cheek with her hand, I smiled. "No, it's not that. I—" I grimaced. "Dex said I might be seen as a rival for some of the women who want to marry him."
"You're relieved I will never look at you that way?" Zophia asked.
"Well…yeah." I replied, "But instead you suggested I might be the Covener's rival. It seems I can create trouble without doing a thing." What can I say? I have skills.
Zophia grinned. "I suspect most of us have that ability, especially around here. If you say anything, someone will assume you mean something else." She gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes and smirked. "As you said, sometimes there isn't much to do around here except to gossip. Before long, they'll have us as lovers, while you share Dex's bed. Or someone else's."
"I don't want them to think—"
Zophia interrupted. "They'll think all sorts of things and gossip about them as well. It never does anyone any real harm. Sooner or later they'll move on to talk about someone else."
I sat back. There were worse things they could say about me than whose bed I was or wasn't sharing, but I always tried to stay away from gossip, especially being the subject of it.
I supposed it was natural they would talk about someone new, especially a witch, but it made me uncomfortable.
"I hope so. There must be many more interesting people in the residence to talk about."
Zophia snorted. "More interesting than a witch who talked Dex out of making her a slave? That may be difficult to top."
I grimaced. "I'm dull as shit, really."
"I beg to differ," Zophia said firmly. "You like books; that immediately makes you interesting. Much more interesting than who you have or do not have as a lover." She barely stopped for breath before she added, "Did you know that several old scrolls said Hades had many lovers, both male and female, and was actually part witch?"
I blinked. "He was?" I hadn't given it much thought. I assumed he was just a regular old god, if there was such a thing.
Zophia grimaced. "My father traded old scrolls, amongst other things. They were extremely valuable and he only got his hands on a couple of them. The priests of Hades would all but go to war with scholars over them. My father said the priests would destroy them, so no one could question them."
"And the scholars wanted them so they could question them?" I guessed. Shifters really were as bad as witches. Witches would go to war to hide the truth too, which made no sense to me. Who cared if a god was part toad, for Hades’ sake?
"Precisely," Zophia said. "My father had me transcribe them, because history shouldn't be lost, or some such. He'd sell the scrolls to the priests, then the transcriptions to the scholars, mostly to the university here in the Vault. The priests didn't care much for that."
I blinked. "They killed him because of that?"
