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"Nari…" he breathed, taking a half step toward me. "I'm sorry, I was just - "
"Now who's going to kiss this and make it better?" I asked before he could start to feel bad about it.
The corner of his lip flickered up twice, almost as if he couldn't decide if he was really allowed to smile at that. I just met his eyes and made a production of rubbing my ass, hoping he understood that it really was ok to play around. But before I could say anything, Talin wrapped his arms around me from behind.
"Oh, that's my job," he promised. "But I am honestly starving, and I'm so ready for a meal that a man can actually eat. So stop flirting with him, Nari. Your men need a meal."
"Food sucked at the baron's palace?" Wraythe asked before I could turn that into a joke.
"Residence," Talin corrected, "and yes. Breakfast is usually toast and one egg. You know, the kind of thing that keeps a man from getting too fat when he spends all day behind a desk. Not nearly enough for anyone who has to do combat training."
"No kidding," I agreed.
Thankfully, it didn't take Eladehl too long to get dressed, and soon enough, the group of us were heading toward the dining hall. On the way, I let Wraythe and Eladehl know that we needed to talk about what had happened on our visit. Talin nodded, which made the others look worried, so I explained the only way I could with so many ears around.
"Zeal was there. A lot."
That was all it took to keep them moving. From our rooms, it was almost a straight line, but the initiate wing came in from the side. Out of habit, I looked just as we passed and then stopped hard. My three guys all did the same, turning to follow my gaze.
There, halfway up the hall, Tishlie had her finger pointed right toward Anver's face. He stood with his arms crossed before him, looking as bored as he could with her antics. Unfortunately she seemed to have no intention of keeping this quiet.
"You are supposed to follow me, you hear!" she screeched.
"To assignments and liaisons," Anver agreed. "That does not make me your personal servant."
Tishlie's jaw clenched as she pulled in a deep breath. "Who is she, Anver?"
"Who?" he asked.
She jabbed a finger right at his chest. "The lover sending you fucking presents!"
Anver simply sighed. "For the millionth time, I do not have a lover. I have some friends, and that's allowed. I still have a ring on my dick. I'll whip it out right here if you want to see so badly."
"Let's go," Talin said, grabbing my arm to keep me moving.
But Tishlie's response was not the one any of us expected. The crack of flesh made me look back just in time to see her hand leaving Anver's face. The poor guy still didn't move. He just took the hit stoically, letting his head whip to the side while bracing for another to follow.
There was something about his stance. Maybe it was the set of his shoulders, dropped just a bit too far, making it clear he'd already given up. It could've just been my own beliefs about how a priestess should treat her guardian, or the simple wrongness of hitting a man who'd done absolutely nothing to deserve it. Whichever reason my mind settled on, I refused to ignore what I'd just seen.
"That bitch," I hissed, turning to give her a piece of my own fist.
Talin grabbed me around the middle, lifting my feet off the ground to keep me from helping. "Do not," he growled against my ear, "make a scene."
"Someone should!"
"Not you," Talin warned, all but carrying me the five feet out of the cross section of halls. Only when my view was blocked did he put me down, yet he still kept me moving forward. "Don't you get it? She's pissed because you gave him a present, and he can't tell her who he's talking to in his room because it'sZeal."
"Oh." I allowed him to keep steering me forward, but I still didn't like it. "But he's her guardian!"
"Doesn't matter," Ela said, moving to walk beside me. "Nari, they don't have that kind of bond. That's not why Zeal put him with her."
"In my opinion, it's more that Zeal spared him," Wraythe said. "He got matching marks - small ones - but I'm pretty sure her soul isn't in it."
"Her..." I paused, turning around to look at him. "What?"
"I'll get food," Ela offered. "You two catch her up. Meat, Wraythe? Eggs, Talin?"
"And meat," Talin said. "Lots. Same for Nari."
