AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"He said he didn't want to intrude. He's trying to respect my privacy, I guess? He basically said he doesn't knock. He just comes and goes, and I got the impression he was referring to walking in on something that would be awkward." I glanced over to Eladehl. "I think he's coming to our room after this. I figured we all had questions?" Then I looked at Talin. "I still can't believe you can't at leasthearhim. It's the strangest feeling to have him yelling and no one reacts."
"So we'll need to get a god sign of our own," Talin said. "Some way to figure out when you're talking to him - because I can only guess he wouldn't want to be ignored - that way we can play the distraction."
"Yeah - " I said, but paused when someone stepped in front of me.
It only took a second to recognize Ciella. The girl had been the oldest in our class, she lost her hair to Zeal's revenge, and now she was in her prime. Her hair had regrown and was just past her shoulders. Of course, it was just as beautifully blonde as ever. But from the look in her eyes, her personality hadn't changed a bit.
"What did you do?" she asked. "I want more lace, so how do I get it?"
"Pray," I told her, intending to keep on walking.
But she grabbed my arm, forcing us all to stop. "Look, that pious thing you do? No one's buying it. I thought about henna, but Ryshie says it washes off."
"And tattoos can scar the skin," I told her. "Yeah, the High Priest made sure I knew."
She smiled. "He'll also promote any of us who can figure out how you did it. We'll come out of our secondary education as adepts."
"Well, it has a lot to do with that pious thing I do." I couldn't help myself. I had to smirk.
Her eyes narrowed. "You think this is so funny, but all you ended up with was extra classes. Look, if you tell me, then I'll continue to pretend like you don't exist. Don't, and I'll make your life miserable."
"I'm not fourteen anymore, Ciella," I assured her. "I'm also not scared of you."
"You will be when I mess up that pretty face of yours. Just imagine how fast they'll drop you down into Obligation so you don't ruin the beauty of our temple."
Talin stepped forward. "That's enough, woman."
Ciella scoffed. "You're a well-trained lapdog, aren't ya?"
Talin's smile turned cruel. "Oh, you have no idea. I also bite."
"He does," Eladehl agreed. "I mean,I'mok with it, but those are love nips. Have a feeling this hunk of a man would break you."
"Too bad he's ringed," she taunted. "Means you might as well be a eunuch."
"Still know how to use my hands," Talin assured her. "And mouth. Sexual aids. What? You thought that a ring would keep us from enjoying ourselves? You must be small-minded. Granted, you look the type. But if you ever touch my girl again?" He leaned closer. "I will break every finger on the hand that does."
"Andmyguardian will stop you."
Wraythe huffed out a laugh. "Yeah? Where is he again? Because I'm pretty sure I can take him."
"I'll watch the show with Nari," Eladehl assured her.
I just made a shooing motion with my hand. "Go away, Ciella. You're last year's news."
Talin carefully pushed her aside, but the odd thing was that Ciella let him. She simply stood there with her mouth hanging open as if she didn't understand what had just happened. Then again, when she'd tormented us in school, we'd always avoided her. We'd never stepped up to tell her off. We'd been scared of her, but it seemed that bullies really did get confused when their only power - fear - was taken from them.
After that, we split off from the rest of the group to head to our suite. It was one advantage of not being in the initiate wing. We only got stuck in the pack until the first cross-hall, and then it didn't matter what they wanted to say - or what we did.
I filled the guys in on my conversation with Zeal as we made it back to our rooms. Without needing an invitation, Wraythe and Talin followed us in. I liked that. It felt like the awkwardness of the first week was starting to vanish. As if we were becoming a group instead of two pairs.
But Zeal was waiting inside. The god was lounging in the middle of the couch with his arms spread across the back. Again, he was in more casual clothing, but this time I noticed the muscles across his chest, able to see the hint of black lines through the thin fabric of his white shirt.
"He's here," Eladehl said. "Isn't he?"
"Yeah," I told him. "And I believe he is trying to make an impression. It's also working."
The God of Temptation smiled at me. "I think that has more to do with the idea I put in your head. That's how temptation works, my chosen one. Granted, if you crawled on my lap and took your share of this, it might confuse your friends, but I have a feeling they'd still watch."
