AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Did you guys add sugar to the filling?" I asked. "I don't think I saw that."
"Shit," Norris grumbled. "I completely forgot."
So Polst dipped his finger in the edge and tasted it, sucking in a breath. "Wow, that's tart. Yeah, we would've failed."
"Thank you, Nari," Odette told me. "Even if Polst won't say it, he appreciated you paying attention too."
"Yeah, I can't take credit. Just kinda had an epiphany," I explained.Thank you, Zeal.
"Thank you for taking care of Anver," he told me, and then vanished.
Chapter 51
Talin
Nari kept saying things were getting better - and it actually felt like they were - yet the stack of books beside her every night only grew. With two extra classes, the homework became exponentially harder. My desire only had so many hours in a day, and lately they were all going to simply trying to keep up.
Because of that, I'd been worrying about her. She no longer had time to laugh with us. She'd been skipping trips to the Salle, and I knew she enjoyed her weapons practices. Nari never complained, but I missed the time we used to spend just talking together. All four of us.
Knowing that Oryll would announce their assignment partners for the next session tomorrow wasn't helping either. That man had spent the entire semester trying to make her life miserable. It was no secret that this wouldn't be any different, and yet, at some point between reading about dueling and the chapter on the justice of the gods, that uncomfortable weight faded from my mind.
When Wraythe moved to the couch, I realized why. My desire had fallen asleep in the middle of her homework. The worry was hers, not mine. I turned, intending to take care of her, but Wraythe just lifted a finger to his lips and then scooped Nari into his arms. The fact that she didn't stir said more than I wanted to admit.
This was too much. They were pushing her too hard. Eventually, even she would break, and I hated it. I hated feeling like I wasn't doing enough, but I had no clue how to make it any easier for her. She might be strong, but I was supposed to help lighten the load.
"Bunny and Puppy are in the closet," Ela said softly. "If you're not staying, give her those."
Wraythe nodded to show he'd heard, but didn't stop on his way to the bedroom. I watched him go, annoyance growing inside me. No, not at him. I honestly didn't care if he curled up beside her - he made her happy. It was at the rest of this. At how hard the temple pushed her, how unfair all of this was, and the fact that the situation made me feel so helpless. That wasn't something I was used to.
Then my eyes landed on her books and I eased myself away from the table. How much homework did she even have?
"Talin?" Ela asked.
"Look at this," I said, picking up three of her books. "She's been at this all night and isn't even halfway done. She's been staying up later until she falls asleep in the middle of her homework. She..."
"Can't do it all," Anver finished for me. "What classes does she have left?"
"She finished her coursework for Assignments," I said, putting that book aside. "Looks like Advanced Literature and Erotic Positions hasn't been touched. From the bookmark, she finished the Sexual Orientation reading, but Eroticism has questions at the end of the chapter she was working on."
Eladehl flapped his hand at me. "Give me the Erotic Positions. I can do that one for her."
My eyes jumped from him to the books, and then back. He had a point. A good one.Thiswas what had been wearing on her, and we could actually help! Ela was on the same Path. No, they didn't have all the same classes, but it didn't matter. Some of the others, I knew about. Between the group of us, if we could just get her homework done, then it was one less thing for her to waste time on! I stacked up the books and carried them back to the table.
"I can help with Advanced Literature," Anver offered. "I read most of the works on the list already."
I chuckled. "So I get to do the Eroticism questions?"
"I can help," Ela promised.
"I can read it," I assured him as I passed out her books. "I honestly don't mind learning about what you two do."
Anver placed his hand on the cover, looking between the two of us. "Is there any reason she needs to do this?"
"To pass," I reminded him.
"Thatsheneeds to," Anver repeated. "Guys, my point is that she's drowning in busy work. We're not. How many times have we sat around while she studies?"
"Too many," Ela agreed.
