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"What happens if you don't?" Amerlee asked, her words just a little too soft. "Nari, what happens if you turn him loose on her?"
"She'll end up hurt," I admitted. "He hates her. He can't hurt us, and he even tried to hurt Talin but couldn't. Tishlie, though? He was going to choke her out in the hall and didn't care if anyone was watching."
"How do you fit in?" Amerlee asked. "With Ela, I mean."
I pulled my legs up beneath me, feeling my lips want to smile. "Faylie says I'm his control, and I think she's right. I tell him to pause, or to be more cruel, and he obeys. Zeal gave me Ela as a weapon. Talin's the Blade, Wraythe's the Shield, but Ela's the Temptation. In this temple, that's a pretty powerful title."
"It is," Amerlee agreed.
"But Zeal said they're mine, not his. I know that sounds wrong. These guys are my family, not pets or slaves, but you know how Zeal talks."
"Shit," Talin breathed. "And Zeal came in this morning worried about Anver. Tishlie's his ward! Zeal is worried about Anver breaking. Maybe you need to make sure Tishlie breaks instead?"
"If you're going to fail anyway..." Shalsa said.
Amerlee grunted, clearly not impressed. "We're supposed to be the good examples here, Shalsa."
"No, we're supposed to teach her how to survive life as a Priestess of the Body. This is reality, Amerlee. There's a lot of competition, and the better someone does, the more others try to tear them down. You have to be ready for it. You have to be ruthless in some ways and so sweet in others. You have to play the politics, because the temple is insulated from the rest of the world just enough that our lives inside it feel like they're all that matters."
"And she's the most beautiful woman in her class," Talin pointed out.
"In the temple," Amerlee said. "My little girl grew up and dethroned me. It's not a secret, and I'm not upset by it. So use that, Nari. If this girl is truly interested in women - and not just status - then she will be distracted by you. Tempt her. Seduce her. Then use Ela like a weapon and tear her down enough that she will never come after you again."
I nodded slowly. "I can do that. And you two? I need you to find out what's holding Maela back from taking her place in the temple, ok?"
"Babies," Shalsa said, explaining to Amerlee.
She nodded. "We can do that. Just be careful, Nari. Being a submissive isn't the same as being powerless. It means we know how to use surrender as our own weapon. This girl is going to try to break you."
"Too bad for her I have bigger worries." I eased myself to my feet. "Now go tell Jamik it's ok for him to sleep with your partner, would ya? Clearly he's doing something right if he's destroying the living room."
"Oh, he is," Shalsa promised. "And I expect an update when your session is over. If you need advice..."
"Toys," I reminded her. "I'll need those."
"Then I'll get them."
Catching Talin's eye, I turned to the door, but my mind was spinning. I didn't want to think about this assignment, but I had to. I couldn't get out of it, I was still going to fail it, but it felt important. It felt like more than my grade mattered, because too many things were depending on it. Zeal, Ela, my grade, and the torment of my bullies. Never mind Anver, my lost friend, and the fact that he was going to be dragged into this whether he liked it or not.
In other words, I had to get this right, even if I would still fail.
Chapter 40
Nariana
The weekend came much too fast. Our assigned time for our session was just late enough that the four of us woke up, enjoyed a lazy breakfast together in the dining hall, and then began to get ready. To make a point, Ela and I coordinated our outfits, making it clear we were a matched set. The color of the day was a deep, nearly forest-green color. It was just intense enough to count as color, but left us both mostly in the black of our god.
Ela's suit was as crisp and perfect as ever. He'd gone with a cravat instead of an ascot, wanting a more formal look - and a little more fabric in case he needed bondage material. I'd thought almost the same, so I had on a dress that closed down the front with a lace that was just soft enough and barely thick enough to use later. Around my throat, I wore the exotic choker that Zeal had gifted me for the holidays. Beneath, my lingerie was black, layered, and intentionally impressive.
"Do you two have a plan for this?" Wraythe asked as I put the finishing touches on my face.
Ela just jerked his thumb back to the main room. "That case in there? It has my toys and a few gifts from Shalsa for Nari to use."
"Doesn't answer the question," Wraythe told him.
"Nari's in charge," Ela said. "Besides that, I'm playing this by ear. Maybe we'll torture her until she begs, the three of you will keep me from killing that little cunt, and I'll burn it out on Nari."
"And the crash?" Wraythe asked.
