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He blinked slowly. "For power, of course. That's what Temptation's all about. Make the husbands want you and the wives befriend you. Make the highest priests long to talk to you. You're a beautiful woman - most Priestesses of Temptation are - so use it. Seduce them with your wit. Lure them with your presence. If they're going to play games, then play them better. Don't try to follow the rules, bend them. Break them, even, if it suits your purpose. The amount of god-marks I can see on you says more than you know. It will make people fear you or love you. Both are power."
"How long were you a Priest of the Mind?" I asked, because that sounded a little too much like help.
Edrik laughed, proving I'd guessed right. "I changed Paths three years ago, so a while. The advice is offered freely."
"And appreciated more than you can imagine," I told him. "The rumors are already going, and I've been suffering for it in my classes. They really want me to pick a Path."
"Whatisyour Path?" he asked.
"Temptation," I said.
He nodded once. "And what does that mean, Priestess? What is the responsibility of the Path of Temptation?"
"To protect the faith our god created, not the one our priests prefer."
"Then do that," he told me. "Stop playing their games and start making your own. So long as you're on the defensive, you will always lose. But if you change the subject, change the rules, or better yet, change the games, then you will eventually prove your point. Besides, what's the worst they can do? Drop you to Obligation? All that means is that you'll have the opportunity to take over the Temple of All Gods."
My breath caught. "Shit."
Edrik smiled. "I see. You hadn't considered that yet. Trust me, they won't want that. A High Priest of All Gods? We haven't had anyone who fit the criteria in far too long. One wearing marks like yours? It's a threat the other temples willnotencourage."
"Which means they can't stop me," I realized. "Thank you, Priest Edrik. I think your intervention may very well have been divine."
"Funny, because I just thought I was being a nice guy," he teased.
"Yeah, but that's how our gods work. It's always subtle. That's what makes them so powerful."
Chapter 49
Nariana
The luncheon was a tame affair for the most part. Ela hovered over Maela, flirting with her just enough for others to notice, but not enough to be rude. The barons and their wives all greeted her as their equal, and my friends had mingled with the other priests. A few nobles had sought me out, so Amerlee eventually intervened. She made it clear that she was my mentor and had me there to learn the nuances of polite society.
And the whole time, I kept thinking about that tidbit Edrik had imparted. They couldn't force me onto a Path because if they did, I could simply step over to the Temple of All Gods. If they threatened me with it again, I would make it clear that I had options - ones I needed to research a bit. I definitely wouldn't lose my lace, and I could do just as much good for Zeal over there as here. Never mind that my partners would be able to follow me. The whole thing made sense, and it removed a weight I hadn't even realized was crushing me.
But when the sun began to set, we called it a day and made our excuses. Maela had her carriages drive the lot of us back to the temple. Once again, our guardians helped us out, but this time Ela left last, pausing to brush his lips across Maela's and whisper to her that he'd enjoyed it. I noticed, pretended not to, and didn't say a single thing until we were inside and she was headed back home.
"You are shameless," I finally teased.
He just laughed. "She told me I could flirt a little. I just used my definition instead of hers."
"She liked it," Talin said.
Wraythe dropped his arm over Talin's shoulders and shook the guy gently. "You did too. Don't lie. If Ela hadn't been with another woman, you would've been sidelined. And how many times did you dance with Nari?"
"A few," he said. "In public, with everyone watching. Yeah, I could get used to that." Then he looked up at Wraythe. "Why didn't you?"
"I don't dance," Wraythe told him.
"Don't know how, or don't enjoy it?" Talin asked.
Wraythe sighed. "Bit of both. I always feel like I'm going to step on her feet, or Ela's, or whoever gets stuck with me."
"Well, you can step on mine all you want," Talin told him.
I glanced over at him. "And I'm pretty good about keeping my own feet out of the way. It's what I learned instead of swordsmanship, remember?"
"I shoulda asked, huh?" Wraythe muttered.
