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I simply turned to look at all of my friends, making sure we were all on the same page. "The pain is fleeting, Zeal. The love is stronger and much more memorable. Seeing people smile at you, able to see you in the halls? Watching priests pause to talk to a god that once only I could see?" I lifted the bottle and took a much bigger drink before passing it to Talin. "And getting my first friend back? It's all worth it. Tonight, I am celebrating! We all are, because this is exactly what we hoped for."
"We have a big-ass statue," Eladehl said, "a real god, and my entire family, right here. We did it."
"We did it," Talin breathed, closing the distance to kiss Ela.
Anver moaned in appreciation. "Yeah, that's as hot as I expected."
With a laugh, I turned to him and pressed my mouth against his. "I missed you."
His palm found the side of my face and he pressed his brow to mine. "I will always be sorry, Nari. I also swear that I will never, ever betray you again."
"I believe you," I whispered.
And then his lips found mine one more time. He kissed me gently. My lips parted, and he was there, leaning in, his hand sliding into my hair to pull me against him. Gone was the timid boy. In the time we'd been apart, Anver had become a man, and I could feel it. The touch of his lips carried a promise. The strength of his hands was a vow. He was back, and while things between us would never be the same, as my mouth moved in time with his, I decided that it was ok. We would do things better this time.
Talin had been right. There was still a thread binding us, and it was enough. More than enough. It was something to build on, and this time I wouldn't give up. Not on him, them, or even my god. Certainly not on the three men who were the center of my life.
Then another mouth found my neck. The beard around it made it clear that it wasn't Zeal, so it had to be Wraythe. Beside me, Talin and Ela were still kissing. Letting out a moan, I leaned my head back, and Anver's lips trailed down the line of my jaw. Wraythe's moved to my shoulder.
"Temptation," Zeal said from his spot at the edge of the basin. "It's a very powerful thing. More when I have the right tools at my disposal. Love her, men. Love her hard, love her eternally, because I may not be a kind god, but the five of you make me want to learn something new. You make me understand what it means to be devoted."
