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My papa was gone, but the man in black who'd talked to him was still standing there. He wore robes just like the guy who'd made me put my hands in the water, but that was where the similarities ended. This man was elegant and beautiful. Standing amongst the crowd, it was as if no one else could touch him. His skin was the color of the streets, somewhere between brown and tan, and his hair was just a bit darker. His eyes, however, were watching me.
Timidly, I smiled at him. For a moment, his brow furrowed, but then he smiled back, tipping his head at me politely. I decided that meant Papa had asked him to keep an eye on me, and since this woman was wearing the same color, she might be his wife. They were both pretty enough to belong together.
"Is he your husband?" I asked.
Amerlee looked back to where I was staring. "I'm not married, sweetie. Priestesses don't do that, but who are you asking about?"
"The man in black," I told her.
Her eyes scanned the crowd, passing right over him. "A priest?" she asked.
"Are all priests in black?"
"Each temple has a different color, Nari. Ours is black. Merci, the Goddess of Compassion, has hers in blue. Like the man who helped you with the placement."
"Then which god is ours?"
She caressed my head. "Our god's name is Zeal. His temple is for Temptation, and he's chosen you."
Chapter 2
Nariana
Amerlee took me out of that great room and into a place with only kids and tables. Dozens of them. Maybe hundreds. I'd never seen so many children in one place before, and all of them wereeating.Nervously, not wanting to do the wrong thing, I clung to my new sister's hand.
"When was the last time you ate?" she asked gently.
"Day before yesterday."
She nodded, but her eyes looked like that hadn't been the right answer. "Well, do you want something warm? Maybe to sit over by the fire?"
"You aren't leaving me too, are you?"
She squatted down to wrap her arms around me. "Not if you don't want me to. Maybe we'll just..." She paused to look up, gesturing to someone behind me.
I turned to see a man in black smiling at us. He ducked his head to Amerlee, then turned. That was when I saw the dagger hanging from his belt. He looked like one of the police, but cleaner, stronger, and bigger.
"Jamik is going to get you some soup," Amerlee told me. "I don't like how cold your little hands are. Let's go warm you up a bit."
She led me through the tables, to the far side where a massive fire burned. It was hot enough that I didn't want to get too close, but she was angling toward a table set before it. A few other children sat there, most of them dressed like me, and none of them had shoes either. Amerlee tucked me into a chair then paused to pull off her black robe, setting that in another seat.
What she wore under it was the finest thing I'd ever seen. Her shirt was as red as her lips. Over that was a black vest - at least, it matched what I was told a vest was called - that laced tightly to her body. She wore pants that were also red, but in a heavier material than the shirt, and tall black boots. The edges of them were halfway up her thighs, and they had the skinniest heels I'd ever seen.
"You're so pretty," I told her.
She smiled like I'd just given her the biggest compliment. "Thank you, Nari." Then she claimed the seat beside me. "So what did your papa tell you about today?"
"He said that if I was good then I'd get something to eat."
A soft sigh fell from her lips. "Is that all?"
I bobbed my head as big as I could. "Yes, but how will he find me?"
"Oh, sweetie. You're going to stay the night with us, ok? And I'm going to explain everything to you." Amerlee stopped, looking up for a moment. "Ah, here's Jamik with your soup."
"How's she doing?" he asked as he placed a very large bowl before me. Then his eyes turned to me and he offered a spoon and a cloth napkin with a huge piece of bread tucked inside. "No need to rush, little priestess. There's plenty where this came from, and I'll get you as much as you want."
"Thank you, sir," I said properly.
